Wm. Clay

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I urge the swift passage of H.R. 3233 and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in supporting H.R. 2276, which names a postal facility in Vassar, Michigan, after Corporal Christopher E. Esckelson. H.R. 2276, which was introduced by Representative Kildee of Michigan on May 10, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on September 20, 2007, by a voice vote. This measure has the support of the entire Michigan congressional delegation. Madam Speaker, Marine Corporal Christopher E. Esckelson was killed on December 28, 2006, while conducting combat operations in al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Lansing, Michigan. In October of 2002, Corporal Esckelson joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and attended Delta College. His desire was to become a doctor, but he was called to active duty in April 2006. Corporal Esckelson was extremely proud to be a marine and committed to serve his country with distinction and courage. Madam Speaker, I commend Representative Kildee for introducing this legislation and urge swift passage of this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to Representative Kildee from Michigan.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague, Representative Kildee, for introducing this legislation, and urge its swift passage by the House. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my friend from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney).

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Officer Norvelle Brown for being extremely courageous and dedicated while serving with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Officer Brown was just 22 years old when he was killed in the line of duty while proudly and heroically serving the St. Louis community. His immense contribution to reducing crime in St. Louis, his bravery and his kindness will never be forgotten. Officer Brown was hired by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in 2006. In his 11 months of duty, Officer Brown has been an exceptional performer within the Seventh District. He recently received the Chief's Letter of Commendation, which recognized him for going above and beyond the call of duty. In addition to earning the reputation of being a hard working and devoted officer, he loved his job and was committed to keeping the streets safe. Officer Brown was a passionate public servant, steadfast in his desire to make a positive difference in his community. A graduate of Vashon High School, Officer Brown remained involved with his alma mater by serving as a mentor to students and members of their football team. He was also a coach for the Police Athletic League. Madam Speaker, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Officer Brown's family and let them know how very proud the St. Louis community is of this remarkable young man. Officer Brown's energy, commitment and dedication to his job made him an extraordinary benefit to the entire St. Louis community. He will live forever in our memories. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring a local hero, Officer Norvelle Brown.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. CLAY. I thank the chairwoman for yielding. I have an amendment that I will not offer today per our earlier conversation. My amendment would allow residents of neighborhoods to purchase properties that are vacant and, for the most part, are not suitable for renovation. These properties would be razed, the grounds cleared, covered with topsoil and planted with the seeds of produce to create urban gardens. The produce would be harvested and distributed to the residents of the neighborhoods who would be able to purchase them at less than the market rates. I would love to have the gentlewoman's support in the future for this concept.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I am certainly aware and the gentleman is aware also that it is so important that the Census be diverse and that they practice it in their contracting opportunities as well as within the makeup of the Bureau itself, because I think that the Bureau should reflect this country and its diversity.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in support of H.R. 3093 as reported by the Appropriations Committee with the understanding that Chairman Obey, Chairman Mollohan and the other House conferees will make every effort to restore $30 million in funding for the Census Bureau that was removed during the committee's markup of this important funding bill. As reported by the Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee, the bill included $13 million above the President's request to fund the partnership program which is so critical to our efforts to count traditionally undercounted populations. The bill also included $35 million above the President's request for the SIPP program, which was slated for elimination until the Census Bureau and the Department of Commerce, to their credit, reevaluated and reversed that misguided policy decision. I applaud Chairman Mollohan, Mr. Ruppersberger and others for their leadership in working to include funding for this vital program in the original bill, in spite of the administration's decision not to fund them in fiscal year 2008. Unfortunately, both of these advances would be jeopardized if the $30 million removed in full committee is not restored. This would undermine our efforts to achieve a thorough and accurate enumeration of the U.S. population in 2010. It would also hamper our ability to gather critical data about poverty, program participation and performance in the future. The data collected during the decennial census and annually by the SIPP impact the way billions of dollars are allocated and the way the programs throughout our government are run. Indeed, cutting the money from the Census would undermine the very program our colleagues are trying to fund at the expense of the Census Bureau. And now, Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage the gentleman from West Virginia in a colloquy. Let me begin by congratulating the chairman for his leadership in working to provide and protect funding for the Census Bureau. As we continue the fight to protect the Bureau's funding from being raided to support other programs, I would like to ask the gentleman about his commitment to ensuring that the Bureau is inclusive in its contracting activity, particularly with regard to the 2010 census. And as the gentleman knows, the Census Bureau, according to GAO, will ``make the most extensive use of contractors in history,'' which includes information technology systems, advertising, and the leasing of local census officers. I believe the gentleman shares my view that in order to carry out its mission effectively, the Bureau must have a workforce that reflects the diversity of this Nation and that that idea extends to the private entities with which the Bureau contracts to perform mission critical activities. I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, in the fall of 2002, I was among the majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives who voted against the Iraq war resolution. Claims about weapons of mass destruction had not been substantiated and there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein was linked to al Qaeda and the 9-11 attacks. I did not accept--as administration officials asserted--that the costs of the war and rebuilding of Iraq could be financed by Iraqi oil revenues. At that time, I told my colleagues that Iraq did not pose a direct threat to our national security and that we should concentrate our power on capturing Osama Bin Laden and destroying al Qaeda. The invasion and occupation of Iraq has not achieved what its proponents promised. The war has degraded our military, undermined our nation's influence in the world, vitalized terrorists, and left the American people more vulnerable to attack than we were before the war. Now, the National Intelligence Estimate confirms that while the administration vainly wrestles to salvage some semblance of victory in Iraq, Osama Bin Laden and his followers are poised for a resurgence. Al Qaeda's terrorist network, which was weakened but not destroyed after we invaded Afghanistan, never lost sight of its enemy. Today, al Qaeda poses as grave a threat to the United States as it did before 9-11. As long as we remain in Iraq, al Qaeda will profit and the American people will pay the price. The security of our Nation demands that we withdraw from Iraq and use all of our military, intelligence and diplomatic resources to tear down the terrorist networks that want to destroy our way of life. This Administration must stop blindly pandering to elitist dreams of rebuilding other nations in our image. Protecting the American people is a fundamental purpose of our government. The Iraq war is not advancing our national security; it is time to bring our troops home. The Bush policy in Iraq has already cost the lives of over 3,600 brave Americans, with over 26,000 wounded. It has squandered and scattered resources that we should have devoted to our homeland security. And it has cost the U.S. citizens over half a trillion dollars in hard earned wages and lost Government services. When history is written, it might say that we lost the first battle in the war against terrorism, but I pray it will not say that we lost the war.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I am honored to rise today in celebration of the efforts and improvements achieved by the Pagedale Community Association in association with Beyond Housing in the city of Pagedale. Since 1980, Beyond Housing has assisted many St. Louisans in the 1st Congressional district. Beyond Housing has sought to provide affordable housing, propagate home ownership, and help low-economic families achieve stability. Beyond Housing has used their history of beneficial rehabilitation for St. Louis citizens to support the PCA and re- building efforts in the city of Pagedale. The newly created Pagedale Community Association (PCA) has made many fruitful, laudable efforts over a small period of time. The PCA has assisted Beyond Housing in providing some 100+ homes for the residents of the 1st Congressional district of Missouri in Pagedale. Along with providing homes, the PCA has established a community center with multiple functions that each assist in community growth. I am thrilled with the progress that has been made in Pagedale and excited for the years and further progression to come. The initiative taken by the residents of Pagedale is admirable and the economic development, incredible. Along with commending Beyond Housing and the PCA, I would like to thank St. Louis County for their financial interest in the projects in Pagedale. I am happy to see Missouri residents coming together to help one another. I truly extend my gratitude and support to the Pagedale Community Association and Beyond Housing in St. Louis, Missouri. It is my pleasure to commend them on their excellent work in my district and beyond. I hope their progress continues.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chairman, as chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my colleague from Illinois, Mr. Emanuel. In light of recent events, in which various Executive Branch officials, including the Vice President's former Chief of Staff, I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby, have acted with reckless disregard for the protection of classified information, I applaud Mr. Emanuel's leadership in introducing this amendment. This amendment would eliminate funding for the Office of the Vice President in light of the Vice President's refusal to comply with Executive Order 12958. Executive Order 12958, as amended by President Bush in March 2003, requires the Information Security Oversight Office, ISOO, within the National Archives and Records Administration to establish a uniform system to protect classified national security information throughout the Executive Branch. In 2004, the Office of the Vice President refused to submit to an on- site inspection. In doing so, it made the astonishing claim that it was not an Executive Branch entity and therefore not covered by the Executive Order. The director of the ISOO wrote the Vice President's office to contest the claim and also asked the Department of Justice to evaluate the Vice President's argument. The Vice President and the Justice Department repeatedly ignored these communications. Moreover, we learned this week that the Vice President's staff has proposed amending the Executive Order to eliminate the ISOO. Congress should not tolerate this effort by the Vice President to exempt his office from oversight and retaliate against the agency charged with maintaining our Nation's most sensitive secrets. The Vice President is making a mockery of the law and our system of checks and balances. If the Office of the Vice President insists upon defining itself as not being an Executive Branch entity, then clearly it should not be funded like one. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, today I am proud to honor Betty Jean Kerr as she celebrates 30 years of successful service as CEO of People's Health Centers, PHC. Under her dedicated leadership, the medically underserved and uninsured receive comprehensive medical treatment daily across the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. The St. Louis community will celebrate Ms. Kerr during a very special Gala Weekend, which includes a historical renaming of PHC to the Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers. This is a fitting tribute for an extraordinary woman who has been credited with taking her vision of community health to an international level. PHC Health Centers, PHC, has a 35 year history of providing essential primary care and prevention health education risk reduction services. Under Kerr's leadership, the PHC campus is now a sprawling community of apartments for the elderly, housing for persons with disabilities, social security services, primary health care, dental services, a pharmacy, affordable homes, small businesses, and school-based sites that provide increased access to health in conjunction with health center locations. All health services are provided by clinicians who are accountable for addressing the personal health needs of the residents in St. Louis. The success of PHC is a true reflection of Kerr's commitment and dedication to ensuring that primary care and prevention services are efficiently provided, regardless of a patient's socioeconomic status. Kerr has also ventured beyond medical treatment by incorporating medical research into PHC. By partnering with government agencies, teaching institutions, and a host of other participants, PHC is able to conduct clinical research trials in an effort to improve health outcomes for medically underserved persons with chronic diseases. And reduce health disparities. Ms. Kerr has a strong belief that every citizen has the right to a long and healthy life. She continues creating unique programs, such as the Sharing the Care Program, which allows eligible PHC participants to receive life-saving drugs free of charge. Kerr has recently extended her mission of serving the underserved through the Betty Jean Kerr Scholarship. These College Family Life Assistant Scholarships are awarded to African American students with an interest in higher education in the fields of health and health related professions. Madam Speaker, it is with great privilege that I recognize Betty Jean Kerr today before Congress. She is not only a local hero, but is indeed a national treasure. Her tireless work to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all makes her more than worthy of this honor. It is with great privilege that I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Betty Jean Kerr.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of H. Res. 333, the resolution to Impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. Four years after the start of this war, it is obvious that Mr. Cheney deliberately manipulated the intelligence process to deceive Congress and the American people. At the urging of my constituents in Missouri's 1st Congressional District, and from Americans across the country, I cosponsored Congressman Kucinich's resolution because there is ample evidence that Mr. Cheney systematically evaded the truth and used scare tactics to build support for this unjust war. Mr. Cheney's betrayal has resulted in a tragic, unnecessary war that has already cost the lives of over 3,300 brave Americans and has cost the taxpayers over $400 billion. The Vice President has taken the integrity out of his office and breeched the trust of the American people. Madam Speaker, below is Richard Cohen's column from yesterday's Washington Post, headlined, ``A Case Against Cheney.'' I agree with Mr. Cohen's conclusion, ``the harping on weapons of mass destruction was an attempt to scare the American people into supporting a war that need not have been fought.'' I encourage my colleagues to read this column and make a conscious decision to hold Vice President Cheney accountable by cosponsoring H. Res. 333. [From the Washington Post, May 2, 2007] A Case Against Cheney (By Richard Cohen) The resolution offered by the gentleman from Ohio reads sensibly. It alleges crimes high and low, misdemeanors galore--all of them representing an effort to mislead the American people and take them into war. It is Dennis Kucinich's articles of impeachment directed at Dick Cheney. The vice president will, of course, deny being a liar. As long as Kucinich is at it, add that to the articles. The congressman's case is persuasive, although his remedy may be too radical. He calls for Cheney to be impeached by the House and tried by the Senate, just as Bill Clinton was for what turned out to be neither a high crime nor much of a misdemeanor. What was it, anyway, compared with more than 3,300 American dead? In his articles of impeachment, Kucinich details the many statements Cheney made that turned out to be factually wrong. For instance, he quotes Cheney as saying, ``We know they [the Iraqis] have biological and chemical weapons,'' which of course, they didn't. Still, that was excusable, since it was early in the game and little contradictory evidence was being presented. As Condi Rice said Sunday, ``When George [Tenet] said `slam dunk,' everybody understood that he believed that the intelligence was strong. We all believed the intelligence was strong.'' But in Cheney's case, the slam-dunking went on and on--way past the point where it was possible anymore to believe him. He continued to insist that Saddam Hussein had high-level contacts with al-Qaeda--``the evidence is overwhelming,'' he once said--while others in the government not only knew that the evidence was not overwhelming but that it hardly existed. It was the same with Cheney's insistence--not just wrong, but irrefutably so--that Hussein ``has weapons of mass destruction,'' and ``[t]here is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies and against us.'' The percussive march of these statements is so forceful, one after another after another, that it suggests Cheney wanted war no matter what. If he was lying to himself as well as to the rest of us, that is only a mitigating circumstance--sort of an insanity defense. Kucinich also alleges that Cheney ``purposely manipulated the intelligence process to deceive the citizens and Congress.'' That, as the expression goes, is the gravamen of the charge. Kucinich doesn't stand a ghost of a chance of making it stick because Congress is not about to vote impeachment. But no one who reads Kucinich's case against Cheney can fail to conclude that this is a rational, serious accusation. It's possible that each individual charge can be rebutted, but the essence of it is shockingly apparent: We were being manipulated. It is something of a joke that Washington is now transfixed by l'affaire Wolfowitz. This is the contretemps at the World Bank in which an architect of this misbegotten war stands accused of favoring his girlfriend. Do not be concerned with the details--this is a parody of a Washington scandal--but concentrate instead on what else Wolfowitz has done in government and how, now, it is a salary increase awarded to a companion that might do him in. This is tantamount to getting Al Capone for tax evasion. In the same vein, we tend to focus on single events or statements regarding Iraq (to slam dunk or not to slam dunk, that is the question) and how poor George Tenet, a self- deceived careerist, is misunderstood--as if he had uttered a statement of principle dramatically resigning over the manipulation of intelligence and it is suspiciously missing from the record. In all this back-and-forth, what gets lost is the immensity of the outrage, the enormousness of the breach of trust, the naive faith some of us had that when it came to the making of war, we'd be told the truth. This was not the case. The harping on weapons of mass destruction was an attempt to scare the American people into supporting a war that need not have been fought. Kucinich is an odd guy for whom the killer appellation ``perennial presidential candidate'' is lethally applied. But he is on to something here. It is easy enough to ad hominize him to the margins--ya know, the skinny guy among the ``real'' presidential candidates--but at a given moment, and this is one, he's the only one on that stage who articulates a genuine sense of betrayal. He is not out merely to win the nomination but to hold the Bush administration--particularly Cheney--accountable. In this he will fail. What Cheney has done is not impeachable. It is merely unforgivable.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Lady Hornets Basketball Team of Harris-Stowe State University for their crowning achievement on March 3, 2007 when they became the first-ever Lady Hornets team to clench the American Midwest Conference--AMC--title. To win this historic title the team, led by Head Coach Christopher Lewis, soundly defeated the Columbia College Cougars by a score of 78- 58 on the Cougars' home court in Columbia, Mo. To put the score in perspective and to appreciate the tenacity of the squad, a brief recap of the victory might be appreciated. Trailing by six points early in the first half, the Lady Hornets worked a 40 percent shooting effort into a halftime advantage of 36-29. They opened the second half with one of their patented runs, extending their lead to 13. They continued to increase their field-goal percentage to 51 percent and their three-point success to 43 percent. Senior guard Laniya Stevens led the Hornets with 23 points and junior guard Chanel Ross added a double-double with 21 points and 10 steals. Both Stevens and Ross received First Team All-Conference honors, while Kanisha Pettis received an All-Conference honorable mention. Stevens received another honor when her number, 20, was retired by the school. With their victory--their sixth consecutive win--the Lady Hornets moved on to play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Tournament or the NAIA, also a first for the team. Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Lady Hornets Basketball Team of Harris-Stowe State University--Jamira Easley, Dionn Jackson, Chareka Terry, Dominique Allen, K'Vonn Brittingham, Tawanda Barns, Briranda Griffin, Kanisha Pettis, Erica Anderson, Chanel Ross, Carmon Weaver, Laniya Stevens, Kimberly Lang, Valarie Mason, Amy Williams, Stephanie Roberts, Tamara Black, Shelia Walker and Marvis Jackson--for becoming the first team to earn the American Midwest Conference title. From a 73-game losing streak a few years ago to champions today, the Lady Hornets have become a shining example of what commitment, perseverance and hard work can accomplish. They are a force to be reckoned with and the pride of the school and the entire St. Louis community. In their honor I ask my congressional colleagues to join me in honoring the team, their coach, Christopher Lewis, Athletic Director Richard Fanning, University President Dr. Henry Givens, Jr., and the entire university. With such continued dedication and hard work, a national title could be in the Hornets' nest in the near future.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished chairman from California, Mr. Waxman.

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

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1309) to promote openness in Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act), and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of our committee for those anecdotes and his knowledge of history. I also want to thank the ranking member from Ohio for his cooperative spirit of allowing the sunshine in on this bill and the other bills that we have been discussing today. And I just want to close by urging all of my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 1255, the Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2007.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) may consume.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, during subcommittee hearings last week, the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein, testified that Executive Order 13233 has ``added to the endemic problem of delay that NARA faces from the PRA in the processing of Presidential records.'' Tom Blanton of the National Security Archive testified that the order already has added 5 years to the response time for records from the Reagan library and violates the letter and spirit of the PRA. Presidential historian Robert Dallek urged Congress to rescind the order, stating, ``President Bush's order carries the potential for an incomplete and distorted understanding of past Presidential decisions, especially about controversial actions with significant consequences.'' ``It is understandable,'' said Dr. Dallek, ``that every President and his heirs wants to put the best possible face on his administration, but an uncritical or limited reconstruction of our Nation's history does nothing to serve its long-term national interest.'' Mr. Speaker, the long-term national interest demands that the American people know how and why important decisions are made at the highest level of our government. This straightforward and bipartisan legislation would ensure that this will be the case by requiring that Presidential records will be treated as the property of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill as reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.