Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act, which I introduced earlier today. If enacted, this bill would provide tax incentives for the establishment of supermarkets in urban and rural areas without access to fresh food. It is hard to believe, but more than 23 million Americans, including many residents in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, live in communities that lack access to fresh food. I believe that is simply unacceptable in a nation as great as ours. No American should have to live in a so-called, ``food desert.'' According to the Department of Agriculture, a ``food desert'' is a low income neighborhood that lacks grocery stores within a 1 mile proximity for urban residents and 10 miles for rural residents. Many families in these neighborhoods face transportation challenges and rely on corner convenience stores that often stock processed snack products (potato chips, soft drinks, and candy) rather than fresh meat and produce. Studies have shown that access to healthy food choices can help prevent many diet-related illnesses, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart disease and digestive diseases. That is why I introduced Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act. This legislation seeks to reduce food deserts, create jobs and boost local economies by increasing the rehabilitation tax credit for supermarkets that open stores in food desert communities. The bill would also increase the work employment tax credit for supermarkets that hire disadvantaged youth, community residents, veterans and ex- felons. Finally, Supermarket Tax Credit for Underserved Areas Act would provide a tax credit for supermarkets that purchase their fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers. I urge my colleagues to support this much needed legislation.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Malcolm James ``Jimmy'' Keep, a lifelong Memphian and a veteran of World War II who fought bravely against Japanese forces in Guam, Saipan, and Iwo Jima. Keep, now 88 years of age, served with the 4th Marine Division after joining the Marines at age 17 in 1943. Tomorrow, Mr. Keep and his son, Mickey, will travel to Iwo Jima, with the help of a Memphis-based nonprofit organization called Forever Young Senior Veterans, to join 70 other Marine veterans for a 70th anniversary gathering. Jimmy Keep was assigned to reconnaissance duty early in his career and recalls fighting on Saipan as the bloodiest thing he had ever seen. He came under enemy fire from all sides on Iwo Jima when his amphibious tank was disabled, causing him and his partner, Charlie, to evacuate on foot. The two escaped unharmed, earning them the nickname ``rain- walkers.'' If they could survive that kind of heavy fire, they could surely walk through rain without getting wet. On Iwo Jima, Keep cleared out huge tunnels that were used by the enemy to launch attacks on the Marines, and he helped carry a fellow marine who was injured back to the beach. He told him: ``You're getting off this rock. I'll trade places with you.'' Jimmy Keep is a true hero. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Malcolm James ``Jimmy'' Keep for his service and bravery as a marine with the 4th Marine Division during the Pacific campaigns in World War II. He will have the Memphis Grizzlies flag when he gets there at Iwo Jima, and that will be part of his contribution to Memphis.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 23rd anniversary of a terrible event in the history of Azerbaijan: the massacre of hundreds of people in the town of Khojaly in what was the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians in the course of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Khojaly, which is located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, was once home to 7,000 people. That was before Armenian armed forces descended on the town on February 26, 1992, killing over 600 people--including 106 women and 83 children. Hundreds more became disabled due to their injuries. More than one hundred children lost one of their parents, and 25 children lost both parents. At least 8 families were completely wiped out. More than two decades after a ceasefire went into effect, more than 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, remains occupied and more than 1 million Azerbaijanis remain displaced from their homes. Ongoing violence along the line of contact surrounding occupied Azerbaijani territory reinforces the urgency of robust American participation in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group as it works towards a peaceful resolution of the Azerbaijan- Armenia conflict. Azerbaijan is the only country that borders both Russia and Iran, and yet Azerbaijan has been a strong partner of the United States and its allies in security and energy matters. This has included: enforcing sanctions against Iran; providing troops that served shoulder-to- shoulder with U.S. forces in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan; allowing transit for 40 percent of all non-lethal equipment used by NATO forces in Afghanistan; construction of the Southern Gas Corridor from the Caspian Sea to Italy that will provide Europe with an alternative source to Russian energy; and supplying 40 percent of Israel's oil. I ask my colleagues to join me and our Azerbaijani friends in commemorating the devastation of Khojaly twenty-three years ago. As Azerbaijanis around the world recall this massacre and mourn the loss of loved ones, let us remember our support of peaceful efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and reforms that promote stability throughout the Southern Caucasus region.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Jericho Project for its receipt of the 2015 Innovations in Justice Award for approaching criminal justice challenges in a new and effective way. The Innovations in Justice Award recipients were selected by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Center for Court Innovation. The Jericho Project was launched more than a decade ago by the Shelby County Public Defender's Office to better serve people living with serious mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders who have been cycling through the criminal justice system. The main architect, Shelby County Chief Public Defender Stephen Bush, my constituent, developed the initiative while working as an Assistant Public Defender, a position he held for almost 20 years before being appointed as Shelby County's 10th Public Defender in 2010. Mr. Bush has overseen the development of community linkage plans that are presented to courts in support of community-based, alternative forms of sentencing. Recovery Support Specialists on the team support clients for four months after they are released from prison and help them transition to life back in the community. I am proud to say that nearly 60 percent of those participating in the Jericho Project have successfully completed their recovery plans and have avoided further cycling through the criminal justice system. What began as a grant-funded experiment has matured into a permanent part of Shelby County's efforts to address the needs of some of its most vulnerable citizens. The Jericho Project's success has made it a national model for how criminal justice systems can better serve those struggling to survive with serious mental illnesses. The Jericho Project has been changing lives for more than a decade, and this recognition is well deserved. I ask the House to join me in congratulating the Jericho Project for receiving the 2015 Innovations in Justice Award.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great baseball player and a baseball player who befriended me and was a great human being who passed away on Sunday, Saturnino Orestes Arrieta Armas, Minnie Minoso, the Cuban Comet, Mr. White Sox. Minnie Minoso was born in 1925 on November 29 in Cuba. He played baseball in Cuba, had the opportunity to come to America and play in the Negro Leagues for, being a Black Cuban, he wasn't allowed to play in the Major Leagues. He played 3 years with the New York Cubans, and then, Bill Veeck, who was one of the leaders, I guess, the American League's Branch Rickey, gave him an opportunity to play baseball in the Major Leagues. After playing in the Minors in San Diego, he came up with the Cleveland Indians, but was quickly traded to the Chicago White Sox, where he started his career in 1951, and became known as Mr. White Sox. He was a great White Sox baseball player, one of the greatest players of the 1950s, and a great emissary of Latin American baseballers. He was the first Black Latin American baseball player, he was the first Black White Sox player, and the second African American in the American League after Larry Doby. Minnie Minoso had a great career. He did everything in baseball. He hit for average, he hit for power, he had speed, he was a great fielder, a great competitor, and he was a great human being. In 1955, I was recovering from polio and I lived in Memphis, Tennessee. I went to an exhibition baseball game at Russwood Park, where the White Sox were playing the Cardinals. I had a White Sox cap, kind of like this one--this is a Minnie Minoso cap--and a White Sox T- shirt, and I was on crutches, getting autographs. A player came and gave me a baseball, and I thanked him and I went to my dad and told my dad about it. We went down to thank the player. He was White, a pitcher named Tom Poholsky. He said: Don't thank me. Thank that player over there. That was number 9 for the White Sox, Minnie Minoso. In the entire baseball field of 50 players or more, one cared about a young boy with polio who was a White Sox fan and wanted to do something for him. But in segregated Memphis, a Black player didn't feel comfortable doing that, and he did it through a White player. It taught me, at a very early age, about the horrors of discrimination and prejudice and racism. Minnie became my friend. I visited him in Chicago and went into the White Sox locker room. He gave me his bat. When he came to Memphis, I visited him at the Lorraine Motel, which is where the Black players stayed, while the White players were at the Peabody. The Lorraine is where Dr. King was killed and now is a great civil rights museum in Memphis. This was another lesson in discrimination for me that taught me well and has taught me, to this day, to be vigilant against all forms of racism and discrimination. I followed Minnie my whole life. He was like part of my family. When we moved to Los Angeles, we went and visited him at Chavez Ravine. He came up to my dad and he said: Doc, how is the kid's leg? How is he doing? He always was concerned. He was a great human being and a great baseball player. He was denied one of his life's goals of being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I tried to help him with that. Baseball made a mistake. They should have put Minnie in the Hall of Fame for being a great emissary of baseball and the first Latin American Black player, the first Latin American player, really, in the Big Leagues. He died Sunday. Visitation is Friday at Holy Family Church in Chicago. The funeral is Saturday. I will miss Minnie Minoso. He is a lesson in why sport are bigger than runs, hits, and errors. It is about human beings and humanity and young kids. Thank you, Minnie.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the Horse Transportation Safety Act with Rep. Whitfield, my esteemed colleague from Kentucky. I believe that the way we treat animals is a reflection of who we are as human beings so I have introduced this bill to halt the transport of horses in double-deck trailers, a practice that is dangerous for the animals and considered inhumane by many animal welfare advocates. Horses transported in these trailers often endure long journeys in cramped positions and suffer serious injuries as a result. Upon enactment, the Horse Transportation Safety Act would outlaw the transportation of horses in these two-tiered trailers. Violators of the law would be subject to civil penalties. I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, in the process of thanking Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott and the Committee on Education and the Workforce and Chairman Sessions and Ranking Member Slaughter and the rest of the Committee on Rules, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I offer amendment 18.

Mr. COHEN. I want to thank my friend from the Hoosier State for working with me on this. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) to address his support.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, to add a section on restorative justice and conflict resolution, allowing States to award grants for professional development in those areas. This amendment allows more flexibility to States by expanding the types of training that can be paid by title II funds, which would be used to make sure teachers and administrators have sufficient training opportunities. The amendment doesn't add any cost to the bill. Numerous studies have shown that once students enter the juvenile justice system, they are more likely to be arrested as adults. Rather than feeding the school-to-prison pipeline, this amendment offers a means to train teachers and administrators on how to address disciplinary problems by means other than simply suspending or expelling students. When students are away from the classroom because of suspensions or expulsions, they are more likely to get in trouble with law enforcement. Many LEAs have moved away from zero tolerance policies because students were being suspended or expelled from the classroom for relatively minor behavior. An example was a student who used his hand to simulate a gun and was suspended and another situation where a child brought a Nerf-style gun to school and was reported to the police. These types of incidents hurt the students, cost society more money in the long run, and cost us human beings. This amendment would help by providing a means to fund the training necessary to establish disciplinary policies and procedures that don't treat each infraction the same, often with excessive punishment. Restorative justice and conflict resolution programs work to address the cause of disciplinary problems and repair any harm that has been done. Evidence suggests those restorative justice programs work, and they save money in the long run because incarcerating youth is expensive. A report released by the Justice Policy Institute in 2014 showed incarcerating a child can exceed $400 a day--or nearly $150,000 a year. Many of our Nation's most vulnerable youth are swept into the justice system as a result of the current overreliance on policing in our schools. This needs to stop. From Pennsylvania to California, schools have been seeing reductions in disciplinary infractions and suspensions because of the program's usage, and it has been used in many communities around the country but needs to be used in more. There are many organizations that support, in this country, restorative justice and this amendment. The NEA, the AFT, the Peace Alliance, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice, Dignity in Schools, and the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution have all written in support of this amendment. If this amendment becomes law, teachers and school administrators have the opportunity and resources to address disciplinary problems in ways other than suspension, expulsion, or involving law enforcement. More flexibility will go to LEAs and save money in the long term. CBO has said the amendment does not add cost. I appreciate the opportunity to present this amendment, which will help numerous students stay on the path to graduation and a crime-free life. I ask my fellow Members to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and medical contributions of renowned surgeon, innovator and ``father of middle-ear surgery,'' Memphian Dr. John Shea, Jr. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Shea served in the Korean War before returning to Memphis and taking over his father's medical practice in 1952. Two years later, he traveled to Vienna, Austria where he began extensive research into otosclerosis that would lead to his inventing the world's first prosthetic stapes--the tiny stirrup-shaped bone in the middle ear--and performing the groundbreaking stapedectomy procedure, which has since been used by doctors worldwide. While in Vienna, he read German manuscripts on otosclerosis, which is a condition of the inner ear that causes calcification of the stapes and is considered a leading cause of deafness. Although the medical community ended surgical attempts to address this condition 50 years earlier, Dr. Shea had a vision to combat this cause of deafness in middle-aged adults by replacing the calcified bone with a prosthetic. While many of his colleagues questioned the procedure as dangerous, Dr. Shea was convinced through his research that the revolutionary surgery would work. On May 1, 1956, he successfully performed the first stapedectomy and went on to repeat the procedure nearly 50,000 times during his career before retiring in 2011. In addition to inventing the prosthetic stapes and developing the stapedectomy, Dr. Shea contributed to otology surgical instruments, including drills and microscopes, and intratympanic perfusion treatment for Meniere's disease or spontaneous vertigo. His ingenuity earned him a spot on the London Times list of ``1,000 Makers of the Twentieth Century'' and a 1962 featured cover article in Life magazine as one of five people who were recognized as part of ``The Takeover Generation.'' In 2013, he donated 406 papers, including over 300 published articles, documenting his life's work to the local Memphis Public Library's Memphis Room. Dr. Shea belonged to more than 50 scientific societies, and was a clinical professor in the otolaryngology departments of the University of Tennessee, the University of Mississippi, the University of North Carolina and Tulane University. Additionally, he received honorary doctorates from Memphis schools Christian Brothers University and Rhodes College, and an honorary fellowship from the Australian and English Royal College of Surgeons. In 1985, Dr. Shea opened the Shea Ear Clinic at Poplar and Ridgeway in Memphis where his son, Dr. Paul Shea, continues the family practice today. Dr. Shea, Jr. was a pioneer in the field of otology and a legendary doctor who helped usher in a new era of treatment. He came from one family of physicians and leaves behind another. My father, Dr. Morris D. Cohen, taught me about Dr. Shea, Sr. and Jr. and always spoke admiringly of them and their level of professionalism. While many Memphis physicians have received national acclaim, none have been more renowned than Dr. John Shea, Jr. Memphis will miss Dr. John Shea, Jr., and I send my condolences to his wife Lynda Lee Mead; sons Paul and Dr. John Shea III (private practice otologist); daughters Susanna Shea and Wendy Canarios; seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren; and his friends and loved ones. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the life and medical contributions of Dr. John Shea, Jr. His was a life well-lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and medical contributions of renowned surgeon, innovator and ``father of middle-ear surgery,'' Memphian Dr. John Shea, Jr. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Shea served in the Korean War before returning to Memphis and taking over his father's medical practice in 1952. Two years later, he traveled to Vienna, Austria where he began extensive research into otosclerosis that would lead to his inventing the world's first prosthetic stapes--the tiny stirrup-shaped bone in the middle ear--and performing the groundbreaking stapedectomy procedure, which has since been used by doctors world-wide. While in Vienna, he read German manuscripts on otosclerosis, which is a condition of the inner ear that causes calcification of the stapes and is considered a leading cause of deafness. Although the medical community ended surgical attempts to address this condition 50 years earlier, Dr. Shea had a vision to combat this cause of deafness in middle-aged adults by replacing the calcified bone with a prosthetic. While many of his colleagues questioned the procedure as dangerous, Dr. Shea was convinced through his research that the revolutionary surgery would work. On May 1, 1956, he successfully performed the first stapedectomy and went on to repeat the procedure nearly 50,000 times during his career before retiring in 2011. In addition to inventing the prosthetic stapes and developing the stapedectomy, Dr. Shea contributed to otology surgical instruments including drills and microscopes, and intratympanic perfusion treatment for Meniere's disease or spontaneous vertigo. His ingenuity earned him a spot on the London Times list of ``1,000 Makers of the Twentieth Century'' and a 1962 featured cover article in LIFE magazine as one of five people who were recognized as part of ``The Takeover Generation.'' In 2013, he donated 406 papers, including over 300 published articles, documenting his life's work to the local Memphis Public Library's Memphis Room. Dr. Shea belonged to more than 50 scientific societies, and was a clinical professor in the otolaryngology departments of the University of Tennessee, the University of Mississippi, the University of North Carolina and Tulane University. Additionally, he received honorary doctorates from Memphis schools Christian Brothers University and Rhodes College, and an honorary fellowship from the Australian and English Royal College of Surgeons. My father, Dr. Morris D. Cohen, knew Dr. Shea and his father as he, too, was a physician and operated the Children's Clinic at 1155 Madison, down the street from Dr. Shea, Sr.'s Ear Nose and Throat Hospital. He told me about the hospital and spoke admiringly of Dr. Shea and his father. Memphis has long been home to many great medical institutions, including Campbell Clinic, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the Elvis Presley Trauma Center at Regional One Health (formerly The Med) and the Shea Ear Clinic. Many Memphis physicians have received national acclaim but none have been more renowned than Dr. John Shea, Jr., In 1985, Dr. Shea opened the Shea Ear Clinic at Poplar and Ridgeway in Memphis where his son, Dr. Paul Shea continues the family practice today. Dr. Shea, Jr. was a pioneer in the field of otology and a legendary doctor who helped usher in a new era of treatment. He came from one family of physicians and leaves behind another. Memphis will miss John Shea, Jr., and I send my condolences to his wife Lynda Lee Mead; sons Paul and Dr. John Shea III (private practice otologist); daughters Susanna Shea and Wendy Canarios; seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren; and his friends and loved ones. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the life and medical contributions of Dr. John Shea, Jr. His was a life well-lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I want to thank Ms. Sewell for having the foresight to bring this proposal. This is most fitting that we honor the foot soldiers. They were Americans, all races, who came together and saw injustice and wanted to right it. They risked their lives. Some died in the efforts. Miss Liuzzo was killed right after the march to Montgomery. Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman were killed over in Mississippi in conjunction with this with the Freedom Riders. Thousands of people came to the South to see that people got the right to vote. It is hard to believe that people were denied the right to vote in this country, but they were. I was touched by the remarks of my colleague from Alabama. It was historic. But you don't just have to see the movie and experience it to honor these people and give them a Gold Medal; you need to live it. People are being denied voting rights today in this country. The Supreme Court emasculated the Voting Rights Act just recently. It needs to be reinstated. There are civil rights that can be performed and enacted in America today. The movement isn't over. The movement continues. A medal is good, but the spirit must continue on this floor to see that all people have their right to vote, their right to participate, and their rights not to have State judges with their lips dripping with interposition tell probate clerks not to enforce a Federal law.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman said this is the time to pass it. It is not the time to pass it. The time to pass it is after all the reports and studies are in. The State Department hasn't completed its study. It is kind of like what we are doing in this Congress. We are not going by our regular procedures. We are not having bills in committee and opportunities for amendments on the floor because we bring things up here to make it the political issue du jour. This is not the time for the bill, just like it is not the time for the Prime Minister to come and speak from that well. It should be after his election and after the negotiations with Iran are over. This should be after the State Department has told us what their opinion is, and then let the President make his decision. We should go back to regular order. I hope the House will return to regular order.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize George Stevens, Jr., an American writer, director, producer, playwright, author and founder of the American Film Institute and the Kennedy Center Honors. With an impressive, creative and innovative career spanning nearly 65 years, Stevens has contributed greatly to American filmmaking and diplomacy, and has elevated artistic standards and appreciation to new heights. It is therefore with profound gratitude for his dedication to the arts and yet sadness that December 2014 marked Stevens' last year as producer of the esteemed Kennedy Center Honors that I am speaking today. In 1978, Stevens founded the Kennedy Center Honors, which is an annual TV special that recognizes a wide cross-section of artists who have contributed to American culture through dance, the theater, music, film and television. The Kennedy Center Honors, however, is more than just a TV special. It is the brainchild of George Stevens and it was influenced by his hero and friend, President John F. Kennedy, who said, ``I look forward to an America that will honor achievement in the arts the way we honor achievement in business and statecraft.'' Through personal dedication and a labor of love, Stevens committed much of his adult life to the Honors, which is a significant part of his legacy and contribution to the arts. For thirty-six years, Stevens produced the Honors and made it the premier show of American arts appreciation. In 2008, his son Michael joined him as a producer of the show and it remains one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, showcasing some of the best talents America has to offer. Last year's Honors recipients included Tom Hanks, Sting, Lily Tomlin, Patricia McBride and singer/songwriter Al Green from my home of Memphis, Tennessee. The show was an amazing celebration of these artists and a testament to Stevens' love for the arts. I was glad to be among the attendees at the historic 2014 Honors. In 1962, former CBS Newsman and head of the United States Information Agency (USIA) under the Kennedy Administration Edward R. Murrow reached out to Stevens to join the Agency to help inform the world about the U.S. through film. It was during this time that he formed a lasting relationship with President John F. Kennedy and his family, and began laying the foundation that transformed how American films and the arts are recognized and appreciated today. After creating nearly 300 short films for the USIA and following the President's assassination, Stevens produced the heartfelt and well-received documentary about the life of President Kennedy entitled Years of Lightning, Day of Drums. At the time, the National Board of Review named the documentary ``one of the ten best films of the year'' and in 2013, Stevens worked with Warner Bros to restore the film and release it on DVD. George Stevens, Jr. was born no stranger to Hollywood and American filmmaking. His grandmothers and grandfather were all actors, having starred alongside Charlie Chaplin and in silent films. His father, George Stevens, Sr., was a legendary Hollywood director who made more than 50 films and earned an Oscar for directing the 1951 motion picture, A Place in the Sun. At age 17, the younger Stevens began working with his father reading scripts and stories for potential films, including the 1953 Western classic Shane, which received five Academy Award nominations, and the 1959 film version of the Pulitzer Prize winning play, The Diary of Anne Frank. Between 1959 and 1961, Stevens directed episodes for the television series Peter Gunn and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1967, he, along with Sidney Poitier and Gregory Peck, founded the American Film Institute, which serves to preserve original prints of American films. Stevens continues to produce some of the most important works in American culture. In 2013, he produced American editorial cartoonist Herbert Block's documentary entitled Herblock: The Black & the White, and in 2011, he adapted Thurgood, his 2006 one-man stage play about the first African-American Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, into a feature film. In 2009, he was the executive producer of the TV special We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. Stevens is an American icon whose dedication to the arts is unwavering. He has won 13 Emmys, two Peabody Awards for Meritorious Service to Broadcasting, eight Writers Guild of America awards, the Christopher Award and The Writers Guild of America's Paul Selvin award for his writings on civil rights and liberties. In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed him Co-chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. George Stevens continues to serve and represent the arts community well. Because of his steadfast efforts to celebrate and promote American art, the Kennedy Center Honors is always at the top of TV ratings. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on more than 65 years of dedication to the arts and thirty-six years of producing the Kennedy Center Honors.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I, too, am against this bill for I am for a woman's right to choice. This bill is the second bill that has been brought in the last few days to show the Republican side's intent to repeal Roe v. Wade. That is what they would like to do: repeal Roe v. Wade. What is most important is to understand the theater that this bill has shown that the majority party has made this historic hallowed hall of Congress today. Today is the March for Life, lots of pro-lifers here. They wanted to give them something, so they scheduled a bill--we could be legislating on jobs, on minimum wage, on infrastructure. They wanted to give them something, so they came with a bill called ``fetal pain'' to get around the viability requirements of the Supreme Court. Their caucus found that bill too extreme to get the votes--even their caucus. Now, the leadership wouldn't listen to the Democrats of the Rules Committee, and it wouldn't listen to the Democrats on the floor, and they didn't have the good sense to realize it would make them look as they are: antiwoman and out-of-step with reality. It took some women and maybe a few men--but mostly women--in their caucus to finally go ``no,'' so they brought up a retread of a bill. That was a retread too, but they brought up another one, a substitute bill, because they had to have something to give as a gift for the March for Life pro-life caucus. This is theater. This is drama. That is what this has become. A woman's right should not be theater; it shouldn't be drama. A woman's right should be preserved. If any case, if there is any question about them, it should go through regular process, go through committees. Let the Members know about the bill with notice, not have, within 72 hours, a bill brought to this floor. Regular order has been destroyed because of theater and messaging, and that is what you are going to see for the next 2 years. The American people will be very disappointed in this Congress because it has become the theater of the absurd.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, few Americans have heard the term ``Black January,'' yet it is imbedded in the memory of all Azerbaijanis. Black January marks the evening of January 19, 1990, when at midnight Russian troops stormed the capital city of Baku. Armed with a state of emergency declared by the U.S.S.R. Supreme Soviet Presidium and signed by then President Mikhail Gorbachev, the invasion was intended to suppress a growing independence movement, but the result was the opposite. This violent incident inflamed Azerbaijani nationalism and contributed to the breakup of the Soviet Union. Leading up to Black January, the national independence movement had gained momentum with growing demonstrations for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Emerging democratic groups were leading the political agenda and were projected to succeed in upcoming Parliamentary elections in March 1990. The Soviet Union sought to ``restore order'' by indiscriminately firing on peaceful demonstrators in Baku, including women and children. The protesters were calling for independence from the Soviet Union and the removal of Communist officials. More than 130 people died that night and in subsequent violence, over 700 were injured, 841 were arrested, and 5 went missing. According to a report by Human Rights Watch entitled ``Black January in Azerbaijan,'' ``among the most heinous violations of human rights during the Baku incursion were the numerous attacks on medical personnel, ambulances and even hospitals.'' The report concluded that `indeed the violence used by the Soviet Army on the night of January 19-20 constitutes an exercise in collective punishment. The punishment inflicted on Baku by Soviet soldiers may have been intended as a warning to nationalists, not only in Azerbaijan, but in other Republics of the Soviet Union.'' In the days after the invasion, thousands of Azerbaijanis surrounded Communist Party headquarters demanding the resignation of the republic's leadership. The Baku City Council demanded that Soviet troops be withdrawn. The Soviet legislature in Azerbaijan condemned the occupation as ``unconstitutional'' and threatened to call a referendum on secession unless Soviet troops were withdrawn within 48 hours. Soviet troops were eventually withdrawn from Baku, but political control was maintained for almost another 2 years until Azerbaijan's parliament declared independence in October 1991. Today, Azerbaijan has developed into a thriving country with double digit growth, in large part due to a freely elected president and parliament, free market reforms led by the energy sector, and, most importantly, no foreign troops on its soil. January 20 is the day on which Azerbaijani citizens stood up to Soviet soldiers and martyrs gave up their lives for freedom from communism and dictatorship. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the tragic events of Black January that precipitated the independent Republic of Azerbaijan and the fall of the USSR.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Thank you, Mr. McGovern. Mr. Speaker, the fact is that pain is a subterfuge. This bill is not about pain to the fetus. This bill is about outlawing abortion and repealing Roe v. Wade. The other side knows that the Supreme Court has set out in Roe v. Wade the conditions of viability, and viability is 22-24 weeks. Well, they couldn't get past that in the Court, they knew they couldn't, so they created this new class of when the baby, the child, can feel pain. They found a doctor that said he assumes they can feel pain, and they base their whole premise on that, an argument to try to repeal Roe v. Wade and to not give the women of this country the opportunity to exercise choice on their own lives and when they produce children. This has been the law in this country since 1973. I consider it the right law. I was in law school when the Supreme Court brought down Roe v. Wade. It was progress, and we continue to march forward, but the other side wants to stop progress. If they could outlaw all abortions, they would do it, and this is the first step toward doing it. They don't provide for the life of the mother in the bill. They don't provide for exceptions for rape and incest, and they didn't allow any amendments because they knew if they had amendments they would carry, and the full rape and incest exceptions which are in the law today would be put on this bill, and that would be difficult for them to swallow. This is a sham on pain. This is an attempt to take women's rights away and to repeal Roe v. Wade. I would ask that when the bill comes up that we vote ``no'' and vote women first and progress.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Memphian Logan Guleff on winning the second season of ``MasterChef Junior.'' At age 11, Logan was among thousands of children ages 8 through 13 who auditioned for the show. His culinary experience helped him to not only be selected as a show participant but to also triumph over his competitors and take home the grand prize. When Logan was nine, he traveled to New York to compete in a Jif peanut butter contest as a semifinalist and at age 10, he had lunch at the White House and a meeting with President Barack Obama after winning a state contest. Additionally, Logan has already become a culinary entrepreneur, offering his own line of seasonings called Logan's Rub and providing dining reviews on his blog, orderupwithlogan.blogspot.com. For Logan's final competitive meal on ``MasterChef Junior'', he chose to highlight his talents by preparing all seafood dishes, including grilled spot prawn with a smoked saffron aioli and olive tapenade for his appetizer and a salt crusted branzino with a chimichurri sauce for his entree. ``MasterChef Junior'' host Gordon Ramsay commented that Logan's dishes were the most unusual ones the show has ever seen, to which Logan replied, ``Go big or go home.'' His vision, creativity and all-or-nothing spirit certainly paid off. Logan's accomplishments are significant for a young man of only 12 years of age, and he represents the Memphis culinary community well. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating Logan Guleff on winning the title of MasterChef Junior.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and accomplishments of Memphis record producer, John Fry. Fry, a son of Memphis, was an example of the innovation, creativity and daring that is uniquely Memphis, as embodied in such Memphians as Abe Plough, founder of Plough Inc. and creator of St. Joseph's aspirin for children and the Coppertone skin care line; Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express; Kemmons Wilson, founder of Holiday Inn; Clarence Saunders, founder of Piggly Wiggly--the first self service grocer; and Sam Phillips, the father of rock and roll and founder of Sun Studio and Sun Records--the recording home of Elvis Presley. Born on New Year's Eve in 1944, Fry became a well-known and respected member of the Memphis music community, having founded the Ardent record label in the late 1950s and early 1960s along with John King and Fred Smith. Ardent was a unique studio for the region that brought high technical standards to recording, which Fry used to father a multitude of music from rock and roll and punk to soul, power pop and gospel. Under his leadership, Fry helped launch the careers of local musicians and guide the works of others from around the country. John began recording music out of his family's garage in 1959 while he was still in high school. He committed to spending countless hours remodeling the space by building the equipment needed and inter- connecting equipment that could not be built. Out of his self-made recording studio, he recorded and released singles that were favored by locals, including The Ole' Miss Downbeats' Slewfoot and The Hucklebuck. These were the first recordings for the Ardent label. In 1962 after graduating high school, Fry and a friend built a radio station in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and in 1964, he worked with recording artist Jim Dickinson, who had also worked with Elvis and power pop singer Alex Chilton, to begin reviving the Ardent label. In 1966, Ardent Studios opened on National Street, where it stayed for five years before moving to its current location on Madison in Midtown Memphis. In its first four years, John invested in the studio, furnishing it with four- and sixteen-track equipment, outboard and Dolby noise reduction equipment. The technologically-advanced studio soon had a console that was the same make used by Stax Records, which enable Ardent to become a companion studio for Stax recording artists, including Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, the Bar-Kays, Sam and Dave and Albert King. Ardent also recorded albums for The Replacements, The Clits, The Scruffs and Elvis Presley. One band that was close to John's heart was Big Star. Made up of Memphians Chris Bell, Andy Hummel, Jody Stephens and lead singer/ songwriter Alex Chilton, Big Star recorded three albums at Ardent Studios--#1 Record, Radio City and Third--and viewed John largely as a mentor. John showed them ins and outs of the industry and drummer Jody Stephens commented that he was ``a person who could help you make your dreams come true.'' While Big Star received little national recognition at the time, over the next four decades, the group's three albums eventually were listed among Rolling Stone magazine's ``500 Greatest Albums of All Time'' and a variation of their song In The Street was used as the theme song for the popular Fox-TV sitcom, That 70s Show. In the late 70s, John began to focus more on the business side of Ardent Studios, but talents including Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, R.E.M., Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, the Replacements, Freddie King, the Gin Blossoms and many others traveled to and recorded at the Memphis studio throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. In 1995, John launched a Christian rock label, releasing 36 albums and receiving seven Grammy nominations from artists including Big Tent Revival, Skillet, Jonah33 and others. He also began operating Ardent as a learning ground for future award winning producers and engineers, including Jim Dickinson, Terry Manning, John Hampton and others. Today, Ardent Studios continue to attract musicians both local and national from all genres. Memphis rap group and Oscar winner Three 6 Mafia has recorded at the studio as well as Memphis rapper, Al Kapone. Three Doors Down, the North Mississippi Allstars, the White Stripes and the Raconteurs are among the studio's roster of artists. Additionally, filmmakers for Hustle and Flow, Black Snake Moan and 40 Shades of Blue--all movies featuring and filmed in Memphis--went to Ardent Studios for recording their soundtracks. The studio has amassed 70 gold and platinum albums and singles. John Fry was a recording visionary and helped propel Memphis music and that of others from around the world to a higher level. His contributions to the industry are numerous and will continue to inspire future generations. In 2006, he said, ``If you acquire knowledge or skill or even wisdom, and you just keep it, then when you die, that dies with you. But if you share that with other generations--who in turn will share it and share it and share it--you're doing something that lasts.'' John Fry passed away on December 18, 2014 in Memphis at 69 years of age, and is survived by his wife, Betty Fry. He and Betty were advocates for laws concerning humane treatment of animals, and they treasured and cared for horses, dogs and cats with the dignity that people who respect all life would. He will be remembered by all who came in contact with him and whose careers and success benefited from his mentorship. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing his life, accomplishments and contributions to American music. His was a life well-lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Professor Perry Wallace, a Vanderbilt University graduate who integrated basketball for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and current professor at American University, for overcoming the racism and violence he experienced as an African-American collegiate athlete during the Civil Rights era. While Wallace never viewed himself as a pioneer or a change agent for civil rights, he nonetheless helped break the color-barrier in the SEC as the first African-American basketball player in the Conference. Like many African-American college athletes at the time, Wallace faced tremendous challenges, both physical and emotional, that highlighted the ugly reality of race relations in America. One significant memory Wallace has when his health and life were threatened was during a 1968 game between Vanderbilt and the University of Mississippi that was played in Oxford. During this game, Wallace--who was the only African-American player on the team--was subjected to racial epithets, taunting, threats of lynching, and physical violence when he received a swollen eye due to a thrown elbow just before halftime. Perry eventually returned to the game after tending to his injury, but he was mindful of the fact that after halftime, no members of his team stayed behind to accompany him back to the court. He went on to help his team win 90-72. Unfortunately, the incident at Oxford was not the only time when he had to endure racism at an away game. Wallace and his teammates have recounted a noose being dangled near the Vanderbilt bench at a game in Knoxville and items being thrown at him, including Cokes, coins, ice and even a dagger. Perhaps adding insult to injury, many of the venues were very small and the sounds of racism could be easily picked up and broadcast over the radio for all to hear, including his mother who listened to the game against Ole Miss from her hospital bed. Despite the intolerance he experienced, Wallace remained steadfast in his resolve to not succumb to those who wished to see him fail. He was fortunate, in this manner, to have such mental strength to survive. Others, including Henry Harris, who also played in the SEC, and Nat Northington, one of the first two African-Americans to play football at the University of Kentucky, found the pressures all too great. In a stand against the injustices of the Jim Crow laws that made segregation legal and gave protection for acts of violence and death toward African-Americans, in his last game played in Nashville against Mississippi State, Wallace ended his college basketball career with a slam dunk--a play that was deemed illegal at the time. The illegal play was allowed to stand and he finished the game scoring 28 points and 27 rebounds. He dedicated the game to his mother who passed away a year earlier. Perry Wallace graduated from Vanderbilt and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1970. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Columbia University in 1975 and moved to Washington, DC where he worked in the Executive Office of then-mayor Walter E. Washington before becoming an adjunct professor of law at George Washington University. Professor Wallace then served as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and later rejoined academia as an associate professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Today, Perry Wallace is a professor at American University Washington College of Law where he specializes in environmental, corporate and international economic law, business and environmental studies, and is the Director of the JD/MBA Joint Degree Program. Perry has received numerous awards for his accomplishments in academia and his list of publications and writings is extensive. In 2003, he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and in 2004, his Vanderbilt jersey, number 25, was retired. In 2014, Andrew Maraniss, a Vanderbilt alum and former associate director of media relations at the school's athletic department, published Wallace's biography entitled ``Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South.'' Vanderbilt University has a program called VUcept where freshmen students are paired with upperclassmen to make their transition to the school easier. As a freshman there, I was fortunate to have Wallace as my VUceptor. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing Perry Wallace for his tenacity in the face of adversity and for his many professional accomplishments and contributions to academia.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the day that we honor Martin Luther King's life and legacy--it should be honored every day--a great American who stood for justice, liberty. Yet in this House, there is not a desire on the other side of the aisle to increase the minimum wage, which would be one of the first things Dr. King would want. There is not a desire on the other side of the aisle to pass a Voting Rights Act for which Dr. King is known to have worked on the march in Selma and help bring about some 50 years ago. And there is no effort to reduce the great disparity in wealth that threatens the middle class and threatens the future of democracy and the way we know America. We should honor Dr. King every day. Unfortunately, many and most of his values are being neglected by the majority in this House.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, January 12th, 2015, I was unable to cast my votes on the House Floor due to repeated flight delays. Had I been able to avoid these travel complications, I would have voted as follows: YES on H.R. 203 the Clay Hunt SAV Act Suspension Bill; YES on H.R. 33 the Protecting Firefighters Emergency Responders Act Suspension Bill; and YES on the Journal Vote.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, today the President will be speaking in Knoxville, Tennessee, on extending college educations to Americans. I share with the President the goal of giving more Americans the opportunity to go to college, but I would submit to him he should not be holding up the Tennessee Promise plan in Tennessee as an example. He should be holding up the Tennessee HOPE Lottery Scholarship program, which I worked 20 years to achieve in Tennessee and has provided over $3 billion to education, $250 million a year. Scholarship programs such as the President is talking about should have standards for students in high school to achieve to get a scholarship. They should have strong standards in college to maintain them. They should be in addition to Pell grants and in addition to other scholarships to pay for books and tuition. The Promise plan takes from middle class and lower income students and gives to higher income students, doesn't have standards in high school to get the scholarship, and doesn't have high standards to keep it. It is a last dollar scholarship. The President's plan should be more like the Tennessee HOPE Lottery Scholarship: assure students have an incentive in high school to get it and incentives to keep it with high grade standards, and it shouldn't go to for-profit schools, for that is an invitation to abuse. I thank the President for his commitment, but I think he has the wrong program as his model.