Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, today is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately, not many Americans probably know that; but February 12 used to be a date that people remembered. Now it's just Presidents Day, a weak invocation. An award-winning movie is presently showing about President Lincoln, a great President who saved the Union and got the 13th Amendment passed--slavery abolished. But the movie also showed that President Lincoln could make compromise and make the two sides of the bodies work together for the betterment of this Nation. As President Obama from the Land of Lincoln speaks tonight in the State of the Union, we should remember what Lincoln taught us: that you need to work for the union of this government, the unity of our people, for rights for everybody and diversity, and for the two parties to work together for the betterment of the United States of America. Thank you, President Lincoln.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and contributions of Mrs. Hattie Elie Jackson, a Memphis educator, a devout woman of faith and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. An Arkansas native, Mrs. Jackson graduated from Arkansas AM&N College, and obtained her master's degree at Columbia University in New York. She received further graduate-level education at the University of Chicago, and finally obtained her Education Specialist degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Mrs. Jackson used her extensive education and many talents to serve and nurture the Memphis community. For 25 years she presided as principal over Double Tree Elementary School, inspiring young hearts, and helping to shape the minds of local luminaries such as former Memphis Congressman, Harold Ford, Jr. She was a devoted member of St. Andrew AME church, and played an active and energetic role in her faith community. She was the former first lady of St. Andrew AME Church, where she served as a trustee, Sunday school teacher and President of the Ruth Circle Club. Mrs. Jackson was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and in the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968. In 2004, she was inspired to write and publish an account of her personal recollection of the Sanitation Strike, entitled 65 Dark Days in '68. Her primary purpose in recording her memories, thoughts and feelings was to educate younger and future generations as to what transpired in 1968, and to inspire them to continue to strive for greater things. Mrs. Hattie Jackson passed away on January 13, 2013 at 88 years of age. She leaves to cherish her memory two daughters and their husbands, Zita and Glenn Blankenship, and Cheri and Joseph Harrell as well as five grandchildren, two great granddaughters, a host of loving and supportive nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends. I extend my heartfelt appreciation for the life and work of Hattie Elie Jackson. Hers was a life well-lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Khojaly massacre perpetrated by Armenian armed forces on February 25-26, 1992 in the town of Khojaly in the Nagorno- Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Khojaly, now under the occupation of Armenian armed forces, was the site of the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians in the course of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Khojaly, once the home to 7,000 people, was completely destroyed. Six hundred thirteen people were killed, of which 106 were women, 83 were children and 56 were purported to have been killed with extreme cruelty and torture. In addition, 1,275 people were taken hostage, 150 went missing and 487 people became disabled. Also in the records maintained, 76 of the victims were teenagers, 8 families were wiped out and 25 children lost both of their parents while 130 lost one of their parents. According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers, the Armenian Armed forces were reportedly aided by the Russian 366th Motor Rifle Regiment. At the time, Newsweek magazine reported: ``Azerbaijan was a charnel house again last week: a place of mourning refugees and dozens of mangled corpses dragged to a makeshift morgue behind the mosque. They were ordinary Azerbaijani men, women and children of Khojaly, a small village in war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh overrun by Armenian forces on 25- 26 February. Many were killed at close range while trying to flee; some had their faces mutilated, others were scalped.'' As part of the Khojaly population that tried to escape, they encountered violent ambushes that led to abuses, torture, mutilation and death. The Russian organization, Memorial, stated that 200 Azerbaijani corpses were brought from Khojaly to Agdam within four days. Time magazine published the following description: ``While the details are argued, this much is plain: something grim and unconscionable happened in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly 2 weeks ago. So far, some 200 dead Azerbaijanis, many of them mutilated, have been transported out of the town tucked inside the Armenian-dominated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh for burial in neighboring Azerbaijan. The total number of deaths--the Azerbaijanis claim 1,324 civilians have been slaughtered, most of them women and children--is unknown.'' The extent of the cruelty of this massacre against women, children and the elderly was unfathomable. This anniversary reminds us of the need to redouble efforts to help resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The United States as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group should intensify its efforts to reach a resolution of this protracted conflict. Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan is a strong ally of the United States in a strategically important and complex region of the world. I ask my colleagues to join me and our Azerbaijani friends in commemorating the tragedy that occurred in the town of Khojaly.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Memphis, Tennessee, has an iconic restaurant known worldwide, the Rendezvous. And it's iconic because it's got great ribs, many artifacts about the mid-South, but also a great wait staff that makes everybody feel at home. One of those iconic waiters, Jack Dyson, will be retiring after 45 years. Jack is 78 years old, and he will retire this week after serving millions of customers from Presidents and First Ladies to the Rolling Stones, to Bill Cosby, and to regular people that come in and are made to feel at home when they come to the Rendezvous for the world-class fare. Jack Dyson has made me feel at home. He's a part of the Rendezvous. When he retires, part of the Rendezvous will go with him. I thank Jack for his service to his country as a Korean war veteran and to his service to the world at the world- famous Rendezvous.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, the House just finished the reading of the Constitution. And that's fine. It's a majestic document, greatest of its kind, and it's never bad to read it. It's one thing to read it and it's another thing to really understand it. And to understand it you've got to understand the court decisions and how the courts have interpreted the Constitution. The courts have recognized the Constitution as a living evolving document and that it's not perfect. Congress had to pass an amendment to formally abolish slavery. It took the Supreme Court in the Topeka Board of Education v. Brown case to abolish Jim Crow, the stepchild of slavery and a great stain on this country's history. Thanks to Roe v. Wade women have a fundamental right to make medical decisions about their own bodies, a right that continues to be threatened by this Congress. And while the Constitution grants great freedoms, the courts recognize that they come with reasonable limitations. The First Amendment gives us freedom of speech but doesn't allow us to yell fire in a theater or to libel somebody. And the Second Amendment, while it gives you the right to bear arms, has limitations as well. You can't carry a gun on an airplane or in a courtroom, and we need to remember that. So just reading the Constitution is one thing, but understanding is another. I hope we will understand it and live it and see that we have a more perfect union.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I just want to join in congratulating the University of Louisville on their success. The University of Louisville has long been a rival of the University of Memphis. But this past year or so, the Louisville basketball coach, Rick Pitino, was good enough to champion the University of Memphis' getting into the Big East Conference. It was support we needed and support we appreciate. The conference isn't quite the same as it was when he did that, but it was a good thing to do. We have a great rivalry, and I think we need to support our rivals and thank Coach Pitino for his helping the University of Memphis get into an additional conference, and we hope that the rivalry between the University of Louisville and the University of Memphis continues for many more years to come.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I appreciate the moment. This has been a very interesting couple of days, ones that I would normally have spent with friends in Memphis, drinking champagne and looking forward to the new year. It's been an honor serving with you, Mr. Dreier. You are an outstanding Member, as Ms. Slaughter said. There are lots of people in the other aisle--Mr. Coble behind you--fine Republicans whom I'm friends with and think the world of, but I'm just happy this day has ended the way it is, kind of a Tiny Tim world. It's just good the way it ended up. Somehow or another, whether it be the fates or Speaker Boehner's abilities to work things from magic, we're going to end up not falling off the fiscal cliff, and I think that's wonderful. So I thank Ms. Slaughter for the time, and I thank Speaker Boehner for whatever he's done to produce what I expect will be a positive result for the American people.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. We've heard from a colleague of mine on the Democratic side who sounds like he's not going to vote for this bill, and we've heard it from a couple of folks on the other side. Well, I'm going to vote for it, not because I think it's all the best sugar and spice and everything nice, but because, for one thing, I believe our President and our Vice President know what they can get in a negotiated deal with the Republican side in the Senate and what might pass this House as well, and they know what our country needs. My district can't afford to wait a few days and have the stock market go down 300 points tomorrow if we don't get together and do something, and the people in my district need unemployment compensation and need to know in the future that they're going to have the low-income earned tax credit and college credit. It's important that we keep this country moving in the right direction and away from another recession. ``E Pluribus Unum'' is not just on our bills, but it's what we are as legislators. We are one of 435 and one of 535, including the Senate. We need to come together and work together for the betterment of the country. This isn't the perfect deal, but it's the deal we got, and it's the deal I'm going to support. I hope that my colleagues will resolve to give the President and the Vice President the benefit of the doubt as the year goes on and as I do today.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Thank you, and I appreciate the time and the opportunity to speak on this measure. I'm concerned about the fiscal cliff. And it's important. President Obama has tried to work with the opposition party and has gone from what he was elected on--increasing taxes, for fairness, on families earning over $250,000--to $400,000. But no, that wasn't enough. This proposal goes to a million dollars a year. Now $400,000 is plenty comfortable. The President's gone a long way. The fact is that there's a lot of revenue that's being lost between $400,000 and $1 million. We need that revenue to rectify some problems in our society, of which there are still many. This bill would cut funding for the National Institutes of Health. That is our physical cliff. And I want to talk to you how this fiscal cliff affects the physical cliff. The National Institutes of Health is the agency that comes up with research dollars that allows our lives to be extend and bettered. At Duke University there is a great lung transplant program, headed by Dr. Robert Davis. Duke needs more money to perfect their lung transplant program that's the best in the country. But still, it's only a 50 percent chance that a person will live 8 years with a lung transplant because the transplanted lung tends to be rejected. They don't know why. They need know find out it. It's National Institutes of Health funds that will find out and give people a chance to breathe and live. In my hometown of Memphis there's research at the Methodist Hospital. We have Dr. James Eason, one of the finest liver transplant doctors in the country. But throughout the country there are people in places like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis finding cures for childhood cancers and childhood catastrophic illnesses. This bill cuts funds to the National Institutes of Health. They should not be cut ever. They should be increased. And some of the funds that they are missing are the funds that will go to people earning over $400,000 and up to $1 million that tax relief is being given to. They don't know right now that they might not be the people that need that lung or that liver transplant or some other medical science cure or discovery. But there are people out there in the lottery of life that will. This bill doesn't take that into consideration. Any bill that cuts funds to the National Institutes of Health will eventually cut people's lives short--and the quality of their life-- because it's through research funded at the National Institutes of Health that we find these cures and these new procedures. Doctors need to be paid, hospitals need to be paid, research needs to be undertaken. I believe the President has gone a great distance on the fiscal cliff to get to $400,000. He's even talked about cutting some programs that deal with the most vulnerable people, the poorest, on Social Security cost-of-living increases, which I oppose. But the President has tried. I hope that this bill fails and we deal with the President in a responsible way and avoid the fiscal and the physical cliff.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on December 17, 2012, I was attending to a sick friend and comforting his family and was unable to vote on rollcall vote 628. If present, I would have voted ``yea'' on S. 3193.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on December 17, 2012, I was attending to a sick friend and comforting his family and was unable to vote on rollcall vote 627. If present, I would have voted ``yea'' on H.R. 4606.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, we're in these fiscal cliff talks, and the President and the Speaker are trying to work out a solution. They're talking about tax rates for the top 2 percent and taxing their wealth. That's something they should do because it's fair and it gives the other 98 percent tax relief. But at the same time they're talking about increasing the Medicare age from 65 to 67. That's taxing the wealth of the less fortunate people who are 65 and 67. For them and for everybody, your health is your wealth. Jimmy Copeland, a friend and semi-philosopher, said that ``your health is your wealth.'' If you raise the Medicare age from 65 to 67, you're going to sacrifice the health of people who are not the most fortunate. So while we tax the income of the most wealthy, we'll be taxing what wealth the less wealthy have--their health. That's wrong. Mr. President and Mr. Speaker should not increase that age and tax the poor.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Bernard Joseph Lansky, a famed Memphis clothier. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Samuel Lansky on March 10, 1927. Bernard Lansky, and his brother, Guy, shared a passion for clothing. As business partners, their expressive clothing can be seen in some of Elvis' most famous suits, including the suit he wore during his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and his sparkling gold-lame jacket. Mr. Lansky also suited Elvis for his high school prom and for his funeral, saying that ``I put him in his first suit, and I put him in his last suit.'' This gained him the reputation in Memphis as the ``Clothier to the King.'' Bernard Lansky was one of nine children, who were all raised by their father alone. Mr. Lansky served the U.S. Army at Fort Knox during the Second World War. In 1946, Bernard Lansky's father gave him and his brother $125 to buy a consignment shop on Beale Street. The shop went through a few changes, first being a dry goods store and an army surplus store. Realizing that he was a natural salesman with a talent for retail, Lansky and his brother opened a shop on Beale Street called Lansky Bros., which has since moved into the Memphis Peabody Hotel and expanded into four similarly named shops. In addition to dressing Elvis, Bernard clothed music royalty such as B.B. King, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. After admiring a new suit on a customer, Mr. Lansky often smiled at them saying, ``Clean as Ajax. That's as clean as Ajax.'' Bernard's passion and love for clothing extends to each generation of the Lansky family, as his son, Hal, and granddaughter, Julie, continue the unique designs so true to the original store. On November 15, 2012, Mr. Lansky passed away at 85 years of age. He was preceded in death by his brother and business partner, Guy, who died in 2005. Bernard is survived by his wife of 64 years, Joyce; two sisters, Mildred Krasner and Bernice Banes; two brothers, Frank and Alvin; a son, Hal; a daughter, Anise; and four granddaughters along with two great- grandsons. Mr. Lansky will be remembered as a life-long Memphian and pioneer in the clothing industry.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year I congratulated Joyce Banda on becoming the first female President of the Republic of Malawi. In her first 100 days, President Banda amassed an impressive list of accomplishments including securing Millennium Challenge Corporation investments, pledges for more support from USAID and strengthening Malawi's commitment to democracy. President Banda has now been named by Foreign Policy magazine a 2012 ``Top 100 Global Thinker,'' being accredited for ``stepping in--and up--to fix a broken country.'' I congratulate President Joyce Banda on this most recent acknowledgement of her success. Submitted here is the text of her prestigious recognition: When Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika died of a heart attack in April, it wasn't immediately clear what would become of his vice president, Joyce Banda. The two had fallen out in recent years, with the increasingly autocratic president booting Banda from his political party in 2010. Even Mutharika's wife publicly derided the smalltown veep--a longtime grassroots advocate for women, children, and the poor--scoffing, ``She will never be president. How can a mandazi [fritter] seller be president?'' After a tense two days in the wake of Mutharika's death, however, Banda proved the first lady wrong, becoming Africa's second-ever female president. Governing Malawi--where an estimated 75 percent of its more than 15 million residents live on $1 or less a day--presents enormous challenges, to be sure. But in just seven months Banda has largely thrown out her predecessor's playbook, showing the world how to take charge and work to turn around a troubled country. Within days of taking office, she dismissed key members of Mutharika's administration, including the police chief in power when 19 Malawian demonstrators were killed at a 2011 opposition rally, and in May, amid rising persecution of gays in Africa, she vowed to repeal Malawi's laws against homosexuality. By devaluing the Malawian currency by more than a third, a move Mutharika had long refused despite the IMF's urging, Banda also secured a much-needed $157 million IMF loan in June--a first step toward rebuilding Malawi's debilitated economy. Her work is cut out for her. So far, however, all signs suggest Banda could become a new model for African leadership--shedding the strongman syndrome and getting down to business to help the poor. To prove it, she has cut her own salary by 30 percent and put her predecessor's $12 million presidential jet and most of his fleet of 60 luxury cars up for sale. ``I can as well use private airlines,'' she said. ``I am already used to hitchhiking.'' But it's more than that: ``I must demonstrate to Malawians that we are in this together,'' she explained to Al Jazeera. ``I must be the first person to set an example.'' For Malawi, and the world over.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. These are exactly the sorts of victims contemplated in this legislation. I hope the State Department will give strong consideration to their case when compiling the list called for in this legislation. Russia should be a partner and friend, but we cannot stand by while they continue to violate the rights of their people with these abuses. I thank Mr. Levin, and I also want to thank the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Berman--a great Congressman. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. COHEN. I rise in strong support of this legislation because it will mean jobs in Memphis and will make Russia, which is potentially our most important bilateral relationship, a stronger one. I also rise as a cosponsor of the Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. We must hold Magnitsky's killers accountable as well as others who have been responsible for human rights abuses in Russia. I am particularly concerned about the case of an all-women's punk rock band that staged an unauthorized concert in a church to protest President Putin. They were arrested and charged with hooliganism, motivated by religious hatred. They were sentenced subject to a trial that was little more than a farce. They were not allowed to testify and weren't allowed testimony by witnesses on their side. They were sentenced to a 2-year prison sentence in a penal colony far away from their families and far away from Moscow. I recently met with their legal team and with the husband of one of their members, and I found their story troubling as they are the latest victims of the Russian Government's brutal crackdown on dissent. Those responsible for this miscarriage of justice should be held accountable, which is why this bill is important. The band was prevented from exercising First Amendment rights and also from having a fair trial.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, we are indeed back here in a lame-duck session with the most important issue facing us, which is a deadline on taxes and revenue. By previous action, we have to act or certain conditions will be created that will cause us to lose jobs and hurt our economy and raise taxes on everybody. The President, the Senate, the Democrats, and the House are all in agreement that 98 percent of the country needs tax relief that has been given through the Bush tax cuts, and they should be extended. I think everybody agrees that we don't need to make draconian cuts to services for people, Social Security or Medicare, or defense. The only issue is my colleagues on the other side, the Republicans in the House, who seem to continue to want to give tax relief to the upper 2 percent. That's what divides this Nation and this Congress right now, tax cuts for the richest 2 percent. I call on my Republican colleagues to work with Speaker Boehner and allow him to lead this country in working with President Obama and to resolve this situation.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, as countries in the Middle East undergo drastic change, they are redefining their political systems, looking to other countries in the region, like Turkey, to serve as examples of positive transition. In Turkey, November 10th is a date remembered for the premature death of Kemal Ataturk, the leader of modern Turkey who transformed that country from an agrarian society caught in the past to a modern, secular and forward looking western model. While the changes were recognized at the time as stunning, given recent developments in the region, Turkey's transformation is even more relevant and noteworthy today. President John F. Kennedy noted: The name of Ataturk reminds people of the historical successes of one of the great individuals of this century, the leadership that gave inspiration to the Turkish nation, farsightedness in the understanding of the modern world and courage and power as a military leader. It is without a doubt that another example can't be shown indicating greater successes than the birth of the Turkish Republic and ever since then Ataturk's and Turkey's broad and deep reforms undertaken as well as the confidence of a nation in itself. His leadership contributions were noted internationally. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, also wrote: Ataturk's death is not only a loss for the country, but for Europe is the greatest loss, he who saved Turkey in the war and who revived a new the Turkish nation after the war. The sincere tears shed after him by all classes of people is nothing other than an appropriate manifestation to this great hero and modern Turkey's Ata. As Co-chair of the Congressional Turkey Caucus and on behalf of Turkish Americans, I join my friends in paying tribute to a great man and a great leader. I congratulate the people of Turkey, and continue to work to remember Ataturk's legacy and his contributions to world peace and to the region.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this moment to congratulate a high school in my district, the Hollis F. Price Middle College, for receiving the U.S. News & World Report Bronze recognition as one of 2012's Best High Schools in the country. U.S. News & World Report ranked nearly 22,000 public high schools across the country, and I'm proud that one of Memphis City Schools was recognized. This school was named after the fourth president of LeMoyne-Owen College, an Historically Black College and University in Memphis. Hollis-Price is a collaborative effort between Memphis City Schools and LeMoyne-Owen to improve graduation rates and provide accessibility for students to attend college. I want to commend Principal Daphne Beasley, all the faculty, and the staff for their hard work and dedication. And surely the students I want to congratulate, too, and their parents on their great achievement. I was proud to speak at their graduation a few years ago. It's a great school. Continue to make Memphis proud.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) for its 35th anniversary. Over the past 35 years CMF has aided this body so that the Members can provide our constituents with better services both here in DC and in districts all across this nation. Through online webinars and publications on best practices, CMF provides many services that improve communications between DC and district staffers. Keeping it Local--the Congressional Management Foundation's detailed guidebook on managing state and district offices--allows local managers and staff to maximize their involvement and productivity with constituents. Among the many pieces of advice Keeping it Local has to offer, some of the most important items include its step-for-step instruction on how to establish and carry out a coordinated agenda, manage citizen outreach, organize district events while also maintaining superior communication networks between offices. The materials provided in this book and other CMF publications have helped my staff run our offices more effectively both at home and on Capitol Hill. On behalf of my staff, I would like to personally thank CMF and congratulate them on their 35th anniversary of serving Congress.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, as we commemorate the 11th anniversary of the attacks on our country, we should recognize the men and women who have fought so bravely for our country over the last decade. This weekend, I had the honor of holding a welcome home ceremony in my office for Sergeant Major Marvin L. Hill. Sergeant Major Hill enlisted in the Army on January 18, 1978, and served this country in a wide variety of roles for 35 years. Most recently, he was selected by General David Petraeus to serve as Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and United States forces in Afghanistan--a great honor and a very important job. Command Sergeant Major Hill's numerous awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal for Valor, among many others. Our city is proud of Sergeant Major Hill and all the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. I want to particularly express appreciation for all the noncommissioned officers who put their lives on the line every day and defend this Nation. As we bring the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to an end, I look forward to welcoming home all of our brave men and women serving to protect our freedoms.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, due to my primary election I was detained from voting on Thursday, August 2, 2012. If present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the following rollcall votes: Rollcall 550, rollcall 551, rollcall 553, rollcall 555. I would have voted ``nay'' on the following rollcall votes: Rollcall 549, rollcall 552, rollcall 554, rollcall 556.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight and remember the life of Gore Vidal, a celebrated American literary and cultural icon, who passed away this week at the age of 86. A writer famed for his acerbic wit, elegant style, tough-minded radical views, and versatile talent, Vidal's incredibly varied career boasted over 20 novels, in addition to memoirs, essays, plays, television dramas, and screenplays. Vidal was impressively characterized by the inimitable and revered Christopher Hitchens as being a 20th century answer to Oscar Wilde, a tribute to Vidal's cleverness and eloquence. As British author Martin Amis said in praising Vidal, ``he is learned, funny and exceptionally clear-sighted. Even his blind spots are illuminating.'' In 2009, Vidal won the annual Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation. Unlike many of his intellectual contemporaries, however, he saw his role as a public intellectual not as a sidelined observer, but rather as an active participant in democracy and public affairs, contributing frequently and prolifically to the American political debate. This weekend, I will travel to New York to see a revival of his play ``The Best Man,'' starring my fellow Memphian, Cybill Shephard. I ask everyone to join me honoring Gore Vidal for his many contributions. His was a life well lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, this week there was some disturbing news about Members of the House. One of our finest, longest-serving Members, Mr. LaTourette of Ohio, a Republican, announced he wasn't going to run for reelection. He said he couldn't run for reelection because of the gridlock and the difficulty getting things done. He was for income, revenue--not for Grover Norquist's pledge that most of the Republicans have signed. And because he was for revenue, which is what the Democrat plan is, in taxing the wealthiest and most financially blessed in this country, he gave up because he said, you couldn't get things done. That's a shame. People ask, why is there partisan gridlock? This is a perfect example. The two sides agree that people making $200,000 a year or married couples making $250,000 a year should get continued tax breaks. We should pass that, as the Senate did. We know that can become law and guarantee those tax breaks. The difference that we have is whether people making over $200,000 single and $250,000 married get tax breaks. They will get tax breaks on that amount of income but not on the income over that. I have been blessed in my life, and I have had sufficient monies to do the things I want. But I have never made $250,000 a year. I consider that a lot of money. On the Democratic side, we call that middle class tax cuts. The reality is, in my perspective, it's upper-middle class tax cuts and middle class tax cuts. The only people at the top who are having to pay a little more are the very wealthy and predominantly millionaires. When I grew up, a millionaire was somebody who had a net worth of $1 million. Today it's somebody who makes $1 million--rock stars, business tycoons, bankers. They can afford to pay it. They're not spending that money. We need Americans who spend their money to stimulate our economy. We need purchasers. So that's why I am against the Republican plan and for the Democratic plan. It will activate our economy. I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding the time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, today the House will take up a bill on the Bush tax cuts. The Republicans want to extend the Bush tax cuts to everybody, but tax 25 million Americans by not extending certain credits that they get right now. The Democratic proposal, which I will support and which I'm here for today, despite the fact that my election is tomorrow, will extend tax cuts to everybody and raise taxes somewhat on people who make over $200,000 individual and $250,000 married. Those people still get a tax cut, but just not as much. Madam Speaker, 93 percent of the income growth in the last decade went to the top 1 percent. That's the people who can afford to pay more taxes. And the fact is, to deal with the deficit, we've got to have both income and cuts to wasteful spending. Republicans and Democrats have agreed. Economists Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz have called on both revenue and cuts. And so have Martin Feldstein, an adviser to President Reagan, and Hank Paulson, Treasury Secretary to President Bush. So did Simpson-Bowles. They've all said you need both revenue and cuts. That's what President Clinton recommended in 1993, the Democrats supported, and we had a surplus-- wasted on Bush tax cuts. I urge support for middle class tax cuts.