Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I was detained from voting due to a family emergency on Wednesday, December 8. If present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the following rollcall votes: rollcall vote No. 611, rollcall vote No. 612, rollcall vote No. 613, rollcall vote No. 614, rollcall vote No. 615, rollcall vote No. 616, rollcall vote No. 617, rollcall vote No. 618, rollcall vote No. 619, rollcall vote No. 620, rollcall vote No. 621, rollcall vote No. 622, rollcall vote No. 623, rollcall vote No. 624, rollcall vote No. 625.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I was detained from voting on Tuesday, December 7. If present, I would have voted yea on the following rollcall votes: rollcall 608, rollcall 609, and rollcall 610.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mrs. Frances Louise Laster Hayes, the owner of T.H. Hayes and Sons Funeral Home in Memphis, Tennessee. She was born to Robert Laster and Maude Blair Laster in Fort Smith, Arkansas on January 9, 1907. Due to her mother's death, Frances and her three siblings, Mary, Clifford and Walter were raised by her father and aunt, Callie. Frances Laster attended Lemoyne Normal school, now Lemoyne College, in the 1920s. She studied commerce and earned a Bachelors degree in business administration. After graduation, Frances took a position at her family's lucrative business in Spring Lake, New Jersey. She worked there 8 years before returning to Memphis, where she married Taylor Hayes of Hayes Funeral home, the oldest continuing African-American- owned business in Tennessee. When Frances Hayes married into the Hayes family at age 23, she had no experience in the funeral home industry. She started as a secretary working side-by-side with her husband and brother-in-law, learning the business of mortuary science. Earning her funeral director's license, Mrs. Hayes became one of the first licensed black female directors. Mrs. Hayes took over the Hayes funeral home with the help of family members when her husband died in 1968. Mrs. Hayes received several awards and mentions over her lifetime. In 2002, Mrs. Hayes was awarded the President Award of Excellence from the National Funeral Director and Mortician Association Inc. and was also an honorary member of Who's Who of Black Funeral Directors. In recognition of the 100th anniversary of T.H. Hayes and Sons Funeral Home, she was honored by Grace Magazine, the Commercial Appeal and the Tri-State Defender. She was prominent in social and civic realms and was a member of the Memphis Dinner Club, once described as one of the most exclusive black social clubs in America. She was also a member of the 2nd Congregational Church in Memphis, Tennessee. At 103 years old, Frances Hayes was the epitome of a family matriarch. Her life experiences were widespread, including WWI and WWII, Vietnam, The Gulf, The Great Depression, modernization of the auto, the assassinations of M.L. King, John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Birth of Blues with WC Handy. Just two years ago she said ``I can't believe we have a Black president, and she's such a beautiful First Lady.'' Frances Hayes passed away Sunday, November 21, 2010 at the age of 103 at Methodist University Hospital. Mrs. Hayes' legacy lives on through her nephew Powers Thornton, Jr., her brother-in-law's daughter, Tommye Kay Armstrong and her Godsons, Antonio Benson, Eddie Brooks, Elbert Webster and her dozens of nieces and nephews. We are honored for her dedication to Memphis, Tennessee and her contributions to the Memphis community. Hers was a life well lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, today the United States received very good news concerning education in America. Nationwide, high school graduation rates rose 2 percent. But even better, in my State of Tennessee, the rates rose 15 percent, the number one increase in the United States of America. Those are statistics from the year 2002 to 2009 as determined by the Promise Institute that Colin Powell headed. And part of that I'm happy to attribute it to, and that is the Tennessee education lottery which was my hallmark legislation as a State senator. The lottery referendum passed in 2002, and the education law went into effect in 2003, giving children the incentive that they can go to college, that they can have a better life. Giving them hope with HOPE scholarships has helped kids make better grades in high school and turn out better graduates in Tennessee. I appreciate the fact that Tennessee has been recognized today as the country's education grades and scores have gone up, and we need to continue working on this. And if every State gave their students HOPE, we would have a better Nation.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Diamond Standard, a Memphis based company, for receiving an excellent rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for their after- market bumpers. The IIHS, widely considered to be a leading authority on crash testing and auto safety, describes itself as ``an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses--deaths, injuries, and property damage--from crashes on the nation's highways.'' IIHS found Diamond Standard's bumpers to be equivalent to factory equipment. Diamond Standard is truly an American company that shows the American dream is still alive and well. Owner and founder Mike O'Neal started his work in the automotive business as an employee for his father, John O'Neal, who owned a bumper re-chroming shop in West Memphis. In the 1990's, Mike saw a demand for high-end, after-market bumpers. However, Diamond Standard did not officially begin selling its product until four years ago. Today, Diamond Standard and its sister companies have manufacturing and warehousing facilities in Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington State, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Taiwan. Diamond Standard provides jobs for approximately 439 Americans, including 65 in Memphis. The collision replacement industry is estimated to generate more than $16 billion a year. Diamond Standard provides parts to nearly 15 percent of companies within this industry. Because of the tremendous work they are doing, the company is worth an estimated $150 million a year. Mr. O'Neal has said that the Insurance Institute certification has the potential to double Diamond Standard's business in the next 24 months. For the past 5-6 years Diamond Standard has invested about $2 million for research and testing to prove that its parts are comparable to those that are factory-made. Their recent invention of an after-market bumper that is comparable to a factory bumper is significant because it has never been done before. This new and safe bumper has the potential to lower bumper-replacement costs for hard working Americans. Diamond Standard has given Memphis much of which to be proud. Its investment in research and development, revolutionary innovation and operational expansion is truly emblematic of the American entrepreneurial spirit. Madam Speaker, I ask the House to join me in congratulating Diamond Standard for the excellent rating they received for their after-market bumpers and for the bright future Diamond Standard will surely have.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I would just like to make one statement, Mr. Rohrabacher, if you would permit before. You know, I think it was Wavy Gravy that said, if you remember the sixties you weren't part of the sixties. Well, when you get into your sixties, sometimes you forget things. It was, I believe, Janis Joplin, and it was: My friends all have Porsches. I must make amends. Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz.

Mr. COHEN. Well, I thank you for having this hour and for letting me join you, each of you. These are the issues that are important to the American people. And I tried to address some of them in 1 minute. You can't discuss them in 1 minute. One of the issues we heard about was the deficit. The deficit was created by the Congress that was begun in the beginning of this century. The Congress in 1994, when President Clinton was President, a Democratic Congress with all Democratic votes passed a balanced budget bill that balanced the budget by the year 2000, and that balanced budget with a surplus was squandered with Bush tax cuts that cost tremendous amounts of money and a trillion-dollar war in Iraq without weapons of mass destruction and without a well-defined purpose and without the truth behind the purpose, I believe, of that war. And then an additional war in Afghanistan that was made the secondary war. This has created the great deficit that we have now, and you've got to correct that through income or through cuts. What has been recommended by the bipartisan panel the President set up bears looking at as a beginning. It's going to take some tough decisions, but we also need revenue; and the revenue can't be across- the-board extensions for the Bush tax cuts. And to the upper 2 percent, as Mr. Garamendi was talking, they don't spend that money. My friends all drive Chryslers, I must make amends; dear Lord get me a Mercedes- Benz. That's an old sixties song. That's what they buy, is a Mercedes- Benz or maybe something from Cartier, which doesn't really stimulate the economy. It might tickle the fancy of somebody, but it doesn't stimulate the economy. We've got to make some difficult decisions and earmarks aren't the issue. Earmarks don't take away from the deficit. It just means that rather than your Congressperson from your district who knows your needs, it will be somebody in Washington spending that money. The earmarks need to be done in a transparent manner, and this Congress has seen that they are published. The people have to say that they are theirs, they have no financial interest, they don't have a personal stake, and they can't be for a for-profit company. Earmarks in and of themselves are not bad. They just need to be cleaned up, and this Congress has cleaned them up. But the fact is, we need to make some difficult decisions. I'm prepared to make those difficult decisions on some long-term economic policies that will help clean up the deficit, which we need to do. I don't agree with much of what was put in the bipartisan proposal that was just recently announced by Mr. Bowles and Mr. Simpson, but it's a starting point; and it should not be summarily dismissed as it was by some from my party. On the other hand, the issue of earmarks is a subterfuge or just an issue to be thrown out there which has nothing to do with the deficit. It's going to take some tough decisions, and the Department of Defense can't be off the table. Some say, Oh, you can't deal with the Department of Defense. There's a lot of money in the defense budgets that's there because of who manufactures the weapons and not the purpose of the weapons, and there's a lot of waste in the Department of Defense, and we need to look there as well. And we're going to have to make some large cuts, and that's where most of the money is. So I join with you. I appreciate, Mr. Ellison, your work. I appreciate Mr. Stein's quoting you in Time Magazine when you cited me as part of your team, and I'm going to be part of your team. And, Mr. Garamendi, I appreciate what you've done from California and in your leading these discussions. And I just want to be a part of the ending of this Congress that does some economic justice and that we try to see that economic justice is not forgotten in the 112th.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I think as we look at this lame duck session at the end of the 111th Congress, how we got where we are with the deficit, which was such a big issue--in 1994, Congress and President Clinton passed a bill to balance the budget, all Democrats. The result of it was the Democrats suffered a great election defeat in 1994. The Republicans took over with Newt Gingrich and had the House for the next 12 years. But we balanced the budget with a budget surplus by the year 2000. Then President Bush came in office, and he gave these tax cuts away to a trillion-dollar war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan, and passed Medicare part D, the largest extension of Federal benefits ever, tremendous deficit, increasing much more so than any health care bill passed since or the one that we passed, and we got this tremendous deficit. Now the Republicans talk about earmarks. Earmarks have nothing to do with the deficit at all. It has to do with tough decisions to increase revenues or cut spending; $700 billion cuts to the richest isn't the way to do it. You've got to look at the Fed and other areas and be brave.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ulysses Jones, Jr. A public servant throughout his career, Mr. Jones worked as a paramedic with the Memphis Fire Department for 37 years, where he rose to the rank of battalion chief. Ulysses continued to serve by becoming Tennessee's 98th District State Representative representing the North Memphis community for 23 years. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 7, 1951 to the late Ulysses Jones, Sr. and Marjorie Nicholas Jones. Ulysses Jones, Jr. graduated from North Side High School and went on to attend the University of Memphis and Tennessee State University. Ulysses Jones, Jr. was oftentimes faced with challenging moments during his tenure as a paramedic. On August 16, 1977, Ulysses and a colleague were called to Graceland to revive Elvis Presley, but to no avail. Ulysses later noted that he identified with the legendary entertainer who despite living in public housing projects, worked hard to make a better life for himself. Ulysses thought nothing of putting his life on the line to save others and he took that same attitude of public service to the state legislature when he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives. Ulysses Jones, Jr. was first elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in 1986. For nearly a quarter of a century, he was a voice for working men and women in Shelby County. He stood by his convictions on issues that mattered most to him, including improving schools, expanding college scholarships and equal pay for all. Ulysses aspired to do the right thing for all people regardless of race, creed or political affiliation. Mr. Jones was an effective lawmaker for Tennessee. His vocal and active opposition to the ``Tiny Towns'' bill led to one of his most notable accomplishments in the Tennessee legislature. This legislation, which initially passed and was signed into state law, allowed small communities, and in one contested battle, an apartment building, to incorporate to avoid paying property taxes. Less than a year after being signed into law, the Tennessee Supreme Court struck down the law citing constitutional violations. Ulysses worked hard on not just his legislative agenda but on other Members' bills including mine. He cosponsored the ``Tennessee Lottery for Education,'' a bill I sponsored and worked on for nearly 20 years. After being signed into law, Ulysses took the reins and served as the Co-Chair of the Joint Lottery Oversight Committee and was a member of the House Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation. While in the Tennessee House of Representatives, Ulysses Jones served as the Chair of the House Ethics Committee, Chair of the House State and Local Government Committee and the 2nd Vice President of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. He was a member of the House Education Committee, K-12 Subcommittee, Local Government Subcommittee, Joint Select Education Oversight Committee and the Tennessee Commemorative Women's Suffrage Commission. Ulysses also co- authored state Enterprise Zone legislation for Tennessee. Mr. Jones was also actively involved in his community. He served as Chairman of both the Tennessee African-American Male Task Force and the Governor's Minority Business Development Advisory Committee. He sat on the Board of Directors for the Fire Fighter Investment Group and was the President of the Pioneer Black Fire Fighters. Ulysses was a member of the YMCA Black Achievers and was a catalyst for the Development of the North Memphis Inner City Community Development Corporation. Ulysses Jones, Jr. passed away on November 9, 2010 at the age of 59. Ulysses Jones, Jr. is survived by his daughter Victoria and son Ulysses III. His commitment to helping people throughout his life will be remembered by the countless number of lives he touched. His was a life well lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Julia A. Heath, University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics professor, for being recognized as the 2010 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Tennessee Professor of the Year. Professors bestowed this award have demonstrated dedication to undergraduate teaching based on their impact on and involvement with students, their scholarly approach to teaching and learning, their contribution to undergraduate education in the institution, community and profession, and their support from colleagues, current and former undergraduate students. Dr. Heath has contributed greatly to the Fogelman College course selection. She developed several new courses including `The Economics of Sports' and `Men, Women and Work.' She is in the process of developing an Economics and Law course that will be added to the department's elective rotation in spring 2011. Professor Heath developed and taught a Ph.D. Teaching Seminar for the teaching assistants in the College where she would tape each student and provide individual feedback. Professor Heath has worked diligently to advance financial literacy for school children across the state of Tennessee. Serving as the director of the Center for Economic Education at the University of Memphis, she initiated the Smart Tennessee program which has provided financial literacy instruction to elementary, middle and high schools across the state. In recognition of her dedication to financial literacy, she was named Educator of the Year by The Institute for Financial Literacy, receiving its Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Award. This most recent award will be added to her already impressive list of honors. In addition to being named Educator of the Year, Dr. Heath was the winner of the 2010 University of Memphis' Distinguished Teaching Award. She received the 2008 Elzinga Award by the Southern Economic Association--the economic discipline's highest recognition of teaching excellence. Dr. Heath is also the recipient of The Thomas W. Briggs Teaching Excellence Award, the Teaching Excellence Fellowship and has been named Senior Fellow for Redefining Progress. Dr. Julia Heath has represented the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business well. Her hard work and dedication to teaching and higher education has been recognized by University of Memphis president Shirley Raines, her colleagues and by many across the nation. Madam Speaker, I ask the House to join me in congratulating Dr. Julia Heath on being selected as the 2010 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Tennessee Professor of the Year.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, on October 29, 2010--while this House was in recess--the Republic of Turkey celebrated Republic Day, and observed the 87th anniversary of its founding. As a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans, I take this opportunity to belatedly congratulate our Turkish friends and recognize the longstanding friendship between the United States and the Republic of Turkey. For over fifty years, Turkey has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States, making significant contributions to the peace, security, and prosperity of both its immediate neighborhood and the wider world. An ally in the global struggle against Communism during the Cold War, Turkey has and continues to contribute a great deal to our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan as we act to secure those countries and give them the tools to chart their own courses and become constructive members of the community of nations. Turkey's international contributions reflect the visions of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, of a vibrant secular democracy. In times of great change and uncertainty, while there may be questions or differences of opinion about the threats we face, this should be seen as the actions of a mature ally. I do not believe that anyone can question Turkey's commitment to easing tensions, resolving some of the key issues of our time, and its friendship with the United States. As new members of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans have come to discover, Turkish Americans are also playing an important role in strengthening the bonds between our two countries. Turkish Americans come from all backgrounds and and make important contributions to all sectors of our society. Additionally, they are participating in greater numbers in the social, political, and economic aspects of our national life. I welcome this engagement, and know that it enriches us as a people. Again, my congratulations to Turkey and all of its friends in this country on the observance of another Republic Day.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate International Paper for being named a top 100 Corporate Citizen by the Corporate Responsibility Officer Association. This prestigious award is recognized as one of America's top three most-important business rankings. The recipients of this award exhibit praiseworthy commitment to their shareholders, the environment, their communities, their workforces and compliance with the law. International Paper, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, demonstrates each of these qualities, is a strong financial performer and job creator in the community. Founded in 1898, International Paper has been at the forefront of the pulp and paper market for over 100 years and is the largest such company in the world. International Paper has operations in all corners of the globe, including North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia and North Africa. Its current Chairman and CEO, John V. Faraci, along with its 60,000 employees have continued to lead International Paper into the ranks of top performing, socially responsible companies. International Paper has upheld a commitment to service, environmental protection and, most importantly, a high standard of ethics throughout its company. Quoting their Code of Business Ethics, ``International Paper is comprised of good citizens, protecting employee health and safety, and managing natural resources responsibly.'' International Paper's philanthropic organization, the International Paper Foundation, supports non-profit organizations within with a specific focus on environmental education and literacy. Since 1995, the International Paper Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in grants to projects, namely its Coins for Kids program, a first-of-its-kind partnership with the World Food Programme to help fight childhood hunger worldwide. Through its commitment to international excellence in the fields of ethics, financial performance, social responsibility, and environmental protection, International Paper has built a distinguished name of which they can be justly proud. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating International Paper for receiving this prestigious recognition.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I have been home for a while during the break and during these 3 weeks listening to constituents; and I understand there are a lot of constituents that are upset because the economy hasn't come back completely. But the economy is getting better, and a great indicator of that is the Dow Jones average which has gone up in the 10,800 range now. It has gone up tremendously this month. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, called the stimulus bill, has been maligned. But it has been responsible for at least 3 million jobs: firemen, policemen and teachers being kept on public payrolls and keeping taxes down and public employees hired. The middle class has been threatened and threatened greatly. And as I sit in committee meetings and think about the future and what would happen if this House turned over to the other side, I realize the middle class would be greatly hurt. It is the middle class that is hurting. It is the middle that is concerned. The middle class is most of the tea party, but the tea party is being led by some of the richest people in the country who are more concerned about the estate tax and getting 100 percent of their money sent to the next generation tax free, contributing greatly to the deficit, and to seeing that the upper 2 percent get their tax cuts given during the Bush years, which means a $700 billion addition to the deficit. They talk deficit, and they also talk about taxes and spending. Well, you can't have it both ways. The bottom line is the richest people of the country are pushing the middle class in a direction that will run them off a cliff. And their home is with the Democratic Party that is helping small business and providing jobs.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the birthday of the late Mary Church Terrell, a scholar, political activist and woman of compassion. Mary Church was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Robert and Louisa Church on September 23, 1863, the same year President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Knowing the importance of an education, Ms. Church attended Oberlin College in Ohio, the first institution to admit women and one of the first to admit minorities. Upon her graduation in 1884, Ms. Church became one of the first African American women to graduate from college. She then went on to receive her Master's degree from Oberlin in 1888. After graduation, Ms. Church moved back to Memphis and traveled to Europe before moving to Washington, DC where she married attorney Robert Herbert Terrell in 1891. During this time Mrs. Terrell took an active role in social reform and volunteer work. She befriended Susan B. Anthony and was active with the suffragist movement, working at the National American Woman Suffrage Association and several other black women's suffragist organizations. Mary Church Terrell broke barriers by becoming the first African American woman to be appointed to the District of Columbia Board of Education from 1895-1906. She was also active in multiple black women's organizations, all of which strove to terminate both gender and racial discrimination. She was the architect of the merger of these clubs, forming the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in 1896, becoming the organization's first president. She served as president until 1901 when she was named the honorary president for life. In 1909, Mary Church Terrell, along with Ida B. Wells, befriended W.E.B. DuBois and later became a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1910, Mrs. Terrell founded the National Association of College Women in 1910 and in 1913 assisted in the formation of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated where she wrote the sorority's creed. In 1933, Oberlin College recognized her as one of its one hundred outstanding alumni during their centennial celebration. Oberlin conferred upon Mrs. Terrell the honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1948. Mary Church Terrell passed away at age 90 on July 24, 1954, two months after the monumental Brown vs. Board of Education decision. From the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, Mary Church Terrell was here to witness great social reforms for African Americans. Hers was a life well lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize singer and songwriter Clare Burson for her work in bringing awareness to the Holocaust through music. Chronicled through research and stories from her family, her new album ``Silver and Ash'' remembers her family and pays tribute to the many Jewish men, women and children who suffered and died during this dark period in history. Clare Burson had always been interested in learning her family's history since the young age of 8 years old. However, her grandmother, Joci Burson, was reluctant to speak about the events that caused her family to flee their home in Germany due to the painful memories. Joci, who lived in Memphis, Tennessee, would receive letters from family that fled to Latvia updating her on their condition. Receiving letters from only 1938-1941 was undoubtedly a sign that the worst had happened and forced Joci into mourning and silence about the tragedy that befell the family. Clare Burson spent much of her young adult life researching her family's history to gain a better understanding of how the Holocaust changed her family. Her research led her to move to Germany and to travel to Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine--the homes of her ancestors. As a result of her research and through her songs, she was able to convey resemblances of her sister to their great-grandmother in ``Look Close.'' In ``I Will/With You,'' Ms. Burson encourages her grandmother to share her memories so that she and others will forever remember their history. In ``Baby Boy,'' Clare Burson describes a metaphorical hole in her great-great-grandmother's home after sending her son to Lithuania to escape conscription to military service in the German army. Although not in her lyrics, Ms. Burson shared a piece of her family's history saying that her great-great-grandmother sent her son to Lithuania in 1893 with a trunk of belongings and a wedge of cheese made by his mother. He then moved to South Africa and stayed there for 10 years before moving to Memphis, where he married her great-grandmother, Clare. They had 4 children including her grandmother who, when she passed away, gave her the cheese. That wedge of cheese still exists and is now 117 years old. Sixty-five years after the Holocaust, the number of Jewish Holocaust survivors and those who lived during that time is decreasing. Like many events in our history, both good and bad, we must ensure the fundamental nature of the Holocaust is passed along to future generations. There must never again be such a display of intolerance towards any group of people. Thank you Clare Burson for giving us such beautiful music set to your family's memories and our shared history.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I want to thank Mr. Pallone for the time, and I want to thank Mr. Pallone, Mr. Andrews, and Chairman Waxman for their help in getting this particular proposal to the floor; and the minority side as well, Mr. Whitfield, my friend, Mr. Shimkus, and everyone who has worked on this. Mr. Speaker, this is a particularly important bill to me, and it's an important bill to my district. September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month, and it's appropriate that this month this bill will be brought up for consideration, the NEWBORN Act. ``NEWBORN'' is an acronym. Everything in Washington seems to be an acronym, and this acronym, ``NEWBORN,'' stands for ``Nationally Enhancing the Wellbeing of Babies through Outreach and Research Now.'' It is so important that we give children an opportunity to live and mothers and fathers an opportunity to see their children born and have a chance. My parents lost a child at about 4 months of age in 1946. They never got over it. There are so many people who have lost children, and it is something that stays with you forever. In my particular city of Memphis--while we talked about the United States' rate, we know it is too high no matter what it is and how you keep statistics--the city of Memphis has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the Nation. It is said to be second by the CDC among the 60 largest urban areas in the year 2002. In one particular ZIP code in my district, 38108, in the year 2007--it's in north Memphis, a predominately low-income African American neighborhood. I say predominately; it's an entirely low-income African American neighborhood--had an infant mortality rate of 31 deaths per 1,000 live births. That is almost five times the Nation's 2007 rate of seven deaths per 1,000 live births. And that ranks 38108 as worse than the developing nations of Iran, Indonesia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria, and Vietnam in infant mortality for that year. It's an issue that can strike people of any race, but it is divided largely along racial lines, and there's a great racial disparity. The Office of Minority Health at the CDC has found that African Americans have 2.4 times the infant mortality rate than whites, that African Americans are four times as likely to die as infants due to complications related to low birthweight when compared to white infants. The CDC study found that African American mothers were 2.5 times more likely than white mothers to begin prenatal care in their third trimester or not receive prenatal care at all. That's where a lot of research and outreach can be done, particularly the outreach. That is why the NEWBORN bill is so needed, and that is why our office decided to make this our top priority. My chief of staff, Marilyn Dilihay; my district director, Randy Wade; and our whole team met in Memphis. Brittany Johnson, who is my legislative director in the area of health care, and my legislative director, Reisha Phills, the whole office worked on the issue and we brought it as a bill. But we also had it included in the health care bill that passed this House. And it was featured in the Speaker's bullet points about what it could possibly do for infant mortality. This would be the largest outreach program the Federal Government has ever engaged in. It's an authorization to find answers for the problem of infant mortality. Of course, because of the situation of the politics in the Senate and because we had to go to reconciliation, there wasn't a conference committee, and this part of the health care bill wasn't included because the Senate didn't have it, and reconciliation didn't allow consideration of proposals like this that didn't add to or decrease from the budget. This was an authorization. So it didn't make it through the final phase because of what happened in Massachusetts, and that hurt us in what could be an important step forward for mothers and children. We hope that the bill will pass here today and that the Senate will pick it up. We hope Senator Mikulski or Senator Dodd or somebody will help us with it, or Senator Harkin, and see that it gets through the Senate and the authorization is approved. It will authorize the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to award 5-year-long grants to 15 municipalities or States to create infant mortality pilot programs. The legislation sets forth guidelines on what practices the pilot programs may employ in their quest to lower the infant mortality rate of the area they serve, and those include outreach to at-risk mothers, increased access to educational clinic services for pregnant women or potential mothers and families. The language suggests each program provide infant care counseling, postpartum care, additional care for at-risk mothers, a rural outreach program, and a public education program. All of these can save money in the long run in health care because some of the most expensive treatment rendered is for premature babies, and care in these particular ages of life can be very expensive. And if we can have better prenatal care and less problems, not only is it the right thing to do in every way possible, but it also saves money. It is my hope that those entities who apply for this funding will do so in conjunction with existing local, private, and not-for-profit groups that have already involved themselves in the fight against infant mortality. And there are several in Memphis that have done that. Our Governor, Phil Bredesen, and our city mayor and county mayor, A C Wharton, have headed up programs in our community, and our county mayor, Mark Luttrell, is continuing them. The cultivation of partnerships between local leaders is essential in order to ensure the problem is addressed in as efficient a manner as possible. I introduced the NEWBORN Act because of the number of devastating instances of infant mortality in Memphis, but I hope its passage and eventual enactment will help the incalculable number of people across the country who are possibly at risk to lose a child or grandchild in the years to come. Again, I thank Mr. Pallone and the other Members, particularly Mr. Waxman, for their help in getting this bill to the floor, and I hope that we will have the help in the Senate that the mothers, children, and grandchildren in this Nation deserve.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1614 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that police service dogs and their handlers perform a critical role in ensuring our national security and deserve to be recognized for their service. Federal, State, local, and military law enforcement agencies work with service dogs to perform a variety of tasks to prevent and solve crimes and to keep the public safe. Search and rescue dogs often perform a number of functions, such as searching for victims in avalanches, collapsed buildings, and people missing in the wilderness. Service dogs are also used to capture escaped offenders or suspects from crime scenes. These dogs are trained to search for items bearing human scent and are utilized in crime scenes to find evidence thrown away by a suspect. In addition, dogs are trained to search through buildings, cars, and luggage, and can alert on more than one kind of drug despite the best efforts of smugglers. Law enforcement service dogs can be trained to alert on guns and bomb-making materials. And often these dogs deter dangerous crimes at sporting events, train stations, airports, and other places by their mere presence. Due to the dangerous situations these dogs and their handlers are frequently put in, many dogs have given their lives in the performance of their duties. Today, this resolution recognizes the extraordinary efforts and dedication of these service dogs and their handlers. Mr. Speaker, my first bill I had as a State senator in 1983 was one to make it a crime to shoot a police service dog, and to make it such because to shoot the dog was really to shoot at law enforcement personnel to try to stop that policeman from having that dog in the pursuit of its duty, and the next bullet would be for the officer. Of course they are valuable and important. I commend Mr. Coble for bringing this bill recognizing the contribution that these dogs make to our society and to police practices. I urge my colleagues to support the resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. COHEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Resolution 1375, introduced by the Honorable Jim Cooper of Tennessee, recognizes the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment, of course, is the Amendment that gave women the right to vote in this United States, and it was not until 1920 that women got that right to vote. We didn't start off as a perfect Union. It's taken a lot of time, and we're still working toward becoming that perfect Union. The 19th Amendment was ratified with the perfect 36th State, which happened to be Tennessee, the last State that could make it by three- quarters of the States needed. There were 48 at the time. Thirty-five had done it. The rest had said they wouldn't. Tennessee was on the spot, and it became the perfect 36th and gave women the right to vote. It was an historic vote that took place in the Tennessee State capitol. Probably the most historic vote that's ever occurred in that capitol. One of which, a bas-relief on the wall, which I worked on getting placed there, commemorates that event when that vote took place. One of my relatives, Mr. Joe Hanover, managed the bill in the House. And the Senate, of which I was a member, and Lady Blackburn, the Congresswoman on the other side, was also a member of that esteemed body, the State Senate in Tennessee voted with overwhelming numbers to approve the resolution. It was in the House where sometimes they have problems--unlike what we experience here in Washington--where they had difficulty getting the votes together. And it was about an even vote until the last minute. And a Republican from upper east Tennessee named Harry Burn got a missive from his mother that said, ``Harry, do the right thing.'' And Harry did the right thing, and he cast that vote and it passed by one vote. So women have the right to vote because of the perfect 36th, the State of Tennessee in 1920, August of that year. And it was by one vote. So it's an important story not only of how far this country has come, because our Constitution, as great as it was, didn't give women the right to vote. It permitted slavery, didn't give women the right to vote, and a lot of other problems. And it took a lot of efforts and civil rights and women's rights and human rights and all to bring us to where we're getting today. We still have a ways to go. But it also says how important one vote is, because one vote made that difference. Prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, only a handful of States allowed women to vote at all, and that was in certain elections. But even those modest gains were the product of decades of struggle by women's suffrage supporters. There were early events, such as the Women's Rights Convention convened in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848, and it helped encourage women's suffrage supporters to organize for full participatory rights throughout the State. And during the late 19th century, thousands of women's suffrage supporters nationwide marched, lobbied, and engaged in peaceful civil disobedience in the name of equal voting rights. A resolution proposing an amendment extending the right of suffrage to women was first introduced in Congress in 1878, but it was not until 1916 that almost all major women's suffrage groups united behind a constitutional amendment. Yes, it was 42 years--even longer than it took to amend the Tennessee Constitution to get a lottery--42 years it took to get this amendment to a vote. When New York enacted full women's suffrage in 1917 and President Woodrow Wilson announced his support for an amendment in 1918, the political tide finally turned in favor of a nationwide effort. And on June 4, 1919, the 66th Congress of the United States proposed to the legislatures of the several States the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. A year later on August 20, 1920, Tennessee became that perfect 36th State to pass and ratify that amendment, thus fulfilling the three- fourth requirements. Today, House Resolution 1375 honors the generation of women's suffrage activists who persevered through adversity and doubt to secure the rightful place of women in our democracy. This resolution also serves to reaffirm this body's commitment nine decades later pursuing policies that achieve true political and social equality for women. There is, of course, in the Rotunda a statuary of some of the great leaders in this movement. And I think it took years to get that placed in the Capitol on the second floor in the Rotunda to honor their work. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Congresswoman Blackburn brings up some interesting history. And it reminds me Brownlow was probably related to Parson Brownlow, who was the somewhat reviled governor of Tennessee during the Civil War period. And Senator Henry said some very awful things about Governor Brownlow and the things he did to the women of Nashville and the jeopardy he placed them in. I am sure that was some kind of secondary reprisal as this relative of Brownlow jailed the women that wanted the vote. He had put the women in danger during the Civil War. And Senator Henry talked about that on many occasions on the floor, as I am sure you remember. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1375) recognizing the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, as amended.

Mr. COHEN. I yield such time as he may consume to the author of this resolution, the gentleman who represents the area where this historic Amendment was passed in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, the Honorable Jim Cooper.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to thank Mr. Cooper for bringing this resolution. It's important that it be recognized on this occasion. I thank Mr. Smith, who was a distinguished leader. We like to think of Texas as southwest Tennessee, because we did so much to create it. So you are like a cousin and part of this great celebration. And Congresswoman Blackburn, who served with me in the Senate, she brought up the singular vote. She brought up the second one. I thought she was going to bring up the lottery, where she was one of my essential 22, and I continue to thank her for that. With the memory of Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony whose visages remain in the Rotunda, I would ask that we all vote positively in favor of this resolution and pass the resolution as presented here, H. Res. 1375. I ask for an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4862) to permit Members of Congress to administer the oath of allegiance to applicants for naturalization, as amended.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on the bill under consideration.