Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I am encouraged that the newly elected Dr. Dervis Eroglu, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, has, like his predecessor, expressed his commitment for a ``just and lasting comprehensive settlement through the ongoing negotiations'' under UN auspices for a Cyprus settlement. The Cyprus problem started not in 1974, but in December 1963, after the 1960 Partnership Republic of Cyprus was destroyed by a Greek-backed coup. The UN Peace Keeping Force, UNFICYP was stationed on the island on March 4, 1964, but was unable to prevent inter-communal violence which erupted in 1967 and 1974. The embargoes on the Turkish Cypriot side existing since 1963 are especially unacceptable given the fact that it was the Turkish Cypriot people who overwhelmingly in 2004 voted to adopt the Annan Plan to end the division of the island. The Greek Cypriots, who voted ``no'' on the referendum three to one, was rewarded with European Union membership, thereby further isolating the Turkish Cypriots. Although the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Organization of Islamic Conference adopted resolutions calling for the lifting of restrictions on the Turkish Cypriots, their situation has not changed. This, even after the European Council of Foreign Ministers on April 26 invited the Commission ``to bring forward comprehensive proposals. . .to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot Community.'' The Cyprus dispute has a great impact, not just on the Island, but across Europe and throughout the international community. The island's situation remains a source of contention between NATO allies, Turkey and Greece. Additionally, past negotiations have impacted the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the United States. Therefore, I believe a swift resolution should be encouraged by the United States.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I want to thank Congressman Hastings for the opportunity to speak on this issue. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue to the American economy and the American public. My friend from North Carolina suggests that economists don't think this is a good thing. Well, Mark Zandi, who's the chief economist at Moody's, who was one of President Bush's economists and supporters, says, ``No form of the fiscal stimulus has proved more effective during the past 2 years than energy UI benefits, providing a bang for the buck of $1.61,'' for every dollar put in. Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist--that's not a bad little opportunity prize to win--``One main reason there aren't enough jobs right now is weak consumer demand. Helping the unemployed, by putting money in the pockets of people who badly need it, helps support consumer spending. That's why the Congressional Budget Office rates aid to the unemployed as a highly cost-effective form of economic stimulus.'' Timely, targeted, and temporary are the three keys to stimulus spending; and unemployment compensation goes to people who are the Purple Hearts of this economic recession, an economic recession caused by George W. Bush. My friend from North Carolina says we're forgetting history. I'll tell you about history. Under Bill Clinton, we had a budget surplus. Under George Bush with a misguided war built on lies and tax breaks to the wealthiest people in the country, we built up budget deficits, which we have had to increase because of the need to get out of this worst economic recession since Herbert Hoover--George Bush's ideological father--put us into the Depression some 80 years earlier. No more American, independent, private-spending person than Warren Buffet has said that unemployment compensation should be passed. It helps the economy and it's just the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do for the economy, for the people who've gotten the Purple Hearts of this economic downturn, and for our country. And I urge everybody to use their brains and their hearts and to support this proposition.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, it's been interesting listening to the discussions this morning and this afternoon. Social Security is 75 years old. It came about because of Franklin Roosevelt, a great Democratic President, and a Democratic Congress, evolving out of a Depression caused by Republican Herbert Hoover. And now 75 years later, we look at the situation where another Republican President, a Hoover George Bush, caused us the next worst financial crisis. Republicans talk about privatizing Social Security. Social Security is money that needs to be there to preserve people's standards of living when Republicans who let the economy get out of hand because they don't have any regulations let it happen. This is the most foolish thought I've ever seen, if we didn't learn from September of 2008 that the market is a gamble and comes up and down. It's not social security; it's social insecurity. People have gotten up here and said, You haven't noticed that Bush is gone? That's all they can say is Bush is gone. Nobody can defend him, rated the second worst President in the history of the United States. A man who earned record deficits by giving tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires and fighting a war based on lies to raise great deficits, and now all they can say is he's gone. Thank God he's gone.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I was detained from voting on Tuesday, July 13 due to flight delays. If present, I would have voted ``yea'' on the following rollcall votes: Rollcall 434; rollcall 435; and rollcall 436.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Nettie Brown Rogers, a woman of keen faith and conviction who selflessly served the spiritual community of Memphis, Tennessee for over fifty years. Born in Memphis to Arthur and Bertha Brown on October 25, 1922, Nettie Rogers was a committed wife to Floyd Rogers, a caring mother of seven children and a community leader among the city's Baptist Churches. Deeply devoted to her Christian faith, Mrs. Rogers was a pioneering woman who accepted her calling to religion ``no matter what men might say.'' In 1958, she and 22 other community members co-founded Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Memphis. A committed member of Grace M.B. Church, Mrs. Rogers also served for ten years as an associate minister at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church where she was said to have done everything but preach. In 1968, Mrs. Rogers founded the Memphis Inter-Denominational Fellowship, Inc., a nonprofit that supports spiritual growth, Christian and public education and initiatives to reduce crime, juvenile delinquency and illiteracy. Under Mrs. Rogers's leadership, the Memphis Inter-Denominational Fellowship pursued creative initiatives, such as the ``Back to Church School Crusade,'' which established National Church School Day on the first Sunday in June. Through Operation Bread Basket, Mrs. Rogers provided food for over 30 years to individuals, churches, nursing homes and other community agencies. Endowed with faith, wisdom, and an unselfish love, Mrs. Rogers's life was characterized by such acts of unwavering commitment to Christian and community service. Mrs. Rogers's home in South Memphis was adorned with awards and letters from churches, schools and organizations documenting the achievements of her distinguished life. In 2009, she was posthumously awarded the Ruby R. Wharton Outstanding Woman award in the area of Youth and Delinquency by Mayor AC. Wharton. That same year she was inducted into the Memphis African American Museum's Hall of Pulpits, the only woman among 12 male preachers. In 2007 and 2008, I issued Congressional proclamations commending her outstanding work in the community supporting youth engagement. In 2006 and 2008, the State of Tennessee House of Representatives passed Joint Resolutions honoring Mrs. Rogers for her strength in character and commitment to selfless good works. In 2002, the City of Memphis renamed the street she lived on to Fountain Court in her honor. Mrs. Rogers also received awards and recognition from the April 4th Foundation, Grace M.B. Church, the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club and LeMoyne-Owen College, among other well-deserved distinctions. Nettie Rogers passed away at her home in South Memphis on February 12, 2009 at the age of 86. She is survived by four daughters, two sons, 14 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and the legacy of her faith and public service. In the words of her daughter, Dr. Inetta F. Rogers who serves as the President of Memphis Inter-Denominational Fellowship, ``I saw her as a role model in the community and I'm preaching in pulpits where she couldn't.'' Memphis has been blessed to have benefited from the good deeds of this exceptional mother, wife, friend, spiritual advisor and ministry leader. Hers was a life well lived.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I thank Mr. McGovern for granting me the time and for bringing this amendment. Mr. Speaker, you don't put good money after bad, and this would be putting good money after bad. I was in this Hall earlier with Senator McGovern, in the Speaker's lobby, and I said something to Senator McGovern, former Senator McGovern. He said, Did I hear Vietnam? Well, the echoes of Vietnam are in this Chamber, Mr. Speaker. When people on the other side say they don't want to hear about surrender and that that is not right, we could still be in Vietnam, and we would still be losing American lives and American resources, because that was a war we couldn't win, and some people wouldn't accept it. So we lost more lives and more American economies and more opportunities in America. My district cannot afford another $35 billion and $35 billion and $35 billion in trying to create infrastructure in Afghanistan, which is not a Third World country, but probably like a fifth world country--the third most corrupt nation on the face of the Earth. That is not what the United States of America is known for doing--supporting corrupt countries around the world with a man like Karzai, whose brother is in the opium trade, with a country that predominantly benefits from the growing of poppies and from the spreading of heroin around the world. That is who we are supporting. We should not be spending our money and our lives. I go to the funerals of every soldier in my district who passes, and I don't want to go to more of them. I stop every soldier I see in airports and ask them about where they are going. When they are going to Afghanistan or to Iraq, I ask them, How is it going? Almost all of them going to Afghanistan say, Not well. They look at me and they say, We should not stay there. We are not doing well. I went to a function in my district in the west side, almost entirely African American, and to a person, we need to spend our money here. On the east side of my district, which is entirely Caucasian, and I asked this crowd of 30: Does anybody want me to go to Washington and vote for more funds for Afghanistan? Not one. This war is lost. Bring our troops home. Save our money.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ron Gettelfinger for his leadership at the United Auto Workers, UAW, and to congratulate him on his retirement after a lifelong dedication to the auto industry. He is a former chassis line repairman at a Ford factory in Indiana and a former director of UAW Region 3 which represents Indiana and Kentucky. A member of the UAW Local 862 since 1964, Mr. Gettelfinger was the right man to lead the UAW during the worst economic downturn in recent years for the automobile industry and our country. He is proof that optimism and dedication during tough times can yield positive results. Ron Gettelfinger was first elected president of the UAW at the 33rd Constitutional Convention in 2002 and re-elected to a second term in 2006. During the economic downturn of 2006 and 2007, he had to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions to ultimately save America's Big Three auto companies. He reached agreements to provide buyouts and other retirement incentives for tens of thousands of workers, forfeited holiday pay and bonuses, and applied overtime pay only to work weeks exceeding 40 hours as opposed to work days exceeding 8 hours. In a continued effort to save the auto industry and foreseeing the effect of globalization on manufacturing wages, Mr. Gettelfinger agreed to job layoffs and contract concessions that would make it easier for the Big Three to secure the help they needed. In 2008 and 2009, he made the tough decision to end lifetime job guarantees, traditional pension plans and carefree retiree health insurance plans. He also agreed to end the UAW's job bank program which allowed laid-off workers to continue collecting almost full pay--a program that was often seen as paying workers for not working. As a result of these and other measures taken to address the effects on wages, a study by the Center for Automotive Research concluded that the Detroit Three will achieve ``labor cost superiority'' by 2015 and will hire thousands of new workers. Ron Gettelfinger worked tirelessly on behalf of automobile manufacturing workers and felt a sense of responsibility to them and the country as a whole. He advocated for incentives to manufacture energy-saving advanced technology vehicles and their key components in the United States. He fought for fair trade agreements that included provisions for workers' rights and environmental protections. He was also critical of ``race to the bottom'' practices whereby corporations sought to maximize profits by paying the lowest wages possible. Mr. Gettelfinger was a supporter of accessible and affordable health care for every man, woman, and child here in America. In order to save the financial books of GM and Chrysler and still provide pensioners' health care coverage, UAW assumed the health care cost through a trust known as Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Associations, VEBA. While in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, Ron Gettelfinger spoke at the conservative Economic Club of Memphis in early 2009. He was introduced by his cousin, Mr. Tom Gettelfinger--a practicing ophthalmologist in Memphis. Ron Gettelfinger acknowledged the important role shared by the auto industry and Tennessee, which ranks 9th in the United States in terms of auto industry employment with an annual $2.8 billion payroll. While in the lion's den, Mr. Gettelfinger spoke on U.S. banks and investment firms as the foundation of the global system and the disarray they were in. He spoke on the need for the government to jump-start the economy and to address the thousands of Americans loosing their jobs and their homes to foreclosures. Mr. Gettelfinger told attendees that President Obama and Congress did the right thing by passing the economic stimulus package and that the plan would put money back into the hands of the American people and would energize the lagging economy. We are seeing all of these things come to fruition today. Ron Gettelfinger pulled our automobile manufacturing industry from the brink of devastation and saved hundreds of thousands of jobs. By saving the Detroit Three, Mr. Gettelfinger played a pivotal role in keeping the American economy away from total disaster. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me today in wishing Ron Gettelfinger the best and congratulating him on his retirement from the United Auto Workers.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize June 19, 2010 as the 145th anniversary of the observance of Juneteenth in the United States and the 17th celebration in Memphis, Tennessee. While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in September 1862, it was not until June 19, 1865 that Union Soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom to the last slaves in the far corners of the South in Galveston, Texas. To commemorate this day in our history and the political contributions of many African-Americans to our nation, the Memphis Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival has chosen the theme, ``A Tribute to African- Americans in Politics from Reconstruction to Present.'' Hiram R. Revels of Mississippi, the first African-American to serve by appointment in the U.S. Senate in 1870 and Joseph Hayne Rainey of South Carolina, the first African-American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1871, made tremendous political strides by paving the way for other African-Americans. Jefferson Long, although the shortest serving African-American in the U.S. House of Representatives, was the first to speak on the floor in 1870. Blanche Bruce of Mississippi was the first African American and only former slave to preside over the U.S. Senate in 1979 and William Dawson of Illinois was the first to chair a standing Congressional committee in 1949. Shirley Chisholm of New York was the first African-American woman elected to Congress in 1968. From my home of Memphis, Harold Ford, Sr. was the first African-American from Tennessee to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. His son, Harold Ford, Jr., was the first African- American Member to succeed his father. Today, we all have our first African-American President, Barack Obama. From Reconstruction to the Sanitation Workers Union Strike in 1968, Memphis has been at the center of the movement for racial equality. Memphis is home to many prominent political figures including Robert R. Church, Jr., a political leader and founder of the first Tennessee chapter of the NAACP in 1917, and in 1964, A. W. Willis became the first African- American elected to the Tennessee General Assembly after Reconstruction. Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks, former Executive Director/CEO of the NAACP and Dr. Vasco Smith, the first African-American elected to the Shelby County Commission and influential in the founding of The MED, both resided in Memphis until their recent deaths. Former Tennessee State Senator and civil rights judge Russell Sugarmon currently resides in Memphis and is still politically active. I am privileged to have worked alongside these men and to call them friends. Since 1865, communities have gathered to celebrate Juneteenth through readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing of spirituals, and large gatherings of family and friends. For the past 17 years in Memphis, Juneteenth has been held in the historic Douglass Community, named after Frederick Douglass. The land on which the community sits was once owned by Reverend William Rush-Plummer, the son of a slave from Africa and a slave owner. Madam Speaker, it is in the spirit of these great men and women and countless others that I ask my colleagues to join me in observing our nation's 145th anniversary of Juneteenth and the celebrations in Memphis. This is a time to reflect upon the end of slavery in America and to recognize the many contributions from African-Americans. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, the Emancipation Proclamation ``came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.''

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ballet Memphis for their invitation to perform as part of ``Ballet Across America II'' at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on June 17 and 19, 2010. This will be Ballet Memphis' debut performance at the Kennedy Center and it will be the first Tennessee dance company to perform on the main stage. Ballet Memphis joins eight notable dance companies from around our nation to take part in the second installment of this week-long production. Dorothy Gunther Pugh founded Ballet Memphis in 1986 as Memphis Concert Ballet and currently serves as Artistic Director. Ballet Memphis began as a company with two professional dancers and an operating budget of $75,000. Now in its 23rd season, it employs 16 dancers, trains 700 students, tours local schools and has an operating budget of $3.3 million. The company performs at various venues in Memphis including the Orpheum Theatre, the newly renovated Playhouse on the Square and their own award-winning studio in East Memphis. Ballet Memphis has had the distinct honor of performing at various festivals around the world. They have performed as part of the Inside/ Out Series at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Massachusetts, Spring to Dance in St. Louis and the Joyce Theater in New York. Ballet Memphis has performed in productions in Paris and Quebec as well. Recognized by the Ford Foundation as a ``national treasure,'' the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Ballet Memphis a grant to explore opportunities for redefining midsize ballet companies in the nation. Ballet Memphis' performance this week at The Kennedy Center will bring nationwide attention to dance companies of similar size and talent. Ballet Memphis will take to the Kennedy Center main stage performing their 2007 original piece ``In Dreams'' choreographed by Trey McIntyre and set to music recorded at Memphis' Sun Studio by Roy Orbison. Mrs. Pugh's choreographers reflect the musical and literary history of Memphis and merge both rock-and-roll and soul music to bring to the forefront the importance of all humanity living together. Mrs. Pugh stated ``this is a really good piece for us to perform because it sets us apart in terms of the different ways we create work to reflect the community.'' Through their commitment to hard work and outstanding performances, Ballet Memphis has built a distinguished name of which they can be justly proud. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating Ballet Memphis for their many accomplishments and for being invited to perform in ``Ballet Across America II.''

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dangers of America's continued dependence on harmful fossil fuels and the urgent need to usher in a new era of clean, green energy. In his 2006 State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush poignantly noted that ``America is addicted to oil,'' an extremely destructive habit that continues to threaten our environment, national security, health, and economy. In light of the ongoing catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, it is imperative that we recognize the dangers of our oil addiction and strive to actively break away from this costly and destructive dependence. Burning almost 20 million barrels of oil a day, the United States, which possesses a mere 2.2 percent of the world's oil reserves, consumes more than one quarter of the world's oil supply. This unrivaled compulsion to consume an increasingly limited oil supply has made the United States dependent on importing oil from foreign nations and producing environmentally destructive fuel sources. Most recently, our country has witnessed the growth of the Canadian tar sands industry. Tar sands are a combination of clay, sand, and bitumen that are found in great quantities under the boreal forest of Alberta. Through the use of large mining operations as well as extremely inefficient underground heating and production methods, companies are able to transform tar sands into a form of heavy oil that travels via pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico to be further refined for use in transportation fuels. The destructive effects of exploiting tar sands and building pipelines are varied and far reaching. These projects provide the United States a highly polluting fuel that when burned emits two to three times more carbon than the dirtiest fuels we use today. Widespread usage of tar sands will further ensure our dependence on fossils fuels that will pollute and contaminate our air and water. Furthermore, permitting tar sands mining and pipelines will significantly detract from the necessary drive to develop cleaner and more efficient fuel sources--sources that will not weaken our economy, threaten our national security, or harm the environment. Should tar sands pipelines be built, thousands of miles of land will be irrevocably scarred and poisoned. The pipelines required to transport the oil cut through sensitive ecosystems, cross rivers, and invade ranches and farms, which threaten water supplies, displace and endanger local wildlife, and put farmland out of production. Such pipelines also lead to a near inevitability of spills and leaks, the economic and environmental repercussions of which would be tremendous. In addition to the risks that arise from pipeline construction, the tar sands mining and production facilities will irreversibly devastate the environment. By creating a demand for tar sands, the Canadian Government will be encouraged to continue removing the boreal forest, destroying the natural habitats of countless animals and polluting both the air and water. Moreover, the growth in tar sands production facilities will necessitate the increased use of United States refiners which create far more air and water pollution in their surrounding communities. The construction of these pipelines should be immediately canceled, effectively taking a stand against the proliferation of this dirty fuel. Congress should also pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation that will hold the oil companies and similar corporations accountable for their pollution. Instead of building pipelines, we need to invest in American ingenuity and create a clean, green American energy economy. We must do everything in our power to end this oil addiction, and endorsing tar sands pipelines is a step in the wrong direction. Such a project would only continue to fuel the fires of our dependency. Now more than ever, we must take a stand.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Jack Wallace, an outstanding man who improved the lives of countless individuals while working tirelessly to make Memphis a better and safer place. Born in 1928, Mr. Wallace spent 24 years serving in the Memphis Police Department before his retirement in 1976. Jack Wallace was one of the most outstanding people to have served the Memphis community. I was privileged to serve as Police Legal Advisor for the Memphis Police Department in the seventies, where Jack served as my mentor. He was the person I looked up to, learned from, and got advice from. The policemen all respected Jack because he was a policeman's policeman; he was a man's man. He was strong; he was smart; he was a natural leader. Despite never attending college, Mr. Wallace attended the Southern College of Law, where he was consistently at the top of his class. His colleagues and classmates recalled how much they grew to respect and revere him. As a policeman, Jack analyzed issues like a lawyer, cutting through all the issues in order to get to the heart of each matter. Though he never served as the official director of police, Mr. Wallace served as interim director under Mayor Henry Loeb. Jack Wallace was the perfect fit for the job. At the time, there was no one in the police department with more intelligence, more common sense, respect, leadership abilities and a better sense of judgment and values. During his time with the Memphis Police Department Mr. Wallace faced some of the toughest issues confronting the city. He was an integral part of ensuring the safety and continued success of the city in a period of potential turmoil. After the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it was Jack who maintained order in the community after violence broke out, commanding the night tactical units. Wallace was also responsible for peacefully ending a 12-hour hostage situation, a heroic incident in which he walked into a held-up house, unarmed, and rescued six children. Jack Wallace was twice named one of the top 10 police officers in the country by Parade Magazine. In addition to remembering Mr. Wallace for his leadership and bravery as a Memphis police officer, I will always remember and appreciate the times we were able to spend on the Ridgeway golf course in Memphis with friends. As a golfer, he had the ability to charm everyone on the course. Years after we played golf, mutual friends would ask ``Where's Jack Wallace?'' He had that memorable personality and they simply loved playing with him. His wife, Shirley Wallace, reported that the day before his death, he played 27 holes of golf. Jack Wallace passed away on Saturday, June 12 of heart failure in Brownsville, Tennessee at the age of 82. Mr. Wallace was a man of exceptional integrity and moral character. His was a life well lived, and I honor him today as a public servant, a leader, a mentor, and a friend. The city of Memphis is a better place because of Jack Wallace. He is survived by his wife Shirley, his son Lee Wallace of Kansas City, MO, two daughters, Diane Swan of Collierville, TN and Amy Todd of Jackson, TN, a brother, Bill Wallace of Memphis and seven grandchildren.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. I want to thank Mr. Sensenbrenner for bringing this important resolution honoring the Department of Justice, and I should have earlier thanked Mr. Smith and Mr. Sensenbrenner each for their work on the NAACP resolution. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1422 recognizes the 140th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Justice. Since 1870, the Department has been tasked with enforcing our laws, providing Federal leadership in securing the public safety, and ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. The Department has long been served with distinction and courage by attorneys, investigators, and prosecutors at Main Justice and in the field. Its divisions and components do important work for the American people in criminal law, civil litigation, environmental law, antitrust law, tax law, and administration of justice-related grants. We especially appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of the law enforcement officers serving in components such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Marshals office. I would like to highlight three important points today as we commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Department. First, the Department has played an integral part in promoting justice for all Americans. Since its creation, the Department has handled the legal business of the United States, with control over all criminal prosecutions and civil suits in which the United States has an interest. Through the Civil Rights Division, the Department enforces Federal law, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status, and national origin. Following the landmark Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s, the Department of Justice used its newfound authority to initiate desegregation of school districts across this Nation. And through its enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Department helped curtail the injustice of African American voters being prevented from exercising what is an American right, the right to vote. The Justice Department also continues to vigorously enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act, to ensure that people living with disabilities are not discriminated against in employment, by public entities and transportation, or in public accommodations. The great strides we have made in securing rights for all Americans to attain an education, access the voting booth, and secure jobs and housing, regardless of race, gender, or national origin, are in no small part due to the thanks of the Department of Justice. Second, the Department has played an important role in protecting Americans from acts of terrorism, whether foreign or domestic. Since the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in 1993 and at the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 and the attacks on September 11, it's been the Department's highest priority to prosecute and bring to justice perpetrators of terrorism. However, it is important that, in its effort to combat terrorism, the Department is equally vigilant in upholding justice and in observing the constitutional rights of Americans that it is responsible for enforcing. This means a commitment to due process and transparency, even in the most difficult situations. It also means Congress must be steadfast in its commitment to consistent and thorough oversight. Third, the Department has taken on an increasingly active role in helping to secure public safety in its 140-year history. Notably, the Department's efforts to support community-based programs have seen dramatic success. For example, the Office of Violence Against Women is charged with providing national leadership in reducing domestic violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act. Through 19 Violence Against Women Act grant programs, the Department is helping to develop the Nation's capacity to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, strengthening services to victims and holding offenders accountable, most important work in preserving the integrity of women and our commitment to individual freedoms. In fiscal year 2009, the Office of Violence Against Women made nearly 1,100 awards. These grants have helped enable communities to develop coordinated responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking--no trivial matters, Mr. Speaker. The grants have helped communities bring together dedicated individuals and advocates from diverse backgrounds to share information and to use their distinct roles to improve community responses to violence against women. In addition, the Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, also known as the COPS Office, has promoted public safety through local investments, where police are involved in the community and show that policemen are the friends, and get a hold in the community to bring about public safety. The COPS program promotes this community policing by funding efforts by State and local authorities intended to put law enforcement professionals where they are most needed--on the streets. That way they can build mutually beneficial relationships with the people they serve, have a rapport that's necessary. In closing, I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. James Sensenbrenner, for introducing this resolution. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. I couldn't let this resolution go by without remembering former U.S. Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, one of my heroes, who headed the Department of Justice. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. I ask unanimous consent all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1422) honoring the Department of Justice on the occasion of its 140th anniversary.

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

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 242 honors one of our Nation's oldest and most esteemed civil rights organizations, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, known as the NAACP, also known as the conscience of the United States Congress. This year, the NAACP celebrates its 101st anniversary, and its ongoing efforts to promote justice and equality for all Americans; not just Americans of color, but all Americans. I salute the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) the sponsor of this resolution, and the former president of the Houston branch of the NAACP, for his continued commitment to recognizing the NAACP for its historical and contemporary civil rights contributions. As we celebrate the Nation's preeminent civil rights organization on its 101st anniversary, I would like to reflect on a few bits of history concerning the NAACP. First, I would like to acknowledge its history which began February 12, 1909, when the organization was formed by Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, and William English Walling, a biracial group that consisted of Christians and Jews. It is a history that includes some of the most significant moments in our Nation's great story where we come to a more perfect union, like the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the landmark Supreme Court case that ended the separate but equal fallacies that our government and laws labored under, and chief counsel was Thurgood Marshall, later one of the great justices of our Supreme Court. The NAACP's contributions also have included support for and rallying and lobbying for the 1957, 1960, and 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1968 Fair Housing Act where Clarence Mitchell led the way with the NAACP. And of course the court case that the NAACP was involved in, Loving v. Virginia, which turned over the miscegenation laws in this country in 1967, an aberrant set of laws that are precursors to other laws that still are in debate in this Nation today. But the fight didn't end there; which brings me to my second point. Today, we are reminded of the NAACP's mission, to ensure equality of rights of all persons, and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. It is as important and relevant as it was decades ago. Just this year, a hate crimes law was passed that ensured that there was not discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other distinguishing characteristics, and the NAACP was there in great support. The NAACP is engaged in battles on multiple fronts on its 101st anniversary. Its dedicated team is leading the charge in addressing issues that disproportionately impact communities of color. The NAACP advocates for equality in education, influences the debate on environmental justice, works to end disparities in the criminal justice system, racial profiling and other types of injustices. In addition, the NAACP is working to prevent families from losing their piece of the American dream during this housing crisis, by working with financial institutions to change the mortgage lending practices that helped bring on this crisis. They are party to a lawsuit against Wells Fargo in Baltimore County, Maryland, and also in Memphis, Tennessee. Improving fair credit access, supporting sustainable home ownership, and promoting financial literacy for disadvantaged communities are among their other great priorities. The NAACP was supportive of the resolution that the 110th Congress passed, for the first time in our Nation's history apologizing for slavery and Jim Crow laws, and to make clear that the vestiges of Jim Crow and slavery would be affected by the future Congresses. Today's commemoration of the NAACP's 101st anniversary occurs as the organization prepares for its convention, ``One Nation, One Dream,'' in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 10-15. At that time, hundreds of NAACP members and leaders will consider bold and innovative approaches to tackling the challenges we face in the 21st century. Among those leaders will be President Benjamin Todd Jealous, present Chairwoman Roslyn Brock, former Chairman Julian Bond, Washington Bureau Director Hilary Shelton, and Detroit Branch President Wendell Anthony, who have exhibited fearless dedication to build on the NAACP's great legacy. This legacy includes many great heroes, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of whom a bust is in our Capitol Rotunda; Coretta Scott King, his widow; Rosa Parks; Medgar Evers; Benjamin Hooks; and many others. I must mention some great leaders from my hometown of Memphis: Vasoc and Maxine Smith; Jesse Turner, Sr.; Jesse Turner; Jr.; Russell Sugarman; A.W. Willis; Johnny Turner; and others. Their unwavering commitment to protect and promote civil rights for all Americans is a proud tradition that the NAACP continues today. I am a life member of the NAACP, and proud of it. I encourage others to support the NAACP in their efforts to make the American dream true for all. I congratulate the NAACP on its 101st milestone, and I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

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 include extraneous material.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work of Congressman Green from Houston. And when I look at him and I look at Mr. Smith, I think about my weekend trip this past weekend. I went to Austin, Texas. And when I was in Austin, I was at the Barbara Jordan Airport, and in the baggage area on the ground floor, there is a statue of Barbara Jordan in her regal splendor. And what a great member of the NAACP she was, and what a great American. Ms. Watson requests some time. I would be pleased if she would contribute. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green), the sponsor of this resolution and the former president of the Houston branch of the NAACP.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 242) honoring and praising the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its 101st anniversary.

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

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, back in February, when Washington was slammed with record-breaking snowstorms, many of my Republican colleagues stood on this very floor and made scientific conclusions that there was not climate change. Many Republicans seemed to suggest Vice President Gore come back and build an igloo on the White House. Well, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released information that says we had the warmest January to April ever, the warmest January to April ever since they started collecting data in 1880. And what do we get from our Republican colleagues? More drilling, more drilling. Not safeguards, but more drilling. They go out and hold a press conference and ask for more offshore drilling. Rather than that, they should call for more solar investment, rebates for Americans to have solar technology, and get us away from fossil fuels that are ruining the gulf and causing the greatest disaster we have known in the Gulf of Mexico and ecological disaster we have known on this Earth. While it's unclear what caused this tragic spill, what we can do to prevent future catastrophes is clear: We need to get away from fossil fuels. But Republicans are only interested in lining the pockets of oil companies and making sure that they have the opportunity to drill, drill, drill; spill, spill, spill. We need to stop it, and we need to get a policy that works.