Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) manage the time on our side for this bill.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for his indulgence, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Napolitano).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5204 and commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) for her sponsorship of this legislation. I represent a congressional district that has five medical schools and 28 hospitals, including Children's Memorial in Chicago, which is one of the best in the Nation. This legislation is going to be very helpful to several of these institutions. I simply rise in strong support of this legislation, urge passage, and commend again the leadership of this subcommittee for its tremendous activity related to health care and the health care needs of people in these United States of America.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I simply rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 500, honoring the goals and ideals of National Nurse Practitioners Week. I also want to commend the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Bilirakis), chairman of the subcommittee, and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), ranking member, for the tremendous work that they do on health and health-related issues. A great deal of my personal health care is provided by a nurse practitioner, and I simply commend her and all of the other nurse practitioners throughout the country who make up an integral part of our health care delivery system. And I would urge agreement to this concurrent resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama for giving us the opportunity to honor the memories of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. These four girls were killed over 40 years ago in the firebombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. I would also like to commend the efforts of the Alabama Attorney General's Office for its role in prosecuting the perpetrators of this evil and cowardly act of terror. The Sixteenth Street Church, a rallying point for the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, was firebombed. Let us honor the memory of these girls by ensuring their sacrifice was not in vain. Let us work to bring about Martin Luther King's color-blind America. Let us not forget that although we have come a long way, there is still much further to go. Since this incident, which occurred in the lifetime of most of my colleagues in the House, our country has changed profoundly. Black parents can thankfully now send their children to church knowing that the chances of them being murdered by segregationists is not that great. Sadly, they cannot send their children to school confident in the belief that they will be educated or safe. Instead, many of them must fear they will fall prey to the drugs and violence that plague our inner city schools and inner city communities. They may fear they will fall prey to poverty, as 4 million additional families did last year. Or that they, like 45 million Americans, will not have access to health care. I hope that these problems can be addressed as rapidly as earlier problems were during the Civil Rights movement. So, Mr. Speaker, this day gives us the opportunity to celebrate lives that were lost, but also to ensure and make sure that those lives were not in vain.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I must confess that I am not surprised that the Vice President did not know that he knew Senator Edwards, because it seems to me that there are a lot of things that they know but do not say. They did not know that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but we went to war anyway. They did not know that trickle-down would not solve the Nation's economic problems. They promote it anyway. They did not know that senior citizens need a real prescription drug program, but they sham it anyway. They may not know that the American people are ready for change, but they are, and we shall see in a little bit.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to promote greater civic awareness among all people of the United States. This issue is particularly important at a time when voter participation has been decreasing. The Census Bureau found that only 46% of eligible voters participated in the 2002 elections. This is not acceptable. Full participation in the electoral process by all Americans is truly a bipartisan concern. We are a society that values democracy. One of the most basic of all rights in a free and democratic society is the right to participate. Exercising the right to vote makes us productive members of society and contributes to the substance of our laws and character. The fact of the matter is clear; the right to vote is the most basic constitutional act of citizenship. As a society, we must take steps to raise civic awareness and to develop strategies to promote civic responsibility. Too many people have shed blood and died for us to have this right. While promoting civic awareness, we must also ensure that there are no barriers to the process. In 2000, a number of people went to the polls, but their votes were not counted due to faulty equipment and human error. This must never happen in the world's greatest democracy. Again, I rise in support of this legislation because it represents progress in addressing voter complacency.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one of the original cosponsors of H. Res. 805. According to the second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children released in October of 2002, it is estimated that there is approximately 800,000 children reported missing each year, which is more than 2,000 children each day. This legislation, in a way, honors the individuals and organizations who work so hard to reach out to our young people that are in some of the most desperate situations. As we can all imagine, the situation on the streets for these young people is desperate and incredibly rough. Half of the HIV cases in the United States are in the youth population--homeless and runaway youth are two to ten times higher than non-homeless teens to have HIV and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 94% of homeless youth are sexual active. We unfortunately can not make street life disappear or even reach a level of utopia--but we can ensure that there are services available to help with the daily street life, whether it is trying to find a bed, a warm meal or some safe, genuine companionship. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and again commend the individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping the lives of young people in need.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as the Republic of China (Taiwan) gets ready to celebrate its National Day this October 10, I join my colleagues in sending my best wishes and congratulations to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian and the Taiwanese people on this happy occasion. In recent years Taiwan has continued to press forward with democratic reforms and economic development. We wish Taiwan continued success as a democracy and economic power and an early return to the World Health Organization. The United States maintains a strong relationship with Taiwan. We appreciate Taiwan's continuing commitment to combating global terrorism and we are committed to help Taiwan find peaceful solutions to any and all external challenges it may face. I am sure that this strong relationship with Taiwan will grow and flourish in the years to come. I commend President Chen Shui-bian for his commitment to a policy of mutual respect and dialog with China. I share his view that such a stance is the only reliable foundation for long-term peace and stability for the people and later generations on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We all hope that peace and stability will forever prevail in the Taiwan Strait. Greetings and congratulations, President Chen, to the people of Taiwan on your National Day.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5186, but I also know that much more needs to be done. I agree with all of those who suggest and predict that there is a tremendous need to provide loan forgiveness for math, science and special education teachers. But there is also a tremendous need to recruit teachers for disadvantaged communities where it is very difficult to get specialized teachers to come. There is also a tremendous need to recruit male teachers for early childhood in elementary education. Many, many school boys do not see a male teacher until they reach eighth grade. So many of them grow up with the idea that education is not for them; that it is a girl-female thing. So I support this legislation, but, of course, it falls short of the mark, and I look forward to the day when we will have a real loan forgiveness program that provides us with the teachers we need for America's children.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in support of H.R. 4829, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 East Kleberg in Kingsville, Texas, as the Irma Rangel Post Office Building. Irma Rangel was an outstanding civic, community and political leader who became an institution in her community, and I commend the gentleman from Texas for seeking to honor her in this manner. I would urge passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa)

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) from the Albany area of Georgia.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), who brings us to this point.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a milestone in the extraordinary life of one of America's distinguished statesmen, former President Jimmy Carter, who celebrated his 80th birthday last Friday, October 1. In the aftermath of Watergate, America yearned for a leader with honesty and integrity to lead our country. We found that man in Jimmy Carter, a farmer from Georgia with dreams of a better day for America, and we elected him as our 39th President. As President, Jimmy Carter achieved great distinction for his mediation of the Camp David Accords, a historic alliance between Israel and Egypt. President Carter succeeded in obtaining ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, established full diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and completed the negotiation of the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union. Perhaps what many find most admirable about Jimmy Carter is his 24 years of continued service as one of the world's great humanitarians. In 1982, Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan center that is dedicated to the promotion of democracy, human rights, and conflict resolution throughout the world. The center's work has been extraordinary. The Carter Center has fought to eradicate Guinea worm disease, to ease tensions in Haiti, and to help free political prisoners throughout the world. Through these achievements, Jimmy Carter has earned the respect of this Nation as one of the most active humane and generous former Presidents in American history. In 2002, Jimmy Carter's achievements as a Middle East diplomat and as the driving force behind the Carter Center earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Jimmy Carter ``for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.'' Now 80, the steadfast and courageous advocate for peace and justice continues to represent the very best of American values. I am honored and pleased to thank Jimmy Carter for his selfless work and to wish him a happy birthday. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), one of the other proud sons of Texas.