Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson). (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in October 1998, this body passed a bill to establish a commemoration of the centennial of powered flight and the achievements of the Wright brothers. The commemoration activities set forth in that bill will come to fruition this year with the Festival of Flight. The Festival of Flight will consist of four events that will be held nationwide to celebrate Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flight. Wilbur and Orville Wright manned the first successful controlled and sustained powered flight. The Wright brothers, originally bicycle store owners from Dayton, Ohio, moved to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for the hills, strong and steady winds, and the soft-sanded ground--ingredients for successful flight. They went back to Dayton and build a six-foot wind tunnel to conduct experiments with over 200 different wing models. They developed the first reliable tables on the effects of air pressure on curved surfaces, the principles that we use today and that you see on every airplane. In 1903, the Wright brothers completed the construction of a larger plan powered by their own lightweight gas-powered engine and returned to Kitty Hawk. On December 17, 1903, four men and a boy witnessed the first flight--a flight which dramatically changed the course of transportation, commerce, communication, and warfare throughout the world. I hope that the Festival of Flight will educate Americans to the achievements of the Wright brothers and their contributions to the development of this nation. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I had planned to talk about health care as a result of the Congressional Black Caucus' chairman, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), coming to Chicago on Sunday to participate in a forum dealing with health care issues that is going to be held at the Illinois Institute of Technology. But listening to much of the discussion this evening as special order speeches have been made talking about tax cuts and tax breaks and which groups got them and which groups did not, I could not help but be reminded of the fact that President Bush has been in office now for about 2 years after being selected by the Supreme Court, and has actually presided over one of the worst downturns in our Nation's history. We have lost 2.7 million jobs, as many as 500,000 in the last 2 months alone. The only answers that I have heard the Republicans give is, tax cuts, tax cuts, and more tax cuts as we have gone from a surplus to a $350 billion deficit, the largest deficit in the history of this country. As I listen to all of the information about tax cuts and the inability to give certain groups a break, the top 1 percent of the tax cuts that we have made will receive on an average of $24,100 in 2003, this year. Those with incomes of more than $1 million will receive an average of $93,500. I hear people talk about what will happen for small businesses, and 52 percent of small business owners will only get between zero and $500. Seventy-nine percent of the benefits will go to individuals who have incomes of over $100,000. Twenty-nine percent of the population will go or 29 percent of the breaks will go to individuals who make more than $1 million. More than two-thirds of the tax cuts will go to the top 10 percent of the population, and over 50 percent of the tax cuts will go to the top 5 percent of the population. The bottom 60 percent of the taxpayers will only get 8.6 percent, averaging less than $100 a year for the next 4 years. The average reduction for the richest 1 percent will be $103,899 for 4 years. Thirty-nine percent will go to this tiny group. The best off 1 percent of the population will get 52 percent of the benefit. I am not one that always pays a great deal of attention, but oftentimes I do read them, to what newspapers have to say about these proposals and what we are doing. But as we talk about the need to stimulate the economy, I was reading the New York Times on May 9, and they indicated or they stated, they said, that lower-income families, of course, would be the quickest to spend the money to help provide some of the stimulus the Republicans claim is their first priority. Instead, the GOP remains fixated on high-income concerns. Framing the reconciliation talks is more than an exercise in dueling sugar plums. So I guess, concerning this whole business of who gets what, a friend of mine told me the other day that there was a quote that said the history of the world, my friend, is relationships between where the money goes, and that after everything else is talked about, look and see where the money goes. It seems to me that as we have dealt with the tax cut issue, most of the money continues to go to the wealthy. Most of the money continues to go to those who have the most. At any rate, our health situation is still in bad shape. I am going to spend the rest of my time talking a little bit about that. Our health care system is unacceptable for the world's most powerful and wealthy country. I would say that the state of health care in this country is one of the top critical issues facing the Nation. I do not believe that it can be cured by putting too much of our resources in one population group. Even as we come to an end of the war against Iraq, there will still be and still are individuals in need of health care. It is true that the state of education, the state of unemployment, and the state of housing are all in dire need of improvement, as well; but they all connect to the need to have a solid, concrete health care system that serves all people. The state of one's health sets the precedent for everything else in our lives. If we are not in good health, we cannot perform our jobs well or do well in school. If we are not in good health and do not have insurance, we end up with an exorbitant amount of debt that will be virtually impossible for anyone to pay off, if we have been sick. The numbers are absolutely startling. There are approximately 60 million people without health insurance at some point during the year in this country. Many people believe that it is only the unemployed or individuals with low incomes that cannot afford health insurance. However, nearly 80 percent of the uninsured are individuals from working families who cannot afford health insurance or cannot access employer-provided health insurance plans. More than one out of every five families making $75,000 a year or more has at least one member without health insurance. In Chicago, those making between $25,000 and $75,000 or 34 percent have at least one family member without health insurance, as do 41 percent of families making up to $25,000. In Illinois, almost 10 percent of those with at least a bachelor's degree and 20 percent of full time workers are uninsured. America needs to realize that the face of the uninsured has changed. The level of education or salary will not automatically guarantee an individual insurance anymore. The health crisis is not only due to the number of uninsured in our Nation. There are millions more than the estimated 60 million uninsured at some point that have less comprehensive insurance than what they actually need, and, therefore, are under-insured. They are the families working for small firms or family-owned businesses that are being hit the hardest by the current state of the economy, forcing the employers to cut back and have the employee pay higher premiums. There are senior citizens on Medicare that are being denied care by physicians who can no longer afford to care for them. These are the components of a failing health care system. With State and the Federal Government slashing Medicaid, the safety net we once depended on is instead not a net at all. Currently in Congress there are numerous resolutions that would help mend our Nation's health care crisis as a whole. The proposed solutions range from a refundable tax credit, to purchasing private insurance, to Congress enacting health care for every American, to amending the United States Constitution. There are also resolutions to help to resolve a single issue plaguing the health system, whether it is the cost of prescription drugs, the reimbursement amounts for a mammogram under Medicare, or a new formula for FMAP. Although minor changes in health care may be easier for a Member to get passed, it allows many Americans to remain stuck, still unable to afford expensive health insurance. I believe that Congress must act sooner rather than later and reform our health care system as a whole. One of my American Medical Student Associate fellows, Amanda Muellenberg, once explained the problem of fixing Medicare piece by piece with an old Dutch story. She said there was once a young boy walking down the road and realized that the town's dike had a hole in it. To save the town, the young boy put his thumb in the hole to stop the leaking. Soon another crack and a hole appeared and then another and another. It was not long until the young boy ran out of fingers to clog the holes, and still with all his efforts, he could not stop the dike from leaking. Instead of clogging each new hole in our health care system, we need to rebuild it. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that uninsured Americans cost Federal, State, and local governments about $35 billion in 2001. Much of that money went to treating individuals who had become seriously ill due to a lack of medical attention. I believe this amount that is spent on helping the uninsured ill could be better used to give screenings and preventative care, leaving less of a financial burden on taxpayers and hospitals for admissions. President Bush made the commitment to America to leave no child behind in education. Instead, we need to ensure that no American is left behind in preventative care, access to medical treatment, and affordable insurance. The way to accomplish this and the only real way is through enactment of a national health plan, where everyone is in and nobody is out. And as much of a problem that we have across the board with health care and health insurance, when it comes to some population groups, especially when it comes to minorities, nowhere are the divisions of race, ethnicity, and culture more sharply drawn than in the health of the people in the United States. Despite recent progress in overall national health, there are continuing disparities in the incidents of illness and death among African-Americans, Latino/Hispanic-Americans, Native Americans, Asian- Americans, Alaskan Natives and Pacific Islanders as compared with the U.S. population as a whole. We can point to 6 areas in particular: One, cancer; two, cardiovascular disease; three, infant mortality; four, diabetes; five, HIV/AIDS; and six, child and adult immunizations, aggressively. Cancer, for example, research shows in general that people of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage are less likely to get regular medical check-ups, receive immunizations, and be routinely tested for cancer when compared with the majority of the U.S. population. Cancer deaths are disproportionately high among Latino/Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans. Vietnamese women are 5 times more likely to have cervical cancer and Chinese-Americans are 5 times more likely to have liver cancer. Cardiovascular disease. Disparities exist in the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke. Racial and ethnic groups have higher rates of hypertension, tend to develop hypertension at an earlier age, and are less likely to undergo treatment to control their high blood pressure. Mexican-American men and women have elevated blood pressure rates. Obesity continues to be higher for African-American and Mexican- American women. Only 50 percent of Native American, 44 percent of Asian-Americans, and 38 percent of Mexican-Americans have had their cholesterol checked within the past 2 years. Coronary heart disease mortality is higher for African-Americans. Stroke is the only leading cause of death for which mortality is higher for Asian-American males. We look at infant mortality, current studies document that despite advances, African-American and Native American babies still die at a rate that is 2 to 3 times higher than the rate for white Americans. Infant mortality is really a measure that health professionals use to measure quality of life. If infant mortality is high, it usually means that the quality of life is low. If infant mortality is low, it usually means that the quality of life is high. Statistics revealed that among Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, the incidents of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS, is more than 3 to 4 times the rate for white American babies. And while the overall infant mortality rate has declined, the gap between black and white infant mortality rates has widened. Diabetes, studies indicate that diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 16 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. African Americans are 1.7 times more likely. Latino Hispanic Americans are 2.0 times more likely. The Alaskan natives and Native Americans are 2.8 times more likely to have diabetes than whites. The Pima tribe of Arizona has the highest known prevalence of diabetes of any population in the world. Native Americans and African Americans have higher rates of diabetes-related complications such as kidney disease and amputation as compared to the total population. HIV/AIDS, recent data from prevalence surveys and from HIV/AIDS cases surveillance continue to reflect the disproportionate impact of the epidemic on racially, ethnic and linguistically diverse population groups, especially women, youth and children. The African Americans and Hispanic Latino group accounted for 47 and 20 percent respectively of persons diagnosed with AIDS in 1997. Among African Americans, 56 percent of new HIV infection and AIDS cases are a result of intravenous drug usage. For Hispanic Latino groups, 20 percent of new HIV infections and AIDS cases results from intravenous drug use. Seventy-five percent of HIV/AIDS cases reported among women and children occur among diverse racial and ethnic groups. Six, child and adult immunizations. Statistics from the President's Initiative on Race reveal that for the most critical childhood vaccines, vaccination levels for preschool children of all racial and ethnic groups are about the same. However, immunization levels for racial and ethnic groups are lower. School age children and elder adults of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds continue to lag when compared to the overall vaccination rates for the U.S. general population. While 79 percent of white preschoolers are fully immunized by 2 years of age, only 74 percent of African American and 71 percent of Hispanic Latino children, including preschoolers and school age children, are fully vaccinated against childhood diseases. Annually, approximately 45,000 adults die of infections related to influenza, pneumonia infections and hepatitis B, despite the availability of preventive vaccine. Among the elderly, there is a disproportionate amount of vaccine preventable diseases in racial, ethnic and underserved populations. Although the reasons for these disturbing gaps are not well understood, it appears that disproportionate poverty, discrimination in the delivery of health services and the failure of health care organizations and programs to provide culturally competent health care to diverse racial, ethnic and cultural populations are all contributing factors. For people under 65, blacks and Hispanics have a higher percentage of being uninsured than whites; 12.7 percent of non-Hispanic whites are uninsured; 22.8 percent of blacks are uninsured; and 24 percent of Hispanics are uninsured. Minorities face greater difficulty in communicating with physicians. Hispanics are more than twice as likely as whites, 33 percent versus 16 percent, to cite one or more communication problems, such as understanding the doctor, not feeling the doctor listens to them or that they had questions for the doctor but did not get asked. Twenty- seven percent of Asian Americans and 23 percent of blacks cite that they also have communication problems. Minorities, of course, are more likely to be without a regular doctor. Hispanics are twice as likely to not have a regular doctor than whites, 41 percent versus 19 percent. Thirty-one percent of Asian Americans and 28 percent of blacks are without a regular doctor. Compared with the rates for whites, coronary heart disease mortality was 40 percent more for Asian Americans but 40 percent higher for blacks in 1995. Stroke is the leading cause of death for which mortality is higher for Asian American males than for white males. Racial and ethnic minorities have higher rates of hypertension, tend to develop hypertension at an earlier age, are less likely to undergo treatment to control their blood pressure. From 1988 to 1994, 35 percent of black males 20 to 74 had hypertension compared to 25 percent of all men. Among adult women, the age-adjusted prevalence of overweight continues to be higher for black women, 53 percent, and Mexican American women, 52 percent, than for white women. Only 50 percent of American Indians, native Alaskans, 44 percent of Asian Americans and 38 percent of Mexican Americans have had their cholesterol checked in the last 2 years. According to the 2001 Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, the prevalence of mental disorders is believed to be higher among African Americans than whites, and African Americans are less likely to be treated for mental problems such as depression or anxiety. Infant death rates among blacks, American Indians and Alaskan natives and Hispanics in 1995 and 1996 were all above the national average of 7.2 deaths to 1,000 births. The black infant death rate is 14.2 deaths per 1,000 births. This is nearly two-and-a-half times that of white infants, 6 deaths, 1,000 births. Puerto Ricans have a rate of 8.9 deaths, 1,000 births, and overall, American Indians have a rate of 9 deaths to 1,000 live births. HIV/AIDS is the sixth leading cause of death for African American males and the 10th leading cause of death for African American females. In 2000, 47 percent of all cases reported in the United States were among African Americans. The rate of new AIDS cases among African Americans was almost 10 times higher than among whites. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 544,000 deaths each year. For men and women combined, blacks have a cancer death rate about 35 percent higher than that for whites, 171.6 versus 127 per 100,000. The death rate for cancer for black men is about 50 percent higher than that for white men, 226.8 versus 151.8 per 100,000. The prostate cancer mortality rate for black men is more than twice of that of white men, 55.5 versus 23.8 per 100,000. The death rate for lung cancer is about 27 percent higher for blacks than for whites, 49.9 versus 39.3. Incident rates for lung cancer in black men is about 50 percent higher than in white men, 110.7 versus 72.6 per 100,000. Native Hawaiian men have also elevated rates of lung cancer compared with white men. Alaskan native men and women suffer disproportionately higher rates of cancer of the colon and rectum than do whites. Vietnamese women in the United States have a cervical cancer rate five times that of white women, 47.3 versus 8.7 per 100,000. Hispanic women also suffer elevated rates of cervical cancer. Black women have the highest death rate from cervical cancer. Stomach cancer mortality is substantially higher among Pacific Islanders, including Native Hawaiians, than other populations. We mention these numbers because America, our country tis of thee, has a goal to create equal justice, equal opportunity, equal service. The idea that out of many can be one, and one not just in concept but also one in reality. And to make real these ideas, there is obviously a need for special programs and special activities, in addition to changing the way we provide treatment in some instances. There is a need to increase the numbers of minorities in medical schools, in nursing schools, and to train more professionals. There is the need to put more ambulatory care programs in places where there are none. There is a need to increase accessibility. Of course we know that poverty plays a tremendous role. There is a need for more education, more assistance for individuals to take control of their own health. And that is why the Congressional Black Caucus has made health one of its top priority issues. That is why we are pleased that our chairman, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), will in fact be in Chicago on one of his stops as he and other members of the caucus go across the country trying to help raise the issue, trying to help people to understand what they can themselves do, and also continuing to suggest to America that we have to put our resources where our conversations are; that we have to make available quality comprehensive health care to all people in this great country without regard to their ability to pay. So, Mr. Speaker, as I come to the close of my special order, I want to thank you for your indulgence. I want to thank the American people for watching and listening. And I hope that we can indeed let America be America again, the land that never has been and yet must be. The America that we all continue to dream about. The America that we all continue to hope for. The America that can ultimately crown its good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. And the America that can have quality comprehensive health care for you and quality comprehensive health care for me.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my special order.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I have no doubt that they are going to come back. That is because there seems to be a feeling, or they have some notion, that somehow or another you can get something out of a turnip other than turnip juice. If you do not make the right kind of investments, put people to work and balance things in such a way that everybody can benefit rather than these policies where the rich just simply get richer, the poor get poorer and everybody else gets squeezed; and that seems to be the approach. I am not an expert on economics, but it is crazy to me. I mean, we look at all of the places where we need to make investments. Our infrastructure. If you do that, people are working. And if they are working, then things are being shaken up and can be moved about. If you are just waiting for something to happen from on high and say that there are these theoretical investments that we expect people to make and they may or may not make them, but you know that if people have needs and are able to take care of those, you do not have to wonder about that. You know that the guy with six children who needs milk is going to the supermarket if he has got money. That is not a theory. That is an automatic. Or you know that children who need books to go to school, if they have got the money, that the families are going to invest in the education of their children. And so to me it is just a wrongheaded approach. It is an elitist approach. It is an approach that somehow or another does not deal with the realities of life, that is mythical, that is kind of a now you see me, now you don't. It is sort of a shell game. It is a sham. It is not good for the American economy, it is not good for the American people, and I think there is no alternative except to change it. Of course, we know that in order to change it, we are going to have to change some of the individuals who are leading it. That is, we have got to put some different people in place so that those individuals will make different decisions. Yet we get accused of starting class warfare. I hear people talk about class warfare. I was studying something about political philosophy, and I read something that a fellow, Voltaire, supposedly said. He said that the purpose of politics as he understood it was for one group of people to take as much money as they possibly could from another group and handle it differently. That is called the Voltairean philosophy. And when you take from the poor who need the most and give to the rich, I do not know what you call that. I guess greed would be about the best way to characterize it, and I think that is a real problem. And the only way that we stop it is to change the way we not only see things but also to change the way that we do things. I think we can do that because the American people will see the difference. There is an old saying that says, Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I do not think the American people are going to be fooled to the extent that they will allow the same policies and practices to continue because then it will be shame on us. I think the kind of leadership, though, that you provide is going to continue to help us to move away from that and certainly the kind of leadership that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) provides is going to help us move away from that. And so when I see people like you and I see people like her in leadership displaying the kind of energy, the kind of tenacity that you display, then yes, there is hope not only for this House but there is also hope for America. It has been my pleasure to join with you this evening.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman not only for being here tonight, but also for the tremendous leadership you provide as chairman of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus. I have been pleased and delighted to note many evenings when I have seen you talking about not only health care, but talking about education, talking about the needs of people across the board; and I have been gratified that all evening we have seen an array of individual Democrats take to the floor, and talk about this tremendous tax break that we saw just before we left to go on vacation, go to our districts over the Memorial Day holiday. It is amazing to me that we have heard about Leave No Child Behind when we have left millions of children, just with this one act, this one tax break for the wealthiest 1 percent, the wealthiest 5 percent, we have left millions of children behind, all at one time. It is amazing also to hear people who do not want to pay taxes. I do not know how in the world we expect to have the kind of country, to have the kind of democracy to provide the kind of services without individuals paying taxes. Oliver Wendell Holmes supposedly said one time that taxation is the price that we pay for a civilized society. And then to hear people talk about those who do not pay much do not need breaks, or to hear colleagues suggest that because individuals are not in a position to pay much in the way of taxes, or as much as some others, that they do not deserve. We hear talk about stimulating the economy. Whoever heard of stimulating an economy by giving back to the wealthiest individuals, who could not possibly have a need to spend any more money. When I was a kid growing up, my mother used to make soup, and if she wanted to stimulate that soup, she would take her spoon and go down to the bottom of it and stir things up. When she would stir things up, the flavor would ignite and the aroma would penetrate the whole house. So it would seem to me if we really want to shake up the economy, we would go down to the bottom, provide something for those people, raise the minimum wage, put some money in the pockets of individuals who are trying to make it. If we do that, then it is clear to me that those individuals are going to take the additional money that they have and go to the supermarket and buy milk for their children, or you are going to find people purchasing Pampers for the babies, or they are going to run to the barber shop and get a haircut or go to the beauty shop and get their hair fixed. Those individuals are going to put money back into the economy. If we have money in the economy, it means that money is going to go from one place to the next place to the next place. I have always been told that money in neighborhoods is pretty much like blood to the body. If all the blood runs out of the body, you are going to die. Or if too much of it is in one part of the body, you are going to get sick because it is not circulating properly. So if too much of the money goes to one segment of the population, then of course the economy is going to get sick. If we have a sick economy, as we do right now, somebody is going to suffer. It really means that all of us will suffer because we have an imbalance. But if we have things moving around, if those at the bottom are running out to the store to make their purchases, then the guy at the supermarket gets the money and can go and pay down on a house or can get a mortgage. Now we have got things percolating. We have got things moving. I think that is really what we need to be doing and not talking about this trickle- down, failed economic theory that we know does not work. I mean, once again, coming from the top down and saying that we are going to get some investments, after we have had three tax cuts. We have had three breaks, three cuts, and rather than stimulating job development, we have actually lost 2.7 million private sector jobs since President Bush took office. That is 2.7 million private sector jobs. So what is there that is going to cause one to believe that another tax break is going to stimulate the economy in such a way that we can create jobs? And so I agree with the gentleman that what we really need are policies that work, policies that will stimulate movement. I represent a congressional district that has lost more than 120,000 good-paying jobs, manufacturing jobs, over the last 20-30 years. Many of those jobs went by way of NAFTA. They went by way of Fast Track, went to other places, and now people are unemployed wondering what it is that they can do. I just do not have faith in the trickle-down theory. It has not worked, and will not work. I do not think there is any way it is going to work, and we have to have a new order.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a longtime friend, mentor, fellow activist and one of the most committed and dedicated educators that I have ever known, Mr. Joe Rosen. Joe died a few days ago at the ripe age of 91, after having devoted much of his adult life to teaching, being a principal, a district superintendent and overall advocate for improving teaching techniques and for finding additional ways to more effectively educate racial minorities and disadvantaged children. One of Joe's unique characteristics is that he never gave up on the neighborhood where he grew up and sharpened his skills. Mr. Rosen was born and grew up on the west side of Chicago in a community that was predominantly Jewish. He graduated from Marshall High School and put himself through college, working as a taxi driver, at the post office, and as a laundry worker. His undergraduate studies were at the Chicago Teachers College and he earned a master's degree at DePaul University. Mr. Rosen studied to become a biology teacher, but could not find an opening during the Great Depression. Therefore, he took a job teaching physical education and did that for several years. He loved to tell the story of how he beat out the legendary Chicago Sun Times columnist Irv Kupcinet for a handball instructor's position because he was willing to work for less money. Joe eventually got a job teaching biology at Wells High School, and in 1947 was appointed principal of the Howland Elementary School, and this set the stage for the rest of his life's work, dealing with the needs of underprivileged children. Joe's daughter Arlene stated that ``All of our lives, all of our family, friends and relatives, if they had clothing to pass on, would take them to my dad and he would take them to school. He would take clothes for adults too. He had kids get eye exams and had an arrangement with those doing the testing to provide glasses for a very low fee.'' Mr. Rosen established an after-hours social center at Howland for elementary and high school pupils to keep them off the streets. As the neighborhood was changing, he instituted intergroup understanding as part of the curriculum. When he became Superintendent of District 10, he established the Farragut Outpost, an alternative school for Farragut students who were not progressing well with the regular straight academic curriculum. The Outpost kept young people in school and attracted many dropouts back. Joe was indeed an innovative educator who was able to do a great deal with teaching approaches and techniques. He was an avid supporter of early childhood education and established several Head Start and daycare center programs in his district. Joe would be pleased to know that we are here tonight talking about the earned income tax credit program that is designed to help those at the very bottom. Joe promoted back-to-school activity. He promoted breakfast and lunch programs for children, understanding that they could not learn well if they were hungry. However, many people knew him best through his partnership with Mrs. Ida Mae Fletcher, Ma Fletcher, a pioneer leader and education activist. Through their efforts, community involvement and parental participation became buzz words associated with public education in the Chicago area. Joe was forced to retire at the age of 65 because of an age requirement. However, he continued to work both formally and informally for many years. He met his first wife, Ms. May Berg at a dance and they were married in 1939. After her death, he met Ms. Carol Bauer and they were married in 1984. Joe leaves to mourn his passing his sons Laurence and Robert; stepson Harlen Bauer and stepdaughters Betsy Bauer and Susan Bauer; Yetta Rothstein, his sister; brother Walter Rosen; and four grandchildren. Joe continued to be active and serve on various boards and committees right up to the end of his life. He was a member of our Seventh Congressional District Education Task Force and the Westside Association for Community Action. Joe never gave up on his inner-city community, and the community never gave up on him. He leaves a tremendous legacy of commitment, dedication and commitment, to serving those who needed help. That is why Joe would be pleased to see my colleagues here extolling the virtues of tax relief or tax cuts for those who really need it, and not for those who do not, those who can benefit if we are real about what is needed.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), a sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, National Tourism Week was established in 1983 when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution designating the week to be celebrated in May of 1984. In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with the appropriate ceremonies and activities. Industry leaders and public relations professionals were the first volunteers to manage the annual event. By 1986, industry leaders had formed a permanent coalition which later became the Tourism Works for America Council. They opened a full- time office and expanded the concept into a year-round tourism awareness program. By then, hundreds of communities across the Nation were participating in the celebration and more participate each year. The message during National Tourism Week is, come to see America and celebrate its vistas, its heroes, its culture and its heritage. National Tourism Week also serves to promote a wider understanding of the importance of travel and tourism as a major U.S. industry that is vital to the economic stability and growth of our Nation. The interesting thing about tourism, Mr. Speaker, is that no matter where you go, there is always some additional interest, there is always a place. I have been amazed that no matter where I have gone throughout this country or throughout the world, there was something to see, something to learn, something to know, something to better understand. So the promotion of tourism is not only an economic, but also an educational enterprise. I commend the gentleman for introducing this resolution and urge its swift passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from California and say that I am sure that having a fistful of dollars would not hurt his town; and if we had more fistfuls, there would be more tourism. I think this is a great piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1465, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4832 East Highway 27 in Iron Station, North Carolina, as the General Charles Gabriel Post Office, was introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger) on March 27, 2003. It names a postal facility in Iron Station, North Carolina, after General Charles Gabriel. The bill has met the committee policy and has been supported and approved by all members of the North Carolina delegation. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Gabriel was a command pilot and the recipient of numerous military decorations and awards. He retired from the military in 1986. He is indeed one who is deserving of such an honor. I commend my colleague for seeking to honor General Gabriel in this manner. I urge the swift passage of H.R. 1465. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we have just heard, Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs entered the 1998 baseball season as a relatively unknown player. That is, until his riveting race with Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals for the Major League single-season home run record. In 1998, Sosa finished second to McGwire with 66 home runs, five more than the previous record. Sammy Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic in 1968. His mother raised him, his four brothers and two sisters after her husband died. Sosa recalls, ``We were poor. We definitely were poor.'' Sosa sold oranges for 10 cents, shined shoes for 25 cents, and worked as a janitor in a shoe factory to help with the family's finances. In the spring of 1986, Sosa, who did not know how to speak English, came to the United States for the first time. Within 3 years, he was playing in the major leagues, appearing in 25 games for the Rangers in 1989, batting .238. Later that year, Texas traded Sosa to the Chicago White Sox. In 1992, the White Sox traded Sosa to the Cubs. I do not know why they did that. The White Sox are in my district and the Cubs are not; and perhaps had the White Sox not traded Sosa, their fortunes would have been even greater. But the rest is history in the making. On April 4, Sosa hit the 500th home run of his career, making him only the 18th player in Major League history to reach the mark and the first Latino to accomplish this outstanding feat. He is indeed in the select company of great home run hitters, which includes Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Mel Ott, and fellow Cub Ernie Banks. Sammy Sosa is indeed a source of pride for his native country and is an inspiration to all Americans that with hard work and commitment, anything is possible. He demonstrates that it is not always so important where you come from in life, but what is really important is where you are going. He has gone to the top and is still climbing. I join with my colleagues in commending and congratulating him. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) in consideration of H. Res. 195, a bill congratulating Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs for hitting 500 major league home runs. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez), the author of this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will simply indicate that I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) and the gentleman from Texas in extolling the virtues of this pioneer who has contributed greatly to the development of pride and to education in her native Texas. She is indeed a role model, and I join with both my colleagues in extending condolences to her family.

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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. Res. 231, a bill supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day, and to indicate that I was pleased indeed to be a cosponsor of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, in 1961, President John F. Kennedy requested that Congress designate May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which it falls, Law Enforcement Appreciation Week. Since then, each May, police officers from the Nation's Capital to small communities across America pause to honor the sacrifices made by their fellow officers. This year, 377 names were added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial, including 148 who were killed in the line of duty in 2002. The death of a peace officer is a reminder of two things: one, the value of life; and, two, the high cost of peace. More than 700,000 Americans serve as peace officers and put their lives on the line for us each and every day. To keep the peace, they go into the most volatile of situations. We owe them and their families a debt of gratitude for their service and valor. The depth of their commitment and willingness to do the job is reflected in this police officer's prayer from the Ellis, Kansas, Police Department: Lord, I ask for courage: Courage to face and conquer my own fears; courage to take me where others will not go. I ask for strength: Strength of body to protect others, and strength of spirit to lead others. I ask for dedication: Dedication to my job, to do it well; dedication to my community, to keep it safe. And please, Lord, through it all, be by my side. This prayer reflects the danger, but also the commitment and dedication, the willingness to give of themselves, expressed by so many peace officers throughout the Nation. I certainly would want to add a debt of thanks to the men and women, especially in Chicago, in Cook County and the surrounding areas where I live, for the outstanding work that they have done and continue to do. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak), who has a tremendous amount of interest in law enforcement and has dedicated much of his life and work in that area.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1170, the Child Medication Safety Act, and commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) for taking the initiative to introduce this resolution. I also would like to most directly associate my remarks with those of the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), who made what I think to be some real points relative to medication, the utilization of it, and really the relationship of the whole question of mental health. Mr. Speaker, there are several studies over the last decade pointing out the fact that prescription drug abuse is on the rise in America. In 1999, an estimated 4 million people, 2 percent of the population, aged 12 and older were currently using certain prescription drugs nonmedically. The data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse demonstrates that the most dramatic increase in new users of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes occurs in the ages 12 to 17 and 18 to 25. This resolution will hopefully help this growing problem of addiction by giving parents a voice in whether their child should be medicated or not without the consequence of having their child removed from school. Teachers and other school personnel will still be able to recommend to parents if they feel there is a medical problem with the child, be it a need for a hearing or vision test, or if there is concern that maybe the child should be seen by a physician for diabetes, epilepsy or attention deficit disorder. Of course, our teachers and school personnel are with our children for a longer period of time during the day and, of course, many may witness problems that parents may not see before or after school. But no parent or child should be forced to use prescription drugs to obtain an education. There is still something called patients' rights, parents' rights, children's rights; and certainly the parents of children should have the right to determine when and if their children should be medicated or not. I think this legislation provides the opportunity for the kind of interaction between parents and teachers so that parents get the best information. They then can make a determination, and jointly the child's education can always be the first order of concern. Mr. Speaker, I think this is an excellent piece of legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I also want to agree with all of those who have extolled many of the virtues of this legislation; who have talked about the need for it to be efficient and effective; who have talked about making sure that we protect all of our military personnel and be in a position to protect our citizens. But I must confess that I do not believe in throwing out the baby with the bath water. When we talk about getting rid of the personnel system, when we talk about taking away the rights of workers to unionize, when we talk about taking away the rights of individuals to appeal, when we talk about individuals not having the right to discuss their grievances, then I think that is going a bit far. I agree there is a tremendous need for flexibility, and I believe that there ought to be those moved out of civilian positions who are part of the military; but I do not believe that all of the years of developing workers' rights ought to be taken away in one fell swoop. Quite frankly, Mr. Chairman, I do not even understand why those provisions are in the legislation. They simply are not needed, they are of no value, and I disagree with that part of it. If we cannot guarantee the rights of people who work, then what are we fighting for when we talk about protecting the rights of all the rest? I disagree with that portion of the legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1925, the Runaway, Homeless and Missing Children's Protection Act. I would like to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner); the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller); Select Education subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra); and Select Education subcommittee ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), for working together to produce a great piece of legislation. I also want to commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) for his introduction of this legislation which reaches out to one of America's youngest hard-to-serve populations. According to the second ``National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children'' released in October of 2002, it is estimated that there are approximately 80,000 children reported missing each year, which is 2,000 children each day. The Illinois Coalition to End Homelessness estimates that of the 150,000 that are homeless in Illinois, approximately 12,000 are unaccompanied teenagers. This resolution reaches out to our young people who are in need and who are in some of the most desperate situations. Unfortunately, we cannot make street life disappear or even make it reach a level of utopia or have the sense of morality that we would seek, but we can ensure that there are services made available to help ease the stress and fear of not having the security of a home or family. I am pleased to support this resolution because it will provide grants to support emergency centers, long-term residential supports, and street-based outreach and education to those individuals that have been victims of sexual abuse or are sexually active. The 19 percent increase over fiscal year 2003, bringing the funding total to $105 million, is very promising. And I believe that as a result of it we will save many young lives from violence, disease, and death. By reaching out to help these young people turn their lives around, we are really helping our Nation decrease the number of teens that will resort to violence, drugs, and sex for survival. I believe that this is a seriously important piece of legislation. And, once again, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) for his understanding and sensitivity in introducing it. I commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner); the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller); and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for their leadership on bringing this to us today.