Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) for yielding me this time. I commend the gentleman and all of the members of the subcommittee, and all of those who have brought this matter to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 399 and the need to continue awareness and education programs for organ donation. I was very pleased recently to be part of the 6th Annual National Donor Day at the Chicago Automobile Show on February 14 with the Illinois Secretary of State, the Honorable Jesse White, and Connie Payton, the widow of football legend Walter Payton. This is the single largest 1- day blood, organ and tissue donation drive in America. However, we know that the drive and awareness brought to this great need should occur and is needed to occur more than just 1 day during the year. I am proud to represent five of the six world-class hospitals in Chicago that are part of the National Marrow Donor Program's network of transplant centers, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rush- Presbyterian, Children's Memorial, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Loyola Medical Center. These hospitals play a major role in not only making the public aware of the great need of donation but carrying out safe organ transplant procedures. This need is particularly present in the African American population where African Americans make up less than 10 percent of the 4.8 million donors on the registry. On any given day, more than 80,000 Americans are waiting for an organ transplant. That number continues to rise by a new name every 14 minutes. Each day, 63 people receive an organ transplant, but 16 people will die because an organ is not donated. Fifty percent of those waiting for an organ transplant are minorities. Almost a full third of those waiting for an organ transplant in the United States are African Americans; 35 percent of those waiting for a kidney transplant are African American. Some diseases of the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, and liver are found more frequently in racial and ethnic minority populations than in the general population. For example, African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics are three times more likely to suffer from kidney failure than whites. Native Americans are four times more likely than whites to suffer from diabetes. Some of these diseases are best treated through transplantation, and others can only be treated through transplantation. This legislation will allow States to receive grants to assist in organ donor awareness, public education and outreach activities, and programs designed to increase the number of organ donors within States, including living donors. It will assist in getting the word out that if one person does the simple task of signing a donor's card, 50 people will be able to receive an organ donation and begin a new, healthy chapter in their life. Mr. Speaker, again, I am pleased to support this legislation, commend all of those who had a hand in bringing it to the floor, and urge its passage.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), who is the author of this resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the resolution regarding the needs for improved fire safety in nonresidential buildings. This is a major concern with regards to the tragic fire at a nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, on February 20, 2003, which killed over 90 people and injured about 200. It is almost unthinkable and unimaginable that such a tragedy could and would occur. I also want to recognize a similar tragedy that took place in my congressional district in Chicago on February 17, 2003, at the E2 nightclub in Chicago's south side, where a stampede led to approximately 21 people being killed and more than 50 injured. This was a tragedy that could and should have been prevented if there were better fire and building safety codes implemented like wider staircases, more visible exits, and windows for air circulation. In recognizing the tragedy in Rhode Island, I would like to take this opportunity also to extend my condolences to the families of the fire victims in Warwick and to the victims of the E2 nightclub in Chicago. Madam Speaker, as lawmakers, we are responsible for ensuring the safety of our citizens, especially in public places. As a result, we should immediately pass this bill before there is any other tragedy, and I would want to urge all of those who have responsibility for safety in public places to do everything possible to assure that those buildings are, in fact, safe; that there is adequate opportunity for people to exit; and that we protect the lives of our citizens. I commend the gentleman from Rhode Island for introducing this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to commend both the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) and the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) for bringing this great tragedy to our attention. I also want to join with them in commending all of those who rose to the occasion, the policemen; the firemen; the Red Cross; emergency medical services personnel; mental health centers, crisis counselors; and even undertakers in my town, like Leak and Sons Funeral Home, who buried seven people without cost and greatly reduced the cost for an eighth person; radio stations; Salem Baptist Church, New Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church; the Push Rainbow; WGCI Radio; and all of those who have contributed in setting up educational funds for the children of those whose parents lost their lives in the E2 tragedy. Our country has a tendency to rise up when there is a special need, and I commend all of those who took note of the tragedy in Rhode Island, as well as the tragedy at the E2 in Chicago.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join in support of this resolution recognizing the bicentennial of the admission of Ohio into the Union and the contributions of Ohio residents to the economic, social, and cultural development of the United States. Madam Speaker, this year the residents of Ohio will celebrate the 200th anniversary of their State's admission into the Union. They will celebrate the fact that Ohio inventors, including Thomas Edison, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Henry Timken, Charles Goodyear, Garrett Morgan, and Roy Plunkett, created the basis for modern living as we know it. They will celebrate the fact that Ohio is the birthplace of aviation. It has been home to 24 astronauts, including John Glenn, Neal Armstrong and Judith Resnick. They will celebrate the many distinguished writers Ohio has produced like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Toni Morrison, and James Thurber. However, one of Ohio's most profound contributions to the economic, social, and cultural development in the United States is the intricate role it played in the Underground Railroad. Ohio's governing document, The Ordinance of 1787, states that ``There shall be neither slave nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crime.'' The slavery that did occur in Ohio was in the outermost portions of the territory that did not become part of the State of Ohio. The Ordinance of 1787 not only attracted those fleeing the perils of slavery to Ohio, but also attracted various groups whose idealogy resonated with the State's anti-slavery sentiment. Quakers, Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians were among the groups who found themselves drawn to Ohio due to their opposition to slavery. The Underground Railroad consisted of stations, places where runaways could hide, eat, and take refuge during the day. It was not a single route. It was a complex web of main and branch routes. Essential to navigating the Railroad were the conductors who served as guides to those travelers making their way to freedom. Ohio was one of the most heavily traveled States along the escape routes of slaves. In addition to being a reasonable distance from north to south, Ohio provided access to Canada via Lake Erie. Slaves were able to take advantage of Ohio's first commercial railroad. Many of the staff on the commercial railroads also served as conductors on the Underground Railroad. Ohio and its citizens have carved out a rich place in American history, well deserving of our recognition. Therefore, I am indeed proud and pleased to join with my colleagues in celebrating the development of this great State as a part of the Union which we know as the United States of America. Madam Speaker, I do not have any further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the sponsor of this legislation.

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, the National Visiting Nurse Association of America, VNAA, is the official association for not-for- profit, community-based home health organizations known as Visiting Nurse Associations. VNAs care for patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly, and offer comprehensive services that begin with maternal- child health programs and end with hospice care. VNAs provide a broad range of essential home health care and support services to patients in the security and comfort of their homes. These services include skilled nursing, rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapies, speech- language pathology, home medical equipment, and behavioral and mental health counseling, to name just a few. Many VNAs provide homemaker services that help patients remain independent in their home while reducing the burden on family members. These services can include cooking, housekeeping, shopping, transportation, personal care, and a variety of other essential nonmedical services. These services are critical at a time when the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, published in the November 2001 Monthly Labor Review, estimated that more than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by the year 2010. The U.S. Department of Labor projects a 21 percent increase in the need for nurses nationwide from 1998 to 2008, compared with a 14 percent increase for all other occupations. Furthermore, according to a July 2001 report released by the General Accounting Office titled Nursing Workforce: Emerging Nurse Shortages Due to Multiple Factors (GAO-01-944), ``a serious shortages of nurses is expected in the future as democratic pressures influence both supply and demand. The future demand for nurses is expected to increase dramatically as the baby boomers reach their sixties, seventies and beyond.'' As baby boomers age, the role of visiting nurses is more important, as patients spend less time in the hospital and demand the same quality of services at home. VNAs contribute to the well-being of the Nation, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution as we pay special tribute to those who come into our homes, into our places of being, and bring not only their technical and professional services, but also bring the individuality of their care.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and I too want to join with my colleagues in congratulating Lutheran schools, students, parents, teachers, and members of the congregation for outstanding contributions they have made and continue to make in education. In my congressional district, they are indeed the mainstay for early childhood education. Lutheran Family Services provides any number of early childhood education programs; and we are fortunate to have one of the top high schools in the State, Trinity Lutheran, in our congressional district, where practically all of the young people who come through end up going to college. It has been, and continues to be, an outstanding institution. I want to commend and congratulate all of those who are a part of the Lutheran congregations for the outstanding contributions that they have made and continue to make to education.

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 Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle), the sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I join with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle) and all Pennsylvanians and all people of good will throughout America as we pay tribute honoring the legacy of Fred Rogers and his dedication to creating a more compassionate, kind and loving world for children and adults. I quote: ``It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine? While singing this simple refrain, Fred McFeely Rogers would change out of his sport coat and into his zip-up cardigan, slip off his dress shoes and slip on a pair of blue sneakers and become Mr. Rogers of ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.'' ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood'' was a daily whisper in children's ears. It whispered peace, serenity, honesty, comfort, and trust into small and developing ears that listened attentively about issues big and small. Mr. Rogers spoke to children about the virtues of civility, sharing, tolerance, obedience, and self-worth. He talked with musicians, such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, asking questions from a child's perspective, like how he learned to play the cello, had it been too big for him. As the creator and host of the popular television show, Rogers became one of America's most beloved figures. His evolution as a children's television personality began in the 1950's, many years before public TV station WQED in Pittsburgh produced the first ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.'' Rogers had been a puppeteer and voice character on the WQED show called ``The Children's Corner.'' Fred Rogers made his first on-camera appearance in the 1960's while working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto. It was there that he produced a 15-minute daily program called ``Misterogers.'' By the mid 1960's, the shows were lengthened to 30 minutes and were moved to Pittsburgh. A Washington Post article on Rogers stated that ``Rogers often said he was guided by listening to children, discovering who they were and what was important in their lives. By providing answers to children's questions and addressing their uncertainties in their expanding world, he sought to aid their emotional development as individuals.'' As the Nation stands on the brink of war and the threat of terrorism as a constant reminder of the cruel world in which we live, who is listening to the children and addressing their uncertainties? Who on national television will be that reassuring and calming presence for the next generation of children? On February 27, Fred Rogers, the gentle and soft-spoken host of ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' died of stomach cancer at his home in Pittsburgh at the age of 74. Rogers received four daytime Emmy awards, a Peabody award, a lifetime achievement award of the National Academy of Television and Sciences, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and more than two dozen honorary degrees for doing what too few of us have sought to do, make a commitment to enrich the lives of children. He was truly a gentle giant, and I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 111, ``Honoring the Legacy of Fred Rogers.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, ``O, let America be America again, the land that never has been yet, and yet must be; the land where every man is free. The land that's mine, the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, me, who made America, whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, must bring back our mighty dream again.'' Mr. Speaker, those eloquent words of celebrated African American poet and writer Langston Hughes resound today as we celebrate Black History Month 2003. On February 1, 2002, Mr. Hughes joined the other 24 prominent African Americans distinguished by having a stamp issued in their honor as part of the United States Postal Service's Black Heritage Stamp series. There was certainly a time in our not-so-distant past when this would not have been possible, issuing stamps depicting prominent African Americans. Indeed, this was the case in February 1926, when renowned African American educator and scholar Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American History and Life, designated a week in February coinciding with the birthdays of two great Americans, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, as Negro History Week. Mr. Woodson hoped that the contributions of African Americans would be studied as integral to our shared American history. Fifty years later, in 1976, the observance was expanded to embrace the entire month of February, and here we are again today commemorating yet another Black History Month. In 1926, the landscape in this country for African Americans was demonstrably different than it is today. At that time, separate but equal, a doctrine that afforded Black Americans second-class citizenship, was the law of the land, albeit an immoral one. Through the heroic efforts of many Americans of all races, legalized discrimination became a thing of the past. This body passed landmark legislation, most notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, the story of racial discrimination did not end in 1965. Here we are in 2003, and we must continue to ask the question: Is race still a factor in quality of life in America? And is racism dead? African Americans, despite our robust laws, face a daily dosage of humiliation as a result of racism. Thousands of African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities have been the victims of racial, ethnic or national origin profiling: targeted, identified, stopped, questioned and searched by law enforcement officials under the guise of committing a crime, when in reality the only crime was the color of their skin or their country of origin. Young black and Latino men are particularly prone to DWB, driving while black or brown. And since September 11, law-abiding Arab-American citizens have been targeted for profiling by law enforcement officials. Racial profiling violates the equal protection provisions of our great Constitution. Not only is it un-American, it is also bad law enforcement. Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, states that most Americans think that the most blatant forms of discrimination and segregation have ended; that we are now dealing with a much more complex, often more subtle, form of discrimination. Yet incidents like the ones we are discussing now seem to belie that point. They seem to suggest that even the more blatant forms of discrimination, though not as institutionalized as they once were, are still occurring, and I think stand in mockery of the perception that America has become a color-blind Nation. Since June of year before last, the End Racial Profiling Act of 2001 has been pending in this body. This 108th Congress could put an end to racial profiling by passing this act and sending it to the President for signature. Then we would have another dimension as we celebrate Black History Month and as we come closer to ending racial profiling. So I end, Mr. Speaker, as I started: Let America be America again, the land that never has been yet, and yet must be. The land where every man is free, the land where every man and woman has his or her chance, his or her golden opportunity to become whatever their manhood or womanhood talents and ambitions combine to make them. That, Mr. Speaker, is the promise of America, and that is our hope as we end the observance of this Black History Month celebration.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Civil Service, Census and Agency Organization, I want to first of all thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis), the chairman of the subcommittee, for her cosponsorship of this resolution and for helping to quickly move it to the House floor for action. House Concurrent Resolution 36 encourages the people of the United States to honor and celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and commends President Abraham Lincoln's efforts to end slavery. Though a man of humble beginnings, Abraham Lincoln rose to become the 16th President of the United States of America and became the man who attempted to end the heinous act of slavery while preserving the Union. On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It was an historic act, because it freed many slaves and made a statement about the cruelty of slavery. The premise of the Emancipation Proclamation can be linked to a speech Lincoln made at Gettysburg in which he stated, ``Four score and 7 years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new Nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.'' President Lincoln's proclamation did not end slavery. The 13th amendment to the United States Constitution did that on December 18, 1865. The 14th amendment established Negroes citizens of the United States, and the 15th amendment granted Negroes the right to vote. It was the Emancipation Proclamation, however, that paved the way for these amendments to the Constitution. Our citizenship and privileges of blacks were always questioned and, in many situations, denied until passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This was 39 years ago that Jim Crow laws were subjugating and denying Negroes the right to vote in certain southern States, the imposition of poll taxes, the segregation of schools, housing, bus and train transportation, restrooms, and other public accommodations. Since the struggle of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, many African Americans are still seeking economic emancipation, equality in education, employment, business, housing, health care, and access to capital. Although African Americans as a people have made great strides in America, we still have a long way to go to achieve and live up to the creed of America's Founding Fathers that all men are indeed created equal. When it comes to equality in homeownership, the rate among white households is about 74.2 percent, compared to 47.1 percent for African Americans. This huge gap between white and black homeowners will continue to be the primary factor that will undermine the growth of African Americans and their family structure to obtain wealth, capital assets, and better neighborhoods. When it comes to equality in education, the number of whites who possess bachelor's or higher degree is about 34 million compared to 2.6 million for blacks. For post-secondary education, whites are about 72 percent compared to 11 percent for blacks who are attending degree-granting colleges and universities. As for poverty, there are 32.9 million poor people in America. The poverty rate is about 22.7 percent for blacks compared to 9.9 percent for whites. The unemployment rate for whites is 3.3 percent compared to 6.3 percent for blacks who are continuing to seek employment. When it comes to crime and justice, America is 5 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of the world's prison population is in U.S. jails and prisons. The United States incarcerates 2,100,146 persons. Whites are about 36 percent compared to 46 percent for blacks in prisons. As some of us know, about 70 percent of the prison population is attributed to drug convictions. The law is not equally applied when it comes to drug offenses involving crack and powder cocaine. Five grams of crack cocaine brings a mandatory sentence of 5 years, compared to 5 grams of powder cocaine which has no sentencing requirements, and the possessor of powder cocaine may get probation. Mr. Speaker, 89 percent of the blacks are sentenced for crack cocaine possession, compared to 75 percent for whites who possess powder cocaine. Yet, 59 percent of the users of crack cocaine are white. Equality is the principle and spirit of the Constitution where all men and women are seen as God's children created in His image. And if this was accomplished, then African Americans would have 2 million more high school diplomas, 2 million more college degrees, nearly 2 million more professional and managerial jobs, and nearly $200 billion more in income. And if America practices equality in housing, then African Americans would own 3 million more homes. If America had equality in access to capital and wealth, then African Americans would have $1 trillion more in wealth. Mr. Speaker, although we passed the Emancipation Proclamation and although we have come a great distance, there are still some roads to travel. So I encourage all of my colleagues to embrace and support this resolution as a tool to reflect the spirit, strength, and legacy of freedom, justice, and equality for all people of America and to provide an opportunity for all people of the United States to learn more about the past and know how we can build a better future. 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 do not believe that I have any other requests for time, but I would indicate that I am again pleased and proud to live in the State of Illinois, the home of Lincoln, the man who signed the Emancipation Proclamation and made a great movement towards freeing the slaves in this country. I also want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), for his comments, and again thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis), the chairman of the subcommittee, for her co-sponsorship and swift action on moving this resolution to the floor; and I urge all of my colleagues to support this concurrent resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I have always been told that when you begin with a faulty premise, you are likely to end up with a faulty conclusion. When you continue to give large, multiyear tax cuts to the most wealthy, how in the world do you expect to have enough real money to provide temporary assistance for needy families? When you allow companies to incorporate out of the country to avoid paying legitimate taxes, how in the world do you expect to have money for temporary assistance to needy families? When you give away billions of dollars in subsidies to agricultural and other big business interests, how in the world do you expect to have money to provide day care for children while their parents go to school or go out and look for a job? The fact of the matter, Mr. Chairman, is that poverty is on the rise and the need for public assistance is on the rise, while this bill will not do anything in the world to really slow it down or to help people get out of it. We know that TANF has not done enough to address the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. Reductions in poverty come as a result of economic growth. We know that more than 2 million people lost their jobs last year. We know that many people who get jobs through TANF end up working at low-income poverty wages, mired down at a level where they will never get out. I support the Cardin amendment. I support the Lee-Kucinich amendment. It is really our best hope. Reforming and reauthorizing a TANF program that not only takes people off welfare, but also takes people out of poverty should be the focus of this Congress, not simply passing a neatly packaged pig in a flight bag and calling it a welfare program.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to join in strong support of this amendment in tribute to Patsy Mink. But more importantly, I support this amendment because it speaks more directly to the needs of needy families than H.R. 4, families who need opportunities for education and training, families who need access to jobs. Mr. Chairman, 75 percent of all new jobs in this country are found in areas where most people needing assistance do not live. They must have access. We all know how effective early childhood education has been. And yet while we have money for early childhood education, it is not nearly enough. We need to increase that part of it so no child is left behind. I support the Kucinich-Lee amendment.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself of such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, a bigger-than-life screen actor and television personality, Ronald Reagan moved from being Governor of California in the 1960s to President of the United States and dominating American politics in the 1980s. He was the first President to be reelected to a second term since Dwight Eisenhower. Media-made and media-presented, Ronald Reagan got millions of Americans to feel proud of their Nation. America's 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union cooled considerably and perhaps actually ended during Reagan's presidency. Many Americans credit him with having achieved what became a significant outcome. Born the son of a shoe salesman in small-town Illinois, Reagan's impoverished but loving parents instilled in him a sense of optimism that carried him through college as an average student. After graduation, he worked for a few years as a sports broadcaster in Midwestern radio before landing a film contract with Warner Brothers, which took him to Hollywood in 1936. Over the next 30 years, Reagan made scores of films, including many Army films produced during World War II. He hosted two popular television series and he actively engaged in politics as president of the Screen Actors Guild. In the 1950s, Ronald Reagan changed from being a Roosevelt New Deal Democrat to a conservative Republican. In 1966, he became Governor of California. He was reelected in 1970. Using his popularity in California, Reagan unsuccessfully challenged President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976. He tried again and won the nomination in 1980, and thereafter defeated the incumbent Democrat, Jimmy Carter. With his 1984 reelection victory, President Reagan became the most politically successful Republican President since Eisenhower. Today, we celebrate former President of the United States Ronald Reagan's 92nd birthday. We wish him well, and trust that he will continue to carry on. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 141 to improve the calculation of the federal subsidy rate with respect to certain small business loans. Although, each year the Office of Management and Budget calculates the federal cost of guaranteeing small business loans administered by the Small Business Administration. Many analysts believed the current method of calculating those costs does not take into account historical data and recent statutory and regulatory changes that have improved default rates and program performance. Therefore, they contend that the current federal cost, expressed in the form of a subsidy rate, is over- estimated, which, in turn, limits the amount of loans that can be guaranteed. The bill S. 141 would authorize the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to calculate the Federal cost for guaranteeing small business loans under the Small Business Act during FY 2003 and to use the most recently approved subsidy cost model and methodology that would take into account economic assumptions and historical data included in the FY 2003 budget. The bill is intended to provide a new cost calculation methodology, which is expected to reduce the subsidy rate from 1.76 percent to 1.04 percent, thereby expanding the size of the program from $4.9 billion to $8.2 billion. I urge my colleagues to support S. 141.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Elizabeth Hester Riddle. Ms. Riddle was born on November 29, 1902, on the Eastside of Chicago, Illinois. Born to William and Sarah Hester she is the oldest of 7 children and enjoys spending time with her remaining younger siblings Mary and Sally. Ms. Riddle has survived her husband Walter Riddle, son Robert Riddle, and her eldest grandson Robert Riddle, Jr. She is also the grandmother of Karen Appleson, Cindy Petro, and Allison Gunner, and the great-grandmother of two with more on the way. As the Matriarch of the Hester family and known to her many nephews and nieces as ``Aunt Bea'', she is generous to a fault. Ms. Riddle has lived her 100 years of life on the Eastside of Chicago, Illinois as a proud American, committed Catholic and a lifetime member of the St. Francis de Sales Parish. She is known for her sharp mind, happy personality, and love of all her friends and family. So we wish her a Happy 100th Birthday and reflect on how she lived through a century of changes and a lifetime of memories as a model of charity and compassion and all around wonderful person.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my condolences and those of my constituents to the families of the astronauts of the Columbia. I am reminded that no greater gift can one give than his or her life to advance the cause of humanity. Michael Anderson and the other six courageous men and women aboard the Columbia knew the risks of space exploration, and yet they were willing to travel over 6 million miles to try to make the world a better place in which to live. Their 16-day science mission was an attempt to find answers to some of the questions we have about space and its possibilities. They were gifted people, well-trained, courageous, ordinary people, daring to do extraordinary things. They were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. They were inextricably bound by their zest and zeal to explore the stars and heavens in an attempt to move humankind forward. The candle of passion by which they lived must never go dim. It is the collective challenge of a grateful Nation to ensure that their lives and sacrifices were not in vain. Today I, along with more than 100 of my colleagues, sent a letter to the Postmaster General, urging him to design a stamp that will memorialize the memory of the Columbia seven and fan the flame for our space program. This symbolic gesture is a small way of a grateful Nation saying thank you. We will never forget the Columbia seven because they represented the best and the brightest of the world. To the families we say thank you for sharing your loved ones with us and may God continue to comfort you with love and memories of their lives and of their contributions.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, like many others, I waited to hear Secretary of State Colin Powell. I must confess that it was interesting to hear, watch, and to see; but I did not see anything that is going to cause me to change my position that there is no need to go into a preemptive strike and engage war with Iraq at this moment. Like many, others I am hoping and waiting, hoping that we can work out peacefully what some think is inevitable: war. War, as General Sherman said, is absolute hell; and I think if we can avoid it, we need to do everything in our power.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am sure that people throughout all America join with our colleagues from Florida in paying tribute to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I join with them in their enthusiasm, and urge swift passage of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Florida in consideration of this resolution, Mr. Speaker. Since the first professional football game in the United States took place in 1895 in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, football has become one of America's favorite pastimes. As a matter of fact, it is so popular and so etched in the minds and hearts of Americans, until many people stop whatever they are doing when it comes time for the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers' magical season began at the Magic Kingdom, as the bucks held training camp at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. It ended on Sunday with the Bucs defeating the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII for the franchise's first world championship. Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden's, masterful coaching throughout the 2002 playoffs paid off in the Super Bowl as the Bucs always seemed to make the right call at the right time. Facing the league's most potent offense in the first-ever Super Bowl match-up of the league's top-rated offense and defense, the Bucs surrendered just 269 yards, only 78 by the time Tampa Bay had built a 34-3 lead. The Bucs controlled the clock for over 37 of the 60 game minutes. Joining the 1985 Bears as the only team in National Football League history to lead the National Football League in yards allowed, points allowed and interceptions in the same season, the Bucs racked up five interceptions and five sacks in stifling the Raiders' quarterback Rich Gannon. The Buccaneers more than deserved the warm welcome when they returned home to a packed Raymond James Stadium on Monday night and victory parade through the town on Tuesday. During the parade, thousands of fans lined the street and screamed their approval as the players drove by in convertibles and pickup trucks. The Bucs were equally grateful. Manager Rich McKay said, ``We have heard a lot about the Eagles fans and we have heard a lot about the Raiders fans. We have heard a lot about all these fans, but I think we all know who the best fans in the United States of America are, and they are the Buccaneers fans.'' The Bucs and their fans were simply happy that the Bucs have become the world champs by a margin of 48 to 21, no less for the first time in the franchise's 27-year history. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis) honoring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.