Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I will simply close by indicating that it is a thrill and delight. There are still a number of ex-members of the Negro League who live around and in my congressional district, and three or four of them often convene at a McDonald's restaurant and sort of hold court. Individuals kind of move around and come by to chat with them and to see them. ``Double-Duty'' Radcliffe recently passed away. But one of the teaching instruments that takes place as people realize who these men are and what their contributions have been, they stand there at ``McDonald's University'' and soak in all of the knowledge and information. So, again, I want to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), for introducing H. Con. Res. 337, recognizing the teams and players of the Negro Leagues. And as we recognize these teams and these players, I also want to acknowledge and recognize all of the parents and coaches who are involved in Little League baseball play. There is nothing better than watching a group of young people in organized Little League activity learning, growing, developing, reaching a level of understanding about teamwork, positive attitudes, and not on the corner hauling crack and blow, but listening to the sound of the crack of the bat. So I commend the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts) for this resolution, and I urge its passage. 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, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 337, recognizing the teams and players of the Negro Baseball Leagues. This is a measure that is long overdue. Mr. Speaker, I have been an avid baseball fan since I was a young person, and actually 50 years after the fact I can still recite the starting lineup of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. So when my colleague, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), approached me several months ago to cosponsor a resolution with him honoring the Negro Baseball Leagues and players, it was not exactly a hard sell. Likewise, I am sure, it was not difficult for the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) and Senators Santorum and Mikulski to join us. I am reminded of Harlan Williams' observations in Jim Crow at Bat: Apartheid in Baseball, when he wrote that, ``Baseball is America's game. It was invented here, flourished here, and has been exported all around the world. As a national phenomenon, baseball has long served to mirror cultural currents and national attitudes. And from its inception, baseball's racial attitudes have mirrored those of society.'' In 1872, John ``Bud'' Fowler became the first African American to enter organized baseball. At the time, Sporting Life magazine called him ``one of the best general players in the country. If he had had a white face,'' they said, ``he would be playing with the best of them.'' He was joined by a handful of other black players. However, by the end of the 1800s, the door to organized baseball was slammed shut to African Americans. We are here today to celebrate the response to this closed door. In 1920, Andrew ``Rube'' Foster, the indisputable father of Negro baseball, convinced seven other team owners to join with his team, the Chicago American Giants, to form the Negro National League. In fact, in 1981, ``Rube'' Foster was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, where he is considered to be one of baseball's greatest renaissance men. In the years following the establishment of the Negro National League, other Negro Baseball Leagues were formed. The skill of the play and the players was extraordinary, as was the colorful array of their nicknames: Satchel Paige, ``Cool Papa'' Bell, ``Double-Duty'' Radcliffe, ``GroundHog'' Thompson, and the list goes on and on. Of the 254 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, 18 were players who had only played in the Negro leagues. Still others, including Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson, had first played in the Negro Leagues, then went on to play in the major leagues, and were later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In fact, the caliber in the Negro Leagues was so high that many of the players who later moved on to the major leagues actually had better statistics playing there than they did in the Negro Leagues. The electrifying decision by Branch Rickey to sign Jackie Robinson to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 pushed open the closed door. As the best African American baseball players joined the major leagues, the Negro Baseball Leagues declined. The last teams folded in the early 1960s. Some people shake their heads and say that the Negro League players came along too early. I think ``Cool Papa'' Bell had it right when he said ``they opened the door too late.'' But then it is never too late to right what has been wrong, to create equal opportunity and to open the doors for the Luke Easters, Minnie Minosos, Kirby Pucketts, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosas, Frank Thomases and countless others who have thrilled and delighted us with their skill. It is never too late to make America what it has never been, but must be. Opening the doors and recognizing the contributions that African Americans have made to baseball is a step in the right direction. Thomas Wolf is reported to have said, ``To every man his chance, his golden opportunity, to become whatever his talents, manhood and ambitions combine to make him. That is the promise of America.'' This bill is a step in the right direction, I commend the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts) for introducing it, and I urge its swift passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I cannot help but recall a number of years ago when I, as a 16-year-old, left home to go to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Not a university at that time, it was Arkansas AM&N College. I recall having $20 in my pocket, scared as I could possibly be, having never been away from home that much; but I also remember being able to go and register on credit. I also recall being able to purchase books and borrow them with virtually no money. Then as time went on, I have six brothers and sisters who also attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, four nieces and nephews. Then I look around in my office in terms of people to work with and for me, there are seven individuals who work with me who have attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Wilberforce, Morehouse, Howard, UAPB, Jackson State. The reality is that for thousands and thousands of individuals, without these institutions being available, well equipped, ready, prepared, many of the individuals who have managed to rise above the individuality of their circumstances would have never been able to do so. So I commend my colleague for introducing the resolution. I also share the comments of my colleague from New York who suggests that the best way to pay tribute to these institutions is to make sure they have adequate resources, that they are adequately funded, that there are resources to rebuild, in some instances, their infrastructures. Some of them I have visited their campuses, and they are seriously in need of repair. Some of them have virtually no equipment. Mr. Speaker, as we pay tribute, the best way to do that is to make sure that these institutions are able to continue to grow, to develop, to thrive, and provide the opportunity for the thousands and thousands of students who otherwise would not be able to make it. Mr. Speaker I rise in support of H. Res. 523, Recognizing the Contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. There are about 105 historically black colleges and universities in the United States--the first being Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, which was founded in 1837. This measure commends the Nation's historically black colleges and universities for their commitment to educating all students, including low-income and educationally disadvantaged students, and recognizes the significance of title III of the Higher Education Act (PL 105-244), which strengthens the academic quality, management and financial stability of historically Black higher-education institutions. Also, the Black land-grant institutions in which the U.S. Congress had to pass a second Morrill Act in 1890 designed to provide equal educational opportunities for Black students who had been denied admission to their States' original 1862 land-grant universities. The 1890 institutions are a subset of the HBCUs whose mission is teaching, research, and extension and the continual education of young men and women to be self-sufficient. Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States of America said, ``We have to make it possible for every person to develop himself to the extent of his capacity and will, and no barriers should stand in the way; not for his or her sake, but for the sake of all of us.'' The one true measure of a nation's success is its ability to engage all of its citizens in the ever changing and transformation of a technology-based global economy. Cultural diversity, acceptance of differences, equal opportunity, shared economic prosperity--the ideals of the American way--must shift from being desired national objectives, to being absolutely crucial ones if the country wants to continue to be the most powerful, wealthiest, and freest nation in the world. To accomplish these goals America must face and overcome the tremendous task of educating all segments of its population. No group's educational potential can be neglected in this competitive global arena. The cost of ignorance is too great to ignore, neglect, and accept in order to build a stronger, and wealthier nation, otherwise to do so would deprive the economy of critical human resources and to incur costs to society--the costs of supporting those not capable of earning a living wage. Many African-American young people find themselves at a disadvantage by being victims of poverty and other social ills in their attempt to better themselves by seeking a higher education. Fortunately, the Nation has in place a network of institutions. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs. Traditionally, the predominantly Black institutions have attracted students mainly from the Black community. In the past, much of the existence and origin of HBCUs can be attributed to the Civil War between April 1861 to April 1865 which was the single most important factor leading to the creation of conditions favorable for the establishment, growth, and development of educational institutions for the Negro in southern States. The end of the war marked the close of an era of 246 years (1619-1865) when the Negro in the South was in slavery--an era when in several southern States it was a crime to provide education or training in a useful trade or profession to a Negro. After the Civil War the men of the 62nd and 65th U.S. Missouri Regiment of Colored Infantry from the Union Army contributed $6,380 to establish Lincoln University of Missouri in 1866, one of the oldest predominately Black landgrant institutions. These young brave veterans of war wanted to develop an institution with a purpose to address poor Black students having access to an education. The committed founders of Lincoln initiated a national desire among churches, citizen groups, individuals, and State legislatures to develop and build educational institutions for their students to have access to quality affordable education and to address racial segregation in southern States. I am a graduate of the Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College, which is a 1890 land-grant institution known today as University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The HBCUs constitute some of the largest and most prestigious institutions of higher education in the nation. Several of the 1890s offer doctoral degrees and/or professional degrees in engineering, food science, toxicology, environmental science, and other areas of national need. Six public HBCUs produce nearly 20 percent of African-American bachelor degree recipients in engineering and the 1890s graduate over 80 percent of all Black recipients of bachelor degrees in agricultural sciences. Tuskegee University alone has trained more than 80 percent of the Nation's African-American veterinarians. These universities have been in the forefront of educating youth-at-risk, producing research vital to the quality of life and the environment, and addressing the social and economic needs of inner cities and rural communities. The HBCUs contributions must be commended because they with limited funding and resources have done an outstanding job and have made significant improvements in the range and level of academic performance and research programs. Our HBCUs must have increase funding to continue to serve the at-risk youth, low-income, and disadvantaged students in our country. After all, ``a mind is a terrible thing to waste.'' Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 523, Recognizing the Contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to request support for H.R. 3612, the Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act, also known as MiCASSA. This bill will enable our older Americans and citizens with disabilities who qualify for long-term care services under the Medicaid program to receive the noninstitutional community support service options they are entitled to under the Americans With Disabilities Act. The Americans With Disabilities Act, signed into law by President Bush in 1990, ushered in a new era of promise for a segment of our population whose talents and rights as American citizens have been too long ignored. It promised a new social compact to end the paternalistic patterns of the past that took away our rights if we become disabled. It says that people with disabilities have the right to be active participants integrated into the everyday life of society. This premise, however, cannot become a reality until we roll up our sleeves and do the work necessary to eliminate the barriers that still hinder its full implementation. In its 1999 Olmstead ruling, the Supreme Court said that States violate the Americans With Disabilities Act when they unnecessarily put people with disabilities in institutions. The problem is that our Federal-State Medicaid program has not been updated and has a built-in bias that results in the unnecessary isolation and segregation of many of our senior citizens and younger adults in institutions. Too often, decisions relating to the provision of long-term services and supports are influenced by what is reimbursable under Federal and State Medicaid policy rather than by what individuals need and deserve. Research has revealed a significant bias in the Medicaid program towards reimbursing services provided in institutions over services provided in home and community settings. The only option currently guaranteed by Federal law in every State is nursing home care. Other options have existed for decades, but their spread has been fiscally choked off by the fact that 75 percent of our long-term care dollars go into institutional settings, in spite of the fact that studies show that many people do better in home and community settings. Only 27 States have adopted the benefit option of providing personal care services under the Medicaid program. Although every State has chosen to provide certain services under home and community-based waivers, these services are unevenly distributed, have long waiting lists, and reach just a small percentage of eligible individuals. Governor Howard Dean is a physician and Vermont's Chief Executive. He recently testified on Capitol Hill on behalf of the National Governors Association and asked Congress to give the States the tools they need to grow home and community-based service. In his testimony he said, ``We can provide a higher quality of life by avoiding institutional services whenever possible. Some people insist we will need more nursing homes. They are wrong. Baby boomers today are looking for alternatives for their parents. We can't afford to protect the status quo. We need to listen to people and act boldly to develop those services they want and are, in fact, affordable.'' So I ask, Mr. Speaker, all Members of this honorable body to be in support of services for individuals in home-based settings so that they too can realize the assurance of living as they choose and as they see fit. Support MiCASSA.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago today, I was in Tel Aviv, Israel. So, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the over 3,000 victims who died in the September 11 attacks on America; and I wish to pay tribute to all the family members of those who perished, as well as to our public officials, businesses, and private citizens who have dedicated themselves to the rebuilding of a stronger Nation over the past 12 months. In a recent special report about life after September 11 in America's tallest building, the Sears Tower, the Chicago Tribune observed that what happened was more complicated than fear. It was an awakening, then a reckoning, then a change in priorities and plans in the calculation of everyday decisions. This awakening and recalculation in our everyday lives has taken place not just among those in the Sears Tower and my home in Chicago, but across this great Nation. It is a new realization of how connected and responsible we are for the protection and well- being of all our fellow citizens. In response to the devastation caused by the terrorists, the residents of Chicago have joined with millions of others in this country and around the world to donate millions of dollars and hours to the rebuilding efforts. Their material gifts, however, reveal an even deeper resolve to let the principles of freedom for which we stand ring loud and clear. As we contemplate the effects of September 11 and extend our deepest sympathy to those who lost their loved ones on that fateful day, let us resolve to build not just a more vigilant and stronger homeland defense, but a society that continues to protect our personal freedoms and would enable us to fulfill the American dream of liberty and justice for all. And in pursuit of this goal, let us, Mr. Speaker, continue to be able to sing: ``O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. America, America, God shed His grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.'' God bless America.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. As a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague today in the consideration of two postal naming bills: H.R. 5336, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), which names a post office in Farmingdale, New York, after Peter Ganci; and H.R. 4797, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), which names a post office in Los Angeles, California, after Nat King Cole. These measures have the support of their respective State congressional delegations to name United States postal facilities after very deserving individuals, and I urge their swift passage. H.R. 5336, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 380 Main Street in Farmingdale, New York, as the Peter J. Ganci, Jr., Post Office Building, was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) on September 5, 2002. An American hero, Peter J. Ganci was the New York City Fire Department's highest ranking chief who died when the World Trade Center came down. Chief Ganci had been on the radio in front of the trade center directing the rescue efforts when the building collapsed. Who was Chief Ganci? He was 54-years-old and a resident of Massapequa, New York; the chief of the department, one of the highest ranking uniformed officers in the fire department; husband to Kathleen; father to Peter, III, Christopher and Danielle. He was also a 33-year- old veteran of the New York Fire Department, whose son Peter is a firefighter assigned to Ladder Company 111 in Brooklyn, New York, and Brooklyn, New York, is the place where Peter Ganci got his start in 1960. After serving in engine and ladder companies, Mr. Ganci rose to lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, deputy chief and then acting chief. He also ran the Bureau of Fire Investigation, was appointed the chief of operations prior to becoming chief of the department. A hands-on man, Chief Ganci was doing his job, commanding the rescue operations at the New York World Trade Center. Accordingly, I urge swift passage of this bill and commend my colleague for seeking to honor Chief Peter J. Ganci, Jr., in this matter. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that we have any other requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on August 17, 2002, Arkansas lost a great public servant and a fighter for social justice with the passing of Jerry Donal Jewell, a Little Rock dentist who made political history when he was elected in 1992 as the first African American president pro tem of the Arkansas State Senate. A sharecropper's son, Dr. Jewell, who was born during the Great Depression, died at the age of 71 in a Little Rock hospital after a brief battle with cancer. Born in Crittenden County, Arkansas, Dr. Jewell attended public school in West Memphis. He later earned his B.S. degree from AM&N College, which is now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and his doctorate of dental surgery degree from Meharry Medical School in Nashville, Tennessee. He continued to practice dentistry for over 30 years in Little Rock until his death. Dr. Jewell was the first African American since reconstruction elected to the State Senate for the State of Arkansas. Until his election in 1973, no African American has been elected to the State Senate in the State of Arkansas in 80 years. Between 1963 and 1967 he was president of the Little Rock branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He became a lifetime member and president of the Arkansas Conference of the NAACP from 1965 to 1972. During this time and before, he worked throughout the State of Arkansas fighting segregation and racial injustice with the noted civil rights activist Daisy Bates and her husband L.C. Bates. Dr. Jewell played a role in national politics when he served on the National Democratic Party Credential Commission in 1972 and the National Democratic Party Charter Commission from 1972 to 1974. Dr. Jewell was a hard worker and dedicated public servant who survived the harsh struggles of poverty to succeed not only in education but politics and medical practice. He became the acting Governor of Arkansas, as a matter of fact, when President Clinton was elected President; and when Governor Jim Guy Tucker left the State to come to the inauguration for 5 days, Dr. Jewell was acting governor, and during that time granted executive clemency to two individuals who were facing death row. Of course, that created quite a stir; but nevertheless he prevailed and hung in. I am proud to know that we attended the same university, we are members of the same fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, and I am pleased to note that a great American did indeed provide tremendous service, not only to the State of Arkansas, but to the Nation as a whole.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would close by saying that the life of Nat King Cole is another example of all that it has taken to make America the great Nation that it is. I join with my colleagues in urging swift passage of this bill. 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 thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) for his introduction and certainly for the statement the gentleman has just shared with us. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Los Angeles, California (Mr. Becerra).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. H.R. 4797, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 265 South Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California, as the Nat King Cole Post Office, was introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), on May 22, 2002. Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles in 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama. He moved to the great jazz city of Chicago when he was four because his father, a Baptist minister, had accepted pastorship of the True Light Baptist Church. In Chicago, Nat King Cole's mother, Perlina, directed the choir at her husband's church and introduced all the Coles children, Edward, Nathaniel, Eddie Mae, Evelyne, Issac and Lionel, to music early on. All four of the Coles sons went on to become professional musicians. Nat's singing career began early. He was just four when he performed, ``Yes, We Have No Bananas.'' He went on to take piano lessons and play the organ in his father's church. While attending Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago which, of course, is in my congressional district, Nat and his brothers became true believers of jazz music and constant fixtures on Chicago's South Side, the center of jazz. Growing up, he was most influenced by pianist Earl ``Fatha'' Hines. After organizing and playing in a series of music groups, Nat ``King'' Cole moved to Los Angeles, where he formed the group which later became the King Cole Trio. He recorded his First National hit, Straighten Up and Fly Right, and went on to record such favorites as The Christmas Song, Mona Lisa, Route 66, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Rambling Rose, and many more. Not only a talented singer, he was also the first black jazz musician to have his own weekly radio show in 1948 and 1949 and network television show in 1956 and 1957. He was also an actor in St. Louis Blues, 1958, and Cat Ballou in 1964. Although a great man with a fantastic voice, Nat ``King'' Cole was not immune to discrimination. His television show was canceled because he could not find a national sponsor. Being black was seen by many as the reason for the lack of advertising. When he moved to an exclusive section of Los Angeles in 1949, neighbors formed an association to keep him from moving in. In 1956, while playing to a segregated audience in Birmingham, Alabama, he was attacked by a group of white men. After completing his performance, Nat ``King'' Cole vowed never to return to the South, and he never did. In 1965, after battling an advanced case of lung cancer, Nat ``King'' Cole died on February 15 at Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Speaker, I would urge swift passage of this bill and commend my colleague from California for seeking to honor the legacy of the late Nat ``King'' Cole in this manner. Mr. Speaker, I reserve 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, I am pleased to join with the gentlewoman from Maryland in consideration of H.R. 5308, introduced by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) on July 26, 2002. Mr. Barney Apodaca is a native of Colorado who is committed to serving his community. As a disabled individual, Mr. Apodaca has been participating in the Special Olympics for more than 30 years. In addition to helping raise awareness for the Special Olympics, he has won more than 30 medals for his outstanding performance in track and field. As an active member of his community, Mr. Apodaca has been a relentless fundraiser for charitable causes. He has raised money to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, AIDS, the American Cancer Society, and many other deserving causes. He has also worked to assist youth sporting organizations and community hospitals. His charitable works have earned him recognition for outstanding service to the community from the city of Fort Collins. Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this bill and commend my colleague for seeking to honor citizen Barney Apodaca in this manner, an individual who has given consistently, even though he may have been physically challenged. But he represents what many individuals who have disabilities represent, and that is, the ability to do things not always because of but oftentimes in spite of. I can think of no better way of acknowledging his contribution than passage of this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I know that the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) was trying to get in before we closed. He is a great tennis player himself and has been playing a long time. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) for her sensitivity in bringing this legislation before us, and I also want to express my appreciation for the opportunity to work with the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella). It is always indeed a pleasure to work with her, and I thank her so much. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her history of female athletics, and it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek), a great athlete, former coach, great dancer, great African American, great humanitarian and legislator.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), the originator of this resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, July 6, 2002, Serena and Venus Williams captured first and second places in the ladies' singles championship at Wimbledon. The very next day the sisters went on to win first place in the ladies' doubles championship for the second time in three years. Today Venus and Serena are making their way to the U.S. Open quarters in Flushing Meadows on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court and possibly another victory. Venus and Serena Williams are the youngest of five sisters. Venus broke into the professional women's tennis circuit at the age of just 14. Coached by their father Richard, the sisters learned to play tennis on the courts of Compton, California. Both girls entered the world of professional tennis at the age of 14. At just 18, Serena won her first grand slam title. Venus won her first grand slam the following year at just 20 years of age. Since winning their first grand slam titles both sisters have broken innumerable records. Between Serena and Venus, they have won 16 singles titles in the last year and 7 of the last 12 grand slam events. Serena Williams is only the second African American woman to ever win a grand slam, while Venus is the first African American woman to win at Wimbledon since 1958. In 1999, for the first time in over 115 years, sisters met in the finals at Wimbledon. In September of that same year, Serena was named female athlete of the month by the United States Olympic Committee. Venus is the first United States woman since 1924 to win Olympic gold in both the singles and doubles tournaments. These are only a few of the sisters' many accomplishments in their lives. Serena and Venus Williams strive to make a difference both on and off the court. The sisters support and participate in events sponsored by Oracene Williams Learning Foundation, an organization that seeks to help children with learning disabilities. Additionally, in 1995, Venus, Serena and Richard Williams conducted a clinic with the California Tennis Association for underprivileged youth. This clinic has since developed into a full year tutoring tennis academy for the underprivileged youth in California. Venus and Serena Williams have become role models for many African American children. In Monday's Washington Post, columnist Courtland Milloy noted the impact the sisters have had on the Means sisters, four sisters aged 8 through 12, who live here in Washington, D.C. The Means sisters play tennis and do after-school work at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in the District of Columbia. When asked about what impact Serena and Venus Williams have had on their lives, the Means sisters were quoted as saying, ``They show us we can compete against one another and still be friends. They let us see ourselves as champions. We might even end up being number one, two, three and four.'' House Resolution 94 congratulates the Williams sisters for all of their dedication and extraordinary accomplishments, and I join with my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), in not only supporting this resolution, but in commending the Williams sisters, who did not choose to be sisters, but have in fact chosen to be friends and champions. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 3287, which redesignates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 900 Brentwood Road, Northeast, in Washington, D.C., as the Joseph Curseen, Jr., and Thomas Morris, Jr., Processing and Distribution Center. This bill was sponsored by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn) on November 13, 2001, and enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire Maryland delegation, as well as the support of the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe). Mr. Speaker, I also would like to note the dignity, grace and spirit of cooperation that has been displayed by Ms. Celeste Curseen, wife of Mr. Joseph Curseen, Jr., and Ms. Mary Morris, wife of Mr. Thomas Morris, Jr., as well as Mr. William Burris, President of the American Postal Workers Union, as we have moved to process this legislation. As the Chairman of the Congressional Postal Caucus, I am proud to honor two dedicated postal workers, Joseph Curseen, Jr., and Thomas Morris, Jr., both of whom died as a result of a bioterrorist anthrax attack on the United States postal system. This attack changed the fabric of American society. Let me recount the facts. The U.S. Postal Service Brentwood Processing and Distribution Center in the District of Columbia, a 632,000 square foot facility, was closed on October 21, 2001, because of anthrax contamination. Anthrax-laced letters addressed to Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy in their Senate offices had been processed at the Brentwood facility. Approximately 2,400 employees worked at this facility, including Joseph Curseen, Jr., and Thomas Morris, Jr. On October 21, 2001, Thomas Morris, Jr., died of inhalation anthrax. The following day, his colleague, Joseph Curseen, Jr., also died of inhalation anthrax. As of today, law enforcement officials have not found and brought to justice the perpetrators of these cowardly acts, and the Brentwood facility remains closed. It is unfortunate that we were introduced to Thomas Morris, Jr., and Joseph Curseen, Jr., as a result of their deaths. However, by renaming the Brentwood Postal Facility after these 2 individuals, we will be creating a lasting memorial to their lives, and we will be re-creating a lasting memorial, because they were both exemplary citizens, citizens who gave so much of themselves, not for themselves, but oftentimes for the benefit of others, individuals who were model citizens, model husbands, model fathers, involved actively in their communities and in the lives of others, involved in their church, involved with doing those things that we raise up in this country. So when we name this facility for them, we are not really naming it for them, but we are really naming it for the best of what America has to offer, and that is ordinary people doing extraordinary things. So, Mr. Speaker, I again want to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn) for introducing this legislation, and I urge its passage, and I commend the lives of these 2 great citizens.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5207, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6101 West Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington, Minnesota, as the Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. Post Office Building, was introduced by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) on July 24, 2002. As an American hero, Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. was a passenger on board the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed outside of Pittsburgh on September 11, 2001. Thomas Burnett was among a group of passengers who decided to take action against the terrorists who had hijacked Flight 93 with plans to crash the plane in Washington, D.C. Who was Mr. Burnett? He was 38 and a resident of San Ramon, California, the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Thoratec Corporation, a medical research and development company; husband to Mrs. Deena Burnett; father of three young girls: Madison, Halley, and Anna-Clair; the son of Thomas and Beverly Burnett, Sr.; and brother to Martha O'Brien and Mary Margaret Burnett. He was also a man of character who was able to contact his wife during the terrible journey of Flight 93 and let her know that, and I quote, ``A group of us are going to do something,'' and something they did. That something was to make sure the hijackers did not hit a populated area. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Burnett and others made a very heroic stand on September 11, 2001. Together they took control of the plane and saved many, many lives. They demonstrated leadership and courage, and deserve to be recognized. Accordingly, I urge the swift passage of this bill and commend my colleague, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad), for seeking to honor Mr. Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., in this manner. He exemplified the thought and the action that ``If it is to be, let it begin with me.'' Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in support the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 2003, H.R. 5120. This has been an extraordinary year for our nation, and our civil servants have responded with professionalism to the threats against our borders and assaults against our values. They certainly should be counted among our heroes. It is, therefore, most appropriate that all Federal employees, both civilians and military members, receive the same 4.1% pay raise in FY 2003. I am also pleased with the Postal Service Appropriations Act of 2003 for it reaffirms some of the basic principles of our universal postal service--6-day mail delivery, rural delivery of mail, and maintenance of post offices in rural areas. Since 1912, 6-day delivery of mail has been an essential service that the American public has relied upon, particularly working families that depend on the Postal Service for the timely delivery of paychecks. Ending Saturday mail deliveries would not only cause delays in the delivery of mail, but would also cause higher postal costs, due to the additional overtime that would be required to handle the resulting backlog of mail. Another great efficiency in our country is the ability to send a letter from rural Arkansas to downtown Chicago--and have confidence in knowing it will get there. Whether you live or work in rural or urban America, the satisfaction of knowing that you can communicate provides peace of mind. Many of our communities have limited methods of communication and rely on the post office to provide the glue that binds people together. By maintaining rural post offices, we will continue to bind together our citizenry. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this appropriations bill.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 12th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and to request support for H.R. 3612, the Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act, also known as MiCASSA. It is fitting that we give special attention to the merits of this important bill as we recognize the twelfth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On July 26, 1990 President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. This landmark civil rights legislation ushered in a new era of promise for a segment of our population whose talents and rights as American citizens have been too long ignored. It established a new social compact that seeks to end the paternalistic patterns of the past that take away our rights if we become disabled. It says that people with disabilities have the right to be active participants integrated into the everyday life of society. Much like the promise of the 1965 Civil Rights Act, however, the promise cannot become a reality until we roll up our sleeves and do the work necessary to eliminate the barriers, which still hinder its full implementation. While some recent decisions of the Supreme Court have threatened the scope of the ADA, I would like to call our attention to a Supreme Court ruling that reaffirms the fundamental principle that people with disabilities have the right to be active participants integrated into the everyday life of society. In 1999, the Court ruled in the Olmstead case that states violate the Americans with Disabilities Act when they unnecessarily put people with disabilities in institutions. The problem is that our Federal-State Medicaid Program has not been updated and has a built-in bias that results in the unnecessary isolation and segregation of many of our senior citizens and younger adults in institutions. In the case of Medicaid beneficiaries who need long-term support services, the only option currently guaranteed by Federal law in every State is nursing home care. Too often decisions relating to the provision of long-term services and supports are influenced by what is reimbursable under Federal and State Medicaid policy rather than by what individuals need and deserve. Research has revealed a significant bias in the Medicaid program toward reimbursing services provided in institutions over services provided in home and community settings. Other options have existed for decades but their spread has been fiscally choked off by the fact that 75% of our long term care dollars go to institutional settings, in spite of the fact that studies show that many people do better in home and community settings. Only 27 States have adopted the benefit option of providing personal care services under the Medicaid program. Although every State has chosen to provide certain services under home- and community-based waivers, these services are unevenly distributed within and across the States, and reach just a small percentage of eligible individuals. In the words of Howard Dean, the Governor of Vermont who also happens to be a physician and who recently testified on Capitol Hill on behalf of the National Governors Association, ``We can provide a higher quality of life by avoiding institutional services whenever possible. . . . We will still need quality nursing home care for the foreseeable future, but we can maintain the necessary level of needed nursing home care while growing home and community based services if Congress will give the States the tools.'' The MiCASSA bill is precisely the tool both the States and consumers need to obtain more cost effective long-term services in the most appropriate setting for the individual. Instead of creating a new entitlement, MiCASSA makes the existing entitlement more flexible. It amends Title 19 of the Social Security Act and creates an alternative service called Community Attendant Services and Supports. This allows individuals eligible for Nursing Facility Services or Intermediate Care Facility Services for the Mentally Retarded, regardless of age or disability, the choice to use these dollars for ``Community Attendant Services and Supports.'' These attendant services and supports range from assisting with activities of daily living, such as eating, toileting, grooming, dressing, bathing and transferring, as well as other activities including meal planning and preparation, managing finances, shopping and household chores. Quality assurance programs, which promote consumer control and satisfaction, are also included in this bill. The provision of services must be based on an assessment of functional need and according to a service plan approved by the consumer. It also allows consumers to choose among various service delivery models including vouchers, direct cash payments, fiscal agents and agency providers. Some have argued that such a flexible and consumer friendly option would bring people who need these services ``out of the woodwork'' and make our Medicaid costs skyrocket. This bill has been put together based on what we have learned from pilot programs and best practices throughout the States. Oregon and Kansas have data to show that fear of skyrocketing costs is blown out of proportion. While there may be some increase in the number of people who use this option at first, savings will be made on the less costly community based services and supports, as well as the decrease in the number of people going into institutions. The bill also allows states to limit the total amount spent on long-term care in a year to what the state would have spent on institutional services. Whether a child is born with a disability, an adult has a traumatic injury or a person becomes disabled through the aging process, we can and must do better in offering our citizens the kind of long term care services they need and deserve. I can think of no better way to honor the memory of our departed disability rights leader, Justin Dart, who died on June 22nd and was known by many as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act than to support passage of H.R. 3612.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Otis Leavill was a friend of mine and a man that I admired and greatly respected. He was known to his fans for his smooth tenor voice, but Otis' greatest gift was his ability to simply be himself and in spite of fame as an entertainer and producer, he lived in what we fondly call the hood, the Garfield Park Community, and he was instrumental in helping a number of younger artists launch and develop their own careers. Otis Leavill Cobb, was born in Dewey Rose, GA. He arrived in Chicago as a youngster with his family. He lived on the westside, where his father was a minister and he and his siblings sang in a gospel group. By the late 50's and early sixties, Mr. Leavill Cobb was making his own mark, singing new R&B music under the name Otis Leavill, with a gospel feel. He was one of the people who put Chicago on the map in the soul music industry said W.L. Lilliard a television talk show host/producer and businessman, as well as a close fhend of Mr. Leavill's. Bob Pruter, the author of the book, ``Chicago Soul,'' said, when I was doing research for my book, I went to him because he knew everybody, Mr. (Leavill) Cobb wrote dozens of songs, and gained National attention in 1964 for singing, ``Let her Love Me,'' written by Billy Butler and produced by Major Lance, himself a noted recording artist. Two other singles, ``I Love You,'' and ``Love Uprising,'' made National charts. Mr. Leavill simply loved people and was happy to work behind the scenes, often teaming up with Carl Davis, Gus Redmond, W.L. Lilliard and other ``homeboys'' to make things happen. He was also an avid fan of gospel music and the church. He was sort of a folk hero and loved by his community. Mr. Cobb was a police officer in Maywood, and owned his own business. We extend best wishes to his family, wife, Minnie; his daughter, a son, Derrick, a sister, Evelyn Williams; three brothers, Maurice, Kenneth and Billie; and a granddaughter. Otis Leavill Cobb, a good entertainer, a Great American.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an epidemic. It's not one that you'll read about in a medical book, and unfortunately, it's probably not one that a lot of people know enough about, in general. But, we need to respond to this problem, just as we would if it were a public health situation--by launching a vigorous public awareness campaign. Let me give some examples of what I'm talking about: Two individuals pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud in connection with a scheme soliciting elderly individuals to invest in silver and gold coins. The victims, who were promised a high rate of return on their investments, were coerced into paying 200 to 300 percent more than the coins were worth. A group defrauded 200 elderly investors nationwide of an estimated $34 million from the offer and sale of fraudulent promissory notes and other fraudulent securities. The majority of the victims were senior citizens who were convinced to liquidate safe retirement accounts and transfer those funds to risky investments. An independent insurance agent obtained over $508,000 from twelve senior citizens whom he promised a 10 percent return on their money in an investment opportunity. None of the funds were ever invested. Elderly victims were falsely told that bond companies were in possession of a $25,000 bond in the name of the victims, which they could receive after they paid the bond companies a fee ranging from $100 to $3,000 for ``research'' or ``paperwork.'' None of the victims ever received a valuable bond, but elderly victims sent the bond companies approximately $1.6 million. I wish these anecdotes were isolated incidents, but unfortunately they are just the tip of the iceberg. In fiscal year 2001 alone, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service responded to 66,000 mail fraud complaints, arrested 1,691 mail fraud offenders, convicted 1,477 of such offenders, and initiated 642 civil or administrative actions, recovering over $1.2 billion in court ordered restitution payments. If these figures weren't distressing enough, the number of complaints is on the rise. The Postal Inspection Service has already responded to 68,000 mail fraud complaints this year to date--pointing to a possible 27 percent increase in complaints by the end of this fiscal year. According to AARP: ``Older Americans are the targets of a new kind of criminal. This criminal holds you up in your own home, but not with a gun. This criminal's weapon of choice is the telephone. ``There may be more than 10,000 fraudulent telemarketing operations calling hundreds of thousands of American consumers every day. Older Americans are a prime target of these crooks . . . ``. . . 56 percent of the names on `mooch lists' (what fraudulent telemarketers call their lists of most likely victims) were aged 50 or older. ``Many of the older people preyed upon by dishonest telemarketing companies are well-educated, with above-average incomes, and they are socially active in their communities.'' Therefore, the sales pitches these companies use are appropriately sophisticated. They include: ``phony prizes, illegal sweepstakes, sham investments, crooked charities, and `recovery rooms' where victims are scammed again by the telemarketers with promises that, for a fee, they will help them recover the money they have lost.'' The National Consumers League, the oldest nonprofit consumer organization in the United States, reports that: ``It's estimated that there are 14,000 illegal telemarketing operations bilking U.S. citizens of at least $40 billion dollars annually.'' They believe that ``[t]he first step in helping older people who may be targets of fraud is to convince them that the person on the other end of the line could be a crook!'' In order to ``to express the support of the House for programs and activities to prevent perpetrators of fraud from victimizing senior citizens,'' and ``to educate and inform the public, senior citizens, their families, and their caregivers about fraud perpetrated through mail, telemarketing, and the Internet,'' please join Representative John McHugh, and me in passing House Resolution 443. Our colleagues in the Senate have passed a resolution designating the week beginning August 25, 2002 as ``National Fraud Against Senior Citizens Week.'' We will be able to collaborate with them, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and numerous advocacy groups in raising public awareness about this epidemic of fraud and deception against senior citizens and hopefully prevent future incidents of fraud.