Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the John G. Shedd Aquarium as it celebrates the tenth anniversary of its world-renowned Oceanarium. Shedd's Oceanarium is the largest indoor marine mammal habitat in the world. More than 18 million visitors from Illinois and around the world have gained a better understanding of the environment and marine mammals by visiting the Oceanarium. Shedd Aquarium is an international leader in aquatic education as well as animal husbandry, care and training. The Aquarium spearheads numerous conservation initiatives, both locally and abroad, participating in animal rescue efforts and performing in-house studies ranging from sensory biology to animal health. Shedd will commemorate the Oceanarium's anniversary with a year-long celebration filled with exciting activities and never before offered behind the scenes glimpses, the unveiling of a new marine mammal show, chances to meet one-on-one with animal-care specialists and an opportunity to eat breakfast with the dolphins. The Oceanarium has contributed to the body of knowledge about marine life and enhances public understanding and appreciation of aquatic life and conservation. Shedd's participation in the North American Cooperative Beluga Breeding Program allows scientists to study the behavior of beluga whales and other animals that can't easily be studied in the wild, gaining a better understanding of whale biology and behavior. After seeing the beluga whales up close visitors to the Oceanarium gain a greater appreciation of the special nature of marine mammals and how humans impact their survival in the wild. On April 27th, Shedd launches a new presentation, ``Totally Training''. The ``Totally Training'' experience gives visitors to the Oceanarium the unique opportunity to watch marine mammal presentations evolve daily as the dolphins and other animals learn new behaviors. Shedd's marine mammal presentations educate by showing natural behaviors of animals--such as dolphins porpoising (jumping). After each presentation, Shedd's expert marine mammal trainers will be available to talk to guests one-on-one. Mr. Speaker, Shedd Aquarium's ``Oceanarium Turns 10'' celebration highlights a decade of achievements in conservation and education. Since its doors opened in 1991, the Oceanarium has been changing the way Chicagoans and the world think about the environment and marine mammals.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I take this moment to acknowledge Earth Day. We have made great strides in protecting our treasures, protecting our natural resources, and in protecting our environment. So, Mr. Speaker, since the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans have found many ways to promote the preservation of our environment and to focus a great deal of attention on the work that is left to be done. Earth Day has always been a day to celebrate the environment and our natural heritage. It has also served to mark the importance of environmental protection and responsible living. As the leaders of this great Nation, we must collaborate in a bipartisan fashion to promote environmental policies that make sense to this country. We do not want to continue to drink water that is contaminated and polluted. We do not want to breathe smoke-filled air. We do not want to develop life-threatening diseases from water, air, and other environmental hazards. Poor environmental management affects everyone, and environmental justice does, in fact, matter. We ask, how many children must develop lead poisoning before we get serious about that issue. Do we want the Nation's most precious animals to perish from the Earth? Do we want to live in neighborhoods that are surrounded by nuclear power plants? Do we want to breathe a thick layer of smog from contaminated air before we feel that a clean air policy is important? Will there come a time when we must go to the local grocery store and purchase bottled air? Many of our urban communities are currently in serious unrest due to many different environmental problems. Today we must make a new dedication toward bringing a more proper balance to the widening gap between community standards based upon their economic status. People in our poorest communities are struggling for environmental justice, from Louisiana's ``Cancer Alley'' to the Native American reservations' nuclear problems to the people along the border in the maquiladora region, and for the communities where I live on the south and west sides of Chicago. Furthermore, millions of people live in housing surrounded by physical environments that are overburdened with environmental problems and hazards untold, waste, toxins, dioxins, incinerators, petrochemical plants, polluted air and unsafe drinking water. These factors all combine to pose a real and grave threat to the future of our Nation's public health. So, as we mark the 31st anniversary of the first Earth Day, we glory in the progress that has been made, but must strive to continue to develop strong environmental policies that help protect our Earth.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding me this time. I also want to commend the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) for introducing this resolution. It seems to me that this resolution is an indication that we can, in fact, learn behavior. I have always been told that people have a tendency to learn what they live and live what they learn, and if we begin to focus seriously on conflict resolution, on the development of peaceful approaches to finding solutions to problems that people might have, then I think we can seriously reduce violence, and I think we can create for ourselves a saner, better world in which to live. So I want to commend the University of Illinois for its violence prevention efforts and programs, the Chicago public school system, and also Prevention Partnership, a local community organization, and a program called Hands Without Guns, where children are taught that there are other things that they can do with their hands than put a gun in them. If one always has something else in one's hands, then, of course, there is no room for a gun. So I commend all of those, once again, who would promote this approach to curbing violence in our society. Mr. Speaker, I urge strong support for the resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to actually commend all of those who are sponsors of this bill. As a matter of fact, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and others have understood the tremendous developments that are taking place in Taiwan. Mr. Speaker, I recently had the good fortune to be in Taiwan and meet with health officials, and they have developed serious movement towards high quality health care and health services. As a matter of fact, there is much that other countries could, in fact, learn from what they have been able to do; and so I would join with those who urge that they be provided opportunity to enter into the dialogue at the World Health Organization in all of its actions and interactions so that not only will they benefit, but so that the rest of the world can benefit from what they have learned and what they are doing.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would just add my voice to the accolades being given to George Mikan. He did his college basketball playing and attended DePaul University, which is in my congressional district. I can tell my friends from Minnesota that all of Chicago and Illinois are indeed proud of the accomplishments of George Mikan and the people at DePaul University salivate every time they hear his name. I join your comments. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor this evening to pay tribute to one of our country's most celebrated and most effective print and radio journalists, Mr. Latrell ``Lu'' Palmer who is retiring and will be featured at a retirement celebration on April 14 at the Reverend Johnnie Coleman Complex, 119th and Loomis in Chicago. Lu Palmer was born in 1922 in Newport News, Virginia, and attended its schools there. He then went on to Virginia University and earned a bachelor's degree in 1942. Later on, in 1947, he earned a master's degree from Syracuse University and later on went to Iowa State University in 1955 where he completed the course work for a doctorate's degree. Lu never wrote his dissertation so he ended up with what people called an ABCD, that is, all but the dissertation degree. Lu Palmer then went on to have an outstanding career at the Chicago Daily Defender newspaper, the Chicago Courier, the Chicago American, the Chicago Daily News, and then established his own paper, the Black X Express, which he ran for several years. He also taught for 20 years, from 1970 to 1990 for the Association of American Colleges and Universities of the Midwest where he trained a large number of students to really understand urban life. Of course, Lu also worked at WBEE Radio and WVON Radio, was the editorial director for Congressman Ralph Metcalfe's communication vehicles and served as a public relations person for Michael Reese Hospital. He established the Black Business Network, Chicago Black United Communities, CBUC, which he operated for several years, and BIPO, the Black Independent Political Organization. He established Menhelco, a mental health program for boys who were suffering from mental retardation which continues to operate. As much of a journalist as Lu was, he was really noted more for his community action, community involvement, and was called upon to speak in colleges and universities and banquets all over the country, as a matter of fact. He generally could not keep up. Plus he was very selective and did not just accept any speaking engagement. It had to be something that he called relevant and meaningful if he was to go. Lu was very actively involved in generating outrage when Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were killed by the Chicago police, and later on was probably the single most effective voice in the election of Harold Washington for mayor of the city of Chicago because Lu had a slogan and the slogan sort of said, ``We shall see in '83,'' meaning that that is when the election was going to take place. Lu was called the drumbeat of the African American community. Everybody listened to his radio and everybody pretty much waited for WVON to come on in the evenings from 10 to 12 so that they could listen to ``On Target'' and Lu Palmer. Lu finally decided that it was time to hang them up. He is about 80 years old with diabetes and all the other things that would afflict one. But we would hope that he would put his memoirs together and that he would spend the rest of his life writing and putting in voice some renditions of that ``We shall see in '83.''

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Equal Pay Day. A woman would have to work until today, April 3, 2001 in order to earn the same salary of her male counterparts through December 31, 2000. Regrettably, the gap is even wider for Black and Hispanic women. Perhaps even more troubling than the actual disparities are the poor explanations used to justify the situation. Some blame pay inequity on women because they enter less lucrative professions. This assertion ignores the fact that traditionally female professions are purposely very underpaid. Professions such as teaching and nursing are undervalued and low-paying because they are traditionally female. Furthermore, the inequity exists within traditionally female fields. For example, female elementary school teachers still make 70 dollars a week less than men in the same position. Clearly, this reason is not a sound one. Another popular justification assumes that equal pay for women translates into financial disaster and instability for the American family. This persistent myth states that equality will rob men of their jobs, lure women from their children, and is unnecessary for married women who benefit form their husband's salary. Despite the calamity theories, equal pay is essential for working families. When we end pay discrimination against women, family incomes will rise. Working parents will have more to spend on household needs and more to save for their children's education and their own retirement security. Working parents may be able to spend less time at work and more time with their families, a very positive change for parents and children. Many excuses and theories abound, but the truth overpowers every last excuse. There is no justification for pay discrimination against women. Let's rectify pay inequity this year, and render Equal Pay Day 2002 obsolete.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of this resolution, a very important resolution which seeks to protect the most innocent among us, children; children who are a few days to 5 years old. These children often need protection from parents and caregivers who shake their babies beyond control. Shaken baby syndrome is caused by vigorous shaking of an infant or young child by the arms, legs, chest or shoulders. Forceful shaking will result in brain damage, leading to mental retardation, speech and learning disabilities, paralysis, seizures, hearing loss and even deafness. It may cause bleeding around the brain and eyes, resulting in blindness. An estimated 50,000 cases of shaken baby syndrome occur each year. One shaken baby in four dies as a result of this abuse. Some studies estimate that 15 percent of children's deaths are due to battering or shaking. The average victim is 6 to 8 months old. Madam Speaker, we ask ourselves why babies are being shaken, and how can this resolution help. Crying is the most common trigger for shaking a baby. The normal crying infant spends 2 to 3 hours each day crying. Crying becomes particularly problematic during the 6-week to 4-month age bracket, an age period that coincides with the peak incidence of shaken baby syndrome. The shaking of the infant is often repeated because the infant stops crying but only because the infant has been injured by the shaking. Shaking often occurs when a frustrated caregiver loses control with an inconsolable crying baby. Parents and caregivers must be made aware of how to deal with a crying infant and that shaking an infant is abusive and criminal. By making Americans more aware of shaken baby syndrome, we can save more of America's children. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and help save the babies. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I reiterate my strong support for this resolution. Madam 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, today is equal pay day for women. I take this time to stop and pay tribute to a woman who spent practically all of her adult life fighting in behalf of women, minorities and any others whom she felt may have been oppressed and at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, Mrs. Nola Bright, immediate past president of the Westside Branch NAACP. Nola Bright was born and reared in the city of Chicago and spent the major portion of her life living in, defending and working to improve what is commonly and affectionately known as the West Side of Chicago, in the Lawndale community. Nola Bright was a family-oriented person. She grew up in a warm family, married John Bright at an early age, and had four children. She was a fiercely dedicated mother and grandmother and was indeed a surrogate mother, mentor and role model for many younger men, women and children who looked to her for guidance and direction. Nola Bright became a school and community activist at an early age. As she saw her children off to school, she started to work with the Chicago Youth Centers as a way of making sure that children had after- school recreation and leisure-time activities. Mrs. Bright came into her own during the mid-1960s which was a period of great civil unrest, social change and the establishment of new structures. She was intimately immersed in all of these activities and often rose to leadership status within the groups with whom she worked. She worked most directly with the Chicago Youth Centers, Better Boys Foundation, District 8 Education Council, Greater Lawndale Conservation Commission, Sears, YMCA, Martin Luther King Neighborhood Health Center, Lawndale Urban Progress Center and the Model Cities Program. Nola Bright was a champion of the underdog and spent much of her life working with and on behalf of individuals and causes often considered to be the least popular. Rarely did Nola Bright separate her compensated work from her causes. You generally could not distinguish between her job and her volunteer activity. Over the years, she held a variety of jobs, Chicago Youth Centers, Martin Luther King Neighborhood Health Center, Westside Association for Community Action's Sickle Cell Project. She even worked for me when I was a member of the Chicago City Council and president pro tem. Finally, she worked for Habilitative Systems Social Service Agency from which she retired. For the past 20 years or more of her life, Nola Bright was totally committed to keeping the Westside Branch of the NAACP alive and functioning. She served as president, secretary, treasurer, membership chairman and held every other office. She performed any and all tasks that she could not get someone else to do. Nola Bright was stubbornly principled and would much rather give out than give in. In actuality, she gave her life to the service of others. She will be memorialized at the Carey Tercentenary AME Church on Saturday, April 6, 2001, 10 a.m., still looking for equal pay, for equal justice and equal opportunity.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this alternative plan, which is actually worse than the Bush budget and tax cut plan, and I do so for several reasons. First of all, the Bush plan fails to make important investments in education, health care, law enforcement, and the digital divide. As a matter of fact, the Bush budget plan puts tax cuts first and leaves large gaps and services for millions of people who need them. In reality, the Bush plan leaves 53 percent of black and Hispanic families behind, despite claims that the tax cut would go to all taxpayers. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 53 percent of black and Hispanic families with children will receive no tax reduction from the Bush plan, even though 75 percent of these families include someone who is working. The 6 million black and Hispanic families that will receive the benefit from the proposal include 6.1 million black children and 6.5 million Hispanic children, or 55 percent of all black children and 56 percent of Hispanic children. Among non- Hispanic blacks, 3 million families with children, 52.8 percent of all such families, would not benefit from the Bush tax plan. The figures are the same essentially for Hispanic children. So, Mr. Chairman, I say, cut us in or cut it out. This is not the plan; this is not the program; this is not for America.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, the need for public housing, low- and moderate-income housing, housing for the homeless, housing for veterans, housing for people with AIDS, all of these needs are well defined and well documented, yet the Bush budget cuts $859 million from the public housing budget. We all know about the problems of drugs in public housing, yet the Bush budget takes $316 million from drug elimination grants. The Bush budget cuts $422 million from the Community Development Block Grants program, $200 million from home housing block grants, $640 million from Section 8. It is unbelievable. Mr. Chairman, these cuts can do nothing but leave pain, frustration, and blood. I hope that people will know how to bleed with compassion, because these cuts surely are not. When we cut, cut, cut, and cut, all that we get is blood, blood, blood, and blood. The blood of the American people will be on the heads of those who wielded the knife. On the other hand, the Progressive Caucus has a budget which invests $2 billion per year in affordable housing, gives increased funding for Section 8 by $575 million to provide 100,000 more vouchers; $500 million more to address the backlog of public housing; a 50 percent increase for the Child Care Block Grant program, and a $200 million increase for homeless assistance grants. This is the kind of budget, Mr. Chairman, that we need. This is the kind of progressive budget that I would be pleased to vote for. So I urge support for the Progressive Caucus' budget.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an important component of our health care delivery system. Community health centers for 35 years have undergirded the primary health care movement in this country. They have provided access to quality, affordable primary and preventative health care, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. They have been a safety net for millions who otherwise would not have been able to afford health insurance. Community health centers are the family doctor, the health care home for over 11 million low-income patients nationwide, including over 7 million minorities. We talk about health care in macro terms, but when we really think about it in micro terms, day to day, it really is the vast network of more than 3,000 community-based health care center sites operating in urban and rural communities that make sure our citizens are healthy. They deliver top-rate health care with highly trained, culturally competent health professionals. Across the Nation, health centers are staffed by more than 6,000 physicians, thousands of nurses, dentists, and other health professionals and volunteers. Health centers provide health education, community outreach, transportation, and other support programs in schools, public housing, and homeless shelters. Community health centers have done an outstanding job of controlling costs. For the past 35 years, they have provided quality, cost- effective primary and preventive care to the hardest-to-reach populations, where they are most needed, for less than 76 cents per day for each person health centers serve. That is how they have controlled costs. In my congressional district, there are 24 health center delivery sites. Each of them are jewels. They are cost-effective, responsive to community needs, and the patients just love them. Unfortunately, they, along with health centers throughout the country, are facing severe challenges which jeopardize their ability to continue providing services for those most in need. For example, approximately 46 percent of Illinois health center patients are uninsured. That number is rising, while the Federal grants to address the health needs of this population remain stagnant. The bulk of health center patients' uninsured populations are working families who, for a variety of reasons, cannot afford health care for their families. The cost to health centers of providing this care cannot be recouped by them and falls into the category of uncompensated or free care, which is quickly becoming the number one factor jeopardizing Illinois health centers. Also, nationally there are more than 43 million who are without health insurance. That number is projected to increase to more than 50 million by 2007. The rising number of uninsured with problems associated with welfare reform and the cutbacks in charity care mean health center budgets will be challenged to meet increased demands. Currently health centers are serving 4.4 million uninsured Americans. While I am pleased that President Bush recognizes the importance of community health centers and has set a priority of increasing the number of health center delivery sites by 1,200 in his budget, the President's budget also provides an increase of $124 million for the health centers, and that is a good start. Mr. Speaker, it falls short of providing the resources to match demand. I, along with members of the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses are urging a $250 million increase for the health center program. With an additional $250 million, health centers will be able to expand in facilities in rural and urban communities. Additionally, they will have the needed resources to hire staff and see an additional 700,000 uninsured patients. Mr. Speaker, our Nation is divided when it comes to health. Divided along the lines of those with and those without access to health care. We obviously suffer from this great disparity. I believe that if we are to become and to be the great Nation that we have the potential of being, then each and every one of our citizens must have access to quality, comprehensive affordable health care without regard to their ability to pay. Since we do not have universal health insurance or universal coverage, the next best thing would be to have a community health center in every medically underserved community in this Nation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, last year we spent a great deal of time, energy and effort developing a new markets venture capital program with enthusiastic support from President Clinton and Speaker Hastert. When I look at the current President's budget for 2002, it provides no money at all for these initiatives to spur economic growth and development in disadvantaged inner city and rural communities. Today, we are going to hear a great deal about faith as a way of dealing with the needs, hopes and aspirations of the disadvantaged. I say that faith without money is shallow. Let us keep the faith and fund these new market initiatives for inner city and rural disadvantaged communities.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 67, which recognizes the importance of fighting tuberculosis worldwide and especially among minority populations in the United States. I commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), my good friend, for recognizing the increasing threat of tuberculosis worldwide and its reemergence in the United States. Decades ago in this country many Americans were forced into sanitariums as a way to control the spread of TB. Since then, there have been diagnostic and treatment advances that have led to a decline in the number of tuberculosis cases. In the United States between 1977 and 1999, the cases of TB decreased by 42 percent. During this time, the cases of TB in Chicago also decreased by 57 percent. However, despite the decline of TB among the general population, a disturbing trend of TB remains prevalent among African Americans and other minority groups within the United States. The cases of TB between 1995 and 1999 for African Americans in Chicago were more than four times higher as compared to nonHispanic whites. Although African Americans were recorded as less than 40 percent of Chicago's population, African Americans accounted for 62 percent of all recorded TB cases in Chicago. In 1999, Chicago was ranked the third highest in the Nation of TB cases, with 463 cases reported. The community of Chicago's Southside, where approximately 36 percent of the TB cases are reported, joined hands together with the help of the Metropolitan Chicago Tuberculosis Coalition and the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago to develop priorities to move towards the decline in the number of TB cases. Education was listed as the first priority to help in reducing these cases; and I agree with the community leaders, health care professionals and individuals from organizations who are developing and implementing programs of education to educate citizens to become actively involved in fighting this dreaded disease. Again, Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and all of those who are calling for additional funding for tuberculosis both Nationwide and here at home.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentlewoman very much. I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) not only for yielding but certainly for organizing this special order and for the tremendous work she has done on behalf of all people who are seeking truth and justice, not only in South Africa but throughout the world. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join in this discussion with my colleagues, a discussion concerning an epidemic that is negatively impacting the lives of millions of people throughout the world. Across the Atlantic, millions of Africans are battling with an epidemic that has ravaged the human capital infrastructure, leaving homes and communities barren. The dreams and hopes of millions of people have been deferred as men, women and children engage in a losing battle with the silent but powerful enemy that is sweeping and dismantling Africa at an alarming rate. It is without question that the HIV-AIDS crisis has rocked Africa. And, yes, I cringe when I hear that 36 million people are infected with the HIV virus today, while 25 million people live in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. This deleterious enemy has no compassion and strikes without prejudice. HIV-AIDS will have a devastating impact on the fruit of Africa's future, the children. It is estimated that by the year 2010, 35 million children will be infected with HIV-AIDS. Moreover, in the same year approximately 40 million children will have lost one or both of their parents to HIV-AIDS. I hasten to mention several socioeconomic problems linked to the spread of HIV-AIDS. Millions of children will be left orphaned; industry will suffer due to the decline of a healthy workforce; we will see the sharp decrease of young adult and middle age populations, which will reduce consumption and halt local economies; we will see the fiscal ruin of poor countries attempting to bear the exorbitant health service delivery costs. Furthermore, communities and homes will be left divided due to the destruction and devastation caused by HIV-AIDS. In North America and in other countries of wealth, HIV-AIDS is being somewhat controlled. Through collaboration, the road for a brighter tomorrow is chartered. Because we place a priority in stopping this disease in more wealthy countries, citizens have benefitted directly from innovative research and best practices. They have better access to affordable medication, and their quality of life has been greatly enhanced. Yet this is not the case for Africa. In all of Africa, where more than 80 percent of HIV cases are concentrated and where more than 70 percent of AIDS deaths have already occurred, HIV-infected people face painful death with no hope of treatment because critical AIDS medications are too expensive. We must unite and work on a solution that provides affordable treatment and needed drugs to treat every African man, woman and child. The huge discrepancy in the delivery of health services in rich and poor countries begs the question, are we truly serious about assisting our brothers and sisters in Africa? If we are serious about finding solutions to this epidemic, then I charge us to commit ourselves to fighting for the humanity of our African brothers and sisters, at whatever the cost. We must provide life-saving drugs at reasonable cost. We must support funding for innovative research in finding a cure. We must support the regulation of affordable drugs for all Africans infected by this deadly disease. We must support the development of a comprehensive HIV-AIDS policy for Africa. As a civil society, we ourselves must unite to confront this dilemma head on, to defeat this plague which has us anxious and on the run. It is time for us to stop running and begin to act. That time is now. I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) again for not only yielding but for providing this opportunity to discuss such an important issue.

Mr. DAVIS

Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent from the House at the time of votes on two measures. Had I been present, my vote on H.R. 861, to make technical amendments to section 10 of title 9 of the United States Code would have been ``aye.'' In addition, I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 721, the Made In American Information Act.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, once again, we must lower our Nation's flag in one solemn accord, to mourn two young children who were stolen in their prime. Randy Gordon and Bryan Zuckor are cherished by all who love them. We all extend our prayers and thoughts to the families of the victims and to the community Santee, where they are struggling to find answers to a dreaded and unfortunate situation. The horror of the shootings at Santana High School, and the proliferation of teenage shootings across the country has forced us to confront an increasing problem that leave the doorsteps of every school in every community vulnerable. As we scramble ardently to attack the problem, we realize that children are falling through the cracks. Misguided youth are taking unhealthy measures to cope with growing pains of adolescence--open communication is now transformed into acts of violence. We must never rest until we inoculate the epidemic of teenage violence that afflicts our communities. On this sad occasion, we must forge ahead and continue our attempts to resolve random acts of youth violence.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, last month we praised our forefathers in observance of Presidents' Day and we also praised the contributions of African Americans in the development and continuation of this country. This month, as women's history gets underway, I rise to recognize some of our foremothers; women who dared to be first, who strove for equality and social justice for all; women who not only broke ceilings but shattered spheres in pursuit of rights that should have been inalienable; women whose contributions continue to pave the way and to inspire others. Mr. Speaker, I am from Chicago, a city rich in women pioneers and trailblazers, both past and present. One such individual is Ida B. Wells who founded the first black female suffrage club in Illinois, as well as the first kindergarten in a black neighborhood. Wells was born in 1862, was a slave for the first 6 months of her life, and spent the remainder of her life fighting for civil and economic rights for African Americans. Declaring that one had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or rat in a trap, Wells crusaded against lynching and segregation until her death in 1931. Labor activist Sylvia Woods was a pioneer in civil rights. During World War II, she led the Union organization at Bendix Aviation. She spent much of the 1940s organizing United Auto Workers Local 330 and formulating the UAW resolution against sex discrimination. Following the war, she assisted women who were laid off in Chicago and co-founded the National Alliance Against Racism. However, at present there are future history-makers that are making an impact on the lives of the citizens of Chicago and the Nation. Exemplary individuals from today include Addie Wyatt, Reverend Willie Taplin Barrow, Dr. Johnnie Coleman and Mrs. Mamie Bone. Reverend Addie Wyatt has the distinction of having had active involvement with the three major movements of the 20th Century, labor, civil rights and women's rights. Her leadership roles in labor were international vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and she broke ground as the first female local union president of the United Packing House and Allied Workers, and as international vice president of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America. Her founding roles in Operation Breadbasket and Operation PUSH, as well as her work with Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrate her commitment to civil rights. Her involvement in the women's movement has also generated a number of noteworthy achievements. Reverend Wyatt is a founding member of the National Organization for Women, was even appointed by Eleanor Roosevelt to serve on the Labor Legislation Committee of the Commission on the Status of Women. During her distinguished career, she advised Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Carter and other important leaders on causes. She and her husband Claude currently serve as pastors emeritus of the Vernon Park Church of God in Chicago. Reverend Willie Taplin Barrow is the co-chair of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and is well-known for breaking barriers in a male-dominated profession. She is an ordained minister and on the Governor's Committee on the Status of Women in Illinois. Another fine citizen is the Reverend Dr. Johnnie Coleman. Sometimes referred to as the first lady of the religious community, she is the founder-minister of Christ Universal Church where 4,000 people go to hear her words of wisdom and healing every Sunday. To her credit, Reverend Coleman has several organizations in Chicago, the Universal Foundation for Better Living, Inc.; the Johnnie Coleman Institute; and the Johnnie Coleman Academy and a book of teachings entitled Open Your Mind and Be Healed. Ms. Mamie Bone, as chairperson of the Central Advisory Council for the Chicago Housing Authority, fights regularly for residents. She serves as a member of the CHA Board of Commissioners and continues to champion the employment security and safety of public housing residents. Of course, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to just highlight the activities and the involvement of Margaret Blackshere, who currently serves as President of the Illinois Federation of Labor. She is an outstanding labor leader, civic activist, former teacher, political activist and a fighter for the rights of working people all over America. Margaret Blackshere, is currently the President of the Illinois AFL- CIO. A former classroom teacher, Blackshere has served on all levels of the Labor Movement from president of her local union in Madison to statewide vice president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, to her current position. Blackshere has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a master's degree in Urban Education--both from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. She has been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, served as the director of the Illinois Democratic Coordinated Campaign in 1990 and 1992, and is a member of the Democratic National Committee. Blackshere serves on various boards and councils including the United Way of Illinois, Voices for Illinois Children, White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, and the Illinois Skills Standard & Credentialing Council. She is a member of American Federation of Teachers Local 763 and is a delegate to the National AFL-CIO Convention.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, last week I sat in the Chambers, along with all of the rest of us, and listened to a great speech. As a matter of fact, as the President outlined his plans for the coming 4 years, talked about his budget for the next year, there was a great deal of applause. I applauded, along with everybody else; perhaps not as much as some and perhaps more than others. All the while I was applauding, I was being reminded of something that my mother used to tell us, and that is the devil is oftentimes in the details. I knew that we were not getting very many details and I did not know that we would find the devil. Then after I left and went home and started to read the speech and then the next day when the budget was released, I started looking at the things that the President did not tell us. President Bush did not tell us that 42.6 percent of his tax cut proposal would benefit the top 1 percent of our population or that 59.4 percent would benefit the top 10 percent and only 12.6 percent would go to the lowest 60 percent of the taxpayers. It seems to me that this leaves a lot of children and families behind. As a matter of fact, it leaves them out altogether. If the $25,000 a year waitress that President Bush talked about has two children and child-care expenses of $200 a month, she does not pay any Federal income tax; therefore, would get nothing from the Bush proposal. Yet she has to continue to pay her payroll taxes like everybody else. The budget that the President has released raised some other issues and concerns for me. This budget raises a number of policy issues because it is based on a $2 trillion surplus projection for the next 10 years, which leaves no money to address future needs for prescription drug benefits, establishing Social Security and Medicare reforms, improving the education of our children and continuation of reducing the national debt. The President's tax cut proposals would provide no benefit to nearly one out of every three families. Then as I started to look at the budget, and I looked at the small business budget which fuels the economy, over the last decade we have experienced a tremendous growth, unprecedented in our history, and yet the President announced a budget that cuts the Small Business Administration's budget from $900 million to $540 million. This represents a 43 percent cut. The Bush plan also imposes $12 million in new fees on small businesses that use small business development centers, which provide management and technical assistance to current and prospective small business owners. We talked a great deal about new markets and venture capital. The President's budget proposes no funding for these programs. The 7A General Business Loan Program, the President's budget cuts it by $4.3 billion. After looking at all of these cuts that I did not hear about when the speech was given, or when we knew that a budget was coming, now I know that the budget is risky; it is unfair to working families. So, Mr. Speaker, I am afraid that the more we look at the details, the more we are going to find the devil. I would just hope that the budget will end up not a devilish budget but a budget that really reflects the needs, hopes and aspirations of all the American people.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in support of the concurrent resolution authorizing the printing of a revised version of ``Black Americans In Congress, 1870-1989'' Our beloved Capitol is rich in culture, art, and most importantly, history. It is this great history that paints a picture of growth, prosperity and advancement for all of the world to see. And in this spirit, it behooves us to take note of those great pioneers, who came before us, and blazed a trail for us to follow. It is important to take note of the accomplishments of Congressman Jefferson Franklin Long, the first Black congressman from Georgia. It is essential that history reflects the legacy of Bill Dawson, the first Black congressman to serve on a major congressional committee. We can never forget the contributions of Adam Clayton Powell who introduced legislation to outlaw lynching and the poll tax, and to ban discrimination in the armed forces, housing, employment and transportation. These are just three out of countless examples that illustrate the important accomplishments of legislative patriarchs who presided in these hallowed halls. The reprinting of ``Black Americans in Congress'', is essential. I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution to help further our dedication in preserving and maintaining the rich history of our Country and fortifying the spirit and heart of our Country's citizens.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) for her outstanding work and for yielding to me. I rise, joining my colleagues, on this day during Black History Month to discuss two critical issues that impact every American citizen, voting rights and the need for reform. Mr. Speaker, it is one of the great historic truisms that our right to vote, the ultimate expression of the empowerment of the people and the bedrock of our democracy, is also perhaps the most hard-won right accruing to Americans. The battle to extend the right to vote to every citizen, especially women and African Americans, has shaped much of our Nation's history, and along with the battle to protect the vote has, and continues to, shape and reshape our notions of democracy. Events in Florida this past November remind us that this is no mere intellectual exercise. Unfortunately, events in Florida during the election reflect the fact that we leave the 20th century facing an assault with great parallels to the events which ushered in the century. After the Civil War, our Nation witnessed great movement towards democracy. Swept along by a powerful movement for African American equality, Congress passed the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution. The movement for equality rapidly grew into a movement to claim a fair share of political representation. Some two dozen African Americans were elected to the Congress, and some 700 African Americans to State legislatures in the South. The response was a wave of terrorism and oppression followed by a storm of political and legal repression. One of the most horrific and shameful symbols of that wave of terror came in the summer of 1908, when in the town of Springfield, Illinois, my home State, home to President Abraham Lincoln, America learned of a race riot of mass terror against African Americans which lasted for days and which killed and wounded scores of African Americans and which drove thousands from the city. Those riots led directly to the founding of the NAACP by W.E.B. DuBois and other brave and far-sighted individuals and to the unfolding of a century of struggle for political and voting rights. The landmark cases, Smith versus Allwright giving African Americans the right to vote in primary elections in Texas, Thornburgh versus Gingles ruling that redistricting to dilute the voting strength of minorities is illegal, Chisom versus Roemer ruling that the Voting Rights Act applies to the election of Judges, were driven by the unrelenting determination of mass struggles and marches, boycotts, sit- ins and voter registration drives, and by the great political victories including, in the first place, the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Second only to the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th and 24th amendments to the Constitution, no tool has been more powerful in breaking the bonds which denied political representation to African Americans and other minorities, and especially even to women. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU and a host of peoples' organizations wielded this tool with great effectiveness. As a result, our democracy was expanded and enriched, our political institutions regained credibility, our government's effectiveness was redoubled. However, those that thought full equality would come on its own had not fully appreciated the words of Frederick Douglass, when he said that power concedes nothing without struggle. The 20th Century ended with the beating of Rodney King, the dragging death of James Byrd, the assassination of Ricky Byrdsong, and the 20th Century ended with renewed Supreme Court attacks on affirmative action and voting rights. With cases such as City of Mobile versus Bolden and Shaw versus Reno, the Supreme Court reflecting the political events of the last quarter of the century, began do dismantle generations of hard-won gains in the battle for equality and justice. Gone were the days of overt racism. In its place was a new paradigm, one which shed crocodile tears for fairness and democracy, all the while ruthlessly ripping at African American voting rights. It was not long ago that America responded to the demands of protests, wrapped her strong arms around the impervious suffrage movement led by African American leaders and other leaders and relieved trepidation of an abused who longed to take an active role in shaping our democracy. On August 6, 1965, our Nation matured and took a giant leap forward towards equality. On that day, America witnessed the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This historic act enforced the right that no voting qualification or prerequisites to voting or standard practice or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color. This landmark event, among other historical moments in American history, unified our country and together we began building a bond of comradeship and brotherhood. By voting, thousands of citizens began to speak a common language, democracy. Ironically, this great achievement has been overshadowed by recent developments. According to the NAACP, despite a record level voter turnout among African Americans during the November 7 general election, black voters were confronted with a multitude of nonuniform election practices which impeded their ability to vote. So when a private company, ChoicePoint, gave Florida officials a list with the names of 8,000 ex-felons to scrub from their voting lists, and it turned out that none on the list were felons, that is a new and deadly threat to democracy. It makes no difference that the source of the list was the State of Texas. It makes no difference that Florida officials made an attempt to restore some of those purged. It makes no difference that the company dismissed the error as a minor glitch, less than \1/10\ of 1 percent of the electorate. The fact is that 8,000 votes is some 15 times the margin of victory in Florida, a margin which determined the Presidency of the United States. The fact is that in Hillsborough County, Florida, the number of African Americans on the list of felons was 54 percent while African Americans make up only 11.6 percent of Hillsborough's voting population. The fact is that ChoicePoint is only a small part of a system which denies African Americans the right to vote and to have their vote counted in Florida, a system which includes, according to suit filed by the NAACP, arbitrary and racially disparate adverse impact on the electoral systems, racial disparity in election administration, wrongful purging of eligibility voters, failure to timely and correctly process voter registrations, improper procedures for change of residence and unequal access to the inactive list. And so you see, Mr. Speaker, what happened in Florida is a mirror of what is happening all over America. Now is the time for America to say, not only will we renew the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but we will be serious in our efforts to make sure that each and every American, no matter where they live, no matter what their race, creed, ethnic origin, background, income status, they will have the right to participate effectively in the making of decisions in this great democracy, anything less than that makes a mockery of our understanding of what democracy really is.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support House Resolution 2 Social Security and Medicare Lockbox Act, the Social Security is the Nation's largest retirement and disability program providing cash benefits to 44 million retired and disabled workers and to their dependents and survivors. Medicare provides 39 million of them with health insurance. Today, 1 out of 6 Americans receive Social Security; 1 out of 7 receives Medicare. About 155 million workers paid taxes to support the two programs. A major issue for President George W. Bush will be to provide a fiscal responsible plan for maintaining the solvency of the Social Security System while guaranteeing income for America's retired and disabled workers. Historically, Social Security has been a ``pay-as-you-go'' system. Ninety percent of the payroll taxes paid by workers are immediately spent as benefits to current Social Security recipients. The other 10 percent goes into the Social Security Trust Fund for payment of future benefits. Here lies the problem. In 1950 it took 16 workers to support 1 beneficiary on Social Security compared to 3.4 workers to support 1 recipient today. Mr. Speaker the American people demand that the Social Security and Medicare surpluses will not be used for anything other than their current purposes. Even if, the current $2.7 trillion projected surpluses that are available for tax and spending initiatives will be used up by President Bush's tax cut for the wealthiest 1 percent and other items that are associated with debt service costs. Spending our surpluses projected for the next 10 years leaves us nothing to protect Social Security and Medicare.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the census figures are now out. As we feared, it looks as though the undercount is going to be 3 million or more people. That is 3 million of the most needy; 3 million who are homeless, helpless, hopeless, in many instances people who live in disadvantaged communities; people who live in rural America, in inner-city areas, in ghettos and barrios; people who need the resources of government the most; people who are sick, do not have access to health care; children who need day care; seniors who need Meals on Wheels or just a place to go, place to sit, place to be; people who need nursing homes. The most needy people in our country, Mr. Speaker, are those who are undercounted, those who need the resources of education, of health care. So, Mr. Speaker, I come to urge President Bush to make use of adjusted figures; that is, to use statistical sampling as the basis for the allocation of resources based upon population needs in these various communities. Now, I can understand the Supreme Court decision that said we are not going to use sampling for apportionment. So there is nothing political about what I am asking. There is nothing political about what I am urging. I am simply urging that the most needy people in this country be counted so that they can have the availability of public resources accrued to them based upon their existence, the fact that they are, and the fact that they are needy. I urge the President to please take into consideration these points as he makes the decision about the use of adjusted numbers.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as we reconvene the Congress, as we begin to deal with the various issues which affect our Nation and our country and our world, I thought I would take some time this morning to highlight one of those; and it has to do with the continuing escalation of HIV and AIDS. As a matter of fact, I was looking at a report that suggests that, in the first detailed study to target some of the AIDS epidemic's overlooked victims, researchers in Chicago reported Monday that fully 30 percent of young gay African-American men are infected with HIV. The infection rate for gay blacks was twice that of any other ethnic group, a finding that shocked some experts despite the already well- documented racial gap in AIDS cases. ``This is a disturbing and frightening number, and something should be done about it,'' said Linda Valleroy, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who led the six-city survey of gay men in their twenties. The results were outlined Monday at the 8th Annual Retrovirus Conference being held in Chicago this week. The new figures reflect a troubling reality for gay black men who may not have enough income to live in the largely white gay enclaves where AIDS health centers are located. Such problems are amplified, gay advocates say, by lingering rifts over homosexuality within the African-American community itself. For example, and I quote, ``I am an African-American gay man living with HIV. In some people's eyes, I'm damned several times over,'' said Frank Oldham, Jr., who is the assistant commissioner of AIDS public policy at the Chicago Department of Health. Previous AIDS surveys tended to focus on members of the white population, Valleroy said, in part because the researchers sampled gay neighborhoods where relatively few blacks live, men who frequented gay bars, clubs, restaurants and coffee houses. Valleroy's team succeed in recruiting 408 gay black men for the survey, about 17 percent of the total. Moreover, no previous study had looked at the infection rate among gays in this age group, which included men, ages 23 to 29. The findings suggest that gay men of all races are engaging in risky behavior. Nearly half of the men interviewed had unprotected anal sex during the previous 6 months. Even those who are not infected are in danger of becoming infected. I think what this report suggests, Mr. Speaker, is that, notwithstanding whatever the resources are that have heretofore been made available, that there is a tremendous need. I would urge President Bush, as he prepares his budget for the coming year, to make absolutely certain that there are ample provisions for the prevention, detection, and treatment of the AIDS-HIV virus.