Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in honoring First Book on the occasion of their twentieth anniversary and celebrating their work on behalf of children in need, in Illinois and across the country. First Book is a nonprofit that provides brand-new books and educational resources to schools and community programs serving children from low-income families. Since 1992 they have distributed over 90 million new books to kids in need. First Book was founded twenty years ago by Peter Gold, Elizabeth Arky and Kyle Zimmer. After working with children in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the Nation's capital and seeing how their futures were limited by their lack of access to books and resources, they created First Book. Ms. Zimmer continues to lead the organization today, and her vision and passion have helped First Book grow from a local nonprofit to a global social enterprise with an unsurpassed record of success. First Book is set apart by more than their deep commitment to the children, teachers and community leaders they serve. By working with the publishing industry to create new and innovative ways to get books and resources to children in need, they are creating a ground-breaking and self-sustaining model that benefits both the donors and the recipients. First Book is also committed to empowering teachers and program leaders, ensuring that the educators closest to the children choose the books that have the greatest chance of turning those young people into lifelong readers. I ask the House to join me in honoring First Book and further ask the members to introduce First Book to teachers and community leaders in their home districts. The more schools and local programs join First Book's network, the closer we will come to achieving equity in education for all our children.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam for implementation of a tremendous economic development project in the Auburn-Gresham community of Chicago, Illinois. After being closed for twelve years, on Sunday July 1, 2012, at 706 W. 79th Street, 17 Ward, where the Honorable Latasha Thomas is Alderman. The Nation of Islam re-opened the beautiful five (5) million dollar renovated Salaam Restaurant. In the Webster Dictionary, Salaam is defined as meaning peace. And peaceful it is. The Nation is reported to have spent in excess of $5 million dollars to renovate the facility and make it a top of the line, first class community venue. The Salaam has already attracted family gatherings, dinner parties, ministers meetings, business group meetings and visitors from across the nation. At one meeting with ministers, Minister Farrakhan is reported to have said to the group ``We built the Salaam restaurant with steel and concrete, that's why we could close it for twelve years and come and find it still here! Because brothers and sisters; for you, there is nothing too good.'' For you, we call this, ``The Palace of the People.'' ``From our bakery, we intend to give out your daily bread, freshly baked bread made of the finest ingredients. The Salaam restaurant also has wonderful vegetarian cuisine. But for those who just must have a tenderloin steak, or lamb, come on here to the Salaam.'' ``Up stairs on the second floor is a private banquet hall, along with the Ministers' private dining room and adjacent is a piano room.'' Currently the restaurant employs forty people and is eager to expand. Many people have called this magnificent creation the ``jewel of 79th street'' and is a wonderful place for tourist and visitors when they come to Chicago.'' Once again, my hat is off to Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam for putting their money where their mouth is and adding another level of pride for Alderman Latasha Thomas and the people of the 17th Ward in the City of Chicago.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as we mark the 40th anniversary of Title IX--the historic law establishing equal access to education for women, I would like to take a moment to recognize the importance of equal pay for equal work, another federal policy that is essential to providing equal opportunity for women in our country. The contemporary push for women's rights began with the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Although this statute was a great advancement for women in society, much work remains to strengthen the reality of equal pay for women. For example, in 1963, women earned sixty cents for every dollar a man made. Today, according to the latest Census statistics, women only earn seventy-seven cents for every dollar a man makes--progress but still an egregiously-unfair and unequal disparity. Equal pay is the foundation for economic well-being and security. Policymakers must take action to ensure that equity in pay is a national priority. In 2009, the 111th Congress took strides to further close the gender discrimination gap in the professional work environment by passing The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. This law initiated great improvements for women in the workforce, such as allowing a time frame extension to file lawsuits against employers for wage discrepancies. However, additional protections are needed, which is why Democratic lawmakers are advancing the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens the equality provisions within the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and eliminates the loopholes not seen in the past. For example, it increases penalties on employers who violate federal law and allows women to pursue legal matters if they are treated unjustly. The legislation also ensures equality in the tax code so that everyone--male and female, high-income earners and those living in poverty--pays their respective tax rate. Fairness should be applicable to all, in wages and in taxes. The Paycheck Fairness Act provides effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for equal work, and Congress should pass the bill as soon as possible. Equality in pay is an issue of civil rights. Women represent more than half of the workforce, and they deserve the full-amount of earnings for their work. Loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime due to unequal pay undermines the economic security of women and our nation. I will continue to steadfastly support and advance legislation that promotes gender equality and civil fairness.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize the 40th anniversary of Title IX. This historic piece of legislation has had a profound and lasting impact on gender equity in this country. While many people associate Title IX with primarily promoting funding equality in collegiate athletics, its impact is much greater--affecting the role of women as leaders and role models in our society. Title IX of the Education Amendments in 1972 prohibited sex discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. It is the cornerstone of federal statutes that require equal access to all areas of education for women. Title IX sent a message to young women across this country that their achievements were just as great as those of their male counterparts. The opportunity to succeed is an essential tenet of our American spirit; Title IX provides women with an opportunity to succeed in collegiate athletics and beyond. An entire generation of young women has seized this opportunity, as evidenced by their many achievements. In the past 40 years, women have excelled in all aspects of society. In law and government, we have seen the first female Speaker of the House, the first female Supreme Court Justice and the first female Secretary of State. In science and technology, we have seen the first female astronaut enter space and six female scientists receive Nobel Prizes. Title IX has helped lay the foundation for equal educational access for these achievements. In addition, Title IX has helped create a generation of young female athletes: in 1972, only 1 in 27 women participated in high school sports; now 1 in 3 participate. Sports can play a key role in a young person's successful growth and development. Young people who participate in sports are more likely to be goal-oriented, healthy, confident and ambitious. These athletes have lower teenage pregnancy rates, are less likely to commit crimes and are less likely to use drugs or alcohol. The dramatic increase in female sports participation is undoubtedly an important factor in women's success and advancement in the past 40 years. Women have come a long way since the 1970s, but considerable work remains. On average, a woman still earns only 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man across all occupations and levels of educational attainment. Further, women's rights to healthcare and prevention services are being challenged by courts and legislatures across this country. As policymakers, we must remember how long it has taken women to get to this point and must not allow gender equity to recede. We must continue to legislate with the spirit of equality and opportunity, as the Members of the 88th Congress did 40 years ago. I commend the many achievements that women have made since the passage of Title IX and look forward to seeing many more in the future.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, ``We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.'' College access and success are fundamental stepping stones toward economic security and global competitiveness. As policymakers, it is imperative that we support students in making college affordable so that our citizens and nation can prosper. I strongly supported the passage by the House of the bipartisan Senate agreement to prevent a doubling of the student loan interest rates. Without this action before July 1, more than seven million students would have seen their interest rates double, resulting in an approximate $1000 additional debt burden per student for this year. Indeed, failure to act would have added $6.3 billion to students' debt burden in 2012, with 1.5 million African-American students and 1 million Latino students experiencing an additional $1.5 billion and $1 billion in loan repayment costs, respectively. Unfortunately, the agreement prevents the interest rate hike by cutting student financial aid, continuing a disturbing trend in which the Republican Leadership insists that low-income and middle-class students pay for federal student aid programs and deficit reduction. In the last two years, the Republican Leadership has insisted on multiple cuts to student aid, including: elimination of the interest subsidy for graduate student loans; elimination of the interest subsidy for the six-month grace period after finishing school; elimination of summer Pell grants; reduction in the number of semesters a student can receive Pell grants; erection of barriers to qualifying for the maximum Pell grant; and reduced eligibility for the minimum Pell grant award. These cuts require low-income and middle-class students to incur roughly $20 billion in the cost of their federal loans and resulted in 145,000 students losing their Pell grants. Rather than viewing federal support for higher education as an investment in our nation, Republicans in the House prefer to subsidize oil companies that make tens of billions of dollars in profits rather than help low-income and middle-class students afford college. I firmly believe that we must help all citizens access the American dream, not just the most privileged. We must strengthen the system of student aid, not weaken it. In addition to interest rates, there are multiple other education policies that lawmakers must support in order to prepare our youth for the future. For example, we must increase Pell Grants, which constitute a critical avenue by which low-income students access higher education. If Pell Grants are reduced in any way, attending and completing college will be beyond the financial reach of the vast majority of low-income students. Reductions in Pell also will have a disparate negative impact on racial and ethnic minority groups given that 46% of African Americans, 39% of Hispanics, 36% of American Indians, and 22% of Asian American and Pacific Islander undergraduate students rely on Pell, with African Americans representing about one-quarter and Latino Americans representing approximately one-fifth of Pell recipients. For the 2012- 2013 academic year, the maximum Pell Grant will be at a historic low, covering less than one-third of the cost of a four-year degree. This is unacceptable. Further, policymakers must also maintain consumer protections on student loans, such as income-based repayment as well as re-institute bankruptcy protections for private student loans. Income-based repayment is a critical improvement to financial aid that makes higher education affordable by limiting repayment based on the income and family size of borrowers. For most borrowers, loan payments end up being less than 10 percent of their income--or nothing if the borrower experiences financial difficulty. After 25 years of qualifying payments, the remaining loan amount is eligible for forgiveness. These Democratically-championed policies promise to help borrowers handle their student loan debt in a responsible manner as they enter the workforce, have families, and purchase homes. Consumer protections related to bankruptcy for private student loan debt are equally important, but will require Congressional action. Unfortunately, without any hearings, in 2005 Congress made private student loans by for- profit lenders extremely difficult to discharge in bankruptcy even after meeting the restrictive criteria for bankruptcy, treating private student debt in the same manner as debts for criminal penalties and back taxes. This 2005 change gave special federal protections to for- profit lenders, penalized borrowers for pursuing higher education, and provided no incentive to private lenders to lend responsibly. Private education debt is no different than other consumer debt; it involves private profit and deserves no privileged treatment. Congress must restore fairness in student lending by treating privately issued student loans in bankruptcy the same as other types of private debt This is why I introduced the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Act, which I will continue to champion until it is law. A strong economy requires an educated workforce, and an educated workforce comes from ensuring students and their families have what they need to prepare for, enroll in, and complete college. Given that student debt has surpassed credit card debt for the first time in history, our economy remains fragile, and the labor market demands increased skills, now is not the time to make deep and permanent cuts to critical college programs serving needy students. I urge the Republican Leadership to invest in education and support students. I will steadfastly protect federal financial assistance for higher education so that we can build our youth for the future.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, when it comes to health care in the United States low-income and minority people are underserved and uninsured, with this in mind the health care reform legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on March 23 of 2010. This law ensures that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has determined that this law will provide coverage to 32 million more people, or more than 95 percent of Americans, while at the same time lowering health care costs over the long term and reducing the deficit by $138 billion through 2019, with $1.2 trillion additional deficit reduction in the following 10 years. When considering this law I cannot help but think of the 52,000 children and families from the 7th district of Illinois that do not have coverage or have low-quality health care coverage. The Affordable Care Act provides the following benefits to these individuals: Improves coverage for 334,000 residents with health insurance. Gives tax credits and other assistance to up to 158,000 families and 14,100 small businesses to help them afford coverage. Improves Medicare for 76,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole. Extends coverage to 52,000 uninsured residents. Guarantees that 11,500 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage. Protects 1500 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs. Allows 60,000 young adults up to the age of 26 to obtain coverage on their parents' insurance plans. Provides millions of dollars in new funding for 92 community health centers. Reduces the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $222 million annually. The Affordable Care Act will help begin to fill the Medicare Part D drug doughnut hole to reduce the cost burden for 76,000 beneficiaries in my district. It's going to extend coverage to 52,500 uninsured individuals who currently go to the county hospital. This legislation, in my mind, is the most impactful health legislation that we have seen since Medicare and Medicaid. The positive impact of this law extends beyond my district, to every district in our country. The Affordable Care Act provides new ways to bring down costs and improve the quality of care for every individual, including those individuals who historically have had little to no health coverage. This is evident because each year more than 83,000 racial and ethnic minorities die as a result of lacking access to high quality and culturally competent health care. In turn, this cost us more than $300 billion every year. I am so thankful that there is finally equal access to health care coverage. We should be proud that now children, the elderly, low-income, and minorities can equally access preventative services, primary physicians, and urgent care. I believe the expansion of coverage to these individuals has a major impact on the health of the current generation, as well as future generations. This law ensures that more than 17.6 million children with pre- existing conditions can no longer be denied quality coverage. It also allows children to stay on their parents' health insurance up to age 26. Now, 410,000 African-American and 736,000 Latino, young adults between the ages of 19-25, who would have been uninsured are now covered under their parents' health insurance. To date about 6.6 million young adults up to age 26 have already taken advantage of this section of the law, and have to obtained health coverage through their parents' plan. Considering 3.1 million of those young adults would be uninsured without this coverage, this law has made a major impact in young peoples' lives. I believe it is imperative to the future well- being of our country that we provide the upcoming generations with this form of adequate and equal healthcare coverage. In addition, the law now includes a section regarding funding to states for home visitation programs. The funding provides a critical opportunity for federal, state, and local communities to improve the health and well-being of children and families. Quality, early childhood visitation is a proven and cost-effective method to improve schools readiness, well-being, and health for children and families. I truly believe in the importance of this provision that is why we have worked bipartisantly for over five years to establish these evidenced based prevention grants to prepare our youngest citizens for success in school and life. Older adults spend more money on health related costs than any other age group and they have the most health related needs, for this reason I am grateful that this law extends coverage to older adults. I am proud that we can now rest assured because, 4.5 million African American and 3.9 million Latino elderly and disabled who receive Medicare will have expanded access to preventative services with no cost-sharing, including annual wellness visits with personalized prevention plans, diabetes and colorectal cancer screening, bone mass measurements and mammograms. In fact, during 2011, 2.3 million seniors had a free Annual Wellness Visit under Medicare. We have seen this law continue to help older adults during 2012, with already 1.1 million seniors receiving a free visit within the past six months. We should also note that in 2011, 32.5 million seniors received one or more free preventive services. I believe this is outstanding, and with 14 million seniors having already received these services this year, we can anticipate even more seniors being served by the end 2012. I am proud that the Affordable Care Act also includes the Community First Choice Option, it is a provision I have worked very hard on. This law is a major step forward to ending Medicaid's institutional bias by allowing states to give individuals with disabilities who are Medicaid eligible and who require an institutional level of care to choose between receiving care at home or in a nursing facility. Receiving community-based services and supports is critical to allowing people to lead independent lives, play an active role in day-to-day family life, have jobs, and participate in their communities. These are services our older adult population and citizens with disabilities need. It will keep them stronger and healthier longer. I am extremely happy that in 2014 Medicaid coverage will expand to include families with incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Our public health care system is overloaded and stretched past the breaking point and the extension of Medicaid is critical to sustaining that system. This expansion will now include adults without dependent children living at home; this is a population that has previously not been eligible in most states. This ensures that all individuals have equal access to health care coverage. I will be watching closely to ensure that this provision of the law is implemented in a manner consistent with the best interests of the American people. The Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage to minority and low- income individuals, who have historically had the lowest heath care coverage. In fact, it is estimated that by 2016, 3.8 million African Americans and 5.4 million Latinos, who would otherwise be uninsured will gain coverage. This means that by 2016, 6.2 million Americans who would otherwise have to go to the emergency room for a minor ear ache now has the opportunity to go to a primary physician at a medical home. Also, starting in August, millions of women will begin receiving free coverage for a package of comprehensive women's preventive services. This allows us to anticipate lower rates of prenatal medical issues and that future generations will be born healthy. The law also provides funding to improve quality of care and management of chronic diseases that are more prevalent amongst African Americans and Latinos. This will ensure that individuals with chronic diseases can receive the medication and care needed for their wellbeing. It is reassuring to know that 105 million Americans will no longer have a lifetime limit on their coverage. I feel that one of the greatest benefits of the Affordable Care Act are the laws that assists medical institutions in eliminating disparities that both African Americans and Latinos face in their heath care services. More funding is now going towards data collection and research about health disparities. The second part of this funding extends to increase racial and ethnic diversity of health care professionals and strengthen cultural competency training among providers. This will improve diversity and equality in the health care industry. In fact it is estimated that by 2014 the percentage of African Americans in the National Service Corps will increase from 6 percent to 18 percent, and the percentage of Latinos will increase from 5 percent to 21 percent. This is an amazing improvement that I am proud to witness during my service. I hope that this increase in diversity inspires and empowers the next generation of doctors, nurses and surgeons to advocate for even further health care equality for all people.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, U2 has a song, ``Some Days Are Better Than Others.'' The lyrics go something like this: Some days are dry. Some days are leaky. Some days come clean. Other days are sneaky. Some days take less, but most days take more. Some slip through your fingers and onto the floor. Well, Mr. Speaker, today it is certainly threatening to slip through onto the floor. The House is apparently preparing for an unprecedented floor vote to hold a sitting Attorney General, the Nation's chief law enforcement officer, in contempt. The path that has led us to this sorry day is so long, so bizarre, so tortuous, so fantastical, so unbelievable that it stretches the imagination of individuals to try to make some sense out of our actions. The Oversight Committee started out investigating the so-called ``gun walking'' which was initiated under the Bush administration. The Department of Justice produced thousands of pages of documents. The Attorney General testified nine times, and the committee found no wrongdoing by the Attorney General. So the committee majority turned its attention to a February 4, 2011, letter sent by the Department of Justice to Senator Grassley, initially denying allegations of gun walking. The DOJ acknowledged the errors in the letter to Senator Grassley and provided more than 1,300 pages of internal documents showing how the letter came to be drafted. The documents demonstrated that the staff did not intentionally mislead Congress but relied on assurances from ATF leaders and officials in Arizona who ran the operation. Did the committee call the head of the ATF, Ken Melson, to testify as to how this happened, as Democratic members of the committee requested? The answer is no. Did the committee call former Attorney General Mukasey, who was briefed on the botched effort to coordinate arms interdiction with Mexico in 2007? The answer is no. Instead, the majority members demanded more internal deliberative documents from the Department of Justice after the Grassley letter had been sent. Instead, the committee leadership made an ever-escalating series of allegations regarding the involvement of the White House, documented in YouTube videos and news clips viewed on the Internet, which were subsequently withdrawn. The committee leadership has refused the Attorney General's offer to resolve the conflict. The President has now claimed executive privilege over a very narrow group of documents from the Department of Justice in response to Chairman Issa's threat to hold the Attorney General in contempt of Congress. This is the first time the President has claimed executive privilege, in sharp contrast to recent previous Presidents who used the claim on numerous occasions in similar circumstances. Should the House continue to pursue this irresponsible action, it is likely that it would lead to many years of judicial action and would, of course, further poison the highly charged partisan atmosphere leading up to the elections and critical decisions regarding the Federal budget and all of the other things that we really seriously need to deal with. So I join with others who are asking the Speaker, who are imploring this House not to take such an irresponsible vote, not to take an irresponsible action, but to sit with the Attorney General, and let's resolve the conflict between the House and the executive branch. That's what reasonable people would do.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding. I rise in opposition to the rule and to the underlying bill, H.R. 5854, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Act, as related to project labor agreements. This bill would prohibit the use of project labor agreements. It takes away the ability of the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Battle Monuments Commission, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the Arlington National Cemetery to use a project labor agreement business model to determine what would be the most optimal and effective way to build construction projects. Currently, all of these agencies have two choices: either ``yes'' to use a project labor agreement or ``no'' to not use a project labor agreement. The bill before us eliminates the choice for these agencies in seeking the most effective and efficient use of taxpayers' money to perform construction projects in the best interest of our brave men and women. By banning project labor agreements it would contribute to delays in new construction and add more cost to the projects. If we want smart government, then I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``no.'' And without passage of the Grimm amendment, I would oppose both the rule and the bill.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. The longer I listen to this debate, the more confusing it becomes. I remember a wise man telling me once, You can't get blood out of a turnip, but you can slice it, you can dice it, whip it, and do everything, but it still ends up being turnip juice. I rise in strong support of Mr. Grimm's amendment, and I do so because there seems to be a tremendous lack of clarity. It's amazing how we can all read the same words but arrive at a different meaning. And we can read them over and over and over again. So it would seem to me that the best way to have clarity is to make absolutely certain that these agencies understand that yes, they do in fact have the authority to say yea or nay, yes or no, to entering into project labor agreements. I'm a strong supporter of organized labor. It doesn't mean that I think labor unions are perfect. Oftentimes, many of the people in the community where I live feel that they cannot access labor unions; that they can't get in, that they can't get membership. Yet and still, I think that project labor agreements are the best way to get the quality and the assurance that we're getting the best bang for the buck. So, again, I reiterate my support for the Grimm amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it was indeed an honor to have Pastor Joel Osteen serve as a guest Chaplin to open the house on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 with prayer for members of the House and for our nation. I also take this opportunity to wish Pastor Osteen, his wife Victoria, their family and entire organization well as they prepare and implement a major outpouring of religious favor this week in Washington DC area. The ability to fill the DC Stadium with people for religious praise and worship is indeed leadership and I commend Rev. Joel Osteen for being able to provide a great deal of that.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I cannot support H.R. 3541, the Republican bill that rolls back critical protections for a women's right to choose under the guise of preventing prenatal discrimination. While the bill's title includes the names of anti-discrimination activists Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas, its anti- discrimination premise is disingenuous--the bill actually reverses the rights that these leaders fought so hard for centuries ago. Rather than protecting women, this bill is just another thinly-veiled attack on women's rights. H.R. 3541 is legislation for a fictional problem. Statistics demonstrate that sex selection does not happen with regularity in our nation. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 91.4% of abortions in 2008 occurred prior to the 13th week of pregnancy, whereas gender identification by the most-common method of ultrasound is not available until between weeks 16 to 20. Further, gender ratios within the U.S. reflect a gender balance consistent with what one would expect it to be. The CIA's World Factbook indicates that the gender ratio at birth 1.05 males to females, which the Guttmacher Institute indicates is ``squarely within biologically normal parameters.'' The United States simply does not have a gender imbalance that would indicate that sex-selection occurs with any regularity. So, if gender selection is not a problem in the United States, one must wonder why the Republican leadership purports it to be one. The answer is that the bill before us simply is a deceptive effort to limit women's choice. Gender inequity should concern all of us. That we still live in a society that provides preferential treatment to men is deeply disturbing, and Congress should feel compelled to act to correct these inequities. Unfortunately, rather than promoting equal pay for women, advancing protections for all women from domestic violence, increasing access to affordable health care for all women, or addressing racial disparities in health care among women, the Republican leadership offers H.R. 3541 that would undermine the constitutional rights of women under a false cry of gender discrimination. This bill would encourage racial profiling, create additional barriers for women to access comprehensive health care, allow the government to interfere with confidential communications between doctors and their patients, and threaten physicians with criminal penalties for open, honest communication with their patients. So, I stand with dozens of diverse organizations--including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Public Health Association, Presbyterian Voices for Justice, and the National Women's Law Center--to strongly oppose House Republican bill H.R. 3541. As twenty-first-century policymakers, we should advance the rights of women and minorities, not weaken them. I vehemently oppose this dangerous and discriminatory bill that would limit women's health care options.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. It is my pleasure to rise today to note the third anniversary of the ending of the civil war in Sri Lanka. On May 19, 2009, a new era--an era of peace--began in this country; an era of hope, an era of possibility, and an era of justice with movement towards reconnection and reconciliation. Unfortunately, implementation of this new era of hope seems to be slow in coming, it seems to many Tamils in the country and throughout the diaspora who have lingering fears that governance of the country will remain closed and not as democratically operated as they would like to see and that justice demands. The President of Sri Lanka started talks with the Tamil National Alliance, the party that has won all elections in the northeast since the end of the war more than a year ago. Unfortunately, these talks seem to have bogged down and are not progressing as was anticipated. Sri Lanka is a highly centralized state. The lack of control over areas that we take for granted, such as the police, the use of land, and the education system, are often cited as being one of the causes of the civil war. It is reported that even areas not affected by the war suffer from neglect by Colombo and distant government officials who make arbitrary decisions, as is frequently noted by the World Bank and others. Tensions continue to exist between the Sinhalese, who control the government, and the Tamils, who consider the north and east as their traditional homeland. It is unfortunate that after hostilities ended on the battlefield, they still seem to exist in many of the same ways that occurred before the war actually broke out. It is my hope that Sri Lanka will be able to work through its difficulties so that this beautiful country can experience the peace and stability its citizens rightly deserve.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I cannot support the H.R. 4970, the Republican bill that rolls back critical protections for domestic violence victims. Until now, reauthorization of the Violence against Women Act has involved a strong, bipartisan effort. In sharp contrast to this bipartisan history, the Republican Leadership aggressively is pushing a bill that weakens current law, shifts power into the hands of abusers, delays or denies protection to battered spouses and victims of heinous crimes such as rape and sexual assault, prevents law enforcement from gaining the cooperation of many immigrant victims of serious crimes, and leaves more dangerous criminals on the streets to strike again. This is unacceptable and undermines the intent of the bill to protect all victims of domestic and sexual violence. In April 2012, the Senate passed by a vote of 68 to 31 a bipartisan bill that advanced the Federal government's commitment to protecting all victims--a bill that strengthens current law. In sharp contrast to the bipartisan Senate bill, the Republican bill fails to include key protections for Native American, immigrant, and LGBT victims of domestic violence. Even with the Manager's Amendment, the Republican bill undermines key protects for many domestic violence victims, making them less safe and tarnishing our American value of protecting the vulnerable. It is no wonder that over 100 organizations oppose the House Republican bill. So, I stand with the diverse group of organizations--including the NAACP, the National Women's Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors to strongly oppose the House Republican bill and to support the bipartisan Senate bill. As policymakers, we should be protecting our citizens, not decreasing their safety.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the pleasure to recognize a hometown hero, Ms. Danielle Green-Byrd as she has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Red Cross, Tiffany Circle Distinguished Woman Warrior Award for her outstanding service to our country. Ms. Green-Byrd is a 1999 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Psychology as a full scholarship athlete, excelling in varsity basketball. Once a standout left-handed shooter, she scored 1,106 points, averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the women's basketball team. Upon graduating from college, Danielle chose to serve her country by enlisting in the Army and subsequently sent to Iraq, serving with the 571st Military Police Company from Fort Lewis, Washington during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She explained that she wanted to gain life lessons as an enlisted soldier before one day receiving a commission. One of the first women injured during the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, Danielle had been at her post for only a few minutes when two rocket propelled grenades hit a barrier on the ground and exploded. A third hit her arm and damaged her thigh and face. She lost her left hand and arm and was awarded the Purple Heart. Presently, Danielle is the assistant sports coordinator in the Chicago Board of Education's Department of Sports Administration and Facility Management and spends time with military veterans in the Chicagoland area. She enjoys time playing golf, a sport that she has said has taught her patience and brought enjoyment. I am so proud to acknowledge a ``she-ro'' who is still living among us and I encourage her to continue to live her dreams, give back to the community and continue to make the greater Chicagoland community a better place. Congratulations and may God continue to bless you in every field of human endeavor.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I resolutely oppose H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Act of 2012. As our nation struggles to emerge from one of its worst economic crises, I am profoundly disappointed with the Republican Leadership for offering legislation that would harm tens of millions of Americans to deliver a windfall of additional wealth to already-privileged individuals and companies. Such overt protection for the wealthiest and most secure at the expense of the most vulnerable represents an affront to American values and blatant disregard of a policymaker's responsibility to protect our nation's citizens. Robbing the poor, children, elderly, and ill to further balloon the wealth of the most affluent in our country is deplorable. The Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 clearly demonstrates the fundamental disagreement between parties at present. The Democratic lawmakers believe that the federal government has the responsibility to help it citizens during times of struggle and economic hardship. To achieve this support and revitalize our nation, the Democrats maintain that shared responsibility among the wealthy and the middle class, defense and non-defense initiatives, and spending cuts and revenues are necessary. Strengthening our national and individual economic well- being requires balance. In contrast, the Republican Leadership asserts that the responsibility for helping the poor or vulnerable falls to individual charity and the path to economic revitalization is to eviscerate federal services that support the poor, elderly, children, and ill to deliver billions of dollars in financial assistance to the wealthiest individuals, oil companies, and businesses that ship jobs overseas. There are multiple provisions within the Republican Sequestration bill that exemplify the approach of giving massive tax breaks to the wealthiest while slashing vital services to the vulnerable. Take the elimination of the Social Services Block Grant, which provides critical support for child care, child welfare, and elderly services. Nearly all SSBG funds serve the needs of vulnerable adults, children and disabled. Terminating the program will affect approximately 23 million people, half of them children. Cutting SSBG means the 1.7 million seniors would lose ``Meals on Wheels'' and other home-based services. Eliminating SSBG means that 1.7 million children likely lose access to protective services, 451,000 children would be denied foster care, and 640,000 children likely lose child abuse prevention services. Stopping SSBG means that 4.4 million children would lose child care and related assistance--a loss that is especially egregious when 22 states reported considerable wait-lists for child care assistance in 2011. Slashing $36 billion to the food assistance program for the poor would reduce aid to 47 million Americans, terminate benefits for approximately 2 million low-income individuals, and revoke the automatic eligibility for free school meals for nearly 300,000 low- income children. In my Congressional District alone, there are 40,784 households receiving benefits--with 49.2% of these families having children under 18 and 30.9% having one or more people over the age of 60. These families already are bearing the brunt of our economic hardship. They cannot sustain further cuts to their food aid. Repealing the Medicaid and CHIP maintenance-of-effort requirements directly threatens the health coverage of millions of pregnant women, infants and children. Medicaid finances about 41% of births each year, serving as THE source of health care for 1 out of 4 children in our country--especially children with special healthcare needs. Removing the maintenance-of-effort protections of coverage would increase the number of uninsured children by at least 300,000 in 2015, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. Eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund further jeopardizes the health and well-being of women and children. Specifically, loss of the Prevention Fund means about 2.2 million fewer childhood vaccinations to prevent childhood diseases, 326,000 fewer breast cancer screenings, and 284,000 fewer cervical cancer screenings. Cutting the Prevention Fund means stopping tobacco cessation and obesity prevention programs. I have been a strong proponent of prevention my entire adult life given its proven ability to improve the quality of life for citizens with minimal financial investment. Indeed, proven community- based prevention programs yield an estimated return of $5.60 for every dollar invested. Since 2010, the state of Illinois has received $31 million from the Prevention Fund. I cannot support the loss of these funds. Dramatically reducing the Child Tax Credit by $7.6 billion means that more than 3 million children would lose the pro-family support that their low-income families need to put food on the tables and roofs over their heads. The Republican reconciliation bill offers an unacceptable vision for our nation that calls on the most vulnerable of our citizens to support a privileged lifestyle for the most secure. At a time in our history where more than one in five children currently lives in poverty and tens of millions of citizens struggle with unemployment, underemployment, and foreclosure, I cannot support such a vision that would undermine the well-being of millions of Americans. We must pursue a balanced approach to strengthening our nation's and our citizens' economic well-being, asking all to share in the sacrifice.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I rise to raise the awareness of a gradual but persistent scaling back of the Second Chance Act funding and urge my colleagues to support my amendment calling for a $10 million increase in 2013 funding. As all of us know, States are facing historic fiscal challenges and are being forced to make difficult budget choices. These choices are only made more difficult when prisons are packed to capacity and communities lack effective resources for dealing with offenders who return. The number of individuals in prisons and jails remain unacceptable. As a matter of fact, our country, the United States of America, is the most incarcerated nation on the face of the Earth, not only in actual numbers, but also in proportion of population. If current projections continue, State and Federal prisons will grow another 13 percent in the next year, which will add an additional 192,000 prisoners at a cost of $27.5 billion. In light of these challenges, the need for the Second Chance Act is greater now than ever before. The Second Chance Act is a commonsense response to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people released from prisons, jails, juvenile facilities and returning to their communities. Research confirms that comprehensive coordinated services can help formerly incarcerated individuals find stable employment and housing, thereby reducing recidivism. Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued updated enforcement guidance on employers' use of arrest and conviction records when making employment decisions. In its guidance, the EEOC cited that hiring policies that include blanket exclusions of people with criminal records have a disparate ratio impact and therefore violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The new rules call for employers to assess applicants on an individual basis, rather than excluding everyone with a criminal record through a blanket policy. The new policy also encourages employers to give applicants a chance to explain their criminal record before they are rejected outright and marks a momentous advancement in the employment arena for individuals who have been incarcerated. In addition, the Second Chance Act grants are working in improving public safety. The Moms and Babies program in Illinois' Decatur Correctional Center, a Second Chance grantee, has served 34 women. To date, no program participants have returned to prison. That's a 0 percent recidivism rate. In San Mateo, California, of the 224 participants in their Second Chance program, 61 have been returned to jail. That's a recidivism rate of 28 percent, well below the statewide average of 58 percent. At the Federal level, reentry has become a high priority for many of the Cabinet agencies in President Obama's administration. The Federal Interagency Reentry Council, established by Attorney General Holder in January of 2011, represents a significant executive branch commitment to coordinating reentry efforts and advancing reentry policies. If we don't know anything else, we do know one thing: We know that when individuals return home from jail and prison, if they don't get any help, chances are that 67 percent, or two-thirds of them, will have done what we call ``re-offend'' within a 3-year period of time. Those who get help oftentimes do not re-offend. And the more help they get, the less they will re-offend, thereby proving that the funds work. I urge passage of this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to robbing health and education to pay for oil. Baron Henry Brougham once said, ``Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave.'' Education is at the cornerstone of our democracy, and college access and success are fundamental stepping stones toward economic security and global competitiveness. As policymakers, it is imperative that we support students in making college affordable so that our citizens can prosper. We face an immediate crisis in college costs. Without congressional action, interest rates will get out of the box pushing students and families in deeper debt. Yet, rather than setting forth a bipartisan solution to address the impending interest rate hike, the Republican leadership insists on waging a partisan war on the health of our nation by cutting six billion dollars from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The Prevention and Public Health Fund invests in state and local public health entities to address critical public health problems effectively from the front end, lowering health costs and benefitting over one hundred million Americans. I have been a strong proponent of prevention my entire adult life given its proven ability to improve the quality of life for citizens with minimal financial investment. Indeed, proven community-based prevention programs yield an estimated return of $5.60 for every dollar invested. Since 2010, the state of Illinois has received $31 million from the Prevention Fund. I cannot support the loss of these funds. I do not understand the Republican position that decreasing access to women's health exams, children's immunizations, obesity programs, smoking cessation, and other proven health promotion programs by slashing prevention funding is better public policy than stopping billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies for oil companies with record profits. One policy approach benefits our society; the other benefits a handful of privileged corporations. Why should Republicans demand that the wealthiest oil companies that make tens of billions of dollars in profit receive billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies? With the price of a barrel of oil so high, there is no need to incentivize oil companies to produce oil. The billions of dollars of profit are incentive enough. Further, leading Senate Republicans have acknowledge that Big Oil doesn't need this incentive. I stand with the nearly 800 public health, prevention and other health and wellness advocates that strongly oppose repeal of this fund. Helping our nation's low and middle-income-students avoid deeper debt should not be contingent on eliminating funding for childhood immunizations and screening programs for breast and cervical cancer and birth defects. I support the extension of the interest rate reduction for student loans, but not at the expense of the health of our nation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Thank you very much, Representative Courtney. I want to not only thank you, but I want to commend you for the tremendous leadership that you've displayed on so many issues as I've watched you since you've become a Member of this House. I also want to thank you for taking on this issue--the issue of trying to ensure that young people especially in our country, a country that has been dubbed the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth--and it got to be that way because of its emphasis on education and providing opportunity for individuals to begin in life anywhere in this country and move as a result of education to the highest ranks, to the highest levels, to the ability to make valuable contributions not only to the development of their own lives, but to the lives of others. I often think of things that people have said about education and something that I'm told that Abraham Lincoln once said: Education makes a man easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave. College access and success are fundamental stepping stones towards economic security and global competitiveness. As policymakers, it is imperative that we support students in making college affordable so that our citizens can prosper. We face an immediate crisis in college costs. Without congressional action, interest rates will get out of the box. I'm very fortunate to represent a congressional district that has what we call an education mecca in terms of the numbers of institutions that we have in what we call the South Loop area of Chicago, which is only a few blocks long and a few blocks wide. We have more than a hundred thousand students just in that area at colleges and universities like Loyola, DePaul, Spertus College, East-West University. As a matter of fact, I was at the board meeting of East- West last evening, where we were reviewing our accreditation standards and making sure that everything was in order so that the thousands of students who attend that university could get the very best. But unless we make sure that students can acquire the money, I have organized a little scholarship fund in honor of my parents, because they believed so much in education--two of the smartest people I've ever known. My father finished fourth grade when he was 19 years old. We saw his report card. But he was a great reader and he read everything that he could get his hands on. My mother was a little more fortunate than that. She finished eighth grade and was considered to be one of the more educated people in our community. But they pushed for education. They knew that if their children were going to have opportunities that they did not have that they had to get as much education as they possibly could. So, when interest rates bar and prevent people, I just know so many students and so many families who are wondering if they're going to be able to make it. Last year, I had one family who called to ask if we could help them find the money just to get to school. They had done all of the other things that their daughter needed to do, but they came up short with transportation resources, and they were trying to keep from borrowing any additional money. And then once they get out of school, if your debt is so high when you go to try and find a job that it staggers you and pushes you back and works against your will, then it becomes even more difficult. So we're trying to make education affordable, just trying to give people the chance, the opportunity. Something I remember that the fellow named Wolfe said: To every man his chance, his golden opportunity to become whatever his manhood, talent, ambitions, and hard work combine to make him, that is the promise of America. Of course, if he were saying that today, he wouldn't have just said ``every man.'' He would have said, every person, every woman, everybody, every citizen, everybody who wants to should have that opportunity. So, again, I commend you for your leadership, I commend you for your tenacity, and I just like the way you work. I like what you do. I like the issues that you raise. And you mentioned the Pell grants. Senator Pell, from the same area of the country that you come from, his daughter was in my office not very long ago, saying that she and a group of her friends were going to get very active on the whole issue of trying to make sure that individuals who were incarcerated had an opportunity to pursue the Pell grant in honor of her father and remembering the great work that he did. So I remember you for the great work that you're doing. I thank you, and I'm pleased to join with you this evening.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. You are absolutely right, and I thank you again because I went to one of those land grant colleges--I, along with seven of my brothers and sisters--and I can tell you that, had they not existed, none of us ever probably would have gone to a college or university. So, thank you, again, as I take my leave.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Brenda V. Triplett on her retirement from the Social Security Administration after thirty-four years of service to our government. As a member of the Federal Workforce Subcommittee in the House, we have had the honor of hosting many fellows from SSA that have advised us on the many complex issues of the agency. Brenda has worked at various SSA offices in Illinois and Indiana. Her first position for SSA was at the Harvey, IL field office as a clerk and also as a clerk in the Markham, IL field office. Brenda's next position with SSA was at the Agency's Chicago Regional Office as a personnel staffing assistant in addition to the Gary, IN field office where she worked as an administrative aide; and later promoted to the service representative position there. Brenda was then promoted again to the Title 16 claims representative position located at the Back of the Yards field office in Chicago, IL. Finally, in August 2008, she was promoted to the Chicago Teleservice Center, Chicago, IL as a supervisor where she remained until present. During Brenda's retirement, she anticipates joining a bowling league. As an avid skater, there will be more opportunities for her to roller skate. In addition, she plans to act as primary caregiver for her parents and attend Bible study on regular basis. I congratulate Brenda on all of her achievements and wish all best in her future endeavors. In the words of an old Irish saying, ``May the sun always shine on your windowpane, May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain, May the hand of a friend always be near you, May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you!''

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I consider Ms. Bernie Wong to be among the very best of Social Workers in the United States of America or any place else in the world today. Bernie is being cited by President Obama for her outstanding leadership and development of the Chinese American Service League in Chicago. The Champion of the ``Change Award,'' recognizes a small select group of Americans who embody, innovate, educate and build. The Award ceremony is held at the White House to honor those who exemplify Cesar Chavez's core values including service to other, knowledge, innovation, acceptance of all people, and respect for life and the environment. Bernie Wong is being recognized for her tireless efforts on behalf of Chinese Chicagoans. Ms. Wong is one of ten individuals nationwide to receive this prestigious honor. Bernie Wong was the youngest of seven children and grew up poor, but never realized it. A product of a catholic school upbringing, Bernie learned early in life the meaning of generosity and compassion for others. Bernie's mother was always available to help others in need and would take Bernie and her siblings to visit the sick every week and provide food for people. Experiences in Bernie early years set the stage for her mission driven approach to serving others with dignity and respect. At eighteen, Bernie left Hong Kong for Sioux City, Iowa where she earned a four year scholarship to pursue a Bachelors' Degree in Sociology from Briar Cliff College. She went on to earn a Masters' Degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Bernie truly understand what poor new immigrants face when confronted by completely different culture and language. This realization gave her the courage to gather a few friends and begin the task of building the Chinese American Service League from the ground up. Founded in 1978, with a desk and chairs, the Chinese American Service League is now the largest and most comprehensive social service agency in the Midwest dedicated to the needs of Asian Americans. Housed in the award winning Kam L. Liu Building, and supported by an annual budget of $12 million, CASL's program reach over 17,000 clients each year. CASL services everyone in need, but primarily focuses on serving Chinese American immigrants in the metropolitan Chicago area. CASL's clients are low-income and a significant portion served is newly arrived immigrants. These individuals often have little formal education and possess a few transferable skills. Since 90% of CASL's clients speak little to no English, they find themselves unable to access needed social services. CASL provides a critical safety-net by employing over 400 multilingual professionals and support staff. CASL serves a vital niche in the community, often taking referrals from other social service agencies, neighborhood organizations, and government institutions in order to serve clients with specific language or other special needs. Bernie is a true she-roe and leader in her community. She is indeed a champion of change and I salute President Obama for recognizing it. She deserves every accolade that we can shower upon her.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. First of all, I want to thank the gentlelady from the Virgin Islands for her leadership in convening and anchoring these sessions that we hold each week. I also want to commend and pay tribute to Representative Bobby Scott for the tremendous leadership and work that he provides each year in helping the Congressional Black Caucus analyze, synthesize, and look seriously at how we move forward as we prepare a budget. As has already been indicated, budgets are indications of priorities--what is it that you're really hoping to do; what do you really hope to accomplish. And so this budget I view as a tremendously positive alternative to any of our budgets that I have seen at this time. So I rise in strong support of the Congressional Black Caucus' FY 2013 alternative budget. February's job report reveals 3 months of strong jobs growth in America. And while there is a sigh of relief for millions of consumers and the unemployed moving from the sidelines in search of work with hopes that their prospects will improve, there is little change for the 5.4 million long-term unemployed, 8.1 million involuntary part-time workers, and marginally attached individuals no longer in the labor force who wanted and were available for work and who looked for a job at some point during the last 12 months. And so it becomes obvious that any budget should have at its core job-creation opportunities so that people can experience this opportunity, or this commodity, that we call work. Appearances of an economy poised for growth does little for underserved minorities residing in disinvested communities blighted with high rates of joblessness, poor-performing schools, poverty, and crime. Indeed, the promise of a new day and new hopes are few and far between for poor and low-income workers, generally, and returning citizens with barriers to employment in particular. Indeed, over the past decade, the poor in America have gotten poorer. And, of course, the wealthy have gotten wealthier. Those called ``middle class'' have been squeezed to the point where they're teetering and certainly could go in either direction, that is, up with the right kinds of opportunities and down with the wrong kinds of opportunities. I don't believe that we can afford in good conscience to continue to turn a blind eye to census figures and monthly data reports of the economic injustices and suffering being imposed upon a growing number of people. Moreover, we cannot continue to hold a great Nation hostage for the sake of a few while millions suffer. If we're truly going to address the crisis in America and put all Americans back to work and reduce poverty, we must create a mixture of universal and targeted programs capable of weathering political obstacles. The Congressional Black Caucus alternative budget is a means to this end. Indeed, the CBC budget safeguards investment in public education, Pell Grants, and transportation vital to equipping minority youth and adults with skill sets so that they can obtain and maintain access to gainful sustainable employment in our ever-changing global economy; and also by renovating and building new schools and investing an additional $50 billion in transportation and infrastructure in 2013 and $155 billion above the President's budget over the next decade, repairing and building bridges across lakes, rivers, and streams, but also bridges to opportunity. The Congressional Black Caucus budget protects the health care safety net programs that have been developed. It also protects Second Chance funding while restoring funding to Department of Justice programs for citizens who are returning home from jail and prison with serious barriers to employment. We hold these truths to be self-evident that if America is to become the America that it has never been but the America that all of us hope for and know that it can be, then we would take the principles encased in the Congressional Black Caucus budget and comply those to whatever budgets are ultimately passed. So, again, I want to commend Mr. Scott, and I want to thank Delegate Christensen.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the lady for yielding. We've heard a great deal about Representative Payne this evening. Some of the fondest memories that I have of Donald was talking. He was a philosopher and a poet. All of the things that people have said that he did, he has done those. The last conversation we had was sort of a philosophical conversation. I believe that Tennyson framed Donald Payne long before he was born, and he wrote this poem that said: Sunset and evening star And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar. Donald crossed, but he left a great deal behind.