Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize one of my constituents from Chicago, James Bell, as he retires from The Boeing Company after 40 years of service to Boeing and its heritage companies. James is retiring as corporate president and chief financial officer of Chicago-based Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company and America's biggest manufacturing exporter. He is the highest-ranking African-American employee in the company's nearly 100 years of history. His legacy at Boeing transcends race and reflects a record of accomplishment, service, and leadership that came during a time of significant change. During Bell's career, Boeing expanded from being primarily a commercial airplane manufacturer to a company with a diverse portfolio of commercial, military, and civil products and businesses. Boeing's workforce, which includes over 170,000 employees, also has become more diverse, and James helped to make it so. James played a critical role in shaping this diverse workforce, sharing his life experiences, modeling outstanding leadership and mentoring others to become the leaders of tomorrow. James Bell grew up in south central Los Angeles, the youngest of four children of Clyde Bell, a postman, and Mamie, a county government clerk. During Bell's junior year at Jefferson High School in 1965, the Watts neighborhood erupted in rioting. Though sympathetic to the frustration and despair that sparked the rioting, James reacted to the sad destruction by committing himself to self improvement. He realized that education was the path to future success. In his senior year at Jefferson, Bell was elected student body president in part due to his interest in helping the school retain students and convincing them of the value of education. James studied hard and earned a partial scholarship to California State University at Los Angeles, where he majored in accounting. James has come a long way since his childhood, but he has stayed close to his roots and to his extended, close-knit family. In his first management job, he learned that he would be supervising several women, all of whom were older than him, so he reached out to his mother for advice. ``Always respect them as you would me, and you'll be all right,'' she counseled him. Following that advice served him well. Bell began his career as a staff accountant with Rockwell in 1972, after earning his bachelor's degree in accounting. He rose steadily, serving in positions of increasing responsibility including manager of accounting and, later, director of business management of the Space Station Electric Power System before becoming vice president in 1996, when Boeing acquired Rockwell's aerospace business. As vice president of contracts and pricing for Boeing Space and Communications, Bell oversaw policy direction, acquisition reform, new business opportunities and program performance, and he also served in business management roles for the International Space Station program. James was named chief financial officer of Boeing in 2003, a position he held until his retirement. In addition to his CFO duties, he served as chief executive officer of the company for several months in 2005 following the resignation of Boeing's top leader. As the chief financial officer, James was responsible for overall financial management of the company, including oversight of business performance, financial reporting and transparency, and multiple corporate functions including for example Controller, Treasury, Investor Relations, Planning and Contracts and Pricing. Under James' watchful eye and steady hand, Boeing's annual revenues have grown to nearly $70 billion. While his leadership will be missed, James will remain active in Chicago, serving on the board of directors of J. P. Morgan, Dow Chemical Company, and The Chicago Urban League. I am honored to celebrate the achievements of Mr. Bell and am hopeful for a prosperous and active retirement.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the chairman very much for yielding. As I listen to the debate and the discussion and as I listen to my colleague from Wisconsin talk about universal access, I am reminded of something that I read relative to the period of not just dissent but a takeover of Germany. I remember something that a rabbi said: They came for the Communists. I was not a Communist. They came for the Socialists. I was not a Socialist. Then they came for me, and nobody was left. It seems to me that, when we go after those individuals who are the most vulnerable people in our society and when we categorize and stereotype and make believe that if they get a card that they're going to be at the casino and that they're going to be at the strip joint, well, I can tell you that the people I know who get cards as TANF recipients are not usually found at a casino, and they're not found at a strip joint. As a matter of fact, if I thought that this legislation would provide one iota--one scintilla--of help for TANF recipients, I would be the first in line to support it. The reality is I don't believe it provides any help and that it does not provide any assistance, and I will certainly not be voting for it. All lawmakers agree that we should limit waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. We all agree that government assistance should be used for basic necessities, such as shelter and food. Unfortunately, the Republican bill is not a good faith effort to limit waste, fraud and abuse; in contrast, it fans the flames of prejudice with stereotypes portraying our Nation's poor as abusing government support. Simply put, this bill is a stereotype to rally the cry of the right wing that the poor in our country do not deserve government help. Rather than proposing programs to spur the economy or get Americans working, this Republican leadership simply takes cheap political shots. There is no evidence of rampant abuse of federal assistance to fuel lewd and lascivious lifestyles. In the state of California that represents one third of the Nation's TANF caseload, over a 3 year period, only .04 percent of Electronic Benefit Transactions occurred at gaming establishments and only .001 percent at adult entertainment establishments. In Florida, over a two year period, only .03 percent of Electronic Benefit Transactions occurred at stores with liquor licenses and .06 percent at casinos or pari-mutuel betting locations. This is not widespread fraud and abuse, as the Republican bill will have you believe. This bill is a false solution in search of a non-existent problem that serves to portray the poor as undeserving and fraudulent. The TANF extension is under consideration within the Payroll Tax Extension Conference. So, why is this provision on the Floor of the House this week moving separately? Solely to denigrate the poor and impugn their character to make the poor appear undeserving of government assistance. If the Republican Leadership was serious about trying to address any potential fraud, they would have addressed this issue systematically in the context of reauthorization. If the Republican Leadership was truly serious about addressing misuse of TANF dollars, they could have required States to detail how they are protecting against abuse while simultaneously ensuring that the state's response does not deny TANF recipients access to adequate access points and while ensuring that TANF recipients have Electronic Benefit access with minimal fees and surcharges. If the Republican Leadership was truly serious about addressing possible misuse of TANF dollars effectively, they would have addressed the States' concerns about inability to regulate these transactions and the costly burden such government over-regulation would inflict. Indeed, the American Public Human Services Association and the National Association of State TANF Administrators have raised concern about whether there is truly a need for such legislation and about the costs of such policies. If the Republican Leadership was truly serious about the use of TANF cards at certain establishments, they would have considered why low- income people may need to use ATMs located in these venues--mainly lack of access to a financial institution. In Illinois, an estimated 304,000 households have access to no bank, with an additional 773,000 households having only limited access to financial institutions. This is true in rural and urban areas. So, rather than trying to understand why a small percentage of low-income people use TANF cards in adult locations, the Republican Leadership declares, asserts, and decries these citizens are de-frauding the government. I--along with all my colleagues--staunchly oppose waste, fraud and abuse of government dollars. However, the purpose of this bill is not to curb abuse; simply put, H.R. 3567 seeks to discredit the poor. Rather than suggesting ways to help the unemployed access well-paying jobs, rather than advancing ways to cut taxes for the middle-class, rather than proposing ways to help our elderly maintain affordable health care, and rather than identifying ways to stop using taxpayer dollars to subsidize billions of dollars in profits of the oil industry or the private airplanes and tax shelters of the ultra-wealthy, the Republican Leadership again targets the poor--characterizing them as cheats and frauds. Unfortunately, I know that this smear campaign against Americans who are struggling will continue. I am sure we will soon see bills denigrating the unemployed, those needing food stamps, the homeless, people who have historically struggled with substance abuse, and people who have gone to jail and are trying to get their lives back on track.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. H.R. 1173 would eliminate the potential for many of our citizens to be able to afford long-term care that provides services and other supports. This effort to remove support services is not the solution, but instead a faulty and irresponsible policy initiative which would burden people in our health systems. Regardless of when individuals may need these services, there is a lack of financing options to help them pay for the services they need to maintain their health, independence, and dignity when they lose the capacity to perform basic daily activities without assistance. Medicare does provide limited pay for long-term care services. Medicaid does cover, but pays only for services for people with very limited means. Many private long-term care insurance plans are costly and difficult to acquire. I say that the real answer is to retain services that we are currently poised to provide. I oppose H.R. 1173.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House of Representatives this week passed legislation to continue vital aviation and surface transportation programs while Congress completes a comprehensive, long-term reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Act. Importantly, the temporary extension contains no negative policy provisions, reductions in funding, or political grandstanding. Rather, it is a clean extension until mid-February. Aviation and surface transportation programs represent critical elements of our economy. The current extension avoids another Republican-led shut down, as occurred last summer--a shutdown that jeopardized the jobs of tens of thousands of workers and resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. I also am very pleased that the House of Representatives appointed conferees so that Congress can complete the long-term reauthorization of the important programs related to the Federal Aviation Administration. Our nation enjoys one of the best and strongest aviation systems in the world; Congress must do our part to update and strengthen our aviation laws in a permanent way to provide economic and workforce security and safety related to air transportation. A full reauthorization will improve the safety, efficiency and competitiveness of our aviation system.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize and celebrate the beginning of the Chinese New Year. On January 23, 2012, we marked year 4710 of the lunisolar Chinese calendar. In my Congressional District, in the windy city of Chicago, there are well over 68,000 Chicagoans with Chinese heritage. We are very proud that Chicago boasts one of the largest populations of Chinese Americans, with the second largest Chinatown in the nation. Many of these Chicagoans reside or work in the historical neighborhood of Chinatown just south of the loop area. Chicago was one of the first cities that Chinese immigrants called home, with the first immigrants arriving during the 1870s. Since then, the Chinese community in Chicago has flourished and greatly enriched the culture and heritage of our city. This New Year is the Year of the Dragon, the most powerful of all the animals--an animal whose power and strength are admired. The Chinese New Year is a chance for a new beginning and a chance for all of us to reflect on our blessings, such as family, friends, opportunities and cherished moments. The New Year also provides an opportunity for us to settle our disputes with loved ones and to help people less fortunate than we are. I am blessed with having many close friends within the Chinese-American community. I have shared many important moments with these friends, both in Chinatown and at my house on the West Side. Through these relationships, I have developed a profound appreciation for Chinese culture, including the Chinese New Year celebration. I recognize the new beginning brought by the spring festival, and I wish the Chinese community in Chicago and in the United States a memorable and prosperous New Year. I look forward to celebrating the Year of the Dragon on January 29 with the annual Chinese New Year parade. Aside from this incredible celebration, there are multiple opportunities throughout the year to experience the history and culture of the Chinese-American community, be it the dragon boat races, the concerts in Ping Tom Park, or the tours of our historic China Town. I wish all a Gong Hei Fat Choy.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take the opportunity to recognize January as National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is an insidious class of diseases that robs hundreds of thousands of Americans of their sight. The Glaucoma Research Foundation reports that over 2.2 million Americans have glaucoma, with approximately 120,000 Americans being blind as a result of the disorder. Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness and accounts for between 9 percent to 12 percent of all cases of blindness. Glaucoma affects people of all ages but is more common among people who are middle-aged or elderly. As with many health problems, glaucoma disproportionately affects people of color, with glaucoma representing the leading cause of blindness for African American and Latino individuals. Research indicates that this group of eye diseases is 6 to 8 times more common in African Americans than Caucasian Americans. Those who are diabetic or severely nearsighted are further at heightened risk for developing glaucoma. Glaucoma presents few if any symptoms of its onset; those affected can lose as much as 40 percent of their vision prior to noticing the vision loss. Unfortunately, there is no cure for glaucoma; however, amazing advances are occurring to prevent further visual loss. Medications that slow the progression are critical and steps toward optic nerve cell regeneration are being made. I am proud that many skilled researchers in Chicago are working to advance the prevention and treatment of glaucoma, including experts at Rush University Medical Center, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Northwestern University Medical School. National Glaucoma Awareness Month is designed to raise awareness of this group of eye diseases and to encourage individuals to get tested. Given the lack of cure for glaucoma, early detection is incredibly important. Thus, I lend my voice to the cause of raising awareness of glaucoma and encouraging Americans to get regular eye exams to identify early any potential visual problems.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, January 17, Muhammad Ali became 70 years old, so I rise to salute the champ and to wish him a happy birthday. Ali has taken a lot of hard licks during his lifetime, but has always gotten up and has always maintained his dignity. Ali lived in and spent a great deal of time in Chicago. He attended events, went to meetings, and was part of community life. Therefore, I got to know him quite well. A few years ago, after he had become ill with Parkinson's Syndrome, I sat next to Ali at a community banquet, and he was having difficulty holding on to his food and eating. The person on the other side of him was trying to help. Ali was becoming more and more irritated and finally, in a polite but firm manner, said, Thanks, but please leave me alone, I can do this, and he did. And I think that's characteristic of his life. Born Cassius Clay, Ali converted to Islam, became a Muslim, and changed his name. Ali took hits from individuals and fans who disagreed with this position. Initially categorized as not qualified to serve in the military because of poor performance on a Selective Service exam, Ali is then reclassified. But in April of 1967, he refused induction into the Army. He is tagged a draft dodger and stripped of his championship and barred from boxing. He is ultimately permitted to return. As he worked his way toward the title shot at Sonny Liston, there are rumors that the fight might be canceled because of his emerging relationship with Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. However, the fight does take place. Cassius Clay wins, and a month later, the honorable Elijah Muhammad gives Clay a new name: Muhammad Ali. Ernie Terrell, a friend of mine, who graduated from high school with my wife and was a heavyweight champion, refused to address Ali by his new name, and Ali whipped him soundly and taunted him by asking him continuously, ``What's my name? What's my name?'' Muhammad Ali is known as ``The Greatest'' to most people for his electrifying style in the boxing ring. But others might call him ``The Greatest'' for his continued humanitarian efforts outside the world of boxing. Since his retirement in 1981, he has gone on to do great things to help out the less fortunate and disenfranchised people throughout the world. In 1991, he traveled to Iraq during the Gulf War and met with Saddam Hussein in an effort to negotiate the release of American hostages. On January 8, 2005, Muhammad Ali was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush. He has received the Spirit of America Award calling him the most recognized American in the world. He has also been to Afghanistan as a U.N. Messenger of Peace. One of his most recent accomplishments has been the creation of the $60 million nonprofit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville. This center was opened to reflect Mr. Ali's core values of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth. These are the values that have made Muhammad Ali the great man he is today, and it's those values that should not be forgotten. Instead, they should be passed down to future generations. So I say: Happy birthday, Mr. Champ, and thanks for what you have meant and continue to mean to millions of people throughout the world.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. I rise in support of the extension of this legislative activity, and I want to be associated as closely as possible with the comments made by my colleague from Texas, who seems to have his hand on the pulse of where we need to go, what we need to do, and the unfortunate delays that we have experienced. So I thank Mr. Doggett for his leadership. I am in favor of extending this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Yes, I do.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I do.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a), paragraph 1 of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intention to offer a resolution to raise a question of the privileges of the House. The form of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. ------ Whereas although our Nation's economy is gradually improving after one of the worst economic crises in our Nation's history, the economic crisis remains a daily reality for the 13.3 million unemployed workers and for the millions of Americans experiencing record levels of food insecurity, poverty, and foreclosure; Whereas the national unemployment rate is 8.6 percent, with over 42.8 percent of all unemployed workers, more than 5.7 million people, having been out of work for more than 6 months; Whereas while there were 1.8 unemployed Americans for every job opening in December 2007, when the Great Recession began, data recently released by the Department of Labor show that, as of October 2011, there were over 4.3 unemployed Americans for every job opening; Whereas data recently released by the Department of Labor show that, as of October 2011, there were 3.3 million job openings, which is well below the 4.8 million job openings in March 2007, when job openings were at their highest point during the most recent business cycle; Whereas recent data demonstrate that most unemployed Americans no longer receive unemployment insurance benefits, reflecting the crisis that exists for the millions of Americans who have exhausted their benefits and still cannot find work, including the 100,000 Illinoisans estimated to have exhausted their benefits in 2010 and the additional 100,000 Illinoisans who, it is estimated, would exhaust their benefits in 2012 if current law were extended; Whereas unemployment benefits are a critical lifeline for our citizens and our economy, including by keeping 3.2 million Americans (including nearly 1 million children) from falling into poverty in 2010 alone; generating $2 in economic stimulus for every $1 the Federal Government spent during this recession; and saving or creating 1.1 million jobs as of the fourth quarter of 2009 alone; Whereas all Members of the House of Representatives have a responsibility to protect Americans and our country from physical and economic harm, especially during times of national crisis; Whereas the recently-introduced Republican proposal to address the unemployment crisis facing our Nation fails to protect Americans by drastically cutting 40 weeks of unemployment assistance and imposing new restrictions that would make it more difficult and costly for employees to receive the benefits for which they have paid; Whereas the Republican proposal fails to protect Americans by cutting the number of Federally-funded weeks of unemployment benefits from 73 to 33 in high unemployment States, abandoning over 1 million Americans in 2012 by slashing their benefits; Whereas the Republican proposal would likely result in the following States, with elevated unemployment rates, losing 40 weeks of unemployment benefits in 2012: Alabama, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington; Whereas the Republican proposal would cause all other States to lose between 14 and 34 weeks of Federal unemployment benefits; Whereas the Republican proposal would erode the unemployment safety net by undermining the requirement that unemployment dollars fund unemployment benefits to help individual workers cover basic necessities, such as food and housing; Whereas the Republican proposal would further erode the unemployment safety net by undermining the eligibility standard that unemployment benefits be determined solely on the basis of a claimant's unemployment; Whereas the Republican proposal demands untested, punitive measures that hurt unemployed workers, including deducting money from one's unemployment check to pay for required reemployment assessments and delayed or prohibited benefits depending on educational attainment; Whereas the Republican proposal would disproportionately harm groups of Americans who are hardest hit by unemployment and long-term unemployment, including older Americans, low- income Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority groups, and Americans without a high school diploma; Whereas now that emergency assistance is about to expire, the Republican proposal reflects comfort with $180 billion in tax breaks for the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans for 2012, but not the $50 billion needed to help millions of the neediest Americans who still cannot find a job; Whereas the Economic Policy Institute estimates that the Republican proposal would result in as much as $22 billion in lost economic growth, and the Center for American Progress estimates that the Republican proposal would lead to a loss of approximately 275,000 jobs in 2012; Whereas it will tarnish the dignity and integrity of the House proceedings if the House considers a bill that cuts critical emergency assistance to millions of Americans, hinders economic recovery, and disproportionately harms older Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority groups, low-income Americans, and Americans without a high school degree; Whereas it will tarnish the dignity and integrity of the House proceedings if the Republican Leadership holds hostage the 2.5 million Americans who, the Department of Labor estimates, will lose their benefits by March 2012 if Congress fails to act, in order to push a radical agenda the American people have already rejected; and Whereas failure to allow consideration of amendments to protect vulnerable Americans during consideration of a bill that substantially and permanently changes Federal unemployment benefits tarnishes the integrity of the legislative process: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) recognizes the immediate need to extend current emergency unemployment benefits to promote our Nation's economic recovery by stimulating purchases, creating jobs, and preventing the loss of jobs; (2) recognizes the immediate need to extend current emergency unemployment benefits to help the approximately 6 million unemployed Americans who will lose benefits if current emergency unemployment benefits are not extended through 2012; (3) disapproves of drastically limiting Federal unemployment benefits until economic growth is robust and the Nation is in a period of full employment; and (4) calls on the Leadership of the House to bring to a vote a clean extension of all current emergency unemployment benefits for a full year to protect the millions of Americans who will lose benefits if the current statute sunsets at the end of December 2011 or if H.R. 3630, as posted by the Committee on Rules on December 9, 2011, is enacted.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in order to qualify as a question of the privileges of the House under rule IX, the resolution must address ``the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings.'' The resolution I offer seeks to express the position of the House that the Republican proposal to address the unemployment crisis facing our Nation and the procedures used to bring it to the floor tarnish the dignity and integrity of the House proceedings and the integrity of the legislative process. All Members of the House of Representatives have a responsibility to protect Americans and our country from physical and economic harm, especially during times of national crisis. Yet, contrary to this mandate, the Republican proposal to address the unemployment crisis threatens to damage our national economy as well as the well-being of millions of Americans. By drastically cutting benefits--especially for employees and States hardest hit by unemployment--by 40 weeks and imposing punitive restrictions on access to benefits, the Republican proposal will almost certainly harm millions of Americans and our Nation's economic well- being.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Given the unemployment crisis that does in fact exist in our country, and given the great needs that exist for people to feel a sense of comfort and security, given the fact that older Americans, low-income Americans, Americans from racial and ethnic minority groups, and Americans with----

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my position and my belief that the Republican proposal tarnishes the legislative process by making substantial permanent changes to Federal unemployment benefits, and that, when passed--if passed--that the country will have experienced difficulties that could have been avoided.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, let me thank you for your comments. Actually, I am at the end of my comments, and I would yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. This weekend I attended a senior citizen party and we had a dance contest, and two people would hold a stick and others would try to go under it. And the disk jockey would ask the question: How low can you go? Can you go to the floor? And I submit that if we refuse to provide unemployment tax extensions, I'd have to ask the Congress: How low can you go? Can you go to the floor?

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin for yielding. I rise in strong support of her opposition to this amendment. I rise in strong support of the passage of the underlying bill. This resolution fails to recognize that there are disproportionate opportunities and a lack of opportunities for members of some groups, such as minority groups who are African American and who are Hispanics. There is no consideration given to these facts. Therefore, I must be in opposition to the rule and to the bill.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the rule and to the underlying bill. This rule rejected all attempts to amend the bill, limits the general debate time, and contains egregious provisions which allow States to apply measures such as drug testing; you've got to have a high school diploma or be enrolled in a GED program. Well, I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that people who are addicted to drugs don't need testing. What they need is treatment. People who are sick need health care. People who are unemployed need a job and the opportunity to work, or they need benefits until such time as they can receive it. This bill goes in the wrong direction. I strongly oppose it.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I submit for your consideration opposition to drug testing and screening of unemployment insurance recipients and applicants as proposed in H.R. 3630 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011. Never before has there been a greater need to ease the pain of millions of Americans attempting to make ends meet post economic/financial crisis and anemic jobs market. Daily, we are reminded of the rippling effects of these man-made disasters. Indeed, today's headline ``America's Youngest Outcasts'' shines the light on 1.6 million (one and 45 children) children homeless in 2010, a 38% spike from 2007. Yesterday's headline connected to dots and charted a direct correlation between the percentage of children living in poverty and unemployment rate. What will tomorrow's headline read with proposed unemployment insurance drug testing and screening? Mandatory drug testing falls into the category of ill-conceived barriers. Implementing laws requiring mandatory ``suspicionless'' drug testing and screening for families is punitive and is not premised on any reasonable rationale. Such random testing is not only reckless and based on insidious stereotypes but mostly a costly and an inefficient way of identifying recipients in need of drug and substance abuse treatment. Additionally, imposing further sanctions on unemployment insurance recipients and applicants who've depleted savings or assets and at risk or in foreclosure will have harsh effects on children. Our children's wellbeing is a measurement of our Nation's wellbeing. Lest anyone get carried away with the notion that unemployment insurance is a means of funding the purchase and usage of drugs, the fact is unemployment insurance promotes opportunity for the next generation. The unrelenting partisan campaign to impose drug testing and screening requirements on the unemployed will be devastating. Beyond the toll on individuals, creating barriers to much needed unemployment insurance will have huge fiscal and social consequences. Congress can ill-afford to take a passive approach to helping millions of Americans waiting along the sidelines uncertain about employment opportunities. In these trying times we must hold fast to the words of James Madison, The Father of the Constitution, charging us to ``promote the general Welfare. . . . to ourselves and posterity.'' To do so otherwise is not only a disservice to our Constitution, but also a disservice to all Americans.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding. I rise in opposition to the proposed multistate mortgage settlement currently being negotiated between the country's major mortgage servicers and the State attorney generals. Before we haphazardly rush into a settlement, we need to pause for what I call station identification, so to speak. I'm speaking on the wrong bill. But I also rise in opposition to the synthetic drug bill. I think there is not enough research. I think there's information still needed. I don't think that we are in a position to allow this action to take place, and so I join in opposition to passage of this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Let me thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding, but I also want to commend him for his many years of excellent service to this body that we know as the United States House of Representatives. And I want to commend him for the tremendous leadership that he provides as the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Speaker, it is December 7, and Republicans still have not enacted legislation to protect the millions of Americans hardest hit by one of the worst economic crises in our Nation's history. The well-being of 6 million Americans, including 100,000 from my home State of Illinois, hangs in the balance. Our Nation is in an unemployment crisis, and we must act now to help our citizens. At this time last year, Republicans emphasized that the economy was so horrible that the wealthiest Americans needed 2 years of tax cuts, yet they only saw the need to help the unemployed for 1 year of emergency assistance. Now, 1 year later, as the emergency assistance runs out, Republicans remain comfortable with the $180 billion in tax breaks for the wealthiest 3 percent of Americans, but they cannot support $50 billion in 2012 to help millions of the neediest Americans--and never mind any consideration of helping the millions of Americans who have exhausted their Federal benefits and still can't find a job. Our Nation, yes, is indeed in an unemployment crisis. Over 45 percent of all unemployed workers--more than 6 million people--have been out of work for more than 6 months. There are approximately 6.4 million fewer jobs now than at the beginning of the Great Depression. The Department of Labor data showed that there are over 4.2 unemployed Americans for every one job. Even if every job were filled, 8.9 million citizens would remain unemployed. During this protracted storm of economic hardship, unemployment benefits are a critical lifeline for our citizens and for our economy. Unemployment benefits have kept 3.2 million Americans--including nearly 1 million children--from falling into poverty in 2010 alone. New research shows that the current Federal unemployment programs provide $2 in economic stimulus for every $1 in unemployment benefits circulating in the economy. The Federal unemployment programs saved or created 1.1 million jobs as of the fourth quarter of 2009 alone. And the Economic Policy Institute estimates that preventing unemployment benefits from expiring could prevent the loss of over 500,000 jobs. Our Nation is indeed in an unemployment crisis, and we must act now to help our citizens. We cannot protect the wealthy while ignoring the millions of Americans hardest hit by one of the worst economic crises in our Nation's history. We cannot deliver a windfall to the privileged and deny the poor. Such a position is not responsible leadership, and such a position is not consistent with American values. So I join with my colleagues in urging the Republican leadership to protect vulnerable Americans by extending the unemployment benefits. I want to thank you, Mr. Levin, again for the opportunity to participate.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the fight to arrest HIV-AIDS must continue. Today is December 1, World Aids Day and in Chicago at the Ruth Rothstein Core Center at 2020 West Harrison St., Chicago, Governor Pat Quinn, and a group of AIDS professionals activists organized by Benny Montgomery, a retired member of my Congressional staff are holding a press conference as we do every year to kick off a day of awareness raising and action to help in the fight against HIV and AIDS. I am generally able to be with this group. However, my duties as a Member of Congress have kept me here in Washington, DC. Nevertheless, I am pleased to be represented by my assistant Ms. Cherita Logan, our Deputy District Director, who is a long time aids activist and education program director herself. We recognize that although some programs has been made, as a matter of fact much progress has been made, but we still have much further to go; therefore I urge each one of us to do as much individually and collectively as we can to fight this dreadful disease.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have known Mr. Tom Hosea since the late 1960s and early 1970s. When I first met Tom, he was an executive with the American Hospital Association; many of us who met and ran together at that time were health activists. I say ran together because we attended so many meetings until it seemed as a natural thing to do. Although there were many emerging groups, Tom was actively involved with the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Health Services Executives. As a matter of fact, Tom was the highest ranking African-American, or Black person, that we knew who worked for the American Hospital Association at that time. Tom got the community action bug and the next thing I knew he was working with Dr. Levy, a Black Hebrew Israelite down East of Ashland on Roosevelt Road in an area called the Valley where the Westside organization operated with Chester Robinson, Thursty Darden, Rev. Archie Hargraves, Rev. John Crawford, and others in its leadership. Later on, Tom got involved in the Austin community and worked with Mary Volpe as Assistant Director of the Northeast Austin Community Organization and after Sam Flowers died, Tom became the Executive Director of HICA which he has struggled to keep alive. When I first knew Tom his name was Hozier; he also got involved with the entertainment business spinning records and putting on events; next thing I knew, I along with everyone else that I knew was calling him Hosea. Tom has passed away, but he led a very active life and had a very meaningful and colorful career. To his wife and family, we express our condolences and know that the value of his work will go on and on.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. On Monday, November 28, 2011, the City of Chicago laid to rest the wife of Chicago's longest serving mayor, Mayor Richard M. Daley. While Maggie Daley was known as the mayor's wife, she was, indeed, a well-known, well-liked and revered personality in her own right. Maggie Daley played the role of matriarch. She was warm, graceful, elegant, eloquent, and easy to like. She was a patron of the arts and was fully steeped in the cultural affairs of our city. While Mrs. Daley has received accolades for many of her activities, the one which strikes me the most is her involvement in a program called After School Matters. I think that anyone who knows anything about education and youth development knows that, yes, after school does, indeed, matter. When discussing this program, you could see Maggie Daley's eyes light up, and you could feel her passion. She seemed to know everything there was to know about the program. She knew program sites, personnel, special features and activities, benefits and successes. After a session of listening to Mrs. Daley explain and advocate for this program, I would often smile and say to myself, How could anyone not be in support of this great program? So I say thanks to a great lady--a lady of grace, a lady of dignity, a lady of passion, a lady of faith, and a lady of action. My family and I and residents of the Seventh Congressional District of Illinois express condolences to Mayor Richard M. Daley and to all of Maggie Daley's family. She was a great first lady of our city and performed her role to perfection. After school does matter. It mattered to Mrs. Maggie Daley, and it matters to all of America.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Glen Kehrein, a neighbor, a good friend, and one of the most dedicated, committed, and focused individuals that I've ever known. He was founder and CEO of Circle Urban Ministries in Chicago, Illinois. A few days ago, Glen Kehrein passed away, but he leaves a legacy that will live for many, many years to come. More than 30 years ago, Glen and his family and a circle of a few friends moved into the Austin community of Chicago which was undergoing rapid change from a predominantly white community to what is now a more than 95 percent black, or African American, community. With his circle of friends, Glen organized Circle Urban Ministries, which has lasted for more than 30 years and has become one of the most effective faith- based urban redevelopment organizations in the Nation. Under Glen's leadership, programs in health care, legal assistance, housing rehabilitation, management, youth outreach, leadership development, homelessness, ex-offender reentry, food distribution, and education are bringing hope and help to thousands of people each year. Glen coauthored an award-winning book with a black minister and friend of his, Reverend Raleigh Washington, entitled ``Breaking Down Walls,'' a model of reconciliation in an age of racial strife. He has traveled extensively to speak on the topic of racial reconciliation and has been a frequent guest on television and radio. He has been a contributing author of three other books about inner-city life and work, and has written many other articles for publication. Glen has a B.A. in Bible theology from the Moody Bible Institute and a B.A. in sociology from Wheaton College. Except for a brief 2-year period while studying at Wheaton College, Glen; his wife, Lonnie; and their three children have lived in the Austin community for more than 30 years. In 1997, he was recognized for his contributions by becoming the first American to be awarded a Doctorate of Peacemaking from Westminster College. In receiving this honor, he joined the ranks of previous grantees: Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland; Mrs. Leah Rabin, wife of the slain prime minister of Israel; and the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr. Muhammad Sayed Tantawi, the highest authority on Islamic law in Egypt. Glen is a legend in our community. His family, neighbors, friends, and community will truly miss him; and may he rest in peace.