Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I present for consideration H. Res. 1114, which expresses the support of Congress for the environmental goals and ideals of Arbor Day and the work of the Arbor Day Foundation. H. Res. 1114, which was introduced by my colleague, Representative Jeff Fortenberry, on April 16, 2008, was reported from the Oversight Committee on May 1, 2008 by voice vote. This measure has the support and sponsorship of 53 Members of Congress, and recognizes the importance of Arbor Day and the Arbor Day Foundation in preserving America's green spaces. J. Sterling Morton, the father of Arbor Day, once observed that, ``The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful, and the ennobling in man.'' Established in 1872 as a tree planting holiday and celebration, Arbor Day has had a powerful and positive effect on America's landscape and ecosystem, and is now observed both nationally as well as in many foreign countries. Mr. Speaker, we can't speak about National Arbor Day without mentioning the work of the National Arbor Day Foundation which was created with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. The Foundation has attracted almost 1 million members to become passionate about conservation and is worthy to be commemorated for their efforts to distribute 10 million plus trees annually for planting. And so I ask, Mr. Speaker, that we show our support of Arbor Day and the Arbor Day Foundation by agreeing to H. Res. 1114. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the sponsor of this resolution, Representative Blumenauer from the State of Oregon.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is my unique pleasure to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 1734, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 630 Northeast Killingsworth Avenue in Portland, Oregon as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Post Office. The naming of a postal facility in Northwest America, hundreds of miles from Dr. King's civil rights battlefield in the Deep South, is a strong testimony to the far-reaching impact this pivotal figure had on our Nation as a whole. H.R. 1734 was introduced by Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon on March 28, 2007, and was considered by and reported from the Oversight Committee on April 9, 2008, by voice vote. Mr. Speaker, we're all well aware of the activism of Dr. Martin Luther King during his lifetime on this Earth. From his leadership in helping to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, to his riveting I Have a Dream speech, Dr. King reminded our country of its fundamental responsibility to safeguard the natural, God-given rights of all men so that we are free to pursue our goals and aspirations without the artificial walls of skin color, religious affiliation, sexuality or any other pointless barrier that separates us from our fellow human persons. Mr. Speaker, let us join our colleagues from the great State of Oregon, and once again pay tribute to the life and work of the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by renaming this postal facility at 630 Northeast Killingsworth Avenue in Portland, Oregon in honor of this great American hero. I strongly urge passage of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Now, Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the sponsor of this resolution, Representative Adam Schiff from California.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I rise to present for our consideration H.R. 5477, which names the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 120 South Del Mar Avenue in San Gabriel, California, as the ``Chi Mui Post Office Building.'' Chi Mui is best known for his commitment to public service as the former mayor of the Southern California City of San Gabriel. H.R. 5477 was first introduced by Representative Adam Schiff on February 21, 2008, and is supported by over 50 Members of Congress, many of whom hail from the State of California. The bill before us has been considered by the Oversight Committee and was approved by the panel on April 16, 2008, by voice vote. Regarded as a role model to those interested in pursuing public service, Mayor Mui was able to rise from the most humble beginnings to become one of Southern California's most respected local leaders and social advocates. A tireless fighter for immigrant rights and affordable housing, Chi Mui's accomplishments and contributions go beyond his service as mayor of San Gabriel of California, to include his work on improving opportunities for deserving youth and ensuring inclusion and integration of Southern California's Asian American population. Mr. Speaker, it was only a few short weeks ago that we here in the House were celebrating both National Public Service Recognition Week and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Mayor Chi Mui's life helped to highlight the significance of celebrating both of these commemorative celebrations. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this extraordinary American citizen by passing H.R. 5477. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this resolution, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3774) to provide for greater diversity within, and to improve policy direction and oversight of, the Senior Executive Service, as amended.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I introduced H.R. 3774, the Senior Executive Diversity Assurance Act, on October 9, 2007. The bill was considered by the Federal Workforce Subcommittee on April 15, 2008, and by the full Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on May 1, 2008, when it was approved with amendment by voice vote. Mr. Speaker, I want wanted to thank Senator Akaka for introducing a companion bill in the Senate, S. 2148, and for co-chairing an April 3, 2008, joint hearing where both the House and the Senate Federal Workforce Subcommittees examined the need for legislation to improve diversity at the highest levels of the Federal Government. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management, the percentage of minorities and women at senior pay levels in the Federal Government, including the SES, is lower than in the civilian workforce and the Federal workforce as a whole. According to GAO, the number of African American men in the SES actually decreased between the years of 2000 and 2007. I believe that H.R. 3774 takes an important step towards improving the diversity of the Senior Executive Service. This bill is a long time coming. Since 2003, I have requested Government Accountability Office reports and hearings on this issue. As chairman of the Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce Postal Service in the District of Columbia, I held a hearing in May 2007 on diversity in the SES. Following that hearing, my staff and I met with a number of Federal employee organizations, including the African American Federal Executives Association, the National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives, the Asian American Government Executives Network, Federally Employed Women, Blacks in Government, and the Senior Executives Association. We learned that the lack of diversity in the SES is not skewed to a shortage of women and minorities at the GS-15 and GS-14 levels, which are the development pools for the SES. According to the Government Accountability Office, in 2007, minorities made up 22.5 percent of the employees in the SES development pool. At the same time, minorities made up only 15.8 percent of the SES. Rather, we heard that there are concerns with the selection process, and there is a lack of oversight and accountability in promoting and hiring minorities in the SES. The Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act aims to address these concerns. H.R. 3774, as reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, reestablishes the Senior Executive Service Resource Office within the Office of Personnel Management and adds new requirements for the office such as requiring the collection of data on the mark-up of the selection panels that considered candidates for SES positions. OPM currently encourages agencies to make these panels diverse but collects no data on the panels. The bill requires agencies to ensure diversity by including, to the extent practicable, minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities on executive resources boards and any other panels or subgroups used to select SES appointees. This bill provides that OPM and agencies should also give consideration to improving diversity in qualifications review boards, which are the panels set up by OPM to certify the leadership qualifications of potential SES appointees. The bill requires OPM to issue regulations and report to Congress on agency efforts to improve the diversity of executive resources boards and qualifications review boards. Finally, under this bill, agencies will be required to submit diversity plans, modeled on the current requirement that agencies submit plans for the hiring and advancement of individuals with disabilities. Each agency must submit a plan to OPM describing what efforts the agency is making to enhance and maximize opportunities for the advancement and appointment of minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities to the SES. These plans will have to be updated every 2 years for 10 years, and OPM will be required to submit a report to Congress summarizing and evaluating agency plans. I have also included a findings section that will help explain the purpose and intent of the legislation which is to address the concerns of the numbers of minorities in the SES. Diversity will not be achieved in the SES on good intentions and failed policies. Now is the time to improve diversity in the SES, particularly since 90 percent of the current SES corps will retire over the next 10 years. Diversity of gender, ethnicity, age, and disabilities, as well as diversity of education, thinking, and experience are crucial if the Federal workforce is to mirror the communities we live in and serve. Paying close attention to diversity is the key to staying competitive in an increasingly global economy and recruiting the best and brightest workforce. It is my belief that all Americans want to work for organizations where they have the opportunity to use their skills, their knowledge to develop their careers. The Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act will help provide that opportunity. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3774. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve our time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank and commend chairman of the Oversight Committee, Representative Henry Waxman, and the ranking member, Representative Tom Davis, for their outstanding leadership and work on this legislation. I also want to commend all of our staff persons on both sides of the committee, both the Democratic side and the Republican side. And especially do I want to commend my staff director for the Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, District of Columbia and Postal Service, Ms. Tania Shand, for the tremendous work that she has done on this issue over the last 3 years in actuality. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill. I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4106) to improve teleworking in executive agencies by developing a telework program that allows employees to telework at least 20 percent of the hours worked in every 2 administrative workweeks, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to a member of our subcommittee and a cosponsor of this legislation, Representative Sarbanes from the State of Maryland.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I once again want to commend the chairman of the Oversight Committee, Mr. Waxman from California, for his outstanding leadership and support. I also want to express appreciation to the ranking member, Mr. Tom Davis from Virginia, for his support and leadership. I also want to thank all of the members of the subcommittee, especially the ranking member, Mr. Marchant, as well as all of the Members on both sides of the aisle. Our staffs have done a tremendous job of working through all of the snares that may have existed and have helped us shape a piece of legislation that I think is going to give enormous benefit to the American people. We are going to be able to cut down on the use of gasoline as people commute to and from work. We're going to be able to reduce pollution. And we're going to enhance the creation of a more desirable environment. So I thank all of those who have been a part of making this day possible. I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, there is no greater gift that one can give when they give of themselves and Mr. Speaker such was the life and such is the legacy of Mrs. Mary Ellen Tolliver. Mary Ellen Tolliver was born on September 1, 1915 in Richmond, Virginia; to the union of the late Thomas Day and Georgetta Walker-Day. Mary Ellen Day was the oldest of four children. On Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 2:30 a.m., God called Mary Ellen Day home for she had done her part. ``Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid'' (John 14:27). Mary Ellen Day moved to Pennsylvania as a young child with her family where she attended the public school system. Mary Ellen Day was married to John L. Toliver in 1935 and they attended Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Germantown, where she worshiped until her passing. John and Mary Toliver never had children of their own, but considered many in the community as their own family and provided them with values and traditions that will live on forever. Mary Ellen Toliver dedicated her life to the field of mental health. She worked as a nurse at the Byeberry State Mental Hospital in Pennsylvania, also known as the Philadelphia State Hospital for 40 years from where she retired. While at Byeberry, Mary Ellen Toliver became close to and took two long-term patients from Byeberry into her home in Germantown. Julia and Sweeney were abandoned by their families, but felt at peace with Mary Ellen Toliver. Mary Ellen Toliver shared her home with both ladies until their passing; Julia for 24 years and Sweeney for 30 years. They brought her great joy. Mary Ellen Toliver, was preceded in death by her husband John L. Toliver, her brother Sonny Day, and sister Mabel Day. Mary Ellen Toliver leaves to cherish her lasting memories; her sister Willeta Day, and her sister Aquilla Laws. Mary Ellen Toliver leaves a host of nieces, great-nieces, nephews, great nephews, cousins, and the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church family.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to recognize the significant contributions of J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D., to Roosevelt University. Dr. Durnil will leave Roosevelt University, where he has devoted his talents and energies for the last 15 years, for the newly created position of Senior Vice President for GLADD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in Los Angeles. Throughout his career at Roosevelt, Dr. Durnil has been a staunch advocate for students, especially those who are the first in their family to attend Roosevelt, a protector and promoter of the university's image, reputation, and history as an institution of higher education founded on the principles of social justice and academic excellence, and a devoted cheerleader for Roosevelt University at both the Chicago and Schaumburg campuses. During his time at Roosevelt, Dr. Durnil rose quickly through the ranks, beginning as Dean of Students, serving as the Campus Executive Officer for the Schaumburg campus, and eventually being promoted to Vice President for Administration and Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees. In spring 2004, he was honored as an American Council on Education Fellow, a highly prestigious appointment made only to the Nation's top college and university leaders. He spent the next academic year at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Upon his return in 2005, he was named to the newly created position of Vice President for Governmental Affairs and University Outreach, the position he will leave on May 28, 2008. Making a strong impact from the start, Dr. Durnil oversaw the creation, direction and implementation of strategic activities focused on governmental, community, public and external relations for the university. Through Dr. Durnil's efforts, Roosevelt University gained national and international recognition as a major sponsor for the 2006 Gay Games, which were hosted by the City of Chicago. From serving as a registration site for the 140,000 participants to hosting a mayoral press conference on campus to providing housing for athletes, Roosevelt University was a major part of this event, thanks to Dr. Durnil. His hard work and penchant for developing productive and solid relationships in Springfield and Washington, DC, has resulted in a strengthened presence and recognition for the university with elected officials. With deep appreciation and admiration for his efforts, I thank Dr. Durnil for his service to Roosevelt University and the city of Chicago and wish him well in his new endeavors.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she might consume to the distinguished lady from California and the sponsor of this resolution, Representative Matsui.