Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, CPC, PC fiscal year 2009 alternative budget. In an attempt to meet head on the administration's proposed fiscal year 2009 upside-down budget priorities, the CPC budget calls for a more humanitarian approach addressing the current deficit and economic downturns. Indeed, CPC's alternative budget: Funds a second economic stimulus package designed to pump $118.9 billion into our declining economy and help the hardest hit low- and middle-income Americans; Repeals the President's tax cuts for the top 1 percent of taxpayers; Leaves no child behind by fully funding NCLB and IDEA while improving Teacher Corps and job training; Provides Medicare for all with affordable, accessible quality health care for all Americans; Renews the Social Contract and 21st Century Safety Net by substantially increasing funding for decent affordable housing, anti- hunger programs, and more quality childcare; and foremost Rebuilds America's communities that are being plagued by the aftermath of Katrina by substantially increasing funding for Community Development Block Grants, community policing, and priority cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks that threaten the drinking water of nearly half of all Americans. Collectively, these provisions reflect a commitment to addressing socioeconomic woes affecting middle- to-lower class Americans across the country. I commend CPC for their pledge to cut the poverty rate in America in half during the next decade and for a progressive budget that appropriates funding to much needed programs.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 537) expressing support for the designation and goals of ``National 9-1-1 Education Month'', and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam 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 I would yield myself such time as I might consume. As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Res. 537, as amended, which expresses the House's support for the designation and goals of National 9-1-1 Month. H. Res. 537 was introduced by Representative Anna Eshoo of the great State of California on July 11, 2007, and has the support and cosponsorship of nearly 60 Members of Congress. Upon introduction, the measure was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where it was passed by the panel by voice vote after having been amended on February 26, 2008. Madam Speaker, it is only fitting that we consider this resolution today, as it makes the important point of highlighting National 9-1-1 Month as a way of reminding everybody of the significance these three small numbers hold in times of emergency and distress. Whether young or old, the number 9-1-1, which had its first debut back in 1968 when AT&T, under the encouragement of Congress, established the digits as the Nation's emergency telephone number, is known by most Americans as the number to ring when someone needs a fire, police, or ambulance response right away because of a threat to health, safety, or property. There are countless stories that I am sure we can all recall where children as young as 3 or 4 have remembered to pick up the phone and dial the numerical sequence of 9-1-1, thereby saving the lives of parents, grandparents, caretakers, and siblings. Further, urging support for National 9-1-1 Month education would be futile if we failed to mention the commitment and diligence of the thousands of persons that serve on the other end of the 9-1-1 line. By simply doing their jobs, these 9-1-1 call takers are saving lives every hour of every day by dispatching emergency first responders and by providing verbal support and comfort in some of the most perilous moments of our lives. As localities and communities across our great country consistently search for ways to make the 9-1-1 calling system more efficient, reliable and well-known, let us do our part in elevating the importance of the numbers 9-1-1 by passing the measure at hand, which expresses the support of the entire House of Representatives for the designation and goals of National 9-1-1 Month. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I would yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I stand with my colleagues from the Empire State of New York in consideration of H.R. 3196, which renames a postal facility in Port Jervis, New York, in honor of E. Arthur Gray, former mayor and statesman from Orange County, New York. H.R. 3196 enjoys the support of the entire congressional delegation from New York, and was introduced by my colleague Representative John Hall back on July 26, 2007. The measure was taken up by the Oversight Committee on February 26, 2008, and was passed by a voice vote. H.R. 3196 calls for honoring E. Arthur Gray's service to his community, State, and therefore his country by designating the post office in his hometown of Port Jervis, New York, as the E. Arthur Gray Post Office Building. E. Arthur Gray was Port Jervis's longest serving mayor, completing 5\1/2\ terms from 1978 to 1988. After his tenure as mayor, in 1988 Gray became a New York State senator by ousting a 16-year incumbent. Gray represented New York's 39th District during his time in the New York legislature. A native and lifelong resident of Port Jervis, Gray began his professional career as cofounder and director of Gray-Parker Funeral Home in Port Jervis, New York, before entering the realm of public service and politics. Well-known throughout Orange County, New York, for his stellar high school basketball days at Port Jervis High School and as a World War II veteran, Gray gave unselfishly of himself by serving as the chairman of the Port Jervis Community Development Agency, a member of the Orange County Economic Development Agency and as chairman of the National League of Small Cities Advisory Council. Madam Speaker, in honor of E. Arthur Gray's public service and compassionate spirit, let us pass without reservation H.R. 3196 and rename the postal facility on Sussex Street in Port Jervis, New York, after this great American citizen. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3196) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 20 Sussex Street in Port Jervis, New York, as the ``E. Arthur Gray Post Office Building''.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam 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. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this bill and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the honorable gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the author of this bill.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4166) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 701 East Copeland Drive in Lebanon, Missouri, as the ``Steve W. Allee Carrier Annex''.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues from the great State of Missouri in the consideration of H.R. 4166, which names the postal facility in Lebanon, Missouri, after Steve W. Allee, a dedicated and long-serving United States postal worker. H.R. 4166, which was introduced by Representative Ike Skelton of Missouri on November 13, 2007, was considered and reported from the Oversight Committee on February 26, 2008, by a voice vote. The measure has the support of the entire congressional delegation from Missouri and provides us with yet another opportunity to pay tribute to an American citizen whose life was taken while simply performing his professional duties of delivering the mail. The story of Mr. Allee's tragic death begins on Monday, August 20, 2007, where, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, at 2 p.m. in Laclede County, 10 miles east of Lebanon, Missouri, a 2003 Chevy Blazer driven by Steve Allee, 51, of Stoutland, Missouri, came upon a flooded roadway and was swept away as a result of flooding on the Missouri River. Allee, who was on duty during the accident, was found 2 miles downstream and pronounced dead at the scene. At the urging of Representative Skelton, passage of H.R. 4166 will allow Congress to make in order a small tribute to this big-hearted individual, a United States postal carrier himself. Mr. Allee had been delivering mail since 1989, when he succumbed to his death as a result of the Missouri River overrunning its banks last fall. Let us also remember and express our gratitude for the life of this dedicated postal worker, who was tragically taken from us by a force of nature while performing his vocation of delivering the mail, by passing H.R. 4166. I want to thank Representative Ike Skelton for moving to honor this gentleman for the work that he not only did but for the life that he gave. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I voted for the President's economic stimulus package, and I think it is going to actually help some people, but not nearly enough. In my city and in other major cities throughout the country, unemployment among young people is at an all-time high. For example, in Chicago, more than 50 percent of the young African American males between the ages of 16 and 22 do not go to school and do not work. We want to stimulate the economy. Let us put young people to work, and I guarantee that will help.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, a core element of our unique democracy is the right and requirement that all citizens, regardless of income or socio-economic class be afforded adequate counsel or representation when confronting judicial proceedings. In fact, one of the most important decisions in this area of law was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1942 when it held that the sixth amendment required that governments afford indigent defendants with competent counsel. Throughout America, legal representation for indigent defendants who have been charged in criminal cases and who are unable to pay for an attorney is most commonly provided by public defender attorneys. The State and Federal Government, respectively, pay for the public defender agencies to provide indigent defense. Appointed attorneys are required for anyone accused in a criminal case that may result in the likelihood of imprisonment. An examination of the public defender services in the DC courts reveals that attorneys who participate in the District's Criminal Justice Act, CJA, and Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect, CCAN, programs are compensated at an hourly rate of $65 for representing an indigent client. This rate was established in fiscal year 2002 and financed through an unobligated balance in the Defender Services account. However, attorneys representing indigent defendants in similar matters at the U.S. District Court are paid $90 an hour. This increasing disparity in compensation makes it increasingly difficult for the DC courts to secure competent representation for the most vulnerable residents. Recent reforms to the CJA and CCAN programs, including revision of the CJA plan and the creation of attorney panels based on a comprehensive review of qualifications and experience, has prompted the DC courts to pursue an increase in compensation for CJA and CCAN attorneys in order to ensure they are attracting the best and the brightest lawyers. Since the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 grants Congress the authority and oversight over the DC court system and matters pertaining to public defender services, I contend that it is essential that we take the necessary legislative action to ensure that DC CJA attorneys are compensated at a rate equal or close to that of their Federal counterparts. This bill would do just that by amending title 11 of DC Code to increase the hourly rate of pay from $65 to $80 for DC CJA attorneys charged with the important democratic duty of representing the indigent.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, young adults are the fastest- growing age group among the uninsured. Almost 400,000 young adults (younger than 24) who graduate from college will be cut off from health insurance under their parents' plan or from their universities. A report by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system in the United States, showed that 2 out of 5 college graduates are uninsured after they leave school. Nationwide, 30.6 percent of 18- to 24-year olds are uninsured, making them the largest population without coverage in 2005. The numbers reflect an increase from 2004, when an estimated 13.7 million people age 19 to 29 had no coverage. As recently as 2000, just 2.5 million were without health insurance, according to a 2005 survey by the Commonwealth Fund. Young adults enrolled as dependents in Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) and their parents, will not have to worry about being uninsured if this legislation is enacted. This bill would raise the age young adults would qualify for health insurance under FEHBP from 22 to 25 years of age. The federal government should not be contributing to the number of Americans that are uninsured. This bill would ensure that at least the dependents of federal employees between the age of 22 and 25 get the health care and coverage they need.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 292) honoring Margaret Truman Daniel and her lifetime of accomplishments.

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, it is my pleasure now to yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4774) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10250 John Saunders Road in San Antonio, Texas, as the ``Cyndi Taylor Krier Post Office Building,'' 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. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 1007 into the Record.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 286) expressing the sense of Congress that Earl Lloyd should be recognized and honored for breaking the color barrier and becoming the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association League 58 years ago.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).

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.