Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentleman from Indiana. This seems to be the day for Indiana and Indianapolis.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I would urge support for this resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina. We have no further speakers. As I indicated earlier, NASCAR racing is one of the most watched sports in America, and I am amazed at the number of people who participate. I would urge passage of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 130) congratulating the National Football League champion Indianapolis Colts for winning Super Bowl XLI and for bringing the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana their first Lombardi Trophy.

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 will defer my opening remarks, and first shall be first. And I am going to yield such time as she might consume to the first lady of Indiana, Representative Julia Carson, who is the sponsor of this resolution.

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, this is obviously a bitter pill to swallow, especially given the fact that I represent the Chicago Bears, who happen to be in my district, the stadium that they use. We were anticipating great thrills and great delights, and for a brief moment we did, in fact, have that. But then someone said to me that we came in like lions and went out like lambs. I guess that is exactly what happened. This past Sunday, Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts beat Lovie Smith and his Chicago Bears 29-17 in a wet Super Bowl XLI. The slippery conditions made for several muffs and miscues throughout the game, including a Romo-like botched hold during the extra point after the Colts' first touchdown. The Bears got off to a quick start with Devin Hester returning the opening kickoff for a TD, and Rex Grossman hitting Muhsin Muhammad with a 4-yard pass in the first quarter for another seven points. After this the Bears' offense sort of fizzled, and the Colts took advantage with Peyton Manning leading several drives that ended in Adam Vinatieri's field goals and a TD pass to Reggie Wayne. Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes also both contributed some hard runs with a combined rushing total of 190 yards and a touchdown. On the other side of the ball, the Colts were the better defense, causing five turnovers. As noted last week, this game made history with two African American coaches facing each other for the title, and Tony Dungy being the first black coach to win a Super Bowl. Of course, I want to congratulate Coach Dungy on a job well done, and adding to the celebration of Black History Month. I also want to commend Peyton Manning for his leadership of the team. I want to thank Representative Carson's staff for their hard work, especially Kathleen Taylor, who did such a quick job of putting all of this together so that we did not have to delay. And so with serious regret on the part of the Chicago Bears, I commend and congratulate the Indianapolis Colts and urge support for this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, of course maybe the NFL could learn from the House and realize that there should be no trading of seats for votes, and that would make the disposition a bit different. I yield 3 minutes to Representative Brad Ellsworth from Indiana.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Donnelly).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, now it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana ( Mr. Hill).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend your work on the Continuing Resolution. Republicans set up a colossal budget failure and created the worst budget mess since the government shut down in 1996. I know you had no choice but to attempt to make lemonade out of the lemons that were left for us. With this behind us, we will be able to work together to really meet America's needs. While I am happy that this legislation included increases in the maximum Pell grant, veterans' health care, funding for Community Health Centers, and the NIH, there are some areas that remain in critical need of additional funding. Much has been neglected over the last few years by the Republicans and will require further attention this Congress. In fact, I could stand here all night discussing the specifics. Don't worry, Mr. Speaker, instead I will focus on one area in particular, teacher incentive grants. Chicago Public Schools, in collaboration with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), were awarded a 5-year grant under the Teacher Incentive Fund in FY 2006. Chicago Public Schools were one of 16 grantees awarded funding under the new TIF program to develop a program for performance-based teacher pay, specifically targeting high- need schools. This particular grant award totals $27,336,693 over 5 years. The first year of funding for the Chicago award totals $131,273. The second year continuation grant is proposed at $4,055,600. This funding is scheduled to be awarded in the fall of 2007 and I would like to make certain that Chicago's schools receive this funding. I am sure that we will be able to work together in the coming months to ensure that this is the case.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, this Sunday, history will be made in the National Football League when two African American head coaches battle for a Super Bowl championship. Not only is this the first time a black head coach has vied for the title, but two have done so in the same season. Lovie Smith, of the Chicago Bears, and Tony Dungy, of the Indianapolis Colts, are hailed as two of the most humble in the league. In an era where professional sports is crowded with big egos and loud mouths, these two quietly push their players to be better athletes and better individuals. Like myself, Coach Smith grew up in a small town in the South. Coach Smith talks about how growing up in the small town of Big Sandy, Texas, taught him the values of hard work, self-determination, self-discipline and teamwork. These are American values taught in a small town. One thing that I admire about Lovie Smith is that he approaches coaching as a professor, as a mentor. He does not yell or swear at his players. He teaches them and motivates them. He builds his players up, reflecting a strength of character to be commended and imitated. Coach Smith started his coaching career studying under Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, and the two developed a defense that relied on team speed and hard hitting. They also developed a close friendship that continues, even as opponents in the largest single sporting event in America. Through their relationship, both have become brilliant defensive football minds and refined player managers. Their class and work ethic make them part of an elite group of coaches, and their contributions continue to have a great effect on league diversity in the coaching ranks. Their achievements stretch far beyond the football field, and their impact is felt throughout the entire African American, as well as the entire American, community. I congratulate both of these coaches for their hard work and success. Of course I want them both to be successful on Sunday, but I must confess that I would rather that Lovie Smith be more successful than his mentor. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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 move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 90) congratulating Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts on becoming the first African-American head coaches of National Football League teams to qualify for the Super Bowl.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, if I ever get an opportunity, I want to go and visit Big Sandy, Texas. So, Representative Gohmert, you can look forward to visitors coming time and time again. It is now my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to my colleague from Chicago, unfortunately, the Bears are in my congressional district, right outside of his district, but we all share the Bears, Representative Bobby Rush.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I am going to continue to reserve for a minute. I am hoping that my good friend Julia Carson manages to make it over. I know that she is on her way. And so I would reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have no speakers, but I will reserve for the purpose of closing.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana. He is a distinguished Member of this body, and sometimes he is very prophetic, he can predict things. Of course I think today he is making an error. I certainly look forward to Tony Dungy and the Colts not giving up, but I've got a feeling that they might give out. It is my pleasure right now to yield such time as she might consume to the chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus, the originator of this resolution and one who comes from a great sports town where basketball is the name of their game, Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick from the State of Michigan.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, to close, we have heard all of the richly and rightly deserved accolades, and I really can't think of any person in the profession of athletics that I admire more than I do Tony Dungy. He is indeed just a gentleman's gentleman, a man of impeccable character, a man who inspires you. Even if you are rooting for the other team, you still can feel his depth coming through. And so I wish him well. I certainly hope that he will have some reserves to share with my good friend Representative Burton so he can help him pay off the debt. But I also want to say that I represent lots of different things in the district that I have. I represent the Bulls, I represent the Bears, Oprah Winfrey, the mayor of the city of Chicago, and we take great pride in all that our community is. Lovie Smith has brought the level of character to the Illinois area, the Chicago community, unmatched. We wish him and the Bears well. And I am going to leave all of the room that I can have for everything that my friends Dan Burton and Julia Carson will bring. Go Bears.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding. I know all of the folks out in the Bay Area of California are indeed pleased and proud to see you in the Chair. They are as proud as the people in the neighborhood where I live are of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian who lived a few blocks from where I currently live. Born the son of a railroad clerk and a school teacher, the grandson of a slave, young Percy Julian, early in his life, got ahold of Donald Adams' poem, ``Seven Fold,'' and its charge to ``Go Farther On'' reigned in his spirit. In academia, racial prejudice followed him like a shadow. He was class valedictorian in 1920 from DePauw University, but still discouraged from seeking admission into graduate school because of potential racial sentiment on the part of future coworkers. He got straight A's at Harvard University, graduated in 1923. But even with his success, Julian was unable to get a teaching job at any major university because of the perception that white students would refuse to learn under a black instructor. After he received a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry at the University of Vienna in 1931, he took a position at DePauw, his alma mater, where he collaborated with Dr. Josef Pikl and successfully created a drug which was used as a treatment for glaucoma. Although internationally recognized for his achievement, however, the color of his skin prevented him from being appointed chair of DePauw's chemistry department. He became the chief chemist and the director of research at the Glidden Company in Chicago, where he created a flame retardant that saved countless sailors of the United States Navy during World War II. I might add that my brother worked at Glidden Durkee as a quality control director, because he somehow or another also became a chemist and followed in the footsteps of Dr. Julian. He discovered that soy sterol could be used to manufacture male and female hormones, progesterone and testosterone. Yet his achievements were not properly appreciated. He created synthetic cortisone, and his products led directly to the development of chemical birth control and medicines to suppress the immune system, crucial in performing organ transplants. He was named Chicagoan of the Year in 1950. He became the first black to move into the prestigious Oak Park community, but his house was firebombed twice simply because some folk didn't want a black neighbor. He parlayed his genius into countless awards, has over 100 patents to his credit, became a millionaire in 1961, was asked to serve on numerous commissions and advisory boards, and yet his story is not taught nearly as much as it needs to be. Racial obstacles can be pernicious, but if we persist, like Dr. Julian, to ``Go Farther On,'' then we all become proud. I am proud of the folks in the community where I live because there are Percy Julian artifacts and memorabilia, schools named after him, streets named after him. He is an icon in the Oak Park community. I commend again my colleague from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for introducing this resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe we are going to have any additional speakers so I am going to yield myself such time as I might consume and close for our side. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the 65th birthday of Muhammad Ali. Ali's charisma, confidence and skills not only transformed boxing but the entire sporting world. His unmistakable one-liners and his quick left jab enamored the public to the point that Ali said, ``I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.'' Born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, he started to train at the age of 12 and earned Amateur Athletic Union and Golden Gloves titles as an amateur. Then known by his birth name, Cassius Clay, Jr., he became an Olympic gold medalist and was renowned for his strong right hand and his dancing feet. He went on to fight professionally and revived boxing at an age when it was plagued by mob control. The three-time heavyweight champion was part of many legendary fights, including opponents Sonny Liston, George Frazier, and George Foreman. Ali used an unorthodox style on which he relied on quickness to dodge punches and to fool challengers rather than holding his hands high to defend his face. Ali's mix of poetic movement and powerful blows in the ring carried over to the comments he made outside. His knack for creating rhymes on the fly and his powerful paradoxes quoted to reporters made him a magnet for the media. He once said, ``My way of joking is to tell the truth. That is the funniest joke in the world.'' Ali made no qualms about what he did or how good he was. He was backed up in his claims and holds wins over seven fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees. In the early 1980s, Ali was diagnosed with pugilistic Parkinson's disease, which forced him into retirement. After his retirement and despite his ailment, Ali has been committed to many philanthropic efforts to reduce poverty and hunger, to promote adoption, and to encourage cultural awareness. Ali was named Sportsman of the Century in 1999 by Sports Illustrated and is considered to be a modern legend by many. So, Mr. Speaker, Ali was indeed the greatest, but he did leave Louisville and eventually moved to Chicago, which is the greatest city, and so I was fortunate as an individual to get to know him and to get to know him well. As a matter of fact, you could always count on Ali to be present at community events, banquets, it didn't matter, local schools, playgrounds where kids were. He was a real ambassador for the Nation of Islam and was very involved in his religious beliefs. A great man of integrity. As a matter of fact, people would often meet at his home for community meetings and gatherings and people would just stop by. He lived in what we call the Hyde Park community. And so he was indeed the greatest. He had no difficulty sharing himself with others. So I commend Representative Carson for introducing this legislation and urge its passage. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, as one who graduated from college with two of my elementary school teachers, because they did not have to have a college degree at that time and could not get one, I want to thank and commend Chairman Miller for bringing this legislation to the floor. As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I am proud to cosponsor this historic legislation that will make college more affordable to students in Illinois and across the Nation. A few minutes ago, I heard one of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle suggest that this was a sound bite of some kind, and I was thinking to myself, yeah, for those students in my district who live in and go to college at Columbia College, it is a savings bite of $2,430 over the years that they will be in school; at Chicago State University, $2,270; Concordia University, $2,430; DePaul University, $2,410; Dominican, $2,580; and on down the line. Well, if it is a sound bite, I think the sound of this kind of saving sounds pretty good to the students who live in the city of Chicago, the State of Illinois and across the Nation. I urge its passage.