Chaka Fattah

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, let me just also add my voice. I had the opportunity to meet Rosa Parks when she came to Philadelphia and visited with a group of young people at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Observing the crack, she had a fairly profound statement to make about the fact that there was still some need for healing in our own country about issues related to civil rights, but that her work and her life and her legacy had played just a small part. It really was the support and the prayers of millions and millions of Americans of different ethnic backgrounds who supported the efforts of the civil rights movement which really started with her decision not to relinquish her seat. From time to time I know we have broad disagreements around here, but it is refreshing to see that in a bipartisan way we could come together. I am pleased to join with my colleague and my friend from Oklahoma as we move now to make the rotund available. Some are honored by having this type of honor bestowed upon them. Today I think the Congress is honored by having an American of Rosa Parks' stature to be able to honor. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, while I am not planning to object, I just want to concur that those of us on this side of the aisle join with the gentleman from Oklahoma in support of this resolution. I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts) for purposes of explaining the resolution.

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the ranking member of the Committee on House Administration.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Gilman resolution and also the Gejdenson amendment. Let me agree with my colleague, the previous speaker, when he says that there has indeed been genocide perpetrated by the Serbs in the Balkans. Let me say that, obviously when one would concur with such an assertion, one would have to therefore be prepared to support the notion that the only remaining superpower in the world, the nation that has the strongest, most well-prepared, well-trained, well-equipped military force anywhere in the world, that we have a responsibility. And that as we come to this debate this evening, I would also like to agree with the previous speaker that I am sure that no one's motives this evening could be political. One could not be seeking to weaken the President of the United States, because the action if we were this evening to do in some unwise fashion, and that is to vote for the Fowler amendment, would not just weaken the President of the United States, it would weaken NATO in which this country has invested so much, it would weaken the United States of America and its reputation around the world which is represented by the words and actions of our President, the Secretary of State, a respected leader of the other party, Bob Dole; listen to the words of Jeane Kirkpatrick when she suggests that this resolution should be supported. Clearly no one who wanted to weaken Bill Clinton should use this as the opportunity. For those who would look at what is taking place in the Balkans, genocide, yes. Women, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, raped. Our efforts in Bosnia are something that this Nation should be, and I believe is, very proud of. The Kosovo circumstance threatens the entire operation in Bosnia. So this evening as we come, I would hope that each of us would bear our burden as well as those who wear the uniform and represent us throughout this world as members of our armed forces. Let us as Members of Congress bear the burden of being Americans, understanding that we do have an unequal share of responsibility in this world because we come to this question with unequal power. And with that power there is the question: Since we have the power, what do we do with it at a moment of crisis? What do we do when human beings are threatened or murdered and are suffering? What do we do when we would have tens of thousands of our troops right nearby but refuse to lift a hand and to lift a finger to save the innocent lives of women and children and others? I would hope that this Congress would rise to the occasion, bear our burden and support the appropriate policy and stand by this President but, more important, stand by America's principles.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my enthusiastic congratulations to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), which this year celebrates its Centennial anniversary. For 100 years, PCOM has served as a national leader in the training of exceptional physicians. Today, the College is the largest osteopathic medical school in the United States, and graduates more primary health care physicians than any other medical school in the nation. PCOM was recently praised for its strong emphasis on primary care and early clinical exposure in the Princeton Review's 1998 Guide, ``The Best Medical Schools.'' In addition, the College was awarded the highest possible ranking in the 1998 ``Primary Care Scorecard,'' which ranks osteopathic medical schools according to the number of students entering primary care fields, and the presence of a family practice division within the College. PCOM's success in educating high quality physicians is directly attributable to its interdisciplinary curriculum, and ``Doctors from Day One'' philosophy. While students are thoroughly trained in the science of medicine, they are also schooled in the humanistic application of their trade. Clinical experience beginning early in a student's career sets a tone, which values both a thorough assessment of a patient's medical symptoms, and an ability to discern the social, economic, and other individual factors which also play a role in determining a patient's health and wellness. This integrated approach to the practice of medicine is reinforced during the required four months students spend staffing the College's rural and urban health care facilities, which serve Philadelphia's underserved populations. Clearly, PCOM boasts a unique tradition of medical education. PCOM has an exciting year ahead. Construction of its new Student Activity Center, a comprehensive exercise facility, will be completed this summer. The Student Activity Center underscores the College's commitment to its mission by encouraging its students and faculty to practice the good health habits that they advise their patients to practice. A book commemorating PCOM's 100 years of medical education has been published, with a special introduction by former United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. Two historical exhibits on display at the College throughout the year present photographs and papers, which document PCOM's proud history and the emergence of osteopathic medicine as a medical practice. PCOM will also be a 1999 Philadelphia sponsor of the nationally acclaimed Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation ``Race for the Cure.'' Mr. Speaker, and fellow Colleagues of the House, please join me in extending our gratitude to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine for its 100 years of outstanding medical leadership and service to our nation. May PCOM's distinguished tradition of medical education continue to thrive for the next 100 years and beyond.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I would hope that my friends, and many are indeed my friends in the majority, would recognize that in their attempt to get Bill Clinton, they have at least lost one Speaker and one Speaker to-be. They could be almost accused of being the gang that could not shoot straight. This effort, this effort to get Bill Clinton, first it was Whitewater, then it was campaign finance, FBI files, Travelgate. We come to the floor today and they are going to vote to impeach this President for having an affair and not telling the truth about it? This is something that is, I think for the majority of people in this country, a nonsensical issue. On one hand we have 16 million new jobs, a balanced budget, better education, we have a President committed to protecting the environment and preserving Social Security. On the other hand we have a party determined to do nothing other than to attack and investigate and now to finally impeach Bill Clinton. We deserve better.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following speech for the Record.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I seek to correct the Record. On Rollcall Vote 428, which was on House Concurrent Resolution 254, I was recorded being in favor of the measure, and I would like the Record to reflect that I should have been recorded as being opposed to the measure.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I thank both the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) for his kind remarks and his assistance in bringing this resolution to the floor and also my colleague who serves with me from the great State of California. I think it is true that almost everything that needs to be said about this has been said so I will not belabor the point. I do want to thank all of my colleagues, many of whom have cosponsored this legislation who are on both sides of the aisle, for this Congress to pause and to reflect on the importance of the contributions of African-American music to not only this Nation's culture but to the world as we have on other occasions paused and reflected on the contributions of country or other types of music. I think that it is appropriate. I want to thank the leadership of the House for bringing this resolution to the floor. I would just say to my colleague from Georgia who talked about Augusta, Philadelphia has its own history and legacy of people who have contributed to our music in this country. I will not go through that long list because then all of us would take to the floor and talk about those who may have contributed, but I do appreciate the pride of which he speaks for those who come from his great State and from his hometown.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I think that we all should understand that the American public are not just going to be mere spectators in this masquerade, since we are getting close to Halloween, I guess we want to get there earlier, of a legitimate inquiry. This Congress has conducted dozens upon dozens of investigations of Bill Clinton and his administration. Not one of them would any objective person say has been fair or nonpartisan, and this will not be. But if we got to impeach this President or force him from office, there will be economic consequences for the American people. Let them in on this big secret that they will not just be spectators if we carry on with this charade.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman and, through him, the majority for allowing this and these other bills that we have handled to come to the floor under this expedited procedure. The late Senator Roxanne Jones is someone who I served with in the State Senate of Pennsylvania. Before that, as I worked as a member of the State House, I had an opportunity to visit the upper chamber from time to time to seek her guidance and wisdom as I sought to move legislation through that chamber. She is someone who, however, I knew well before that. She led many a demonstration, protest, meeting, conference on issues related to the plight of those more disadvantaged, perhaps, than some others in our city of Philadelphia, which has been referred to as the city of brotherly love, but Roxanne also suggested that it was also the city of sisterly affection, if you will. She was both brilliant and beautiful and brave. I saw her lead demonstrations and sleep-ins in the rotunda of the capitol fighting on behalf of issues that many other legislators from time to time wanted to ignore. She helped successfully pass legislation years ago that moved people from welfare to work through a provision of job training and day care and transportation subsidies that saw in Pennsylvania, under both Republican and Democratic governors, our welfare rolls go down by some 300,000 through the provision of helping people off of the welfare roles, which is something that was before its time as it became an issue of national occurrence. Her efforts in terms of drug treatment were not just to secure treatment for young women who were drug addicted, but to make sure that they did not have to make the unfortunate choice of separating themselves from their children. She fought for successfully the first drug treatment facilities in our State so that women could come and also bring their children along so that they could be there and close by. She was someone who worked hard up until her untimely death. Her chief of staff, Michael Joynes, and others served the city of Philadelphia and their constituents well, people who continue to remember her. She was also a parent of children and as a mother saw to it that her own children were well taken care of. Yes, she was a national leader on issues of aid to the poor and a state Senator. She also was someone who placed her faith in God, worked very hard, and rose above the ordinary and achieved the extraordinary. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for allowing this great honor to be bestowed upon her, but in truth, she bestowed upon us a great honor. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. As the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on the Postal Service, I am pleased to join my colleague the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) in bringing to the House floor, not only this piece of legislation, but two additional ones naming post offices after three distinguished and deserving individuals. But obviously it is a great pleasure that two of these will be named after colleagues who served with us here in the House. As for our former colleague from Kentucky who has passed on, he represents one of a number of physicians who served here in the House, some who we get to serve with today, like the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Coburn) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Christian-Green) and the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Ganske) and others. His service, however, went far beyond the House. As has been indicated, he has had a decidedly extraordinary career as a public servant and has done a great deal. So it is with great pleasure that I join in the comments that have been made.

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

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I also would seek to rise in support of H.R. 4000. Let me thank my colleague for his kind remarks. This House knows all too well of the service of Congressman Tom Foglietta from the city of Philadelphia. In the First Congressional District, he served here for a great many years. I first knew him, however, as a city council person, in fact, a Republican member of the city council of Philadelphia for some 20 years prior to his election to the House first as an independent and then as a Member of the Democratic party. He has had a wide and varied career, but, nonetheless, he is someone who served the city of Philadelphia and our suburbs, including the city of Chester, with distinction. He was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate to go forward and represent our country as our Ambassador to Italy. He is someone who rightfully and richly deserves this honor. I thank the gentleman from Texas for outlining in more detail his resume and bio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) to allow him to make a comment on this bill.

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

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I cannot overemphasize the importance of the passage of the High Hopes/GEAR UP program as a part of the Higher Education Reauthorization legislation adopted by the House today. This program is the embodiment of all that is right about our legislative process and about the fundamental American creed which unites us as a people. I want to take the time to recount the history of this idea so that the record will show the difference that can be made when we are true to the process and to that creed. The challenge which the High Hopes/GEAR UP program addresses is insuring that all American children have the opportunity to go to college. For the children of most middle class families, that college is an option after high school graduation is taken for granted. For most poor children, college is not even in the picture. No one they know has gone to college. If the thought ever occurs to them, it is dismissed as an unattainable fantasy. Often these attitudes and conclusions are based on misinformation about the cost of college, or about the availability of financial aid and other sources of support, or perhaps it's just that the notion of college is so remote from their experience that nothing in their lives has prepared them to take advantage of opportunities that might be right before their eyes. Whatever the underlying dynamic, the end result is that children in poor neighborhoods often make life-changing decisions that deal them out of the mainstream game before they get their first chance at bat. Because the vision of their future is inevitably defined solely by what they see and what they know, they are too often drawn off onto the various side roads of life--high school dropout, teenage pregnancy, truancy, delinquency, and other anti-social activities. These outcomes serve no one. They destroy the young people's potential, they tax our society, and they waste our precious human capital. The High Hopes/GEAR UP Program will elevate the vision of millions of young people to let them see that college is possible for them. It will give them a future to focus on that will help pull them successfully through their high school years in a way that prepares and positions them to go on to college. As is done for children of middle class families, the program is designed to surround them with the expectation that they will pursue this goal, give them the complete spectrum of information that they need to conclude that this goal is achievable, and strengthen the support systems needed to get them from here to there. The High Hopes/GEAR UP Program will provide certainty to students and their families that they will be able to afford college. Beginning in middle school, the Secretary of Education will send children in high poverty neighborhoods, 21st Century Scholar Certificates that notify them annually of the financial aid that will be available to them for college when they graduate from high school. It will support partnerships between universities, businesses, and community-based organizations that will insure that these ``21st Century Scholars'' will have the mentoring, educational enrichment, social services and academic supports they need to stay in school, work hard, and graduate prepared for college. The unprecedented success of private programs such as Eugene Lang's ``I Have a Dream'' in New York, and Ruth Hayre's ``Tell Them We Are Rising'' in Philadelphia, gives us every reason to believe that these approaches will have a huge impact on high school graduation, college attendance, and college completion rates. The High Hopes/GEAR UP Program began as the 21st Century Scholars Act (HR 777) which I introduced in the House of Representatives in May, 1997. It was given a truly long term lease on life by Sara Goldsmith who was an AAAS Fellow in my office at the time. Sara made it the primary goal of her Fellowship to secure at least 100 cosponsors for this legislation. By the time her Fellowship ended a year later, she had secured 120 cosponsors with strong representation from both sides of the aisle. This gave us the credibility and the impetus we needed to succeed in our efforts to move the bill through the other venues that must be cleared before a bill become law. Thank you, Sara. The 21st Century Scholars Initiative was initially designed to provide low income children with the assurance that financial aid would be available for them to go to college, and to connect them with the mentoring and support services they need to succeed. As the legislation gained steam in the House, it captured the imagination of the White House, and a strong partnership emerged between my office and the office of Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council. Our staffs, principally Bob Shireman of the NEC, Claudia Pharis, my Chief of Staff, and Pauline Abernathy of the Department of Education, worked to incorporate into the bill, provisions of interest to the Clinton Administration. What emerged from this process was the High Hopes 21st Century Scholars Program which continued the commitment to providing assurances regarding financial aid, and greatly improved and strengthened the mentoring and support services provisions of the bill. These four people, Gene Sperling, bob Shireman, Claudia Pharis, and Pauline Abernathy, also deserve our thanks. The next hurdle was the markup in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce of HR6, the Higher Education Reauthorization bill. Our objective was to add the High Hopes 21st Century Scholars Initiative to the HR6 as an amendment in Committee. Led by Lydia Sermons, then my Press Secretary, who was followed by Rebecca Kirszner and Philecia McCain, my staff had launched a major communications campaign that had penetrated every office in the House of Representatives, the education advocacy organizations affected by the program, the higher education community, and through the media, the general public. Thank you, Lydia, Rebecca, and Philecia. By the time we reached markup, the support for this program was broad and deep, and the amendment which attached the bill to HR6 passed in Committee by a strong bi-partisan vote of 24 to 18. It should be noted that this incredible 6 vote margin was created with the cooperation of four of my Republican colleagues on the committee: Congressman Greenwood, Souder, McIntosh, and Scarborough. Committee staff, David Evans, Sally Stroup and Marshall Grigsby, and my legislative Director, Neil Snyder, were particularly helpful at this stage, and to them, I also extend my thanks. Passage of the Higher Education Act by the House was virtually unanimous. We then faced the high hurdle of gaining Senate approval. There were already provisions in the Senate bill which addressed some of the same concerns addressed by the High Hopes 21st Century Scholars Initiative, however, the underlying program, called the National Early Intervention and Scholarship Program, or NEISP, served a much smaller population through a much different delivery system. As designed, it was not able to address the targeting, motivational, and institution building objectives of the High Hopes program. Senators Jeffords and Kennedy, the NEC and Treasury Department team, my Chief of Staff, and the staff of the Senate Committee on Education and Labor worked intensely over an extended period of time to iron out the differences between these two programs and forge a compromise for incorporation into the Senate bill that retained the best and most crucial features of each. Our hand was strengthened in this process by the fact that my staff orchestrated a process that resulted in bipartisan letters of support for High Hopes signed by over 150 Members of Congress being sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee. In addition to the people I have already mentioned, special recognition at this stage goes to the other members of my staff, particularly Michelle Anderson, my Executive Assistant, and to Jennifer Smulson and Marianna Pierce of the Senate Committee on Education and Labor. Next came the House and Senate conference where all the differences between the House and Senate bills had to be resolved. The NEC and Treasury staffs remained involved, as did my Chief of Staff, but importantly, at this point, we added the strong, committed, and vocal leadership of Congressmen Souder and Andrews to the process, both of whom served as Members of the Conference Committee. Their staffs, Amy Adair and Audrey Williams respectively, were highly responsible, professional and focussed in their commitment to provide strong representation for the bipartisan interests of the House of Representatives in preserving the integrity of the High Hopes Program. That mission was accomplished in Conference, and what emerged from the Conference Committee for presentation to the House of Representatives as the GEAR UP Program is very true to my original vision, to the vision of the President, and to Senator Jeffords' vision that all American children be surrounded with the expectation that they can and will go to college, and be provided with the support and encouragement they need to get there. Department of Education Secretary, Richard Riley, and Leslie Thornton, his Chief of Staff are also unsung heroes of this process. The staff resources and informational support they provided were invaluable in the development of the concept, and I understand that Secretary Riley mentioned High Hopes in every public speech he made while Congress was working on the legislation. But I have saved the best and most important recognition for last. I extend my heartfelt thanks to my colleagues in the United States Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives. I particularly need to thank Senators Kennedy and Jeffords again, and to thank as leaders of the process in the House, Congressmen Goodling, Clay, McKeon, and Kildee. The brilliance of the American system of government, a strong spirit of bipartisanship, and an underlying commitment to creating opportunity were all evident in the way we rallied in support of the High Hopes/GEAR UP program. An ingrained belief in and commitment to fairness undergirds the American character. Congressman Souder offered as his motivation for supporting the program, that we cannot both, in good conscience, continue to dismantle our systems of social and economic support, and at the same time fail to provide people with the support they need to become self-sufficient. This attitude augurs well for the reduction of educational disparities in our society, and for the emergence of a Nation in which a higher percentage of our people are fully engaged in creating and enjoying its prosperity. Education is the great equalizer. Our democratic society cannot sustain itself if we continue to create a larger and larger dependent population through our failure adequately to educate our people. It is important to America's future that we field our best team in the globalized, high tech economy of the next century. We can only do that if we make sure that everybody gets a chance to play.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), the chairman and my colleague, and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the ranking member, and all those who labored. Especially the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), Chair of the subcommittee, did a great job on this bill, working with the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), and the staff who have already been mentioned, but we all need to remember their very hard work that will make it possible for tens of millions of American families to be able to improve the life chances of their young people. This is a moment in which this Congress acts as statesmen more concerned about the next generation than the next election, and it is a moment we all can take pride in. I would like to refer, obviously, to the High Hopes 21st century initiative which has now been termed Gear-Up in this bill. But beyond the semantics, what it really means is that we are going to reach out to young people in 6th and 7th grade, more than a million of them, each and every year from this point forward in thousands of junior high and middle schools across this country, and let them in on a secret that we have all known for a very long time, and that is that college is available to them if they are willing to work hard enough to get there. I would like to thank President Clinton for his embrace and support of this initiative. It was made possible because of the bipartisan support here in this House. Many, many of my colleagues, more than 200 of them on both sides of the aisle, have been helpful in moving this initiative forward. I would like to point out the strong support on the conference committee, which I believe is indicative of the bipartisan support for this bill, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson) on the Republican side, and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) really shepherding this particular provision through the conference committee. A conference is simply an opportunity for the House and the Senate to meet and to arrive at a shared consensus about the direction of public policy. I think this conference committee and all that it embodies represents the best of public policy. This Congress indeed has a lot to be proud of, and I am happy to have played a part in the higher education amendments of 1998.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me, first of all, in a much more perfunctory way, thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh). I think many must realize that this is the person that this Congress has given the burden of being the legislative steward of our postal service. Some 700,000 plus Americans work for the United States Postal Service. It is an extraordinarily important element of our national economy, and which we all pat ourselves on the back for the economic success here in our country, but our economy could not function without a universal system of mail delivery. The gentleman from New York has done so much to help ensure the efficient and effective running of the world's largest and really best postal service. It is the one that is benchmarked by all of our economic competitors around the world. I want to first of all thank him, mention to the House that we will be having a markup quite soon on some important legislation, and I know that he would like to have the House's attention on, but I take this time to let him know that I truly appreciate the work that he has done. All of us who come to the Congress, obviously, could imagine doing any number of things, but none could imagine a responsibility greater than the role that the gentleman from New York is playing. Let me say that, obviously, I rise in support of H.R. 4002. I was in the post office that we now are going to be naming after the gentleman that I had an opportunity to follow to the State Senate. He actually preceded me in the State Senate. It is in the heart of the West Philadelphia community, the 7th senatorial district, that Freeman Hankins served for more than two decades. He also, like myself, before his service in the Senate served in the Statehouse. He led the way, in terms of Philadelphians, and served on the board of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, which is an agency I eventually had the opportunity to chair the executive board of, and which has helped over a million children in Philadelphia receive financial assistance to go on to college and to obtain a college education. But it was Freeman Hankins who helped create this entity, one of the first of its kind in the country, a State agency governed by a board of legislators. Unlike other boards, and any other board we can find in any other State, it is a State agency governed by lawmakers, with a minority of the appointments made by the governor, eight members in the Statehouse and eight in the State Senate, and is the finest student financing agency anywhere in the country. Freeman Hankins is credited with passing the Martin Luther King Day Holiday bill but also was the spearhead in helping to develop the Minority Business Development Agency. He served on the Lincoln Board, on which I had an opportunity to later sit in his seat on the Lincoln University Board of Trustees, which is a university that we know has graduated many of the top leaders in our country. But Freeman Hankins was not just another public servant. He was also a businessman who ran a business in west Philadelphia, a mortuary and a funeral home. He was the leader of a national association of African American funeral home directors. He was a substantially wealthy individual who, nonetheless, dedicated the majority of his time to public service. And I remember as he would take his summer vacation at his beach house in Atlantic City, we just considered that an adjunct to his district and would visit there often to chat with him about important matters. He was a gentleman and a statesman, someone who gave honor to the State Senate in his service, and we want to take this opportunity to encourage all of my colleagues to favorably consider this bill. He is someone who, in the naming of this post office in west Philadelphia, will remind his constituents long after his passing of his service, and will remind them that the type of public official that comes along every once in a while can truly make a difference in people's lives. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 4003. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from New York for his kind remarks, and let me assure him that if Max Weiner was around today and here he would probably be outside protesting all of us for some reason or another. Literally no less than a thousand times he has been out on the battlefield. He has filed in his lifetime probably more lawsuits against the Philadelphia Gas Works, the Philadelphia Electric Company, the Philadelphia Water Department, every State agency imaginable, fighting aggressively on behalf of individuals, and as class actions, consumers who, by some set of circumstance, based on the review of his organization, had been cheated either by the outcome or by a process, or somehow, nonetheless, even if the decision-making was correct, somehow still could not meet the burden that was being asked of them, and he would fight on their behalf. For many, many decades he led the Consumer Education and Protective Association of Philadelphia, and one could always be assured that at least on 6 days out of a 7-day-week he would be out in front of city hall with a table, with petitions, for some cause or another. And in his latter years, well into his 70s, he started to actually have some of his greatest success at winning lawsuits against and stopping of rate increases from various utilities, and forcing people to comply with various rules and regulations and statutory requirements that had been put upon them by municipal utilities. He also exercised his right to vote, but not as a member of the Democratic party or Republican Party. He formed his own party, the Consumer Party, and ran as their standard bearer for every conceivable office that we could imagine that was ever on the ballot in Philadelphia. But he was loved by all. Even those who he opposed knew that in his heart he was speaking on behalf of those who he felt needed someone to speak for them. Even though he has been gone for many years now, it is his spirit, and the public spiritedness of his work that brings me to the point of offering this bill. I am thankful for having the support of all my colleagues from Pennsylvania. I think all of us probably have in our districts a Max Weiner. And if we do not, we need one, because there is often a necessity for someone to operate somewhat outside of the box and to speak on behalf of those whose voices otherwise may have been marginalized. Max Weiner did that in Philadelphia, and his work and his legacy is something that all of us from the Philadelphia community will always respect and remember. Again, I am sure he would probably be even somehow railing against this Congress or the State and Senate or the Council if he was with us today about something. In the final analysis, he would probably be right, at least in the spirit of his remarks. I thank the gentleman from New York for his cooperation and the Speaker and the majority leader to have these bills scheduled and moved. I truly appreciate their efforts. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 3167. Our effort here, Mr. Speaker, is to name a post office in honor of a former colleague, and this was offered by the gentleman from the great State of New York (Mr. Ackerman). It is in honor of a gentleman whose record of service in this House speaks for itself, I think all would agree, in terms of his fight on behalf of senior citizens and the protection of Social Security and in terms of his efforts in passing the Clean Air Act, his acknowledged leadership by his colleagues when he was elected head of the freshman class, some 82 Members. The other point that I would make is that he served even before his election here to Congress. He was a member of the armed forces and, in part, during his service there, was a military police officer. My older brother served as a military police officer, so I have a certain affection for those who serve in that role or have served in that role. And I also think it is important to note his recognized contributions in his local community. So I would join with my colleague from Texas and ask that we favorably support this bill unanimously out of the House and that we do our part, which is to acknowledge his service and his dedication to public service, through the naming of this post office in his hometown.

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, obviously in support of H.R. 3939, a bill that I have authored and does indeed have the full support of the entire Pennsylvania delegation. On many occasions we do this to honor the people that we are naming the buildings after, and in so many respects Edgar C. Campbell, Sr., honored us by his willingness to work and dedicate his life to public service. I knew him well personally. He taught me some of the more painful lessons of local politics, beating me in some of my earlier efforts at public office. He was known as the ``Dean of Black Politics'' in Philadelphia, but also had a hand in most all of the politics of our local city in Philadelphia. He was someone who served both on the city council and as clerk of the court. He served as what we call the ward leader, that is, the local political leader of the 4th Ward executive committee, which is the ward I was raised in and came of age in politically. Edgar C. Campbell, Sr.'s legacy continues through the great work of his daughter, who is now the ward leader there and head of a group of ward leaders, and also the leader of our local party, the leader of one of the head offices of our local Democratic party organization. So I just want to have the House understand the tremendous contributions of this person, who was a gentleman, but also had a way to make sure that everyone understood that he had a sense about politics and he understood how to make it work to the benefit of the people who were his neighbors, who entrusted him with the responsibility of serving in public office. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FATTAH

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 3999, which would name a postal facility in the Germantown section of Philadelphia after a former colleague who I served in the State House with, David P. Richardson. He served for some 11 terms as a state legislator from Philadelphia. I served in the State House for 3 terms and then as a state senator in which our districts were contiguous to each other and also briefly as a Member of Congress while he was still alive. David P. Richardson was a state legislator. But he was more than that. He was elected by his colleagues as the president of the National Association of Black State Legislators in our Nation. He was the president of that association but also served on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators. He was at home in Harrisburg, in our state capital, the chairman, or as we would say, the ``powerful chairman,'' of the health and welfare committee for so many years that none could remember a previous chairman. David P. Richardson served his constituents well. He was a former product of the public schools of Philadelphia, Germantown High School. He is someone who is well-respected for all of his work. His legacy will be with us for a great time to come. And this post office in the heart of his State House district will remind his constituents that David P. Richardson and his work should not ever be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.