Martin Frost

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett].

Mr. FROST. Does the gentleman not have any speakers at this point?

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Hefner].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bentsen].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin], another member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Rangel]. (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FROST. I urge the speaker in the well discontinue those actions.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman in the chair is an authority on the rules of the House and I believe under the rules of the House, we may not mention individual Members of the other body by name. Is that correct?

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Gibbons].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss], trying to blame the administration for what is going on here today. This, of course, is a classic case of the person who kills his parents and throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan. What the majority has done is stubbornly refused to schedule a clean debt ceiling vote prior to February 26. It is their refusal to schedule a vote before February 26 which jeopardizes, potentially jeopardizes Social Security checks being sent out. They are the ones that have caused this crisis, and now they are coming to the Congress and saying, we have to pass this bill because we want these Social Security checks to go out. If they had scheduled a debt ceiling vote in a timely manner, this would not be necessary. Mr. Speaker, why can we not just do the Nation's business? Why do we have to continue to play these games? Why can we not just vote on a clean debt ceiling? I, for one, would like the House to have that opportunity this afternoon. At this hour, it appears the only option open to us is to amend this rule. In order to do that, we must defeat the previous question. It is my intention, therefore, to oppose ordering the previous question. Mr. Speaker, there seems to be no other way to bring a clean debt ceiling increase to a vote. I urge each and every Member of this body to oppose the previous question so that we can vote up or down on a debt ceiling increase. Mr. Speaker, the intentions of this legislation are honorable, but rather than perpetuating this Government by piecemeal funding, the far better course of action would be just to take up a clean debt ceiling tonight and pass it. If we do not defeat the previous question, we are passing up a golden opportunity to do the responsible thing. We should not continue to play chicken with the full faith and credit of the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, we are supposed to be here to do the Nation's business, and the most pressing piece of business before us is to pass a debt ceiling to ensure that our Nation does not, for the first time in its 200-plus-year history, default on its obligations. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, before I proceed any further, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Oregon [Ms. Furse]. (Ms. FURSE asked and was given permission to speak out of order.) Congratulations to Senator-Elect Wyden

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material.)

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

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule and to this conference report. I oppose this rule because the text of this conference report has only a few minutes ago been made available to the Members of this body. I do not think it would be too much to ask to allow interested Members the opportunity to fully study the conference report, especially if it still contains far-reaching language relating to the creation of a multimillon-dollar school-voucher program in the District of Columbia. Mr. Speaker, we are scheduled to be here tomorrow, so why not take up this bill at that time? Is our schedule so full tomorrow that we cannot fit an hour's debate on this conference report into the floor schedule for Thursday? It seems that if we are going to consider this conference report at all before the month of March, we must do it today since the Republican leadership is so bent on taking a 3-week vacation starting tomorrow afternoon. Mr. Speaker, this procedure is not fair to the residents of the District of Columbia and it is not a responsible way to legislate. But, in addition to my opposition to considering this conference report before the Members have had an opportunity to study its contents, I am opposed to the conference report itself. If the information that is available to me is correct, this report still contains language which creates a school voucher program. I have been and I remain opposed to the use of Federal funds for school vouchers. While the conferees have attempted to cloak the creation of a voucher program in the District of Columbia in a veil of respectability, the fact is that these provisions would ultimately allow the use of Federal funds to pay tuition at private schools. Mr. Speaker, that is a provision I cannot support and for that reason I will oppose this conference report. Mr. Speaker, this appropriation is not a place to practice the social engineering of the Republican right. Instead, what this appropriation is for is to provide the District with critically needed funds that will allow the city to serve its citizens. It is time that the Republican majority stop trying to impose its social agenda on this city and to act in the best interests of its residents. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and to oppose this conference report.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, in honor of this year's theme of African- American women, I wish to recognize the passing of former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, one of Texas' greatest political figures. She died at the age of 59 from pneumonia, one of the many illnesses which she suffered from in the last years of her life. But the life that she led was extraordinary, and she left a mark that few will ever match, and that none will ever forget. Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Jordan distinguished herself from an early age. With her family's encouragement she worked hard to rise above the poverty of her childhood in Houston. She graduated magna cum laude from Texas Southern University. It was there that she first displayed her powerful oratorical skills as a member of the debate team. In 1959 she received her law degree from Boston University. Mr. Speaker, Barbara Jordan made history by setting a number of firsts. She was the first black State senator in Texas history, elected in 1966. In 1972 she was accorded the high honor of being elected president pro tempore of the Texas Senate, another first for an African-American. Eight years later she recorded another first, becoming the first black from Texas to be elected to Congress. Although she only served for 6 years in the House of Representatives, her impact was monumental. It was as a freshman Congresswoman, Mr. Speaker, that the Nation first came to know Barbara Jordan. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee she made one of the defining speeches of the Richard Nixon impeachment hearings. Rising above the political rhetoric, she told the world, ``My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.'' Indeed, her statements reminded America of what was truly great about this country. On a more personal note, Mr. Speaker, Barbara Jordan served as one of my earliest political role models. I had a chance to see Congresswoman Jordan speak at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Like everyone else that heard her speech I was moved not only by her eloquence, but by her definition of public service. ``More is required of public officials than slogans and handshakes and press releases,'' she said. ``We must hold ourselves strictly accountable. We must provide the people with a vision of the future.'' These words continue to guide and inspire me 20 years later. I wish in the coming days that all Texans would join me in reflecting upon the legacy of Barbara Jordan. She stood for honesty, integrity, and an unswerving commitment to the principles on which this country was founded. Her legacy will endure as we continue to honor these ideals.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor Representative Kweisi Mfume, former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, on the occasion of his leaving the House in order to head the NAACP. During his tenure in Congress, Kweisi Mfume, who has represented Maryland's Seventh Congressional District since 1986, has displayed a strong commitment to public service and a stellar record of legislative accomplishment. Through serving on the Banking and Financial Services Committee, Representative Mfume has been able to focus congressional attention on a variety of issues, including minority businesses, health care, and civil rights legislation. He authored the minority contracting and employment amendments to the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery Act, strengthened the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and amended the Community Reinvestment Act to strengthen the protection of minority financial institutions. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in the House with Representative Mfume. Clearly, his hard work and dedication to public service have improved the lives of all Americans.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Kindness Foundation of Dallas, TX, and to praise their efforts to establish the week of February 11-18, 1996, as Kindness Week in Texas. The Kindness Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life throughout Dallas, and challenge every city in the United States to encourage intentional acts of kindness among all of its citizens. The Foundation was founded by Dee Silverstein and Jackie Waldman of Dallas after they were inspired by the movie, Schindler's List. Silverstein and Waldman were stuck by the impact that one committed individual could make in the world. They realized that they too could make a difference and sought the counsel of the late James C. McCormick, a best-selling author and prominent Dallas area businessman and city leader; together the three enlisted the help of other committed Texans to form Dallas Acts Kind, the grassroots group that organized Kindness Week '95. The Dallas mayor endorsed the idea and declared February 12-18 1995, Dallas Acts Kind Week. The first week of its kind, the event was a huge success. Activities included a Kindness Youth Rally for 16,000 area seventh and eighth graders with a message to make kindness a way of life, an All-City Rally promoting racial harmony and religious tolerance, and a gathering in Thanks-Giving Square to celebrate unity. As a result of Dallas Acts Kind Week '95, a Universal Prayer was written by leaders of the three monotheistic religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In addition, the success of last year's event prompted Dr. Don Benton, a pastor in the United Methodist Church, to accept a calling to serve as the first president of The Kindness Foundation. For 1996, a special task force has been coordinating the efforts of more than 100 volunteers in planning for Kindness Week '96. Thus far, events will include a youth rally designed to promote kindness as a strength, the planting of the first ``Kindness Tree,'' an interfaith service, a free showing of Schindler's List, an evening of multicultural family entertainment, and a city-wide rally organized to foster oneness. The Kindness Foundation was created by three caring individuals who were committed to make their community a better place in which to live. Since then, many more have joined them in this worthy cause. It is now up to all of us to participate in the effort to spread kindness in the course of our daily lives. After all, we all share the responsibility in building nurturing and supportive communities.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few moments to apprise my colleagues of a tragic incident which recently occurred in my congressional district. Earlier this month, Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl from Arlington, was kidnaped and murdered. The autopsy has not yet been completed; however, it is likely that Amber was sexually assaulted. The crime has sparked national outrage over the brutality of the incident. Amber was kidnaped from the parking lot of a vacant shopping center on January 13. For a week, volunteers and police searched the city of Arlington hoping that they would find her safe and sound. Her body was found almost a week later on January 17. The authorities are still searching for her killer. Arlington citizens, deeply disturbed by the incident, have held numerous community meetings and are urging passage of more State and Federal laws to strengthen prosecution of sex offenders. I share the concerns of my constituents and agree that there is an urgent need to toughen the sentences for sex offenders. I urge my colleagues to support legislation addressing these types of crimes. It is high time that we lock up these repeat sex offenders and throw away the key. Stricter sentencing laws can prevent sex offenses and protect our citizens from such heinous crimes.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this rule and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks and to include extraneous material.)