Al Green

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am honored tonight to stand here in the U.S. House of Representatives to call to the attention of my colleagues, my friends, H.R. 5025, a bill that will bring some relief to much suffering in the Houston area in the State of Texas. But before I get into the bill itself, I think it appropriate to thank some people for what they have done to help us get to this point. I thank my colleague who will be speaking in just a moment, the Honorable Gene Green, who serves in the 29th District, which is adjacent to the district that I serve. I want to thank my friend Gene Green because he is the original cosponsor of this legislation. He was there to help shape it, and it means something to know that you have a friend that you can work with to this extent. I want to thank my friend Congressman John Culberson. He is the first to make this legislation bipartisan. This is not a partisan issue. Flooding is not a partisan issue. The homes that are damaged, the lives that are lost, none of this is partisan. I am grateful to Congressman Culberson for signing onto this bill. I would like to thank the 60-plus cosponsors of this legislation who have said that they want to see what has been authorized materialized, such that, in Houston, Texas, we cannot only eliminate a lot of flooding--and we will. We can't eliminate all of it, but we can mitigate that which we cannot eliminate. I thank Chairman McCaul of the Homeland Security Committee. He published the letter for us, the members of the delegation, to sign and send to the President of the United States, asking that Texas have certain areas within the State declared disaster areas because of the horrific flooding that took place on what we call Tax Day. I thank the leadership for allowing us to have this team on the floor tonight on both sides. The leadership makes these things possible, and I am grateful to all leadership for doing this. Finally, I want to thank President Barack Obama because he did, Mr. Speaker, declare certain areas in Texas disaster areas so that we might receive the help of FEMA and funds to help people recover and to restore their lives and continue with their lives. So tonight I will say more about some of these things mentioned, but now I am asking to ask the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green), my colleague, who is the lead cosponsor of this, to have his commentary. Because his district has suffered greatly not just this time, but in the past, from these floods. I will not go into it. I will leave all to be said about it to him. But I think it appropriate that I acknowledge his great work in the Congress of the United States of America not only on this issue, but on many other issues impacting people within his district and across the length and breadth of this great country.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlemen and sheriff, and I would also like to thank President John F. Kennedy for his proclamation recognizing our peace officers. I want to say that I am grateful that the gentleman has chosen to come to the floor and have this Special Order honoring those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. I have heard persons talk about the virtues of peace officers. I don't have to have it explained to me because I have a personal experience that I can relate to. My uncle was a deputy sheriff. My uncle was a peace officer. He was well respected in his community. I adored him. My uncle and I were together in his patrol car, and I was asking a lot of questions. His comment to another person with us was: This boy is asking a lot of questions. He is going to be a lawyer because he is asking so many questions. I did not know what a lawyer was, but I knew that, if my uncle, who was a deputy sheriff, said I was going to be a lawyer, then a lawyer I would be. From that day forward, I had one mission in life when it came to my education and my career. That was to be a lawyer because my uncle, the deputy sheriff, the peace officer, proclaimed it as such. So I am honored tonight to pay tribute to him. His name was Dallas Yates. He served in Florida in a small town called Gifford, near Vero Beach. He lived into his nineties, became a minister, and passed away just recently. It was not in the line of duty, but it meant something to me to know that he lived and made a difference in the lives of others. With reference to the phrase itself, this terminology, ``in the line of duty,'' it takes on new meaning if you go to the home-going ceremony of a peace officer. It will take on a new meaning. When you see that riderless horse with the boots in the stirrups, it takes on a new meaning. When you see the family grieving, it takes on a new meaning. When you understand this is a person who was willing to sacrifice so that others might have life, it takes on a new meaning. So I am honored to be here tonight, and I want people to know that there are many of us who believe that we have to support our law enforcement officers and stand with them and recognize that ``in the line of duty'' means more than going to work. It sometimes means not coming home.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I and a host of colleagues find ourselves on a mission of mercy. This is a mission of mercy, Mr. Speaker, for people who are suffering in Houston, Texas, and the surrounding area. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Gene Green, the original cosponsor of H.R. 5025, the 2016 Tax Day Floods Supplemental Funding Act. I want to thank Congressman John Culberson for being the first person to sign on, such that the bill has become bipartisan. It is a bipartisan piece of legislation. I want to talk about suffering today, Mr. Speaker, because a good many people in Houston, Texas, are suffering for a multiplicity of reasons. I will share just a few. Before I do this, I want to remind friends and colleagues that tonight, after the Republican hour and the Democratic hour, my colleagues and I will take to the floor to say much more about what is happening in Houston, Texas. For now, I want to mention the suffering, because suffering can teach us that which we can learn no other way. Some things bear repeating. Suffering and pain can teach us that which we can learn no other way. It is one thing to sympathize and to say, ``There but for the grace of God go I'' and understand that there is suffering associated with that statement, but it is another thing to empathize because you had the experience associated with the suffering that goes along with the statement, ``There but for the grace of God go I.'' So in Houston, Texas, a good many people are suffering because they have had their homes flooded not once, but twice--some even more. They are suffering because some of them were just getting back into their homes, and their homes were flooded again. They are suffering because they have lost their means of transportation, the ability to get to work, to sustain the livelihood that causes them to have the ability to take care of themselves and their families. There is suffering in Houston, Texas. They are suffering because they don't know what the future holds. They don't know what next year will bring or next month will bring because these 100-year floods are happening quite regularly in Houston, Texas. So they are suffering in Houston. I want my colleagues and my friends to know, Mr. Speaker, that this suffering is something that we can mitigate. We may not be able to eliminate it totally, completely, and absolutely. No one can stop all of the flooding all of the time, but there are projects that have been authorized that we are currently funding on a piecemeal basis. There are projects that, if completed, Mr. Speaker, would mitigate the flooding. We have a piecemeal approach to a problem that requires a wholesale solution. There is suffering, and we could eliminate much of this suffering. That which we cannot eliminate, we can mitigate. The suffering I have called to your attention thus far, Mr. Speaker, involves property, real and personal. But I also want to mention the ultimate pain that is being endured by a good many in Houston, and that is losing someone whom you love to circumstances that could have possibly been eliminated. Eight lives, possibly nine--I am told that there may be another-- eight lives were lost, Mr. Speaker. Eight people lost their lives to flooding in Houston, Texas, in the tax day flood, so-called because it occurred on the last day to pay your taxes. Eight lives were lost. The family members of these persons who lost their lives are suffering in Houston, Texas. So I come to the floor with an appeal to my colleagues. We ask that you kindly give consideration to H.R. 5025, the 2016 Tax Day Floods Supplemental Funding Act, that has now some 60 cosponsors. But it is more than a bill, Mr. Speaker. It is an opportunity to eliminate suffering in Houston, Texas. I will close with this. I mentioned that suffering can teach us that which we can learn no other way. One of the things that I have learned is that, when a storm hits the East Coast and people are suffering, as a Member of Congress, I have to be there for them. When we have the tornadic activities and people suffer, I have to be there for them. Mr. Speaker, I want people to remember that suffering will teach you that which you can learn no other way. God bless you, and God bless our great country.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there is a common refrain that you, I, and many others are quite familiar with. It is: but for the grace of God, there go I. This refrain has significant meaning to all of us. I have used this refrain myself. I used it when it came to the East Coast and Sandy, the hurricane. I used it when it came to Flint and lead in the water. I have used it when we had the hurricane visit New Orleans--I am talking about Katrina. And I am using it as it relates to Puerto Rico. But for the grace of God, there go I. But I will tell you, it takes on an even greater meaning when you become the subject of the refrain. Mr. Speaker, I rise now because in Houston, Texas, over the last 2 years, we have had significant flooding. Over the last 2 years, in Houston, Texas, we had the Memorial Day flood. That flood created about $3 billion worth of damage. This year, we have had the tax day flood, which created about $5 billion. Combined, the two floods totaled $8 billion in damages. We have had lives lost in Houston, Texas: four lives estimated for the Memorial Day flood; eight lives for the tax day flood. Lives have been lost. But for the grace of God, there go I. And I have a greater understanding of what it means because of the way this has impacted the people in my city and in my State. Mr. Speaker, they are citizens of this country. I come to the floor today with a hue and cry, an appeal that we do something about these circumstances because this will not be the last flood that will take place in Houston, Texas. There is a possible solution to some of the problems. I don't know that we could ever eliminate all of the flooding problems in Houston, Texas. But I do know that the Corps of Engineers has projects that are already on their docket, on their agenda; and if these projects are properly addressed, we can mitigate a good deal of this flooding. These projects that the Corps has would cost us about $311 million to complete. One such project is the Brays project. We authorized this in 1990, and we are projected to finish it in 2021. Mr. Speaker, it didn't take that long to create the Erie Canal. It took us 4 years to complete the Golden Gate Bridge; the Hoover Dam was 5 years; the Erie Canal was 8 years. And it only took us about 8 years--maybe 10, by some estimates--to put a person on the Moon. Surely, we could have completed these projects sooner. This bill, H.R. 5025, will accord us $311 million to finish these projects so that we can save lives, so that we can save money; and the bill, if properly implemented with the creation of these projects and the completion of them, will also create jobs. More than 6,000 jobs are estimated to be created. So I come before my colleagues today asking that you kindly sign on to H.R. 5025. It is an opportunity for us to do something to help somebody, to help those who are in harm's way and will continue to be in harm's way as long as they live in Houston, Texas, one of the great American cities. But I do believe that we can do this. And while it may not be enough to eliminate all flooding, I live by the basic premise that when there are times in your life when you cannot do enough, when no matter how much you do, you will not do enough, I live by the premise that you do all that you can. We can do more. We can do something to prevent a good deal of this flooding, save some lives, and create some jobs. Finally this: I would remind my colleagues that Dr. King was imminently correct when he called to our attention that the truest measure of the person is not where you stand in times of comfort and convenience, but where do you stand in times of challenge and controversy? Challenge and controversy. When you have got cities with lead in the water, when you have got bankruptcy confronting one of that territories that is within our sphere, when you have got a city that is flooding continuously, where do you stand? This is an opportunity for us to show that we stand with the people who are in need of help.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for sharing the time with us tonight. I especially thank him for coming in to the Ninth Congressional District, his neighboring district, and being of assistance to my constituents because, as we do this, we really assist each other. I would want to, if I may, magnify, amplify what the gentleman said about this not being partisan. That wasn't his exact terminology, but this really is not a partisan effort. This is something that impacts people. Democrats and Republicans have been impacted by these storms. Rich and poor alike have been impacted by these storms. It doesn't matter what your gender is. It doesn't matter what your nationality is. If you have been in Houston, Texas, when these storms have hit, you have been impacted by these storms. Tonight, Mr. Speaker, I do think it is appropriate that we say more about these storms to give some indication as to what we have to cope with in Houston, Texas. Houston, we do have a problem, but, again, we also have a solution, H.R. 5025. So let's say just a bit more about the problem. Let's talk about the damages in terms of cost. In 2015, we had the Memorial Day flood, and in 2016, we had the tax day flood. I am going to compare the two, and in so doing, you can see not only do we have damages occasionally, it appears that we are starting to have these damages quite regularly. The damages and costs for the 2015 Memorial Day flood: Approximately $3 billion in damages. Mind you now, this bill will cost $311 million. We had $3 billion in damages just for the Memorial Day flood alone in 2015. A billion is still 1,000 million--1,000 million. So we had 3,000 million dollars' worth of damages from this Memorial Day flood in 2015. The tax day flood of 2016 brought us $5 billion as an estimate of damages. $5 billion. All of these are estimates. Nobody knows the exact number. There was $5 billion in 2016, another $3 billion in 2015. That is $8 billion. Mr. Speaker, the $8 billion happens to be about 25 times--25.72 times--the $311 million. The point is, why don't we spend the money upfront? You have heard the phrase ``pay me now or pay me later.'' Why not pay the cost to prevent some of this flooding as opposed to the cost of repairs after the floods have taken place? It is interesting to note that these appropriation dollars that we are talking about are going to be spent. These are not dollars that will never be spent on these projects in Houston. What we are trying to do is not allow the projects to be prolonged such that other things are impacted in our city. We want the projects to be completed as expeditiously as possible, and there will be many more reasons why I will call that to your attention in just a moment. One will be deaths. With the Memorial Day flood, our research indicates that approximately four people were killed. Four people lost their lives in floodwaters or as a result of flooding. In 2016, with the tax day flood, that number doubled to eight people losing their lives. We have an opportunity to do something to save lives. There are other things that can be done to help us save lives as well, but these things, working with these projects that the Corps of Engineers already has on its docket, has on its agenda, is working on, finishing these projects can indeed help us to save lives. Let's talk about the rainfall so that you can get some sense of how much water inundates our city. In 2015, we had 11 inches of rain. That is a lot. In 2016, we had 17 inches of rain. In 2016, that amounted to about 240 billion gallons of rain. That is a lot of water in one place at one time. The rescues. My colleague alluded to people being rescued. In 2015, we had 531 water rescues. In 2016, 1,200 high-water rescues took place. This is a good point for me, Mr. Speaker, a good place for me to commend the newly elected mayor of Houston, Texas, the Honorable Sylvester Turner, who is doing an outstanding job, a stellar job. He just arrived on the job, but he has really done well with the circumstances that he has had to deal with, so I commend him. I also would like to mention now the homes that have been damaged. In 2015, the estimate is that about 6,000 homes were damaged with the Memorial Day flood. With the flood in 2016, the tax day flood--called tax day because it was the last day to file your income taxes. In 2016, on tax day, we had 6,700. Seven hundred more homes approximately were estimated in 2016 than in 2015. As you can see, we have a problem in Houston. Well, let's talk about vehicular damage. In Houston in 2015, the Memorial Day flood, we had about 10,000 vehicles damaged. 10,000. Imagine being on your way home and you have this water to inundate the city. That means that you cannot continue to traverse the city. You have to take shelter. You have to stop. You try to get your water into a place wherein you have high terrain. Unfortunately in Houston, most places are at sea level and a good many are below sea level. As a result, when we have these types of conditions, we will have damages that will occur, and many cars will be a part of these damages. In 2015, approximately 10,000 vehicles. In 2016, approximately 40,000 vehicles damaged. In 2016, 40,000 vehicles. Now, if it takes about $10,000 per vehicle to repair these vehicles or to replace the vehicles, $10,000 per vehicle, that is approximately, in a hypothetical sense, $40 million. So the cost, Mr. Speaker, for vehicle repairs alone exceeds the amount that we need for the bill to take preventive measures such that we won't get as many cars in this condition. I say as many simply because I will reiterate what I said earlier, we will never eliminate all of the flooding. We can never do enough, but we do have a duty to do all that we can. We can spare a good many people from being stranded in vehicles; a good many who lose their lives, I might add, as well. Loss of power, meaning electrical power. In 2015, we had 88,000 customers lose power. That is a lot. 88,000 people without power. Surely we have had more than this in many other places. I am not saying that this loss of power would in any way compare to some of our other circumstances that we have had to cope with in different places in our country, but I do want you to know that this happens whenever we have these conditions. So year after year after year, the number adds up because while we had 88,000 customers in 2015, in 2016 we had 123,000 people lose power. We had 88,000 the year earlier; 123,000 this year. It adds up. Houston has a problem, but Houston has a solution. The solution is H.R. 5025, a bill that would accord $311 million to complete projects that are already being worked on in Houston, Texas, money that is already going to be spent by virtue of the projects having been appropriated. So we have to do this. Why not do this now or as quickly as we can, save lives, save money, and create jobs? Let's now talk about FEMA assistance. On the Memorial Day flood of 2015, $57 million was paid out from FEMA to persons who suffered flood damages. For the tax day flood, we have yet to determine this because we are still in the process of getting FEMA into the city to assist us. If I may say so, I want to thank the President of the United States of America, the Honorable Barack Obama. I want to thank the Governor of the State of Texas. I thank the Governor for immediately responding and asking the President to declare certain areas in the State of Texas disaster areas. The Houston area has been declared a disaster area. Harris County is one of the areas so declared. Harris County happens to be, for the most part, within Houston, Texas. Houston is over 600 square miles. It literally almost consumes Harris County. So we have to realize that the Governor did a great thing, in my opinion. He is a Republican, by the way. And the President did a great thing, in my opinion. He is a Democrat, for edification purposes. These two people--one Republican, one Democrat--worked to make sure that we get FEMA in, that we get all of the aid that we can into the area as quickly as we can so that people can receive assistance. There are people who are going to need shelter. It is estimated that out in the Greenspoint area--this is the area where my colleague, Sheila Jackson Lee, happens to be the representative from--1,800 apartments have flood damages. 1,800. We have got some 400 workers at the time I received this intelligence out there helping to make repairs. These workers are going to be paid for the jobs that they are doing. That is additional cost. We had more than 150 families who needed accommodations. They will need these accommodations for perhaps as much as 3 weeks. This could end up costing us an additional $150,000. These are all costs that we can mitigate, that we can reduce. We may not eliminate them, but we can reduce these costs. In the Meyerland area, this is an area that was hit hard when we had the Memorial Day flood, and now when we had this tax day flood--we are talking about within a year--we have people who are just moving back into their homes--just moving back into their homes--and they are flooded again. This area and the people of this area have sent out a clarion call for help. They have sent the hew and cry not only to the Congress, but also to the Corps of Engineers, also to the county commissioners. They want the city council, the State to do something about this problem. Houston has a problem, but Houston has a solution. H.R. 5025 is that solution. In that Meyerland area that I am speaking of there lives a family, the Tice family. I want to express my gratitude to the Tice family because when we set out to visit with people in the area and call these problems to the attention on a city-wide basis by publishing these problems, that Tice family opened the doors of their home to us so that we could come in and meet at their home. They didn't have to do it, but I am appreciative that they opened the doors of their home. I am especially appreciative as it relates to this family, Mr. Speaker, because this family, the Tice family, has a son who is being held captive in Syria as I speak. This family is suffering the problems associated with somebody that they love dearly, their son being held captive in Syria, and they get flooded. Fortunately, this time they barely escaped, but they had to do mitigation. They had to raise their floors. They had to do things so that they would not get flooded. I am calling on us in the Congress to please, let's help the many families who will suffer again. This is not going to be the last time that I will come to the floor with this bill if we don't get the help this time. I assure you that within the foreseeable future, we will have a similar circumstance. How do you know, Al Green? How do you know you are going to have a similar circumstance? Well, I know because between 1996 and 2014, we had 86 days of flooding and/or flash flooding in Houston, Harris County. That averages to four to five days of flooding each year. This is not--N-O-T--this is not a problem that is going away. We can resolve it this time with H.R. 5025 or I will be back to the floor, and I will be calling this problem to our attention again; we will be talking about more damages to homes; we will be talking about cars that have been flooded and in need of repair; and we will be talking about, unfortunately--and I pray that I am entirely wrong--we will be talking about lives that have been lost; and we will be talking about how we could have then, how we could have now, how we could have done things to avoid some of these consequences. These consequences can be mitigated, and it is up to us to take the affirmative action to do so. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank the cosponsors of this legislation, H.R. 5025. Many have signed onto it. I think that, in a few short days, we have nearly 50 cosponsors, and we will be asking others to sign on to H.R. 5025. In thanking the leadership, I am asking that we have an opportunity to, please, let us, at some point, either bring the bill to the floor or let us incorporate it into some of the supplemental relief that we will be according persons in the immediate future. Houston has a problem, but H.R. 5025 can be a great part of the solution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the date was April 14, 1970. The mission was Apollo 13. The message was: Houston, we have a problem. Mr. Speaker, that was a clarion call from a mission that was in trouble. Tonight I ring and sound this clarion call from the people of Houston, Texas, because we have some troubles. We have trouble that is related to floodwaters in Houston, Texas, that inundated our city and caused great harm and great damages. Mr. Speaker, I am on a mission of mercy tonight, a mission of mercy on behalf of my constituents in Houston, but also on behalf of all of those in Houston and the immediate area. I am on this mission of mercy, but I am not without a solution. We have a solution to the flooding problem in Houston, Texas, and that solution is H.R. 5025. It is a bill that will help to mitigate the flood damages. It will not eliminate the flood damages in Houston, Texas. I am not sure that we can construct a system that will totally eliminate all flood damages in Houston, Texas, but I am sure that we can mitigate, that we can eliminate many, that we can do something about the magnitude of the problem. I am absolutely confident, Mr. Speaker, that my mother was correct when she informed me that there will be times in life when you cannot do enough. No matter what you do, you won't be able to do enough. But she also went on to explain to me, Mr. Speaker, when you cannot do enough and more needs to be done, you have a duty to do all that you can. I am here tonight to let this Congress know that we can do more to help in Houston, Texas. We can do more to mitigate the flood damages that we have in Houston, Texas. Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 5025, would accord $311 million. This money would be for projects that have already been approved that are related to flood control in Houston, projects that have not been completed. This bill would authorize this funding up to 2026. This bill is needed in Houston, Texas, for many, many reasons. I shall share but a few, then I will yield to a colleague, and then I will say more. This bill is needed because it would not only mitigate the flood damages, but it would also help us with jobs. For those who are interested in jobs, this bill would create 6,220 jobs. The people who acquire these jobs will pay taxes. These taxpayers will help us, in turn, by helping with some of our fire, our police, and schools. There are many ways that these tax dollars will be used, including a good deal of them sent to Washington, D.C., to help others across the length and breadth of our great country. This bill will save lives. I will say more about that, and my colleague may say something about this as well. But I think it is important for us to note now that this bill will have a meaningful, powerful, significant impact on Houston, Texas. I am proud to tell you that this Congress has been helpful. We have already accorded for one project $212 million, but we need $34 million to complete the project. This is the Brays project in Houston, Texas. We need $34 million more to complete it. This project is in an area where we do get flooding, in the Meyerland area. This project would help prevent homes from being flooded and cars from being damaged. This is a great project. We just need to finish the project. The project was authorized in 1990, and it is projected to be finished in 2021, Mr. Speaker. While I do want to make sure we complete it, I do think it is taking us a bit too long to complete the Brays project. Mr. Speaker, the Golden Gate Bridge with all of its majesty only took 4 years, approximately, to complete. The Hoover Dam, a great monument to what we can do to channel water and turn that water into electrical power, only took 5 years to complete. For the Erie Canal, we didn't have the advances in technology that we have today; yet, the Erie Canal took 8 years to complete. Mr. Speaker, I spoke of Apollo 13 just a moment ago. Well, it only took us 8 years, Mr. Speaker, to place a person on the Moon. Surely, Mr. Speaker, if we can place a person on the Moon in 8 years, we can complete these projects in less than 30 years. Mr. Speaker, I am honored at this time to yield to my colleague, who is a cosponsor of this piece of legislation, who serves us well in the Congress of the United States on the Energy and Commerce Committee, a real stalwart when it comes to serving his constituents and standing up for the people of our city, our county, our State and indeed our country, the honorable Gene Green.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I missed the following votes: 1. Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 2345. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' 2. H. Res. 653--Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2745-- Standard Merger and Acquisitions Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2015. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' 3. H.R. 4742--Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. 4. H.R. 4755--Inspiring the Next Space Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. 5. H.R. 4336--Women Airforce Service Pilot Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I missed the following vote: H.R. 4314-Counterterrorism/Screening and Assistance Act of 2016, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor a respected business and community leader, Marty McVey.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, due to unforeseen circumstances, I missed the following votes: H.R. 136--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1103 USPS Building 1103 in Camp Pendleton, California, as the ``Camp Pendleton Medal of Honor Post Office''. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YES'' on this bill. H.R. 3735--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 200 Town Run Lane in Winston Salem, North Carolina, as the ``Maya Angelou Memorial Post Office''. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YES'' on this bill.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, tonight we will take up H. Res. 597, the Original Black History Month Resolution of 2016. This resolution is one that has been endorsed by and cosponsored by 24 Members of the House. I want to thank each of them for their support of this resolution. It was introduced on February 2, 2016. I also want to thank the leadership for allowing us to have this time tonight to talk about Black history. More specifically, tonight we are going to talk about Black history as it relates to hallowed grounds, the sites of African American memories. But before going there, I think it appropriate to note that the House of Representatives has passed Black history resolutions since 2007. In 2007, the 110th Congress, we had a resolution that passed. It passed by voice vote. In 2008, the resolution passed 367-0. In 2009, it passed 420-0. In 2010, 402-0. Since 2010, of course, we have not taken votes on any resolutions, generally speaking. I am honored to speak at this time of hallowed grounds, sites of African American memories. I am honored to do so because there are many persons who have made great sacrifices so that many of us would have the opportunities that we have. Many persons have suffered great pain so that some individuals can have great gains. Tonight we will discuss some of the pain because pain is associated with hallowed grounds. There are some things that we should never forget. We should never and cannot forget--nor should we--Pearl Harbor. This is a place where we have hallowed grounds. I have been to Pearl Harbor, and I know of the memorial that is there. We should not forget 9/11 and the World Trade Center. Hallowed grounds exist on the site where the World Trade Center was taken down. Because atrocities can sometimes create these hallowed grounds, we will sometimes find that things that we have to say are not always appealing, but the truth is that we cannot sanitize history. Efforts to sanitize history will only create what we call his story, someone else's version, but it is not the true history. Tonight we will not sanitize, but we will, in fact, be truthful about some of those hallowed grounds. Some of them have atrocious events associated with them. Let us start with hallowed grounds, places, sites, if you will, of Black history and some of the memories--not all good--associated with the African American lives that have been lost in this country, unfortunately. Let us start with Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, established in 1794. This is a place that is, without question, of hallowed ground, because this place is the home of one of the Underground Railroads to freedom. It was the Union Station, if you will, of the Underground Railroad to freedom, where slaves would be stationed and they could receive sanctuary as they were moving from this country to Canada and moving to freedom. This church was founded by the Honorable Richard Allen, who was a former slave himself, and became the founder of the AME Church. In fact, he was the first bishop of the church. This site, if you will, had many people who were, but for the people who were there to give them aid and comfort, who were lost and were people who were trying to find their way on freedom's road, the Underground Railroad, if you will, to freedom, the Underground Railroad. Well, I am going to quote now Harriet Tubman, because Harriet Tubman reminded us of something that is important as it relates to African American history and some of the incidents that we will talk about. Harriet Tubman reminded us that she freed 1,000 slaves, but she went on to say: ``I could have freed another thousand if they had only known that they were slaves.'' If they had only known that they were slaves, they, too, could have been freed. The point that she was making is--and was--that people who are held in servitude can become so conditioned to their servitude that they don't really understand the condition that they are actually existing under and, as a result, they accept it. Harriet Tubman did not. Those who were part of the Underground Railroad to freedom did not accept servitude, and they wanted to have freedom; and this place, this church, Mother Bethel, was a place of freedom and a sanctuary for those who were seeking new opportunities and a better life in a better place. Another site, another place for us to remember the hallowed grounds that led to freedom, Seneca Village in New York City. The time of its existence was from 1825 to 1857. It was the site of a free middle class community. It was a small village, founded by Black people in 1825. And it is interesting to note that 10 percent of the African American voters who lived in New York lived in Seneca Village--10 percent. There were other persons living there as well. The Irish were there. The Germans were there. These were immigrants as well. The unfortunate circumstance about this hallowed ground, however, is that it was razed. Seneca Village was razed so that Central Park could rise. And the unfortunate circumstance further is that the stain of invidious eminent domain is Central Park's shame. It is so unfortunate that people were forced to leave their homes so that Central Park could have a home. Another site that we will mention tonight is Freedmen's Town, the historic district in Houston, Texas. Freedmen's Town was one of the first and the largest of the post-Civil War Black urban communities in the United States. It was settled by emancipated slaves in 1866. Although African Americans lived in Houston before and during the Civil War, Freedmen's Town represents the first community of free Black Houstonians in the city. It was, however, more than just a community. It was, indeed, a town. It had the infrastructure. It had the streets that were made of brick. It had lawyers and doctors. It had persons who were teachers, professionals, artisans, tradesmen. I had the privilege of going into Freedmen's Town not so long ago to the home of one of the prominent lawyers who lived there at that time. Preserving Freedmen's Town has become quite a challenge, but there are people in the community and Fourth Ward who are committed to its preservation. I will mention one such person. This would be Ms. Gladys House, who has worked tirelessly to maintain the character and infrastructure in Freedmen's Town. Another site would be Greenwood, the Greenwood community, also known as Black Wall Street. This was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was the site of a race riot in 1921. This riot lasted from May 31 to June 1, when the unthinkable--the unthinkable--occurred. The unthinkable occurred because of an allegation of a Black male assaulting a White female. A sexual assault was alleged. I don't know that it was ever proven. I haven't been able to find anyplace in the readings and the research that I have done to substantiate the fact that it was proven. But it was alleged, an attempted sexual assault, if you will. This attack on this community of African Americans led to 10,000 people being left homeless--10,000--35 or more city blocks were destroyed by fire, and estimates range from 39 to 300 people having been killed by various sources. We have found this to be the information that we can share. The residents rebuilt the community within 5 years. However, the community later declined because of desegregation in the mid-20th century. This incident, however, is something that we can never forget, just as we can't forget Pearl Harbor, just as we can't forget 9/11. The incident was something that took place and had the blessings of the constabulary. The police actually helped set fire to the property of the people who lived there. Later, a police chief apologized, and this was done in September of 2013. An apology was given for the attack that took place many years before, between May 31 and June 1 of 1921. Hallowed ground. We should remember the Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market in Money, Mississippi, because on August 28, 1955, Emmett Till was murdered in Money, Mississippi. He was murdered because of an allegation of his having accosted a White female. In these times, we don't like to discuss it. I know that it makes some uncomfortable. But during these times, it was dangerous for Black men to speak in an unkind way to a White female. In fact, it was unkind for them to look at White females in a certain way. As a result, many Black men lost their lives because of allegations that were never proven with reference to flirting or attempted rape, in many cases. Well, as the case was with Emmett Till, he was a 14-year-old child from Chicago. He did not know the ways of the South. His mother had given him warnings before he left, but her admonitions were not enough. At some point, he went into this store, and the owner's wife alleges that he made a pass at her, if you will. Some said he whistled; others said he winked. There are many accounts, but it was never proven that he did anything. After learning of this alleged incident, the owner of the store, with a friend, literally went into the home of Emmett Till, went into his home and took him from his home. They took him away and they beat him. They took him to a river, the Tallahatchie River, and after actually bludgeoning his eyes out, they threw him in the river, and his body was later discovered. His mother was so shocked, and the country was so shocked by what happened, that it instigated a movement in the country. Much of the movement led to the civil rights movement. But the one thing that happened that his mother did that made a difference for many of us who are alive today was she allowed him to have an open casket so that the world could see the horrors of invidious segregation. In 1955, what happened, his death, led to the passage of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. His death in 1955 led to the passage of this act in 2007. It was introduced by Congressman John Lewis, and it authorizes $13.5 million annually, over a 10-year period, for Federal investigations of civil rights violations resulting in death prior to 1970. However, it is interesting to note, and I hope that all within the sound of my voice will hear this, the bill has never been funded. The bill has never been funded. The next site that we shall visit will be the National City Lines, and we will talk about bus No. 2857 in Montgomery, Alabama. The time of the Montgomery Bus Boycott was 1955 through 1956. It lasted 381 days. This bus boycott took place because of invidious discrimination alleged and occurring--excuse me, because it actually happened--against Ms. Rosa Parks. Ms. Parks was a passenger on the bus and was required to give up her seat, which she refused to do not because she was tired of working, but because she was tired of invidious discrimination, if you will. She was tired of having to surrender her seat to persons simply because of her hue, the hue of her skin, so she refused to get up from her seat, and her actions started a boycott that lasted 381 days. But there was also a lawsuit that was filed, Browder v. Gayle, and that lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court. The boycott and the lawsuit complemented each other. Many times you need the protest movement to let those who are in power know that you are not satisfied with your circumstances, and they protested for the 381 days. The Supreme Court ruled, and they ruled that this type of segregation was unconstitutional. As a result, Dr. King became very prominent in the country. Ms. Rosa Parks, of course, did, as well as Reverend Abernathy. Another site, the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and January 10, 1957, was the date the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was born at this church. This church was a church home of many of the civil rights leaders that participated in many of the boycotts that took place. It was after the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott that Dr. King invited other leaders to associate themselves with him and the civil rights movement at this church. The church became a national historic site in 1980. Another site that we should remember in memorializing and making note of historic places that are a part of hallowed grounds for African Americans would be Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. September 1957, this was the date that a desegregation effort took place, and there was much resistance to this desegregation. This occurred 3 years after the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. There were nine young children who tried to attend this all-White Little Rock Central High School, and these nine young children were accosted; they were threatened. The violence that you could see on the faces of the persons who did not want innocent children in their school is something that you will remember. If ever you have an opportunity to review some of the old news reels, you can see the anger that I speak of. President Eisenhower ended up having to use Federal troops to desegregate this school. The event was heavily televised, and the news stories are available for those who would like to see. Another site would be the Woolworth's Store, the five-and-dime, in Greensboro, North Carolina. This was the place where four young Black males decided that they were going to have a sit-in. Sit-in simply means that they were going to either be served, or they would sit there until they were served or removed. These students showed the kind of resistance that inspired others around the country to take up the same cause, to decide that they too would engage in sit-ins. While this was not the first sit-in, it is one of the most famous, if not the most famous sit-in, and the Woolworth's Store was finally desegregated in 1965. Hallowed grounds. Another site to remember is the Birmingham jail in Birmingham, Alabama. April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King wrote his ``Letter from Birmingham Jail,'' one of the most celebrated pieces of literary history. This letter has been studied by historians and is considered one of his most important works. He, in this letter, defines the nonviolent civil rights movement. It was this letter that was published in the Liberation Magazine in June of 1963 that led many people to understand the horrors of the civil rights movement, the horrors that civil rights workers suffered during the civil rights movement, and some of the suffering that people were enduring who were living under segregation. Another site to remember would be the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. August 28 of 1963 is when Dr. King gave his famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech. This march was one of the most successful in the country's history. 200,000 to 300,000 people attended. This march helped to popularize the movement and support necessary for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Another site to remember as we review hallowed grounds, sites of African American memories, would be the 16th Street Baptist Church. On September 15 of 1963, a dastardly terrorist act occurred right here in the United States of America in Birmingham, Alabama. Terrorists bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing 4 young girls, and 22 others were wounded. The church was repaired and reopened on June 7 of 1964. In 1980, it was added to the National Registry as a historical place. Another site of hallowed grounds is the Edmond Pettus Bridge. Much is always talked about when we talk about hallowed grounds with respect to the Edmund Pettus Bridge because, on March 7, 1965, about 600 peaceful protesters were attacked and assaulted by the constabulary. They were beaten back to the place where they started their march. The Honorable John Lewis was a member of this group of persons, peaceful protesters, who wanted to march from Selma to Montgomery. This violence against the marchers was televised. One of the things that we have noticed as we reviewed these sites and these incidents, these atrocities, is that television helped to change the American psyche because people had an opportunity by way of television to see what others were actually experiencing, very much akin to what we are seeing now with cell phones and some of the things that are happening to persons at the hands of the constabulary. Much of what people would say others did not believe. But when you have the actual pictures to see the representation by way of pictures, it can make a difference in the psyche of people. As a result of this march, many having suffered, we found that the civil rights law of 1965 was passed. This was done because people suffered and because the Edmund Pettus Bridge became a place for us to memorialize as hallowed grounds. Moving forward, the civil rights acts, many of them--the history of those who were able to accomplish things by way of the courts is all predicated upon a lot of suffering that took place in this country. Too many people suffered so that I could have the opportunity to be here tonight to talk about these hallowed grounds. I feel that it is my duty to do this. I know that talking about these things can create a good deal of discomfort for people. We ought to feel a certain amount of discomfort because what happened was, without question, something that this country should never want to see happen again and should never have happened ever to anyone. But we must remember our history just as we are going to remember Pearl Harbor, just as we are going to remember 9/11, and just as we are going to remember World Wars I and II. We have to remember the history in this country, the atrocities that occurred against African Americans as they were trying their very best to live peaceful lives. Hallowed grounds, the sites of African American memories. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the time tonight to bring up these hallowed grounds and to talk about Black History Month, especially as it relates to some of the things that happened in this country. But I also want to say this, Mr. Speaker. Notwithstanding all of the things that I have said and all of the memories that I have recounted, it is important for us to note that the country has truly come a long way. I still contend that, notwithstanding all of the atrocities, this is a great place for Americans of all hues to find their way in the world. This is a special country. I love my country, but I don't forget the things that happened in my country to cause us to memorialize certain places as hallowed ground. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here tonight as a proud member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, known as the NAACP. I am a member, and I am a life member, and I believe that the NAACP has had a profound impact upon my life. Hence, tonight, I am going to talk about the NAACP as I am also the person who is the sponsor of the original NAACP resolution for 2016. In doing this, I want to praise the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP, on this, its 107th anniversary. This resolution has 24 cosponsors. I thank all of them. I also thank the whip for allowing us this time to talk about the NAACP and to extoll many of its virtues. I thank all of the leadership for the opportunity. Mr. Speaker, this is the 11th time that we have introduced a resolution to honor the NAACP. It is the oldest civil rights organization in the United States of America. We introduced it first in 2006, and it was passed in the House by a voice vote and in the Senate by unanimous consent. When it passed in the House in 2006, it did not do so because of our help alone--``our help'' meaning the Congressional Black Caucus. I want you to know, Mr. Speaker, that Mr. James Sensenbrenner, who was the chairperson of the Judiciary Committee at the time, was there to help us get this amendment passed. I have talked on the floor about the White side of Black history. Mr. Sensenbrenner would be a part of that history because, if not for his presence, I assure you we would not have passed this resolution in 2006. We went on to pass it in 2007, and it passed in the House with a vote of 410-0. In 2008, it passed in the House of Representatives by 403-0; in 2009, by 424-0; in 2010, by 421-0. In 2010, of course, and thereafter, we stopped passing resolutions on the floor of the House; although, we may still present them and talk about them on the floor of the House. So, tonight, this is what we will do. I would like to mention the mission of the NAACP, which is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons--not just of Black people, not just of people of color, but of all people. The NAACP also desires to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. These are lofty and noble goals because we understand that we have had much racial hatred and much racial discrimination in this country, and the NAACP took it upon itself to eliminate as much of it as possible. It has done a good job, I might add. Let's look at a little bit of the history of the NAACP. Back on February 12, 1909, a group of people decided that it was going to do something about the lynchings that were taking place in this country. Literally, in this country, between 1889 and 1918, thousands of African Americans were lynched--thousands. Lynching was done with mob violence. People were taken to trees, and they were lynched. It was done, a good many times, with impunity. No one was ever prosecuted. It was a grave injustice, and there were people in this country who decided that they were going to do something about this injustice. Among the people who met initially were Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villard, William English Walling, and Ida Wells- Barnett. These persons met and issued a clarion call. Some 60 persons answered that call. Hence, the NAACP was born. The NAACP did not have its first African American as an executive secretary until 1920. It is important for us to note that many of the Founders of the NAACP--in fact, most of them--were not of African ancestry. The first executive secretaries of the organization were all persons who were of European ancestry. In fact, the first five executive secretaries were White. They were not Black. In 1934, the NAACP had its first Black board chairperson--Louis T. Wright. Dr. Wright became chairperson after the NAACP had had a good number of White chairpersons. So the NAACP has never been and is not now an organization for Blacks only. The NAACP has always stood for an integrated society and has been an integrated organization since its inception. In 1954, the NAACP, under the leadership and counsel of the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, who became a Justice of the Supreme Court, won the lawsuit of Brown v. Board of Education. This was a giant leap forward for us because this lawsuit integrated, to a certain extent, schools throughout the country. The word that was appropriately used at the time was ``desegregated.'' These schools were ordered to be desegregated with all deliberate speed, and all deliberate speed can sometimes take a lot longer than one might expect. A good many years later, there are still those who would contend that we have not fully integrated our school systems across the length and breadth of the country. In 1955, an NAACP member, the Honorable Rosa Parks, an African American lady, decided that she was going to take a stand, and she took that stand by taking a seat. She took a seat on a bus. In so doing, she ignited a spark that started a civil rights movement. By the way, there are many people who contend that she did this because she was tired. Well, she may have been tired, but she did it because she wanted to take a stand. She was tired of society's relegating her to the back of the bus, and she took a stand against it. Hence, we had the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted more than a year. At the end of that boycott, the bus line--the transportation system--was integrated in Alabama and, of course, later on throughout the country. An interesting note on this point about the integration and desegregation of bus lines. There was a three-judge panel that actually heard the litigation associated with this transportation issue. On that three-judge panel, there were judges who had a great debate about this; but there was one Frank M. Johnson, a Federal district court judge, who took the position that we could apply the Brown decision to public transportation. This was the very first time it was done was under the leadership of that three-judge panel and by the Honorable Frank M. Johnson. Again, I point these things out because it is important to note that there were others who were there with the NAACP to help us along the way. Frank M. Johnson, by the way, was a Republican appointee who was appointed by President Eisenhower, and he went on to help us to integrate schools throughout the South and integrate the Department of Public Safety. He went on to help us with the facilitation of voting rights acts and with the implementation of laws that prohibited persons from discriminating against persons in workplace environments. He really played a significant role as did many other persons who were associated with the NAACP in a vicarious way, because I don't have evidence of his having been a member. I want to move forward, if I may next, to 2008. I move forward to 2008 because this is when the NAACP supported the passage of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. There are many unsolved cases in the history of this country with reference to things that happened to African Americans. The NAACP pushed for and supported legislation such that we can have the opportunity to bring some of the dastards to justice who have caused great harm to people who were doing no harm to anyone. The NAACP has fought for this. In 2009, the NAACP celebrated its centennial anniversary, and the theme at that time was ``Bold Dreams and Big Victories''--obviously, a good theme because the NAACP has won many big victories. In 2012, the NAACP supported the Smart and Safe campaign, which brought attention to the overpopulated prisons and mass incarceration in this country. People who study these issues are well aware that, in this country, we have an overpopulation of persons who are incarcerated. Much of this has to do with mandatory sentencing laws. Much of it has to do with laws that allow persons who are convicted of one type of offense, with drugs, to receive a harsher penalty--cocaine, for example. Then, if you have crack cocaine, you will get a stiffer penalty as opposed to its being some other type of cocaine. The point is that these harsh sentencing laws have caused a good many people to be incarcerated who, quite frankly, should not be incarcerated for as long as they are incarcerated. Some of these ``three strikes and you are out'' laws have also caused persons to go to prison for a minor offense because it happened to be the third offense; so the NAACP is fighting against this. The NAACP wants a just society. The NAACP believes that people who commit crimes ought to be punished, but that they ought to be punished in a fair and just way. Hence, the NAACP has supported trying to do what it can to help us with the overpopulation in prisons due to unjust laws. The NAACP joined the lawsuit challenging the Texas strict voter ID law. In Texas--and you heard colleagues earlier tonight talk about this--we have one of the most draconian photo ID laws in the country. It is one that requires people who have been voting all of their lives--who have a history of voting, where a person at the polling place knows who you are if you show up to vote--to present a photo ID. The interesting thing about it is, if you vote by mail, you don't have to do this, and most of the fraud that takes place probably takes place by mail because you don't have the same identification process. I find it onerous that we, in Texas, would be subjected to this type of law, and, of course, we are doing what we can to get it properly disposed of. The NAACP is part of the effort to make sure this is done. In 2014, the NAACP was a leader in the effort to strengthen the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act, as has been explained by colleagues prior to my taking the podium, has had section 4 eviscerated and, as a result, section 5 has been emasculated. Section 4 was the section of the Voting Rights Act that brought certain places in the country under the purview of the Voting Rights Act. Section 5 is the section, then, that imposes the standards that have to be adhered to. Well, you can't have a strong section 5 if you don't have a section 4 to outline, to specify, to delineate the actual areas that are to be covered by the Voting Rights Act. The NAACP is still working with us to help us get a strong Voting Rights Act so that people who have been disenfranchised, people who have been discriminated against will have the right to vote in this, the United States of America. In 2015, the NAACP, after the death of Trayvon Martin, advocated for the arrest of his killer. The NAACP never said that he had to go to jail, but the belief was that, under the circumstances that existed at the time, the perpetrator should be prosecuted. There should, at least, be a trial. There should be an opportunity for the world to understand what happened to Trayvon Martin. As a result, there was a trial. There was a finding. The NAACP was at the forefront, a part of the avant guard, if you will, to make sure that Trayvon Martin received justice. A trial is what ultimately occurred. I would daresay that, but for the NAACP and many other persons of goodwill, this would not have taken place. Finally, I want to point out that the NAACP has also ventured into what is happening in Flint, Michigan. This is some serious business that we have to take care of in Michigan. In Flint, Michigan, we have a circumstance wherein children, among others, but children have been poisoned. This was not at the hands of some major corporation that was doing something that was inappropriate. It was not at the hands of a civilian, some person who just decided he was going to do something ugly. It was not at the hands of some person associated with some sort of terrorist organization. This was done by the government, at the hands of the government. Children have been poisoned at the hands of the government. That is an important point for us to digest because one does not expect that one would be poisoned by consuming the elixir of life, water, in this country. Especially, one would not assume this given that this country has some of the best technology and filtration systems in the world. In fact, there are none better than ours. One would not expect that in a city wherein the water was fine before the hand of the government was imposed upon citizens, such that they couldn't make the choice themselves as to how they were going to regulate their water. A special person was put in charge at the hands of the State government, the Governor having the authority to appoint a person who literally took control of the city and, in so doing, caused great harm to befall young people, children, if you will. When this happens, we have a duty, a responsibility, and an obligation to take immediate action to not only bring people to justice who would do this, but also to impose a just system such that persons who had been harmed can be made whole to the extent that people can be made whole. I say this because, truth be told, you cannot make these persons completely whole. All of the intelligence that we are receiving indicates that once you receive lead poisoning, you don't recover totally and completely. There will be some residue, and this can go on for years and years and years. So the NAACP went there immediately and made it clear that it expected action and had a 15-point plan. I will say more about the 15- point plan as time permits because I want to honor my colleague, the Honorable Chaka Fattah, if he is available at this time. Given that he is on his way, I will continue. The 15-point plan has 15 priorities that are listed, and I will go through these priorities rather quickly. They are, one, the emergency financial manager law must be repealed. This is the law that I spoke of earlier that allowed for the Governor to impose upon the citizens of Flint, Michigan, this emergency financial manager. Much of this was done unfortunately under the auspices of saving money--some persons have said that we are talking about $100 a day-- saving some small amount of money so that some person who holds public office could stand before the public and say: I saved you money. I saved you money. Look at what I have done. Well, look at what you have done: You have changed the lives of innocent people forever in an effort to save a little bit of money and hold yourself out as a person who is cutting the budget, who is saving money for the taxpayers. There are times when tax dollars are used effectively and efficaciously, and what they were doing with the water prior to this cut was a pretty good example of how things that are doing well can be corrected such that harm is placed upon people. I regret that it happened, but I am proud however that the NAACP is there to help us with this process of making people whole. The second part of the plan would require water distribution that is currently being done by the National Guard to be done by local people. The National Guard does a good job, and I salute the National Guard for what they are doing. The truth is that local people need work, and this would provide them the opportunity to work and to be a part of the water distribution process. There is all of the good sense in the world in working out a system so that we can pay people who need work to help themselves by distributing water in their communities. The third point is access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and other food items. Because to a certain extent, this is a food desert area in some parts of Flint, Michigan. As a result, there is a desire to make sure that all persons can have access to fresh fruits and fresh vegetables-- good, clean, wholesome food. Number four, all Flint citizens must be provided free home inspections. There are many homes that have not been properly inspected. The water source that leads into the home has to be inspected, the lines, and this should be done at no cost to all citizens. The NAACP stands for this. My belief is that this will happen, but I am proud that the NAACP voiced a concern that it should happen. I mentioned the Honorable Chaka Fattah from Pennsylvania's Second Congressional District. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) with the notion that I will reclaim time that he may not utilize.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I will just say this: Thank you for the time. I want to always celebrate the NAACP and all of its great victories. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in consuming this time, let me continue to point out some of the things that the NAACP has within its 15-point priority plan. Number five is that all Flint residents must be provided federally funded replacements for their damaged systems and appliances. What they are saying and what the NAACP is saying is simply this: There are some appliances that have been so damaged that they cannot continue to use these appliances. As a result, they have to be replaced. These are people not of great means, and any help that they can get to maintain a good quality of life should be afforded them. The NAACP has indicated that fairness and justice must be examined in rate hikes and in continued billing for poisonous water. I heard Mr. Cummings make this point at a hearing. He made the point that people are still paying water bills for water that they can't drink. That was at the hearing. I am not sure what the situation is now. My understanding is that persons are still getting water in bottles, but are they still paying their water bills? The NAACP believes that fairness and justice must be examined in terms of the rate hikes that have taken place and the continued billing of persons for water that they cannot use because the State made a mistake. The NAACP believes that pro bono legal advice should be made available to all. With this, I think that we can expect and hope that the various bar associations would step up to the plate and help persons who are in need of legal advice. This is something that lawyers do eleemosynary quite often. I would hope that lawyers would move in and help persons, but if they don't move in and help persons, I think we have got a responsibility--we have done this in the past with funds that have gone to legal aid societies--to do something so that people who need some legal advice and some legal assistance can receive that advice and that assistance.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the gentleman especially for taking to the floor tonight and sharing his views on the NAACP. I also especially thank him for the good work that he has done in the Congress of the United States of America. He has served his constituents well, and he should be saluted. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that if we did not have the NAACP, we would have to create it. That is just how vital it is to the American system of justice. It is not an official arm of the American system of justice, but it is an aid to justice in this country such that people expect the NAACP to be there under certain circumstances and in certain places. This gets us back to Flint. People expected the NAACP to be there, and the NAACP was there. As I continue, Mr. Speaker, permit me to ask how much time is remaining?

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, this is an amendment that is known to the ranking member as well as the chairman of the committee. I will not complicate it. It is a very simple amendment. It simply says that HUD may--HUD may--develop a pilot program to consider additional credit scoring information. We know that there are people who have insufficient credit files and, as a result, they don't get consideration for a light bill, gas bill, water bill, or phone bill. These are some of the things that we have people making payments on quite regularly timely, but they don't get considered. We are simply asking HUD to develop a pilot program. We say ``may develop.'' There really is no requirement that HUD do it within some statutory period of time. There is no requirement that HUD will perform this in a certain way. But just see if there is some way to help people who make these payments timely such that this can become a part of the additional credit information. Now, I am emphasizing ``additional'' because, quite frankly, I had ``alternative'' at one time, ``alternative credit scoring.'' That created some confusion because we are not using this as an alternative. This becomes additional information. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) is imminently correct. We are friends. I say it in the sincerest way as well. He and I have collaborated on many issues, and we have gotten a lot of things done in Congress. I hope that doesn't hurt him back home, letting people know that we have worked on things together. But, obviously, I have a different perch, and from my perch here is what I see. I see an opportunity for additional credit scoring to be used, and if it is negative, it is not going to benefit the person that is being scored. It does not prevent any other negative information from being properly scored. It simply says that HUD may use this information, indicating that persons have paid a light bill, gas bill, water bill, or phone bill as additional information. That is all it says, that it may do this and it may create the scoring. Now, with reference to HUD, HUD has given me an indication--and I don't have it in writing to hand to you, Mr. Chairman, but I believe you would trust my word--that they are not opposing this. One of the reasons why it wasn't done previously was a function of HUD's budget. I believe this to be the reason. And because of budgetary concerns, it did not get done--it was codified in the law--and that is why I am reintroducing it. But this is a milder version of what I introduced previously, because previously we said HUD shall do this, and this time we have made it as mild as possible. The Realtors are very much supportive of it. This will give 50 million people who are currently with light credit files, don't have sufficient credit scores, to have some additional information to be considered. But it does not in any way require that negative information be received in a positive manner. If it is negative, it remains negative. If you haven't paid your car note, it is still a negative. If you haven't paid your light bill, gas bill, or water bill, it is still a negative. It only gives the opportunity to add these other things as things to consider for many people who, quite frankly, don't have a lot of traditional credit. They don't have bad credit; they just don't have traditional credit. There are a lot of my constituents who fall into this category. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the memory of a godly and enterprising soul from Florida: my uncle, the Honorable Dallas Theodore Yates. Mr. Yates, affectionately known as ``Uncle Dallas,'' was born in Caryville, Florida on September 22, 1919. From a young age, he was a person of deep and abiding faith, giving his life to Christ at the age of eight while attending Saint Mary's African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church. In 1951, Uncle Dallas would go on to help establish the Gregg Chapel A.M.E. Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Later, he moved to south Florida with his wife, Jane Eva Davis Yates, where they reared their children: Phyllis Rose Bryant Gilley, Raymond Lawrence Bryant, Sr., Harold Dwight Yates, Dallasteen Joy Yates and Jeffrey Arles Yates. There, in 1957, he entered into Christian fellowship with New Bethel A.M.E. Church. Over the course of his tenure at the church, he held the positions of Trustee Board Chairman Pro Tempore, Steward Board Chairman Pro Tempore, District Steward, as well as Annual Conference Delegate, all while giving generously to support the church's maintenance and services. In 1998, after many years of faithfully serving the Lord, he became a ``licensed Exhorter of the word of God.'' Throughout his life, he was known for his entrepreneurial spirit and industrious nature. While living in Fort Walton Beach, Florida as a young man, he owned and operated the ``Chicken in the Basket Restaurant'' and was the co-owner of the ``Silver Cab Company'' with his brother Charlie Yates. He also owned and developed residential properties in the city. In 1962, he moved to Indian River County, Florida and became the first black law enforcement officer and Deputy Sheriff in the county. He is said to have been known for his professionalism and ability to deescalate situations. In the 1970s, after honorably serving Indian River County, he and his wife established D & J Citrus Inc., a fruit harvesting and packing company. He also established the Yates Supermarket, which was family-owned and operated into the 1980s. I am blessed to have the opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of an exceptional man: my uncle, the Honorable Dallas Theodore Yates, who, despite facing what many would describe as insurmountable obstacles, accomplished his dreams of becoming a businessman and a trailblazer in law enforcement, while remaining a man of faith until his passing on December 30, 2015 at the age of 96. Mr. Speaker, I shall remember Uncle Dallas as a devoted husband, a dedicated father, and a mentor who provided me with a sense of direction, which has led me to the Congress of the United States of America.