Al Green

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is always a preeminent privilege to stand in the well of the House of Representatives to advocate on behalf of my constituents in the Ninth Congressional District of Texas, but it is also a greater honor to advocate on behalf of the American people. I contend that no one could have predicted that I would have had this great opportunity at my birth, and I am always grateful to have it, and I want people to know that I appreciate it greatly. Mr. Speaker, last night, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan piece of legislation, H. Res. 295. This is a resolution that would encourage law enforcement agencies to use body cameras. It passed overwhelmingly, and I am here today to express my gratitude to the many Members who supported this piece of legislation. I would like to start with the leadership. I am honored that the leadership supported it because, without the support of leadership, legislation does not come to the floor. Mr. Boehner, I am grateful that you supported and allowed it to come to the floor. Ms. Pelosi, I am grateful that you supported and allowed it to come to the floor. Mr. Hoyer, I am honored that we had the opportunity to visit with you about it as well as with other members of leadership, including Mr. Boehner, and that you allowed it to come to the floor. I also want to mention the chair of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Goodlatte. He allowed us to visit with him about this legislation. We are grateful that he participated in the process and allowed it to come to the floor. I am also especially honored to mention Mr. Conyers, the sage of the House of Representatives, the dean of the House of Representatives, and I am grateful that he has been understanding and has given us the opportunity to have this piece of legislation come to the floor in the form of a resolution. There were Members who supported this, and they were cosponsors. I have to mention my very dear friend Mr. Cleaver. I will say candidly that, without him, we wouldn't have been able to have succeeded. He has been a partner with me on this legislation, and we have worked through the entirety of the process. I will mention Mr. Ted Poe from Texas. He and I were lawyers together, and we were judges together. He was the first person to actually sign onto the resolution, and that meant something to have his support. Mr. Poe, I am grateful that you signed on as the first original cosponsor, and my prayer is that this piece of legislation is something that you will be proud of in the years to come. Mr. Luetkemeyer signed onto it, Mr. Lacy Clay, Mr. Yoder, and Ms. Clarke--all persons who were original cosponsors of the legislation. I am grateful that they chose to allow their names to be associated with it, and I am grateful to all of the Members of the House of Representatives who voted for it, some 421 Members. Let me now just focus on the legislation for just a moment and remind everybody that this, in a metaphorical sense, is not the end; it is the beginning. In a metaphorical sense, it is not the closing argument as we might have in a trial; it is the opening statement. As a Christian, in a metaphorical sense, this is Genesis; it is not Revelation. There are many other things to come. In fact, we have a piece of legislation--the CAM TIP Act--that is currently pending before the House, and my hope is that we will get some additional cosponsors on that piece of legislation. As for this piece of legislation, let me announce that what it does is to simply provide encouragement to law enforcement agencies to know that the consensus of the House of Representatives is that you have body cameras. We ask that you please consider the rationale for body cameras. One, transparency. This means that there won't be disputes about what happened. With cameras, you can still have some disputes. This is not a panacea; it will not cure all that ails some of our concerns. Yet it does provide some empirical evidence, empirical evidence that we would not acquire otherwise because of the contentions that can be at odds with each other about facts. By the way, as a judge, I know that you can have persons with the best of intentions who can see the same facts and come away with different conclusions as to what occurred. This provides the additional transparency. It also provides an opportunity for us to allow this evidence to go into court. It is not enough for the public to see what is going on. Those who serve as jurors will have an opportunity to see what happened and base their decisions on more than what one person says as opposed to what another person says. I am proud to tell you that the piece of legislation will provide an opportunity for people to adjust their behavior. A wonderful thing can happen when cameras are on. People will know that they are being watched, and they can adjust their behavior. I am so honored that the legislation has passed, and I am grateful for the opportunity to speak this morning. I thank those who were supportive of it. This is the genesis. The revelations are yet to come.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Chair, this amendment would absolutely, totally, and completely allow discrimination against our veterans. If you are a veteran and you need a service animal and if there is an area that is set aside with no pets allowed, that service animal can become a pet. We cannot allow veterans to be discriminated against. With reference to this amendment being a theory, all 11 circuit courts have upheld it. It is not a theory. It is a standard. It is a standard that the courts adhere to, and it is a standard we ought not abrogate. We must continue. I am absolutely, totally, and completely opposed to this amendment, and I beg that my colleagues would go on record as being opposed to it as well.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, we see a reduction in complaints. As we view the many incidents that have occurred around the country, there is no question that there is a divide. I believe that these body cameras can span the chasm across the divide and make a difference in the perception that we have in the way our police and our communities interact with each other. I am proud to be a sponsor, and I am proud to have the cosponsors that we have. I am proud that the chairperson of the Judiciary Committee has signed onto this and that the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee is on board. I want to thank my colleague from Houston, Texas, the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, who has served on the Judiciary Committee for many, many years, and I am most appreciative that she, too, finds favor with this piece of legislation. I am honored that she is on the floor tonight to shepherd it through, and I pray that my colleagues all will support what I believe to be a piece of legislation that can span the chasm between the police and the community in a most positive way.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is always an honor to stand in the well of the House and have an opportunity to advocate on behalf of the constituents of the Ninth Congressional District. Today is no exception. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand here in support of bipartisan legislation, legislation that encourages law enforcement to use body cameras. This legislation is legislation that I am proud to say has received a good deal of support and a good deal of consideration and deliberation. I would like to thank the Speaker of the House, Mr. Boehner, for his assistance in bringing this legislation forward. Of course, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi must be given kudos as well. I thank her for allowing the legislation to come forward and assisting. The Democratic whip, Mr. Hoyer, I want to thank him because we had a conversation concerning this legislation. Of course, the chairperson of the Judiciary Committee, the Honorable Bob Goodlatte, he and I have had an opportunity to talk through this legislation, and I am eternally grateful for the consideration that you have given, sir, and I thank you. I also would like to thank the dean of the House of Representatives, the Honorable John Conyers. He has been here on so many occasions when legislation that is exceedingly important has been passed upon and has been a voice, a voice on all of these issues through the years. I am proud to say that I had an opportunity to speak to him about this legislation. Of course, I want to thank Mr. Ted Poe of Texas. He and I came to Congress together, and we worked together. This is a piece of legislation that he was the first to sign onto, H. Res. 295. Mr. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, he and I have worked together to shepherd this from the very beginning, and he is still a part of it. He is not here tonight, but he is with us on this legislation. I am proud to say he is a friend, and he has been a partner throughout the effort to bring this legislation to the floor of the House. Mr. Luetkemeyer, he has been a friend in this; Mr. Clay of Missouri; Mr. Yoder of Kansas; and, of course, Ms. Clarke of New York--all friends and all supportive of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, this resolution, as has been indicated, is the beginning. I don't see it as the end of a process. I see it as more of a preamble with the Constitution to follow. I see it as a lawyer might see an opening statement with the closing statement yet to come. Of course, as a Christian, I see it as a part of Genesis, with many revelations yet to come. It is a good first step, and it is a good step in the right direction. I don't see it as the end of the process, but I do want to commend and thank those who have helped us to get to this point. I would cite now, if I may, a Justice Department report. This report styled ``Police Officer Body-Worn Cameras'' found that body-worn cameras increased transparency. People have the opportunity to see what actually took place. It makes a difference because this will increase police legitimacy. Officers don't have to get into disputes about what actually occurred. The empirical evidence is there by way of the camera's eye. It will improve citizen and police behavior. Once the camera is on and once people know that it is on--that is both citizens and police officers--their behavior tends to be adjusted such that we get better results. It will improve effective prosecution. This is evidence that can be introduced into court. When it is introduced, it can help effectuate positive results. Another study, a study from the University of Cambridge, its Institute of Criminology, after a 12-month study, found a 50 percent reduction in the use of force as a result of body cameras, a 50 percent reduction in use of force, a 90 percent reduction in complaints against police officers as a result of body cameras being utilized. Of course, there is a final study that I will cite in Rialto, California. This report from Rialto, California, indicates that, after 1 year of use of body cameras, there was a 60 percent reduction in the use of force and an 88 percent reduction in complaints against police officers. The evidence is in. It is clear that these body cameras do provide an opportunity for us to have the transparency we need, for us to provide legitimacy for both police officers and citizenry but, more importantly, to reduce the complaints that we see emanating from scenes that are disputed.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, let me please start by acknowledging the Honorable Maxine Waters. What I present tonight is an amendment that she actually authored, and I would like to present it. In so doing, I want to remind us that this amendment deals with two programs that are near and dear to my heart, the affordable housing trust fund and the HOME program. These programs are near and dear to my heart because the greatness of a nation will not be measured by how we treat people who live in the suites of life, how we treat the well off, the well heeled, and the well to do. The greatness of a nation is often measured by how we treat people who live in the streets of life, those who are too often among the least, the last, and the lost. This amendment seeks to provide aid and comfort for those who, but for the grace of God, could be you or me, but those who find themselves living in the streets of life. This amendment, in dealing with the affordable housing trust fund, will restore it. The current bill would actually eliminate the affordable housing trust fund. This amendment provides some degree of aid and comfort for those who are living at 30 percent of the area median income, wherever they happen to live. In Ms. Maxine Waters' district, this would mean an annual income of $20,200 for a family of four. I would dare say that there are few among us who would dare attempt to live off of $20,200 as an individual. This helps a family of four with $20,200. This is what the affordable housing trust fund does. It helps people who are extremely low of income. My hope is that we will be able to prevent this elimination of the affordable housing trust fund, and this amendment does it. This amendment also will help those who can benefit from the HOME program. The HOME program can serve a family of four that earns up to $53,900 per year. This program is a partnership, if you will, between State, municipal, and Federal Government. It has been a program that has been of great benefit across the length and breadth of this country. There is not a State in the country, I would dare say, that has not benefited from the HOME program. It is my hope that we can meet the President's request for the HOME program. Right now, it is about $293 million short of the President's request. This amendment would add that $293 million that the President has requested. I started by indicating that these are two programs that are near and dear to me. Mr. Chairman, I believe that Ruth Meltzer was right when she indicated that some measure their lives by days and years, others by heartthrobs, passions, and tears; but the surest measure under God's sun is what for others in your lifetime have you done. These programs afford us an opportunity to do for others, to be a blessing to those that have not been as blessed as we. My hope is that we will find a way to salvage both of these programs, restore the HOME program to what the President has requested, and prevent the affordable housing trust fund from finding its way to the ash heap of history. I reserve the balance of my time. Point of Order

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and I thank the Congress of the United States of America because Congress has appropriated money for these VASH vouchers, this program. I have always tried to get more because I think our veterans deserve as much as we can give them, but I am appreciative for what Congress has done, and I am appreciative for what the chairman has done. So tonight I will withdraw my amendment, Mr. Chairman, but I do so with the understanding that as we move forward, knowing that we have done a great job, the President has done well, that the cities and municipalities have worked well with the President, this has been an integrated system, holistic approach to ending homelessness among our veterans, but I still believe that we cannot allow ourselves to relax. We must never assume that we have done enough for those who are willing to do all for us. With that, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, on the point of order, understanding the rules, I still would beseech us, Mr. Chairman, to give some consideration to the salvation of these programs. Perhaps I will be able to work with the chairman and in some way help those who are not in a position to help themselves.

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

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. If I may, Mr. Chairman.

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

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise tonight in support of the people who make it possible for us to be here. Of course, I speak of those persons who go to distant places, those persons who serve us in our military who don't always return the same way they left. I rise tonight because we have had a successful program. The HUD VASH program has been successful, and it has contributed to the decline in homelessness among those persons who make it possible for us to be here, who make real the great and noble American ideals: liberty and justice for all; government of the people, by the people, for the people. Mr. Chairman, homelessness has declined 33 percent among our veteran population since 2010, and this is because the President made it a priority. President Obama indicated that he would reduce homelessness among veterans, and he had 2015 as a targeted date. I am proud to say that in my city of Houston, Texas, our mayor, Annise Parker, had an event just recently with three HUD Secretaries, and it was announced at that event that in Houston, Texas, the resources were available to accommodate a veteran in need of a place to call home. Tonight, Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment that would accord $75 million to the HUD VASH program. This $75 million would be used to make sure that what we have done we will not only continue to do, but we can do even better. I believe that the people who have served us and who find themselves now living on the streets of life should have a better quality of life. For this reason, I will promote this amendment tonight, understanding that a point of order has been made, but also understanding that it is necessary for us to continue to remind ourselves that we have people who are willing to make the sacrifice and that we should make sacrifices for them.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I missed the following votes: Dingell Amendment. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill; Lowenthal Amendment. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill; Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 1335. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill; Final Passage of H.R. 1335. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to thank Ms. Sharon Ann Porter for her more than fifteen years of outstanding service to the House of Representatives, in a number of administrative and support roles. Ms. Porter began her career in the House in February 2000 as the Data Entry Specialist under the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Eager to learn and help carry out other duties, Ms. Porter was promoted to Financial Counselor in February 2001. As Financial Counselor she was responsible for the processing of payments as well as reimbursements requested by House offices, including Member, Committee, and Leadership offices. Ms. Porter worked diligently in all her roles, processing a large volume of payments on a daily basis, as well as forming long- lasting friendships with her customers and co-workers. Additionally, Ms. Porter has offered her expertise during each House Service Fair, by volunteering extra time to assist with disseminating valuable information to House employees and customers. She was also instrumental in the transition to the new digital document management and electronic voucher submission known as E-Voucher, which streamlines services to House offices. Ms. Porter's work ethic, diligence, and dedication have made her an invaluable asset to the CAO organization. She has consistently provided excellent customer service to Members and staff. Her outgoing personality, positive attitude, and sense of humor have endeared her to many colleagues and friends. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ms. Sharon Ann Porter and I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking her for her distinguished service to the House of Representatives as well as the nation it serves. I wish Ms. Porter and her family all the best as she begins this new chapter in her life.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the great Mahalia Jackson was a gospel singer. The great singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson, once proclaimed by Harry Belafonte to be the most powerful woman in America, the great Mahalia Jackson gave us some words to live by, some words that can add meaning to life. She, in one of her songs, indicated that, and I shall paraphrase, if I can help somebody as I travel along, then my living shall not be in vain. Live not in vain; help somebody--that is the essence of the message that she presented. I am here today to speak of persons who are in harm's way and who are suffering. The people of Nepal have had two earthquakes visited upon them: one a 7.8 magnitude, the other a 7.3 magnitude. These two earthquakes have done great damage. More than 8,000 people are dead. I am looking at the statistical information: more than 16,000 injured, 8 million persons affected, nearly 500,000 homes destroyed, another 200,000-plus damaged. They are still in harm's way, but there is something we can do. We can do unto others as we would have them do to us if we had suffered a similar tragedy. Mr. Speaker, this is a great opportunity for us to do something to help without actually expending a lot of American dollars, although we have spent quite a bit. I am proud to say that the United States has accorded approximately $40 million to this effort--$40 million. It will take a lot more, but the United States is involved in doing its part. We have had our rescue teams there; and one of our rescue teams, unfortunately, suffered some tragedy. One of our military helicopters went down. We have lost lives there. People have been there living not in vain, trying to do what they can to be of assistance, doing unto others as we would have them do for us under similar circumstances. One of the things that we can do is sign on to a bill that will allow those persons who are in this country from Nepal, who are here lawfully, to stay in this country for an extended period of time while their country is recovering. H.R. 2033 affords Nepalese who are in the United States of America to stay for a while longer. They will not have their status in the country change. They won't become persons on a pathway to citizenship. They will simply have more time here. We will not send them back in harm's way. We will do unto them what we would have them do unto us if we were in a similar circumstance. Mr. Speaker, this bill has many persons who are supporting it. More than 50 persons have supported this piece of legislation. I am proud to say that some of the persons who have supported it are persons who have great Nepalese communities, and there are others who do not. They just want to be of help. I want to mention a few whose names I did not mention when I mentioned names previously, or I did not state them correctly. This is a chance for me to correct the Record: Congressman Mike Capuano, Congressman Tony Cardenas, Congressman Joe Crowley, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Congressman Raul Grijalva, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Congressman Jared Polis, Congressman Charles Rangel, Congressman Cedric Richmond, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, and Congresswoman Linda Sanchez--all persons who are supportive, along with many others, nearly 50. I am proud to say that the community in Houston, the Nepalese community has come together, and they have a goal of raising $100,000. They have exceeded that goal, under the leadership of Mr. Ghimirey and Mr. Nepal. They have exceeded the goal of $100,000, and they are still raising additional funds. I believe that H.R. 2033 affords all of us to live not in vain. I think this is a great opportunity to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I ask that we support H.R. 2033 and live not in vain. Help somebody as we travel along our way.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I missed the following votes: H.R. 91, the Veteran's I.D. Card Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. H.R. 1313, the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. H.R. 1382, the Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the friend from the great State of Texas. He and I happen to share more than being Members of Congress. We are Members of Congress from the same State. I am honored that you have not only worked hard in Congress, but you have also been a part of activities outside of Congress, and I am honored to work with you on at least one project, and we hope to do some good for the great State of Texas on this project together. I am grateful to you, and I am grateful for your kind words. Thank you so much.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I am on a mission of mercy; a mission of mercy, Mr. Speaker, because a U.S. military helicopter has gone down in Nepal on Tuesday, May 12. They were on a mission of mercy. The United States of America always responds to those who are in need, those who are in harm's way. This was no exception. Our very finest volunteer to serve in our military. Many of them will go to distant places, and some of them will not always return home the same way they left. Some will not return at all. I am honored to say that we should be proud of those who serve. Regardless as to how we feel about conflicts around the world, we ought to appreciate the service of those who are in our military, and we ought to want every one of them to return home safely. So today I stand in the well of the House on a mission of mercy for our military persons who have lost their lives in distant places, but more specifically in Nepal. We are there for a reason, Mr. Speaker. We are there because Ruth Smeltzer is right: Some measure their lives by days and years, Others by heartthrobs, passions, and tears, But the surest measure under God's Sun. Is what for others in your lifetime have you done. We, in the United States of America, are doing things for others in the lifetime of people in this country currently, and we do it in the lifetime of our Nation. We want it said that we were there to help those in time of need. So, Mr. Speaker, there is a time of need for those in Nepal. On April 25, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal; 7.8. Thereafter, on May 12, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal. These earthquakes have devastated this country. Lives have been lost, more than 8,000 lives. People have been injured, more than 17,000. Millions have been displaced, nearly 3 million. Millions have been affected, more than 8 million. Four Americans lost their lives. The United States moved quickly. We committed the sum of approximately $10 million initially, but that has now grown to more than $32 million. The relief efforts from the United States are growing. Not only are we placing dollars into the relief effort, we are also placing our military equipment into these efforts. That is why the helicopter was there in Nepal, to help in this time of need. So I am proud to say that we are there to help. The need is estimated to be approximately $415 million. The number could go up. But if it is that amount, we can do as much as we can, and we should do as much as we can to help the people of Nepal. I want you to know that the people of Nepal and the Nepalese community in the United States of America across the length and breadth of our country are pitching in. In my district, the Ninth Congressional District of Houston, Texas, on May 2, 2015, we held a meeting. That meeting was to discuss how we can be of service, the congressional office, and how the community can come together to provide assistance for those in need in Nepal. At that meeting, I am proud to say we had a good many persons in attendance. It was a community meeting. In the true spirit of community, which has the word ``unity'' in it, there was unity within this community meeting. I am proud to say that the members of the Nepalese Association of Houston were present. The president, Mr. Ghimirey was there, and he gave a report. The secretary, Mr. Nepal, was there. He gave a report. The building that we were in was at the International Center owned by Mr. Wei Li, and we are honored that he opened the doors of his facility for this purpose. But it is important to know that the community was in unity on the effort to help those in Nepal. Some of the members of the community in attendance: the Bhutanese community was there. The Taiwanese community was there. The Latino community was in attendance. The Burmese community was in attendance. The Pakistani community, the Vietnamese community, all in attendance. Asian realtors were there. The Southwest Management District was there. There were Venerables there, those who are of the Buddhist faith. The Filipino community was represented. The community activists of all stripes, of different ethnicities were in attendance. The Jewish community was there, and a report was given in terms of how Israel has been involved. The Turkish community was there, the Indian community. The Lion's Club was represented. The Chinese community was in attendance. And the African American community was there, as well as a representative of the NAACP. We had a cross-section of people all there for the purpose of becoming a part of the mission of mercy, for the purpose of making sure that we fulfill our obligation to help those in times of need, and I am proud to say that a goal of $100,000 was set for the purpose of aiding those in Nepal just from that meeting. There are many others who have other goals, some higher, some lower, but I believe this goal will be met because it was indicated at the meeting that approximately $60,000 had been committed. I am proud to know that the community, in the spirit of unity, has come together. We announced at that meeting that our congressional office, working with other Members of Congress, we have filed a bill, H.R. 2033, to accord, to provide temporary protected status for the Nepalese community in Texas, in the United States of America, if you are a citizen of Nepal. If you are a citizen of Nepal, and you find yourself here on some sort of visa, if you are here lawfully in the country, temporary protected status would extend the stay for those who are lawfully in the country. It will not change the immigration status of a single person. It will simply extend the stay. This is the American way. It is not the first time we have done this. This is the American way. When people are here and their visas expire, and they are subject to going back into harm's way or going back to their country, which would place them in harm's way, we have done the honorable thing, the right thing. We have on many occasions allowed them to stay here rather than send them into harm's way. That is what this bill would do, H.R. 2033. It would permit them to stay in this country and not return to a country that has been devastated by not one, but two earthquakes, a 7.3 and a 7.8. These two earthquakes have left much damage across the length and breadth of the country. The country is recovering. We need to make sure that we do all that we can to help the people of Nepal. This is why the bill was introduced, and I am proud to say that a good many persons have joined this mission of mercy. The Honorable Mike Honda is an original cosponsor, but there are others who are cosponsors, and in our tradition we like to thank people. It is a tradition of the House to thank people who are a part of a process that is helping someone. When you have people of goodwill who have put their names on the line, you ought to acknowledge that they are doing it. So I am proud to acknowledge people of goodwill, members of the United States House of Representatives who are a part of this mission of mercy, who have signed on to H.R. 2033. I want to mention each and every name. There are others who will sign on. This is not an all-inclusive list, but as of today: The Honorable Mike Honda, who was an original cosponsor; the Honorable Rrad Ashford-- and by the way these are alphabetized--the Honorable Karen Bass; the Honorable Mike Capuano; the Honorable Tony Cardenas; the Honorable Judy Chu; the Honorable Yvette Clarke; the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver; the Honorable James Clyburn; the Honorable Steve Cohen; the Honorable John Conyers. For those of you who may just have joined us, these are the people who are on a mission of mercy. These are the people who are on H.R. 2033, a bill designed to help people stay in this country and not go back into harm's way to Nepal. By the way, this bill would impact about 10,000 to 25,000 people. It is very difficult to count, but this is a guesstimate at best, the number of people who might benefit by staying in this country. I said the Honorable John Conyers is on this mission of mercy; the Honorable Joseph Crowley; the Honorable Henry Cuellar; the Honorable Danny Davis; the Honorable John Delaney; the Honorable Suzan DelBene; the Honorable Mark DeSaulnier; the Honorable Tammy Duckworth; the Honorable Keith Ellison; the Honorable Marcia Fudge; the Honorable Alan Grayson; the Honorable Gene Green; the Honorable Raul Grijalva. As I continue with this list, let me make mention of this: This is not the first time, as I have indicated, that we have had temporary status granted to other countries. It was done under the Clinton administration, and it was granted to Montserrat. It was done under the Clinton administration as well for Nicaragua, following a hurricane, as well as for the Honduras. It was done with the Bush administration for El Salvador. It was done for the Obama administration for those who suffered from an earthquake in Haiti. So these are some of the people: the Honorable Tammy Duckworth, the Honorable Keith Ellison, the Honorable Marcia Fudge, the Honorable Alan Grayson, the Honorable Gene Green, the Honorable Raul Grijalva, the Honorable Luis Gutierrez, the Honorable Denny Heck, the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, the Honorable Hank Johnson, the Honorable Daniel Kildee, the Honorable Barbara Lee, the Honorable John Lewis, the Honorable Zoe Lofgren, the Honorable Jim McDermott, the Honorable Grace Meng, the Honorable Gwen Moore, the Honorable Grace Napolitano, the Honorable Jared Polis, the Honorable Charles Rangel, the Honorable Cedric Richmond, the Honorable Bobby Rush, the Honorable Linda T. Sanchez, the Honorable Loretta Sanchez, the Honorable Bobby Scott, the Honorable Jose Serrano, the Honorable Brad Sherman, the Honorable Chris Smith, the Honorable Jackie Speier, the Honorable Bennie Thompson, the Honorable Chris Van Hollen, the Honorable Maxine Waters, and the Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman. I might add that this is bipartisan. It is always a wonderful thing to have bipartisan legislation. This legislation is bipartisan in nature. I want you to know that, in sponsoring this legislation, it is our hope that the United States House of Representatives will take it up and that it will come to the floor of the House for a vote, so that we can do more than say we support the people of Nepal. This is a way for the Congress of the United States of America to go beyond endorsing aid. It is a way to provide aid because the people who are here will have an opportunity to continue to work. As they continue to work, they will be permitted to return funds to their home country. This is a way for us to not only keep people out of harm's way, but to allow those who are here to send money to those who are in harm's way. They can send dollars back to Nepal to help their country in a time of need. When we had the circumstance in Honduras that required temporary protective status, persons were allowed to stay. Since that occurred, approximately $31 billion has been sent back to Honduras from those who are in the diaspora. With reference to Nicaragua, for those who are in the diaspora, I want to commend you because you have sent approximately $10 billion home. For those in El Salvador, I want to commend you because you have sent approximately $45 billion home. For those in Haiti, in the diaspora, you have sent approximately $6 billion home. People in the diaspora from these various countries want to do what they can to be of assistance to their people at home. This is a way of providing them an opportunity to be of assistance to those that they love, those who find themselves in harm's way, those who are in their homelands. Well, we hope that this piece of legislation will pass. If this piece of legislation passes, it will give those persons who are here the opportunity to continue to be a part of the mission of mercy by sending dollars to those who are in harm's way. It is nothing unique, but it is something very much needed for those who are in Nepal. I am proud to tell you that, as we go forward with this effort, we will extend the reach to the United States Senate. We will ask that the Senators please become a part of this. This is an effort that we all, in my opinion, can embrace. We can do this, and we can do it without it costing us--meaning the government--any money. The Government of the United States of America is already sending tens of millions of dollars by way of aid and equipment, and we are doing a lot, but this is another way for the government to be of assistance without spending additional money to be of assistance to the people who are here by not putting them back in harm's way, but at the same time, to allow them--those who are here--to be of benefit to their country by sending dollars back in the form of remittances. I believe that the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States of America can get this done. I am going to ask my colleagues to please give consideration to H.R. 2033. Let us join hands together, those in the House and Senate, and be on this mission of mercy to see if we can do something to provide aid and comfort for those who are in Nepal by passing legislation to allow those who are in this country to stay in the United States of America. We also are on this mission of mercy because Dr. King is right--I mentioned Ruth Smeltzer--when he reminded us that life is an ``inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.'' What impacts one directly impacts all indirectly, meaning what is happening to those in Nepal will have an impact on us. It may not be a direct impact, but there will be an indirect impact. It will happen in ways that we may not be able to measure, but it will. It will impact because there are people who are going to try to migrate, people trying to get out of harm's way and try to get to other countries. My hope is that we will do our share to help those who are trying to get out of harm's way and do our share to prevent those who are here from going back into harm's way. Dr. King is right; life is an inescapable network of mutuality. We are bonded together. This is one island that we are all stranded on, the island that we know as Earth. If we are going to live together as brothers and sisters, we have to treat each other as such. This is a time for us to be responsive to our brothers and sisters in Nepal because there is another comment I hear quite regularly when we hear of disasters like these. People will mention that: ``But for the grace of God, there go I.'' We have had our share of mishaps in the United States of America; and, when we have had our share of mishaps, people have always sent their best wishes and aid to us. People have been of assistance to us throughout the years, the decades, the century. People have been of assistance to us. But for the grace of God, there go I. I am so proud of the response that we had in this country after we suffered 9/11. There were people who showed us a great amount of sympathy and empathy, people who wanted to do all that they can to let us know that they cared and that they were concerned and that they did not, in fact, support--and, in fact, condemned--the dastardly deeds that were perpetrated. It was a time for the world to come together. This is another such occasion, but not the same--no two unpleasant circumstances are the same--but this one in Nepal is one that we can embrace. This is a time for us to show the world that we understand that there are things that we can do and will do. We are, by the way. We have sent millions of dollars. We have our aid in the form of the soft side of our military. Our heavy equipment and helicopters are there. As I mentioned earlier, we did lose a helicopter, and we lost some lives. We are stepping up to the plate. The United States of America is doing its part. I want us to continue to do our part. I want us to do all that we can to make sure that every person knows where we stand. In so doing, I want to mention that we in the United States have been blessed to have this melting pot of people who come from all over the world to be a part of this great American Dream, the great American ideal, and the people who have come here from the country of Nepal are no exception. They are hard-working people. They have shown their desire to be a part of the fiber and fabric of the United States of America. They have been people of good will. I ask that we extend the hand of friendship to these people of good will, especially during this month, which is a month that we are to give honor and show respect to those of Asian heritage, if you will. This is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This is a great time for us, during this month, to show our concern for the Asian population that is in Nepal. We have the opportunity to pass H.R. 2033 and make a difference in the lives of a good many people in this country. I do want to mention again, for fear that some may not have heard, the community in Houston is well organized. Immediately after the first earthquake hit, we had a meeting, and we had scores of people in attendance. These were Nepalese persons. They were there to show their unity with each other. They also had a plan of action. Their plan of action included raising money so that they could send it to their homeland to be of assistance, and they want to send this money directly there themselves. I admire them for their lofty goals and their efforts. They want to send the money themselves to their homeland. They want to make sure that there is no question that they have done their part. The beautiful thing about this effort is that it became infectious and other members of the community decided: If not but for the grace of God, there go I. Here is my opportunity to be of assistance. Here is my opportunity to unify. It was an amazing sight to see, on May 2, when we had all of these various organizations and groups coming together, all of them pledging their support, all of them pledging their desire to be of assistance to the Nepalese community in Houston, Texas, across the length and breadth of this country, but also to those who are actually in Nepal in a time of need. I am so honored that they have lofty goals that they, I believe, will meet--I plan to do my part--but I am also honored that they decided that this was something that we could all embrace. They have reached out to the entire community, and the community has responded. I beg my friends across all sides of the aisle, this is not a Republican or a Democratic resolution--or bill, if you will. This is a bill, H.R. 2033, that already has bipartisan support. It is not about what part of the country you are from. It is not about how many people you happen to represent from a certain community. It is about helping somebody in a country that is in need of help. I beg that my colleagues would sign on to H.R. 2033--those who have not, many have indicated they will--so that we can bring this bill to the floor of the United States House of Representatives. It is not going to cost us any additional money to bring it to the House of Representatives. It will not in any way grant any status to persons that they don't already have. It will simply extend the period of time that they will be allowed to stay in this country without having to return to harm's way. I am grateful for the time today, Mr. Speaker. I do believe that this is time that has been well spent, and I do want to, as I close, let those families who have friends and relatives who are serving in our military or who are in Nepal, especially those who have family members that were associated with the military and the loss related to that helicopter crash, but also those who are with USAID and those there with various other organizations that are in service and doing what they do to make a difference, thank all of them for being there on the ground. I also heard someone representing our military this morning. When speaking of those who are there as a part of that military effort and those who lost their lives, there was a request for prayers. There was a request that we would pray for those who are injured and those who have lost their lives. I believe in prayer. I do believe that it has a positive impact. I believe it can make a difference. I believe that there are times when there are no answers available to people, when you cannot explain what has happened, when the inexplicable is confronting you. At those times, many people turn to prayer because prayer can provide what words cannot explain. Prayer can give you the hope that you need to go forward. Prayer can give you the sense of I can, the belief that I will, the belief that I will go on and continue to make a difference, that it is expected that I go on sometimes. People think that there is no more hope, and they should just give up right here and right now. Prayer can do marvelous things, so I am going to end with a prayer because I believe that the request should be honored from the military person who made the request. Without knowing the name, I want you to know that I appreciate that you indicated that we should pray for our people in harm's way. I will give this prayer from my heart, not from my head. I have no paper that I will be reading when I present this prayer. It is a prayer that has been written across my heart for a time such as this, and I pray, as I give this prayer, that it will be received with the intentionality that I will send it. It is a prayer for all. Those who would like to can join me in your tradition. However you pray is okay with me. I will lower my head to give this prayer, and I will close my eyes. Most gracious Creator, we know You by many names, but we also know that, by any name, You are the creator of all that was, is, and ever shall be, and we know that we are Your children, and as Your children, You have given us the greatest gift that we could ever receive, the gift of life. Regardless as to what we think of ourselves, we know, many of us in our hearts, that we are blessed beyond measure to simply have the gift of life. We know that we are better than we deserve, simply because we have the gift of life, because we cannot earn the gift of life. There is nothing that we could have done to earn it or merit the gift of life. It is something that we get because of grace. By Your grace, I stand here as Your servant, asking Your mercy for those who are in harm's way in the nation of Nepal. I ask Your mercy, I ask Your blessings for those who are reaching out and trying to do what they can to help someone in a time of need. I ask that You please strengthen those who are there who, tonight, may find that they do not have shelter, but please give them some sense of belief that help is on the way. Help them to believe that there are people in a distant place called the United States of America who are people of good will who are going to do what they can to make sure that they get the shelter they need. Please help those who may be suffering the pains associated with having been a part of a tragic circumstance and having been hurt physically. Help those who are suffering to know that help is on the way, that we plan to make sure that they get the medical aid that they need and the treatment that they need because You have given us so much and those who have so much, as we, should do as much as we can to help people who have little. I ask, gracious Creator, that You strengthen all of us in this House of Representatives so that we may continue to go forward to do Your will to make Your world a better place. We were given the precious gift of the life for a reason. There are many reasons that may be cited, but I believe that we have been blessed with the gift of life so that we may be a blessing to others. This is our opportunity to be a blessing to others, and I beg and I pray that we, who have received the precious gift of life, when we finally, 1 day, have the opportunity to look back upon all that our lives stand for, perhaps we will, at some point in time, have an opportunity to see the omniscient, the omnipresent, and the omnipotent, and we will have an opportunity to tell and go over the record of our lives. On that day, I hope that we will be able to say that we did all that we could to help the people of Nepal. We thank You for the gift of life, and we pray that we will use it wisely and well and make a difference in the lives of others. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. God bless you, Mr. Speaker, and God bless the United States of America. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the month of May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I am proud to say that we have many visitors-- in fact, hundreds of visitors--who are here at the Capitol, many celebrating this month with us. Among those who are visiting are some of my friends and some of my colleagues, and some persons who are from other places than my congressional district, but they are still friends of mine. Among them is Dawn Lin. She worked in our congressional office for sometime, and she is a visitor here today. She is the mother of the Confucius resolution that I brought before Congress and passed. Another is the father of the International District in Houston, Texas, Mr. Wei Le. He is a dear friend, and I am honored that he is here today. Another is Kenneth Li, known as the mayor of Chinatown in Houston, Texas, affectionately so. We also have Chris Kang, Casey Kang, Dionne Cuello, Vickie Silvano, Ray Huang, and Lily Lee, all friends and visiting today. I am honored today, Mr. Speaker, to say a few words about Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, because the truth is America the beautiful is a more beautiful America because of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. One such beautiful American was Wong Kim Ark. Wong Kim Ark was born in the United States, and in 1894, he decided that he would travel to China. Upon returning from China in 1895, he was denied entrance into the United States. Wong Kim Ark was denied entrance into the United States because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This act was one that was passed to prevent Chinese Americans from having ingress and egress into this country if you were not a citizen, of course. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution became the subject of his reentry into the country because when they declared him ineligible to return to the country, it was because they were saying he was not a citizen, notwithstanding the fact that he was born in California. But if you read closely the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, you will find that it reads: ``All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof''--that is some key language, ``and subject to the jurisdiction thereof''--``are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.'' There were some persons who thought that the term ``and subject to the jurisdiction thereof'' meant that since their parents were the subjects of the Emperor of China, he could not be a citizen of the United States of America. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States of America, and it was all because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The Supreme Court did the judicious thing. They ruled in his favor that he was a citizen of the United States of America. While that might seem such a small thing today, it is really a significant piece of world history in terms of how persons born in this country become citizens, because had they ruled otherwise, there are a good many people who could be born in this country but not be citizens of the United States of America. He was the test case that went before the Supreme Court. While many persons conclude that the 14th Amendment has its roots in those who were freed from slavery in the United States of America to accord them citizenship--and I concur with this, by the way--but I also would add this: while it was given birth to because of the freed slaves, it was given clarity because of Mr. Ark who was denied citizenship for a brief moment, but finally, the Supreme Court ruled that Wong Kim Ark was a citizen of the United States of America. As I close today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to simply say there are many contributions that Asian American and Pacific Islanders have made to this great Nation to make America a more beautiful America. I think we should not limit our thoughts to things such as dance, which is wonderful; the great food, which is great; to the beautiful clothing, which is a great thing as well. I think we have to go beyond these things and remember the transcontinental railroad that was constructed by the labor of tens of thousands of persons of Chinese ancestry. I think we have to go beyond this country if we are going to take a global look at the great history. I think, Mr. Speaker, that America the beautiful is a more beautiful America because they are here.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I, along with a good many of my colleagues, are on a mission of mercy. Mr. Speaker, we have a circumstance that has impacted the people of Nepal. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has hit this country. It happened on April 25. More than 5,000 people have lost their lives; 10,000 have been injured; 2.8 million people are displaced, and 8 million people have been affected. Four Americans are confirmed dead. There is a little bit of good news. The United States of America has committed $12.5 million in relief for the country of Nepal, but that is not enough. I believe we can do more because $415 million will be needed for humanitarian purposes alone, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to say that a good many organizations are pitching in. One such organization is in my district in Houston, Texas, the Nepalese Association of Houston. The chairperson and president of that association, Mr. Ghimirey, has called a meeting; and I was honored to be in attendance, along with the secretary Mr. Nepal, and about 100 or more other people. They are doing what they can to make sure they do their share to help in this time of need, and I want you to know that we in the Congress want to make sure that we do our share to help in this time of need. Yesterday, we heard from the Prime Minister of Japan. One of the things that he said that stuck in my mind is that America provides hope for the world. America is emblematic of hope for people who are hopeless, help for those who are helpless. America is always there for the rest of the world. We cannot allow this situation to become anything less than what America has always been for the rest of the world. To have the hope that they need, help has to be on the way. There has to be the help that can engender the hope that people so desperately need. To give them the hope they need, there is a bill that we have filed in the Congress of the United States of America, H.R. 2033. This bill provides temporary protected status for the people of Nepal who happen to be in the United States of America under a legal status. If they are here legally, they will be allowed to stay for an additional 18 months. They won't be sent back to harm's way in a time of crisis. This is what America can do. This is to provide hope. By providing help and allowing those people to stay in this country, they can continue to work. They can continue to send money home. We have found from our research that $248 million in remittances were sent to Nepal in 2014. That is $248 million. We need to allow the Nepalese people to continue to work in this country and send that money back to their countrymen and women. America can do this. This is not a heavy lift. This is not immigration reform. This is something that we have done before. We did it in 1998, under the Clinton administration, for the people of Montserrat after the volcanic eruption. We did it in 1998, under the Clinton administration, for the people of Honduras and Nicaragua after the hurricane. We did it in 2001, under the Bush administration, for the people of El Salvador after two earthquakes. We did it in 2010, under the Obama administration, for the people of Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. We can do it for the people of Nepal. This is not a heavy lift. It does not give anyone any kind of permanent immigration status. It does not change the law as it relates to immigration. It only says we will do what we can to help people acquire the hope that they need by allowing people here to continue to work, send money back to their home country, and not put them back there in harm's way, having to live in the circumstances that might be detrimental to them. The United States has sent in many relief teams. These relief teams are bringing with them some temporary housing, which is important; this is important, but the real hope that we can help provide would be to pass H.R. 2033, so that people who are here can continue to stay.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am on a mission of mercy. The people of Nepal have suffered a tragedy. The bad news is that thousands have lost their lives and many are injured. There is some good news in that the United States has, currently, disaster assistance teams on the way to Nepal. There is also additional good news. The Nepalese community in Houston, Texas, has organized, and they are working to make sure that they do their part to provide disaster assistance. I am also proud to say that we are sponsoring legislation, H.R. 2033. H.R. 2033 would provide temporary protected status for those who are in this country, for those in this country on the 25th, the date of this tragedy, for a period of 18 months, so that they can stay here and not have to return home to circumstances that are untenable. Madam Speaker, I am proud to say that many have cosponsored this legislation, and we are looking for more cosponsors, Mr. Honda and I. I would also add that the United States has sent $10 million already allocated, and there is more to come. This is a time for us to show our friends where we stand, and we stand with them.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. God bless you, too.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you very much. And I especially appreciate your remembering that I was reared in Florida. That is important to me. I now dwell in Texas, of course. But not many people remember that, so thank you so much. I am honored to be on the floor with you this evening. I think this is a very timely topic that we are having an opportunity to give some opinions on, and I think that it is important for us to remember that America is not a poor country. America is not a poor country, and I want to emphasize that because too often we come to conclusions about what we should do based upon our lack of resources. I think that is appropriate to come to conclusions based upon a lack of resources, but the truth is that we are still the richest country in the world. We are still the richest country in the world. As a matter of fact, in America, 1 in every 12 American households--1 in every 12--have investable assets of $1 million or more; 1 in 12 have investable assets of $1 million or more. As a matter of fact, in the United States of America, in 2013, we were fortunate enough to have the average CEO make $11.7 million. That is 331 times what the average worker made. The average worker made $35,293. So the average CEO did well. And by the way, I don't begrudge the CEO who makes $11-plus million. I do not. I believe in capitalism. I believe that in this country you should succeed on your merits or fail on your demerits. And if a CEO can make $11-plus million, I think that is great. I do think that that CEO ought to pay a fair amount of taxes, just as the person who makes $35,000-plus pays a fair amount of taxes. But I think it is a wonderful thing, $35,000 versus $11.7 million. Now, a full-time worker, a full-time worker, the average CEO that year made 774 times what a full-time minimum wage worker made--774 times. We are in the richest country in the world; 1 in 12 households has investable assets of $1 million or more. In 2007, an interesting thing occurred. A man made $3 billion. I don't begrudge him. I salute him for making $3 billion. I don't envy him for making $3 billion. I commend him for making $3 billion. I would note, however, that he did not pay ordinary income tax on that $3 billion. I think that if you are going to make $3 billion, you ought to pay your fair share of taxes on it. Mr. Speaker, $3 billion, that is a lot of money, and it is very difficult to get your mind around it. So let me help you understand what $3 billion is. It would take a minimum wage worker working full time 198,000 years--198,000 years--to make $3 billion. I don't begrudge the person who made the $3 billion. I salute him. That person made about $400 a second. This is the richest country in the world. People are making money in this country. Just because those of you who are at home, you don't know these people, I want you to know they are there. They are there, and they are doing quite well, and they ought to be the first in line to talk about raising the minimum wage. It would take 198,000 years for a minimum wage worker to make $3 billion. A hedge fund manager made $400 a second. At $400 a second, it would take that hedge fund manager about 37.7 seconds to make what a minimum wage worker makes in a year--37.7 seconds. I don't begrudge him. I commend him. I salute him. But I do think he should pay a fair amount of taxes on it. I think that paying a fair amount of taxes is the American way. Others pay their taxes, a fair amount. I think people who make billions of dollars ought to pay a fair amount of taxes as well. When Dr. King gave his speech, when they had the March on Washington back in August of 1963, they had a list of 10 demands. Number eight on that list of 10 demands was to have a wage that people could make a living on. At that time, it was thought that $2 an hour would be a sufficient amount of money. Today we would call that a living wage. It was $2 an hour in 1963. Well, today, that $2 an hour would be about $14.90. So there is a rationale for the $15-an-hour hue and cry that we hear. A lot of things have changed. A lot of things have also remained the same. Fifteen dollars an hour is not an unreasonable amount of money in the richest country in the world, in a country where we have people who can make $400 a second, hundreds of times what a minimum wage worker makes, more than 700 times what a minimum wage worker working full time makes in a year. This is the richest country in the world. However, in the richest country in the world, we still have people who work full time and live below the poverty line. For edification purposes, I believe every person ought to work his or her way out of poverty. I would like to see subsidies ended and people have wages that will allow them to work their way out of poverty. If I had my way, we would have people without subsidies who work hard, succeed on their merits, fail on their demerits, and elevate themselves out of poverty by simply working full time and not living below the poverty line. It is interesting to note that, in 2015, the poverty threshold for a family of four is $28,850--for a family of four. I pray for the people who have to live off of that amount of money with a family of four, but that is what it is. I believe that we should not only raise the minimum wage, but we should index it. I think that we should index it to poverty because right now a full-time worker with a child makes about $15,080 a year. That is below the poverty line of $15,930 a year--working full time, living below the poverty line in the richest country in the world where at least one person made $400 a second, where the average CEO made more than $11 million a year. It seems to me that we are talking about trying to bring a balance between the CEO's salary and the workers'. At one time in this country there was a sense of moral responsibility that CEOs had for their workers. CEOs would literally sit and talk to the board of directors and talk about the needs of workers and how workers should be paid so that they could take care of families, so that they could educate children. There really was, at one time, this sense of moral responsibility to workers that CEOs had. I saw an example of that just today. A CEO decided that he was going to cut his salary so that his workers could have a better quality of life, with higher earnings that would be paid to them. We have a responsibility to each other in this country. We who happen to be blessed are not blessed so that we can just enjoy it all ourselves; we are blessed so that we may be a blessing to others. That sense of moral responsibility to those who are less fortunate than we has to return. If we don't get that sense of moral responsibility so that others can receive some of the blessings and some of the goodness of the richest country in the world, we do ourselves a disservice. Dr. King reminded us that life is an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. What impacts one directly impacts all indirectly. What happens to people who are living below the poverty line directly will indirectly impact all of us. How does it happen? Well, here is how it happens: When they live below the poverty line and they are being paid a salary and they don't get health care, they are going to get health care in the richest country in the world. It is just that it is going to cost us a lot more. When they live below the poverty line and they are working full time, they are going to get subsidies. Taxpayers are going to take care of that. So there is an indirect impact on you, taxpayers, who are listening to me right now. You are paying for it. They are not getting it on the job. We are paying for it. We are subsidizing very wealthy people by paying a minimum wage on the job and then providing subsidies for people from the Federal Government such that they can have a decent living in the United States of America, the richest country in the world. What impacts others indirectly impacts all directly. Health care, food subsidies, this is all coming out of the pockets of taxpayers. Why not have a wage that allows people to take care of themselves? In this country, we tend for some reason to equate our net worth to our self-worth. That is unfortunate. We shouldn't do it, but a good many people do. A good many people do. And a good many people don't feel so good when they work full time and live below the poverty line, taking care of a family, playing by the rules. Some would say, well, that living wage, that minimum wage is just a wage that you start out with. It is just a wage for young people. The statistical information does not bear that out. Unfortunately, too many people find themselves in minimum wage jobs for more than just a few months. If you think about it, a good many of you who are listening to this, you know people who have been in minimum wage jobs for years and years and years. You know people who are doing their best to make ends meet at $7.25 an hour. This is the richest country in the world, and 1 in 12 American households have these assets that I have talked about, have these investable assets of $1 million or more. I think that in such a rich country we should be able to allow people who are willing to work-- willing to work; not people who are asking for a handout, but people who want to work, they want to earn their way through life--we ought to be able to pay them a decent wage. What we have in Congress would raise it to $10.10 an hour, far below what I think it should be; because I am of the opinion that it should be $15 an hour based on what Dr. King said in 1963 with that list of 10 demands, number eight, which was to raise it to $2 an hour, which, by today's standards, is right at $15 an hour. I think it should be 15, but I don't believe we will get 15 through the House, and I regret to say that. I support the bill that would raise it to $10.10 an hour. My bill, Mr. Speaker, the Original Living Wage Act, would raise it higher than $10.10 an hour and would index the minimum wage to poverty so that as the poverty rate goes up--at some period of time, I'm willing to negotiate what that period is--the minimum wage would go up, too; and we wouldn't find ourselves on the floor trying to debate what the minimum wage ought to be, as we are doing currently. I know that not everybody thinks that there should be a minimum wage at all. There are some people who think that market forces should control. Well, market forces have, in this circumstance, produced some very unpleasant circumstances for people who are working and trying to make ends meet on jobs that pay what we will call entry-level wages if we don't have a minimum wage. Mr. Speaker, I am of the opinion that we ought to raise the wage, and I think we ought to index it to poverty. The bill that seems to have more support, and I confess that it does, would index it to the CPI. I am not a hard person to get along with. I can live with indexing it to the CPI, but I do think that it should be indexed, and I do think that we should raise it. I say this to you, my dear friends, because Dr. King, who was so far ahead of his time--so far ahead of his time--was the preeminent fighter for those who live in the streets of life and those who are trying to eke out a living on little, who have learned how to take very little and do a lot with it, Dr. King was a fighter and a champion for these folk. I think that as we continue to celebrate the anniversary of his birthday--now, he is being recognized on the Mall, there is a statue on the Mall--I think we ought to go further and recognize what he asked for in 1963, and that was a living wage. I think that it is time for us to honor the request of Dr. King which has not, to this date, been honored; and let us let everybody work his or her way out of poverty. I thank you so much for this great opportunity to speak, and I pray that you will continue to be strong and carry on. You have done a stellar job. What you are doing now, you don't do for yourself. What you do now, you do for people you will never meet and greet, people that will never get to touch your hand, but they will be blessed by what you are doing to help them elevate themselves to a better standard of living. God bless you, my dear sister, and I pray that you will continue to be strong and continue to carry on.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mr. Melvin and Mrs. Frieda Dow on their 57th Wedding Anniversary, which occurred on March 23, 2015. Marriage is one of the most sacred and intimate covenants that two people may enter into, and the Dows' attainment of 57 years of matrimony is worthy of commendation. May their union continue to be richly blessed as they work collectively to nurture each other, their lovely family, and their community. I am certain that the love and care that they have for one another will continue to grow and flourish in years to come. As we celebrate the matrimony of the Dows, we also honor their large family which currently includes five sons and twelve grandchildren. I salute the Dows on their wedding anniversary, and I know that their love will continue to be an inspiration to us all.