Al Green

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I, too, ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, to open the government and to go to conference on a budget so that we can end the Republican government shutdown.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, the clean CR, and go to conference on a budget so that we can end this Republican government shutdown.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, what we are doing here in Congress may not be unconstitutional, but it is unconscionable. It is unconscionable for us to have a wholesale shutdown of the government and a piecemeal start up. It is unconscionable to pit needy Americans against needy Americans. It is unconscionable. It may be lawful to single out some and say, you are among the fortunate that we will bless today, but it's unconscionable. It's wrong. It may be lawful, but it's not right. It is wrong to decide that persons who happen to be poor, who need WIC, who need the very sustenance that people acquire to exist, food, clothing and shelter, it's wrong to say you are not blessed today. Your time will come, but not today. It may be constitutional, but it's unconscionable. It is unconscionable for us, in the richest country in the world, to conclude that a mother who has a child, making $15,080 a year, working full-time and living below the poverty line, it's unconscionable for us to push a system that will cause her to work full-time and not have insurance. ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act, by any name you call it, will allow that mother to get insurance for herself and her child. It may not be unconstitutional to adhere to a principle that would cause a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. It is unconscionable, however, to do so in such a way as to prevent this mother from having insurance for her child. I came to Congress to represent everybody, and this includes those who make $7.25 an hour. I came to Congress to represent those who wait tables and make $2.13 an hour plus tips. It's unconscionable to have people working at $2.13 an hour in the richest country in the world who cannot get health insurance. That's what the Affordable Care Act does. It allows them to get health insurance. And I must remind us all today, my dear friends, whom I love--I love every person who sits on that side of the aisle; I love every one of them--but I want to tell you this: mark my words, Dr. King was right. Life is an inescapable network of mutuality. It's tied to a single garment of destiny. What impacts one directly impacts all indirectly. And while you can sit at home in comfort, assuming that it does not impact you, I assure you, the way the arc of the moral universe has been developed, it will impact you sooner or later. You are not worried about Wall Street right now. But when Wall Street takes a hit, it's going to eventually trickle down to every one of us. Worry about Home Street. I do. Worry about Main Street. That's okay. But I am not going to put Wall Street above Home Street, where people live. And it's time for us to quit pushing a piecemeal startup for a wholesale shutdown. This is the richest country in the world. We shouldn't carry on like this. It's time for us to move forward and end the shutdown. Let's have free and fair and open negotiations. Let's not do it with the threat of the demise of the government at stake. Let's do it with everybody's intent in mind. Let's not pick and choose. Let's not say one is blessed today and another will be blessed tomorrow. Let's share the blessings of this Nation with all of the people that we represent. And finally, Dr. King reminded us that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I say to my veteran friends, whom I support, you should not feel good knowing that somebody has decided to bless you at the expense of somebody else.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of talk about fairness. Let me tell you what's not fair. It's not fair for a working mother with one child who works full-time at $7.25 an hour and makes $15,080 a year. That working mother works full-time and lives below the poverty line. The poverty line is $15,180 a year. It is not fair for that working mother not to be able to afford health care for herself and for her child. This is the fairness that we are addressing. This fight is all about working-class people, not about those who make millions and billions. One person in this country made $3 billion. That's $400 a second. It's not about this person who, by the way, paid 15 percent taxes. It's not about 1 percent raking in all of the wealth. It's about working-class people who can't get health care. We cannot allow health care to become wealth care in the richest country in the world. One out of every 60 persons in this country is a millionaire. One out of every 11 households is worth more than a million dollars. This is about working-class people. Harder yet may be the fight.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the legacy of the father of a dear friend. Our colleague, the former Member of Congress who represented large parts of the district I have the honor of representing today, Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. lost his beloved father this past week. Ken's father was also the brother of the late former Senator, and Treasury Secretary, Lloyd Bentsen, Jr. Kenneth Edward Bentsen died Tuesday morning, September 24, 2013 in Houston, Texas. Mr. Bentsen was a prominent architect in Houston spanning over four decades. He was married to the former Mary Dorsey Bates for 60 years, who survives him. He attended the School of Architecture at the University of Texas, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. In his sophomore year, he enlisted in the Naval Air Corps. Following the completion of his military service, he entered the new College of Architecture at the University of Houston. He graduated in 1952 with bachelor degrees in Science and Architecture. He had the good fortune to be a student of both Donald Barthelme and Howard Bamstone. The University of Houston hosts the Kenneth E. Bentsen Architectural Papers in the UH Library's Special Collections. His first practical experience was with the firm Mackie and Kamrath. In 1958, he opened Kenneth Bentsen Associates Architects where he practiced until 1991. He chose to sell the firm following the completion of one of his most interesting projects, the 1,038,000 square foot Texas Children's Hospital Complex in the Texas Medical Center. It was the largest children's hospital in the United States at that time. One of his favorite commissions was the City of Houston Summit Sports Arena, the original home of the Houston Rockets, which is now Lakewood Church. Another favorite was the Southwest Tower of the Bank of the Southwest. Perhaps the most rewarding of all of his projects was the opportunity to design 18 structures at Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas, now the University of Texas--Pan Am. He also designed the State Bar Center in Austin; the Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin; the William Levin Learning Center and the Allied Health and Nursing School at University of Texas, Galveston; Agnes Arnold Hall and Phillip Guthrie Hoffman Hall at the University of Houston. For the Agnes Arnold Hall, he received the Award of Merit for Achievement of Excellence from the U.S. Office of Education, the American Institute of Architects and the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Architectural Excellence from the University of Houston. The firm's design excellence was recognized with more than 100 architectural design awards. In 1971, Kenneth was inducted into the American Institute of Architecture College of Fellows (F.A.I.A.) in the Excellence of Design category. He was the first graduate of the University of Houston to be honored in this category. He served on the National American Institute of Architects Committee on Design, The Houston and Texas Chapters of the American Institute of Architects, the Texas Commission on the Arts, as well as the boards of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston and Texas Children's Hospital. Kenneth was born in Mission, Texas on the 21st of November 1926 to Edna Colbath Bentsen and Lloyd M. Bentsen, Sr., who preceded him in death. In addition to his wife, he is survived by children: Molly Bates Bentsen, Betty Bentsen Newton and husband Stephen, Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and wife Tamra, William Lloyd Bentsen; grandchildren: Emmie Bentsen Zimmerman and husband Zachary, Elizabeth Newton, Louise Bentsen, Camille Newton and Meredith Bentsen; and great grandchildren: Chloe Zimmerman and Bentsen Zimmerman. He is also survived by his sister, Betty Bentsen Winn of McAllen; and sister-in-law, B.A. Bentsen of Houston; and many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. and Donald L. Bentsen.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is time for my Republican colleagues to do more than repeal. It is time for my Republican colleagues to pass a bill. Who can deny that the House is controlled by my Republican colleagues? They control every committee, they control every subcommittee. They are in control. Who can deny that they have the opportunity to pass the perfect bill to deal with health care in this country? Where is the bill that will deal with closing the doughnut hole for senior citizens? Where is the bill that will help those who have preexisting conditions to acquire insurance? Where is the bill that will deal with the cap that has been placed on insurance prior to ObamaCare? They are in charge. The logical question is: Why haven't they passed a bill since the Affordable Care Act passed more than 3 years ago? It is time to do more than repeal. You have to have a bill. It is time for my Republican colleagues to do the logical thing, to do the judicious thing, to do the prudent thing: pass your bill. Then we can see how ObamaCare passed to what you have, which of course is the perfect bill. It's time to do more than repeal. It is time to pass a bill.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, with respect to all of my colleagues and the various positions that are being put forth, I support H.R. 850, a copy of which I happen to have in my hand; and I would point to page 38, line 11, which deals with exceptions for the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, and medical devices. I wanted to bring some clarity to this issue. With global security at risk, I don't think that we can take the risk. I do believe that we can proceed with diplomacy and sanctions at the same time. I support H.R. 850.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

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

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Chair, I thank the ranking member and I thank the chair. I would like to, if I may, compliment you and thank you for what you did with the HUD-VASH vouchers, the $75 million which is what was requested. I did join in that request, serving on Financial Services, and we share some jurisdiction with reference to the VASH vouchers. So I am appreciative, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, for what was done. And, of course, I respect anyone who wants to increase the amount that we accord our veterans. They have gone to distant places; and many times when they return, they don't return home to circumstances that we enjoy, and I'm eager to do all that I can to make sure that they have a place to call home when they return. With reference to this amendment, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, this amendment deals with the Fair Housing Initiative Program and the Fair Housing Assistance Program. The Fair Housing Assistance Program was started in 1968, the Fair Housing Initiatives Program in 1987. They have enjoyed bipartisan support here in Congress, and the purpose of these two programs happens to be that of elimination of invidious discrimination. Invidious discrimination does not know the boundaries that many of us assume it is limited to. We find right now that a good many of our persons who have gone to war and who are returning home have been injured. A good many of them don't return the way they left. And the truth be told, the greatest number of complaints that we have in this area of discrimination are related to persons who have disabilities. Evidence shows us we had 27,092 complaints in 2011 and 28,519 complaints in 2012. That's a 1,427 complaint increase; and disability are the greatest percentage of these complaints, with 47.1 to 55.6 percent going against persons who have disabilities. This piece of legislation seeks to make sure that all persons--this would include our veterans who may have disabilities--have a place to call home and that they are not discriminated against. I know ``discrimination'' is not a word that we like to use. I, quite frankly, don't find favor with the word, but for making our point, we have to mention it because there are people who are suffering from it. I would hope that we can restore FHIP to the amount that was in the original bill from the Senate, and FHAP as well. This is the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, FHIP, and the Fair Housing Assistance Program, FHAP, as they are commonly called. The bill reduces FHIP to $32.2 million, and this amendment restores it to $44.1 million, which is an $11.9 million increase. The bill reduces the Fair Housing Assistance Program to $23.4 million, and the amendment restores it to $24 million. That's a $600,000 increase, making a total of a $12.5 million increase. It is my hope that we can find a way to accord these programs the losses they are suffering because the losses go beyond just the numbers. They impact people, and a good many of these people are our veterans. With that, I ask the chairman if he would engage me in a colloquy. Mr. Chairman, my assumption is that you have a point of order on this piece of legislation, the amendment, and I understand why; but I wanted to make sure that I emphasized the need to protect all persons, and I wanted to focus on our veterans tonight. My hope is that as we move forward, you and I and the ranking member can work together so that we can make sure that veterans are not the victims of invidious discrimination.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. With that, Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my amendment. I hope that we can find that common ground that you mentioned, and I look forward to working with the ranking member who has always done whatever he can to help our veterans as well.

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

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank you very much for the opportunity to speak. I do want your constituents to know that you have been an awesome Congressperson from the awesome Eighth District. And if they are as proud of you as I am, you shall have an opportunity to continue to serve them. I wish you much success in Congress. I would like to thank the President of the United States of America for his comments on this issue of Blacks--especially Black males--in America. I believe that the President understands that although the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice. But it doesn't bend toward justice without some assistance. It doesn't have the kinetic energy to do so without some help from mortals. I think the President went a long way toward bending the arc of the moral universe toward justice with his comments as they relate to the plight of African American males. I'm grateful and I'm thankful. With reference to the Trayvon Martin trial, we live in a world where it's not enough for things to be right. They must also look right. And it doesn't look right when a 17-year-old boy leaves home to go to the store, and on his way back home, unarmed, encounters a person with a firearm, is killed--and it is done so with impunity. It may be right, but it does not look right. And because it doesn't look right, we have to understand that although you can have a fair trial, you may not have justice as the outcome. I believe that this trial was fair to Mr. Zimmerman. I don't believe it was fair to Trayvon Martin. And I don't believe that we can say that this was a just decision. Now there are people who would differ with me and say that you shouldn't say this. Many of these same people would say that O.J. Simpson had a fair trial but that he didn't get a just verdict from that court. And the same people who don't want me--us--to protest, you have to understand that if it was right for the farmers to come here in their tractors and protest the conditions related to farming, then it's right for me to protest. If it was right for the veterans after World War I to come up here and set up a tent city in protest, it's right for me to protest. If it was right for the Tea Party to come to Congress and stand along the way across from one building to another and protest, then it's right for me to protest. And by the way, I think it was right for them to come to Congress to protest. I support their right to protest. If you think it's wrong for me to protest, then you've got to change the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. We have the right. We must exercise the right because an injustice has taken place. Because time is short, and there is at least one other speaker, I want to mention this as my closing remark. There's something bigger than Trayvon Martin and Mr. Zimmerman that's taking place in this country, indeed, in the world. There is something bigger than us as individuals and individual cases. J. Patrick Kinney has appropriately put this together. He has a poem styled ``The Cold Within'' that addresses something that we have to confront--this coldness that's so pervasive. This is his poem: Six humans trapped by happenstance in bleak and bitter cold. Each one possessed a stick of wood, or so the story's told. Their dying fire in need of logs, the first man held his back for of the faces round the fire he noticed one was Black. The next man looking 'cross the way saw one not of his church and couldn't bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch. The third one sat in tattered clothes. He gave his coat a hitch. Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich? The rich man just sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store and how to keep what he had earned from the lazy shiftless poor. The Black man's face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from his sight. For all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the White. The last man of this forlorn group did nought except for gain. Giving only to those who gave was how he played the game. Their logs held tight in death's still hands was proof of human sin. They didn't die from the cold without, they died from the cold within.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was unavoidably detained and missed the following vote: H.R. 2576--To amend title 49, United States Code, to modify requirements relating to the availability of pipeline safety regulatory documents, and for other purposes. 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 ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it hurts the working poor.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor the memory of a noble public servant and trailblazer, Congressman William Herbert Gray, III. Congressman Gray served in Congress, representing Pennsylvania's Second Congressional District, with exceptional distinction and preeminence. He eventually became the first African American to be both the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget and Majority Whip of the House of Representatives. As a leader in Congress and proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Gray used his compassion and experience to boldly fight for those considered the least the world over. Congressman Gray's impassioned fight against Apartheid in South Africa and for assistance to the poor were the hallmarks of his time in the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I am fortunate enough to say that I figuratively stand on the shoulders of pioneers like Congressman Gray. I would not be where I am today without the work and sacrifice of individuals like him. I believe that when history records the legacy of Congressman Gray, it will honor his role as a trailblazer and passionate advocate for the least.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, none of us get to where we are by ourselves. I was very proud to see the former chairperson of the Financial Services Committee, Chairperson Frank, who is no longer with Congress, not only address DOMA, but also address section 5 of the Voting Rights Act by way of section 4 and the importance of it. Human rights are birthrights. They are rights that courts can recognize they should not deny. What the Court did with DOMA was correct. I support the dignity of human beings to have equal opportunities in the greatest country in the world. I thank Chairman Frank, and I want him to know that he stands with us, and I stand with him, and I stand with all persons who are being discriminated against in an invidious way. Human rights cannot be denied, because they are birthrights.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we live in a world where it's not enough for things to be right. They must also look right. And while it may be right for the Supreme Court to strike down section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, it doesn't look right, given that just last year we had a multiplicity of cases wherein it was found that insidious discrimination existed such that those cases accorded voters rights that they would not have but for the Voting Rights Act. Much is said about section 4 in the coverage. Little is said about section 4 and the opt-out, bail-out provision that has allowed many jurisdictions that were under the purview of the Voting Rights Act to extricate themselves. The Voting Rights Act has functioned efficaciously. I'm so glad that medicine is very much unlike politics. Because in medicine, when a drug functions efficaciously, we market it, we extol the virtues of it, and we keep it. In politics, when a law succeeds, we demean it and we eliminate it. I am here today because of the Voting Rights Act. I never thought I'd sit next to the Honorable Charlie Rangel in the House of the United States Congress. Thank God for the Voting Rights Act. We must revise it. We must extend it. We've got to renew it.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the question before us is whether we will outsource American economic stability in this quadrillion- dollar derivatives market to foreign subsidiaries of American companies. Will we outsource this quadrillion-dollar market? Now, a quadrillion is a big number. If you stack dollar bills one on the other, a quadrillion will take you all of the way from the Earth to the Sun. It's important for us to remember that AIG outsourced to a foreign subsidiary. It was in London. And, of course, we know what happened with AIG. Finally, I will say this. We're trying to jump-start the economy, it seems. We have to be careful what we do when we try these jump starts because this derivatives market has within it interest rate derivatives. These derivatives, if there's a spike in interest rates, can have an enormous impact on the world's economy. So let us be careful when we jump-start. Sometimes when we do common things, like jump-starting our cars, it works fine. But on other occasions, we can have an explosion. Let's be careful as we jump-start the derivatives market.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Madam Ranking Member. It's important to note the amount in derivatives that we're talking about. We're talking about a quadrillion dollars--a quadrillion dollars--more than the entire economy of the world, a quadrillion dollars, and the impact a quadrillion dollars can have on the world's economy. Some of this money is in interest rate derivatives. If there's a spike in interest rates, we're not sure what the ultimate impact on the world's economy will be. If I am wrong, everything will be all right; but if I'm right, everything will be all wrong, and it will be too late for us to take corrective action.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I was unavoidably detained and missed the following votes. 1. Lujan Amendment to H.R. 2217--Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. Amendment Offered by Mr. King of Iowa

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Chair, today I was unavoidably detained and missed the following votes. I ask for unanimous consent to have the following inserted into the Record: 1. Moore Amendment to H.R. 2217--Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. 2. Polis/Chu/Cardenas Amendment to H.R. 2217--Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. 3. Heck/Horsford Amendment to H.R. 2217--Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on this bill. 4. Garcia Amendment to H.R. 2217--Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on this bill. 5. Deutch/Foster Amendment to H.R. 2217--Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. 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 express my deepest sympathies for the Houston firefighters who perished or were injured due to the blaze at the Southwest Inn and Bhojan Restaurant, which took place on May 31, 2013. Upon visiting the site of the horrific tragedy, I was saddened to see the remains of a building consumed by a pernicious inferno. I was also able to appreciate the courage and spirit necessary to be a firefighter at the scene on that fateful day. To date, while ``in the line of duty,'' four firefighters have died and many others have been hospitalized due to their injuries in what has become the most lethal day in the history of the Houston Fire Department (HFD). Among the deceased were: an eleven-year-veteran of the HFD, Captain Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Matthew Renaud, and a recent graduate from the fire academy, Anne Sullivan, along with Firefighter EMT Robert Garner and Engineer Operator EMT Robert Bebee. Our firefighters selflessly risked their lives and limbs to save as many civilians as possible. While tragedies such as these shock and emotionally devastate us, we should remember the extraordinary heroism displayed by our firefighters: They rushed to the scene battling flames on both the roof as well as within the motel and restaurant, thereby preventing a single civilian fatality. Mr. Speaker, since the fire, I have visited with firefighters from the HFD at the Houston Professional Firefighters Association Union Hall. I was truly inspired by their dedication to each other and devotion to public safety. As a result, I now have a greater appreciation for what is for me a chilling expression ``in the line of duty.''

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary accomplishment of Ms. Lisa Tatum, J.D. On June 21, 2013, Ms. Tatum will be sworn in as the 133rd President of the State Bar of Texas, and thereby become the first African American to hold that position. With exceptional dedication, Ms. Tatum has risen through the ranks of the legal profession to become one of the preeminent lawyers in the State of Texas. Ms. Tatum grew up and still resides in San Antonio, TX, the product of an Air Force veteran father and a loving mother. In 1991, she received her Bachelor's degree from Smith College before going on to receive her Juris Doctor in 1994 from Santa Clara University Law School. Ms. Tatum quickly attained distinction in the legal profession, prosecuting over a hundred cases for Bexar County's Criminal District Attorney's Office before successfully transitioning to private practice. Eventually, Ms. Tatum established her own law firm, LM Tatum, PLLC, informally known as The Tatum Law Practice, in 2011. The Tatum Law Practice primarily handles cases related to corporate, public finance, financial transaction, employment, and estate contingency planning law. In addition to her remarkable career accomplishments, Ms. Tatum is a Leadership San Antonio graduate, lifelong supporter of the YMCA, and a Rotarian. Ms. Tatum's leadership has been consistently recognized by her colleagues: Ms. Tatum was honored with a Presidential Citation in 2006 and named a Texas Rising Star by SuperLawyers in 2007. She also served on the Board of Governors of the National Bar Association, City of San Antonio Housing Authority Commission, the San Antonio Water System Citizen Advisory Panel, and as President of the San Antonio Black Lawyers Association. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Ms. Tatum, an accomplished lawyer and public servant. She is a determined and driven individual who will bring her diverse skills and life experience to the presidency of the State Bar of Texas.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the memory of a gifted young man and community servant, Mr. Lonal Xela Robinson. With exceptional skill and purpose, he dedicated his life to helping those around him and enlightening his community through the arts. Mr. Robinson was born in Champaign, Illinois on June 24, 1979. His parents instilled within him a love for community service and an evident compassion for all of God's creatures. While in high school, Mr. Robinson achieved the prodigious feats of writing the play ``CHANGE'' for the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club, Inc, as well as serving as vice president in charge of programs for the organization. His play, ``CHANGE,'' won first place in a national convention held in New York City, judged by Broadway stage casts. Mr. Robinson later attended Langston University where he distinguished himself further by founding the Langston University Theatre and Drama Club, as well as traveling the country doing mission work with the Wesley Foundation and United Methodist Church. After graduating college, Mr. Robinson went on to lead and write for the Houston Sun. Under his leadership, the newspaper expanded its presence and embarked on bold community initiatives in Houston. He led the organization in its adoption of Emancipation Park to present back- to-school rallies and talent shows for children in the community. He started the Houston Sun Presents program, which offered educational, instructive, and entertaining programs and services to the community. Along with his work in the community and leadership of the Houston Sun, Mr. Robinson wrote two yet-to-be published works of poetry, ``Pieces of Me'' and ``Poetry for all Seasons.'' He also served in various organizations: ombudsman for the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc. and the National Council of Negro Women. He also received a number of awards for his contributions to the community, including the 4-H Club Spirit Award, Million Men March Award, and the Houston Sun Beacon of Light: Men of Valor Award. Finally, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Robinson will be missed dearly by a multitude of family and friends. This family includes his mother, Dorris Ellis Robinson; brother, Sirrod Robinson; two sisters, Shuronda and Dorcaus Robinson; as well as a loving extended family. Mr. Robinson will be remembered in Houston as a thoughtful and intelligent young man who used the prime years of his life to make his community a better place.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to honor Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Joyce Zongrone, who retired after 35 years of courageous service in both the active and reserve service on June 30, 2008. LCDR Joyce Zongrone has been consistently recognized throughout her career for her service in the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and the Global War on Terrorists. LCDR Zongrone originally earned her commission in 1974 after graduating Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. She then went on to serve with great distinction, being awarded the Woman of Military Achievement Award by the San Diego Chapter of the U.S. Navy League for three consecutive years: 1975, 1976, and 1977. LCDR Zongrone also received the U.S. Navy Commendation Medal for her service in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia and her duties as the Navy Central Command's liaison to General Colin Powell's Farewell Tour. LCDR Zongrone received a Coast Guard Unit Commendation for her development of a joint anti-submarine warfare curriculum for the Coast Guard and the Navy; and the Humanitarian Service Medal for Operation Babylift, a U.S. initiative that airlifted over 2,500 Vietnamese orphans out of Vietnam after the war. In addition to her service to our great nation, once released from active duty by the U.S. Navy, LCDR Zongrone worked as a freelance producer, investigative reporter, technical writer for NASA, a teacher, and adjunct professor. In her post-military life, LCDR Zongrone won a Texas Gulf Coast Press Association Award, an Attaway Newspaper Group Color Photography Award, and was included in the 2005-2006 edition of Who's Who in American Teachers. Furthermore, due to her distinction and success, LCDR Zongrone currently serves on the Military Academy Selection Board of the Ninth Congressional District of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am blessed to have the opportunity to pay tribute to such a selfless veteran as LCDR Zongrone. For those of us who know LCDR Zongrone, we are always in awe of her intelligence and willingness to serve worthy causes. It is an honor to know that as Americans and freedom-loving people, we owe our liberty and security to brave individuals like LCDR Zongrone, who put their liberty and security at risk for us.