Al Green

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Less than 1 percent of housing discrimination acts are reported 40 years later. So we need to do something to change this. We need to fully fund the fair housing programs. FHIP, the Fair Housing Initiative Program, should be fully funded to about $52 million. This program allows us to do what is known as testing, the means by which we acquired the empirical evidence that housing discrimination has actually occurred. There is no substitute for FHIP and the testing that takes place. But also there is a piece of legislation, the Fair Housing Act of 2007, or H.R. 2926, which will give HUD some additional authority, will establish competitive grants, will help us to examine the causes of housing discrimination and talk about what we can do and, in fact, conclude what we can do to make remedies. If we want to live not in vain as Dr. King did, let's help somebody. Let's do something about discrimination in housing and make real the great American ideal of owning a home.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. However, the promotion I cannot claim. I'm still a lowly Member of the House of Representatives, not yet made it to that lofty level of being a reverend, but you are very kind. And I thank you for the many years of work that you have dedicated to this very issue that we have on the floor today. In fact, it can be said that your great work has caused us to have this opportunity to be here today. I also would like to thank the ranking member, Lamar Smith, for his work in helping us to bring this to the floor, and the manager of the time, Member Steve Chabot, for your services that you've rendered as well. And I appreciate especially the comments that you've made today. In celebrating or commemorating or recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, we are, in truth, recognizing the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King because it was Dr. Martin Luther King who went to Memphis some 40 years ago to help what we call sanitation workers today, but back then we called them garbage men. Dr. King had a basic premise of trying to help somebody. And to him, these persons, although known as garbage men, they were somebody. And he went there to help them in their efforts to obtain equal justice. And while there, the unfortunate circumstance occurred, and we lost Dr. King prematurely. But I do believe that he did not live in vain. There is a spiritual song styled, ``If I can help somebody as I travel along, if I can help someone with a word or a song, if I can help someone from doing wrong, then my living shall not be in vain.'' Dr. King lived not in vain because this act, the Fair Housing Act, was passed after his demise. There are some historians who contend that it was his demise, in fact, that created the opportunity for it to pass as timely as it did. And I am honored that Dr. King took up the cause of the lowly garbage men. However, 40 years later, there is still great work to be done, as has been indicated by the chairman, because 40 years later there are approximately four million acts of housing discrimination each year in this country. Forty years later, approximately 27,000 acts of housing discrimination and complaints are filed annually. Forty years later, 13 fair housing groups have closed their doors due to a lack of funding. Forty years later, 26 fair housing centers, or one-quarter of all fair housing centers, have either closed their doors or are at risk of closing their doors due to a lack of funding. Forty years later, 87 percent of African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans meet with real estate agents and experience some form of steering. Steering occurs when the agent will send a person of one ethnicity to an area where persons of this ethnicity may be residing, whites to white neighborhoods, blacks to black neighborhoods, or neighborhoods that are going into some form of transition. Forty years later, 20 percent of the African Americans and Latinos trying to buy or rent homes have their cause ignored.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I was unavoidably delayed and missed the vote on H. Res. 1084, the Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2016, the National Landscape Conservation System Act (rollcall 165). Although H. Res. 1084 passed by a vote of 220-188, I respectfully request the opportunity to record my position. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 165.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, this Monday, March 31, 2008, marked the 81st birthday of the late Cesar Chavez, a national hero who devoted his life to fighting for civil rights for all Americans. Today, I join the millions of Americans who will honor this migrant farmworker, labor organizer, and champion of social justice for his many contributions. Cesar Chavez was a civil rights and human rights leader who learned about the importance of justice early in his life. After graduating from the eighth grade, a young Cesar Chavez went to work in the fields as a migrant farmworker to support his family. In 1962, Chavez and Dolores Huerta founded the National Farm Workers Association, later to become the United Farm Workers, UFW. Chavez had the foresight to train his union workers and then to send many of them into the cities where they were to use the boycott and picket as their weapon. The UFW would soon become a significant political force, demonstrating that Mexican Americans could and would participate in electoral politics. Chavez was able to successfully organize farmworkers because of his tireless leadership and nonviolent tactics that helped pass laws which would permit farmworkers to organize into unions and allow collective bargaining agreements. He also helped make people aware of the struggles of farmworkers for fair wages and safer working conditions. His movement was the beginning of La Causa, ``The Cause,'' a cause that was supported by organized labor, religious groups, minorities, and students. Cesar Chavez, the founder and president of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL--CIO, died peacefully in his sleep on April 23, 1993. On August 8, 1994, Cesar Chavez was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom, our country's highest civilian honor, by President Clinton. Since his passing, ten States across the country have paid tribute to his memory by celebrating a statewide holiday name in his honor, including my home State of Texas. Cesar Chavez left our world better than he found it. He taught us to face and overcome adversity with the rallying cry of ``Si Se Puede!'', or ``Yes We Can!''. His legacy inspires not just the more than 45 million Latinos in this country but every person who believes in nonviolence as a means to achieve social change. He truly was, in the words of Senator Robert Kennedy, ``one of the heroic figures of our time.''

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Member Scott, and I thank you for the stellar job that you have done on this budget. I thank Chairwoman Kilpatrick for what she has done as well. The Members on the other side talk about control spending. I think we need to give some indication of what ``control spending'' is. Control spending occurs when you spend $144 billion per year on war and you cut Medicaid by $500 billion over 10 years. Control spending is spending $12 billion a month on war, and you are cutting Medicaid by $100 billion over 10 years. Control spending means that you can't fully fund health care, education, first responders and infrastructure repair; but you can spend $243,550 per minute on war. It is time for us to assess our priorities. If we can spend $395 million per day on war, then we can spend $32 million to fully fund FHIP, the Federal initiative to make sure that we end discrimination in housing. We can fund it for 1 year for $32 million. It has been cut. In 2006 we had 27,000 housing discrimination complaints; 18,000 were resolved. The administration is presently requesting $26 million in 2008. That is a 15 percent cut, given that $6 million of it will go toward a study. FHIP is a way to end discrimination in housing. We have to have the will to fund it. If we fund FHIP, we can end housing discrimination. The Fair Housing Initiative Program deserves to be funded, and let's control spending in some other areas and take care of home.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I wish to commemorate the month of March 2008 as Women's History Month in honor of the female trailblazers and unsung heroes in American history. Historically, women have contributed significantly to the greatness of our Nation. American women from diverse origins have transformed and revolutionized politics, law, business, social service, civil rights, education, music, athletics, science and technology, as well as the military. Together, their dedication, perseverance and courage has generated a wave of opportunities for entire generations of women. The contributions of notable women such as Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, Dorothy Height, Coretta Scott King, Sally Ride and many others have sparked an unstoppable momentum for women's rights and others. In government, trailblazers such as Hattie Wyatt Caraway, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate (1932), and Jeannette Rankin, the first woman in Congress (1917), paved the way for 16 female Senators and 70 female Representatives to be elected to the 110th Congress, which is the highest number ever in congressional history. More importantly, the House of Representatives elected Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as the third most powerful official in America. In the legal sector, women such as Arabella Mansfield Babb, the first woman admitted to the bar (1869), and Belva Ann Lockwood, the first woman to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court (1879), have opened doors for women to enter the professional workforce as legal experts. Similarly, Lucy Brewer, the first woman marine (1812), inspired her predecessors to defend their Nation with pride and valor. These women and many others are legends today. Therefore, it is essential that all Americans acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of women throughout our Nation's history. In addition, as America's arms stretch out across the seas, we must honor women in the international community that have challenged, changed and improved the condition of women and others in their native countries. That is why on March 8, 2008, America celebrated International Women's Day. I urge my colleagues and all Americans to commemorate women for their contributions to the advancement of our great Nation.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I was voting in the Texas Democratic Primary and missed the votes on: H.R. 1143, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease certain lands in Virgin Islands National Park (Rollcall 88). Although H.R. 1143 passed by a vote of 378-0, I respectfully request the opportunity to record my position. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on Rollcall 88. H.R. 1311, To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Alta-Hualapai Site to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, for the development of a cancer treatment facility (Rollcall 89). Although H.R. 1311 passed by a vote of 377-0, I respectfully request the opportunity to record my position. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on Rollcall 89. H.R. 816, To provide for the release of certain land from the Sunrise Mountain Instant Study Area in the State of Nevada and to grant a right-of-way across the released land for the construction and maintenance of a flood control project (Rollcall 90). Although H.R. 816 passed by a vote of 375-0, I respectfully request the opportunity to record my position. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on Rollcall 90. Again, I express my full support for these important pieces of legislation.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the gentleman for the time. I would like to thank Chairman Conyers for being there and making this resolution possible and bringing it to the floor. I also would like to remember Mr. Sensenbrenner, who at the time we first introduced this piece of legislation was the chairperson of the Judiciary Committee. And I recall how he made a great effort to get this legislation to the floor and to get it passed. I am grateful to the Honorable Steve Cohen who is our floor leader today, a lawyer par excellence who does an outstanding job on the Judiciary Committee. Thank you so much. I am grateful to Mr. Steve Chabot. Thank you for your very kind words. What you said about the NAACP is entirely correct, but it is also something that means a lot to a lot of people. And I think the people across the length and breadth of this country appreciate what you have said and how you have made it clear that the NAACP is important to us in the United States Congress. I also want to thank the many persons, about 45 of whom signed on to this piece of legislation so that we could bring it to the floor this year. This is the 99th anniversary of the NAACP, having been founded February 12, 1909. The NAACP has always been an integrated organization. It has fought for integration. But it has from its genesis been an organization that has been integrated. And while we remember many of the names of the great NAACPers, James Weldon Johnson, of course, who was one of the great executive secretaries of the organization, we will remember always the name Roy Wilkins, who was a labor leader and executive secretary of the NAACP, W.E.B. DuBois, who was one of the great intellectuals of his time and of all time. We remember Julian Bond who today is the chairperson of the organization, and Dr. Benjamin Hooks who was an FCC board member but also a lawyer and executive director of the NAACP. But some of the names we don't always remember are names of persons who are not African Americans who were there at the genesis of this organization. Mary White Ovington, this lady held one of the very first organizational meetings of the NAACP in her living room at a time when it was not popular to host a meeting for an organization like the NAACP. I also would remember, if we would, William English Walling and Oswald Garrison Villiard. These persons were not African Americans, but they literally put their lives on the line so that African Americans could have the types of rights and privileges that we enjoy today. The NAACP, the Nation's oldest civil rights organization, has been there at times of need when it came to issues like the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960 and 1964. It was there for us when we were lobbying for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Brown v. Board of Education is always mentioned when we think of the NAACP, for it was Thurgood Marshall who took this case to the Supreme Court and won it, integrating the schools across this country. But the NAACP was also there in the case of Shelley v. Kramer, and the case of Borrows v. Jackson. These cases outlawed restrictive covenants, racially restrictive covenants that barred African Americans from living in certain communities. The NAACP took these cases to the Supreme Court and won them as well. If the truth be told, we live where we live, we sleep where we sleep and we eat where we eat because of the NAACP. It has made a difference in the lives of all Americans. And I am so grateful that this Congress has seen fit to honor it today for its 99 years of service. As of late, the NAACP was a party to the legislation that we put before Congress to deal with noose intimidation. Noose intimidation, one of the latest means by which persons are having civil rights violated, and the NAACP was there to help us push this legislation through Congress, so as to make it very clear, transpicuously so, that this country will not tolerate noose intimidation. In fact, the President of the United States, as late as yesterday, made it clear that noose intimidation is unacceptable in this country. The NAACP has been a part of the fiber and fabric of the human rights, civil rights movement in this country. If we did not have the NAACP, we would have to create the NAACP. It has been there for us. Today we are there for the NAACP.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I mourn the passing, and commemorate the courageous life, of my dear friend and colleague, Congressman Tom Lantos of California. Congressman Lantos began a lifetime of passionate work for human rights as a young man when he escaped a forced labor brigade to join an underground resistance movement against the Nazis in his home country of Hungary. A Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, he was just a teenager when he undertook this important work, which began over 60 years of efforts to fight for human rights across the world. Congressman Lantos' life of work on behalf of human rights culminated with over two decades of service in Congress, where he never failed to champion causes that he felt were just. In 1983, Congressman Lantos became a founding co-chair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a caucus on which he served for the remainder of his life. Under Congressman Lantos' leadership, this caucus was on the forefront of efforts to protect women's and children's rights, to free political prisoners, to preserve religious freedom and to halt ethnic cleansing. In recent years, Congressman Lantos directed his focus to ending the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, which has already claimed the lives of over 400,000 people. In 2006, he was among a group of 11 individuals who were arrested for committing civil disobedience outside the Sudanese Embassy in protest of the genocide. I can only say that it was an honor to follow in this wonderful man's footsteps by doing the same thing myself a few short weeks later. Beginning last year, when Congressman Lantos became Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he brought the crisis in Darfur and the recent violent crackdown on democracy activists in Burma to the forefront. It also must be noted that, under Chairman Lantos' leadership, the Foreign Affairs Committee finally began long-overdue oversight of the war in Iraq. Congressman Lantos' inspiring leadership will be sorely missed, not only in this Congress, but by people around the world. I wish to send my deepest condolences to Congressman Lantos' friends, family and constituents for the loss of this irreplaceable man of good will.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my support for H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007. With each passing day, a college education becomes increasingly important for the success of our workforce while simultaneously becoming more expensive and unattainable. H.R. 4137 would address this unfortunate trend by making a quality post-secondary education more affordable and accessible for all Americans. This legislation includes a number of commendable provisions that will help to reform our higher education system so that it can better serve the needs of students and their families. It offers a comprehensive approach to reducing educational expenses and provides targeted support to groups with the greatest need. I am particularly pleased with the efforts that have been made to increase access for low-income and minority students. The bill allows Pell grants to be made available based on a year-round enrollment schedule so that low-income and non-traditional students will have the flexibility and resources to obtain a college degree. Additional provisions in the bill will expand funding for minority-serving institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities. There are also measures designed to strengthen the GEAR UP and TRIO college readiness programs so that low-income and first generation students will be adequately prepared. If we truly wish to enable our students to achieve their full potential, we must not let them be confined by their financial limitations. I support the College Opportunity and Affordability Act so that all Americans will be able to pursue a higher education and achieve the American Dream.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his very kind words and compliment him on the outstanding job that he is doing in the United States Congress, and I'm always honored to have the opportunity to serve and work with the gentleman. I also thank my colleague on the other side of the aisle who has graciously helped us with this resolution and helped us bring it to the floor. This resolution has received bipartisan support. I can say with a great degree of sincerity that not one Member that I approached about signing on to this resolution had any reservation, hesitation, or consternation. Every Member saw this as a worthwhile resolution, and I want to thank all of the Members who are now supporting it and who will vote for it. I also am honored to make this expression of appreciation on behalf of the millions of Africans who are in America and who are known as African Americans. They cherish this day. This day means something to persons in the African American community. So they, too, would express appreciation, and I do so as one of their representatives in the United States Congress. Mr. Speaker, this resolution gives us an opportunity to tell a portion of the greatest story never told. One of the great stories in world history is the story of Africans in the Americas and, more specifically, Africans in America today. This month allows us, and through this resolution we are allowed, to talk about some of the great accomplishments of African Americans, and Mr. Feeney has been so generous with his compliments and the persons that he has named. My colleague has been very generous with his compliments as well. But I want to name just a few more, because at a time like this, on occasions like this, we want to make sure that we say as much as we can, understanding that we cannot say enough. So on occasions such as this, we'd like to at least mention the prolific poetry of Phyllis Wheatley. We want to say that there was the scientific genius of Benjamin Banneker, who, by the way, was self- educated, a self-educated scientist, astronomer and inventor. We'd like to mention the legal brilliance of Macon B. Allen, who became the first African American admitted to the bar in the United States in 1845. We should mention the colossal courage of Harriet Tubman, who, with her Underground Railroad, took persons from slavery to freedom. And we have to mention that she didn't do it alone. African Americans are not free because they were able to extricate themselves from slavery; they are free because they had help along the way from persons of good will of all ethnicities and races, all genders. People of good will have been of service in this fight for freedom for African Americans, and we should never have this kind of celebration and not mention the fact that we are here because there were many others who made it possible for us to have the opportunities we have. Many lived and died, and they were not all African Americans. On occasions such as this, we mention the political prowess of P.B.S. Pinchback, who was the first African American elected Governor to become Governor of a State; he became Governor of the State of Louisiana in 1872. These are some of the notables that we mention. But we should also mention that African Americans answered the clarion call to serve the Nation in times of war. They were there at the Boston Massacre. You will recall that Crispus Attucks was the first person killed, an African American. They were there at the Revolutionary War. Five thousand slaves and freedmen fought in the Revolutionary War, with the Continental Army, with the Navy, and with the militia in the Revolutionary War. They were there in World War I; 350,000 African Americans were there in World War I to serve our country. In World War II, 2.5 million registered, and approximately 1 million served. And, of course, we can never forget the Tuskegee Airmen. They were not only there but they were so outstanding that the President of the United States came to these Halls and presented them a Congressional Gold Medal. America is not a perfect Nation, but it does provide the means by which we can strive for perfection. And I am so honored that by passing this resolution, we continue to reach for the ultimate perfection in the United States of America.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, today, Congress passed a $146 billion, bipartisan economic stimulus bill that will quickly send hundreds of dollars to poor and middle-class working families while offering businesses one-time incentives to invest in new equipment. Although there is much more to do if we are to meet the needs of American families, including extending unemployment benefits and food stamps, I believe that this stimulus is an important first step in our effort to help hardworking Americans. This broad-based stimulus package will provide tax relief of up to $600 per individual and $1,200 per married couple, plus an additional $300 per child. Recovery rebate checks could be sent as early as mid- May, getting money to Americans who will spend it immediately to reinvigorate the economy. In Texas alone, approximately 8.6 million families will receive rebates averaging over $900. Nationwide, over 111 million families would receive these rebate checks, including 35 million with earnings too low to pay income taxes. More than 19 million of these are families with children and 13 million are struggling seniors. Nearly $50 billion of the rebate will go to middle-income Americans and those aspiring to it. Economists estimate that each dollar of broad tax cuts leads to $1.26 in economic growth. The economic stimulus bill also helps address the crisis we are facing in our home mortgage market by permitting more borrowers facing defaults to refinance through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). For 2008, the bill increases the FHA loan limits up to $729,750 from $362,790 to expand affordable mortgage loan opportunities for families at risk of foreclosure. In addition, the bill also enhances credit availability in the mortgage market by including a 1-year increase in the conforming loan limits for single family homes from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from $417,000 up to $729,750 for 2008. These increases in loan limits will benefit areas where housing costs are higher than the national average. Mortgage rates on loans that currently exceed these loan limits are much more expensive than for smaller loans. These higher rates have hurt demand for housing in high-cost areas. The provisions in the stimulus will lower borrowing costs for many Americans, including middle-class families in high-cost cities to those who may be facing foreclosure. More importantly, this will allow more homeowners to refinance their existing mortgages, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the interest freeze for some subprime borrowers brokered by the Treasury in December. This is because more borrowers will be able to take advantage of the freeze to refinance into new FHA loans. Finally, this bill will promote small business investment in equipment, which will spur job creation here at home. The bipartisan plan doubles the amount small businesses can immediately write off their taxes for capital investments made in 2008 from $125,000 to $250,000, for purchases of new equipment of up to $800,000 (from $500,000). It also provides immediate tax relief for all businesses to invest in new plants and equipment by speeding up depreciation provisions, so that firms can write off an additional 50 percent for investments purchased in 2008. While more needs to be done, I am confident that this bipartisan economic stimulus package will help many American families in the weeks and months ahead.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, today the House took up a second vote to override the President's veto of bi-partisan, bi-cameral legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This bill, H.R. 3963, would maintain coverage for the 6.6 million children currently enrolled and expand coverage to 3.8 million children who are currently eligible but unenrolled. In the face of a weakening economy, with unemployment rates on the rise, it is becoming more and more difficult for parents to find affordable health insurance for their children. We know that when fewer Americans are employed, the number of uninsured in our nation will grow. The vast majority of the American people believe in the value and necessity of the SCHIP program in providing access to health care for low-income children. This bipartisan SCHIP bill is supported by: 81 percent of the American people; 64 Senators (including 17 Republicans); 43 Governors (including 16 Republicans); and more than 270 organizations, including AARP, AMA, Catholic Health Association, and Families USA. We live in a country where nearly 1 out of every 110 people is a millionaire. Unfortunately, this is the same country where more than 1 out of every 10 children lacks health insurance coverage. In these difficult and uncertain economic times, access to affordable health care for low-income children is more critical than ever. The children who are enrolled in Texas SCHIP and CHIP programs around the country are from hard-working families. They deserve the opportunity to have access to affordable, accessible, and consistent health care. Healthy children become healthy, productive adults. Children cannot work and children do not choose to be poor. Children do not choose where they live or the circumstances they are born into. But, as Members of Congress elected to serve all people young and old, we do have a choice. We can choose to improve access to health care for our children and make an investment in the future of our country.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I express my strong support for H. Con. Res. 198, a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the United States has a moral responsibility to meet the needs of those who are disadvantaged or impoverished and that our country should set a national goal of cutting poverty in half over the next 10 years by promoting good jobs at livable wages. In this land of hope and opportunity, all working families should also be able to rely on the product of their labor to feed, clothe, house and provide health care for their families. Unfortunately, all too many working Americans are unable to do so. Today, 35 million Americans will go to sleep hungry. Thirty-seven million Americans still live in poverty and 47 million Americans are without health insurance. In my home state of Texas, 16,000 brave men and women who have served nobly in our Nation's military go homeless every night. These statistics are unbecoming of the wealthiest Nation in the history of our planet. As a Nation, we must undertake all efforts necessary to end the scourge of poverty. One of the best ways to move forward in this effort is to promote good jobs and to ensure that all jobs pay livable wages. Congress made great progress last year by passing a long-overdue increase in the minimum wage and providing that it will increase to $7.25 per hour next year. A full-time job should be a bridge out of poverty, an opportunity to make a living through work. Unfortunately, for many Americans, especially those with families, it is not. In our great country, it is unacceptable that poverty continues to devastate the lives of tens of millions of our fellow Americans. For this reason, I strongly support this resolution and believe that Congress must continue working to make the principles expressed in the resolution a reality. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important resolution and I commend my good friend and colleague, Ms. Barbara Lee of California, for introducing the resolution.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I wish to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a United States Supreme Court decision that broadened women's rights nationwide. On January 22, 1973, three years after ``Jane Roe'' was denied an abortion in a Texas district court, the Supreme Court decided that the Fourteenth Amendment right of personal privacy was broad enough to cover a woman's decision whether to terminate her pregnancy. The Texas statute proscribed all abortions not necessary ``for the purpose of saving the life of the mother.'' ``Jane Roe'', or Norma McCorvey, desired an abortion because she was raped; however, her rights were firmly denied in the Texas courts. Her case made it to the Supreme Court by way of an appeal in 1971. The case was argued twice before the Supreme Court because Associate Justice William Rehnquist initially missed part of the arguments. After great debate and deliberation, the Supreme Court struck down the Texas statute as unconstitutional. The decision was made in favor of Roe by a vote of 7 to 2, with Justices William Rehnquist and Byron White dissenting. Justice Harry Blackmun wrote the opinion of the court declaring that it is a woman's constitutional right to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term. The court ordered that the performance of an abortion should not be criminalized and also ordered that access to an abortion should not be restricted, limited or unnecessarily difficult. The 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade is a momentous occasion because it symbolizes the notion of liberty and justice for all people under the constitution. Women have historically been deprived of equal rights and liberty, but this court decision brought a new day for all women. I respectfully commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, Martin Luther King was one of the fathers of the civil rights movement. We honor him for his courage, for his sacrifice, and for his life-long commitment to justice and equality for all. Dr. King taught us that silence in the face of injustice only serves to fuel the fires of prejudice and hatred. He said that ``in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.'' Dr. King's message has become the conscience of our country, reminding us that it is our responsibility to stand up and speak out in the face of racial, gender, and religious discrimination. Forty years after his assassination, we are still working to ensure that Dr. King's dream of equality will one day be fully realized by all in our great Nation. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as we celebrate the life and legacy of a great American hero and international symbol of justice and equality, we must not forget that there is still tremendous work to be done. Dr. King was a passionate fighter for social justice and equality. In my judgment he would be disappointed that on any given night there are 800,000 Americans living in the streets of life. He would be disappointed that there are 37 million Americans living in poverty, including 3.4 million in Texas. He would be disappointed that 47 million Americans are without health insurance, including 4.1 million in Texas. These are the offspring of the kinds of injustices that Dr. King had in mind when he proclaimed ``injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' Together, I believe we can fight the evils of social injustice and work to create a brighter future for all Americans. It has fallen on to us to make Dr. King's dream a reality by standing up, and by all means, speaking out.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I wish to express my deep concern regarding the current crisis in the nation of Kenya. Approximately 600 people were killed in violent clashes across Kenya, following disputed presidential elections that took place on December 27, 2007. Violence erupted in Kenya after President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the election and opposition leader Raila Odinga disputed the results. European Union observers have said the presidential poll was flawed and the Government of Kenya has acknowledged that voting irregularities took place. Unfortunately, the effects of post-election violence in Kenya continue to echo throughout the country. An estimated 250,000 people have been forced from their homes and are in need of food, shelter and medicine. Human rights activists and aid workers are concerned that families displaced by the conflict will be unable to return to their homes--many of which were burned down--in the near future. Though the fighting has subsided from its peak immediately after the elections in late December, tension remains high between political opponents divided along ethnic lines. There continues to be incidences of violence, demonstrations, and looting in several neighborhoods of Nairobi and Mombasa and in large parts of the westernmost provinces. The time has come for both the government and the opposition to enter into a good faith dialog for the benefit and welfare of the Kenyan people, who deserve a political process that reflects their dedication to transparency, democracy and progress. Therefore, it is vital for President Kibaki and Raila Odinga to come together without preconditions to discuss how to end the post-electoral crisis in a way that reflects the will of the Kenyan people. Additionally, both leaders must take steps to end the violence and ensure respect for the rule of law and respect for human rights. The full restoration of freedom of the press and freedom of peaceful assembly is an integral part of this goal. Madam Speaker, our hearts go out to the people of Kenya who have suffered throughout the post-election ordeal and I urge the Kenyan Government and the opposition to resolve this crisis for the benefit of their people.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I support H. Res. 912, a resolution condemning the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to assist the people of Pakistan in combating terrorist activity and promoting a free and democratic Pakistan. The 27th of December will be remembered as a mournful day for all of the people of Pakistan and people of goodwill the world over. My deepest sympathies and condolences are with them. As a member of the United States Congress' Congressional Pakistan Caucus, I am deeply saddened by this dastardly effort to circumvent the democratic process which has claimed the life of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The assassination of former Prime Minister Bhutto is viewed by many as an attempt to thwart Pakistan's efforts to help restore stability and democracy. Regrettably, since 2001, the security situation in Pakistan has grown increasingly unstable. There have been at least six assassination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf over the past several years. Additionally, former Pakistani Prime Minister Bhutto was the target of numerous threats and a previous assassination attempt. In route to a rally in Karachi on October 18, 2007, two explosions occurred shortly after Bhutto left Jinnah International Airport. She was not injured, but the explosions, later found to be a suicide-bomb attack, killed 136 people and injured at least 450. The dead included at least 50 of the security guards from her Pakistan Peoples Party. Mrs. Bhutto represented the hopes and aspirations of numerous Pakistanis who wished to turn the page on instability and extremism. Mrs. Bhutto sought to change Pakistan with a determination that should have been challenged with ballots, not bullets and bombs. The Pakistani government's decision to request that the United Kingdom's Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command provide support and assistance in the investigation into the murder of Benazir Bhutto will not be enough if the Pakistani people want more. It is exceedingly important that the people of Pakistan believe that a credible transparent investigation is conducted and that all lawful efforts are pursued to bring the perpetrators of the atrocious crime to justice. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to establish a ``Truth Commission'' of a capable, competent, and credible cross section of Pakistanis. Additionally, it is of the greatest importance that elections be conducted in a fair, transparent and democratic manner after considered input about the process from political parties. The future of Pakistan will effect our global security. Pro-Taliban militants and their al-Qaeda allies must not find refuge. Homicidal extremists pose a threat to Pakistan and its neighbors and must not be allowed to offset the winds of democratic change. We in the United States can offer support to Pakistan conditioned on free and fair elections along with a credible transparent investigation. The noble cause of perfecting the democratization of Pakistan is in the hands of the people of Pakistan. Although international partners can assist in this effort, the future of Pakistan must be hammered out by the people of Pakistan. Although, this tragic event may call into question the future of democracy in Pakistan, people of goodwill in Pakistan, regardless of political persuasion, must continue the movement to enhance democratic institutions across their nation knowing that freedom, justice, and democracy are difficult to achieve.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I thank you, the ranking member, and all of the other Members on the other side, Members on both sides. This is a bipartisan effort. Madam Chairman, please let me dispel any notion that there is a surplus of affordable available housing in this country. In fact, in the State of Texas alone, we have a need for 437,000 units, and we are third in the Nation. New York is number two, with 528,000 units needed; California, 830,000 units. There is no surplus of available affordable housing. But we're talking about the public housing units, and there is no surplus of available public housing units. Let me share a brief vignette with you. I had the privilege and honor, the pre-eminent privilege, if you will, of traveling to New Orleans with our subcommittee Chair, the Honorable Maxine Waters. While we were there, we visited the public housing units, and we actually talked to tenants. There were tenants who were pleading with us to give them the opportunity to return to what they called their homes. These were not just pieces of trash to them. These were places where they have memories, where they had hopes, where they had aspirations. And they were being denied access to property that they believed that they could live in. Now, was it to the standard that you and I my might want to live in? No. To the standards of those who live in the sweets of life, they were not; but to the standards of those who live in the streets of life, they were above standard. If you've got a choice of living on the streets or living in units that are not suitable for those who have much, you will choose to live in the units that are available to you. I regret that some of us seem to think that the best way to help people who are living in conditions that we find unacceptable is to cause them to have no place to live at all. Now, there is something wrong with that kind of thinking. And at some point, we've got to consider what the people need, and not see these as projects. I beg that we support this legislation. Keep people off the streets of life.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support the Federal Food Donation Act, an important piece of legislation that will help address the scourge of hunger in America. Each year, 35 million Americans, including 12 million children, go hungry, even though we live in the richest nation in the world. In many ways, the situation is getting worse, as increasing costs for food, energy and housing mean that increasing numbers of working families have difficulty affording sufficient food. According to a report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 80 percent of cities studied reported increases in requests for emergency food assistance during the last year. Despite this increase in need for food assistance, too little has been done to ensure that food banks, pantries and other charitable organizations have sufficient resources to address the needs of their hungry clients. The Federal Food Donation Act will help alleviate the shortage of food among organizations that work to serve the hungry. This important bill will amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to provide that contracts will contain provisions encouraging the donation of excess, apparently wholesome food to non-profit organizations working to combat hunger. The bill will ensure that excess food acquired for the use of the federal government does not go to waste and instead goes to help feed the hungry. The Federal Food Donation Act represents an important step forward in the effort to combat poverty. I am hopeful that the bill will also spur more organizations in the private sector to follow suit and to ensure that they make good use of excess food. Additionally, I am hopeful that Congress will soon pass legislation strengthening the Food Stamp program by substantially increasing benefits and easing access to the program for eligible beneficiaries, to help ensure that the 25 million Americans who receive Food Stamp benefits each year receive sufficient assistance to prevent them from becoming hungry. Madam Speaker, I am proud to express my support for the Federal Food Donation Act. Our country must no longer tolerate the presence of widespread hunger and I believe that this legislation will play a critical role in combating hunger. I am proud to express my full support for this legislation and I thank my friend and colleague, Mrs. Emerson, for her sponsorship of the bill and for her leadership in fighting hunger.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I wish to mourn the passing of Congresswoman Julia May Carson, a committed and valued voice for justice, who passed away on December 15, 2007. Congresswoman Carson was born on July 8, 1938 in Louisville, Kentucky. She grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana where she would lead a remarkable life committed to justice for all. Congresswoman Carson was loved by many for her effervescent personality and fighting spirit. She served her constituents of the 7th Congressional District of Indiana for 6 terms in the United States House of Representatives. She was the first African-American and woman elected to serve Indianapolis in Congress. In her youth, Ms. Carson overcame obstacles created by race, gender and poverty as the child of a single teenage mother. She attended and graduated from Crispus Attucks High School in 1955, a deeply segregated school in Indianapolis. However, her battles with injustice motivated her to pursue degrees in higher education at Martin University and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Her career in public service began in 1965, when she was hired as a staff assistant and aide to Congressman Andrew Jacobs, Jr., her mentor and predecessor in the 7th District of Indiana. She worked diligently on casework and other important legislative matters until 1972, when she ran and won a seat in the Indiana State House of Representatives. She served in the Indiana State House from 1972-1976 and in the Indiana State Senate from 1976-1990. In 1990, she was elected as a trustee for Center Township in downtown Indianapolis. As trustee, she was a just leader and a voice for reform. Her thoroughness and fiscal responsibility helped her manage the welfare rolls by providing assistance to those that needed it and removing those that did not. As a result, she transformed the office's $20 million debt into a $6 million surplus. She served as trustee for 6 years prior to her election to Congress. In 1996, after a competitive campaign, Congresswoman Carson replaced her mentor and predecessor Andrew Jacobs, Jr., as the representative for Indiana's 7th District. On January 3, 1997, she missed her congressional inauguration due to health problems. Her congressional tenure was replete with obstacles from failing health to closely competitive campaigns, but her tenacity and love for her district would not let anything impede her sincere dedication to her constituents. She never stopped caring for her district and she never lost a race. One of her most notable achievements in the House was passing a measure awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks. Another milestone accomplishment was a bill she cosponsored with Senator Richard Lugar to remove blocks on child health insurance created by government agencies. She always sponsored legislation that helped the poor and homeless, veterans, and faithful American taxpayers. She served on the House Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Her 10 years in the House were a testament of perseverance, devotion and inexhaustible compassion. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to commend the life and mourn the passing of Congresswoman Julia Carson.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I wish to mourn the passing of former Congressman Augustus Freeman ``Gus'' Hawkins, a committed public servant and civil rights leader, who died on November 10, 2007. Congressman Hawkins was born on August 31, 1907, in Shreveport, LA. He later moved to California where he would eventually serve 14 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, advocating for his constituents in South Los Angeles. Prior to his passing, he was the oldest living former member of the House of Representatives at the age of 100. In his youth, Mr. Hawkins was a scholar and civil rights activist. In 1931, he received his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. One year later, he continued his academic pursuits and studied political science at the University of Southern California. In addition to his intellectual skills and political savvy, Mr. Hawkins was a primary leader in progressive and civil rights campaigns in the urban areas of Los Angeles. His desire to eliminate injustice in his community propelled him to challenge a Republican incumbent in the California State Assembly. He defeated his opponent and quickly became the 62nd district's voice for civil rights and equality regardless of race, creed, or color. He remained in the California State Assembly from 1935 to 1963. In 1963, Mr. Hawkins was elected to serve California's 21st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, making him the first African American elected from the State of California. He firmly demonstrated his commitment to public service by supporting legislation that would improve housing standards, labor, education, and conditions for the working poor. He made history by sponsoring the equal employment section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In addition, he fought consistently to raise the minimum wage and he and Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-Minnesota) crafted the Humphrey-Hawkins Act of 1978, which was designed to combat unemployment and inflation. During his 28 years in the House, he served as the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, and the chairman of the Committee on Administration. He was also one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which was founded in 1971. When he retired in 1991, he had created over half a century's worth of landmark legislation on both the State and Federal level. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to remember the legacy and mourn the passing of former Congressman Augustus Freeman Hawkins.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank Chairman Conyers. I thank Ranking Member Lamar Smith. I would like to also thank the co-lead on this piece of legislation, while it is a resolution, I consider it to be a piece of legislation, and that, of course, would be Representative Laura Richardson. I thank the floor manager, Randy Forbes, all of the staff, and I especially thank the 60 persons that signed on as cosponsors of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have sponsored H. Res. 826, the condemnation of noose intimidation. Noose intimidation. It has received bipartisan support, and it has received it because America is a country of hope, not hate. In America, we celebrate our diversity. We love knowing that we can live together and that we can have the kind of harmony and peace that America has always promised all of its citizens. Noose intimidation has no place in America. Noose intimidation is the invidious hanging or displaying of a noose for the purpose of intimidation, humiliation, or denigration. When it is done under circumstances that may constitute a crime, it ought to be investigated. And if a crime has been committed, it ought to be vigorously prosecuted. Recently nooses have been found in North Carolina at a high school, New Jersey at a Home Depot, Louisiana on a school playground, and in Houston, Texas, at a factory. Fifty to 60 incidents involving nooses have been reported since September 7. This is per the Southern Poverty Law Center. Thirty more lawsuits have been filed by EEOC concerning nooses. Four thousand seven hundred persons were lynched. Many of these were Latinos, Jewish Americans, Italian Americans and African Americans. This was done between 1882 and 1959. America is a country of hope, not hate. For this reason, we believe in the words of the Pledge of Allegiance ``liberty and justice for all.'' That is why this legislation is important. We believe in the words in the Declaration of Independence that all persons are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That is why this resolution is important. Dr. King reminded us that it is not where you stand in times of comfort and convenience but, rather, where you stand in times of challenge and controversy. I am so proud that my colleagues have stood with us in these times of challenge and controversy to condemn noose intimidation. And I close with these words from Dr. King. He said, ``It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me. But it can keep him from lynching me.'' And I think that's pretty important. God bless you, and I thank you.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I would simply close by indicating I am very pleased to see the bipartisan effort that has been generated by this bill. This is a good bill, and I ask all of my colleagues to please support it. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.