Stephanie Jones

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I know that this committee is very short of time, and so I will give my time back to the ranking member; but I want to say it is a shame that we were here in April doing legislation like this and ended up having to come back when we really realized that we needed to hold CEOs accountable. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3763, the Conference Report on Corporate Responsibility and I seek permission to revise and extend my remarks. The events of the past months have underscored the importance of transparency in corporate governance. While many believed that Enron was an isolated occurrence, the failures of Tyco, Global Crossing, and WorldCom have eroded confidence in the markets, both here and overseas. Investment in the stock market is important to our economy and as a wealth-creating tool for people of all income levels. Although the majority of companies are operated honestly, investors will not trust the market if they believe that their money is not safe. If investors don't invest--the economy will stagnate which hurts people at every level of our society. Recent drops in value of stock markets both here and around the world reflect uncertainty and a current lack of investor confidence. It is our responsibility to hold accountable those companies and individuals that act dishonestly and erode investor confidence. I support this bill and I commend the conferees because they have crafted a strong piece of legislation. This bill would remove conflicts of interest and strengthen corporate accountability by a number of key reforms such as: creating a strong and independent board to oversee the accounting profession; by requiring separation of the auditing and accounting functions of firms; by reforming the independence of stock analysts and decreasing the influence of investment banking firms over analysts; by authorizing $776 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission to enable them to achieve higher staffing levels to enforce the law. Although these reforms are needed, there are other, holistic changes that need to take place as well. Over the past decade, CEO tenure has dropped while salaries have risen dramatically. This has created a climate in which some dishonest CEO's may be tempted to ``take the money and run.'' This costs a pall on the majority of executives who operate honestly. When CEO's and others are compensated with stock options, the options are not shown as a business expense on a company's balance sheet. This distorts the cost of these options to shareholders, who are not provided a clear picture of a company's financial position. It may also provide an incentive to ``cook the books'' to achieve quick gains in stock price for an executives' personal benefit. This malfeasance has a clear effect on workers who lose their jobs and investors who lose their money. I support the Democratic proposal to allow stockholders to determine whether management is compensated with stock options. This change in corporate governance would ultimately reward companies that operate cleanly by restoring investor confidence in companies with transparent operations. Mr. Speaker, this week Congress has accomplished a great deal to help workers, investors, and the stability of markets the world over. We will continue to build our economy over the weeks and months to come.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the opportunity and the blessing that has been given to my colleague and the dean of the Ohio Democratic delegation, Tony Hall. Unlike some of the speakers who came before me, I have not known him 20 years. I have only known him the past 4 years when I came to the U.S. Congress as the Representative for the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. I found him to be all of the things that the colleagues, my colleagues, have previously said, kind, gentle, hard-working, with a deep concern for people all across this world. Very recently I had an opportunity to travel to Egypt, and I traveled with the AED as well as USAID to look at educational opportunities in these communities for women and girls. It was an eye-opening experience for me to have that opportunity because I realized and saw for myself the poverty and the lack of living standards that these poor young men and women were living in, and children. The educational programs provided an opportunity for young girls to get educated, because in Egypt, that is not a place where education is something that is done for young women out in the rural areas. I also had an opportunity to understand what we can do through education and education in providing food and shelter to people to deal with some of the hate that exists in this world. I am so pleased to have had an opportunity in my 4 years to have Tony Hall as my counsel, to have him as a guide, to have him as a model, to have him show the type of leadership, because we are going to come to learn in this Nation that we cannot just fight terrorism in this country by dealing with it by war. We have to fight terrorism by dealing with it with younger people and teaching them the importance of feeding the hungry, of giving water to the thirsty or giving clothing to those who do not have any clothing. I just want to take my hat off to you, Tony Hall, and say it has been a privilege to serve with you in the House of Representatives. And since you are going to Rome, Italy, save me a bed. I am coming to see you.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I stand this morning to congratulate the CEO of the Cleveland municipal school district. Her name is Barbara Byrd Bennett. Why am I up here? Because they attempted to take her away from the city of Cleveland after all the good work she has done over the past few years. I am proud to stand here on the floor of the House to celebrate the work that she has done, to look at the improved schools that we have, to know that as a result of her work we have got a new issue 14 that was passed, we will be building some 48 new schools in the city of Cleveland and renovating about 50. We have not built a new school in Cleveland in 20 years. Our school system is doing better. Our students are doing better. I salute Barbara Byrd Bennett, our CEO, and thank her for staying in Cleveland and pledge my support as well.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, the chairman, and my colleagues who served on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. What an experience. Service on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is not a committee assignment for which there is a lot of competition. In fact, it is not even an enviable position. However one is called into service, each Member must accept his or her responsibility and obligation to serve with honor and integrity, consistent with the tradition of this great House of Representatives which we love and revere. I seriously considered not speaking before the full House, in part because I believe that the misfortunes of one of my colleagues should not be used for political purpose or grandstanding. However, having accepted this responsibility of serving on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, I believed it my duty and obligation to speak out in support of the decision that we made and in opposition to delay. Let me say at the outset that I have known the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) for many years. As he stated many times in that hearing, he was a vocal supporter of my candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court, and for that I will ever be thankful. Some even questioned my ability to serve, and I knew that I could be fair and so did the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant). Let me go for a moment to this question about where the money was if the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) got the money. If my colleagues got the money, would they put it in the bank? Let us talk a little bit about these jurors. I have tried many cases, both as a judge and as a prosecutor, and there were many times where jurors, once they rendered that decision, wanted to back up and say, I do not know if that was the right decision; judge, can tell us whether he was guilty or not or whatever it was. Jurors make decisions based on all the facts and evidence that is before them at that particular time, and this is what those jurors did. The burden was beyond a reasonable doubt, the highest burden of proof in our Nation. Our committee has a job and our committee is, and we are not governed by the same rules that my great colleague, Mr. Stokes, whom I have a lot of respect for, was when he made the motion back on Mr. Myers. Our rules of ethics are different. They are not the same as they were back when Mr. Myers was presented before this House. The rules say that this body can make a decision to expel a Member prior to sentencing and prior to conviction, and that is what this committee recommended to my colleagues. We are not a jury. We are not a criminal court. We are in the court of the House of Representatives and the court of public opinion which expects us to do our job, unlike the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), but my job is to make a decision right here on the House of Representatives. Vote against the motion.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the motion to expel our colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant). I know, too, that many of my colleagues are questioning the propriety of expelling the gentleman from Ohio, something that has not happened in this House in some 40 years. And Members are questioning it notwithstanding the fact that a jury was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt of his guilt, the highest burden of proof required in our legal system, and notwithstanding the fact that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, who was vested and duty bound by this body to review the conduct of our colleagues, has reviewed the facts and determined that his conduct was of such nature that it violated the House rules of conduct, and that it was of such character and so serious that it merited the highest sanction from the House of Representatives. Let me assure my colleagues that when we try cases in criminal justice courtrooms, we often talk about a subject called a red herring. Now, today, we have had an opportunity to hear from our colleague, the gentleman from Ohio. In fact, the wonderful thing about our justice system and the hearings that we have had here in the House are that they were public. We had an opportunity to hear the presentation or the defense presented by the defendant. I will not go through all the red herrings, but we talked about: ``I paid for the car, I never owned the farm; everybody would have gone to jail or lost his license; I repaid the money to my staffers; do not be surprised if I win, I will win behind bars; 1,000 items; no fingerprints; hearsay transcripts; when the play is cast in hell, none of the witnesses in the trial will be angels; you cannot believe that the credibility of some of these witnesses could be better if they were someone else. Forget the witnesses for a moment. Forget that the judge's husband was a member of the firm, and forget that his clerk was the chief clerk for a chief justice of the Supreme Court or other trial court. We have a duty. We have an obligation. The public is watching us, and they are saying, ``House of Representatives, you have a duty. You have an obligation as elected Members of Congress to take into consideration what has been presented to you by this Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.'' It is not easy. When I was a judge, I was required to sentence somebody to death. And people used to say, oh, he should get the death penalty. But it was not that easy to stand up there and say I sentence him to death. And it is not easy today, my colleagues, but it is our job. It is our duty. Uphold the integrity of this House of Representatives and vote to expel the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join with my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), today as we memorialize the loss of Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson on behalf of the whole House, and I speak on behalf of the Democratic side as well. I rise this morning, Mr. Speaker, to commemorate my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., that is celebrating its annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia. I am proud to be a member of that sorority that hosts more than 200,000 members across this country and internationally, women who have graduated from colleges all over this world. We are not only a sorority in the sense that people talk about sororities, but we are a national service sorority, having been involved in many projects throughout this country to raise the level of consciousness of women and folk across the country. So I just want to celebrate the President of our organization, Gwendelynn Boyd, and all of our other national members, and the immediate past president, Marsha Fudge, now the mayor of the city of Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, please be advised that I will not be voting on Monday, due to a commitment in my District. Had I been present, the record would reflect that I would have voted on: (1) H.R. 1209--Child Status Protection Act, ``yea''; (2) H.R. 4558--To Extend The Irish Peace Process Cultural And Training Program, ``yea''; (3) S.J. Res. 13--Conferring Honorary Citizenship On the Marquis de Lafayette, ``yea''; (4) H.R. 3892--Judicial Improvements Act, ``yea''; (5) H.R. 4870--Mount Naomi Wilderness Boundary Adjustment Act, ``yea''; (6) H.R. 1401--California Five Mile Regional Learning Center Transfer Act, ``yea''; (7) H.R. 3048--Russian River Land Act, ``yea''; (8) H.R. 3258--Reasonable Right-of-Way Fees Act, ``yea''; (9) H.R. 3917--Flight 93 National Memorial Act, ``yea''; (10) H.R. 2990--Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Improvement Act, ``yea''; (11) H.R. 4940--Arlington National Cemetery Burial Eligibility Act, ``yea''; (12) H.R. 5055--Authorizing The World War II Battle Of The Bulge Memorial, ``yea''; (13) H.R. 3645--Veterans Health-Care Items Procurement Improvement Act, ``yea''; (14) H.R. 5138--True American Heroes Act, ``yea''; (15) H.R. 4901--Keep Monticello On The Nickel Act, ``yea''; (16) H. Con. Res. 439--Honoring Corinne ``Lindy'' Claiborne Boggs On The Occasion Of The 25th Anniversary Of The Founding Of The Congressional Women's Caucus, ``yea''; (17) H. Res. 471--Recognizing The Contributions Of Paul Ecke, Jr. To The Poinsettia Industry, ``yea''; (18) H. Res. 492--Expressing Gratitude For The World Trade Center Cleanup And Recovery Efforts At The Fresh Kills Landfill On Staten Island, NY, Following The Terrorist Attacks Of September 11, 2001, ``yea''; (19) H.R. 5145--William C. Cramer Post Office Building, ``yea''; (20) H. Con. Res. 352--Sense Of Congress That Federal Land Management Agencies Should Implement The Western Governor's Association ``Collaborative 10-year Strategy For Reducing Wildland Fire Risks To Communities And The Environment'', ``yea''; (21) H. Res. __--Sense Of The House That Major League Baseball And The Players Association Should Implement A Mandatory Steroid Testing Program, ``yea''; (22) H. Con. Res. 385--Sense Of Congress The Secretary Of Health And Human Services Should Conduct Research On Certain Tests To Screen Ovarian Cancer, ``yea''; (23) H. Con. Res. 188--Sense Of Congress That The Government Of The People's Republic Of China Should Cease Its Persecution Of Falun Gong Practitioners, ``yea''; (24) H.R. 3487--Nurse Reinvestment Act, ``yea''; (25) H.R. 3969--Freedom Promotion Act, ``yea.''

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Don Scott, an American hero and pioneer in the sport of bowling, whose outstanding achievements will be recognized on Friday, July 19, 2002, as the Hall of Fame inductee at the Greater Cleveland Bowling Association's Annual Awards banquet. Since 1981, Don and his wife, Vel have been my personal friends and I am proud to join the Greater Cleveland Bowling Association to honor Don Scott. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Scott was introduced to the game as a teenage pin boy at the Cleveland and Akron lanes. In 1959, he was allowed membership in the Professional Bowlers Association and then became the first African-American bowler to appear on national television competing with national champions for major monetary awards. In 1961, Mr. Scott led the qualifying round of the Professional Bowling Association Open. He was the only African American competing against many of the giants in bowling including Dick Webber, Don Carter and other long-time stars. Throughout his career, Mr. Scott competed against top bowlers in Canada, Japan, China, the Ivory Coast, the Philippines and major cities in the United States. Continuing to pave the way for others, Mr. Scott organized the first Negro team to ever compete in the American Bowling Congress Classic Division. In 1964, Don Scott was sponsored in the Firestone Championship Bowling at Copley Lanes in Akron, Ohio. He averaged 202 during three match plays against Carmen Salvino, Bill Allen and George Allen. Mr. Scott, a certified bowling instructor and co-author of How to Bowl, was inducted into the Cleveland Bowling Senate Hall of Fame in April 1991. Through his travel, Mr. Scott truly became a goodwill ambassador for the game of bowling as he earned the love and respect of many. In 2000, Don Scott received the Congressional Black Caucus ``Unsung Hero'' award to honor his lifetime achievements for excellence in sports. Our colleague from the great State of South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn joined me in this tribute. As a former bowling instructor and coach, Representative Clyburn became good friends with Don Scott after losing to him 39 years ago in South Carolina and presented the award to Don Scott on my behalf. I ask that other Members in the U.S. Congress join me and the people of greater Cleveland in saluting the outstanding efforts of Mr. Don Scott, a great American trailblazer who paved the way for others in the sport of bowling.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I stand here, along with my colleagues, to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for her leadership on the issue of the AIDS pandemic internationally. My colleague already read the declaration from the Barcelona conference. I am going to read the whereas clauses, because I think they set forth specifically the status of this AIDS pandemic internationally. ``Whereas every single day AIDS claims 8,500 lives, or the equivalent of three World Trade Center disasters daily; Whereas by December 2001, 40 million people were living with HIV- AIDS, and by 2005 an estimated 100 million will be infected; Whereas more than 40 million children, most of them in developing nations, will be orphaned by AIDS by 2010; Whereas the World Health Organization this year has stated that the antiretroviral treatment is medically essential and has issued specific treatment guidelines, monitoring standards, and regimen recommendations; Whereas those on treatment represent less than 2 percent of all those infected with HIV because such treatment is almost completely unavailable in developing nations; Whereas, over 500 nongovernmental organizations globally have endorsed the Barcelona March for Life, which demands treatment access to at least 2 million people in the developing world by the time of the 2004 International Conference on AIDS in Bangkok; Whereas these organizations represent AIDS activists from Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands, Australia, Europe, Central and South America, and North America, therefore, we declare as activists pledged to life for all persons with HIV/AIDS that we are committed to the following goals, which the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) has set forth. Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to represent the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) at World AIDS Day in Seattle 2 years ago during the WTO, and it was my pleasure to sit on her behalf. What was most interesting to me was the fact that an epidemiologist came and testified before the organization that there were hundreds and thousands of grandparents raising grandchildren because the parents of these children have been infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and, therefore, were unable to take care of their own children. So grandparents are taking care of as many as 25 of their grandchildren. I think we need to pay attention to, as the United States of America, and when we start thinking about the companies and corporations that are doing business in these developing countries, that they will not have available to them the workers to do the work in these countries. We need to pay attention to the HIV/AIDS virus and pay attention not only in developing countries, but in our own Nation. In the United States, 950,000 have been diagnosed with AIDS. African Americans make up 13 percent of the total U.S. population, but 54 percent of the new infections, 82 percent of the women who are newly infected with HIV/AIDS are African American and Latino. The time is up for us to sit back and believe the HIV/AIDS virus is affecting people other than Americans and we can just think about it being in another country and not deal with the issue. I stand here in support of the Barcelona Declaration. I stand here in support of it on behalf of all the people of the world, but particularly on behalf of the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, and I salute the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for her work in this area.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it just happens that today I had on the great colors red and white. I am pleased, as a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., an international woman's sorority, to stand here to salute my soror, the Honorable gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek). It has been wonderful to have an opportunity to serve in the House of Representatives with her. We had a wonderful chance to talk about the great Delta days, about Bethune College, about basketball. In fact, recently she and I coached the Congressional Basketball Team called the Hills Angels as we played the Georgetown law faculty. But more importantly, she is full of history, full of wonder, full of grace; and I am so pleased and blessed to have had the opportunity to serve in the House of Representatives with her, if only for 4 years. In your lifetime God gives you the opportunity to be touched by a number of people. I am so pleased that I had a chance to be touched by this wonderful, wonderful woman called Carrie Meek. And I look forward to your further years of service. We will not let you retire. We may let you leave here, but we have other jobs for you, Mrs. Carrie Meek. On behalf of all the Deltas from across the world, 190,000 strong, we salute our soror, Carrie Meek.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. I rise here in support of this resolution. I am a graduate of Cleveland public schools, and I can remember as a little girl at Miles Standish Elementary School learning the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and it being so important to me. In third grade, we learned French, and we even learned how to say the Pledge of Allegiance in French in that third grade class; and here I stand 53 years old, and I am still able to remember that I said: Je jure fidelite au drapeau des Etats -Unis d'Amerique et a la Republique qu'il represente, une Nation sous Dieu, and so forth. We learned it in French and it was very important to me as I thought about it. I too am embarrassed by the Ninth Circuit Court. I am embarrassed that this court would take a pledge, when we make allegiance to our country, and try and take it out of context and move on; but I am even more disappointed today in the United States Supreme Court, because I come from the great city of Cleveland. Today this United States Supreme Court made the decision that vouchers were not unconstitutional, that vouchers in the establishment clause could be used to pay for religious education with public dollars. I was very interested in the decision. It said that parents have a choice to where they send their children, that the dollars go to the parents, and so, therefore, it is not a violation of the establishment clause. The dissenting justices, who I agree with, said but it is clear based on the facts in this case that 96.6 percent of the students of the Cleveland public schools go to religious institutions and there are very few other options other than religious institutions for these children to go to. Many of my colleagues know that before I came to this body I served as a judge, and I was very proud to be a judge, and I am very proud of the profession of judges that I sat with and that I served with. But I have to say that these two decisions yesterday, decision in regard to the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America and today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court with regard to vouchers has disappointed me. The last thing I would say, Mr. Speaker, is as we talk about the importance of this Pledge of Allegiance to the United States, lest we not remember that portion which says with liberty and justice for all, let us make sure that all get liberty and justice.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I express my opposition to this bill that is particularly harmful to senior women, like my mother.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) for yielding. I came to Congress in January of 1999. In 1998 I was campaigning on behalf of senior citizens throughout these United States. I was campaigning particularly because my dad is 82 years old, my mom is 81 years old, all of my friends have parents that are octogenarians; and I talked to them constantly about what is it that I can best do if and when I go to Congress to support you. All of them said to me, save Social Security, make sure Medicare is strong, and we need a prescription drug benefit. In my congressional district, which is the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, we have had two or three sessions with senior citizens where we have given them a chance to come out and talk about the issue of a prescription drug benefit and what it would mean for them. Many of them are talking about taking as many as nine or 10 different drugs and that as a result of having to take that many different drugs, the cost of drugs, their prescription drugs, is so significant that they are really choosing between eating and choosing between, in the twilight of their lives, having an enjoyable time versus having the chance to enjoy the benefits of all the work that they have done. Recently on the front page of The Washington Post, there was an article entitled ``Kicked in the Teeth,'' which lamented the impact of America's soccer team victory over Mexico during the World Cup competition and the implications that such a loss had upon our neighbors to the south. The article went on to discuss the embarrassment of this loss for a nation with a great soccer tradition such as Mexico. Well, today I want to borrow from that title to discuss the GOP prescription drug plan that was marked up this week. Senior citizens in America are not unlike Mexico's soccer fans. They expected a win and what they got was a loss. But this loss was not at the hands or feet of a foe, but rather the House leadership. Once again the leadership has created an industry-based bill that further alienates and confuses senior citizens on what they can expect. According to experts, the GOP plan is, and I quote, ``Hollow, highly ideological and worthless. It will roll back Medicare and leave senior citizens in the country choosing between food and medicine.'' So in essence they have been kicked in their teeth. The disappointment senior citizens must be feeling cannot be measured or polled; but I would encourage all those grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers to remember that your sacrifice to build, protect and maintain the greatness of this country is not being respected by the House leadership, but rather sold to the highest bidder. ``Sold'' is the word you hear at the end of a successful auction. I would like to invite all of you here in town tonight to join my Republican colleagues at the close of their prescription drug benefit auction tonight at the pharmaceutical-industry-sponsored GOP fundraiser. All you need is about $25,000 and just no conscience at all. However, I would impart one word of advice. The only thing they are going to serve tonight is corn on the cob, so if you have been kicked in the teeth you better find somewhere else to eat. So if you show up tonight with a hearty appetite for change and you are looking for a truly compensive prescription drug benefit, the soup line is forming to the rear. I would suggest you tell all of your congressional Members that they should support the Democratic substitute that is being offered by my colleague, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross). I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for his leadership on this issue. I am confident that once the American public has had a chance to listen to the difference between the Republican bill and the Democratic bill, they will understand that the Democrats in this House are pushing for a real prescription drug benefit.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, home ownership is a vital component of the American Dream. Unfortunately, too many families are frozen out of this dream by obstacles such as lack of opportunity, limited knowledge and soaring real estate prices. One of my primary goals as a Member of Congress is to raise the roof on home ownership for minorities, immigrants and low- and moderate-income families in the 11th Congressional District and throughout the country by removing these obstacles to achieving home ownership. The Ohio Statewide Housing Summit was an important step in moving toward this goal. As Honorary Host of the Summit, it was my pleasure to welcome the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and my colleagues Rep. Corrine Brown, Rep. Eva Clayton, Rep. James Clyburn, Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, and Rep. Barbara Lee to Cleveland to share and gather information about housing issues that affect all of our constituents. I was proud of and gratified by the exemplary partnership and hard work of so many people and organizations in my District and throughout the state and country who joined together to make this Summit a success: Sponsors and Contributors: Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae Foundation, Key Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank, National City Bank, Finch Group, Household Financial Services, Local Initiative Support Corporation, United Guarantee Mortgage Insurance. Planning Committee: Candice Amos, Mark C. Batson, Cynthia D. Blake, Sheila Carpenter, Bill Daley, Lytle T. Davis, Kate Monter Durban, Kebra Emanuel, Lori Jones Gibbs, Louise J. Gissendaner, Virgil Griffin, Debra Hamelin, Michelle Harris, Vada Hill, Charlene Hollowell, Myldred Boston Howell, Stephanie Joyce Jones, India Pierce Lee, Ken Lumpkin, Mary Maglicic, Mark McDermott, Sharron Murphy, Marcia Nolan, Vikki Peterson, Betty K. Pinkney, Van Randolph, Dannette Render, Gregory L. Snyder, Henry R. Stoudermire, Jr., Michael Taylor, Gerald Thrist, Stephanie Turner, Scott Willis. Special Assistance: BET.com, Classic Press, Cleveland State University Convocation Center, Consumer Credit Counseling Services, DAR Public Relations, Inc., Sheila Jackson Graphics. Thanks to their hard work, the Ohio Statewide Housing Summit was a resounding success that will continue to benefit my constituents for years to come.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, as many Members know, June is Home Ownership Month. This past weekend in the great city of Cleveland in the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, we hosted a housing summit. It is wonderful that more than 500 people came out to the housing summit. We had the opportunity to have people get free credit reports. More than 275 people got free credit reports, and we were able to counsel them. Mr. Speaker, home ownership is a wonderful opportunity. It is an American dream, and this weekend in the 11th Congressional District in Ohio in conjunction with the Congressional Black Caucus Housing Summit, we were able to help Americans realize that dream, for which I am very thankful

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Florida (Mr. Hastings) did in fact come to Cleveland, Ohio, when we hosted our election reform committee. I would say to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), I rise in support of the motion to instruct. Now, my problem is that even though we have not reached an agreement as to how this bill should come into play, States should not be waiting for us to dot the I's and cross the T's in this instance. They should be beginning the process of putting in place programs that will assure that each and every one of the voters in their States have access to information. I am pleased to say that in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where I live, our board of elections has begun to try out various new automated systems. They tried out one system at the Indians game. The owner of the system came in and put in the system, and the people at the game were able to vote on their favorite baseball player. On two or three of the elections we have had, they have been able to put in systems at two or three locations throughout Cuyahoga County to give voters an opportunity to try out these systems. As much as we want to believe that everybody is comfortable now or believes that the Florida election was kind of something that would never happen again, the reality is there are many, many voters out here across this country who are expecting that this Congress will say it will never happen again, that everyone will have the right to vote, that people will not be faced with punchcard systems or butterfly ballots or have to stand in line and be turned away because someone says I have to show my driver's license or you are not registered, or it has not been explained that if there is a problem they have the right to vote and a decision made later on as to whether their vote will count. We should never in this country be placed in the position that we send people to other countries and say we want to check out your voting system, when our own is not in order. So I stand here adamantly in support of this motion to instruct the conferees. If we give people more time, they are going to take more time. Let us stop this. Let us make sure that the people in the United States are not disenfranchised. Let us give them the right to vote, right away, right now.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I missed the opportunity this afternoon to speak with my colleagues with regard to the celebration of title IX, its 30-year anniversary. I am pleased to stand in support of such a wonderful piece of legislation that gave young women all across this country an opportunity to step up, step out and be a part of a team and have the encouragement to win. I am particularly very proud that in the city of Cleveland we have already hosted the NCAA women's volleyball championships and I am going to be chairing the NCAA women's basketball Final Four Championships in Cleveland in 2007. In addition, in 2004 in the city of Cleveland, we will be hosting the international children's games. This will be the first time these games will be hosted in the United States, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to host them right in the city of Cleveland. We have learned over the years that having the opportunity to participate in sports has been a way that young men and young women have an opportunity to learn how to compete, what team building means, what it means to be a part of a group, what it means to win, what it means to cheer, what it means to be disciplined, what it means to have a chance to work out and then show what workout does once you have an opportunity to work with your team. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to have an opportunity to congratulate the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) as she celebrates with all of her colleagues and this Congress as we celebrate title IX.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, giving every family and individual the tools they need to buy a home is good for the homebuyer, the community, and the Nation. We must never lose sight of our goal and National Homeownership Month is the perfect time to rededicate ourselves to this goal. The housing industry is in a unique position to lead the Nation out of recession in 2002. A new report issued by the National Association of Home Builders, ``Housing--The Key to Economic Recovery,'' shows that housing accounts for about 14 percent of the Nation's Gross Domestic Product, or about one out of every seven dollars spent in the U.S. each year. The same report shows that the construction of 1,000 single-family homes generates 2,448 jobs in construction and construction-related industries, approximately $79.4 million in wages and more than $42.5 million in Federal, State and local tax and revenue fees. Construction of 1,000 multifamily homes generates 1,030 jobs in construction and related industries, approximately $33.5 million in wages, and more than $17.8 million in Federal, State, and local tax revenue and fees. Minority purchase power is rising. Hispanics homeownership increased 39 percent between 1994 and 2000. African-American homeownership increased 24 percent in that same period. However, minority homeownership rates are almost 30 percent lower than the overall national rate. Homeownership is a wise investment for long-term financial security, and an investment in America.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I did not vote in Rolls 226, 227, 228, and 229 of June 13, 2002 due to a family commitment. Had I been present, the record would reflect that I would have voted: Rollcall No. 226 Providing For Consideration of H.R. 4019, ``nay''. Rollcall No. 227 On Approving The Journal, ``yea''. Rollcall No. 228 Matsui Amendment, ``yea''. Rollcall No. 229 Final Passage H.R. 4019, ``nay''.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Phillip G. Racco, Pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Cleveland, OH. On June 11, 2002, Father Racco will celebrate the silver anniversary of his ordinance into the priesthood. Father Racco has devoted 13 years to ministering to the people of Holy Rosary and Little Italy. Father Racco has made Holy Rosary Church a great haven for the students at Case Western Reserve University and the many families and friends of patients at University Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic who visit the church daily. Father Racco has previously served as an assistant at St. John Bosco in Parma Heights, St. Margaret Mary in South Euclid and Pastor at St. Philomena in East Cleveland prior to being assigned Pastor of Holy Rosary Church in 1989. Therefore, I join with the entire 11th District of Ohio in congratulating Father Phillip Racco for his 13 years of service to Holy Rosary Church and the city of Cleveland.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the other day I had the opportunity to deliver a commencement speech for John F. Kennedy High School, and that was Norville Arnold's graduation. He was my first page, my only page appointment, and it was a wonderful opportunity. I like poetry, so I am going to read a piece of poetry that I read at this commencement to his class. Look what I have learned. I have learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. Look what I have learned. That no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back. I have learned that it is not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts. I have learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. I have learned that you can keep on going long after you think you can't. I have learned that either you control your attitude, or it controls you. I have learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I have learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you are down will be the ones who help you get back up. I have learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to love you, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. I have learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you have had and what you have learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you have celebrated. I have learned that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological. I have learned that no matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt you every once in a while, and you must forgive them for that. I have learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt, and you will get hurt in the process. Finally, I have learned that people you care most about in life are often taken from you too soon. I want to say to you that I have had great fun with this class. I have had a great time. We have had some wonderful experiences. I have learned that I do not take myself too serious, and I hope that you will learn that, over time, that is the best thing that you can do. Then I want you to remember particularly how much fun those of you who had the chance to attend the Hill's Angels and the Georgetown faculty game, and that wonderful cheer that I taught you which was ``Give me an A; give me an N; give me a G; give me an E; give me an L; give me an S. What does it spell? Angels.'' And you were that for me. I have been working with this basketball team, and every year I go to Georgetown and all the law students are there and the law students are cheering and having a great time, and I am saying where is my team? So I thank you for allowing me to incorporate you into the game. If ever you want to come back for a reunion game, just call me up. I will send a bus for you. Have a great time, have a great year and come back and visit with us. Thank you.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Democratic substitute to reform the estate tax. I say ``reform'' as opposed to ``repeal'' because there is a difference in the two ideas. The Democratic substitute would help individuals and small businesses in a variety of ways while still preserving the Social Security Trust Funds. The Democratic substitute would increase the estate tax exclusion to $3 million, effective January 2003. The substitute would also place limits on corporations to prevent incorporations in tax havens that avoid taxation. It would also place limits on corporate tax shelters. Last year's tax cut lowered the top estate tax rate to 45 percent by 2007, increased the estate tax exemption to $3.5 million--$7 million for a couple--by 2009 and repealed the estate tax altogether in 2010. Like the other tax provisions, the estate tax repeal is set to expire at the end of 2010. At that time, the estate tax reverts to what it was before, with an exemption of $1 million and a top rate of 55 percent. In the past year, budget projections have deteriorated. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the projected budget surplus for the years 2002 through 2011 has declined by 3.9 trillion dollars over the past year. Outside Social Security, the budget is estimated to be at a deficit through 2009. The most significant effect of eliminating rather than reforming the estate tax would come in the years beyond the current ten-year budget window, when the baby boom generation begins to retire and the Social Security and Medicare systems come under increasing pressure. Permanent repeal would lose approximately $740 billion in revenue. What does this mean for the Treasury? Well, there is something out of balance. Recently, the Administration sought to reduce the availability of student loans at the same time as it is seeking estate tax reductions for the highest-level millionaires . . . at the same time that the ranks of people without health insurance are growing . . . at the same time that seniors are without a prescription drug benefit. Repealing the estate tax in its entirety makes it impossible to strengthen Social Security without raising other taxes. Fewer than 5000 of the wealthiest people, with estates valued at more than $6 million will be helped--at the expense of 53 million who will need to rely on Social Security benefits in 2011 and later. In comparison, the Democratic substitute would lower or eliminate estate taxes for 99.7 percent for all Americans beginning in January 2003. No individuals with estates worth less than $3 million or $6 million for a couple will pay any estate tax under the Democratic substitute. 99 percent of farms would pay no estate tax. Unlike the Republican bill, the Democratic substitute repeals the capital gains tax on increases in the value of property. In short, the Democratic reform of the estate tax would benefit 99.6 percent of decedents. This is a better choice for Americans, and it is a fairer reform by far. I urge my colleagues to reject the underlying bill, and vote for the much fairer Democratic substitute.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Democratic substitute. An earlier speaker said he came here as a small businessman. I am a lawyer, and I am proud to be a lawyer, and I stand up for all trial lawyers across this country. What I would have suggested to him, because he is over here saying it is the lawyers that have caused the dilemma with the estate tax, I would suggest to him get a good lawyer and let that lawyer do some tax planning for himself and his family. Let me also say at this juncture the Republicans are saying to us to put a stake in the heart of the death tax. But what they want to do, they want to put the stake right like this and hold it for 10 years where it gets rusted. The Democrats are saying we are going to put the stake in it right now, right here. They are saying kill the death tax. But when? It is 2002 now and they want us to wait until 2011. I stand here wholly in support of this legislation. And it seems that the Republican Party wants to say they are the best to support business in these United States. Strong Democrats support business. And we so strongly support business, all the business folks out there listening, hear us, we so strongly support you that we want to get rid of the estate tax right now. We want to get rid of the estate tax, except for a little portion. And the reason we want to hold on to that little portion is because that little portion equals $740 billion. That is why we want to hold on to it, so that in future times we can afford to maybe do a prescription drug benefit. We can afford maybe pretty soon to put a little more money in education. We can afford pretty soon to look at the whole health care piece and decide what is wrong. I say to my colleagues, let us put a stake in the death tax, but let us not hold off for 10 years. Let us do it now.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, this morning I rise to salute the city of Cleveland; the CEO of the Cleveland Municipal School District, Barbara Byrd-Bennett; former mayor, Michael White; current mayor, Jane Campbell, because yesterday we broke ground on the first brand new school in the city of Cleveland in more than 20 years, AJ Rickoff Elementary School. It will not only be a school center, but it will also have a library, and hopefully opportunities for parents to train from CCC College or Kiowa Community College. It is just a wonderful thing, after Issue 14 passed last year, that we were able to break ground on a new school. We anticipate that we will build more than 40 new schools in the city of Cleveland over the next 5 years. Here is for education, here is for the Cleveland Board of Education, the Cleveland School Board, and here is for the children of the city of Cleveland. I am thankful for the opportunity to be supportive. Let us build more schools.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding to me. Mr. Chairman, there are a growing number of seniors who are raising grandchildren with their Social Security income. That is a group that we do not often talk about. Just a couple of weeks ago in this House when we dealt with TANF and welfare reform, these grandmothers and grandfathers raising their grandchildren were left out of the process. There were no additional dollars set forth to assist them in that effort. That is why it is so difficult as we stand here to talk about this piece of legislation that is before the House this evening, that we would not consider that significant group of people who not only are raising grandchildren, they are required to pay for prescription drugs. Then, in addition to that, they may have to worry about where their next check comes from. A second group that is often not discussed when we talk about Social Security are those who are beneficiaries of the Supplemental Security Income, those who are disabled for one reason or another, who are often left out of that process. I guarantee Members there are many women involved. Lastly, I would say that tonight, if we want to raise the debt ceiling limit, let us step up and vote specifically for it and not cloud it in this legislation.