Stephanie Jones

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to review a few more facts with the Members. As I stated earlier, I served as the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, prosecuting child abuse in Cuyahoga County and being responsible for abuse and neglect cases. I also have had the opportunity to serve for 10 years as a judge in Cuyahoga County, where in many instances I was required to listen to testimony and judge the credibility of a young person who was being presented for purposes of testifying with regard to some abuse that he or she had suffered. To look into the eyes of a child, to require them to walk into a courtroom, to be required to tell the world about terrible incidents of what had occurred to them, I cannot even tell Members how my heart would bleed. Mr. Speaker, as I stand here this afternoon, as with my other colleagues, I look forward to the time wherein we will not have to celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Month. I look forward to the time where we will not have to celebrate Domestic Violence Month. I look forward to the time where we have created a society wherein people feel good about their relationships, wherein they care about one another, wherein they understand that what goes around comes around, where they understand that what you do to a child at an early age has an indeterminable impact as they go on later on in their lives. It is important that we let the child protection workers who work in this area every day know how supportive we are of them, how we understand that they are underpaid, overworked, and that many times their caseloads just continue to balloon without any support in sight. It is important that we let them know that we care about them and that this issue is important to all Americans. It is important that we as a community stop watching child abuse occur and do what the law and morality requires us to do, which is to say something about it, report it, be willing to step forward and tell what we saw happen. It is important that we as a community, as we talk about what it is we can do about child prevention, that we are willing to give not only our personal dollars but be willing to be supportive of the government giving dollars to child abuse prevention. And finally it is important that all of us, those of us that are Members of Congress, sign on not only to the resolution celebrating or bringing to the floor the issues of child abuse, but to also sign on to the CAPE act that will give dollars to local communities to be able to combat child abuse. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume only to say to all of my colleagues who have appeared here this afternoon that I thank them for coming out in support of our resolution. We look forward to the same support on the CAPE Act when it comes to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume only to thank my colleagues who have worked so hard with me on this piece of legislation and this resolution. I am pleased as a brand new Member of Congress to be able to participate in some bipartisan legislation that will impact our entire Nation.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It gives me great pause as I stand in this Chamber this afternoon to bring to the floor this resolution with regard to child abuse in America. The statistics are numbing. In 1997 over 3 million children were reported for child abuse and neglect to child protective agencies. Between 1988 and 1997, child abuse reporting levels increased by 41 percent. Currently, 47 out of every 1,000 children are reported as victims of child mistreatment. In 1997, 1,054,000 children were victims of child abuse, or in other numbers, 15 out of every 1,000 U.S. children. A child in the United States is twice as likely to be reported as abused or neglected as to be enrolled in Head Start. Mr. Speaker, 37 percent of American parents reported insulting or swearing at their children within the last 12 months. One of three of all Americans have witnessed an adult physically abuse a child, and two out of three have seen an adult emotionally abuse a child. In 1996, 1,185 child abuse fatalities were reported. Between 1995 and 1997, 78 percent of these children were less than 5 years old at the time of their death. Mr. Speaker, 38 percent were under the age of 1 year old. It is time that we as a Congress and we as a Nation wake up and understand the impact that child abuse has not only on the child, but the child who witnesses the abuse; not only on the child as a child, but when he or she becomes a juvenile or becomes an adult and again, on their own become a child abuser. It is time that we figure out how we can prevent child abuse in our country, and how we can marshal the necessary assets for it, in light of the fact that our dollars are innumerable, in order to deal with this issue. We have all been numbed over the past week, week and a half about the events in Colorado. We are numb today about a similar event in Canada. We are numbed about the use of guns by our children, but contemplate acting out such as these children did with guns could, in fact, be a result of child abuse in their earlier life. Many of the statistics have shown that someone who was an abused child is likely to be an abuser later on in life, is likely to act out in some type of conduct that would be inappropriate. I am pleased to stand on the floor of this House today to talk about solving the issue of child abuse and neglect in our country. Prior to coming to Congress, I served for 8 years as the Cuyahoga County prosecutor in Cleveland, Ohio, and it was part of my responsibility to deal with the issue of child abuse and neglect. One of the things that we were able to do in that jurisdiction was to in fact train assistant prosecutors who, in fact, were specially trained to handle child abuse and neglect cases. We found that we had an overwhelming greater success in winning our prosecutions because they were specially trained. In addition, we were able to take the attorneys who represent Cuyahoga County as attorneys in court on the civil side on abuse and neglect, to give them an opportunity to call the shots; in other words, to make the legal determination with regard to when we would proceed with a case of abuse or neglect or when we would not proceed. I take my hat off today to the workers in the child protection services. I take my hat off today to law enforcement in child protection services, and to the attorneys, because if one does that work day after day and one sees the young people who have been abused and neglected, not only at the hands of their parents or their loved ones but the hands of children in similar age groups, one will understand how it is a profession that causes high burnout. I am pleased to be a sponsor of a piece of legislation called CAPE, in conjunction with my colleague from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), and we have other sponsors as well. Under the CAPE Act we are proposing that dollars that are collected from forfeiture in drug cases be allocated to provide for dollars to train child protection workers. Currently, under the law as it exists, only $10 million is allocated for that purpose. Under the law that we have proposed, $20 million would be allocated to provide additional dollars through the Byrne Grant proposal for training for child protection workers. In addition, dollars could be allocated to provide for child protection workers to have access to various criminal records, so that when they are making a determination with regard to where young people are assigned or what families they are assigned to, they would take that information into consideration. As I said, it is important. My colleagues see the blue ribbon that we are all wearing today, all of us throughout the House, all of us all over Capitol Hill. The blue ribbon stands for Child Abuse Prevention Month, but it also stands for the young people who were killed in Colorado. It is time, it is time, it is time that we as a Nation wake up. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated to Delta Days on Capitol Hill. If my colleagues will look up in the viewing area, there are some 550 Deltas here on the Hill. This is our tenth anniversary, and we have come to talk about issues that impact the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta is a sorority of 180,000 women nationwide with some 900 chapters. Our colors are crimson and cream and red and white. Our national president is Marcia Fudge. The head of our Social Action Committee is Devarieste Curry. There are two Members of the House that are members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. They are my colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek) and myself. On behalf of the Congress, we welcome you to the Hill and we hope to hear all you have to tell us.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to Mrs. Rosa Parks. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King once said that anybody can be great because anybody can serve. You do not have to have a college degree to serve. You do not have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You do not have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. In 1955, at the time of Mrs. Parks' heroic act, I was 6 years old, a daughter of a skycap and a factory worker, a student of the civil rights movement and now, thank God, a Congresswoman, able to vote to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks. I only hope that many young people, African-American, Caucasian, Asian, Indian, Hispanic, brown, black, white or yellow, will continue to be inspired by the integrity and work of Mrs. Rosa Parks and will be willing to stand and make a public gesture. Mr. BACHUS, Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 1 minute to my fellow Alabaman and friend, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Hilliard)

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, anybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve, or theory of thermodynamics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. In 1955 at the time of Mrs. Parks heroic act, I was six years old, a daughter of a sky cap and factory worker, a student of the Civil Rights Movement, and now thank God a Congresswoman able to vote to award Rosa Parks a Congressional Gold Medal. I only hope that more young people African American, Caucasian, Asian American, Hispanic, American Indian, brown, black, white, or yellow will continue to be inspired by her heroic acts.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 88, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representative Barbara Lee of California for organizing this Special Order on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus to honor Women's History Month and to celebrate the contributions of Women of Color. As the newest member of the Congressional Black Caucus and as a former municipal Judge and Prosecutor for Cuyahoga County, I wanted to use this time to honor my former colleagues of the Cuyahoga County Judicial system who have served as a source of inspiration for me for many years. They are my friends, colleagues and more importantly my sistahs. Each of these women are trailblazers in their own right who deserve to be recognized for their years of dedication to serving, protecting and upholding the laws of Ohio and our Nation. The first person I want to honor is Judge Lillian Burke the first black woman judge in Ohio. Judge Burke is a graduate of Ohio State University and received her JD from Cleveland State University. She was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1951 and began practicing general law from 1952-1962. Ms. Burke was an assistant Attorney General for Ohio as well as a member of various professional and civic organizations. She was appointed to the Cleveland Municipal Court where she eventually became Chief Judge. Jean Murrell Capers: Judge Jean Capers graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1932 and earned her JD from Cleveland Law School in 1944. She was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1945 and began practicing law that same year. Ms. Capers ran unsuccessfully three times for the Cleveland City Council before she won in 1949. She was elected four subsequent times to two year terms. She also worked for the Phillis Wheatley Association and became involved in community endeavors, including lobbying for a federal anti- lynching bill. In 1977, Ms. Capers was appointed Cleveland Municipal Judge and was re-elected but was forced to retire in 1986 because of an Ohio law that requires Judges to retire at age 70. Judge C. Ellen Connally, the senior Judge of the Cuyahoga Municipal Court, is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and received her JD from Cleveland State University as well as a Masters of Art degree in American History from Cleveland State and she is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in American history at University of Akron. Judge C. Ellen Connally was first elected to the bench in 1985, elected beginning in 1985 to Cleveland Municipal Court and is currently the senior judge of the court. She is a former President of the Northern Ohio Municipal Judges Association and has served for the past seven years as its Secretary/Treasurer. Judge Connally, formerly served as chairperson on the Youth Violence Committee of the Task Force on Violent Crime and the Mayor's Advisory committee on Gang Violence. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater Bowling Green University and in 1994-1995 she served as president of their Board of Trustees and served as the chairperson of the presidential search committee. She also served as past president of the Northern Ohio Municipal Judges Association. Mr. Speaker, the next person I want to recognize is Judge Mabel Jasper. She received her BS degree form Kent State University in 1956 and her JD from Cleveland Marshall Law School in 1977. Prior to election to the Cleveland Municipal Court, she served as general trial referee for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas-- Domestic Relations Division. She was also an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Ohio, and was employed as a trial attorney for the Bureau of Workers Compensation for three years. Judge Jasper is a member of many civic and professional organizations which include: Ohio State Bar Association; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; and First woman member of the Rotary East club, a mostly all male organization. The next person I want to honor is Judge Angela Stokes. Her name may sound familiar to many in this chamber because she is the daughter of my predecessor, Representative Louis Stokes. Angela received her BS degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and her JD from Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC, and is admitted to the Supreme Court of Ohio, the United States District Courts and Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio and the United States Court of Appeals Sixth District. Prior to being elected to the bench. Angela served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio where she was assigned to the Federal Litigation Section in Columbus and later in Cleveland. She also worked for the British Petroleum of America corporate law department. In 1995 she was elected to the Cleveland Municipal Court. Judge Stokes remains active in the Greater Cleveland Community. She has dedicated her time and energy to a variety of professional and civic organizations: Active Member of the Junior League; Member of a non-profit task force SAMM (Stopping Aids is my Mission); she is member of the 11th Congressional District Caucus; board member of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Louis Stokes Scholarship fund; and member of the Board of Trustees of Cuyahoga County Library Board. Judge Keenon is a graduate of the Cleveland Marshall Law School and received her BS degree from Tennessee State University. Prior to being elected to the bench, Judge Keenon was a teacher and social worker in the Greater Cleveland Area. Upon earning her JD, Una became staff attorney for the legal aid society and was appointed Attorney in Charge of the Juvenile Division of the Cuyahoga county Public Defender Office. She also served as managing attorney for the United Auto Workers legal services plan. Judge Keenon was appointed by then Governor Richard Celested fill a judicial vacancy. She subsequently was elected to another full term. While on the bench, Judge Keenon established many programs within the East Cleveland Municipal Court: Curfew laws for children of the East Cleveland community and GED program for young offenders by sending them back to school. She is a member of many civic and professional organizations: President of the Black Women Lawyers; 1st Vice President of the League of Women Voters; Co-Founder & 1st President of Black Women Political Action Committee; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; and National Council of Negro Women. Judge Lynn Toler received her BA degree from Harvard University and her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Lynn was elected to the Cleveland Heights Municipal court in 1994 and prior to that Lynn Toler had a distinguished career as an attorney. I have highlighted some of the civic and professional memberships as an indication of her commitment to her community: Cleveland Chapter of Links; Board Member--Board of Trustees Juvenile Diabetes Foundation; Cuyahoga County Criminal Justice Services which oversaw funding for services related to the criminal justice system; and Board of Trustees for the Goodwill Starting Program. Another one of my sisters I want to mention during this special order is Judge Shirley Strickland Staffold who received her BA degree from Central State University and law degree from Marshall College of Law. Prior to her election, Judge Staffold was in the criminal division of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Public Defender's office. In 1994 she was elected to Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. I want to mention some of the Civic and Professional Associations that Judge Staffold is affiliated with as an indication of her commitment to our community: Member of the National Bar Association; American Judges Association; Ohio County and Municipal Judges Association; National Association of Women Judges; and First African American women to be elected President of the American Judges Association. Judge Janet Burney received her BS from Skidmore College and her JD from Cleveland State University, Cleveland Marshall College of Law. Prior to joining the bench this year, Judge Burney has a long and distinguished legal career that has spanned over twenty years. Civic and Professional Associations: Member of the state bar of Ohio; United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio; United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; United States Supreme Court; Board of Trustees; St. Luke's Foundation; Inter-church Council of Greater Cleveland; Dean of Christian Education at Open Door Missionary Baptist Church; and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In conclusion Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank my colleague, Representative Barbara Lee for organizing this Special Order.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, to my great colleague from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) and the other women who have come together for this special order on women and Social Security, I thank them very much. As a newly-elected Member of this body, I welcome the opportunity to speak to this most important issue. As a member of the baby boom generation, I have benefitted from social changes that have made it easier for women to achieve success in the work force. Women of my generation have enjoyed opportunity never realized by previous generations in this country. Blessed with the ability to pursue my goals and dreams, it is my pleasure to join my colleagues in this debate to ensure the security of our mothers, grandmothers, our own daughters and granddaughters. Women typically outlive their mates. This is not ground breaking news, but it does mean that there is a greater population of single women over 65. These women live an average of 19 years past the age of 65 and need expensive prescription medicines, deserve quality care from physicians and still must make ends meet at home. A comfortable retirement is something every American looks forward to and deserves. For many women retirement years are not what they expect. Unlike most men, women of a retirement age do not usually have a pension on which they can rely. Women who do earn a pension find their income is significantly less than men on the average of nearly 5000 annually. Here is the problem: The average income of women over 65 in 1996 was nearly $9300, while a man over 65 in 1996 had an income of about $16,200. For those who cannot tell, men over 65 in 1996 earned almost twice what women did during the same time. We all know there is a difference in pay between men and women, but having such a difference in retirement pay is dangerous. I commend President Clinton for addressing the pay and equity in the State of the Union and look forward to his action. We talk about a surplus exhaustively, but at the same time there are single women in this country living in poverty. The percentage of women living in poverty who are either divorced or separated is nearly 28 percent, and those who have never been married living in poverty is above 23 percent. The problem is not going to fix itself. Although wages for women have increased over time, they are still less than most men. Data shows that of 1997 women earn 74 percent of the wages of men for full-time work. There are several programs we consider to help older women on Social Security and Medicare. As a body, I urge my colleagues to strengthen the survivor benefits aspects of Social Security. Today nearly 74 percent of the widows receive benefits based upon the earnings of a deceased spouse. We must not take away a widow's benefits in our efforts to alter Social Security and the Medicare system. We need to prevent proposals seeking to withdraw Social Security and Medicare dollars prior to retirement. The women we talk about living on Social Security and Medicare are mothers and grandmothers. In some case we are talking about women who are providing primary child care for grandchildren or other relatives. In other cases women work several jobs simultaneously to provide for their families over the years. Unfortunately, these jobs might have been either part-time or for short periods of time, not allowing for a pension. The traditional role of woman as a caregiver for both child and parent means that many women are now at a huge disadvantage. This is especially true for minority women. African Americans and Hispanics over the age of 65 are 2 to 3 times likely to be living in poverty. Part of the reason for this race poverty rate is the fact that their income has been traditionally less for minorities. For every dollar a white household has earned, the black family earns 27 cents while Hispanic families earn 30 cents. This history of inequity makes retirement extremely difficult on minority women trying to live on Social Security and Medicare. These women have cared for their families, and now we must provide the care they need. We urge our colleagues to give them better Social Security and Medicare benefits. We must ensure that they can eat, that they are healthy and that they are able to afford the things needed to live and continue to mother us. By helping women on Social Security and Medicare now we will help those women who will be on the rolls in the future. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for the opportunity. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the issue of school construction. Education is one area we cannot shortchange. It has been statistically proven and exhaustively mentioned in this Chamber that children learn better in smaller classes. It has also been proven that children need access to technology and other resources to be successful. One way to do that is to build areas that are reflective of these technological developments and trends--new schools. I respect the fact that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle agree that new schools are an important key to education. It is unfortunate that those same people have spent 4 years blocking all significant school modernization initiatives. The Archer proposal would only give limited assistance to schools and targets the districts that need this assistance the least. We have all heard the stories of classes being held in spaces not intended as classrooms. Students are being taught in trailers, gyms, lunchrooms, and closets. Statistics show there is a national school infrastructure backlog of needed repair totaling $112 billion. We now know that nearly one-third of all schools are in need of extensive repair or replacement. As this need for school repair continues to mount so does the pressure on our students to succeed and compete with their peers internationally. To level the playing field we must provide our students with the tools of success. They need computers with access to the Internet, smaller classes, well-trained teachers, and modern schools. We should never again hear tales of learning in closets or trailers in parking lots. We have the opportunity in this Congress to help our future. Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can enact meaningful legislation that will give American children a chance to soar. In closing I ask: We want the best for our children, the best for our country, and the best for our future. Why then do we not get our house, or school house, in order?

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas for this opportunity to be a part of this special order regarding the great, late Judge Higginbotham. The gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) should be commended for organizing this special order, because we are paying tribute to one of America's greatest jurists and legal scholars. I will always remember him as an advocate of civil and human rights. He was a shining example of integrity and set the standard which all African Americans who aspired to be a Federal judge should meet and the standard that any person aspiring to be a Federal judge should meet. Judge A. Leon Higginbotham was appointed to the Federal bench in 1964. In 1989, he became the chief judge of the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. He retired from the bench in 1993 but never from the struggle. Judge Higginbotham used his courtroom to display his dedication to human and civil rights. He enforced the broad constitutional protections of individual rights and personal liberties in tribute to his roll model, the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. It would only be interesting and axiomatic that, in fact, Judge Higginbotham had the opportunity to comment with regard to Judge Marshall's replacement on the bench and the need to never forget from whence you came. History will recognize him as more than an outstanding jurist. He was an outstanding African American. He used his intellect as a tool to address the wrongs in America. According to a noted Harvard law professor, Charles Ogletree, ``He was the epitome of the people's lawyer. Despite his individual merits and accomplishments, he never hesitated to lend a hand to the poor, the voiceless, the powerless, and the downtrodden.'' As a child, the Judge learned firsthand that separate and unequal reduced opportunities had cast a shadow on the horizon of African Americans. Judge Higginbotham credits his mother with instilling in him the importance of education. Education was the key that could unlock the door. Soon after joining the Federal bench, Judge Higginbotham began teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. My colleagues have talked about his career prior to the bench and after the bench. But he would eventually author more than 100 Law Review articles and author a book, as has previously been said, entitled ``In The Matter of Color.'' In Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, I had the opportunity and privilege to serve as a judge for more than a decade. He inspired me, Judge Higginbotham, to stay in the court, to be willing to make the right decision even when it was not the popular decision, to be a judge who was not content to hide behind the cannons of ethics, but willing to speak out on matters with respect to the legal system without violating those cannons of ethics. I am pleased and privileged to stand before my colleagues today and to tell them that the last time I had a chance to see Judge Higginbotham was in Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University. He was delivering the Judge Frank J. Battisti lecture. It is something that Judge Frank J. Battisti was, in fact, the judge who made the decision in Cleveland that the school system had unfairly, unconstitutionally segregated schools for African American children. Here it was Judge Higginbotham delivering that lecture. I have to tell my colleagues the room boomed. He delivered that address, stood tall above everyone else. I was pleased to have had an opportunity to be in the audience. Judge Battisti's wife said, as she introduced Judge Higginbotham, no one could better deliver the lecture on behalf of her husband who took a lot of flack for saying that the schools in the City of Cleveland were unlawfully and unconstitutionally segregated. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee for organizing this special order. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be heard. I ask all Americans to join us in celebrating a great American hero, the great, late Judge A. Leon Higginbotham.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose), I am glad to see the gentleman standing up there. He looks wonderful. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this great Chamber to talk about a report recently aired on my local NBC affiliate, News Channel 3. The report highlighted ritalin and the role this drug now plays in the lives of students in northeast Ohio. The report raised such concern that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and I met with Department of Education officials today to direct their attention to this problem and request an investigation into the indiscriminate promotion and use of this drug and the potential harmful effects. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and I believe the decision to prescribe ritalin to a child should rest with that child's physician and their parents. Oftentimes, ritalin is prescribed to address attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is widely accepted as the remedy of choice for people who suffer from this brain disorder. Unfortunately, the medical community has not been able to develop a definitive test to properly diagnosis ADD or ADHD related behavior. This oftentimes leads to a misdiagnosis. The report has highlighted many examples. One, for example, is of Pam Edwards whose son Romeal attended a Catholic school in my district and was instructed to have her son use ritalin to address his behavior problem. In the alternative, her son would not be allowed to return to the school the next year if she did not. She refused to put him on this drug because she knew the root of her son's problems resulted from outside factors instead of an ill-diagnosed case of ADD. I am happy to report that Romeal is doing fine in a new school and he did not need Ritalin. This is a success story, but there are many more Romeals out there whose parents might not have the insight to seek alternatives to Ritalin. ADD or ADHD is a multiple symptom disorder coupled with the fact that many children exhibit a wide range of behavior that might be attributed to ADD or ADHD. In actuality it may or may not be that. Kids in fact will be kids. ADD or ADHD is defined as a persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity that occurs at four times more frequently in boys than girls. When a person has been properly diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and Ritalin is prescribed, it has a remarkable track record of success. Oftentimes the drug is viewed as a godsend by parents and teachers alike because its effect is dramatic once prescribed to people who are hyperactive or easily distracted as a way to focus their minds, calm down and improve their attention spans. Recently, at the urging of the National Institutes of Health, medical experts from around the country convened a panel discussion with doctors to address how Ritalin is being used in our society. The use of Ritalin is not only a medical concern but it also is a big business. 1.3 million children take Ritalin regularly and sales of the drug topped $350 million in 1995. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the number of prescriptions for this drug has increased by over 600 percent in the last 5 years. To address this concern, manufacturers sent letters to doctors and pharmacists warning them to exert greater control over the drug. No, I am not pointing fingers at the teachers or administrators because I know that they are one of America's greatest treasures. I am not pointing fingers at doctors or psychologists, but there appears to be a trend in my district, and I would guess the 11th Congressional District of Ohio is not unique in the use of Ritalin for behavioral purposes. Nearly half a million prescriptions were written for controlled substances like Ritalin in 1995 for children between the ages of 3 and 6. The percentage of children with an ADHD diagnosis has jumped from 55 percent in 1989 to 75 percent in 1996. ADHD is estimated to affect 3 percent to 5 percent of children aged 5 to 14 years old, or about 1.9 million youngsters. About 10 million prescriptions were written in 1996. According to the IMS Health Association, 13.9 million prescriptions of stimulants, including Ritalin, were dispensed to children during the last school year, an 81.2 percent increase from 7.7 million 5 years earlier. There is not a set guideline for diagnosing ADD or ADHD. No studies have been conducted in children younger than 4 years. For example, in Chicago, one of the ways that they have begun to deal with the issue is a public school system will address ADHD by offering teaching techniques. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) for assisting me and supporting me in this effort.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from the great State of Alabama for his comments. I yield to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson).

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I reserved this time tonight for a special order to allow my colleagues and I to recognize and celebrate contributions of African Americans during Black History Month. I stand here the 101st African American to serve in the House of Representatives. It is only appropriate that I recognize the two people who are most responsible for my service: My parents, Andrew and Mary Tubbs, residents of my district, the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. I stand upon their legacy of hard work, undying faith and love. Thank you, mom and dad. I love you. I first want to pay tribute to the founder of Black History Month, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an historian and educator who pioneered the research and dissemination of African American history. It was his mission to dispel the racist myth about African Americans and their past that the historical writings of scholars promulgated. He asserted, and I quote, ``If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world and it stands in danger of being exterminated.'' One of his most enduring achievements is his initiation of Black History Month. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week, a commemoration of black achievement held the second week of February, which marks the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. To encourage African-Americans to celebrate Negro History Week, Woodson distributed a kit containing pictures of and stories about notable African-Americans. Negro History Week was changed to Black History Month in the 1960s. Woodson was a prodigious author, coauthoring 19 books on various aspects of African-American history. He was one the first scholars to consider slavery from the slave's perspective, to compare slavery in the United States with slavery in Latin America, and to note the African-American cultural influences in new world slave culture. Perhaps more than any other person, Woodson helped African-American history develop into a widely recognized and respected academic discipline. It was his faith that ``the achievements of the Negro properly set forth will crown him as a factor in early human progress and a maker of modern civilization.'' Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek) my friend.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, I want to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek), for her presentation. Madam Speaker, I yield to my friend, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), for a presentation.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia. She is a historical figure in her own right. I need to remind her that I used to be a lawyer with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission when she was serving on the commission. I thank the gentlewoman so very much for her comments. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Hilliard). I have to remind him that my father is a graduate of Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from the great State of Indiana for her presentation and let her know that I truly and wholeheartedly support her effort to have a Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Rosa Parks and have signed on to her resolution and legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Congressman Davis, thank you very much. Madam Speaker, I reclaim my time, and I would like to have a copy of that poem, if the gentleman from Illinois would allow me. Madam Speaker, I now rise to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens).

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would like to thank my colleague from the great State of New York (Mr. Owens) for his comments; and at this time I yield to the gentlewoman from the State of Texas, my colleague, Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for her presentation. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Bishop).

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Bishop) for his comments. It is true that I stand here, and I say, on the shoulders of the great Congressman Louis Stokes of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. I stand here bringing this special order, part of the tradition he began here in Congress. I cannot recount in the few remaining minutes all the greatest of Congressman Louis Stokes but it is written in the annals of history. There are not many people who will retire from Congress that have a street named after them, a college technical building, a medical school building, a day care center, a library building, a recreational facility and his name plastered in the hearts and minds of all the people, not only of the State of Ohio but across this country. I would end this special hour, Madam Speaker, with a poem. All of us have stood here and said we rise. I conclude with a poem by Maya Angelou that reads as follows, entitled, Still I Rise. You may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lies. You may trod me in the very dirt but still like dust I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard 'cause I laugh like I've got gold mines digging in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise that I dance like I've got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history's shame, I rise. Up from a past that's rooted in pain, I rise. I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, welling and swelling I bear the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise. Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear, I rise. Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise. I rise. I rise.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my special order this evening, Black History Month.

Mrs. JONES of Ohio

Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, during rollcall vote No. 16, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Stated against: