Carl Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senators Akaka and Inhofe, I send an amendment to the desk which would make a technical correction to a fiscal year 2003 military construction project authorization in Korea and to the amount authorized for a military construction project in Germany.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senators Akaka and Inhofe, I send an amendment to the desk which would make a technical correction to the land conveyance at Westover Air Reserve Base, MA, in section 2824 of the bill.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, will the Republican leader yield?

Mr. LEVIN. First, I thank the majority leader and the Republican leader for their continuing efforts to move this bill along. Senator Warner pointed out that Senator Smith will be ready on Monday afternoon with his amendment. I understand Senator Dayton, who is a cosponsor of that amendment, will also be available. We think we have confirmed that as well. We could proceed perhaps at 4 o'clock. We expect a rollcall vote on that amendment. Perhaps we can get a time agreement on that amendment today, which will also help facilitate this matter. Both Senator Warner and I will be here this morning at least, we will be here on Monday, and we hope Senators who have relevant amendments will inform us of that. We also are going to be able to clear some amendments in the next few hours, we hope, and either take care of those today or Monday. Nominations

Mr. LEVIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Warner and myself, I offer an amendment which would extend the authority for the Secretary of Defense to engage in commercial activities as security for intelligence collection activities. I send that amendment to the desk.

Mr. LEVIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. It has been cleared on this side.

Mr. LEVIN. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3956

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senators Clinton and Schumer, I offer an amendment which would modify leasing authorities under the alternative authority for acquisition and improvement of family housing. I send that amendment to the desk.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, this week people all across the nation are engaging in the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. It was in June of 1865, that the Union soldiers landed in Galveston, TX with the news that the war had ended and that slavery finally had come to an end in the United States. This was two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, which had become official January 1, 1863. This week and specifically on June 19, we celebrate what is known as ``Juneteenth Independence Day.'' It was on this date, June 19, that slaves in the Southwest finally learned of the end of slavery. Although passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in January 1863, legally abolished slavery, many African Americans remained in servitude due to the slow dissemination of this news across the country. Since that time, over 130 years ago, the descendants of slaves have observed this anniversary of emancipation as a remembrance of one of the most tragic periods of our nation's history. The suffering, degradation and brutality of slavery cannot be repaired, but the memory can serve to ensure that no such inhumanity is ever perpetrated again on American soil. All across America we also celebrate the many important achievements of former slaves and their descendants. We do so because in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, son of former slaves, proposed such a recognition as a way of preserving the history of African Americans and recognizing the enormous contributions of a people of great strength, dignity, faith and conviction--a people who rendered their achievements for the betterment and advancement of a nation once lacking in humanity towards them. Every February, nationwide, we celebrate African American History Month. And, every year on June 19, we celebrate ``Juneteenth Independence Day.'' Lerone Bennett, editor, writer and lecturer has reflected on the life and times of Dr. Woodson. Bennett tells us that one of the most inspiring and instructive stories in African American history is the story of Woodson's struggle and rise from the coal mines of West Virginia to the summit of academic achievement: At 17, the young man who was called by history to reveal Black history was an untutored coal miner. At 19, after teaching himself the fundamentals of English and arithmetic, he entered high school and mastered the four-year curriculum in less than two years. At 22, after two-thirds of a year at Berea College [in Kentucky], he returned to the coal mines and studied Latin and Greek between trips to the mine shafts. He then went on to the University of Chicago, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees, and Harvard University, where he became the second Black to receive a doctorate in history. The rest is history--Black history. In keeping with the spirit and the vision of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, I would like to pay tribute to two courageous women, claimed by my home state of Michigan, who played significant roles in addressing American injustice and inequality. These are two women of different times who would change the course of history. The contributions of Sojourner Truth, who helped lead our country out of the dark days of slavery, and Rosa Parks whose dignified leadership sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the start of the Civil Rights movement are indelibly etched in the chronicle of not only the history of this nation. Moreover, they are viewed with distinction and admiration throughout the world. Sojourner Truth, though unable to read or write, was considered one of the most eloquent and noted spokespersons of her day on the inhumanity and immorality of slavery. She was a leader in the abolitionist movement, and a ground breaking speaker on behalf of equality for women. Michigan recently honored her with the dedication of the Sojourner Truth Memorial Monument, which was unveiled in Battle Creek, MI on September 25, 1999. Truth lived in Washington, DC for several years, helping slaves who had fled from the South and appearing at women's suffrage gatherings. She returned to Battle Creek in 1875, and remained there until her death in 1883. Sojourner Truth spoke from her heart about the most troubling issues of her time. A testament to Truth's convictions is that her words continue to speak to us today. On May 4, 1999, legislation was enacted which authorized the President of the United States to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks. I was pleased to coauthor this fitting tribute to Rosa Parks, the gentle warrior who decided that she would no longer tolerate the humiliation and demoralization of racial segregation on a bus. Her personal bravery and self-sacrifice are remembered with reverence and respect by us all. Forty seven years ago, in Montgomery, AL, the modern civil rights movement began when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus. The strength and spirit of this courageous woman captured the consciousness of not only the American people, but the entire world. The boycott which Rosa Parks began was the beginning of an American revolution that elevated the status of African Americans nationwide and introduced to the world a young leader who would one day have a national holiday declared in his honor, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. We have come a long way toward achieving justice and equality for all. We still however have work to do. In the names of Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and many others, let us rededicate ourselves to continuing the struggle and the struggle for human rights.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, during the turbulent social unrest of the 1960s in the U.S. and particularly Detroit, Jerry Blocker--a ``skinny little kid with the big voice''--often dominated the radio and television news business. His rise and success in the industry has been attributed to an imagination fueled by a strong sense of drama, and his ability to craft a calm, orderly objectivity out of news ripe with disorder, rawness, and uncertainty. Born on the west side of Detroit on February 14, 1931, Jerry Blocker's arrival on Valentine's Day was unheralded during the height of the Great Depression. Because of the Depression, Jerry's parents and family bestowed upon him the only gifts they could afford: an abundance of love and pride. Those generous gifts carried dividends the remainder of his life. During his early years at Columbian and Sampson elementary schools, Jerry Blocker thrived while participating in school plays. Later, while attending McMichael Intermediate he became interested in all activities associated with radio. By the time he reached Northwestern High School, it was recognized that the ``skinny little kid with the big voice'' was destined for a future in the media. At Wayne State University in the mid-1950s, Jerry honed his broadcast skills but discovered that minorities were not to be found working in the broadcast business. His dream would have to wait. In the late 1950s Jerry became a teacher, first serving at Hampton Institute in Virginia, then with the Detroit Board of Education. His flair for the dramatic became evident as he staged plays, pageants, and festivals to the delight of hundreds of children. In 1961, Jerry Blocker finally found employment in the radio industry when WCHD entered the general-format radio market as the first of many stations. In 1967, Jerry became the first black television news anchorman in the state of Michigan, working for WWJ-TV Channel 4, now known as WDIV-TV. He was hired by Channel 4 after the 1967 Detroit riots and anchored weekend newscasts until 1975. After his departure from WWJ, Jerry Blocker was hired as the television news director of Channel 62, the first television station to actively recruit from and program for Detroit's African-American community. Jerry Blocker won several awards for his distinguished and accurate broadcast professionalism. During his 10-year career in television, Jerry Blocker witnessed and reported the events which helped shape Detroit and the nation in the years immediately following the advent of U.S. Civil Rights legislation: the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., the challenge of the Detroit NAACP and the Detroit Board of Education, which was eventually settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the tremendous effect on the tri-county area and on all of Michigan by the election of Coleman A. Young, Detroit's first black mayor. In 1977, Blocker was named executive director of the Detroit branch of the NAACP while at the same time hosting a popular music show on radio station WQBH. During his spare time, Jerry served as a mentor for Blacks in Advertising, Radio, and Television. Blocker was also employed as the media spokesperson for the U.S. Census Bureau in Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. In the 1980s, Jerry Blocker founded a political campaign management firm, Jerry Blocker Enterprises, the oldest minority-owned political- consulting and advertising agency in the Detroit metropolitan area. Later, that agency folded into Blocker and Associates, Inc., so that Jerry could work with and mentor his young daughters, Nicole and Shannon. Until the time of Jerry Blocker's death on October 31, 2001, he and his beloved daughters worked for public officeholders and candidates in their quests for victory at the polls. The Detroit Metropolitan Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, SPJ, is honoring Jerry Blocker by presenting him a posthumous Lifetime Achievement award to his family and friends. Said SPJ Chapter President Jack Kresnak, ``I wish we had honored Jerry before he died. He did a great job at our banquet a couple of years ago speaking on behalf of Bob Bennett who was getting a lifetime achievement award.'' I know my Senate colleagues will join me in congratulating Jerry Blocker for his tremendous accomplishments and encouraging others to follow his distinguished example.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we go into a period for morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on behalf of Senators Cleland and Hutchinson, I send an amendment to the desk which extends the term of the multiyear procurement of C-130J variants to 6 program years. I believe the amendment has been cleared.

Mr. LEVIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Cleland, a technical amendment to clarify the rate paid to dependents using transferred benefits while the military sponsor is on active duty. I believe the amendment has been cleared by the other side.

Mr. LEVIN. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Cleland, which would extend for 1 year the authority of the Secretary of Defense to contract with physicians to provide new-recruit physicals at military entrance processing stations.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Dr. Jonathan, Epstein, Mr. Dana Krupa, Mr. John Kotek, and Scott Young, legislative fellows in the office of Senator Bingaman, be given floor privileges during the pendency of S. 2514 and any votes thereon.