John Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Chair, ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'' What does it mean? It didn't make sense then, and it doesn't make sense now. Just like the military helped end segregation based on race, we should have put an end to Don't Ask, Don't Tell long ago. It is an affront to human dignity and to the dignity and the worth of every man and woman serving in our military. We cannot wait. We cannot be patient. We must end discrimination in the military, and we must end it now. Discrimination is wrong, and we must end it now.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, March 30, an Atlanta icon passed away. Robert Hiestand sold roses and carnations on the corner of Northside Parkway and West Paces Ferry for 20 years and, in the process, became a ubiquitous fixture in the daily routine of Atlantans from all walks of life. He was 55 when he passed. Over the years, Governors, state legislators and Members of Congress including myself have stopped for a few kind words and a few beautiful flowers from Robert. Yet it is the students who often saw him on their way back and forth from school that have most loudly opined his loss. I have heard a few different versions of how Robert ended up in Atlanta but the version he told was that his motorcycle ran out of gas as he was passing through and he decided to stay. For two decades after that, come rain, come summer heat, come winter cold, come what may, Robert's only condition to go to work was whether the flowers could survive. The vibrant remembrances of the Atlanta community reflect the tremendous impact of his character, of his hard work and of his staunch individualism that allowed him to carve out his own niche and leave a lasting impression on the lives of so many. He will be missed and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his contribution to Atlanta.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and my friend Mr. Cummings for yielding. I will not take the 5 minutes. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution to name the annex building at the United States Courthouse on Forsyth Street in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, as the ``John C. Godbold Federal Building.'' Judge John C. Godbold was born in 1920 in Coy, Alabama, about 100 miles to the west of my hometown of Troy. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Godbold to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, a key post due to the many civil rights cases before the circuit during the fifties, the sixties and seventies. Judge Godbold holds the distinction of being the only judge in the history of the United States to be the chief judge of two separate judicial circuits, the Fifth, and then later the 11th Circuit in Atlanta. It is with this legislation that we recognize the significant achievement of Judge Godbold and thank him for his many years of service to this country. Madam Speaker, I would especially like to express my sympathy to Judge Godbold's family, friends, and colleagues on the judge's recent passing in December 2009.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 4994.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is April 15, the day Americans will file their income tax returns. The IRS will receive nearly 150 million tax returns this year and issue over 100 million refunds. We know that taxpayers do not enjoy preparing tax returns. The tax laws can be complicated and difficult. We do, however, thank them for complying with the laws; and today, with this bill, we will try to ease some of the burden. On this day, the House is considering the Taxpayer Assistance Act of 2010. I am pleased that this bill contains proposals supported by the administration, the National Taxpayer Advocate, and Members of the House from both sides of the aisle. This bill has over a dozen provisions that will help taxpayers. It will help taxpayers who are struggling in this economy by making it easy to enter into payment options with the IRS. It will also help low- income taxpayers by improving the IRS services that are available to them, and it will help small businesses and nonprofit organizations by relaxing the record-keeping requirements for cell phones that they provide to their employees. This bill addresses issues that have been raised in hearings of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, which I chair, and in legislation introduced by other Members of the House. Many of the provisions in this bill enjoy broad bipartisan support. Today, in recognition of taxpayers, the Congress will look beyond what divides us and respond to the needs of our taxpayers. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in passing this good and necessary piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4994) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce taxpayer burdens and enhance taxpayer protections, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from North Dakota, a very valuable member of the Ways and Means Committee, just came in, and I yield to him for 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank my good friend and colleague, Dr. Boustany, the ranking member of the subcommittee, and all the members of the committee and all staff on both sides for their help in bringing this bill before the floor. I fully support H.R. 4994. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' for this bill.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman, my friend, for yielding. Madam Speaker, not long ago, the American economy was headed toward disaster. In the past year, businesses have closed their doors, and more and more of our sisters and brothers have joined the unemployment line. In my district, unemployment is still over 10 percent. That is unacceptable. And with this bill, with this piece of legislation, we can do better. While this Congress and this administration have brought our economy back from the brink of depression, there is still so much left to do. Today with this bill, we can take another step down that long road to recovery. This bill will create jobs, it will save jobs, and it will save our small businesses. Is it possible? Is it too much to ask for? Is there someway and somehow that we all could come together and create jobs to put our people back to work? This bill will help the family-owned restaurant that has served our community for years. It will help businesses that are facing cutbacks, and it will help people follow their dreams to open their own businesses. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill, for all of our small businesses, and to pass it now.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, this may be the most important vote that we cast as members of this body. We have a moral obligation today, tonight to make health care a right and not a privilege. There are those who have told us to start over. There are those who have told us to wait. They have told us to be patient. We cannot wait. We cannot be patient. The American people need health care, and they need it now. On this day at this hour, stand with the American people and not with the big insurance companies. On this day at this moment in this Chamber, answer the call of history, answer the spirit of history and pass health care. Give the American people a victory. Give health care a chance.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I want to thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in thanking Nathan Deal for his many years of service in this House and to the people of Georgia.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, the time is always right to do what is right, and that time is now. The spirit of history is upon us. We must pass health care. There are those who have told us to wait. They have told us to be patient. We cannot wait. We cannot be patient. The American people need health care, and they need it now. Will we stand with the American people or will we stand with the big insurance companies? We have a moral obligation to make health care a right and not a privilege. We cannot wait a moment longer. We must pass health care, and we must pass it now.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I want to thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Cohen, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 45 years ago, on March 7, 1965, Hosea Williams and I led 600 peaceful, nonviolent protestors attempting to march from Selma, Alabama, to the State capitol in Montgomery to dramatize to the world that people of color wanted to register to vote. We left Brown Chapel AME Church that afternoon on a sacred mission, prepared to defy the dictates of man to demonstrate the truth of a higher law. Ordinary citizens with extraordinary vision walked shoulder-to-shoulder, two-by- two, in a silent, peaceful protest against injustice in the American South. We were met on the Edmund Pettus Bridge crossing the Alabama River by a sea of blue--Alabama State troopers. Some were mounted on horseback, but all of them were armed with guns, tear gas, billy clubs, and beyond them were deputized citizens who were waving any weapons they could find on that day. Some even had bullwhips. Then we heard, ``I am Major John Cloud. This is an unlawful march. You cannot continue. You have 3 minutes to go home or return to your church.'' We were preparing to kneel and pray when the Major said, ``Troopers advance.'' And these troopers came toward us, beating us, spraying tear gas, chasing us. I was hit on the head by a State trooper with a nightstick and I fell unconscious on the bridge. On that day, Mr. Speaker, I thought I was going to die. I thought I saw death. The most brutal confrontation of the modern-day civil rights movement became known as Bloody Sunday. It produced a sense of righteous indignation in this country and around the world that led this Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Eight days after Bloody Sunday, President Lyndon Johnson addressed a joint session of the Congress and made what I believe is the greatest and most meaningful statement of speech any President has ever made on the importance of voting rights in America. He began by saying, ``I speak tonight for the dignity of man and for the destiny of democracy.'' President Johnson went on to say, ``At times, history and fate meet at a single time, in a single place, to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama.'' In this speech, President Johnson condemned the violence in Selma, and called on the Congress to enact the Voting Rights Act. He closed his speech by echoing the words of the civil rights movement, and he said over and over again, ``And we shall overcome. And we shall overcome.'' I was sitting next to Martin Luther King, Jr., in the home of a local family in Selma, watching President Johnson on television as he said, ``And we shall overcome.'' And tears came down Dr. King's face. He started crying. And we all cried a little to hear the President say, ``And we shall overcome.'' And Dr. King said, John, we will make it from Selma to Montgomery, and the Voting Rights Act will be passed. Congress did pass the Voting Rights Act, and on August 6, 1965, it was signed into law by the President. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend we have heard from the majority leader and my colleagues, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Cao, that we went back to Selma, along with Mike Pence and Senator Brownback and several others with the Faith and Politics Institute on the journey. During this journey, we brought our fellow Members of Congress on this unbelievable trip of the historic Civil Rights Act, not just in Selma, but Montgomery and Birmingham. We ended our time together in Selma by crossing one more time on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, crossing that bridge. I know at times here in this body we talk, we debate, maybe sometimes in not such a nonviolent way, but on this bridge we didn't see ourselves as Democrats or as Republicans or adversaries. We saw ourselves as Americans on a journey to discover not just our history but to help create a more perfect union to help move us closer to a truly beloved community, truly closer to a multiracial democracy. We all come away from this journey with a deeper appreciation of our democracy and the power of people to make a difference in our society. Mr. Speaker, with this resolution we honor the sacrifice and courage of those brave and courageous souls who used the power of peace, the power of love, the power of nonviolence to redeem the soul of our democracy; to remind ourselves that freedom is really not free; and that we must continue to struggle every day. On this 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we must use this occasion to renew our pledge to protect the right to vote for every American citizen. We have come a distance. We've made a lot of progress. But there's still a distance to travel.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking Chairman Cohen, Chairman Conyers, Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Poe and all of their staff for their support and work on this issue. I am proud to sponsor this resolution and hope that all of my colleagues will support this simple but important effort. This is an important effort. It's an important step. Youth dating violence is spreading all across our country. In my congressional district, the Center for Disease Control, the Fulton County district attorney, the Partnership Against Domestic Violence, colleges, high schools, and yes, even middle schools have been seeing an increase in abusive teen relationships. Fear, stalking, bullying, violence and abuse are unacceptable and always shocking. But it is tragic that domestic abuse is a very real part of our children's relationships. We see it in the headlines. We see it on the streets. We see it with our own children. Mr. Speaker, we must break this chain. We must stop the cycle from being repeated over and over again. The CDC worked with Liz Claiborne, Inc. to develop Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention. This is a free online training course for teachers, youth leaders and family members. I encourage all those watching this discussion and debate to research this issue, take the course and watch for the signs. I think the time has come, Mr. Speaker, for us to teach our young people the way of nonviolence, our children, our teenagers, our college-aged students. Last month, I know that many across the country recognized Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month. I hope they continue through Women's History Month and really the entire year. We used to think a week was enough time, but it is just not enough. Mr. Speaker, our communities must have the information and the training to stop teen dating violence. I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense resolution.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague from Ohio for bringing this resolution before us today. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in speaking out against the war in Afghanistan. How much death must we bear, how much pain must we suffer, how much blood should we spill before we say enough is enough? Can we lay down the burden of war and lift up the power of peace? Now is the time for the elected representatives of the people to give peace a chance. Now is the time for those of us who believe in peace, and not war, to speak up, to speak out, and to find a way to get in the way. Madam Speaker, war is bloody, war is messy. It tends not just to hide the truth, but to sacrifice the truth, to bury the truth. It destroys the hopes, the dreams, and the aspirations of a people. As one great general and President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, once said, ``Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.'' As I said some time ago, I urge to heed the words of the spiritual: ``I'm going to lay my burden down, down by the riverside. I ain't gonna study war no more.'' We should follow the wisdom of that song. Madam Speaker, this war has gone on long enough. Enough is enough. It is time to bring this war to an end. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this resolution.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to yield such time as he may consume to my colleague and my friend, the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a member of the Ways and Means Committee and a sponsor of the resolution.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. On February 18, the IRS family suffered a terrible tragedy. I rise today to express my deepest sympathies to the families of Vernon Hunter, Shane Hill, and the employees at the IRS in Austin, Texas. We as a Nation and as a people are much better than this. We should be better to each other. This type of attack is just wrong, and we must not tolerate violence against our public servants. I understand that people may not like to pay their taxes, but we cannot take out our anger on IRS employees. They do not deserve this. The people who work at the Internal Revenue Service are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters who work hard each and every day. They do their jobs, and they do them well. They perform a public service that benefits the entire Nation. This Congress is committed to the safety of each and every person who serves this Nation. I want to thank the IRS Commissioner for the steps he has taken to enhance security at all IRS sites around the country. We will continue to make sure that the Internal Revenue Service has the resources to improve security at its offices. I was moved by the many stories of people who reached out and helped each other during this terrible tragedy. Even in the face of chaos and violence, people reached out and helped each other. First responders, emergency personnel, employees, and other citizens showed great courage and compassion to minimize the loss of life. I thank them all and honor them today. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Having no further requests for time, Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Texas to close.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1127.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1127) expressing concern regarding the suicide plane attack on Internal Revenue Service employees in Austin, Texas.