John Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. 43. Specialist Philip D. Brown 44. Specialist Isela Rubalcava 45. Specialist Chase R. Whitman 46. Specialist James J. Holmes 47. Sergeant Rodney A. Murray 48. Private First Class Andrew L. Tuazon 49. Specialist Kyle A. Brinlee 50. Specialist Jeffrey R. Shaver 51. Lance Corporal Jeremiah E. Savage 52. Private First Class Brandon C. Sturdy 53. Private First Class Brian K. Cutter 54. Specialist Philip I. Spakosky 55. Sergeant Brud J. Cronkite 56. Command Sergeant Major Edward C. Barnhill 57. Private First Class Michael A. Mora 58. Sergeant James William Harlan 59. Staff Sergeant Rene Ledesma 60. Senior Airman Pedro I. Espaillat, Jr. 61. Second Lieutenant Leonard M. Cowherd, Jr. 62. Specialist Carl F. Curran 63. Specialist Mark Joseph Kasecky 64. Lance Corporal Bob W. Roberts 65. Staff Sergeant Joseph P. Garyantes 66. Specialist Marcos O. Nolasco 67. Staff Sergeant William D. Chaney 68. Private First Class Michael M. Carey 69. Specialist Michael C. Campbell 70. Sergeant First Class Troy . . Leon'' Miranda 71. Private First Class Leslie D. Jackson 72. Corporal Rudy Salas 73. Staff Sergeant Jeremy R. Horton 74. Lance Corporal Andrew J. Zabierek 75. Staff Sergeant Jorge A. Molina Bautista 76. Specialist Jeremy L. Ridlen 77. Specialist Beau R. Beaulieu 78. Private First Class Owen D. Witt 79. Private First Class James P. Lambert 80. Private First Class Richard H. Rosas 81. Sergeant Kevin F. Sheehan 82. Specialist Alan N. Bean, Jr. 83. Private First Class Daniel Paul Unger 84. Corporal Matthew C. Henderson 85. Lance Corporal Kyle W. Codner 86. Corporal Dominique J. Nicolas 87. Lance Corporal Benjamin R. Gonzalez 88. Specialist Michael J. Wiesemann 89. Private First Class Cody S. Calavan . 90. Lance Corporal Rafael Reynosasuarez 91. Specialist Charles E. Odums II 92. Private Bradli N. Coleman 93. Sergeant Aaron C. Elandt 94. Private First Class Nicholaus E. Zimmer 95. First Lieutenant Kenneth Michael Ballard 96. Captain Robert C. Scheetz, Jr. 97. Lance Corporal Dustin L. Sides 98. Private First Class Markus J. Johnson 99. Corporal Bumrok Lee 100. Lance Corporal Todd J. Bolding 101. Specialist Christopher M. Duffy 102. Sergeant Frank T. Carvill 103. Specialist Justin W. Linden 104. Sergeant Justin L. Eyerly 105. First Lieutenant Erik S. McCrae 106. Specialist Ryan E. Doltz 107. Sergeant Humberto F. Timoteo 108. Sergeant Melvin Y. Mora Lopez 109. Private First Class Melissa J. Hobart 110. Sergeant Jamie A. Gray 111. Lance Corporal Jeremy L. Bohlman 112. Captain Humayun S. M. Khan 113. Private First Class Thomas D. Caughman 114. Specialist Eric S. McKinley 115. Private First Class Shawn M. Atkins 116. Sergeant Arthur S. (Stacey) Mastrapa 117. Specialist Jeremy M. Dimaranan 118. Major Paul R. Syverson III 119. Specialist Thai Vue 120. Private First Class Jason N. Lynch 121. Private First Class Sean Horn 122. Staff Sergeant Marvin Best 123. Staff Sergeant Gregory V. Pennington 124. Lance Corporal Pedro Contreras 125. Corporal Tommy L. Parker, Jr. 126. Lance Corporal Deshon E. Otey

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is so strange. It is so ironic. It is almost eerie that Edgar Ray Killen was convicted today exactly 41 years to the day that James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner, and Andy Goodman were found missing in Philadelphia, Mississippi. I knew these three young men, these brave and courageous fighters for freedom. They did not die in Vietnam. They did not die in the Middle East. They did not die in Eastern Europe. They did not die in Africa or South America; they died right here in the United States. And they were killed simply for helping Americans exercise their constitutional right to vote. They were killed, not just by vicious members of the Ku Klux Klan, but they were also killed by an evil system of tradition and government that perpetuated segregation, racial discrimination, and deliberately and methodically denied African Americans the right to vote. Their murder was a sad and dark hour for the whole Civil Rights Movement, and especially for those of us who participated in the Mississippi Summer project. When we realized that these three young men were missing, it broke our hearts, but it did not destroy our determination to continue the struggle to gain the right to vote. For more than a thousand young people who risked their lives in Mississippi that summer, and for the mothers and the families of James Chaney, Mickey Schwerner, and Andy Goodman, maybe, just maybe, what happened today will offer some degree of closure. It took a long time to bring some resolution to this case, but justice is never too late. I hope that this conviction will have a cleansing effect on our nation's dark racial past. I also hope that the state of Mississippi and the American people will do more. I hope that we will seek and find appropriate ways to honor the sacrifices of these three young men. I hope that as a nation and as a people we will always remember that the struggle for civil rights in America is littered by the battered and broken bodies of countless men and women who paid the ultimate price for a precious right--the right to vote. We must not take that right for granted. We have a mandate from these three young men who gave their lives for our freedom in the red clay of Mississippi. We must continue the struggle for justice in America and around the world.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to speak for peace. I can no longer keep silent. Mr. Speaker, the time for silence is long past. As we debate the rule on the Defense Authorization Act of 2006, I believe that somebody, someplace, sometime, must stand up and speak up for the cause of peace. Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to bring the conflict in Iraq to an end; 12,000 of our young men and women, the sons and daughters of America, have been wounded, and more than 1,600 of our soldiers have died. Tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens are dead, wounded, living in fear and chaos, uncertain about tomorrow. How many more of our young men and women will we have to lose in a car bombing, a kidnapping or armed conflict before we understand that this war was unnecessary? I have said it before, and I say it again today: war is vicious. It is evil. It is bloody. It is messy. It destroys the hopes, the dreams, the longing and aspirations of a people. It leaves little children without fathers and mothers. The war in Iraq is tampering with the very soul of our Nation. In these Chambers we have struggled with many human problems. We have made decisions that have changed the course of history. Today I ask of my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to search their souls and ask themselves, is it possible for a great Nation to come to a point where we decide to lay down the burden of war? Is it possible for a great Nation, a powerful Nation with a proud people to evolve to that level where we study war no more; where we decide we are going to destroy the tools and instruments of violence and war and devote all of our intelligence and all of the resources of this great Nation to lay the foundation for peace? The way of peace is a better way, a more excellent way. We cannot and must not continue to move down the road that leads to a more bloody war, more violence, more death. If we fail to take heed, if we fail to listen and be guided by the spirit of history, the future will not be kind to us.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast rollcall votes No. 176 through 199 on May 17 through 19, 2005 because I was attending to a personal matter. Had I been present I would have cast the following votes: On rollcall No. 176, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 177, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 178, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 179, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 180, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 181, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 182, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 183, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 184, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 185, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 186, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 187, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 188, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 189, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 190, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 191, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 192, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 193, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 194, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 195, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 196, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 197, I would have voted ``no''; On rollcall No. 198, I would have voted ``yes''; On rollcall No. 199, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Mr. Speaker, what does it profit one political party to rule this government with an iron fist and destroy the foundation our Founding Fathers built? This is the central question we are asking the Senate Republican conference today. It is unreal. It is unbelievable that Senators sworn to uphold the Constitution would end filibusters on judicial nominations. This is not only a grab by one party to dominate every branch of American Government. It is a choke hold on the voices of millions of American voters. Where is our honor? Where is our honesty? Where is our respect for the American people who place their trust in all of us, not one political party? Mr. Speaker, I thought the principles of American democracy stood for something. I hope the Senate Republican leadership will not fall for this miscarriage of justice.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House to inquire of the majority whip the schedule for next week.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman from Missouri.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman from Missouri.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, continuing to yield to the gentleman, I understand we have appropriation bills coming up, and we understand we may have a number of appropriation bills on the floor prior to the Memorial Day district work period. Which appropriation bills will be considered prior to the recess?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority deputy whip for that information. I will continue to yield to the gentleman to ask about the gang violence and the first responder bills. Which day will we consider each bill, and what type of rule is anticipated for each bill?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for all of that valuable information. We appreciate it.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Mr. Deputy Whip, does leadership anticipate having votes next Friday?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive disorder that occurs when motor nerve cells in the central nervous system cease functioning and die. Each year, over 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this illness. There are 600 patients in Georgia alone. Sadly, there is no known cause, cure, or means of control in the advanced stages, ALS care can cost up to $200,000 per year, depleting the financial resources of patients and relatives. In Georgia, families impacted by ALS are blessed to have the support of The ALS Association of Georgia, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against ALS and the support of patients and their caregivers. Over 80% of all monies raised goes directly to patient services. Services offered include information and referrals, home nursing visits, support groups, coordination of medical care, equipment loan, children's counseling, respite care, public education and awareness, and research support. The suffering of patients and the anguish and struggle of caregivers must be supported and alleviated as much as possible. I commend The ALS Association of Georgia for all of their good work in serving patients with this devastating disease. During the month of May, which is ALS Awareness Month, I urge all citizens and my colleagues here in Congress to become educated about ALS and to lend their aid to combating this disease.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark) for yielding me time. Madam Chairman, gas prices are going up every single day, and this bill does nothing to bring down the costs at the pump. In fact, it might just make the problem worse. The energy czars must be the majority leader and company, and they wrote this bill behind closed doors. This bill is immoral. It is a shame and it is a disgrace. This bill was conceived in darkness and born in a den of iniquity. This bill does not do one thing to bring down the price of gasoline at the pump. We can do better. We can do much better. We should vote against this bill.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 787, to designate the United States Courthouse located in Sacramento, California, as the Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse. It is so fitting and appropriate that we honor Bob Matsui. In spite of what the American Government did to him and his family, this good and decent man never lost faith in America. He loved America. He loved the people of his district. He was a wonderful human being. Every day he tried to do his best to bring America together, to create one America, one family, one House, the American House. Mr. Speaker, with this legislation I think we are doing the right thing by honoring Bob Matsui.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, why are we here tonight? We have not been ordained or called by some all-powerful force to play God or play doctor. Every day American families make life-and-death decisions governed by their own faith and led by their own hearts. This Congress does not interfere with most personal decisions of these American citizens. Why then, Mr. Speaker, why have we come here tonight? Where is the respect for individual responsibility that is waved like a banner in this Chamber? Where is the respect tonight for States' rights that we said we hold so dear? If we really believe in those values, we will stay out of Terri Schiavo's life today and let the decision of her husband and the ruling of the Federal court stand. Leadership must lead. Tonight this leadership is a taillight. It is not the headlight for democracy and for a citizen's right to privacy that it should be. This is demagoguery. This is a step in where we have no business. This is walking where the angels fear to tread. We are playing with a young woman's life for the sake of politics. This is not about values. This is not about religion. It is pandering for political gain with the next election in mind. Mr. Speaker, how much further can we slide down this slippery slope of hypocrisy? How much lower can we sink? How much more unprincipled can we be? In a democracy, sometimes we disagree with individual decisions. Sometimes it is hard to bear judgment that we do not understand. But if we truly believe in individual freedom and the right to privacy, then we must get out of the way and let people be free. This is a matter that should rest with the family, their consciences, and their God. The Florida courts have spoken, and we should not intervene. This is a very, very sad night for the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, is it possible for us to let this young woman take her leave in peace?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Ms. LEWIS of Georgia

Ms. LEWIS of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. If we have consideration of the rule on Tuesday, what day does the gentleman expect the budget to come to the Floor?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I ask my friend from California which day would he expect us to consider the budget and what type of rule would he anticipate for considering the budget?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. What kind of rule will we have? Will it be an open rule or a restricted rule?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Is the gentleman telling us that the supplemental appropriations will come up next Tuesday?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I would like for my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), if he could, to be a little more definite about next Friday.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California (Mr. Dreier) for being so helpful in providing us the information.