John Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6190) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to give Members 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 6190.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6190, the Airport and Airway Extension Act, Part III. The Airport and Airway Trust Fund taxes and spending authority are scheduled to expire on September 30. This bill extends its authority through December 31, 2010, while we work together on a long-term solution. This extension is critical for our airports and communities across our country. Our aviation system is also key for our economy and jobs. For example, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, located in my congressional district, is the busiest passenger airport in the world. Over 250,000 passengers travel through the airport each day. The Atlanta airport has a direct impact of more than $32 billion on Georgia's economy and employs almost 60,000 people throughout our State. Extending this authority provides the necessary revenue to maintain our Nation's airports and air traffic control system. Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to come together and support this very simple, commonsense, necessary legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois, the chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, Congressman Costello.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota, the hardworking chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Mr. Oberstar.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I fully support H.R. 6190. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' for this important piece of legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, my colleague, Chairman Stark, for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, we as a Nation have a duty to provide the very best health care to our seniors and our disabled brothers and sisters. For them, Medicare is a blessing, a lifeline. Each time someone steals money from Medicare, it weakens the public trust, it hurts our seniors, and threatens the future of Medicare. We must not, and we will not allow, criminals to rob Medicare. If you defraud Medicare once, you will never, ever do it again. CEOs who defraud Medicare should not be able to simply move to a different company and continue to bill Medicare. Their companies should not be able to hide behind corporate shells that rob Medicare. This legislation will strengthen the anti-fraud laws and stop these bad practices. I want to thank Mr. Herger and again the chairman of our Subcommittee on Health, Chairman Stark, for working side by side with the Oversight Subcommittee to end these abuses. I ask all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this necessary bipartisan bill.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on July 28, 2010 I was unable to cast rollcall votes 476 through 482. Had I been here I would have cast the following votes: on rollcall No. 476, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 477, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 478, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 479, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall No. 480, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall No. 481, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall No. 482, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I want to thank my colleague, my brother, and my friend, Mr. Cohen, for introducing this resolution with me. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia, along with Chairman Conyers and members of the Judiciary Committee, for bringing this resolution to the floor tonight. Mr. Speaker, it is fitting and appropriate that we pause to recognize the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, better known as SNCC. It grew out of the sit-in movement and the efforts of hundreds and thousands of young people who were standing up by sitting in. These young people put their bodies, their hearts, and their spirits on the line to end racial discrimination and segregation in public accommodations. We were working to liberate the soul of a nation. It was the young people--black and white, Jewish and Christian, from the North and the South--coming together as a circle of trust and a band of brothers and sisters to change America forever. As a young student in the Nashville Student Movement, people like Jim Lawson taught us the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolent resistance. He taught us the way of love. While we trained and learned and prepared to sit in, the Greensboro sit-ins happened. That was the spark that ignited the courage and the passion of students around the Nation. On the day of the first Nashville sit-in, 124 of us gathered at the First Baptist Church, and we walked through downtown Nashville, two by two, quiet and solemn, well-dressed and well-mannered. My group went to Woolworth's. We sat at the counter, and we were told that we wouldn't be served. The lunch counter was closed early, and they turned out the lights, but we sat there all day, quietly--some of us reading, some of us doing our homework. We sat in again and again that week. It was the first time that I was arrested for civil disobedience. No sooner would one group be arrested than another group would take our place at the lunch counters. Some of us were beaten, and the images of violence were broadcast around the Nation. Soon, the jails were full. The process of desegregation had begun. For months, all around the country, students sat in and stood in. The sit-ins spread around the South like wildfire. We marched; we sang; we prayed. Along the way, many were beaten, jailed, and some even died in the struggle. During that time, 126 student delegates from 58 sit-in centers and 12 different States came to the campus of Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. That was the first meeting of what would become known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, better known as SNCC. SNCC did the hard, nitty-gritty work of organizing and mobilizing people in the heart of the Deep South to attempt to register to vote. From the sit-ins to the Freedom Rides, from Freedom Summer voter registration drives to the March on Washington, SNCC was there. By 1963, at 23 years old, I had been arrested 24 times. I had been on the Freedom Rides. That year, I also became the chairman of SNCC. SNCC was made up of people like Bob Moses and Bob Zelner, Julian Bond and Charles Sherrod, Bernard Lafyette and Diane Nash, Ruby Doris Smith and Fannie Lou Hamer, Howard Zinn and Ella Baker. These young people, the students, carried the movement into the heart of the Deep South, and America is a better place because of them and the work of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. We hope that they will inspire the next generation to continue to build the beloved community. It is a society based on simple justice that values the dignity and the worth of every human being. I ask and urge all of my colleagues to join us in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of SNCC and the sit-in movement. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my staff for working on this resolution, especially my legislative director, Michaeleen Crowell.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am proud to sponsor the Fostering Success in Education Act. This legislation is the House companion to Senator Franken and Senator Murray's bill and lays out a clear road map to assisting young people in the child welfare system. This legislation continues the efforts of the P.L. 110-351, Fostering Connections Act by improving educational assistance for those most in need--children and youth in the child welfare system. I hope that the Fostering Success in Education Act will enjoy the same bipartisan support and consideration to help these young people who have no one else. Today, more than half a million children are living in foster care. As a member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, I have constantly heard from young people who struggle as they are constantly moved from home to home, and school to school when they are in foster care. Those in the child welfare system have not chosen this life; they did not ask to be victims of neglect and abuse. For a variety of reasons beyond their control, foster care children are uprooted from all that they know and rely on us for help. We all remember our years in elementary, middle, and high school. We recall our friends, classmates, teachers, extracurricular activities, favorite classes, and hardest subjects. For foster care youth, it's a whirlwind of memories. Names, faces, classes, teachers, grades, and subjects are a blur. Imagine being the new kid, over and over and over again without the support you need. Imagine maneuvering the bureaucracy and politics of different schools and school districts on your own as a 12-year-old, as a 16-year-old, as a 6-year-old. This bill ensures that youth in foster care have school stability, immediate access to tools and resources, and the necessary support for academic success. Madam Speaker, I believe that each and every young person has a right to a childhood; each has a right to a basic education. I believe that in addition to consistency, friendships, and healthy relationships, education is the key to opportunity, stability, and success. It is a cornerstone of our nation's values of democracy, hope, and infinite possibility. The Fostering Success in Education Act takes us one step further in the right direction and responds to these all-too-real issues. Madam Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will support this worthy and important legislative effort.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I want to thank my friend and colleague from Colorado and my friend and colleague from Wisconsin for bringing this resolution before us. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of the Education and Labor Committee for their support of this bill, and the Majority Leader for his support and for bringing this resolution to the floor. Madam Speaker, this year marks the 10th anniversary of an outstanding organization called Sojourn to the Past, the longest-running civil rights program in the United States. Sojourn to the Past was founded by Jeff Steinberg, an inspired American history high school teacher from northern California. He started by taking his students on a 10-day field trip to the South to see where the most important moments of the civil rights movement actually happened. He took them to places like Atlanta, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma. He took them to Jackson, Little Rock, and Memphis. While on these journeys, young people meet the leaders of the movement. They get out of the classroom and visit historic places that marked the time. Through this program, I believe young people grow more informed about the movement. They learn how it changed our country and our society, and they are changed. They become better human beings and better citizens not just of the United States but of the world. Since it began, Sojourn to the Past has taken over 5,000 high school students on these journeys, teaching them about the importance of social justice and the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence. Like the civil rights movement itself, it challenges people to think about their own values and about what kind of country they want America to be. Madam Speaker, I invite all of my colleagues to join with all of us in honor of this important organization.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, for 75 years, Social Security has lifted millions of seniors and disabled Americans out of poverty. That is why I can't believe that Republicans would cut Social Security benefits and make it harder for people who worked all their lives to get benefits. Social Security is a sacred trust. It is a trust between the American government and the American people. It is a trust between parents and children, between those working and those in retirement. It is the greatest example of the beloved community in America. We will not allow anyone to cut Social Security. We will hold this sacred trust for generations yet to come.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Leslie Judith Goldberg, R.N. to thank her for her 20 years of service to the Members and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives. Almost every staffer in the House complex, particularly those who work in the Cannon House Office Building, knows Nurse Leslie. Always smiling, extremely knowledgeable, and thorough, she has a legendary ability to help staff find the best possible health care services for their needs. For years, she has collected feedback on the quality of health practitioners and shared both praise and concerns with prospective patients. As a result, she was well-known in doctors' offices throughout the region; they were always asking, ``Ahhh, you were referred by Nurse Goldberg? Who is this Nurse Leslie?'' Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Leslie joined her mother and sister in this vital profession after graduating from the Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn. She went on to work at the New York University Hospital in neurosurgery and the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents. In 1990, Nurse Goldberg joined the Office of the Attending Physician and dedicated the end of her great career to serving and caring for the Members and staff of this institution. She is a part of our family. We mourned with her when her loving husband, Alan Goldberg, passed away far too early in life; and we celebrated when she returned to us--her adoptive, extended family. We all know how much she adores her three sons, Michael, Aaron, and David and daughters-in-law, Lisa and Amy. And her grandson, Ari, is the light of her life. While we will miss her laughter, her smile, her caring, skillful techniques, and infinite knowledge, I applaud her for taking the time to fulfill her personal dreams--travel, volunteer, and most importantly take care of Ari and the grandchildren to come. Nurse Goldberg, we will miss you terribly; you leave enormous shoes to fill. Thank you for your 20 years of service and for keeping us safe, healthy, informed, and always smiling.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great public servant of Metro Atlanta and the international aviation community. For 12 years, Mr. Benjamin R. DeCosta has led the City of Atlanta's Aviation Department and successfully managed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport--the world's busiest passenger airport. Located in my congressional district, this outstanding internationally- recognized transportation center employs more than 56,000 people and generates more than 400,000 jobs and $23.5 billion in Metro Atlanta's economy. Recently, Mr. DeCosta announced that he will be leaving Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. I am proud to have known and worked with Mr. DeCosta for over a decade. Whenever I call Ben and his staff about national aviation policy issues and the impact on Hartsfield-Jackson--I could always expect an honest, thorough, and researched answer. Ben successfully led the effort to open a 5th runway, the Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. International terminal, a consolidated rental car center, and upgrades to the central passenger terminal complex. He also managed to award almost 40 percent of contracts that were part of this $6 billion capital improvement initiative to women- and minority-owned businesses. Consumed with improving customer service and setting higher standards for passengers, Ben has led the airport's team in making the entire experience smoother for those traveling, to, from, and through Hartsfield-Jackson. For example, we worked together to improve the security screening processes at the airport. Now the passenger wait times average less than 10 minutes; the lines may be long, but they move. He also brought numerous retailers to the airport; on both sides of the security check points, you can find great food and shopping for whatever your needs may be while you wait. It has not been easy; many would have walked away a long time ago. Somehow, Ben rose to the challenge. The aviation community took notice of his successes. Last year, the National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) recognized him as the recipient of the 2009 prestigious National Leadership Award. In 2007, Airport Revenue Magazine voted him Best Director. Under his leadership, Hartsfield- Jackson was recognized as the World's Most Efficient Airport for three consecutive years, the world's top airport with Wi-Fi connectivity, and the Executive Traveler's Best Large U.S. airport. Ben came to Atlanta from New York where he worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and served as the general manager of Newark International Airport. He earned a physics undergraduate degree from Queens College and a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School, and continued his studies as part of a senior executive program for local and state governments at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. I would like to thank Mr. DeCosta for his service, dedication and success to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Metro Atlanta community. I wish him and his family continued success and happiness in the next chapter of his great career.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Leslie Judith Goldberg, R.N. to thank her for her 20 years of service to the Members and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives. Almost every staffer in the House complex, particularly those who work in the Cannon House Office Building, knows Nurse Leslie. Always smiling, extremely knowledgeable, and thorough, she has a legendary ability to help staff find the best possible health care services for their needs. For years, she has collected feedback on the quality of health practitioners and shared both praise and concerns with prospective patients. As a result, she was well-known in doctors' offices throughout the region; they were always asking, ``Ahhh, you were referred by Nurse Goldberg? Who is this Nurse Leslie?'' Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Leslie joined her mother and sister in this vital profession after graduating from the Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn. She went on to work at the New York University Hospital in neurosurgery and the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents. In 1990, Nurse Goldberg joined the Office of the Attending Physician and dedicated the end of her great career to serving and caring for the Members and staff of this institution. She is a part of our family. We mourned with her when her loving husband, Alan Goldberg, passed away far too early in life, and we celebrated when she returned to us--her adoptive, extended family. We all know how much she adores her three sons, Michael, Aaron, and David and daughter-in-law, Lisa. And her grandson, Ari, is the light of her life. While we will Miss her laughter, her smile, her caring, skillful techniques, and infinite knowledge, I applaud her for taking the time to fulfill her personal dreams--travel, volunteer, and most importantly take care of Ari and the grandchildren to come. Nurse Goldberg, we will miss you terribly; you leave enormous shoes to fill. Thank you for your 20 years of service and keeping us safe, healthy, informed, and always smiling.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today we have been given another chance to do what is right for our unemployed brothers and sisters. We must extend unemployment insurance. It is the right thing to do. It is the moral thing to do. It is the compassionate thing to do. Those of you who have said that the unemployed are lazy or want a hand-out should be ashamed of yourselves. This is not a hand-out. People have paid into the system their whole working lives. The unemployed in this country want to work, they are desperate to work, and we must help them get by. I challenge each of you who plan to vote ``no'' to come to Georgia. Go into your own districts. I challenge you to look people in the eye and tell them that you voted ``no.'' I challenge you to tell the people that you value ideology more than empathy and compassion for your fellow man. Tell them as they swallow their pride that you don't care, that you don't have a heart, that you don't have any feeling. Explain to them why you voted ``yes'' for war funding and ``yes'' for tax breaks for the rich but ``no'' for hardworking Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It is wrong, just plain wrong. The time is always right to do what is right. Do not be afraid to be compassionate. Do not be afraid to vote with your heart and your conscience. Vote to extend unemployment, and extend it now. Do it for the people. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is a shame and a disgrace that we did not extend unemployment insurance. Every single Member who voted ``no'' yesterday should be ashamed of themselves. People are suffering. They are hurting. They are in pain. They cannot make ends meet. And too many, just too many on the other side of the aisle turned a deaf ear. I ask my Republican colleagues: Can't you hear? Can't you feel? Can't you see? Where is your heart? Where is your compassion? Where is your concern? Extend unemployment benefits, and extend it now.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5611, the Airport and Airway Extension Act, Part II. As you know, the Trust Fund taxes and spending authority are scheduled to expire on July 3. This bill simply extends the authority one more month while we work together on a long-term solution. Air travel plays a crucial and critical role in our economy and our lives. The world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located in my congressional district. This airport alone has a direct impact of more than $32.5 billion on the State of Georgia's economy. At a time when we are considering the importance of jobs and job creation, I would like to note that the airport is the second-largest employer in Georgia with 58,000 workers. If Congress does not pass the bill, the Trust Fund will lose the revenue that we need for airport construction and the Nation's air traffic control system. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to come together and support this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5611) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to give Members 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 5611.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I fully support H.R. 5611. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' for this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my good friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) in recognizing Mr. Ronald A. Gettelfinger on his well-deserved retirement. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be with Mr. Gettelfinger and the UAW members to celebrate their 75th anniversary. They have been stalwart partners in the movement for civil rights and social change. It was truly a homecoming, and I was proud to be with Ron during one of his last official acts as UAW president. For nearly half a century, Mr. Gettelfinger has dedicated himself to the rights of American auto workers. Ron began his career as chassis line repairman in 1964. When his colleagues at Ford's Louisville Assembly plant elected him as their committeeperson, bargaining chair, and president, he rose to the challenge and went on to serve in various leadership positions for the United Auto Workers (UAW) membership for the next 26 years. During his tireless years as a UAW leader, Mr. Gettelfinger constantly recommitted himself to the values that were so important to--as he would say--my ``sisters and brothers''. Through trials and tribulation, the UAW has defended human dignity in the auto industry and been a strong ally in the struggle for social justice both in the United States and around the world. Mr. Gettelfinger embodied these values and was a constant, vocal advocate for health care, workers' rights, and trade policy reforms. I thank him for his service and for his commitment to the forgotten, the underserved, and the backbone of our global economy--America's workers. Again, let me congratulate Ron, his wife Judy, and their family on this momentous occasion and exciting new chapter in their life. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Dingell, as you know, his leadership will be missed, but never forgotten.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend, Jack Kingston, for yielding me time. As the dean of the Georgia delegation, it is my great pleasure to welcome Tom Graves to the United States House of Representatives. Mr. Graves is not a stranger to Georgia politics. He served in the Georgia State House of Representatives for almost 8 years. Tom, I not only welcome you, but I am proud to welcome your beautiful wife, Julie, and your three lovely and beautiful children.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this jobs bill. We are making progress, but there are still far too many people who want to work but cannot find a job. We must not stop and we will not stop until each and every person has a good job. But until that time comes, we must help and take care of our brothers and sisters who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. This bill extends emergency assistance to unemployed Americans. It also provides TANF emergency jobs to help States create jobs and assist struggling families. Every day, individuals call my office. They want to work. Many have years of experience. They never in a million years thought that they would have to rely on these programs to get by and make ends meet. We have a responsibility and a moral obligation to help our friends and neighbors during these hard times. This is our duty. If we are honest with ourselves, we all know this bill is not enough. But we must take this step. We cannot wait a moment longer. I urge all of my colleagues to put politics aside and do what is right and support this necessary legislation.