John Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the time is always right to do right. And raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do. This is not just an economic issue, Mr. Speaker, this is a moral issue. Hard working people deserve the right to earn a livable wage. The minimum wage is at a 40-year low. No one can live, much less support a family, on $8,400 a year. Mr. Speaker, stop playing politics with people's lives. Bring a clean minimum wage bill to the floor. Do not load it up and bring it down with your pet programs. Mr. Speaker, you have the ability, you have the capacity, you have the power to bring a clean minimum-wage bill to this floor and give people a livable wage.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans in this House just do not get it. The American people want an increase in the minimum wage. They know, Mr. Speaker, even if you do not, that raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do. This is not just an economic issue, this is a moral issue. Mr. Speaker, you have the capacity, you have the ability, to bring a clean minimum wage bill to this floor. Do not fight, Mr. Speaker, what is right; do not fight what is right. On this issue there is a national bipartisan consensus. Let us do what the American people want us to do. Let us do what is right. Let us raise the minimum wage. Struggling, hardworking people deserve the right to earn a livable income. Raise the minimum wage. Raise it now.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the time is always right to do right. And raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do. This is not just an economic issue, Mr. Speaker, this is a moral issue. Hard working people deserve the right to earn a livable wage. The minimum wage is at a 40-year low. No one can live, much less support a family, on $8,400 a year. Mr. Speaker, stop playing politics with people's lives. Bring a clean minimum wage bill to this floor. Do not load it up and bring it down with your pet programs. The American people, hard-working people, are watching and waiting. Raise the minimum wage.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the Speaker of the House has reportedly said that the House can ``no longer duck'' a vote on the minimum wage. It's about time, Mr. Speaker. Why have you been ducking for so long. The minimum wage is at a near 40-year low in real terms. People earning the minimum wage deserve the right to a livable wage. No one can live on $4.25 an hour, much less support a family. Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey has said he will fight an increase in the minimum wage with ``every fiber in his being.'' While corporate CEO's earn 212 times the wage of the average worker, Republicans would deny the poorest workers in America a modest increase in the minimum wage. This is not right, it is not fair, and it is not just. Stop the stonewalling, Mr. Speaker. Let's raise the minimum wage now. People deserve the right to earn a livable wage.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, Saturday is Earth Day, a day to celebrate our environment--our Earth--our home. We must protect it; we have no other place to go. We have a responsibility to make our world a little greener and a little cleaner--to make it safer for our children and unborn generations. The Republican leadership does not agree. Republicans passed the dirty water bill. Their Superfund reform lets corporate polluters off the hook. Who benefits? Polluters. Who suffers? Each and every one of us. There is more pollution in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. The American people know what you are doing. They have seen the Republican assault on our environment--and they are worried. Be careful with your publicity stunts this Earth Day--the American people will not be fooled.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay honor and tribute to our late Secretary of Commerce, Ronald H. Brown. No words I can utter on this House floor today can do justice to this great man, patriot, and public servant. I want to personally express my great sense of loss at the passing of this good and decent man and extend my condolences to his family: to his wife Alma, his son Michael, and his daughter Tracy. Their loss, Mr. Speaker, is our loss, our party's loss, and our Nation's loss. I first met Ron Brown more than 30 years ago while vacationing on Martha's Vineyard. I was immediately struck by his boundless energy, charisma, sophistication, and style. Even back then, one only had to spend a little time with Ron to know that he was a rising star. And so I was never surprised as I followed Ron's career and watched this man grow and develop, first as a young lawyer, then as a leader in the National Urban League in New York and later here in Washington, as the chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee and later as a partner in a prestigious Washington law firm and as the chairman of the Democratic Party. Ron Brown was born in Washington, DC, and raised in Harlem, NY, and though he worked his way to the heights of the business and political worlds in our Nation, he never forgot where he came from. He never forgot how to speak with people. He never forgot who it was that needed help and hope and opportunity. Ron spent his life and gave his life creating opportunity for those less fortunate, for those who had not yet climbed up the economic ladder. Ron Brown was a bridge-builder. Through his actions and his words he was working to build what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the beloved community, a community at peace with itself, where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Ron believed in creating opportunity for all Americans and he used his position as Secretary of Commerce to promote American business abroad and economic development in communities where it was desperately needed. Robert Kennedy was fond of quoting George Bernard Shaw: ``Some men see things as they are and ask why,'' Shaw wrote, ``I dream of things that never were and ask why not.'' Ron Brown did dream of things that never were and ask why not. He dedicated his life and gave his life to promote the country that he loved and to better the lives of the people of this country. Ron Brown will live in the annals of American history, not just as the first African-American Secretary of Commerce, but as perhaps the best, most effective, and most accomplished Secretary of Commerce in the history of our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I, like so many others will miss Ron Brown. His energy could light up a room. His enthusiasm could inspire people to reach their greatest God-given potential. His vision and foresight returned the Presidency to his party. His counsel and guidance and wisdom will be sorely missed as we tackle the problems that face our Nation. One of what President John F. Kennedy called our best and our brightest has been taken from our midst. Those of us who knew Ron Brown were more than lucky, we were blessed. Again, I want to extend my condolences to the Brown family and thank you, Mrs. Clayton, for arranging for this special order.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, this amendment is the essence of nonsense. Just look at it--read it. But we are not here because this is a well-written, well-reasoned amendment. this amendment isn't even a good idea. We are here because it is April 15, tax day--it is time to score political points--the Constitution be dammed. Two fundamental truths underlie our Government--majority rule, and the Constitution. This amendment is contrary to both. It is ill- conceived, ill-constructed, and ill-advised. Our Constitution is a sacred document. It is the foundation of the greatest democracy on Earth. Since the adoption of the Bill of Rights over 200 years ago, the people have seen fit to amend it only 17 times. That is because the Constitution is not merely law--it is the foundation of our Nation. It is liberty. It is the separation of powers--checks and balances. It is the essence of democracy. I revere the Constitution. We must not amend it lightly. Welfare reform--Government spending--tax policy--these are the province of laws. We must not clutter our Constitution with such matters. We must not cheapen the foundation of this great Nation. It appears that many of my colleagues disagree. In the past 16 months, the Republican leadership has brought four constitutional amendments to the floor of the House. This is nothing less than an assault on our Constitution--on our democracy. Republicans would restrict the right of voters to choose their Member of Congress. They would limit free speech. They would deny majority rule--deny democracy. If this amendment had been part of our original Constitution, there would be no Social Security. There would be no Medicare. You see, Republicans voted against Social Security and Medicare. They did not want these programs. They do not want these programs today. Republicans want Medicare to wither on the vine. You have even heard the Senate majority leader brag about his ``no'' vote. Democrats--the majority of Congress--the majority of America-- supported Social Security. They supported Medicare and they won. Republicans lost--they could not stop the will of the people. With this amendment, they could. No majority rule. No one man--one person--one vote. So much for fundamental truths. So much for our Constitution. Mr. Speaker, I am saddened that I, as a Member of this House, have been reduced to voting on such a terrible and unwise amendment. I am embarrassed. There have been no hearings. This amendment was born in darkness and conceived in a den of inequity. It is a vague, overly broad, political stunt. It is silly. Our Constitution is not silly. Democracy is not silly. This amendment is not worthy of the U.S. Constitution, of majority rule, or of this body. Do not demean, do not cheapen--the Constitution of the greatest nation on Earth. This amendment does not belong here--it certainly does not belong in the Constitution. Get this amendment out of here. Get if off of the floor, out of this House. It is a waste of paper. It is trash. It belongs in the garbage--the waste heap of political stunts. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, there is a Member of this Congress, a Republican, who has told one of his colleagues that he ``trusts Hamas more than he trusts our own Government.'' That is an outrageous and morally repugnant statement, Mr. Speaker. Hamas is a terrorist organization that targets, maims, and kills innocent men, women, and children. Which Member of Congress thinks they can trust that sick and twisted group more than our own Government. Whoever believes this doesn't deserve the right and privilege to serve in this Congress. Mr. Speaker, this anonymous Republican Member has disgraced him or herself and cast a cloud over the entire Congress. The Members and the American people deserve an explanation and an apology. Who among you? Who among you believes such a thing? Step forward and explain yourself. The American people are watching and waiting. For shame, Mr. Speaker, for shame.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas, for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I am appalled. We knew that the extreme Republicans made promises to their special interest friends. We knew that the NRA has too much influence over this Republican Congress. But I could not believe that it was this bad. I could not believe that that this body would endanger innocent lives. Republicans say they want to fight crime. Instead, they fight to put military weapons into the hands of common thugs. This bill means that more police officers will sacrifice their lives to defend our homes--our neighborhoods--our communities. This bill means that more innocent children will be gunned down in our Nation's streets. Our families will give their lives to pay the debt Republicans owe their special interest friends. The NRA and their money cannot bring back the lives that will be lost--sacrificed to their extreme agenda. Reject this radical, this dangerous, this sick, and obscene proposal. These weapons are weapons and tools of death, violence, and destruction. Reject this proposal.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, the entire world has been shocked, appalled, and reviled by the latest wave of terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel. More than 50 innocent men, women, and children have been killed by suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. So I was similarly shocked and reviled to hear a comment made on the House floor last week in the course of debate on the so-called antiterrorist bill. The gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde], the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, said this: ``Early in the day standing back there, I heard a dear friend of mine, a great Republican say, `I trust Hamas more than I trust my own Government.' '' He went on to say those words hurt. Those words do hurt indeed. But who, Madam Speaker, who, Mr. Hyde, who on the Republican side really believed they could trust Hamas more than our own Government? Who among my colleagues truly believes they can trust a terrorist organization that sends suicide bombers to rob innocent children more than the U.S. Government? Madam Speaker, the American people have a right to know who among their elected Representatives trusts Hamas more than the United States. Until that person steps forward, or is identified, a cloud hangs over each and every Republican Member of this House.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, real wages are down. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs. Families are having a hard time finding the money to send their children to college, to save for retirement, to make ends meet. Finally, Republicans are taking note. They sound like Democrats talking about the middle class. Mr. Speaker, actions speak louder than words. Democrats raise the minimum wage, Republicans cut taxes for rich friends. Democrats vote for education and job training, Republicans raise taxes on working families. Republicans help the rich and hurt the rest of us. They voted against Social Security, against Medicare. Senator Dole even brags about voting against Medicare. Republicans have started to talk about helping the middle class. It is time to do something about it. Raise the minimum wage. Invest in education. Protect the pensions of working families. Republicans have started to talk the talk. It is time for them to walk the walk.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding and take just a moment, and I will have a much more extensive statement to submit for the Record, because I believe that Mr. Mfume represents the very best that this body has to offer. He is the personification of leadership, of vision. We came here together, elected in 1986 and came here in 1987. He has been a great Member, a good Member. I hate to see him leave this place, but I know he is going on to bigger and better things. He will provide leadership for the NAACP, but in providing leadership for the NAACP, he will be providing leadership for this Nation. So let me say to Congressman Mfume, my friend, my leader, and my brother, we wish you well, and Godspeed.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to join with my colleagues to strongly protest France's actions in the South Pacific. I am pleased that France has stopped testing its nuclear weapons. But I must say--it is too late. The damage has been done. France ignored the pleas of the governments and people of the South Pacific and throughout the world. We live on this planet together. We share its bounty. These are our oceans, our land, our people. We must respect each other. President Chirac did not listen to the groans and moans, the hopes, the dreams and the aspirations of those who are longing for a planet free of nuclear waste, free of nuclear destruction, free of nuclear poison. This man--this President of France and his government--refused to listen to the community of nations. And now, he wants to come to our house. To the people's house. President Chirac, our people do not support nuclear testing. Our people do not support radiation in the waters. Our people do not support a government that ignores the community of nations. Six times, France has poisoned our earth. Six times, nuclear poison has seeped into the waters of this little planet. This poison remains with each and every one of us. If France truly wants to atone for its wrongs, they must apologize to the people of the South Pacific. They must join with them to right the wrongs, to help heal the environment, to help heal the hurt. As France's actions demonstrate, nuclear testing should be banned from this planet forever. We must never again engage in this desolate deed. It is time to evolve to another level, to a better world where we lay down the tools of poison and destruction and respect the community of nations. Nuclear testing is obsolete. Nuclear testing is evil. To paraphrase the words of Mahatma Gandhi, ``Noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as cooperation with good.'' So I cannot be silent. I cannot close my eyes to France's deeds. I know France is our ally, but even with our good friends, we must have the courage to say that a wrong is wrong. We must have the courage to do what is right. I don't know about any other Member, but for me and my house, I will not be seated here tomorrow when Mr. Chirac comes to this House.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I wish to be heard on the privileged resolution.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Government of Romania for its contribution to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Angola. It is heartening to see that Romania is willing to spend its own limited resources to help maintain peace and stability in an African country that has witnessed so much tragedy and fighting. Romania currently has nearly 1,000 peacekeepers in Angola, which is the second largest national contingent in the U.N. force. Romania has also established a program to help train and educate Angolans so that they can better rebuild their country and has contributed 54 medical personnel to run a 40-bed hospital. Romania is involved in these efforts even though they have no economic or geopolitical interests in the region. As far as I can tell, Romania is participating in this humanitarian venture because of a commitment to the United Nations and a sense of responsibility to fellow human beings. Democracy in Angola is important to the stability and the vitality of the region. In the post-Cold War era, we as a nation must work with other countries to help promote democracy and freedom throughout the world. I am pleased that Romania, despite facing its own challenges as it moves toward a market economy, understands the importance of supporting democracy elsewhere in the world. Romania's participation in the peacekeeping force in Angola is an important reminder that we are all part of the international community and have a responsibility to help each other.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, last night, in his State of the Union Address, President Clinton spoke about the ``age of possibility.'' He focused on the real issues affecting our Nation's families. Perhaps most importantly, the President extended his hand to the Republican majority and asked them to work with him, to lay down partisanship, to build a better America. Yes, President Clinton's budget has created almost 8 million new jobs in the last 3 years and the lowest combined rate of unemployment and inflation rate since the 1960's. Yes, the Clinton budget has cut the deficit in half. And yes, the crime rate, the poverty rate, and the teen pregnancy rate are all down. But, President Clinton knows there is still more to be done. President Clinton has offered a balanced budget which protects the Democratic priorities of Medicare and Medicaid, education, and the environment. Last night, President Clinton asked the Republicans to join him to help build a better America. I hope they will heed his call.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, day 19--and the U.S. Government is still closed, held captive. Forty million dollars a day--down the drain, wasted--almost $800 million. All this the Republicans say, in the name of fiscal conservatism. More than a quarter of a million Government employees at home, waiting to work and wanting to work. Still thousands of others on the job, not getting paid. The Ayatollahs of the right continue to hold the U.S. Government hostage to their radical demands. Do it our way they say--cut Medicare, gut Medicaid, slash education and student loans, attack our environment--or we will keep the Government shut. People unable to pay their mortgages, their car loans, their children's education bills, Government contractors unable to work, business people unable to get passports to conduct business abroad. None of this matters to the mullahs of the Republican right. They are not affected, they are constitutional officers, not Government employees. So I say here today, go down, Mr. President, way down to congressland, tell Newt Gingrich to let our Government go. The American people will not give in to Republican blackmail and hostage taking.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of the Gingrich Christmas, Republicans are giving American children an early Christmas surprise. During this season, the season of giving, the Republicans have instead taken--taken from our Nation's poor children. They are stealing the hopes and dreams of millions of children who have little else. The Republican plan puts a million and a half children into poverty. It takes from school lunches and child care. Poor children are no longer guaranteed basic health care. The Republican proposal destroys the safety net that protects our Nation's children. It is an extreme, mean-spirited and radical proposal--devoid of compassion and feeling. As your children open their presents Monday morning--as we join our families in love and fellowship--take a moment to remember the children who will do without, the children that this plan will make do with even less. Merry Christmas--Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I thank the Speaker.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to know whether it is proper for another Member to come and stand in the well while a Member is speaking.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I urge may colleagues to support the peace agreement between the warring parties of Bosnia. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. This was not an easy decision for the President. This is not an easy vote for any of us. It is not popular, and it is not easy. But we are leaders. We are not called to do what is popular, to put our fingers to the wind is blowing. Our mission, our responsibility is to do what is right. For 3 years, we have heard the cries of anguish from the people of Bosnia. We have been deeply troubled by the accounts of rape, torture, and murder. We wanted to help stop the violence, stop the fighting. But we did not want to get involved in a war that seemed to have no end. But now--finally--we have an opportunity to support peace. This mission is not for war. It is not Vietnam. It is a mission to uphold the peace. Only yesterday, the Prime Minister of Israel thanked America for leading the way. For fighting fascism and championing democracy. He urged us to continue our leadership, not just in the Middle East, but elsewhere, in places where our leadership--American leadership--can make a difference. America has always stood for peace and freedom because it is right. If we fail to act, we lose our moral compass. We lose our sense of purpose, our sense of direction as a great nation. We now live in a global village. What happens in Bosnia affects people in Boston, in Chicago, in Detroit and in Atlanta. But I believe--I truly believe--we cannot, we must not stand idly by. To do so would undermine our position in NATO and throughout the world. Our involvement can make the difference between war and peace, between death and life. How in God's name can we stand by? We have seen the ethnic cleansing, the slaughter of young children, and the rape of women. More than 250,000 people have lost their lives. More than 2 million people have been uprooted and made refugees. If we fail to respond to the Macedonian call--to lend a helping hand for those in trouble--then the cycle of violence will continue. At long last, we can make a difference--to give peace a chance. I plead with you my colleagues--stand with us. Stand with our troops. Stand up for what is right and just. Support our mission for peace. Oppose this amendment, support Hamilton. Blessed are the peacemakers, Mr. Speaker, for they shall be called the children of God.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, last night, after more than 14 months of deliberations, the Ethics Committee found Speaker Newt Gingrich guilty of violating House rules on three counts. The Ethics Committee has also taken the long overdue step of appointing an outside counsel or prosecutor to investigate Speaker Gingrich and untangle the web of nonprofit and political slush funds he directs. In addition, the bipartisan committee rebuked the Speaker for accepting a $4.5 million book deal from media mogul Rupert Murdoch. In their words: ``the committee strongly questions the appropriateness of what some could describe as an attempt by you to capitalize on your office''. Though long overdue, the ethics committee has begun the process of investigating the Speaker of the House. It is high time. The committee found Speaker Gingrich guilty of violating House rules on three occasions. Could this be just the tip of the iceberg? The special counsel will find out for sure.

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, both Common Cause and I insist that in order to carry out the responsibilities of an outside counsel effectively, it is necessary for the counsel's authority and independence to be clearly and publicly established. The special counsel must have the authority and independence necessary to conduct the inquiry in an effective and credible manner. The House of Representatives, as well as the American public, deserve an investigation which will uncover the truth. At this moment, I am afraid that the apparent restrictions placed on this special counsel will not allow the truth to be uncovered. ``The rules normally applied by the Ethics Committee to an investigation of a typical Member are insufficient in an investigation of the Speaker of the House. Clearly, this investigation has to meet a higher standard of public accountability and integrity.'' Prophetic words, indeed, Mr. Speaker. These are the words of the current Speaker of the House in 1988 referring to the investigation of a former Speaker of this House. This House cannot and must not tolerate a double standard. The Ethics Committee must follow the standard set by Speaker Gingrich himself. We need an outside counsel to investigate Speaker Gingrich and we must not restrict the scope of that counsel's investigation. Let's get on with it.