Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart and deep sadness over the loss of Mayor Ralph Appezzato. Ralph was a friend and a colleague. I offer my heartfelt sympathy to his wife of 34 years, Marilyn, and their three sons, David, Jason and Joshua. I always valued Ralph's counsel and his friendship. He will be remembered as one of our nation's most effective mayors, particularly for his leadership in the award-winning conversion of the former Alameda Naval Base to successful civilian uses. Like many friends, colleagues and citizens in the Bay Area, I was shocked to learn about Ralph's untimely death. With his passing we have lost a warrior for social justice and positive change. Ralph was a dedicated public servant held in the highest regard. Ralph was elected Mayor of the City of Alameda on November 8, 1994, and reelected November 3, 1998. He was previously elected to the City Council in November, 1992 and was a member of the Alameda City Planning Board, twice serving as President. Ralph is a graduate of Seton Hall University and went on to receive a graduate degree in Education from Villanova University. He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Command and General Staff College. Ralph served as a Marine Corps Officer, retiring as a Colonel in 1983. After leaving the Marine Corps, he was a Vice President at Bank of America for seven years and Chief Operating Officer at Volunteers of America for four years. Ralph's dedication to community issues was reflected in his participation on many regional organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, including: the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority; the East Bay Conversion and Reinvestment Commission; the Alameda County Waste Management Authority; the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency; the Alameda County Mayors' Conference; the Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission; the Metropolitan Transportation Commission; the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission; the San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority; the Federal Department of Transportation Towing Safety Advisory Committee, and; the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Ralph also served on several Boards of Directors, including: Alameda Council, Boy Scouts of America; Alameda Boys and Girls Club; Clara Barton Foundation, and; Alameda Meals on Wheels. I join his family, the City of Alameda and the Bay Area as we mourn the passing of a great American.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I think that we all are in agreement that the world and the Iraqi people would be better off if Saddam Hussein were not in power, but I also think we all can agree on the fact that our world would be better off with a peaceful resolution to the current crisis and one which respects the rule of law and the role of the United Nations. That is why I rise tonight, Mr. Speaker, to urge this Congress and our country to renew our commitment to working with the United Nations and our friends and allies to advance peace and security in the Persian Gulf region. We need to act, but we do not have to rush to war. We have alternatives. We have been told by President Bush and other members of the administration that we have to attack Iraq because our Nation is in imminent danger from Saddam Hussein. However, neither the Congress nor the public have been shown evidence of that or linking Saddam Hussein to 9-11. We have received no proof that Iraq has the means or intent to use weapons of mass destruction against us. We have not been told why the danger is greater today than it was a year or 2 ago or why we must rush to war rather than pursuing other options. So tomorrow I will introduce a resolution offering a road map to such an alternative. This resolution emphasizes the importance of working through the United Nations to assure Iraq's compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions and cease-fire agreements and to advance peace and security throughout the region beginning with full unfettered inspections. During the 1990's, United Nations inspections teams succeeded in destroying tons of weapons in Iraq in spite of Iraq's attempts to obstruct their mission. They were on a search and destroy mission and they accomplished that. Today we need to renew that inspections process in the interest of our own security. We do not know the extent of Iraq's possible development of weapons of mass destruction and thus the extent of risk to us. That is why we need inspections. The President has called on the United Nations to assume its responsibilities. In fact the United Nations was established to deal with just such international crises. So let us work with them to make that happen. But still on the other hand, the administration and others call for a preemptive first strike against Iraq. The cost of such action would be enormous, starting with a grave risk to American servicemen and women and to Iraqi civilians who will be caught in the crossfire. A preemptive first strike would also seriously damage our relationship with friends and allies, all of whom are strongly opposed to an assault. Statesmen such as Kofi Annan and Nelson Mandela have beseeched us to turn away from this disastrous course. Many Middle Eastern countries that supported the United States in the Gulf War will not support this attack and warn of long-term catastrophic consequences. Such a war carries enormous cost. The Wall Street Journal estimates that it may cost as much as from 100 to $200 billion. When we have no proof that Iraq was tied to 9-11 and no proof that we are in imminent danger, why would we rush to spend $200 billion that could be invested in health care, education, housing, domestic security, and other vital needs here at home? Why are we rushing into a war with such a huge price tag for our foreign relations and our own budget when we have viable and many more effective alternatives? Why would we set such a devastating precedent? There are what, eight known nuclear powers in the world? At least two of them, India and Pakistan, have long been on edge with each another. According to the doctrine of preemption, either of those countries could launch an attack because they are afraid of what the other might do. Is that the kind of world we want to live in? Is that the precedent that we want to take? We will be setting that. We will be setting this new standard. President Bush laid out an axis of evil consisting of Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Which dictator will be next? Where does preemption end? So the resolution that I will introduce tomorrow resolves that the United States should work through the United Nations to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Iraq through mechanisms such as inspections, negotiation, and regional cooperation. We do not have to go to war. We still have alternatives. It is up to us to pursue them. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to co-sponsor my resolution and join us in taking this message to the American people.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), for yielding me this time and also for her clarity in leading the charge against this special interest, anticonsumer legislation. Her hard work and clear understanding of this legislation has really brought focus to this debate and to this very deceitful bill. I also want to thank our ranking member on the committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), for his leadership and his dedication to really try to fix this very badly broken bill. Now, when our committee considered this bill, I supported numerous amendments to improve it, but, of course, to no avail. Last night Members sought an opportunity to offer several meaningful amendments to the bill here today, but the Committee on Rules only allowed two. So what are we left with? A bad, broken bill that is in desperate need of repairs. That is why I rise today in strong opposition to the underlying bill, the so-called rent-to-own bill, and in strong support of the Waters and LaFalce amendments. A more accurate name for the bill in its present state might be rent-at-your-own-risk or rent-until-you-could-have- owned-it-three-times-over, because this bill fails to provide real consumer protections against unscrupulous operators who charge exorbitant rates to low-income people for items really that a wealthy person could buy with their credit card for a mere fraction of the price. Concerns over the business practices of the rent-to-own industry are very real. These merchants entice vulnerable low- and moderate-income consumers to acquire household goods with no credit checks, no qualification, and low payments, and disguise the true cost of the transaction. Here are just a few of the enticements commonly used; we have no doubt heard them before: ``Bad credit? No problem''; ``Need a TV? Come on down''; ``Get it today, enjoy it tonight''; ``The sooner you come in, the more money you will save.'' Well, perhaps on the other hand, if you do not live in a minority neighborhood, you may have never heard these ads. These aggressive and alluring ads stress affordability and immediate rewards, only while completely ignoring the actual cost of acquiring the merchandise over the contract's term, which usually ends up being significantly higher than the cost of buying the merchandise through credit cards or more conventional means. Though much of this bill merely duplicates existing weak rent-to-own laws in many States, it really has an insidious core. At the heart of this bill lies preemption language that would kill stronger State laws in four States, Minnesota, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Vermont, that still treat rent-to-own as a credit transaction. So if this bill is enacted, all States would be required to treat rent-to-own sales as if they were leases subject to minimum disclosures, and the few remaining consumer protections in those four States would actually be lost. No wonder this bill is opposed by all of the consumer groups, including Consumers Union, Consumers Federation of America, National Consumer Law Center, ACORN, U.S. PIRG, and others. No wonder all 52 State attorneys general oppose this bill. Congress should really be working for true consumer protections for all Americans in rent-to-own transactions, not assaulting the laws of four States and creating a Federal ceiling on the regulation of the industry. Frankly, this bill is simply another in the long line of well-titled, good-sounding, anti-consumer bills that the majority deems appropriate to spend our time discussing when the end of the fiscal year is right around the corner and the majority of this Chamber's work on appropriations has yet to be done. So I urge all Members to stand up for consumers today by voting for the Waters and LaFalce amendments and oppose this sham industry bill.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commend bravery and dedication demonstrated by my constituent, Mr. Jones who was a first responder at the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The memories of the horrific terrorist attacks will remain with us forever. Yet, through the pain and adversity of these tragedies, heroes were also born. We witnessed the horrific attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York City, we learned of the terrible airline crash in the Pennsylvania countryside, and we witnessed what was once an unfathomed attack on our Nation's center of defense, the Pentagon. I have known Mr. Jones' family for many years. In the footsteps of his parents, he carries on a legacy of commitment to humanity though public service. On September 11th, Eric was driving by the Pentagon when it was hit by American Airline flight #77. He immediately went to the Pentagon site and quickly began to aid in evacuating injured and dying personnel from the building; he carried and helped people to safety and medical triage. Eric remained at his volunteer post for more than 72 hours. On July 15, 2002, Mr. Jones was one of two people to receive the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal of Valor for his actions. As we commemorate the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, we also pay tribute to thousands of first responders and volunteers like Mr. Jones who risked their own lives to ensure that others were saved. I am deeply moved by Eric's heroism and want to extend my sincere appreciation to him. As we take time to reflect on the events of 9-11 on this anniversary day, we must also resolve and re-commit ourselves to peace and security.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, as we pause to remember the horrific and tragic events of September 11, 2001, let us honor the memory of the innocent men, women, and children whose lives were lost on that fateful day. The families, victims, and survivors are in our hearts and prayers as we support efforts to rebuild and recover from such senseless, inhumane, and inconceivable attacks. We are filled with admiration for those who willingly rushed into danger to try to save others--the firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, and ordinary Americans who proved to be most extraordinary. They raced up stairs, they ran into burning buildings, and they brought down a plane to save others. We pray that our young men and women in our armed forces who are putting themselves in harm's way will return safely to their families and friends. In the last year, they have stood watch to keep us safe, and we are profoundly grateful. To say America suffered a terrible blow is an understatement. Since that terrible day we have slowly been recovering from our profound sense of shock. The walls of the Pentagon have been reconstructed. The terrible devastation at the World Trade Center has been gradually, painstakingly cleared away. Out of the ashes of loss, we must reshape a future, a world free from horror and hatred, one that offers security for our children and future generations. To shape the future, this better world, let us recommit ourselves to justice and peace. As we rebuild the Pentagon, memorialize the World trade Center, and journey to a pasture in rural Pennsylvania where the men and women of Flight 93 gave their lives so that others might live, let us emerge more dedicated to peace, more aware of the world around us, and more secure. Let us maintain the spirit of unity, of neighborly concern, of friendliness toward others, and of service that was so profoundly displayed in the aftermath of 9-11 and keep it alive and well. Let us hold on to the spirit that led us to stand in line for hours in order to donate blood because we so wanted help. Those values exemplify true patriotism and demonstrate what is best about America. I am reminded of the words of a song, which has been sung so often, by so many, which beings, ``Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.'' Let us remember that hymn as we remember those we lost. Let us keep them as a constant reminder to be our own best selves, to stand up for democratic ideals, to work for peace, disarmament, and security, and to continue to display the love and courage that they shared with us one year ago.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker, Congressman Davis, and Congresswoman Millinder-McDonald for bringing this resolution to the floor. I am proud to join my colleagues here today in support of this resolution recognizing the extraordinary sisters: Venus and Serena Williams. As a member of both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Women's Caucus, I am especially delighted to participate in honoring the Williams sisters for their remarkable contributions not only to the sport of tennis, but also to their community and indeed communities all across our nation. These women are truly making a difference. They are breaking down barriers on the courts and in under-served communities. Their record is staggering: together the Williams sisters have won over 43 professional titles. Venus is the first African-American woman to win the Wimbledon Championships since 1958. She is the first United States woman since 1924 to win an Olympic gold medal in both singles and doubles, and holds the women's world record for the fastest serve at 127 miles per hour. She is one of only seven women to win the singles titles in both the Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Open in the same year. Serena is the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. She is the sixth American woman to win the U.S. Open singles title since 1968, and is only the fifth woman to win both singles and doubles Grand Slam titles in the same year. Since 1978, Serena is the only woman to reach the finals of the U.S. Open while debuting at the tournament. In Compton, where they were raised, the Williams sisters are renowned for their service to their community. It is not unusual to find them passing out tennis rackets, conducting tennis clinics for low income children, or otherwise contributing to community development and helping to create an outlet for young people. Their community service, however, extends far beyond Compton and California. Through their work, they have changed the lives of many young people, including young people right here in Washington, DC. I applaud the Williams sisters' efforts and encourage my colleagues to vote for the passage of this resolution.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this conference agreement to H.R. 3763, which significantly reforms our current system to bring true responsibility and accountability to these major corporations who have used creative accounting and fraud to advance their own greed. I want to especially thank our ranking member on the Committee on Financial Services for all of his hard work, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), for pushing these very strong reforms, and to Chairman Oxley for ensuring that this is a bipartisan plan. While I was extremely disappointed that the Republican leadership brought up such a weak bill earlier this year, one that I voted against, I am delighted that they agreed to a much stronger provision in the LaFalce legislation. This agreement protects employees and investors, separates auditing and consulting functions, which got Enron and the other corporations into the mess that they are in now, and sets up an independent board. Now, I hope that soon Congress can take the next step and provide restitution to laid-off workers and investors who lose their life savings. CEOs and high- ranking executives should forego their golden parachutes and multimillion-dollar-year bonuses while their companies are going bankrupt, and instead give workers and investors first rights to these funds. Once again I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for his leadership and Chairman Oxley for bringing such a responsible bill to the House floor.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the terrible acts of anti-Semitism that have taken place in the last year in the United States and abroad. We cannot stand by in silence and fail to speak out against violence and intimidation. Recently, Congress passed H. Res. 393, a measure I was proud to cosponsor and support. H. Res. 393 decries the rising tide of anti- Semitism in Europe and cites an alarming list of examples that stretch across the continent. Synagogues have been attacked; Jewish cemeteries have been defaced; Jewish students have been assaulted. This resolution condemns anti-Semitism in Europe, as we should. We must also condemn it closer to home. In my own district, in Oakland, California, federal agents are investigating suspicious fires at Beth Jacob Congregation. These acts of arson scarred a century-old building, but did not dim the spirit of this synagogue. Nor did they diminish the bonds of community: instead these acts of violence inspired gestures of friendship and support. Students at the Zion Lutheran School donated toys to replace playthings lost in the fires. These children have a lot to teach us about the power of friendship. Sadly, we have much to learn. In addition to the fires at Beth Jacob, there have been other disturbing cases of intimidation and hatred against Jews. In the Bay Area, on college campuses where traditions of tolerance and freedom of expression run deep, Jewish student centers have been vandalized. In the birthplace of the Free Speech movement, people have been harassed on the basis of their beliefs. Diversity is one of our great strengths. Tolerance is one of our finest virtues. Hatred must not cloud these fundamental principles. We must strive to plant the seeds of peace and renew our commitment to these basic freedoms. Burning a house of worship, a synagogue, is an act of terror. It is designed to instill fear and inspire hatred. And, yes, we must condemn such acts in Europe. And in California. Violence and intimidation are utterly wrong. We must all condemn anti-Semitism, in all its forms. Such acts are hate crimes. Just as I supported H. Res. 393, I strongly support other legislation to recognize hate crimes and to express the sense of Congress condemning violence and prejudice.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I first thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for offering this very commonsense amendment, and I urge Members to support this amendment which really would cut funds to continue to aid the United States embargo on Cuba. It is long overdue that the United States lift its 40-year embargo against this small island nation. We have seen that this embargo has done more harm than good. It is a grave injustice to the people of the United States and to the people in Cuba. I have participated in many fact-finding delegations to Cuba and have seen firsthand the devastation and the suffering that the embargo has created on that island nation only 90 miles from our shore. One vivid image which haunts me is of a child in need of dialysis treatment, struggling to stay alive, his future was uncertain because of his inability to acquire a replacement part for the sole dialysis machine in his town. The embargo prevented a United States-made part from reaching this innocent child. The American people and the United States Congress have voiced their support for lifting this archaic and antiquated embargo. Even the majority of the dissidents in Cuba believe that the embargo should end. They understand that the way to democracy in Cuba can be accomplished through a policy of engagement with the people of Cuba rather than the current policy which isolates the small island nation which just happens to be an Afro-Hispanic country. By maintaining the embargo against Cuba, the United States is limiting important trade opportunities, which we have heard tonight, including food and medicine sales. In addition, we have severely limited the ability of Americans to travel to Cuba, and this is just basically downright wrong. Economists have verified that if the embargo toward Cuba were lifted, the U.S. economy would gain $1.24 billion in agricultural exports and $3.6 billion in related economic output. In addition, we would create thousands of jobs in our country from the tourism sector. I am convinced that we must build a bridge in our own struggle for human rights and equality which happens to be a country 90 miles away. Let us lift this embargo.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time and also thank him for his hard work and the chairman's hard work in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor. However, I want to really express today my disappointment and frustration, quite frankly, with the level of AIDS funding that is in this bill. We have heard time and time again how AIDS is killing millions of people in poor countries throughout the world. We know that AIDS is a complex disease that requires a comprehensive strategy. I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Obey), our minority leader, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the Congressional Black Caucus, and all of those who have worked very hard to raise the level of funding for global AIDS programs in this bill. Last month, however, our efforts to do even more to increase global AIDS funding was derailed by the President. This was a total outrage, given the administration's stated commitment to lead in fighting this scourge. I attended the 14th International Conference on AIDS in Barcelona and heard from AIDS experts, activists, and people living with AIDS who demanded treatment now. There are 28 million people in Africa living with HIV and AIDS, but only 30,000, 30,000, who receive treatment, in comparison to nearly 100 percent of the people in the United States who need treatment and receive it. At the conference, alarming statistics and forecasts indicated that HIV infections are not decreasing, nor are they leveling off. They are growing. This crisis will only continue to worsen. Today, there are over 40 million people living with AIDS. By 2010, we will see more than 100 million new AIDS cases unless we step up to the plate. China, Russia, and India are ticking time bombs. We must put at least $1 billion into the trust fund, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay a special birthday tribute to Ms. Ida Hill-Moore, who will be celebrating her 80th birthday on Saturday, July 20th. Ms. Hill-Moore was born in Columbia, South Carolina and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She attended Detroit Public schools, after which she attended many institutions of higher education. Ida Hill-Moore has dedicated her life to her family and friends in all of the communities in which she has lived. She loved her two sons, John and Jeffery, very dearly. Sadly, both have passed away. In 1957, Ms. Hill-Moore moved to Los Angeles, California, where she worked for the Los Angeles Police Department. Afterward, she worked for the prestigious Los Angeles County Museum. Ms. Hill-Moore has a long history of civic duty and continues to remain active in her community. She has served as a Member of the Conference of Concerned Citizens, and she is the current President of Angeles Place residential home. I am proud to join Ms. Hill-Moore's family and friends as we celebrate her commitment and dedication to her family, friends and humanity itself. Today, I wish you a very happy birthday.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank our ranking member, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), for his leadership, and also the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor) for crafting a very excellent, bipartisan bill. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5121, this year's legislative branch appropriations act. I especially thank the chairman and the ranking member for the provision which includes our student loan for House employees. I want to give a huge thanks to the lead cosponsor of a bill I introduced early last year, H.R. 2555, which incorporated these student loan provisions, to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). The gentleman's work on both the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch appropriations and as ranking member of the Committee on House Administration has been exemplary and tireless on this issue. We could not have done this without the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), so I want to say thanks to the gentleman. I am sure all of our House employees would like to thank the gentleman also today. Just a bit of history on this provision. Early last year, I introduced H.R. 2555 with the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) as the lead cosponsor. This bill would have provided student loan forgiveness for all legislative branch employees. I tried to offer an amendment in last year's legislative branch appropriations bill, but it was not allowed by the Committee on Rules. While I was pleased that subsequently Senate employees were included in the other body's version of the legislative branch appropriations act, and the Capitol Police were included in other legislation last year, we had hoped that we could have included all Hill staff. Once again, I am very thankful to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor), to the ranking member, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for their inclusion of loan forgiveness provisions this year. As a former House staff member and as the employer of a number of staffers who have a great deal of student loans, I strongly support loan forgiveness for all legislative branch employees. I believe it is essential that we establish such a program for the legislative branch. Employees on Capitol Hill on average earn less than their executive branch counterparts, but they still have the same student loan debt. Executive branch and Senate employees have loan forgiveness, and our congressional employees should have it also. They work long hours, and they provided the expertise for us to deliberate public policy for the betterment of our country and for the entire world. Loan forgiveness is really an excellent tool for attracting and retaining the fantastic staff that we work with each and every day. It is also one of the important ways that we can compete with the private sector, which really does offer higher salaries and other benefits. Many young people want to come to work for the United States Congress and dedicate themselves to public service, but they cannot afford to when they owe tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. This new program will make public service more attractive to them. Additionally, many support personnel in the legislative branch, many are Architect of the Capitol employees, cannot afford to go to college in the first place. So a student loan forgiveness program would be immensely helpful in allowing them to take college classes. The AOC staff work hard each and every day to make sure that our offices are clean and our buildings are well taken care of. But, unfortunately, they are one of the few categories of Hill staffers that were not included in this loan forgiveness program, and I am delighted that the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is committed to working with us to make sure that we include them, or at least attempt to once we get into conference. I think we owe it to the people who take care of us. We owe it to them to add them to this program, and I hope Members will join us in supporting this provision when we go to conference. In conclusion, I must thank my legislative director, Danielle LeClair, for her diligence, her focus, and hard work on this. Her staying the course did help us get this far. I also thank Mike Harrison on the staff of the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for his cooperation and hard work. Again, I thank the ranking member for really carrying out the provisions which were included in my legislation last year by expanding the student loan forgiveness program, and hope that we can work together as we move forward to include the AOC staff.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dezie Woods-Jones for her lifetime of distinguished public service. She has been a tireless community activist, civic and educational leader for more than 40 years. Dezie's long history of civic involvement began in high school, while working in the Civil Rights Movement. She served as President of the Fresno Youth Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), later becoming an organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and a national fundraiser for the Student Non- violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Ms. Woods-Jones has continued to demonstrate her commitment to social and economic equity by striving to empower women and working with young people. She joined the Peralta Community College District in 1969, as Director of the Merritt College Outreach Center. During her 34-year career, she served as an administrator of Student Services, Community Relations, and Governmental Affairs. First and foremost, however, Dezie considers herself an instructor and teacher. Indeed, she has taught all of us so much. Ms. Woods-Jones was the first woman to run for the office of Mayor of Oakland. She was elected to the Oakland City Council in June of 1991 and served as the City's Vice Mayor from 1996-1997. While in office, Ms. Woods-Jones served as Chair of the Rules Committee, the Finance and Legislation Committee, and the Health and Human Services Committee. After her term ended, she returned to the Peralta Community College District and presided as Vice Chancellor for External Affairs. Over the years, she has continued her community activism, working diligently on behalf of the underprivileged and disenfranchised, particularly on behalf of youth and women. Dezie Woods-Jones was a founding member of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) and has served as the organization's president for over 30 years. She is also founder of Black Women Organized for Educational Development and its outreach arm, the Black Women's Resource Center. Ms. Woods-Jones' commitment to the Oakland/Bay Area community is indeed unparalleled. She has been part of the Alameda County Interagency Task Force, the Greater Oakland International Trade Center Board of Directors, Chair of the Oakland Community Policing Advisory Board, and President of the Oakland Private Industry Council. Her outstanding service has been recognized by the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the American Heart Association, the City and County of San Francisco, the City of Oakland, the State of California, and the Congress of the United States of America. Finally, as we honor Dezie Woods-Jones today, I want to thank her on behalf of the entire 9th Congressional District of California for being a great friend and leader. Dezie has shared with me her wisdom and has given me support. I have known Dezie since the early 1970's and continue to be inspired by her optimism, her energy, her boldness, her intellect, her heart, and her soul. Those who meet her cannot forget her incredible sense of style and exquisite hats. She is a true role model who continues to touch the lives of women--young and old--in magnificent ways. Her love for people transcends race and gender. I take great pride in joining Ms. Woods-Jones' friends, family, and colleagues to salute the extraordinary Dezie Woods-Jones. Her Spirit soars even through difficult times. What a remarkable woman!

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, this weekend in Barcelona, Spain, 15,000 people came together for the 14th International AIDS Conference for Knowledge and Commitment for Action. I had the privilege to participate in this very important conference and can say with certainty that while Congress and the administration are waking up to the desperate call of millions of individuals living with HIV and AIDS, and those yet to be born to this scourge, we are still not doing enough. Let me bring the Members up to date on this global pandemic. In 2001, there were 5 million new AIDS infections across the globe. Today there are 40 million people living with AIDS worldwide, and there are 14 million AIDS orphans. In the United States, 950,000 have been diagnosed with AIDS. African Americans make up only 13 percent of the total United States population, but 54 percent of new infections and 82 percent of women who are newly infected with HIV are African American and Hispanic. In my district in Oakland, California, we declared a state of emergency in order to focus attention on this tragic, tragic crisis. The latest statistics indicate that the number of new infections is slowing in Alameda County; yet we must do more. AIDS is a disease that affects the entire human family. It has impacted every corner of the Earth. Therefore, we must discuss this problem in a global context. We must address prevention, treatment, vaccines, access, and funding in a comprehensive fashion. At the conference, I heard repeated over and over again that while developing a vaccine we must help developing countries develop the required heath care delivery systems and infrastructure to ensure equal access. We cannot repeat the pattern we have seen on the African continent where access to anti-retroviral drugs and AIDS treatment are far from equal. Currently in Africa more than 28 million people are living with HIV and AIDS. However, only 30,000 are in treatment. In comparison to the United States, nearly 100 percent of people who are infected are in treatment and they need it and they receive it. At the conference we again engaged the ongoing debate over prevention versus treatment. Most concluded, and rightfully so, that it must not be an either/or dilemma. Working to prevent the mother-to-child transmission must not exclude keeping the mother, father and child alive. Once again, there is no way we should buy into an either/or strategy. While I am pleased that President Bush has acknowledged the need for drugs to reduce mother-to-child transmissions, that is only one component of what should be a multifaceted approach to tackling this pandemic. In Barcelona at a remarkable AIDS march for life, thousands came together to call for treatment now and presented the Barcelona Declaration, which was read into the opening session of the conference. This declaration called for securing donations of $10 billion per year for global AIDS; antiretroviral treatment for at least 2 million people with HIV/AIDS in the developing world by 2004; lower affordable drug prices and universal access to generics in the developing world; and a new global partnership between government and NGOs. Mr. Speaker, the entire Barcelona Declaration is as follows: Barcelona Declaration $10 billion for aids treatment 2 million people worldwide in treatment by 2004 Whereas every single day AIDS claims 8,500 lives, or the equivalent of three World Trade Center disasters daily; Whereas by December 2001, 40 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, and by 2005 an estimated 100 million will be infected; Whereas more than 40 million children--most of them in developing nations--will be orphaned by AIDS by 2010; Whereas the World Health Organization this year has stated that anti-retroviral treatment is medically essential and has issued specific treatment guidelines, monitoring standards and regimen recommendations; Whereas those on treatment represent less than 2% of all those infected with HIV because such treatment is almost completely unavailable in developing nations; Whereas over 500 non-governmental organizations globally have endorsed the Barcelona March for Life, which demands treatment access to at least 2 million individuals in the developing world by the time of the 2004 International Conference on AIDS in Bangkok; Whereas these organizations represent AIDS activists from Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands, Australia, Europe, Central and South America, and North America Therefore, we declare as activists pledged to life for all persons with HIV/AIDS that we are committed to the following goals: 1. Securing donation of $10 billion dollars per year for global AIDS; 2. Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for at least two million people with HIV/AIDS in the developing world by the 2004 Bangkok AIDS conference; 3. Lower, affordable ARV drug prices in the developed world and universal access to generics in the developing world by Bangkok, 2004; and 4. A new global partnership between government and NGOs recognizing the primary role of NGOs in the global fight against AIDS. We call on the delegates of the Barcelona International AIDS Conference to pledge themselves to these goals. Now, I must mention a very disappointing turn of events leading up to the Barcelona conference. Many African delegates, especially those living with HIV and AIDS, were singled out and denied visas by Spain for questionable reasons. Therefore, the conference did not benefit from the insights of those living with this disease at its epicenter in Africa. We lost the voices we heard at the 13th conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2000. In Barcelona we heard many strategies and staggering statistics of lives destroyed, but we also heard models of hope. In Uganda, Thailand and Senegal, for example, strong national leadership partnered with community-wide response are reducing new HIV infections and AIDS diagnoses and focusing on treatment measures for their people. We must continue to support these efforts by increasing U.S. bilateral and multilateral funding for vital AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs. I am even more convinced that the United States must put at least, and this is a minimum, just at least $1 billion into the global trust fund for starters. Dr. Peter Piot, the director of UNAIDS, said that a $10 billion effort will only begin to make a dent in this crisis. We will never see a favorable result in a crisis of this magnitude if we continue to nickel and dime our efforts. I agree that we must streamline bureaucracies and facilitate better coordination, but that should happen while we ramp up our response. Together in a bipartisan effort we must now move forward with appropriate significant resources for this life-and-death effort. It is time to put our money where our mouth is. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and his very diligent staff, and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), and his staff, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) and Mary Andrus of his staff, and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), and Michael Riggs of my staff for making HIV/AIDS a priority of the Committee on International Relations.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) for her leadership on health issues as well as on each and every issue that affects Americans on a daily basis, and also I want to just thank the gentlewoman for organizing this special order, because oftentimes health care remains under the radar, and I thank the gentlewoman for raising the level of awareness of this issue for all Americans, because for the wealthiest country in the world which claims liberty and justice for all, the fact that there are 44 million people without health insurance is really a shame and disgrace. The fact that the bulk of the uninsured are low income and people of color is really no surprise. Although our Nation has a record low unemployment level, we still have one in six Americans who do not have health insurance. How fair and how just is that? Most Americans receive health insurance through their employers, but millions lack coverage because their employers do not offer insurance or simply cannot afford to pay it. Medicaid covers 40 million low income individuals, but millions more do not meet its limiting income and eligibility requirements because of really, quite frankly, savage welfare reform restrictions, leaving the most vulnerable uninsured. Although State Children's Health Insurance Program is supposed to cover all low income children, 16 million low income children still remain uninsured. Who are the uninsured? The uninsured are predominantly workers and their families, low income people, and oftentimes people of color. Fifty-six percent of the uninsured population is low income and nearly one in five of the uninsured are low income children. Although people of color comprise only 34 percent of the population, over half of the Nation's uninsured are minorities. Twenty percent of those uninsured are African-Americans and 34 percent are Hispanic. In my own district we have one of the only organizations studying the disparities in the minority community. The Ethnic Health Institute is a community service of Summit Medical Center engaged in coordinating health education, research, health provider training and community outreach and awareness for the entire community with a very special focus on the underserved and community of color. We must correct this imbalance in access which results in racial and ethnic disparities in care, and I am very proud that the Ethnic Health Institute is a wonderful example of an organization committed to this goal. People of color and the underserved bear a real disproportionate burden of mortality and morbidity rates across a wide range of health conditions. Mortality is a cruel indicator of health status and demonstrates how critical these disparities are for minorities. For African-Americans and Latinos, these disparities begin early in life and they persist. African-American infant mortality rates are more than double those of whites, 14 percent versus 6 percent; and the rate for Latinos is 9 percent compared to 6 percent for whites. The death rate for African-Americans is 55 percent higher for whites, with AIDS being the sixth leading cause of death for African American males. I could go on and on with the multitude of statistics that clearly illustrates the stark disparities that exist for people of color. Yet the point remains that these disparities are the result of a lack of insurance, lack of access to health care, and, of course, still we are dealing with the economic divide. Health insurance is important because it impacts health outcomes. Nearly 40 percent of the uninsured have no regular source of health care and use emergency care more due to avoiding higher costs of regular business. This situation creates an ongoing cycle of adults and children skipping routine checkups for common conditions, recommended tests, and treatments because of the financial burden resulting in serious illnesses that are, of course, more costly. The uninsured are more likely than those with insurance to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been avoided such as the flu. I would ask my colleagues, are the people dying who have no access to health care, are they really important to you? Is it because mainly that they are maybe children or poorer people of color or the working class that really blinds us all to their importance? I do not believe that this is the message that any of us want to send, but that is the message that is being communicated. The message that we must have then, however, is that universal health care, which provides high quality health care, should be provided without discrimination. This challenges us as Americans to take another look at the fundamental role of government. We must do this if we are ever to achieve an equitable health care system, and I am totally convinced that sooner or later we must really come to grips with the fact that as long as the profit motive is central to our own health care system, and as long as health care remains big business, an industry, we will never have equal access to health care. Universal health care is the only way we can provide equal access and fairness to our health care system. The uninsured are suffering, and if we do not acknowledge health care, sooner or later, as a basic human right, our society's most vulnerable will continue to grow. Our Nation is the only industrialized nation that does not have a health insurance program for everyone and our health care system is truly failing. So we should make health care accessible. We should make health care affordable. We should really make health care a guarantee, and I want to once again thank my colleague from Wisconsin for continuing to beat the drum on health care and for calling us all down here tonight so we can ensure that our country knows that there are many Members of Congress who are going to insist that this be part of our legislative agenda.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding and for his leadership on this and so many issues that we face and address in this House. As the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) has indicated, we are facing a crisis of confidence in this country, a crisis in corporate America. In the last 9 months we have seen major corporation after major corporation fall because of greed, fraud and mismanagement. From Enron to Global Crossing to WorldCom, the failures of these businesses mean that millions of Americans are hurt. Workers lose their jobs, investors lose their profits in the stock market, retirees lose their pensions. It seems that we have a culture, really, of deceit in the corporate world. From what we have learned recently, there apparently is collusion oftentimes between the corporation, the auditors and the analysts, who at the very least turn a blind eye to misdeeds and at most are really committing serious crimes that are defrauding the public, the government and investors. What message are we really sending to the rest of the world when we in the United States so often criticize them for their corporate corruption? At the same time people are losing their jobs and life savings, greedy executives are managing not only to survive, but to flourish. They are taking huge bonuses and, in some cases, even hundreds of millions of dollars in loans, while the rest of their workers are being forced out with nothing. This is just downright criminal. The corporations themselves are committing fraud by engaging in creative accounting. The auditors, such as Arthur Andersen, who are entrusted with ensuring the financial stability of these businesses, are really turning a blind eye to this fraud because of conflicts of interest between their auditing and consulting functions. And Wall Street analysts are compromising their integrity by recommending their customers buy stocks even when they have information that the companies are not in good shape because of their own conflict of interest between investment banking and analyst functions. We must pass true accounting reform. In April, the House of Representatives passed really a sham accounting bill, H.R. 3763, the so-called Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act. This Republican corporate cover, that is what it is, this legislation does nothing to protect employees and investors. It allows corporate auditors to continue to perform both accounting and consulting functions. It does not hold corporate wrongdoers accountable if they knowingly release misleading financial statements. It does not increase oversight of the accounting industry. We need to support the bill of the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), which would, among other things, ban auditors from consulting services that create conflicts of interest. Just this week, the Committee on Financial Services, on which I serve, held a hearing on the issue of the WorldCom failure. I was shocked, quite frankly shocked, to witness the total disregard for our oversight responsibility by the former CEO, Bernard Ebbers, and the former CFO, Scott Sullivan. Their consistent invoking of the Fifth Amendment did not allow for much insight into what happened. Their reluctance to provide our committee with necessary information so that we could be better prepared to put into place statutes to ensure corporate accountability was very, very disturbing. What more are they hiding? We know that Mr. Ebbers received a $400 million loan, which he has not repaid, from WorldCom because of some bad investments he made. When he became subject to market calls, instead of selling his WorldCom stock, which he reportedly used as collateral, he went to his company and asked for loans so it would not look bad that the CEO was dumping tens of hundreds of millions of dollars of company stock. When a working parent wants to send their child to college, they cannot go to their boss and expect a handout to cover the cost. When an adult child needs help to help their parents buy prescription drugs, their employer does not hand them thousands of dollars. When a family member gets in an accident and runs up thousands in medical costs and they end up in bankruptcy, they are unable to secure loans from their employer. Most ordinary working people do not have access to loans from their employer, let alone over $400 million in loans, and CEOs really should not either. We need to prevent CEOs and other top executives from securing huge loans from their own companies to bail them out of bad investments. Many corporations are using offshore locations, including those in the Caribbean, to avoid paying United States Federal income taxes. Allowing U.S. corporations to avoid their tax liability is not only unfair, but also contributes to our deficit. I have cosponsored, along with many, H.R. 3884, the Corporate Patriot Enforcement Act, which prevents corporations from avoiding U.S. income taxes by reincorporating in a foreign country. Now what about corporate ethics? Isn't there a moral or ethical code in the business world? Shouldn't there be? We heard at the WorldCom hearing about a ``close personal relationship'' the chief analyst at Salomon Smith Barney, Mr. Jack Grubman, had with former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers. I asked Mr. Grubman if his relationship with Mr. Ebbers was a working relationship as he stated, or a personal relationship as had been reported. He danced around his answer. At this week's hearing, Representative Jay Inslee from Washington asked the witnesses very pointedly about whether it was time to punish corporate criminals the same way people convicted of drug offenses are. I have always been opposed to mandatory minimums for drug offenses, which mostly affect low-income, urban minorities. However, if we are to be tough on crime, why don't we pass mandatory ten-year prison sentences for those convicted of fraud and other corporate crimes for the mostly upper-income executives? President Bush yesterday called for a doubling of maximum sentences--but what about strong minimum sentences? This President supports mandatory minimums for those convicted of drug offenses and he should support them for corporate criminals who defraud their corporations and our Nation. As a member of the International Relations Committee, I participated in a hearing on international corruption and how U.S. companies were harmed when unfair practices were prevalent in other nations. Our then- Chairman and Ranking Member both talked about how corruption ``undermines the basis of growth and stability,'' ``deters investment,'' ``demoralizes entrepreneurs and ordinary citizens who deserve good government.'' They also testified about how in Asia and Africa, ``democracies are threatened by corrupt practices of the government.'' I would argue that the United States is facing such a problem today. We must also clean our own house. One last quote from the 2000 hearing was: ``If we believe in democracy, and we want to build a system where the world has faith in its elected leaders, we need to make sure that we get rid of corruption.'' I for one want to have faith in the elected leaders in this Nation, starting at the top-- President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The American people must be able to trust the leadership in this country--the leaders of major corporations which are so important to our economy, but also to our political leadership. We know that last year, President Bush authorized his energy task force, headed by Vice President Cheney, with participation by Kenneth Lay, the former Enron CEO. In my home state of California, we know that there was manipulation of rates in the energy market and all signs point to Enron. The question remains what role the Bush Administration--both the President and Vice President--may have played in the California energy crisis as a result of their close relationship with Enron and its CEO. More recently, we have discovered that President Bush, while serving on the auditing committee and Board of Directors for Harken Energy Corporation in 1990, sold over 200,000 shares of that company's stock just 2 months before it announced losses. That stock subsequently lost \3/4\ of its value by the end of that year--well after George W. Bush was informed that there was a cash ``crisis'' at Harken. In addition, President Bush neglected to report this transaction with the SEC until almost a year later, a violation of SEC rules, stating the SEC ``lost'' the file, although the SEC stated in 1991 that it never received it. We, as elected officials, need to set a good example. I hope that President Bush and Vice President Cheney will be forthcoming with the details of these disturbing incidents. However, instead of coming clean with the details of these irregularities, the Bush-Cheney team seems to be more intent on offering its ``Corporate Protection Plan.'' At yesterday's press conference, the President announced a weak plan for corporate responsibility. We need to make clear how his plan falls far short of what's needed to reform the inherent flaws in our capitalist system, which seems to be exacerbating corporate fraud and crime. President Bush asked for $100 million additional dollars for the SEC. However, the House already passed a bipartisan bill providing an extra $195 million above that amount for the SEC. This includes over $70 million for pay parity so that the SEC can attract and retain qualified investigators to look into this corporate crime. The President also asked for doubling the maximum jail sentence for corporate offenders--from 5 to 10 years--but only for mail and wire fraud, not for securities fraud. This is simply not enough. We need systemic change to prevent the crimes. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I call on the President to put some teeth into his proposal. The American public needs to be able to count on their political leadership and corporations to be honest. Workers must have faith in their companies for their livelihood. Stockholders must have faith in the companies they invest their hard-earned money in. And retirees must have faith in the companies their pensions are invested in. We need true reforms. Let's restore the faith of the public. Let's end this corporate corruption now!

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Absolutely. People have a right to basic health care, basic food, and basic shelter. There is no way that we should be party to creating more misery, and by our blocking funds which have already been negotiated; these are contracts that have already been signed off on, and for us to block that creates even more misery which creates even more instability, so it becomes a vicious cycle. And I believe, as all Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, as does the gentleman, that we must make sure that we take the moral high ground on this and encourage the loans to be released so that we can move forward to assist the people of Haiti, because they so deserve to be assisted.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am cautiously optimistic. I believe that there is a team that went down to Haiti to begin to look at what is going on in the four sectors and we have urged, and I believe the gentleman participated in the meeting, the bank officials to really understand why these loans should be released, and regardless of whatever the political situation is, that the humanitarian assistance is very important to prevent misery and untold deaths which are now occurring as a result of no funding being there.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for his leadership and for organizing tonight's special order on the humanitarian crisis in Haiti. I also want to acknowledge the leadership of the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek), the chairperson for the Congressional Black Caucus' Haiti Task Force, for her strong commitment to the people of Haiti. For the past several months I have worked with my colleagues here in Congress to communicate to the White House that it is really time to revisit, now, United States policy toward Haiti. Since the 2000 elections, Haiti has been in a political impasse, as the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) mentioned. This impasse has framed U.S. policy in such a way that very little bilateral assistance is being sent to Haiti and all multilateral assistance has totally been blocked. Despite the political problems, we have been increasingly aware of the humanitarian crisis which is brewing in Haiti. Much of this crisis can be directly pinned to the social sector resources being blocked from the small island nation. In fact, the United States representative to the Inter-American Development Bank directed the bank's president to block disbursal of four social sector loans to Haiti. These loans had been approved by the bank's board of directors and were ratified by the Haitian parliament. Considering Haiti's current crisis, this action is really inexcusable. In April, I was joined by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and all 38 of my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus as we introduced legislation that would decouple political impasse from the humanitarian crisis in Haiti. This legislation is called the New Partnership for Haiti Resolution, which now has over 60 cosponsors. So I strongly urge my colleagues to join us by signing on as a cosponsor on a bipartisan basis to this resolution. I have learned today in a Dow Jones International news report that what may be the last attempt by the OAS Secretary General to mediate an end to a 2-year-old political impasse has failed. It is clear that efforts to come to a resolution are not working. Furthermore, we really cannot wait to end the political impasse, because humanitarian relief must be sent. We cannot wait any longer. The time has come for the United States to demonstrate strong leadership by reforming its policy toward Haiti. The United States policy of stalling the delivery of international humanitarian aid to Haiti is fostering instability and anarchy in this struggling democracy. Haiti's miserable poverty is indisputable. Furthermore, we can no longer bury our heads in the sand on this issue. Without strong United States leadership, the crisis will continue to spiral out of control. Already, the national rate of persons with HIV and AIDS has risen to 300,000, or 4 percent of the entire population, leaving 163 children orphaned. The infant mortality rate has increased to 74 deaths out of every 1,000 babies born, and now, five mothers will die out of the same number of births. Mr. Speaker, 125 patients die daily of disease- related illnesses. While most of the Western world has eradicated diseases like polio, health officials report that many Haitians do not have the resources to pay for lifesaving vaccinations for their children. This is just morally unacceptable. We must remember that many diseases know no boundaries. The doctor-to-patient ratio has fallen to 1 to 11,000, leaving very little chance that sick persons in the rural areas will ever get even the basic health care. So it is unacceptable to simply stand by and watch a season of misery inflict pain, suffering, and death on human beings right here in our own neighborhood. We must address this injustice. We must release IBD funds to Haiti. It is really our moral imperative, and we must urge President Bush to step up to the plate.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I express my opposition to this sham bill that is particularly harmful to senior women. This is a shame.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, the House GOP Leadership has gagged Democrats, seniors, and our disabled community by not allowing the chance to first offer and debate a real prescription drug plan. This undermines our democracy, and the true meaning of representative government. The growing elderly community, most of whom live on a fixed income, consistently pay ridiculously high costs for prescription drugs. Many in the disabled community, who are often ignored in this debate, are also forced to pay an enormous amount. The high price of prescription drugs must not concern the Republican member in this House, because they are only willing to cover less than 25% of the Medicare beneficiaries. This is opposite of the Democratic substitute that would have guaranteed a benefit to everyone. Democrats know that we must provide government guaranteed comprehensive drug coverage. Under the Democratic plan we would have ensured that seniors, and people with disabilities have affordable, comprehensive, and guaranteed access to prescription drug coverage. But nothing Democratic really matters here today. The Republican plan allows privatization. They continue to protect their big business donors and corporate bedfellows. In my own district, Oakland, CA, elderly and disabled are paying up to $2,000 more a year for basic drugs than those in Canada, Europe, and Japan. This another example of dramatic price discrimination. Democrats understand that this is unfair and we implore seniors across the country to stand up to the bully-tactics that the Republicans continue to use. Women need prescription drugs too! More than half of the nearly 40 million Medicare beneficiaries are women. Let me remind the Republicans that although insurance plans routinely cover prescription drugs, they fail to cover prescription contraceptives and related medical visits and exams. Women on Medicare spend 20% more than men on prescription drugs, especially since prescription drugs are important for treating chronic illnesses which increase in age. Maybe Republicans need to be reminded that the average woman on Medicare spends 22% of her income on out-of-pocket health care expenses, including prescription drugs. And this is worse for poor women without insurance. For poor women this figure rises to 53%. I'm sure that seniors, the disabled community, and women would like to know what they could received under the Democratic plan: a $25 monthly premium; a $100 yearly deductible; 80/20 cost sharing between Medicare beneficiaries, a $2,000 maximum for medicate beneficiaries, and a sliding scale for low income individuals for up to 150% of median income. But we have been muzzled. We cannot even debate a real prescription drug plan. What a shame! What a sham.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for participating and also for his forward-thinking and visionary work on housing, drugs, AIDS, and criminal justice reform, and on each and every issue the gentleman tackles in this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) for this Special Order, and to urge the American people to really wake up in terms of this housing agenda, to know that there are some in Congress who are desperately trying to ensure that we have a national housing trust fund and a national housing production effort so that those who want to purchase a home or rent a home and who need shelter will be able to afford that. Once again, that is basic to a person and a family's human dignity; and they deserve to live the American dream. And for many, it is, quite frankly, becoming a nightmare.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for raising this discussion to another level in terms of the importance of self-esteem and one's dignity with regard to access to decent and affordable housing. Let me share something very personal. When I was a child, my grandfather in Texas urged us never, ever, ever to rent. If we had to, okay; but he said always try to buy a house. So I grew up in a household with a grandfather who spoke of homeownership as a vehicle to living the American dream. When I was 19 years old, I was able to buy my first house, and that house cost me $19,475. Because of that through many, many challenges and difficulties through life, I was able to send my two children through college and start a small business; but it was all because of that one purchase of a young woman, single, on public assistance. I was able to buy a house and move forward from there. I think so many young people deserve that access so they can do some of the things that they may want to do in life.

Ms. LEE. Let me just thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for this Special Order tonight and also for her leadership over the years and for her mentorship since I have been in Congress with regard to the critical needs of rural housing as well as urban housing. I want to thank her for her assistance in working with my community, which is one of the least affordable communities, least affordable regions in the country to live, to help us bring affordable housing strategies to Alameda County, Oakland, Berkeley, the East Bay. I thank her for coming to our district to look at what challenges we are faced with. The unprecedented economic growth in the United States has done very little to relieve the problems of low-income households. While the nationwide home ownership rate is approaching 70 percent, the African American and Latino home ownership rates pale in comparison at a close to probably 46 percent. Now, in my work as a member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity of the Committee on Financial Services, I am working with my colleagues consistently on meaningful housing legislation and on a meaningful housing agenda. Of the 3.9 million low- income households to be considered working poor, over two-thirds pay 30 percent or more of their incomes to housing costs, with one-quarter paying over half of their incomes. In 39 States, 40 percent or more of renters cannot afford fair market rate rent for a 2-bedroom unit, and that is why creating more affordable housing and home ownership should really be our focus. As we heard earlier, the Congressional Black Caucus continues to support programs that are improving access to affordable housing and homeownership because sound fiscal policy really must leave no one behind. Everyone has a right to decent, affordable housing. That should really be a basic human right. Recently, President Bush announced a new goal to help increase the number of minority homeowners by at least 5.5 million before the end of the decade. Although this is a great idea and I applaud the President for bringing this to the forefront of our national agenda, the reality is that members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been setting goals for minority ownership for many years. As a matter of fact, our Congressional Black Caucus Foundation initiated the WOW Initiative in 2000. WOW's goal is 1 million African American and minority homeowners by the year 2005. Many of my colleagues reiterate the importance of not recreating the wheel. I agree. That is why it is hard to understand why the President would recreate an existing program and not fund it. When I say not fund it, creating new funds that we need to establish a down payment assistance program, increasing funding for current home buyer programs, and supporting a national housing trust fund which would use surplus FHA dollars for homeownership and a housing production program in our country. Consistently, since the Bush administration has drafted budgets, they seem to really negate the promise of homeownership and fair and quality housing. President Bush has cut the HUD budget this year and fights the creation of a national housing production program. Very recently, I believe last year, he cut the drug elimination program which our public housing authorities and tenants need so desperately to live in safe and secure homes. Today we began the markup of a major housing bill, and the debate was very spirited and very interesting; but in some ways very appalling. Those who really do not believe that the Federal Government should ensure decent and affordable housing for everyone really spoke their minds today. It was very clear that the trillions of dollars in tax cuts that the Republicans on our committee believe need to be the priority for our country, really do not see that basic housing, affordable housing through a production program makes sense. It makes sense in the sense that it is a job-creation effort. It creates an economic, vital country with the creation of thousands, maybe millions, of jobs in home building. It provides for additional units. Everywhere that I go and every witness who has come to our committee, which we heard about earlier, has said yes, a housing production program is badly needed. The builders, banks, Realtors, faith-based organizations, bar none, Republicans, Democrats, the business community, we all know that a housing production program is sorely needed. We also tried today to put an amendment in, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) and myself, to say basically a new down payment assistance program for low-income buyers, if the localities and local governments believe this is useful, provide foreclosure assistance and counseling to ensure that those homes that first-time home buyers purchase are secure from foreclosure and basic literacy education with regard to what it means to buy a house is really needed. On a bipartisan vote, we could not get the votes to put that modest amendment into the bill. I say this tonight because it is so important that we understand and recognize that a decent, affordable home is basic to survival and basic to a family's ability to live the American dream. For many of us, especially for minority communities, homeownership is the only way to acquire any wealth, any equity, in looking at the American dream as a way to finance our children's college education, start a small business, or whatever. It is not the stock market, it is not mutual funds, it is not the financial instruments that those who have money utilize to make money. It is homeownership that we use to really become part of this great society. I want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus and my colleague from North Carolina for this Special Order tonight. I hope that sooner or later affordable housing becomes a national priority. Education, health care, the environment, our national priorities should be about putting people first. In putting people first, affordable housing, the right to live in dignity, should be basic to our list of priorities. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Maryland who has been a leader on so many issues is going to discuss how he views housing and priorities in this Congress.