Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her statement and also for her major contributions in bringing her medical expertise and her commitment to the body politic here in the United States Congress. Now, I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), a real leader on consumer issues, on banking issues, and on women's health issues. She has been very focused in terms of her commitment to access to medicines and to treatment for those living with HIV and AIDS.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, tonight I would like to begin by thanking Minority Leader Gephardt for allowing tonight's Special Orders to be held to increase the awareness of the AIDS pandemic which is reeking havoc on Africa, the Caribbean, and many other developing nations throughout the world. Africa, however, is the epicenter of this human tragedy. I rise tonight to express my strong opposition to the lawsuit filed against the South African government by 39 pharmaceutical companies. In 1997, the South African government passed the Medicines Act which would allow the manufacturing and the importation of generic life-saving AIDS medicines. Through this lawsuit, however, the pharmaceuticals would all but halt those opportunities; and this is just downright wrong. While this suit has been postponed at the request of the pharmaceutical companies, it is slated to be heard by the South African Justice Department in the near future. Should this lawsuit proceed, there is a dangerous potential for life-saving AIDS medicines to be pushed further out of reach for AIDS patients and communities throughout the world and for those who need them the most. While some pharmaceutical companies have taken steps to lower the costs of these medications, and I applaud their initiatives, life- saving medications still remain far out of reach for millions of people living with AIDS. Ninety percent of the world's 36 million people with HIV face a death sentence, a death sentence because they cannot afford medication because they are poor and because they live in the developing world. For example, in countries like Zimbabwe and Swaziland, the average life expectancy was 65 to 70 years of age. As a direct impact of AIDS, those rates have decreased to 30 to 35 years of age. This is staggering. In Zimbabwe, it is estimated that one-quarter of all Zimbabweans are infected with HIV. In Botswana, there is a 50 percent chance that teenage girls and boys will contract HIV if a sustained strategy to prevent new HIV infections is not instituted. In wealthy countries, including the United States, people living with AIDS is treatable. In all of Africa, where more than 70 percent of HIV cases are concentrated and where more than 70 percent of AIDS deaths have already occurred, HIV-infected people face painful, painful death, with no hope of treatment because the essential AIDS medications are just too expensive. They want the drugs but cannot afford the prices set by drug companies. We must not tolerate the current policy which dictates that life with a manageable illness is possible if one is wealthy or if one has money; however, death from AIDS is certain if one is poor. The African AIDS crisis has spurred a tremendous public outcry for relief, and AIDS patients are demanding the right to live and demanding the basic human right to affordable treatment. The South Africa Medicines Act provides the crucial legal clearance required for South Africa to obtain affordable life-extending generic HIV drugs. But the drug companies claim that the South African Medicines Act is criminal and unfairly robs them of their rights to unfettered patent monopoly. But I say that this lawsuit is criminal. Everyone from international patent experts to the World Health Organization agrees that the South African Medicine Act is perfectly legally sound. While drug companies paralyze the Medicines Act in court, South Africans face preventable deaths. According to UNAIDS, every day, 6,000, 6,000 more South Africans die from AIDS. The continent of Africa accounts for only 1.3 percent of the global pharmaceutical market in part because the average person lives on less than $300 per year. That is $300 per year, while the average AIDS treatment may cost as much as $15,000 per year. The multinational pharmaceutical industry is not concerned with African profits. But the drug industry fears the growing awareness on the part of American taxpayers that pills cost pennies to manufacture. The drug industry also fears that the growing awareness that a large percentage of research and development costs are born by United States taxpayers, and the taxpayer-funded inventions are often licensed for a pittance to the world's most profitable industry. The drug industry fears that this growing awareness will reduce the willingness of United States consumers and public programs to continue to pay the extraordinarily high prices in our own country. While I call on the United States Congress to stand with the South African government and with people living with AIDS fighting this lawsuit, we must also redouble our efforts in ending this devastating crisis in South Africa, in the Caribbean, everywhere where drug company profiteering keeps essential drugs out of reach of the poor. We must oppose the lawsuit in South Africa, instead offer concrete support to countries committed to curtailing the AIDS crisis through access to affordable treatment. We need life-saving action, not litigation, not lawsuits. HIV-infected persons have a basic right to vital medicines for prevention and treatment of AIDS and must have access to drugs for treatment of opportunistic infections. These are infections related to HIV and AIDS such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, shingles and to anti- retroviral agents. In this debate, it is extremely important to recognize that access to HIV and AIDS medications is only one part of the solution to our devastating human tragedy in Africa and throughout the word. The United Nations' program on HIV and AIDS estimates that it will cost $3 billion to address HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa alone. That is $3 billion in 1 year only. We need a comprehensive effort to address HIV and AIDS throughout the developing world. While we provide some support for HIV-AIDS education and prevention initiatives, we must increase development and infrastructure building, particularly as it relates to health care delivery systems and long-term health management strategies. A severe lack of basic health and economic infrastructure does impede our ability to combat the HIV and AIDS crisis in Africa, the Caribbean and throughout the world. Building the bridge between public and private sectors and bringing foreign investors to the table is also central to our strategy in eradicating this disease. These are the crucial elements that are called for in the AIDS Marshall Plan. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my predecessor, Congressman Ron Dellums, for his clarity on this issue and his vision in determining a comprehensive response, and for beating the drug in every village, in every community and on every continent. This bridge must be built swiftly, otherwise our efforts will be for naught. The AIDS Marshall Plan and the World Bank AIDS trust fund provide a road map that leads to that bridge. Finally, heavily affected HIV and AIDS countries must receive complete multilateral and bilateral debt cancellation this year so they can respond to this crisis effectively. AIDS is decimating the continent of Africa and leaving behind millions of orphans in its wake. By 2010, there will be more AIDS orphans in Africa than there are children in America's public schools. This is truly mind boggling. We cannot sacrifice this generation of children on the altar of indifference. The AIDS epidemic has cut life expectancy by 25 years in some countries. It is a crisis of biblical proportions in Africa and puts the very survival of the continent at stake. This is not only a humanitarian crisis, it is a looming economic, political and social catastrophe. It is a national security threat. We must continue to raise awareness about the global crisis and this deadly disease and escalate our efforts to find solutions. HIV-AIDS is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is a disease that threatens the entire human family. Mr. Speaker, this Congress must continue its bipartisan efforts as we began last year under the strong leadership of the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) and my colleagues in the Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus' Health Brain Trust. She is a physician from the Virgin Islands, a region of our world where the epidemic is second in its hardest hit numbers in terms of infection rates.

Ms. LEE. I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois for a very clear, very passionate statement and for her consistent work on behalf of all humanity. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), a sponsor of the Affordable HIV/AIDS Medicines for Poor Countries Act. I also want to make sure that we recognize her tonight for actually leading the Congressional Black Caucus' effort in our initiatives on the whole HIV/AIDS pandemic on a global basis, a strong supporter of the AIDS Marshall Plan, and a leader in our debt relief efforts.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today sadly to support this legislation, which offers our condolences to the families and friends of those involved in the shooting last week at Santana High School in my home state of California. I want to personally express my deepest sympathies to the families of all the victims at Santee High School. Regrettably, another incident of school violence has left one of our communities grieving and looking for a way to prevent another terrible tragedy like the one that occurred in Santee. The bill before us today encourages communities to implement a wide variety of violence prevention services for our Nation's youth. I feel that one of the best violence prevention services is ensuring that we have adequate counselors available in our schools for troubled youth. While we may never know what causes some children to feel that violence is their only option to solve their problems, I believe that having a strong support system in place will show students that they have a safe place to go to when they are troubled. School counselors, psychologists, and social workers play a vital role in counseling students. As important as these counselors are, there are far too few of them in our schools. In some States, the ratio of students to counselors is over 1100 to 1, although the National Academy of Sciences recommends that ratio to be no higher than 250 to 1. In order to correct this situation, I will soon reintroduce my legislation to establish a grant program to allow states to hire additional school-based mental health and student service personnel-- counselors, psychologists, and social workers. My bill will authorize $100 million over five years for this purpose. We must have these counselors in our schools so that students can turn to them at times of crisis in their lives. Counselors do make a difference, and hopefully if they are available to more students, we can try to prevent terrible tragedies such as that at Santee High.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Bush tax cut plan, which discriminates against millions of families with children, especially minority families. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 55 percent of African American families and 56 percent of Latino families, including 12 million children, would not receive 1 penny of tax relief under the Bush tax plan. Let me read you a quote from a full page ad in the West Coast edition of the New York Times that ran last week. It says your proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut inadvertently puts our children at risk. Now this ad, this full page ad, was taken out by a multi-ethnic coalition of 38 church, community and small business associations in California, including the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the California Black Chamber of Commerce, and the National Council of Asian American Business Associations. President Bush states that he wants to unify the Nation, but his tax plan is not a unifying plan. It leaves out many minority families. Instead of huge tax breaks, we should spend any surplus on education, on housing, Social Security and paying off the debt. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following ad I mentioned in my remarks for the Record: [From the New York Times, Mar. 1, 2001] Open Letter to the President--We Support Your Pro-Child Inaugural Address: Please Create A Pro-Child Tax Cut ``And whatever our views of [poverty's] cause, we can agree that children at risk are not at fault. Abandonment and abuse are not acts of God, they are failures of love.'' (Inaugural Address, Jan. 2001) Dear President Bush: Your eloquent and compassionate Inaugural Address will long be remembered if your tax policies follow the pro-children theme of this address. Your proposed 1.6 trillion-dollar tax cut inadvertently puts our children at risk. By its sheer size and focus on the wealthiest one percent of families (average income of one million dollars) it jeopardizes the children-at-risk theme of your compassionate educational and health care projects. Over half (56%) of all Latino and African American children live in families that will receive no tax cuts. Only one in 25 children live in families that will receive any significant benefits, and virtually all of these families can presently fully provide for all their children's needs and wishes. protect our most precious resource: a $1,200 annual tax rebate for a family of four Consistent with the compassionate theme of your Inaugural Address we support an annual $300 per person tax rebate for all U.S. residents, including senior citizens. A family of four would receive $1,200 a year. Over 95% of children and their families would receive more under this proposal than under your proposal. And, only the top one percent of families (average income of one million dollars) would receive significantly less from the pro-child proposal than from your proposal. Your proposal gives these families $63,000 a year in tax cuts in the first year and close to a million dollars over a ten year period. Even the typical senior citizen would benefit. Under your proposal a widow earning $20,000 would get a rebate of just $60. Under the $300 per person proposal, she would receive five times as much. And, the typical family earning under $80,000 would receive $233 more per year under this proposal than from your tax cut proposal. Unlike your proposal, the $1,200 per family of four proposal will not jeopardize social security, Medicare, military spending, or environmental protection, since it will cost fewer than 90 billion dollars a year and can be adjusted upward or downward depending on the size of our national surplus. This $1,200 rebate will directly and immediately stimulate the economy and work in tandem with Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan's interest rate cuts. It will do so because it can be provided immediately and 95% of the beneficiaries will use it for domestic spending such as health care, food, clothing and housing. In contrast, a tax cut for the super-rich will either not be spent or expended largely on foreign luxury goods such as Ferraris. Mr. President, do not forget our children! Do not put our most precious resource at risk! Let their families, not the super-rich determine their future. ``African Americans fully understand the distinction between complex tax cuts for the super rich and a sweeping and simple across-the-board cut that equally benefits every American, including the humble and hardworking factory, hospital and restaurant workers of America.'' (Reverend J. Alfred Smith, Jr., co-pastor, Allen Temple Baptist Church) ``Latinos future success is largely dependent upon tax policies that promote and protect our most precious resource, our children.'' (Raul Medrano, Chairman, California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) Reverned Mark Whitlock, First AME Church, Los Angeles; Raul Medrano, California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Aubry Stone, California Black Chamber of Commerce; Gelly Borromeo, National Council of Asian American Business Associations; George Dean, Greater Phoenix Area Urban League; Reverend J. Alfred Smith, Jr., Allen Temple Baptist Church; Jorge Corralejo, Latin Business Association; Angelina Casillas- Corona, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional; Leo Avila, American GI Forum; Mary Ann Mitchell, National Black Business Council; Stanley H. Hall, Bay Area Urban League; Darlene Mar, Council of Asian American Business Association; Reverend Stephen McGlover, Black Business Association; Ben Benavidez, Mexican American Political Association; George Bivins, Black Business Association of Los Angeles; Lisa Yuchengco, Asian Pacific Publishers Association; Gayle Orr-Smith, San Francisco Business and Professional Women; Calvin Louie, CAABA; Ray Uzeta, Chicano Federation of San Diego; Manuel Pena, Orange County Minority Business Council; Arabella Martinez, Spanish Speaking Unity Council; John Gamboa, The Greenlining Institute. Prepared by The Greenlining Institute, A multi-ethnic coalition of 38 church, community, and small business associations, 785 Market Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of the March 12, 2001 Grand Opening of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre's new 600-seat proscenium theater. The festivities will also include a performance of The Oresteia, running from March 13, 2001 until May 6, 2001, and an open house honoring the longstanding relationship between the theater and the larger community. The Berkeley Repertory Theatre has a long history of excellence. It was founded in 1968 as the East Bay's first resident professional theater. In 1980 Berkeley Rep gathered enough public support to move from its converted storefront theater to its current location in downtown Berkeley. The Theater was awarded a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater in 1997. In October of 1998 the group announced its plans to construct a new 600-seat proscenium stage theater to complement the existing 401-seat thrust theater stage. The second theater will enable the Berkeley Repertory Theatre to continue its more than thirty year tradition of providing the community with eclectic, imaginative, and challenging productions. The new theater will evoke the intimacy and vitality that is characteristic of the current space, but will also provide greater artistic flexibility for the future. The opening will showcase the new theater, introduce the community to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre's new home, and host a world premiere performance of The Oresteia. The theater will better serve the Repertory's ever-increasing 15,000 member audience. The new building was made possible in part by donations from the City of Berkeley and the Ask Jeeves Foundation. The new Berkeley Repertory Theatre is the cornerstone of downtown Berkeley's emerging Arts District and has become a great source of civic pride for the community. I am proud to congratulate Berkeley Repertory Theatre as it opens its new theater and I look forward to the many years of arts enrichment it will provide to the City of Berkeley.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to S.J. Res. 6, the Disapproval Resolution for the OSHA Ergonomics Rule. This proposal will repeal ergonomic standards that protect millions of working men and women. These ergonomics guidelines were issued in the final days of the Clinton administration by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to prevent repetitive-stress injuries. These guidelines are designed to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, such as back injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome, which constitute the biggest safety and health problem in the workplace. Such injuries account for nearly one-third of all serious job-related injuries. In 1999, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 600,000 workers suffered injuries caused by repetitive motion, heavy lifting, and forceful exertion. Ergonomics injuries affect every sector of the economy, including nurses, cashiers, computer users, truck drivers, construction workers, and meat cutters. Women are particularly harmed by such injuries. Employees in data entry positions, assembly line slots, nursing home staffs and many other jobs face a heightened risk of workplace injury if implementation of the new ergonomics standard is halted. A January 2001 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study concluded that there is abundant scientific evidence demonstrating that repetitive workplace motions can cause injuries, and that such injuries can be prevented through ergonomic interventions. OSHA developed a set of regulations to prevent extensive worker injuries. It is estimated that implementation of these regulations will prevent more than 4.6 million injuries over the next decade and save employers $9.1 billion a year. If S.J. Res. 6 passes the House, OSHA will be barred from issuing comparable protections to protect workers. Our workers need to be protected. The OSHA guidelines will prevent hundreds of thousands of serious injuries each year and spare workers the pain, suffering and disability caused by these injuries. If S.J. Res. 6 passes, our workers will have no safety mechanisms to protect them from being injured at the workplace. We cannot gamble with our worker's health and safety. They should not have to suffer unnecessary injuries. We must move forward and implement OSHA's important protections that will prevent more workers from being hurt. It is unfortunate that the Bush Administration is declaring war on working families by supporting this proposal. This Administration is pushing this bill in order to pay off the big businesses that supported their election. But what about the working class who will suffer tremendous losses due to the passage of this bill? This is the same week that the Republicans want to pass a tax cut to benefit the wealthy while at the same time abolish workplace safety standards for the working class! Where are the priorities our President and Republican leadership? I strongly urge my colleagues to support our hard-working individuals by voting ``no'' on passage of this proposal.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding me this time and also for his lifetime work on behalf of people in our country. I rise today in strong opposition to this anticonsumer, antiworking family, antiwoman, anti-low income, antichild bankruptcy legislation and to support the Democratic alternative which provides for true bankruptcy reform. Many Americans, as we know, were left out of the economic boom of the past decade. They are saving less and accumulating more debt. To add insult to injury, the credit card companies are using aggressive, unsolicited marketing techniques to offer huge lines of credit to consumers who cannot afford it, including college students who have no income. All of these factors contribute to a system where more and more Americans are struggling just to get by, and some need to rely on bankruptcy as a safety net. This has nothing to do with being irresponsible or not wanting to pay one's bills. Many working families are forced into bankruptcy when emergencies arise, including loss of a job, the loss of a spouse or long-term illness. Instead of helping families get back on their feet in these cases, the Republican reform bill would make declaring bankruptcy under chapter 7 or 13 much more difficult. This is just plain wrong. The domestic support provisions in H.R. 333 are inadequate. Hundreds of thousands of women who are owed child support or alimony would be harmed financially under the Republican bill. The bill does nothing to protect women owed child support by men who declare bankruptcy or those who need to declare bankruptcy themselves due to financial hardship when their former spouse or noncustodial parent fails to pay child support. Additionally, this bill fails to ensure that parents and children will have first claim on the bankruptcy filer's funds rather than big business collection departments. This bill says to the majority of ordinary Americans that we are abandoning them on behalf of big-time corporations. It is wrong. The Democratic alternative is sensible and is fair. The Republican bankruptcy reform bill is punitive.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Mr. Ahlerman Van Lewis, Sr. Mr. Lewis served as the President of Oakland Africa Sister Cities International for many years and was an active member of the Ninth Congressional District. Sadly Mr. Lewis passed away on January 25, 2001 after a brief illness. Ahlerman was the youngest son born to Fred and Mercie Lee Williams Lewis on September 11, 1931 in Diboll, Texas. He graduated from Henry G. Temple High School and attended Texas Southern University on a basketball scholarship. He was a member of the United States Air Force, where he served as a Morning Report Clerk. After leaving the military, he joined his brothers, Raymond Rish and Henman ``Lefty'' Lewis, in the Oakland--Bay Area where he worked in the field of administrative services both at Fort Mason and the Presidio, in San Francisco, California. Ahlerman married FranCione Newellene Johnson, on June 16, 1962. From this union came the two sons he cherished, Ahlerman ``Ahlee'' Van Lewis, II and Frederic Paul Lewis. As the United States became vibrantly alive with civil rights activity, during the early 1960s, Ahlerman was inspired by the Black self-determination message of Malcom X and The Honorable Elijah Muharnmed, An ardent member of the Fruit Of Islam, Brother Akbar Ali, as he was known in the Muslim community, dedicated himself to working with the local community to improve the conditions of African Americans in the city of Oakland and its surrounding environs. He was a member of Muhammed's Mosque # 26 for 40 years. Fascinated with the thrust for Black business ownership and management, Ahlerman was first drawn to the catering business. This motivated him to obtain an Associate Arts Degree in Food Management from Laney College before he matriculated to San Francisco State University. Turning his attention to inspiring African American youth, Ablerman began his teaching career with the Pittsburg School District before joining the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). While teaching in Oakland, Ahlerman participated in the OUSD and Stanford University-- Global Education Curriculum Development Project. This activity sparked a deep interest in West Africa. It was this interest that led Ahlerman to form Oakland Africa Sister Cities International, which was set up to foster a close relationship with Secondi-Takarodi, Ghana. As President of the Sister Cities project , Ahlermnan led the organization to host many special events. One such event was a collaboration with Rev. FranCione and the Pan Oaks Center for the Creative Arts to sponsor an exhibit of the work of more than ninety Oakland High School students' artistic impression of Jeff Stetson's play The Meeting. Ahlerman worked with the OUSD's School to Careers Program to secure internships for students to work with the Sister Cities organization. One of the major projects the students were able to work on under Ahlerman's leadership was the George Washington Carver Exhibit. This exhibit was initiated by Tuskegee Institute. The exhibit was such a resounding success that Ahlermnan was later invited to Tuskegee, to receive a special honor for his work commemorating Dr. George Washington Carver. Ahlerman Van Lewis, Sr. will be deeply missed by all who were blessed to have known and worked with him. He leaves behind a rich legacy of leadership and service to the African American community in Oakland, as well as the Ghanaian community in Sekondi-Takarodi, Ghana. We in the Ninth Congressional District can pay tribute to Ahlerman's memory by carrying on his work-of fostering a deeper interest and relationship with the continent of Africa, while at the same time continuing to commemorate the life of our own African American heroes, such as George Washington Carver.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, when John F. Kennedy challenged Americans to put aside self-interest and go out and make the world a better place, he launched a crusade of service that continues today. Over the last four decades, thousands of Peace Corps volunteers have built bridges as well as friendships. Peace Corps volunteers have helped children learn to read, helped villages obtain clean water, helped educate people about HIV/AIDS and other health threats, and helped farmers grow more food. In the process of these and countless other undertakings, what is most striking for many returned volunteers is not how much they taught, but rather how much they learned. The Peace Corps embodies the highest principles of international and intercultural exchange. Peace Corps volunteers truly do think globally by acting locally. This grassroots program has made many lasting contributions to the world. John F. Kennedy called on Americans to ask what they could do for their country, but in fact, the Peace Corps mandate is much broader: it asks volunteers what they can do for their planet and its people. I am proud to join my colleagues in congratulating the Peace Corps on its forty years of achievement and in reaffirming our national commitment to international service.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my genuine sympathy to the families of U.S. service members killed in Saudi Arabia in 1991. I too honor their sacrifice. The greatest tribute we could provide to these brave men and women is to work for nuclear disarmament and world peace. Nuclear proliferation is a real danger today. That is why I believe it is imperative that the United States abide by its own treaties and the principles of nonproliferation. The proposed missile defense systems will increase the nuclear threats we face, not diminish them. We should not spend billions of dollars on an unworkable missile system, when we have real security needs that must be met, when we have soldiers on food stamps, when we have gulf-war veterans denied badly needed medical care, and when we face such serious healthcare, educational, and housing problems here at home that undermine both the general welfare of the country and our common defense. I join my colleagues in expressing our sympathy to the families of those killed in 1991. My hope is that we do not put any more men and women in harm's way. I must oppose any missile system that makes the world a more dangerous place.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize a distinguished woman who devoted her life to fighting for human rights, peace, and justice. Dr. Dorothy Irene Height was the first African-American named to deal with the Harlem riots of 1935 and became one of the young leaders of the National Youth Movement of the New Deal era. She dedicated her life to more than six decades of distinguished leadership and service. Dr. Height established the Center for Racial Justice and the Bethune Museum and Archives for Black women. She served as president of the National Council of Negro Women and organized the Black Family Reunion Celebration. She worked hard to improve lives while working at the YWCA and the National Council of Negro Women, as the fourth elected President. She diligently worked to expand women's rights for full and equal employment, pay, and education. She not only worked to expand women's rights in the U.S., but also in the international arena. She has touched many lives through her instrumental work on improving child care, housing projects, and career and educational programs that embody the principles of self-reliance. I want to commend Dr. Height for her work to better people's lives through her commitment to fight for human rights as well as uphold justice, equality, and freedom throughout the world. Thank you Dr. Height for your tremendous work. You are a living legacy.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of my colleagues the contributions of a great public servant, Roberta Cheff Brooks, on the occasion of her retirement from service to the House of Representatives and to the constituents of the 9th District of California. On February 22nd, after more than 30 years in the United States Congress, Roberta will retire from her position as my District Director in our Oakland District office. She will be greatly missed. Roberta, a native of Wilmington, Delaware received her Bachelor of Arts from Smith College in 1964. She moved to Berkeley, California in 1967 and became very active in local and anti-war politics. She began her tenure with the House of Representatives in 1971 by working for my former boss, colleague and friend Congressman Ron Dellums. Roberta served as a liaison between the Berkeley Coalition and the Dellums for Congress campaign in 1970. Following that successful campaign, she was asked to work for the new Congressman Ron Dellums in his district office on constituent affairs. Roberta was a strong voice in the anti-Vietnam War movement. While she worked hard to serve as an active voice for constituent's of the 9th District, she remained active in local politics through the April Coalition and later through Berkeley Citizens' Action. Roberta's commitment to her community expanded as she became deeply involved with local boards and organizations, as well as, ad hoc groups that included the following: Oakland Perinatal Project (which was the precursor of the East Bay Perinatal Council) and the Coalition to Fight Infant Mortality. With these affiliations, she helped organize ad hoc hearings on infant mortality, which Congressman Dellums chaired as the Chairman of the D.C. Committee. Roberta was a cofounder of the California Health Action Coalition which worked diligently on the bill Congressman Dellums introduced calling for a National Health Service. She was also part of a national coalition for a National Health Service and helped organize national groups working in several cities in the country to garner support for the bill. She helped organize hearings on homelessness which Congressman Dellums chaired in Oakland. She served on the advisory board of Legal Assistance for Seniors for many years. She was also on the Board of the Coalition for the Medical Rights of Women and the Perinatal Health Rights Committee. Roberta organized hearings chaired by Congressman Lantos who came at the request of Congressman Dellums to investigate labor and safety issues related to the protracted Summit Hospital strike. The hearings contributed to a resolution of the strike and led to a more responsive board which included additional community members. Roberta's commitment to ``free speech'' and community supported radio led her to serve on the local advisory board of KPFA radio for a number of years and on the national Pacifica Board of Directors for nine years. When the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission slated Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, Alameda Naval Station and Naval Rework facility, as well as, the Public Works Center located at Naval Supply Center, Oakland for closure, Roberta joined Sandre Swanson in establishing the East Bay Conversion and Reinvestment Commission. That Commission then proceeded to help establish the Alameda and Oakland Reuse authorities-- public bodies on which Roberta served as an alternate and then later as a principal commissioner. These organizations focused on base conversions and provided oversight on reuse plans to convert the military bases to peacetime operations. Throughout the base conversion process, Roberta's emphasis remained on the human resources component--job creation for workers; working to establish the homeless collaborative which worked with both reuse authorities to create a process which HUD has described as a model for accommodating the homeless in base closure; working hard with the community advisory groups; and working with public benefit conveyances. Roberta cites this as an extremely important part of her work especially since it was so creative, establishing policies and procedures for base closure. She assisted in developing a way to ``sell'' the federal worker to private industry, and other important projects. Roberta has worked closely with all of the community health clinics in the district; Chabot Observatory; the Ed Roberts Campus at Ashby BART station; HIV/AIDS; Cuba; issues related to the elderly; and many others. She served on both Congressman Dellums' and Congresswoman Barbara Lee's political advisory boards throughout her career. Her casework load has focused on Federal Workers compensation; Office of Personnel Management (which was known as the Civil Service Commission), and at other times, Social Security and EEOC. She has served thousands of constituents for Congressman Dellums and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. When Congressman Dellums retired in February of 1998, Roberta continued her Congressional career with me in April of that same year. She became my District Director and was the first female District Director in the history of the 9th Congressional District. Every member will attest that having a staff member with the ability to develop expertise quickly and thoroughly on a wide range of issues is extremely valuable. With Roberta on my team, I knew that I was getting the best political advice in order to make competent legislative and policy decisions. Roberta represented me well on many issues and continued to handle some casework as well as extensive issues related to base closures, health, and homelessness. She helped coordinate a major Housing Summit which was sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in August 2000 which was attended by seventeen members of Congress and more than five hundred people. Roberta is best known for her sound advice. Ron Dellums has said, `the only reason I did anything was because Roberta Brooks told me to.' While her political judgement was always thorough and thoughtful, her message to young people was even more profound. To young men and women she says, ``work for someone whose politics you share because the work is very intense and it is very important that you believe in what you are doing.'' She tells them that she has been so blessed in her work life to have been able to go to work every day believing in what she is doing, believing she is making a difference and that her work is consistent with her own political beliefs. She says that is the best work a person can have. Throughout Roberta's career, her professionalism was distinguished with honesty and integrity. I always knew that I could rely on her advice and suggestions because she used her mind, heart and soul in decision making. Because of this, the 9th Congressional District has been served with distinction and with grace. Roberta's forthrightness was appreciated by everyone. I particularly appreciated her tremendous clarity and directness. Roberta is an American of the finest caliber and this institution will miss her greatly. As Roberta transitions onto new experiences and challenges, we all cheer for her future and success.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Ohio for her leadership and for bringing us all together to celebrate Black History Month over the last couple of days. As we celebrate Black History Month, we are reminded that the struggle continues in our country for equality and justice for all. The recent Presidential election reminded us that voting rights, the very essence of our democracy, must be protected and enforced. Many African Americans discovered that equality and justice did not apply to them. America has unfortunately repeated a very sad chapter in our history, and we must never repeat it again. African Americans had to wait almost 100 years after the formal birth of our country to receive the right to vote. One of the major turning points came after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Less than 3 years later, the 13th amendment was ratified ending slavery. In 1870, the 15th amendment was ratified stating that the right to vote could not be denied in this country based on race, color or previous conditions of servitude. Many blacks were elected to Congress, two to the Senate from Mississippi, Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce, and 20 Congressmen. Just as the black community began to enjoy some newfound political freedoms in the post-Civil War era, most of their legal rights diminished after the Presidential election of 1876. The Democratic candidate, Samuel Tilden, won the popular vote and only needed one additional electoral vote to win the Presidency. However, his opponent, Rutherford Hayes, made a deal with the Democratic Party and the white- controlled South to remove Union troops from the South, which meant the end of enforcement of black rights in that part of the country, including the right to vote. Hayes won the election and millions of blacks lost the new rights that they barely had time to appreciate as the South ushered in the period of Jim Crow. 120 years later, in the 2000 Presidential election, one candidate won the popular vote and another won the electoral vote. Many African Americans reported numerous problems trying to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Just as in the 1876 election, Florida was one of the States at the center of the voting controversy. In a county in Florida a police check was set up which intimidated voters. Others reported that they were told that they were purged from the voting polls, even though they were indeed registered to vote and had their voting cards with them. Still others were told they could not vote because they were felons, when in fact they were not. Voting irregularities occurred outside of Florida as well, and so the 2000 elections showed us that the need to still be vigilant about this very important right remains. Many men and women died for the right to vote. This is part of black history, it is a part of American history. We will not take the hard- fought right to vote for granted. African Americans had to wait almost 200 years for the full legal and enforced right to vote in this Nation. We will not see those rights taken away. In closing, let me just say to my colleagues and to all here today that we want to remember and to thank the Congressional Black Caucus for this Special Order because it is so important that we focus on Black History Month and remember the long hard battles many African Americans and other Americans have fought for basic civil rights in our country. We should learn from our history so that we are not doomed to repeat some of the major miscarriages of justice. General Leave

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) for her leadership in her efforts to inform the public with regards to the facts as to why so many of us are opposed to the appointment of Senator John Ashcroft as Attorney General of the United States. The Attorney General heads this Nation's Department of Justice. Extremist views, which Mr. Ashcroft has demonstrated over and over again, will not serve the cause of justice. It has been said that extremism in defense of liberties is no vice. Well, what about extremism which comes at the expense of liberty? I believe that the appointment of Mr. Ashcroft really does threaten the liberty of women across this country to make fundamental decisions about their health and their reproductive lives. For at least three times, for example, he stood on the floor of the Senate to vote against a woman's right to choose, even in the case of rape, incest, or even major injury to the woman. This is, after all, a man who not only opposes abortion, he has supported legislation that would outlaw many forms of birth control. We cannot go back to the days when government controlled such essential personal decisions. We cannot have an Attorney General who so strongly opposes the law of the land which upholds a woman's right to choose. I believe that the appointment of Mr. Ashcroft threatens the liberty of minorities across this country. In his quest for reelection, Mr. Ashcroft besmirched the reputation of a respected African American judge in order to win political points. He has pointed to the old confederacy for his heroes. We cannot go back to those days, either. I believe that the appointment of Mr. Ashcroft endangers the rights of Americans who face discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He opposed and sought to block the appointment of Ambassador Hormel, an openly gay and highly qualified nominee, while refusing to even meet with him. He has not only openly opposed gay rights in employment, he has reportedly trampled them himself in his own interviewing tactics. Once again, we cannot go back there. We have come too far. President Bush has promised us bipartisan cooperation. Yet he has nominated as our Nation's chief law enforcement officer a man who publicly denounced members of his own party who champion conciliation or counsel compromise. This is a man who has really built a career on extremism, not on justice. As such, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to stand up in defense of all of our liberties and defeat Mr. Ashcroft, who will not do justice for many as the head of our Department of Justice. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to a group of extraordinary women leaders from Uganda, who, as part of a globally- focused program entitled CALLING THE CIRCLE, are currently on a 12-day visit to the great state of California. These women leaders, who come from various regions of Uganda, represent two of the largest Ugandan NGOs that are focused on women's issues and leadership building: Action for Women in Development (or ACFODE) and the Forum for Women in Democracy (or FOWODE). In collaboration with ACFODE and FOWODE and other community organizations in Uganda, the Women's Intercultural Network, a Northern California- based NGO, is CALLING THE CIRCLE between women of Uganda and the U.S. to strengthen democratic values throughout civil society. The goal of this collaboration is to develop mechanisms and models for joint advocacy, leadership development, and democracy building across cultural and digital divides. Their vision is to build a ``virtual grassroots network'' between Ugandan and U.S. women for on-going discussion, information exchange, and worldwide collaboration. There are already some important highlights from this trip, not the least of which was a welcome tea that was hosted by the Japanese Consul-General at his official residence. At this truly multi-cultural and international gathering, the women from Uganda were able to meet and talk with Japanese and Japanese-American women who represented a wide range of organizations, professions, and experiences. Consul- General Tanaka, gave a gracious welcome to the women and expressed his country's commitment and interest in the continent of Africa. Along with Mr. Tanaka's welcome, Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., of San Francisco, proclaimed Sunday, January 21 as ``Uganda Women's Day'' in the city and county of San Francisco. Furthermore, while here in the United States, the Uganda women will join their American sisters at issue forums, roundtable meetings and social gatherings to discuss and deliberate on issues that impact women across the globe. Some of these topics included health, mentoring women for leadership, democracy building, as well as economic and environmental justice. In closing Mr. Speaker, let me say how proud I am that one of the Bay Area's own NGOs, the Women's Intercultural Network, has been the force behind this global effort to link grassroots women leaders and organizations across digital and cultural divides. We often think of the Bay Area and Silicon Valley as the world's leader in producing technology, but now we must also recognize that the Bay Area is playing an important role in producing the next generation of women leaders throughout the world.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor today to salute Mary King for her years of service to the citizens of Alameda County and in honor of her retirement as a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Mary King served three terms on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and was the first African-American woman to serve on this governing body. Prior to joining the Board of Supervisors, King was an Independent Consultant to the Board managing the ground operation for the County's sales tax initiative campaign--Measure B. Previously, she served as an Assistant to Oakland's City Manager, Henry Gardner, Chief of Staff to Oakland Mayor Lionel Wilson, and was an aide and later Chief of Staff to California State Legislator Bill Lockyer, California's current Attorney General. During her tenure as a county Supervisor, Mary King served on a diverse and impressive array of boards and commissions. These bodies include California Attorney General's Commission on Hate Crimes, Association of Bay Area Governments, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Alameda County Transportation Authority, Public Protection Committee, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Joint Powers Authority of the Network Associates Coliseum (formerly the Alameda County-Oakland Coliseum), the MTC's Bay Bridge Task Force, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, Democratic National Platform Committee, and the Center for Ethics and Social Policy of the Graduate Theological Union at UC Berkeley. In addition, during her tenure as Supervisor, Mary King worked to save health care services for residents by creating a hospital authority model, implemented the Model Neighborhood Program, and developed a major land use approach to the County General Plan. I proudly join her many friends and colleagues in thanking and saluting Mary King for her years of service to the community and her commitment to bettering the lives of the citizens she served. Thank you Mary.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to President Bush's decision to reinstate the Mexico City restrictions on United States assistance to international family planning organizations abroad. I also urge the Bush administration to stop misleading the American people by stating that American taxpayer dollars are being used to pay for abortions overseas. The truth is that since 1973, under the Helms amendment, the United States has prohibited foreign recipients of international family planning aid to use taxpayer funds to perform abortions. Despite this fact, however, President Bush's press secretary, in his defense of the global gag rule, has continued to state that American taxpayer dollars are being used to pay for abortion services. This is just downright wrong. President Bush's decision to reinstate the global gag rule will deny United States family planning assistance to any organization that uses its own, non-United States taxpayer funds to provide abortion services or engage in reproductive choice advocacy. This would be unconstitutional in our own country. Each year, approximately 600,000 women die from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-nine percent of these women are in developing countries. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women aged 15 to 49 in the developing countries. Many of these deaths can be prevented by providing women with the means and the information to responsibly plan their families. United States funding provides family planning services and reproductive health education to families worldwide. So cutting funding for family planning diminishes access to the single most effective means of reducing the need for abortions. Access to international family planning services is one of the most effective means of reducing the need for abortion and protecting the health of women and babies. Restricting funds to organizations that provide a wide range of safe and effective family planning services can only lead to more, not fewer, abortions. And limiting access to family planning results in high rates of unintended and high-risk pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths. It is crucial that women across the world have fundamental access to health care. Our support of international family planning helps save lives. It promotes women's and children's health and strengthens families and communities around the world. By denying these vital services, we deny women access to methods of contraception, leading to higher risks of getting and spreading the HIV/AIDS virus. Funding for family planning will help curb the spread of sexually transmitted disease. I urge the Bush administration to really correct their misstatements about international family planning aid. If not, it is our duty as Members of Congress to stand up and inform the American people that the President's executive order will restrict funds to organizations that provide a wide range of safe and effective family planning services to women in need. Millions of women around the world are begging President Bush to reconsider this decision. I implore the President to consider the deadly ramifications of his decision and really help poor women in need of basic education regarding their health care.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor today to salute Berkeley Unified School District's Superintendent, Jack McLaughlin, for his years of service to the school district and city of Berkeley. Superintendent McLaughlin has thirty-seven years of service in California's public school system to his credit, with twenty-six of those years as a district superintendent throughout the state. Additionally, he has also served as a teacher, Principal and Assistant Superintendent. Dr. McLaughlin is leaving Berkeley Unified to become Nevada State's Superintendent of Public Instruction. Dr. McLaughlin has made a positive and profound impact on the students and faculty of Berkeley during his six-year tenure as its Superintendent. These impacts include implementation of a full scale class size reduction, implementation of an Early Literacy Plan, creation of small school academies at Berkeley High School, conversion of the continuation school to an alternative high school, implementation of a rigorous promotion and retention policy, extension of the day program for additional academic student support, construction of five new school buildings, four magnet schools and one new elementary school, replacement of over half of the district's bus fleet with more energy efficient and low emission vehicles, implementation of a classroom technology program and creation of Healthy Start programs throughout the district to extend support for the school district's families and students. While this list is just a fraction of his accomplishments in an active six-year tenure, it is no surprise that Dr. McLaughlin was named as California's Superintendent of the Year in 1999. I proudly join his friends and colleagues in thanking and saluting him for his years of service and commitment to education and wishing him much success on his new career in Nevada. Thank you Jack.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great sense of loss that I rise to pay tribute to Dr. Benjamin Major, a prominent Bay Area physician, who passed on January 4, 2001, in Kensington, California. Dr. Major was a graduate of Fisk University and graduated from Meharry Medical College at the age of 21. After completing an internship and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, he served honorably as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corp. Dr. Major began his private practice in Oakland in 1953 and eventually opened The Arlington Medical Group in 1957. Dr. Major was active in the community and the field of medicine locally, nationally and internationally. During his career, he was a consultant Obstetrician to the City of Nairobi and the Family Planning Association of Kenya through the World Health Organization, was a diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He later received a Ford Foundation mid-career scholarship in 1969 and obtained a Masters of Public Health in Maternal Child Health and Family Planning from UC Berkeley in 1970. Even though he retired from practice in 1987, he continued to serve as a consultant and instructor in family planning at several agencies and facilities throughout Northern California. Additionally, Dr. Major served the community by being a member of several organizations. These organizations include the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the National Medical Association, the California Medical Association, the Golden State Medical Association, the Sinkler-Miller Medical Association, the St. Luke's Society, the National Family Planning Council, the NAACP, and the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. Dr. Major's contributions throughout the world and at home will remain his lasting legacy. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, patients and colleagues this day.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in total outrage over the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters and the real betrayal of our democracy. I rise today because we will not go gentle into that night. We will not stand silently by to seal the results of an electoral system that is separate and unequal. We will not stand silently by while African American voters are dismissed from polling places, forced to use antiquated machines, and denied their rightful voice. I went to Florida to work to get out the vote for the same reason that I have gone overseas as an election observer, because free and fair elections are the very lifeblood of our democracy, because the principle of one person, one vote, must be more than empty rhetoric. This is not a dispute about chads; this is about fairness. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for the right to vote. Medgar Evers died for the right to vote. Today, we stand here in their memory. The right to vote is meaningless if every vote is not counted. So let the world know that we failed in upholding our democratic principles, and that it was the Reagan-Bush Supreme Court, not the people of the United States, who decided the outcome of this election. I object to the tallying and to accepting the electoral votes and will formally do so.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Unfortunately, Mr. President, it is not signed by one single Senator.

Ms. LEE. Mr. President, it is in writing and signed by myself on behalf of many of the diverse constituents in our country, especially those in the Ninth Congressional District and all American voters who recognize that the Supreme Court, not the people of the United States, decided this election.

Ms. LEE. Mr. President, I have an objection.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in sharing my deep sense of shock and loss for our beloved Julian Dixon. Julian was a warrior and a statesman. I met Julian in 1975 when I worked as a member of Congressman Ron Dellums' staff, who I know joins us in remembering this great human being. I will always remember how Julian treated me as a staff member--with respect and dignity. I know today, his staff would want me to say that Julian was a wonderful boss and demonstrated with them as he did with us his tough love. His fierce strength kept many of us centered and thinking clear about any issue. As a member, Julian counseled me many times on the tips of the trade. Whenever an issue relating to my district came before appropriations, Julian would check up with me first to consider my views. He didn't have to do that. He never let me get blind-sided. Some of my most special moments with Julian were riding home with him. We live around the corner from each other. During these rides we talked about so many things he cared about like his constituents; the people of California; and the people of his native home, Washington, DC. He always reminded me that I should not let the business of my life in Washington, DC get in the way of my personal friendships. All of us need to remember his words of wisdom and I thank him for his friendship. I want to thank Bettye and Julian's family and his home district for sharing this great leader with us and wish them God's blessings. May Julian's soul rest in peace.