Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Thank you very much. First, let me thank Representative Fudge from Ohio once again for holding the Special Order today as Congress continues to work to break away from this business-as-usual with regards to our Nation's energy future. Thank you Congresswoman Fudge for selflessly each and every Monday night coming to the floor making sure that the voice of the Congressional Black Caucus is heard on each and every issue, day in and day out. Let me also take a moment to thank the Chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus's energy and environmental task force, Representatives G.K. Butterfield, Emanuel Cleaver, and Sheila Jackson-Lee. I want to thank them for their leadership and their tireless efforts to promote proper stewardship of our communities by protecting the environment. It's so important that we continue to call for action on these issues surrounding global warming and the continued degradation of our environment that is perpetrated by our perilous--and I mean our perilous--and I think the whole country understands what we mean now when we say ``perilous dependence'' on fossil fuels. As I have said time and time again, there is no way that we can deny the interconnection between our stewardship of the environment and the state of the economy, public health and our communities. The drastic acceleration of greenhouse gas emissions has often been concentrated in low-income and in minority communities putting these vulnerable populations on the front lines, mind you, of the fight against environmental degradation and global climate change. In fact, 71 percent of African Americans live in counties in violation of Federal air pollution standards--that's 71 percent of African Americans--and 78 percent live within 30 miles or within the toxic perimeter of a coal- fired power plant. This is shameful. Day after day, the communities in my district, for example, face the severe consequences of pollution, urban sprawl, and environmental injustice which harshly affects people of color and low-income families. Sadly, this epidemic is hitting our children the hardest. Back home in my district, children growing up in west Oakland are seven times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than the average child in California. None of us can afford to take this lightly. The health of our community and our neighbors affects us all. Simply put, climate change has and will continue to exacerbate the problems of poverty and inequality. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus Energy Task Force and myself recently wrote a letter to Chairman Waxman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee expressing support for comprehensive climate legislation and investments in the green economy. I won't read the letter in its entirety, Mr. Speaker, but I will insert the letter into the Record. Basically, we talked about investments in the green economy, we talked about consumer protection, job leakage protection, adaptation, and of course we talked about why we thought this bill should move very quickly and move forward with these key elements in place. In this letter, we also stress the importance of shielding low-income households from price shocks to ensure that they do not bear a disproportionate burden as we transition to a low-carbon economy. We also called for the expansion of complimentary energy-efficient programs, and for regular and predictable funding for adaptation and mitigation assistance abroad. By the year 2030, it is estimated that the cost of adapting to global climate change could amount to more than $100 billion annually, with up to $67 billion per year to meet the needs of the developing world alone. Now, earlier this year, I introduced H. Con. Res. 98, a congressional resolution which recognizes the disparate impact of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address climate change. This resolution illustrates the disproportionate impact of climate change and environmental degradation on the world's most vulnerable populations. More importantly, it reflects the reality that any strategy to combat global warming and climate change will really need to include meaningful and equitable action on the international level. The United States must provide support for adaptation and sustainable development abroad, as well as assistance to ensure affordable access to emerging clean technologies. It is time to think big, not small. And the challenge of addressing global climate change will require a truly comprehensive and transformative solution. I am greatly encouraged by the actions already taken by the Obama administration to reengage with the international community in order to find solutions to this global challenge. And I also applaud the Environmental Protection Agency's recent finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, which finally recognizes the need to protect our communities and the global ecosystem by acting immediately to curb carbon pollution. And, Congresswoman Fudge, as I was listening to the other side talk a little earlier, I couldn't help but wonder really where they were for the last 8 years because, had some of these actions and initiatives been put in place in the last 8 years, perhaps we would be much further ahead in our overall climate change efforts. And the public health, of course, would be, I think, much better protected. I think we heard a little bit of revisionist history tonight, so I just have to say that as I move forward. As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, let me just say that we want to continue to work with the Obama administration--and all of my colleagues here in a bipartisan way--to help pass responsible and comprehensive climate change legislation that will spur the development of clean, renewable energy and the deployment of much needed energy- efficient technologies. Legislation which sets us on a path toward energy independence and a new low-carbon economy will help to maintain the United States' position as a leader in innovation and create hundreds of thousands of good-paying green jobs, and finally, help us get off of this addiction that we have to oil, especially break the stronghold that really has been crippling us in terms of our dependence on foreign oil. One of the most exciting and inclusive solutions to many issues facing environmental health is the possibility afforded to us by promoting green jobs training and the growth of the green economy in America. And I am very pleased to say that the President, in his economic recovery package--which, of course, the other side I don't think mentioned tonight--included $100 million for green job training. We have to have people prepared for the new world, the new jobs that are going to be provided by this industry. And so $100 million would get us started on that path. But again, we have to look at this in a bipartisan way, and I hope that at some point we will. To that end, I recently reintroduced legislation entitled, the Metro Economies Green Act, or the MEGA bill. This is H.R. 330. This establishes grant programs to encourage energy-efficient economic development and green job training and creation of green jobs. This legislation would also create a national institute to serve as a clearinghouse for best practices in order to facilitate the successful expansion of green jobs on a national scale. As a representative of California's Ninth Congressional District, I would also just like to take a moment to recognize the role that California's East Bay is playing at the forefront of the green jobs industry and the green jobs movement. We have a number of innovative initiatives in my district in particular, including the East Bay Green Corridor Initiative, the Oakland Green Job Corps, the Joint BioEnergy Institute, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Energy Biosciences Institute at Berkley. I recently visited the Oakland Green Job Corps with the special advisor to President Obama on energy and climate change, Carol Browner--who is doing a fantastic job in this position--and also with Mayor Ron Dellums, who is providing tremendous leadership in this area. We visited the Oakland Green Job Corps to show the Obama administration really a groundbreaking example of green-collar jobs, workforce development, and what we are doing in Oakland in terms of preparing our young people for these jobs of the future. This is already up and running in Oakland, California. The Oakland Green Job Corps is a partnership of community organizations, trade unions, private companies, and the city of Oakland. It provides Oakland's residents with the necessary training, support, and work experience to independently pursue these careers in the new energy economy. One component of the Corps is called the Cypress Mandela Training Center. This provides invaluable pathways out of poverty, which is extremely important to recognize that these positions provide this new industry. Also, it provides vocational training for Bay-area men and women, especially those with barriers to employment. Green has already become the fifth-largest industry in the Nation. And with the proper support and funding, we will continue to see an explosion of innovation and the expansion of economic opportunities surrounding the green movement. There is no doubt in my mind that a greener future will lead to a more prosperous future for our communities, the Nation, and the world, but it must be a movement that is inclusive of all and that leaves no community behind. So I urge my colleagues, on a bipartisan basis, to act swiftly to move America beyond its dependence on oil, address the climate crisis, and really help protect America's natural resources for our children's future. And as a person of faith, I just must say that we must preserve and we must protect God's creation, which is our planet. Thank you, Congresswoman Fudge. Congressional Black Caucus of the 111th United States Congress, Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC, April 9, 2009. Hon. Henry Waxman, Chairman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Waxman, As you draft and consider comprehensive energy legislation to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and to curb greenhouse gas emissions, we the undersigned Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) respectfully request your consideration of the issues discussed in this letter. Climate change represents a tangible threat to the communities we represent as well as the United States as a whole and we, therefore, encourage and support your efforts to address this critical issue. We support science-based legislation to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The United States must be a leader on this global issue, and this target is consistent with the proposals of the Obama Administration. Investment in the Green Economy Comprehensive energy legislation will revolutionize our economy and energy infrastructure, spurring us to become more innovative and efficient. The growing ``Green Economy'' presents an opportunity to create large numbers of quality green-collar jobs for American workers, to grow emerging industries, and to improve the health of low- and middle- income Americans. Any public investment in the Green Economy should include serious efforts to train, employ and provide public service opportunities that lead to full-time employment in these industries. This is a significant opportunity to make cost-effective public and private investments to rebuild and retrofit our nation. We recommend the following: Develop a career pipeline, particularly in low- and middle income communities, through training, job readiness and entrepreneurship programs, to ensure that people who most need work are prepared for the family-sustaining jobs and careers in energy efficiency and energy service industries. Ensuring local hiring practices will be critical to engaging these distressed communities. Development of Green Energy Centers of Excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to research and develop new green technologies as well as train implementers in the deployment of green innovation. HBCUs maintain unique relationships with communities of color, and we should use their expertise to educate these communities on the opportunities in green industries and the techniques needed to succeed. Ensure local and national certification standards for technical jobs to ensure appropriate levels of expertise. Apply large-scale energy-saving measures to the nation's building stock, which will create hundreds of thousands of green-collar jobs while dramatically reducing American's energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Consumer Protection A cap-and-trade system will increase the cost of energy derived from high-polluting production processes for all households. Low- and middle-income households spend a greater share of their budget on energy costs than higher income households. To help prevent climate change policy from being unfairly burdensome on these households, we recommend: Measures to offset the disproportionate impact of increased energy costs that could take the form of a climate rebate equal to the loss in purchasing power extended to the lowest quintile, the second quintile and partially extended to the third quintile. For households that file no tax returns, the rebate could be administered through the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system. For all others, the rebate could be extended through a higher Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or alternative tax mechanisms that make the connection with this increased cost. Further investments in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. Prevent the creation of ``hot spots'' and ``outsourcing'' to communities of color and low-income or otherwise vulnerable communities domestically and abroad. Job Leakage Protection Many manufacturing jobs in this country produce goods that compete in global markets. Under a domestic cap-and-trade program, these industries will face pressure from increased costs due to direct regulation of their emissions as well as higher energy costs. If this is not addressed, these industries, as well as the workers and communities they support, will be forced to close or move operations to countries without similar regulations, producing the leakage of American jobs and emissions to foreign countries. To protect the jobs of workers in the energy-intensive trade-exposed industries, the CBC recommends: The United States should pursue international agreements on greenhouse gas reductions. Engaging industrialized nations in an agreement to combat this truly global problem will more effectively meet emissions reductions goals as well as ``level the playing field'' for American workers and business. Until an international agreement can be achieved, climate legislation should include measures to protect against unintended disadvantages brought about as a result of global trading partners acting outside of a domestic or international greenhouse gas reductions scheme. Provide assistance to ease and facilitate the transition of workers and communities dependent upon high emitting industries to the emerging low-carbon economy. Adaptation Regardless of our success in curbing greenhouse gas emissions, we can be certain that there will be ramifications as a result of global climate change. These may include rising sea levels, increased weather disasters, changes in precipitation, loss of biodiversity and the increased spread and range of tropical diseases. This will affect rural, urban and island communities domestically and abroad, with low- income populations being at greatest risk. Providing appropriate adaptation measures for these eventualities is imperative and this legislation should insure regular and predictable funding. We recommend: An ecosystem-based adaptation both domestically and internationally, investing in conservation techniques to preserve wetlands, tropical forestland and critical ecosystems such as coral reefs and their relevant fisheries. Thriving ecosystems produce healthy communities, and promote sustainability. Agricultural adaptation for areas experiencing shifting weather patterns. Subsistence farmers should be provided aid to manage temperature change and its effect on their growing season. Medical adaptation to prepare and prevent the spread of disease. As temperatures rise, tropical-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever may proliferate in previously unaffected areas. Preventing and addressing this through vaccinations, improved sanitation measures, and other burgeoning technology should be a priority in the legislation. It is with the utmost respect and appreciation for your efforts that we present these policy recommendations to you. We view these principles as essential to any climate change proposal. Please let us know how the Committee plans to incorporate these principles into the upcoming climate change legislation and how we can work with you to pass this critical legislation. Sincerely, Barbara Lee, CBC Chairwoman; Emanuel Cleaver, CBC Energy Taskforce Member; Sheila Jackson Lee, CBC Energy Taskforce Member; Melvin L. Watt, CBC Energy Taskforce Member; Alcee L. Hastings, CBC Energy Taskforce Member; Sanford Bishop, CBC Energy Taskforce Member; Bobby Rush, CBC Energy Taskforce Member; C Butterfield, CBC Energy Taskforce Member; Donna M. Christensen, CBC Energy Taskforce Member.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, today I am here to honor a great American who died last month but whose contributions to our nation will live on for many years to come. John Hope Franklin was a mighty scholar and soldier for justice. H. Res. 320 celebrates the life of Dr. Franklin and his trailblazing achievements in a variety of fields and I'd like to thank Congressmen Mel Watt and David Price for their work on this resolution. A native of Oklahoma, Dr. Franklin received his undergraduate degree from one of the finest HBCU's, Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his doctorate in history from Harvard University. His distinguished academic career began right here in our nations capitol at Howard University and he would go on to teach at Fisk University, St. Augustine's College and North Carolina Central University. In 1956, Dr. Franklin became the Chairman of the Department of History at Brooklyn College, the first African American to lead a department at a predominately white institution. Eight years later in 1964, Dr. Franklin joined the faculty of the University of Chicago, serving as Chairman of the Department of History from 1967 to 1970. At Chicago, he was the John Matthews Manly Distinguished Service Professor from 1969 to 1982, when he became Professor Emeritus. Dr. Franklin is perhaps best known for his prolific writings including, The Emancipation Proclamation, The Militant South, The Free Negro in North Carolina, Reconstruction After the Civil War, and A Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Ante-bellum North. For many African Americans our first introduction to black history was through Dr. Franklin's book From Slavery to Freedom. In its pages we found an account of American history that affirmed the dignity of black people and the nobility of our struggle. Dr. Franklin was not only a noted historian, but also living history himself. His accomplishments are as many as they are great. He was active in numerous professional and education organizations including serving as President of the following organizations: The American Studies Association, the Southern Historical Association, the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and the American Historical Association. One of Dr. Franklin's earliest and most important contributions was as a member of the team of scholars who worked with Thurgood Marshall to win the landmark school desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education. Mr. Speaker, our nation will be forever grateful for Dr. Franklin's lasting contributions which gave us all richer understanding of who we are as Americans and our journey as a people.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. LEE of California. Madam Chair, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and along with my colleague from Virginia, Congressman Scott, I rise to offer the Congressional Black Caucus substitute budget amendment. Madam Chair, a budget is more than a fiscal document. It really is a moral document. It defines who we are as a Nation. It reflects our priorities and our values. That's why I'm pleased that the Congressional Black Caucus' budget priorities are a reflection of our values and the challenges that we face as a Nation. The theme of the CBC budget is, ``Building Upon the President's Blueprint for Success.'' President Obama's budget is a welcome shift in priorities away from the failed policies of the previous administration. By investing in education, health care, clean energy, transportation, and our veterans, the CBC budget, Mr. Spratt's budget, the Democratic budget, the President's budget, are all excellent blueprints to continue with our economic recovery and to return to fiscal responsibility. However, the CBC budget actually builds upon these investments by immediately repealing the 2001 and 2003 Bush-era tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Americans and shifts those savings towards education, health care, job training, international trade, justice, transportation, and veterans. The CBC budget assumes that funding for the ballistic missile defense system will be reduced and reallocated within the national defense function to increase funding for vital health care research programs and care for our wounded warriors. In addition, reallocated funding should also be set aside to allow the Defense Department to finish implementing the remaining Government Accountability Office's recommendations to address waste, fraud, and abuse within the Defense Department. Our CBC budget targets waste, fraud, and abuse in the Federal Government, starting with, of course, savings at the Pentagon. Critical reviews by the GAO have already saved $89 billion--that's just since 2001--in waste, fraud, and abuse, often simply by improving the Pentagon's business and accounting systems. The CBC budget would fully fund the continued work of implementing all of GAO's recommendations and squeeze these savings from the Department of Defense without sacrificing any of our military strength or readiness. GAO released the report that my language in the Democratic fiscal year 2009 budget required. The GAO has issued 637 reports to the Defense Department between 2001 and 2007 that included 2,700 specific recommendations for the Department of Defense to save our taxpayers dollars. We have successfully implemented 1,600 of those, saving over $89 billion, which over the next 7 fiscal years is going to be about $12.7 billion. So the Congressional Black Caucus supports our President as he works to clean up this mess that was left to him. This budget, though, reflects our historical reputation, our historical work for the last 40 years, and really does reflect the CBC's role as the conscience of the Congress. This budget builds upon our moral imperative to really ensure the American dream for all. Now, Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) be able to control the remainder of the time.

Ms. LEE of California. Madam Chair, I rise to offer that amendment.

Ms. LEE of California. Madam Chair, let me just say that I rise today in strong support of the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget substitute, and I want to commend Congresswoman Woolsey and Congressman Grijalva--co-chairs of the CPC--and their staffs for their very hard and tireless work on this great budget. Budgets are not only fiscal documents; they are moral documents. They reflect our Nation's values and priorities. For example, in our budget, we redeploy all of our troops and contractors out of Iraq, and we cap the tax deductibility of excessive CEO pay. That totals about $120 billion in our budget. Our budget, however, puts $120 billion a year into health care for all Americans. Those are our values. The CPC budget provides critical relief to those who are suffering during this economic crisis. It revitalizes our economy, and it cuts poverty in half in 10 years. We eliminate waste, fraud and abuse at the Pentagon, and we eliminate Cold War era weapons systems to the tune of about $60 billion a year. Smart security is also a critical component of this budget, and we must use this in places like Afghanistan where we know that there is clearly no military solution. I was concerned about that reality on September 14, 2001 when I voted against the military authorization to provide a blank check for endless wars, and I still remain unpersuaded today that sending more troops to Afghanistan will actually advance our national security interests. We must be a Nation committed to exercising the tools of smart security for the 21st century, and this budget puts us on that path.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. First, Chairman Conyers, let me thank you for your leadership and for helping to expedite the consideration of this resolution before us today. And let me commend the work of our staff-- Danielle Brown, Karas Patterson of the Judiciary Committee, and Christos Tsentas and Gregory Berry of my office--for their excellent work on this resolution. Also, I want to express my gratitude to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer and all of those who were able to make sure that we were able to honor our fallen police officers today. I must say, the lives of four police officers who we lost were honored and were mourned at a memorial last week, and this memorial was so big--20,000 people--that we had to have the memorial service in the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. It's really with a very heavy heart that I introduce this resolution honoring their lives and mourning the losses of Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege. All were officers of the Oakland police force. They were brutally slain in the line of duty 10 days ago. Madam Speaker, the death of any law enforcement officer or first responder in the line of duty is a loss felt by so many people in so many communities. The tragic deaths of the heroes we honor in this resolution is no different. These wonderful men may have served and protected the people of Oakland, California, in my congressional district, but off duty they devoted their lives to improving the neighboring East Bay communities where they lived: Castro Valley, Danville, Tracy, and Concord, California. This resolution is cosponsored by the entire California Congressional Delegation, including Speaker Pelosi. So I just want to thank them all for their support, especially Congresswoman Tauscher and Congressman McNerney, each of whom represented one of the officers we honor today and with whom I worked very closely on this resolution. As I said earlier, the number of persons seeking to pay their respects to the fallen officers was so great, more than 20,000, that the memorial service was held at Oracle Arena. Among those in attendance were Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Feinstein, and Senator Boxer, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and California Attorney General Jerry Brown. They were joined by thousands of fellow police officers and elected officials from around the country. President Obama also sent his condolences. This is a small but fitting tribute, Madam Speaker, to four good men who routinely performed great deeds and who gave their lives in service to the people of Oakland, California. Their sacrifice increases by four the number of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since May 17, 1792, when Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith of the New York City Sheriff's Office was killed. According to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial Fund--an invaluable source, I might say, of historical and statistical information--that roll of honor now lists more than 18,270 names, each of which is engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial located in Washington, D.C. In May, 2010, the names of Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans, Daniel Sakai and Officer John Hege will be added to those of their fallen brothers and sisters. The senseless slayings of these officers represents the first multiple-fatality shooting incident in more than 1 year and the first time in more than 15 years that four law enforcement officers were killed by gunfire in the line of duty in a single incident. Madam Speaker, this tragedy also represents the deadliest incident involving California public safety officers since the infamous Newhall Incident, which occurred nearly 40 years ago in Los Angeles County on April 6, 1970, when four California Highway Patrolmen were killed in a gun battle with two heavily armed suspects. The Newhall Incident so traumatized and shocked the Nation that it galvanized the movement that led to the reform of police training procedures, firearms use, and arrest techniques. The slayings of these four officers remind us that the risks assumed by police officers daily in serving and protecting their communities continue to be enormous, ever-present, and, often times, lethal. Their deaths also challenge us to redouble our efforts to ensure that law enforcement personnel have the training, the resources, and assistance and support needed to make our community safer, not only for the people who live there, but also for the people who serve those communities. So, Madam Speaker, let me just say that the bravery, the devotion to duty, and the love of community of these fallen heroes has forever earned them a place in the hearts and memories of the citizens they willingly risked their lives to protect. But that honor comes at an enormous cost to the people who knew them best, who loved them most, and remember them simply as husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, and friends. Sergeant Dunakin of Tracy, California, was an 18-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department, a graduate of Chabot College in Hayward, an experienced homicide investigator. According to his captain, he was a ``cop's cop,'' one who was ``absolutely committed to anything that he leads'' and absolutely devoted to his wife, Angela, and their three children. Sergeant Ervin Romans of Danville, California, a decorated former Marine Corps drill sergeant, was a 13-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department. He was also one of the ablest members of the Oakland Police SWAT Team, and was highly respected for his work in the narcotics division, where he was responsible for solving several major drug cases. In 1999, he was awarded the Oakland Police Department's highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for helping to save residents in a West Oakland fire. Sergeant Romans is survived by his widow and his three children. Sergeant Sakai of Castro Valley, California, was considered by his peers and supervisors as a rising star on the Oakland Police SWAT Team, where he served as leader of the entry team. He was beloved for his dedication to serving others, as evidenced by his previous work as a community service officer at the University of California, Berkeley, escorting students around campus at night, and by his tenure as an English teacher in Japan. He leaves to cherish his memory a wife and a young daughter. And then there is Officer John Hege of Concord, California. John was a 10-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department and a graduate of St. Mary's College in California. Before joining the department, he taught at Tennyson High School in Hayward. And how he loved both his dog and umpiring high school baseball teams was remarkable. Those who knew him well knew how happy he was to realize his dream of becoming a motorcycle cop. Officer Hege could always be counted on by his colleagues to be one of the first to respond to requests for assistance or to cheerfully volunteer to help on departmental projects. He will be greatly missed. Madam Speaker, in the face of this horrible loss and for the people of Oakland, California, we stand together in our resolve to make our city safer and peaceful, and we resolve that Sergeants Dunakin, Romans, Sakai, and Officer Hege, who sacrificed their lives, will be remembered and honored as those who really loved the community and did protect and defend it. Only by achieving our goals of peace, nonviolence, and resolutions of conflicts by peaceful means will we be able to achieve a truly peaceful community, and then repay the debt that we owe to these four remarkable human beings who made the supreme sacrifice to keep us safe. Let me close with a passage from President Obama's statement on the tragic loss of our police officers. He said, ``Our Nation is grateful for the men and women of law enforcement who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our citizens and our neighborhoods. They risk their lives each day on our behalf and ask little in return. And although the danger of their work is well- known, words still fail to explain the senseless violence that claims so many of them. ``As we honor their memories, I hope each of you will take comfort in knowing that their commitment to their fellow man will never be forgotten. We will always carry them in our hearts, and their legacy of service will inspire us as we work together toward a better Oakland, a better world.'' Thank you, Chairman Conyers, for your assistance with this resolution. The White House, Washington, DC, March 27, 2009. I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Sgt. Mark Dunakin, Officer John Hege, Sgt. Ervin Romans, and Sgt. Daniel Sakai. Michelle and I hold their families and your community in our thoughts and prayers. Our Nation is grateful for the men and women of law enforcement who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our citizens and our neighborhoods. They risk their lives each day on our behalf and ask little in return. And although the danger of their work is well known, words still fail to explain the senseless violence that claims so many of them. Sgt. Dunakin, Officer Hege, Sgt. Romans and Sgt. Sakai were taken from us far too soon, and their loss reminds us that the work to which they dedicated their lives remains undone. As we honor their memories, I hope each of you will take comfort in knowing that their commitment to their fellow man will never be forgotten. We will always carry them in our hearts, and their legacy of service will inspire us as we work together toward a better Oakland, a better world. Michelle and I offer our heartfelt sympathy. May their sacrifices be rewarded with eternal peace. Barack Obama.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my sympathies, first of all, for one of my constituents, Tristan Anderson of Oakland, California who lies gravely injured in a Tel Aviv hospital, and to express my concern regarding the incident that put him there. On Friday, March 13, Mr. Tristan Anderson, an American citizen and resident of the 9th Congressional District of California, was critically injured when he was hit in the head by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli troops during a rally protesting the extension of Israel's separation barrier in the West bank village of Ni'ilin. Media accounts indicate that Israeli troops may have intentionally fired tear gas canisters at the protesters like the one that struck Mr. Anderson, who was apparently engaging in nonviolent, peaceful protest and was an innocent victim. Clearly, something went horribly wrong in the village of Ni'ilin, and I am determined to get to the bottom of it. To this end, I have asked the State Department to report back to me on the status of any investigations into this tragic incident, and to advise me as to when the investigation will be completed, and also, that the report be made public. The report should also document the actions that were taken to determine culpability, if any, and to take appropriate corrective actions against those responsible for Mr. Anderson's injuries. Those responsible for this tragedy, whether through negligence or intentional misconduct, must be held accountable. Lastly, I have asked the State Department to advise me of the actions, if any, which it has taken to ensure that Mr. Anderson is provided relief for the injuries that he has sustained. But most of all, Madam Speaker, I wish Tristan Anderson a speedy and full recovery, and for his family and loved ones to know that he is in the thoughts and prayers of the people of the 9th Congressional District of California.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. First, let me, as always, thank Congresswoman Marcia Fudge and also Congresswoman Donna Christensen and their staffs for working with the staff of the Congressional Black Caucus to organize the Congressional Black Caucus Special Orders every Monday night. You provide such a valuable service not only to members of the Congressional Black Caucus but to the entire Nation as a whole. Each Monday, when we're in session, we take our positions very seriously here and Congresswoman Fudge is here each and every Monday night to make sure that we have the opportunity to express our views on issues before this body or issues that we believe ought to be brought before this body. Tonight, of course, as Congresswoman Fudge indicated, we're here to honor a great American who died last week but whose contributions to our Nation will live on for many, many years to come. When noted historian Dr. John Hope Franklin died, our Nation lost a mighty scholar and a soldier for justice. We mourn the loss and we celebrate his life as we remember Dr. Franklin's trailblazing achievements in a variety of fields. A native of Oklahoma, Dr. Franklin received his undergraduate degree from one of the finest black colleges and universities, Fisk University, in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his doctorate in history from Harvard University. His distinguished academic career we could talk about all night, actually, but let me talk a little bit about part of his career. He actually began his career at Howard University, and then he would go on to teach at Fisk University at St. Augustine's College and at North Carolina Central University. In 1956, Dr. Franklin became chairman of the department of history at Brooklyn College, the first African American to lead a department at a predominately white institution. Eight years later in 1964, Dr. Franklin joined the faculty of the University of Chicago serving as Chair of the department of history from 1967 to 1970. At Chicago, he was the John Matthews Manly Distinguished Service Professor from 1969 to 1982 when he became professor emeritus. Dr. Franklin is perhaps best known for his prolific writings including ``The Emancipation Proclamation,'' ``The Militant South,'' ``The Free Negro in North Carolina,'' ``Reconstruction After the Civil War,'' and ``A Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Antebellum North.'' For many African Americans and I, our first introduction to black history was through Dr. Franklin's book ``From Slavery to Freedom.'' In its pages we found--and some of us for the very first time--found an account of American history that really did affirm the dignity of black people and nobility of our struggle. Dr. Franklin was not only a noted historian but also living history himself. His accomplishments are as many as they are great. He was active in numerous professor and educational organizations including serving as President of the following organizations: The American Studies Association, the Southern Historical Association, The United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and the American Historical Association. One of Dr. Franklin's earliest and most important contributions was as a member of the team of scholars who worked with Thurgood Marshall to win the landmark school desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education. Madam Speaker, also just let me just say as I close, Dr. Franklin served recently as Chair of President Clinton's Race Initiative Advisory Board. And while we have made many, many strides and many accomplishments, as we witness the great historic election of President Obama, we still know, and Dr. Franklin reminded us, that race is still a factor. And he brought his intelligence, his wisdom, and his commitment to make America the place that we all know it should be as a result of his work on President Clinton's Race Initiative Advisory Board. So as we mourn his passing and we really--the loss of his wise counsel is something that we will greatly miss, but we will forever thank him and be grateful. And really, we do owe him a debt of gratitude for his lasting contributions which give us really a richer understanding of who we are as a people as African Americans, but also who we are as Americans and our journey as a people. Thank you, Congresswoman Fudge, for, once again, leading the Special Order.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening with a heavy heart on behalf of the residents of my congressional district, the Ninth Congressional District of California, to pay tribute to four fallen heroes from the Bay Area. This weekend, Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai and Officer John Hege, all members of the Oakland Police Department, were brutally gunned down while serving in the line of duty. Oftentimes members of law enforcement go unnoticed. But they provide a critical service to help protect our communities. These men performed their jobs to the fullest every day, knowing that there was a possibility that they would ultimately give their lives in service to their community. Today we honor them and join their families and our community in not only mourning their loss but remembering the sacrifices that they made to protect the people of Oakland, California. I feel that it is very important that everyone remember that these brave men were not nameless, faceless individuals. They were husbands, they were fathers, they were brothers, they were dear friends to many. Sergeant Dunakin lived in Tracy, California, and was on the police force for 18 years. He was a graduate of Chabot College in Hayward. He was promoted to sergeant in 1999 and worked homicide cases in the criminal division. Following his transfer to the traffic division, he was active in the Click It or Ticket campaign and took part in multi- agency crackdowns on drunken driving suspects. Captain Ed Tracey described Sergeant Dunakin as ``Just a cop's cop. He's OPD to the bone. He is absolutely committed to anything that he leads.'' He leaves to mourn his wife, Angela, and his three children. Sergeant Romans, 43, of Danville, was an Oakland officer since 1996. He was a member of the entry team, and was considered one of the most adept members of the Oakland Police SWAT team by his colleagues. Erv, as he was affectionately known, was promoted to sergeant in 2005 and worked narcotics cases, making a number of high-profile drug busts. He leaves behind three children. Sergeant Daniel Sakai of Castro Valley was 35 years old. He was considered a rising star on the Oakland Police SWAT team and was recently named a leader of the entry team. Before joining the SWAT team, Sergeant Sakai worked as a K-9 officer responding to calls with his dog, Doc. He loved nature and studied forestry at UC Berkeley, where he also worked as a community service officer escorting students around campus at night. After graduation, he spent a year in Japan teaching English. He leaves his wife, Jennifer, and a young daughter. Officer John Hege, who was 41 years old, joined the Oakland Police Department 10 years ago after serving as a reserve officer. He graduated from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, and had taught physical education and oversaw study hall at Tennyson High School in Hayward. He lived with his dog on a small cul-de-sac in Concord, California. While off-duty, he was a high school baseball umpire. Officer Hege also wanted to be a motorcycle cop for many years, and in the last few months he finally got his wish. His colleagues noted that he was always the first to respond on the radio to actually assist other officers or to help on a project. It is my sincere prayer that, in light of this tragedy, we begin to reexamine how we are addressing the ongoing violence which plagues our country. The events in Oakland this weekend are a prime example of why we must address the gaps that we have in our parole system and also renew our efforts to ban the sale of military style assault weapons in this country. It is hard enough being a police officer without the added pressure of knowing that there could be assault rifles embedded throughout our communities. We cannot bring back these brave men, but through their deaths we can work and put in place policies that will make our communities safer for the people who live there and also for the police officers who oftentimes have a very dangerous job protecting them. The death of these four officers is really an incomprehensible tragedy that is difficult for all of us to fathom. I extend my deepest sympathies to the family members of the four officers. This is a very difficult time for members of the Oakland Police Department, the City of Oakland and my entire congressional district, actually, for the entire State of California. My heart goes out to all of those members of the police force who are mourning the loss of their brothers. Our prayers are with the family and the friends of these brave young men and women during this very solemn time.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Thank you very much. And let me thank the gentlelady for yielding and also for your leadership. Once again, thanks to you, we are here talking about the many, many issues which face our country, but also many of the issues which the Congressional Black Caucus is very involved in leading. And oftentimes the public really isn't aware of these issues and exactly what we are doing. So thank you again, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, for your leadership and for staying the course. As Chair of the CBC, I'm very proud to point out that we are privileged to draw upon the wisdom and expertise of one of our many colleagues on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman Don Payne of New Jersey. Congressman Payne I must say is more than a member. Of course, he is the Chair of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, but he is our resident expert on Africa. And Congressman Payne I always say is a Member of Congress who not only understands what our foreign policy should be towards the continent of Africa, but he also understands that Africa deserves parity in our overall foreign policy and oftentimes is in the midst of bringing peaceful solutions to conflicts when others won't go there in many, many dangerous and treacherous situations. He also is on the CBC International Affairs Task Force. And I just want to commend Congressman Payne tonight. Thank you for your sacrifices and for your leadership. We are also represented on the Foreign Affairs Committee by Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York, Congresswoman Diane Watson of California, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas and Congressman David Scott of Georgia. I would like to briefly talk tonight about Darfur and Sudan. I mentioned Mr. Payne earlier, and let me just say that he was the lone voice in the wilderness for many years saying that we should declare that genocide is taking place in Darfur, because that is exactly what did take place. He finally brought bipartisan consensus to that, the policy of designating this as genocide, and it took a lot. But the country, our country, has in place, as its foreign policy, that genocide is taking place in Darfur. But it is also important to recognize that we haven't been able to go the next step to really help to end the genocide. The people of Sudan, they have a desire for a just and lasting peace, but it has been crushed repeatedly by one of the most brutal regimes in the world. More than 2 million South Sudanese have died in the 21-year war and have suffered countless atrocities, mostly committed by the same regime in Khartoum. Darfurian children, born at the height of the genocide, are now 6 years old, and many of them are still in displaced camps in Darfur or in Eastern Chad as refugees. Fifteen years ago in Rwanda, the international community turned a blind eye with a million civilians butchered. Have we really done more in the case of Darfur, in South Sudan in Abyei and in Nuba? We declared genocide in 2004, but we haven't acted decisively to stop it. If we had, we could have saved many, many innocent people. And I have visited Darfur on three occasions, and I have just seen the conditions in the camps deteriorate over the years. And so, now it is very important, given what has just taken place, for the United States to raise its role and elevate our work as it relates to trying to help the world community understand that we have got to do the right thing. We need to support the International Criminal Court in its efforts to hold Sudan President Bashir accountable for his crimes against humanity, and for the President, and we support the President, our President, in appointing a Special Envoy for Sudan. Congressman Payne and myself wrote to President Obama, and we are delighted that he has appointed an Ambassador or a Special Envoy to be empowered, and we want him to have the resources to focus on Sudan as a whole with special attention to the ongoing genocide in Darfur. We want full implementation of the CPA and to address the humanitarian crisis because, now as General Bashir has expelled the humanitarian workers, we have an even worse crisis emerging on the humanitarian front. And so our new Special Envoy is Major General Gration. He will be the Special Envoy, and he is uniquely qualified. Some of us met him in Darfur, and we know that he is very qualified to undertake these critically important efforts. As the President said, and I quote, he said that ``he knows the region, he has broad experience and has my complete confidence.'' Let me also say that we have to work very closely with the Special Envoy. And again, we want the Special Envoy to have a team of people with the resources to be able to do this job so he can bring peace to the long-suffering people of the Sudan. Also, in conclusion, let me just highlight the fact that the CBC has led for many, many years in developing our global HIV/AIDS initiatives and the U.S. response to that. We were instrumental, last year in taking--and can you believe this, Congresswoman Fudge, Nelson Mandela and the ANC was on the terrorist watch list until last December. So we were able to get him off of the terrorist watch list before his 90th birthday. We have established June as Caribbean American Heritage Month, honoring those of Caribbean descent who have contributed immensely to this great country. We are working now on the Shirley Chisholm Caribbean Education Exchange Program, and trying to make sure that our country, Haiti, the poorest country in this hemisphere, receives the type of attention and resources it deserves to help stabilize the country. Hurricanes, natural disasters, poverty, health care needs are badly needed in Haiti, and the CBC has been working very hard to try to help stabilize that country. I won't go on and on now, but I just wanted to thank Congresswoman Fudge because the CBC, again, is continuing to be the conscience of the Congress, not only in our domestic policy, but in our foreign policy, and each and every Member understands that we have to think globally and act locally, and we try to work strategically on both the home front and the international front. Thank you very much, Congresswoman Fudge.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, first let me rise to commend Congressman Keith Ellison and the Progressive Caucus for organizing Special Orders each and every week. In fact, later this evening there will be one held to talk about the 6-year anniversary of the war and occupation of Iraq. So I rise today to talk about this very briefly. Six years ago, President George W. Bush launched our Nation into one of the most disastrous, misguided, and dangerous military actions in our history, the initial invasion and proceeding occupation of Iraq. Now, as the new administration seeks to withdraw troops from Iraq, it is essential that the media, the public, and those of us in elected office support these efforts. However, this time, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for those of us who fully support President Obama--who himself opposed the invasion from the beginning--we must hold our Iraq policy accountable and demand answers to tough questions regarding how and when our occupation will end. Last month, to his credit, and we applaud his efforts, President Obama laid forth a timeline for the withdrawal of our military presence in Iraq. His proposal would have two-thirds of our troops home by August of 2010, with the remaining force of approximately 35,000 to 50,000 scheduled to leave by the end of 2011, almost 3 years from now. His announcement received praise from both sides of the political aisle; however, I think that we still need to talk about and have an honest and frank discussion of its merits and potential faults. Americans seem, collectively, to try to forget about Iraq, but we must remember that this is costing us $10 billion a month in this economic recession. And while we recognize, appreciate, and applaud the President's decision, his declaration allows us to move forward and focus on other issues. And so what we are trying to do is make sure that we are focused on our comprehensive foreign and military policy at the same time that we are working on our economic and domestic front. While this reaction, of course, is understandable because people are suffering each and every day as a result of the last 8 years, it is also dangerous. We cannot afford to ignore the enormous risks and potential sacrifices that loom ahead. As one of the founders of the Out of Iraq Caucus, along with Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, our position has been clear all along; we opposed the war and the occupation from the start, and we have worked day in and day out to end it. We believe that ending the occupation of Iraq means redeploying all troops--and we mean all troops--and all military contractors out of Iraq. It also means leaving no permanent bases, and renouncing any claim upon Iraqi oil. We remain concerned about the plan, which calls for 127,000 troops to stay in Iraq until the end of this year and for 35,000 to 50,000 troops to remain in Iraq for another 2\1/2\ years after that. We cannot imagine the need for such an enormous military commitment, and we have talked to military experts who also question that. How did the military planners agree on such a large residual for us, one which is comparable in size to our force levels in South Korea at the height of the Cold War? What role does this transitional force play in the event that violence flares back up? And what steps are being taken to address the 190,000 American contractors in Iraq, and to dismantle our permanent bases? Some say we don't have permanent bases there, others believe that we do--I am one who believes that we do. And so these questions must be addressed before we can move forward. We respectfully wrote to the President and set forth a set of questions asking some of the looming concerns which some of us still have. America's interests in Iraq and the region will best be advanced by reducing the size of our military footprint and making greater use of other assets of national power, including diplomacy, reconciliation, commerce, development assistance, and humanitarian aid. As we solemnly mark the beginning of a seventh year--and it's hard to imagine we have been there 7 years--of the conflict in Iraq, we not only must reflect on the incredible sacrifices made by the men and women who serve in the military, but also, we have to demand an honest assessment of the potential future obstacles that their brothers and sisters in arms will face. As President Obama has said, ``We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in.''

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. I have to say I am really excited today because I have a lot of hope. When you look at the numbers in the District of Columbia, for instance, what, 33 percent new infections for African American women? When you look at what is happening around the country and when you look at the disproportionate rates of African American men in prison, you can't help but be thankful today that this bill is on the floor, and with bipartisan support we're going to move it off the floor. Because I think that if we really are being for real about tackling this, we have got to do it, and we have got to require what this bill requires in our prisons. I just have to say today, on behalf of my constituents, where we declared a state of emergency in 1999 in the African American community in Alameda County, on behalf of the entire country, thank you very much. It is a very hopeful day. I urge support of this bill, and look forward to our continuing work and getting it to President Obama's desk so he can sign this into law.

Ms. LEE of California. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. But also, let me thank you for making sure that we stayed on point as it relates to HIV/AIDS. And I have to just stop and take a minute and help recall some of this history. Actually, when I was first elected in 1998, you were chairing the Congressional Black Caucus at that point. And you recognized what this HIV/AIDS epidemic was doing in our country, especially in the African American community. I remember you called a meeting--I think you gave us maybe 2 or 3 days, but the seriousness of this warranted that. People came from all over the country. And we talked about what we needed to do, and we sounded the alarm. Under your leadership, we developed the Minority AIDS Initiative. And I must say, you insisted then that it be comprehensive, and it must be complete, and it must be funded. I believe at that point we were able to get maybe $150, $157 million; drop in the bucket, maybe, but yes, it was a major step in the right direction. We are still trying to get up to $650 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative. But having said that, let me just say, in terms of the comprehensive nature of what we talked about then and what you insisted on, we said that any AIDS strategy had to be seen from the perspective of prevention, care, and treatment. In fact, we talked about the disproportionate numbers of African Americans being infected and affected and how the resources should be targeted to the communities in most need. Fast forward to Toronto, Canada, to the HIV/AIDS International Conference. And I'll never forget this--and I have to say this because today is really a milestone, I think, in Congresswoman Waters' work around this--we were there with the NAACP, we were there with all of our black AIDS organizations. And you whispered to me, you said, I'm getting ready to do something that's very controversial; some folks may not like it, but are you with me? I said, ``Yes, ma'am.'' You said, ``We're going to do a mandatory testing bill.'' And we talked about it. And you made it public at that conference, and you said you were not going to rest until this is done. You talked about the bill in concept, in terms of stopping AIDS in prison, because you were talking about the rates of infection with regard to African American women and what is taking place in prisons and how all of our heads really are in the sand about this, we just didn't want to deal with it at all. But you were determined that all of us--the NAACP, all of our groups--were going to deal with it. Some said it was going to be impossible to do because of mandatory testing requirements. We talked about how to deal with that, and you found a way, and that is, by allowing anyone who wants to opt out to opt out. I always have to say, Congresswoman Waters, that you always insist on doing this work--if we have to do it out of the box, we will, but where there is a will, there is a way. I think today really just demonstrates that where there is a will, there is a way. And with the bipartisan support now on H.R. 1429, with our President supporting the development of a national AIDS strategy and a national AIDS plan, I have a lot of hope.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Thank you very much. First, let me, Mr. Speaker, thank Representative Fudge and her staff for working with the staff of the Congressional Black Caucus to organize the CBC Special Order every Monday that Congress is in session. This takes quite a bit of time and commitment, but Congresswoman Fudge, I just want you to know, you continue to play such an important role by ensuring that our voices are heard, that the country hears with regard to the positions of the Congressional Black Caucus, and our work, and I want to thank you and your staff for your steady and consistent work on this. Tonight, of course, as Congresswoman Fudge indicated, we're talking about the foreclosure crisis. As we all know, the roots of this current economic crisis are grounded in the housing market, the explosion of the subprime markets, and the unregulated and uncontrolled growth of the derivatives market that drove some of our largest financial services companies into bankruptcy. We have to be truthful about this. The economic and fiscal policies of the Bush administration have left our country in a mess. They created this mess. Many of us--and I remember this very vividly--we warned about this impending housing crisis years ago. As a member of the Financial Services Committee for 8 years, I remember expressing my concern about the housing bubble and the subprime loans that were fueling the housing crisis and also the consequences to our economy if the bubble ever popped. But our warnings fell on deaf ears. I consistently questioned former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan about the housing bubble. Coming from California, we saw this each and every day--the increasing rates of foreclosure and the rapid growth of subprime and other exotic home mortgages. But, as this crisis was brewing, the Bush administration, the Federal Reserve, and HUD turned a dead ear. Now, equity in one's home is really the primary path in our country for accumulating wealth, to send one's children to college, to start a small business, and to really enhance the quality of life. Now, this American Dream of homeownership has turned into a nightmare for millions. The impact of foreclosure also extends far beyond the personal tragedy of the family that loses their home. The foreclosure crisis now has reduced property values throughout the neighborhood. It reduces the revenues for local and State governments. It causes increased prices in the rental markets. The abandoned homes often become the blight of our communities. We took a bus tour in my own community and saw neighborhoods just totally in shambles as a result of homes that had been foreclosed on. Unfortunately, predatory lending targeted vulnerable populations. Predatory lenders went after communities of color, went after individuals they knew were vulnerable, and were targets. To me, that should be looked at very seriously, and hopefully one of these days some will be prosecuted for that. When we tried to encourage the banks to participate in voluntary foreclosure prevention programs to help families in distress, they balked and made every excuse to avoid participating. Now, millions more families are threatened with bankruptcy and foreclosure. AIG--this is unbelievable--AIG can provide what, $165 million in bonuses, taxpayer dollars? This is criminal. It's wrong. It's immoral. For much of the time that I sat on the Financial Services Committee and its subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, I can tell you that much of the work was focused on affordable housing. In fact, I can remember sitting in a subcommittee hearing talking to then- Congressman now-Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont, sketching out the outlines of legislation creating the Federal Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Although I'm glad we were finally able to get this through the Congress, we are all acutely of aware of the funding problems we are seeing now as a result of the foreclosure and economic crisis that we are facing today. So there is much, much work to be done. That is why many of us are pushing for a moratorium. And I think we need a moratorium on foreclosures. We have been pushing for this from the start of the crisis. That's why we worked to push at every point to include significant and meaningful foreclosure relief and to keep people in their homes, including bankruptcy reform. But it hasn't been easy, especially given the Bush administration's disastrous economic policies that I mentioned earlier. But these policies range from deregulating the financial industry, to the war in Iraq. Yes, this war in Iraq. $10 billion a month has been part of this huge problem. These tax cuts to the rich, which created this financial mess. I mean, this is really an unbelievable moment that this administration has stepped up to the plate on to move forward to help turn this economy around. Despite the resistant Bush administration, at least we were able to include important Neighborhood Stabilization Funding--over $8.25 million for my own city last year--in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. Again, thanks to the consistent and effective work of Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Today, finally a new day has dawned and we have hope because the majority in Congress and President Obama understand that we can and we must use every available tool to address this crisis head on. The Congressional Black Caucus fought hard, fought hard, led by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, to ensure that an additional $2 billion in Neighborhood Stabilization Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was included. Not enough, but it's a start. I'm pleased that Secretary Geithner and the President have announced a $75 billion plan to keep families in their homes and to keep home ownership affordable. Even with all of our efforts, we all know the enormity and the gravity of this situation, and this requires much more. We have the obligation of making the dream of home ownership accessible to all Americans and to help them achieve those dreams by limiting these unscrupulous lenders--and I mean they are unscrupulous; these unscrupulous brokers--and they are unscrupulous; and these real estate agents, who really seek to profit at the expense of the people that they purport to serve. We are not casting a net on all of these individuals and institutions, but I think the data shows us that there's been a lot of bad faith, there's been a lot of activity in the financial services and in the real estate industry that really caused us to question a lot of the practices of some of these individuals. I think that there must be more accountability and more oversight and some need to be called on the carpet as a result. Finally, let me just say that I have to congratulate our Speaker for helping to take strong steps. Chairman Frank, Congresswoman Maxine Waters. These individuals work day and night to help us figure out ways to help families in distress, and our bills to improve FHA to create grants to provide home buyers with the incentives to strengthen the oversight of this mortgage industry, which has gone wild, if you ask me. This movement and some of these initiatives I think will help begin to mitigate some of the damage of this housing crisis. But without the safety net of the courts, the average homeowner will still too often be left to the rise and fall of the markets and the whims of the mortgage marketers. So bankruptcy reform must be enacted. So, thank you, again, Congresswoman Fudge, for organizing this Special Order. Thank you for allowing us to raise the alarm once again and to sound the alarm so that the country understands that we are on the case day and night, and this is quite a moment and it's quite a mess that we are faced with as a result of the last 8 years. But I am confident that with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and our leadership, that we are going to dig ourselves out of this hole. Thank you, and I yield back.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Would the gentlewoman yield for just 1 minute? I just have to say I am mesmerized listening to this history because I have to remember and recall the fact that when I learned of this, I was actually working for my predecessor, now mayor, former Congressman Ron Dellums. And he chaired the Committee on the District of Columbia. And his goal, and we used to talk about this, because we were very active in the home rule movement, was to, as Chair of the District Committee, I can always remember him saying, we have got to use this committee to turn over the workings of the District of Columbia to the people of the District of Columbia and transfer that power to the residents of the District of Columbia. And so this is another step. This is the next chapter in that effort. It is a shame and disgrace that in 2009 we are still here talking about full voting rights for the representative from the District.

Ms. LEE of California. I care like the entire country cares, based upon the public opinion polling. This is just basic fairness, it's basic justice. And let me just say, first of all, I raise my kids here in Washington, D.C. They went to Washington, D.C. public schools. My children and myself have been residents. Even though I live and represent California, we are here 3 or 4 days out of the week. I always say that Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is my representative 3 or 4 days of the week here in the District. We know the District, we know the residents. Whether we do or not, it's important that we make sure that there is equal representation; the civil rights issue for a vote. One person, one vote. I mean it's unbelievable that here in 2009 the District of Columbia does not have voting rights on this floor. Let me say that we just went to Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham this past weekend with a great hero, Congressman John Lewis. We walked across the Edmund Pettis Bridge. We honored those whose lives were given for the right to vote. Bloody Sunday, 44 years ago. There's no way that I'd be standing here as a Member of Congress if it weren't for the civil rights movement and those martyrs who we honored this past weekend. In participating in this pilgrimage, I couldn't think about anything but about voting rights for the District of Columbia. This is the unfinished business of this great civil rights movement. There is no way in the world that the residents of the District of Columbia should continue to be discriminated against and penalized. The District residents pay taxes. Come on, they pay taxes. Our young men and women here go to war. They participate in all aspects of our country's society and all aspects of our work here, and they are citizens of this great country. So why would you deny United States citizens the right to have voting representation on this floor? To me, again, it's a moral issue. It's an issue of fairness and justice. I have got to say that I am very proud as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus that we didn't blink when we said this was a top issue for us as the Congressional Black Caucus, to unify and to say that there is no way that we are going to back off of this and allow any type of gun amendments or any type of amendments taint what should be a bill that would celebrate finally the realization of our democracy. And so this is quite a moment. We have President Obama in the White House. We have major, major breakthroughs in our country. This is a transformative moment. And I would say that those who really want to put their money where their mouth is, they should really step up to the plate and they should say that finally, finally the residents of the District of Columbia's day has come when they can fully participate in this great democracy. Short of that, there still remains much unfinished business. And I don't think we want to let this moment pass, Mr. Ellison. I don't think residents in your district want to see the residents of the District of Columbia continue to be discriminated against. We have what, 500,000 people who live in the District--600,000? To me, that's unconscionable. It's unconscionable. The billions of Federal tax dollars that are paid each year and all of the responsibilities of United States citizenship are embraced by the residents of the District of Columbia. And so on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, I just want to thank you once again, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, for waging such a noble fight because this is a day and night struggle for you. I want to salute you and I just want to say to you that we are not going to rest until you have this vote here. I know this vote is not for you personally. This vote is for those 600,000 people who deserve the right to vote in this body. Thank you, Congressman Ellison. I thank the Progressive Caucus for your leadership. I hope that the country hears us today and I hope they understand what types of games are being played on a civil rights bill that should never, never, never happen. And so we have got to move on. We have to pass this. We have to pass the bill as it is written. Thank you again.

Ms. LEE of California. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding, but also for your leadership and sounding the clarion call once again on behalf of what is right and what is just. And I can't think of any issue that we need to address here 24-7 than this issue we are talking about today, and that is voting rights for a representative from the District of Columbia.

Ms. LEE of California. Let me first thank you for the historical perspective that you have put this in, because I think you are right; had the word gone out, had we sounded the alarm throughout the country much before now many years ago, these numbers would have been readily there many, many years ago, because the American people care about democracy and they care about making sure that every person has a vote on this House floor. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, it is very important that we, one, establish the priorities in terms of funding priorities for our country; we also establish and work on priorities for our own congressional districts. In fact, it is only us who know our districts. We know our districts ourselves, just as you know this district, Congresswoman Norton. So when the appropriations bills come to this floor, it is incumbent upon us to vote for them, ensuring that, one, the bills are in the national interest in terms of funding priority, but also in our own constituents' interest. If a bill comes to the floor that is objectionable to the residents of the District of Columbia, you should be able to vote ``no.'' If an approps bill comes to the floor that you believe is deserving of the support of the residents of the District of Columbia because the funding priorities are such, the types of initiatives that are in that bill are representative of the needs of the District of Columbia, you should be able to vote ``yes.'' The people of the District of Columbia don't have a vote in terms of our national budget, our national priorities. What if we say we want to support as a national priority health care reform? Which we do. How in the world will the residents of the District of Columbia vote for an appropriations to implement a health care reform initiative? So, Congresswoman Norton, it is extremely important from a funding perspective of our national government that you have a vote right here, because the tax dollars that are paid by the residents of the District of Columbia, they are part of this overall national budget. They are part of the U.S. Treasury. So, my goodness, I don't even know how I would feel if I did not have a vote when in fact my district, my constituents, are paying the taxes, I would be very angry, I would be very upset, each and every year. So I think you have turned this frustration and this anger, which it really should be, the whole country should be enraged about this, into a very positive struggle for civil and for human rights. And that is really, basically, what this is. Finally, let me just say, this country continues to promote democracy and democratic movements all around the world. We need to start promoting some democratic movements here in our own country, starting right here with providing the vote for the residents of the District of Columbia, and I think that the polling data shows that the American people want that. So I am optimistic. As I said earlier, I think we have made a quantum leap and there is a new environment. People want change, and I think this is basic change. This is fundamental to our democracy, and I applaud you again for working day and night to make sure the democratic ideals are realized through this vote.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I come to the floor today to join my distinguished colleague, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, and recognize her for her 300th Special Order, or 5-minute speech, on the ongoing war and the occupation in Iraq. I also stand here calling yet, again, for an end, and I mean an end, to this unjust war, and for the return of our troops and military contractors from Iraq. Congresswoman Woolsey, let me just commend you for being such an unparalleled leader and a guiding light in Congress for peace, for smart security, and for justice. Congresswoman Woolsey, if you may remember, offered the first resolution calling for the withdrawal of our young men and women and the redeployment and bringing them home, and that was years ago. Today, Congresswoman Woolsey, thanks to your leadership, I think we are closer to that first resolution, where you stepped out on faith but knew that that was the right thing to do. I think we are closer to that day. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus, and Congresswoman Woolsey and myself cofounded the Out of Iraq Caucus in order to really amplify this important message and the call to action to end this war of choice. And that is what it is. But Congresswoman Woolsey has been the one who's been down here representing us and representing the voices of peace in the entire country each and every day to make sure that she shone light on the untold hazards and costs of the United States military presence in Iraq. As cochair of the Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Woolsey has worked tirelessly to bring attention to these vital issues of global peace and national security. And so, today, 300 times, this is really an amazing milestone. So, I am very, very pleased to be able to be with you today, Congresswoman Woolsey, and also just to say I am proud that you're my colleague and sister next to my district from the north. It's really, though, with a heavy heart that I note next week that our country will enter into the seventh year of this unnecessary and immoral war in Iraq. Six years of unnecessary bloodshed in Iraq. We have wasted too much American treasure, drained too much and too many of our American resources and, most importantly, Madam Speaker, we have, unfortunately, claimed too many American lives. As of February 25, 2009, according to the Defense Department, 4,252 brave servicemen and women have given their lives, and more than 30,000 United States troops have been injured. This war has already cost the American people more than $650 billion--this is $10 billion a month--as the economy spirals further and further into crisis. The costs to the people of Iraq also have been far greater. Tens of thousands of Iraqi men, women, and children have been killed. More than a million Iraqis have fled their homes and live as refugees. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced. As we have watched our Federal resources go toward the continuation of violence and strife in Iraq, Congresswoman Woolsey has reminded us over and over and over again, 300 times now, that these are dollars that are not coming back into our communities or toward vital programs to help our neighbors most in need. We have committed more than a half trillion dollars to an occupation that, yes, has undermined our standing and credibility in the world, the enormous costs of which will no doubt be exacted on the physical and economic security of future generations. Of course we know the simple truth, that no unjust war ever produced a just and lasting peace. We look forward to working with our new administration to continue our efforts to bring our troops and military contractors home. I have to say again to Congresswoman Woolsey, thank you for your unwavering leadership and commitment. I am truly proud to serve with you in this body. When this unfortunate chapter in American history is written, especially the foreign policy chapter, your consistency and your courage and your resolve before this body will be long remembered. Moreover, your Special Orders should be acknowledged for their effort in rallying the American people to demand an end to this war and to finally bring our troops home. So this is a milestone today. Hopefully we won't have too many more 300 times of your sounding the alarm, and that we can bring our young men and women home and begin to really move forward in seeking global peace and security.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Thank you very much. Let me thank the gentlelady from Ohio for yielding, but also for your leadership and for that very clear and powerful statement and ensuring that the Congressional Black Caucus each week has an opportunity to talk about those issues that are affecting the African-American community, communities of color and the entire country. So thank you, Congresswoman Fudge. There are just a couple of things I would like to say tonight on the budget. I have to acknowledge and thank the Chair of the Budget Committee for the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Bobby Scott, who consistently each year pulls together his task force. I serve as a member of his task force to look at the overall budget and to make sure that the Congressional Black Caucus' focus is couched within the fact that historically we have been and continue to be the conscience of the Congress and that the budget reflects our values. The budget is a moral document, and it's within that perspective and lens that we look at the budget. Let me say a couple of things with regard to the budget, specifically. As an example of what I am talking about, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is devastating the African-American community and communities of color both here and, of course, abroad, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We believe the time has come to really put forth a national HIV/AIDS strategy, a plan, and fund it. We also established in 1999, under the great leadership of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a minority AIDS initiative. And this year we are pushing to fund that minority AIDS initiative at least at $645, $650 million. That's really a drop in the bucket, but we have to start somewhere, and we want to make sure that our tax dollars, as it relates to HIV and AIDS, are targeted and directed to where the problem is the greatest. And, of course, we know, when you look at the statistics in the African-American community, HIV and AIDS is off the scale. So we must do more and we have to get this moving very quickly. Secondly, I would like to just mention this defense budget. Each and every year there are a few of us who talk about the fact that we all, and as the daughter of a lieutenant colonel, I am, as I always say, a military brat, support a strong military, a strong national defense and our troops. It's time that we look at a realistic national security budget that reflects our national security priorities, not to continue to fund many of those Cold War-era weapons systems, which are being built for a threat that doesn't exist. So we are looking at ways, and I have found in the GAO studies that have been conducted on the defense budget, there's billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse in the defense budget. It's time we look at closing some of those items that GAO identified, and I believe we could get up to some $80-some billion in cuts just based on closing the items that have been identified as waste, fraud and abuse. So there is much to look at in terms of the budget. This is a very difficult year, it's a very difficult time, given the economic recession, and so we must have a budget that reflects the values of our country, including addressing poverty in a big way. Eight more million people now are living in poverty as a result, unfortunately, of the policies of the last 8 years. We have to begin to look at how we address these moral gaps, and that's what they were. That's what they are, the dignity of all human beings must be reflected in our budget, and that is what the Congressional Black Caucus seeks to do to ensure that every man, woman and child, not only in the Black community, but throughout the country, have support and our Federal Government policies that support their dignity and their worth. So I want to thank Congressman Bobby Scott and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge for their leadership on that and just know that we are working day and night to make sure that whatever budget comes out of here reflects the moral values of our country. Thank you.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1106, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. I want to commend Chairman Conyers, Chairman Frank and Speaker Pelosi for their dedication and work in bringing this bill to the floor. Of course, I would have preferred to vote on the prior, more robust version of this bill, but nevertheless this is an important step forward that will help keep families in their homes. As we all know the roots of the current economic crisis are grounded in the housing market and the greedy lending practices of the banks. Many of us warned about this impending housing crisis years ago. As a member of the Financial Services committee for eight years, I remember expressing my concern about the housing bubble and the subprime loans that were fueling it and the consequences to our economy if the bubble popped. But our warnings fell on deaf ears. When we tried to encourage the banks to participate in voluntary foreclosure prevention programs to help families in distress, they balked and made every excuse to avoid participating. Then the economy tanked and they begged us for a bail out. Now millions more families are threatened with bankruptcy and foreclosure. That's why we are taking this step today, to restore some equity to our bankruptcy laws to allow judicial modifications of mortgages on primary residences and to help keep families in their homes. I applaud the improvements to the Hope for Homeowners program that are also included in this legislation. We had to address the low rate of participation in this voluntary program and I know that the improvements included here will provide many more homeowners with a way to work out new, affordable mortgages and to continue making their mortgage payments. Passing this bill will be an important step in stabilizing the housing markets because not only will we help families protect their homes and their assets during this economic crisis, we will strengthen our entire banking system by making permanent the increase in the FDIC insurance limits to $250,000. This will protect the savings of every American and will increase confidence in the banking systems both here and abroad. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 1106.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank my colleague the gentlewoman from California, Mrs. Capps, for yielding me the time. As a former nurse, Congresswoman Capps understands very, very well what people with multiple sclerosis must go through. I appreciate her work in managing this resolution. I thank her for her advocacy on behalf of people with MS and for working to ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care in America. Thank you, Congresswoman Capps. I also want to thank my colleagues Congressman Russ Carnahan and Congressman Michael Burgess, the cochairs of the Multiple Sclerosis Caucus in the House, for working with me on this resolution and for keeping the Congress focused on MS issues. This is really a bipartisan issue, and I appreciate both of my colleagues for working together to make sure that it stays that way. I also have to thank the over 110 cosponsors who joined with us to champion MS Awareness Week and who made the consideration of this resolution today possible on the suspension calendar. In particular I want to thank Chairman Henry Waxman and Ranking Member Joe Barton and their staffs for agreeing to bring this resolution straight to the floor, and, of course, to Christos Tsentas on my staff, who understands this issue very well and has shepherded us through this process. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the work also of the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition and in particular the National MS Society and its staff, especially Shawn O'Neail, for leading the charge to create MS Awareness Week and for helping us with this resolution. And, of course, I have to thank all of those who are living and suffering with multiple sclerosis and all of the friends and family and loved ones who care for them and take care of them when they are in need. This resolution is about commending you as well. And let me just say I have to thank my dear sister Mildred for teaching me what it is like to live with multiple sclerosis. Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Capps, I called my sister and I talked to her before I was going to share her story to make sure that she didn't have a problem with any privacy issues, and she said to me, ``Barbara, if there is anything you can do to raise awareness about the condition that not only myself has, but many, many, many Americans, then just do it and share what I have to tell you.'' So this is her story, coming from my sister Mildred. She said to me, ``You know, it is so frustrating to go to a doctor and for me to ask a doctor a question about the symptoms of my disease and the doctor says `I just don't know.''' She said at first she thought the doctors were just putting her off, but come to find out the doctors just don't know. So this bill is for all of the times that she told me she gets up in the morning, and this is very typical of MS patients, she gets up in the morning and wonders whether she will be able to walk that day. Let me just say for all of the times that she is in remission, dreading the next flare-up, she said to me that every day she wonders what is going to trigger the return of her symptoms. Mr. Speaker, she also said to me that it is very important that we raise awareness about MS and that we do more outreach and more public education, more research, and really provide for more care for MS patients and more supportive services. My sister, I believe she was diagnosed when she was about 26 or 27. She didn't tell me I could tell her age, so I won't do that, but she is a year younger than I am and 2 years ago I celebrated the 21st anniversary of my 39th birthday. So you can figure that out. She has been living a productive and fruitful life. She has learned about the treatments and medications. Fortunately, she has had access to some of the best, and she wants everybody to have access to the types of treatment she has had. But she also recognizes there may or may not be a cure during her lifetime, and that this Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week, which we designated for March 2 to March 8, is really the beginning of this effort. So, for that she is deeply grateful, like I know all MS patients are throughout the country. Some people may not know what multiple sclerosis is. Let me just explain a little bit about it, because this resolution is about raising awareness. MS is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder where the immune system incorrectly attacks healthy nerve fibers of the central nervous system, interfering with transmission of nerve signals throughout the body. People with MS can experience a range of symptoms that can either have permanent or intermittent damage, depending on the type of MS that they have. These symptoms can include blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, blindness and more. Most people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 to 50, just as my sister was, though there is no actual diagnostic laboratory test for multiple sclerosis. I remember my sister was diagnosed by the process of elimination, given all the tests that were available then. Given the range of symptoms that occur, it is also quite common for someone to be misdiagnosed, and typically it takes about 10 years to receive a correct diagnosis. There are over 400,000 people, 400,000 people, throughout the United States suffering from MS, and worldwide over 2.5 million cases have been diagnosed. But the real numbers of people living with MS are almost certainly higher. Although MS is largely characterized as a disease that affects Caucasian populations, it does occur among African Americans and other minority groups and can be quite severe. As my sister said, it is a disease that really does need to come out of the closet for people of color. Because people of color tend to access the health care system less frequently, they may not get diagnosed at the rates they should. Let me just say, our First Lady, Michelle Obama, her dad, Mr. Frasier Robinson, had multiple sclerosis, so our First Family clearly understands the need for this awareness and for outreach efforts and for more resources put forth toward really finding the cause and cure of MS. The causes of MS are unknown, though there are an unusually high number of MS cases among Gulf War veterans. There is no cure for the disease. So the resolution that we are considering today will support the work of the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition in raising awareness about MS by urging States, localities and the media to participate in MS Awareness Week. Also we are pleased that the defense appropriations bill included $5 million to fund research into multiple sclerosis among our veterans, so I look forward to working with Chairman Obey and Chairman Murtha to ensure that these funds are well used. Again, let me thank all of my colleagues for their support. It is very timely and urgent that we consider this. On behalf of my sister Mildred, who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and all of those individuals throughout the country with MS, let me just thank you so much for your leadership and for this resolution.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, and I thank Chairman Obey, my Chairman, as well as the leadership, for their work in putting this bill together. Today's action on the Omnibus Appropriations bill will complete action on the federal budget for fiscal year 2009. When we originally began this process over a year ago, we were dealing with a President who rejected the idea that we needed to invest in our children's education. He didn't think we should fund job training and employment services to ensure that American workers could compete in the global economy. He didn't think that all Americans should have access to quality affordable health care, or that we should try and lift up the more than 37 million people living in poverty. He rejected the basic notion that ``an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'' and tried to cut funding for the CDC, while opposing increases in funding for cutting edge biomedical research to create the next generation of miracle drugs. He told us in no uncertain terms that he would veto any federal budget we passed that tried to invest in education, job training, healthcare, alternative energy, and local law enforcement and ensure the continued prosperity of our nation. And he did so while demanding that we provide hundreds of billions of dollars to fund the ongoing war and occupation in Iraq, and to bail out the banking industry for their greed and mismanagement. Rather than accepting the President's position that the American people were not worth investing in, we decided to wait him out. Today we have a President, who rejects the failed economic policies and ideologies of the last eight years. We have a President who believes that, yes, the American people--our constituents--deserve a government that works for them, and that is willing to invest in them to ensure that they can get a good education, live healthy and productive lives, and obtain meaningful employment, and raise their children in a just and peaceful world. Yes, Mr. Speaker, change has indeed come to our nation's capital. And now we've got to roll up our sleeves and get to work. The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 makes critical investments in a range of programs and builds on the economic stimulus package to help put America to work. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. LEE of California

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, as an original co-sponsor I proudly rise in strong support of H. Res. 83, which recognizes the significance of Black History Month. Since 1926, the contributions of African Americans have been recognized and celebrated each February. It comes as no surprise that this year Black History Month is especially significant with the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th President. I thank my colleague and friend from Texas, Congressman Al Green, for introducing this very important resolution. The joy we all feel on this occasion is tempered by the grief that still lingers over the sudden loss last year of our dear friend and colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio. For more than 400 years and despite tremendous hardships such as slavery, segregation, and legalized injustice, African Americans have made significant contributions to the economic, educational, political, artistic, literary, religious, scientific, and technological life in the United States. As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, let me say that it is altogether fitting and proper that we set aside the month of February to remember and honor the achievements and contributions of American heroes like George Washington Carver, Dr. Charles Drew, Justice Thurgood Marshall, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, Jackie Robinson, Crispus Attucks, Tiger Woods, Benjamin Banneker, and Guion Bluford, Jr. But Mr. Speaker, nothing wilts so fast as laurels that are rested upon. Time marches on and history unfolds daily. The greatest contributions to the American experience are yet to be made. The challenges facing our country are great but not as great as our will to overcome them. We have an economy to rebuild, an environment to protect, a generation to educate, diseases to cure, and lives to reclaim. We will succeed. And when the history of this period is written, I have no doubt that it will record the tremendous accomplishments made by Americans, including African Americans. We will rebuild our economy, preserve the environment and protect the planet, end the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other scourges; provide a world class education to the next generation; and demonstrate to the world not only that it is possible but desirable for people of different races, creeds, and religions to live and work together in peace and harmony. As members of the greatest legislative body in the world it remains our duty this month and every month of every year to pursue policies that promote social and economic justice. As an African American woman and legislator who has been benefited from the pioneering work of others, I am committed to doing all that I can to ensure that the doors of opportunity are opened even wider and that all persons in our country have the opportunity to fulfill their potential and realize their dreams. I urge all Members to joining me in voting to support this resolution.