Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. I just wanted to make this one point because I listened very closely to what the fiscal arguments were on this bill. And it's hard to believe that you continue to fund this occupation in Iraq, yet you talk about the fact that we don't have the resources to create schools worthy of our children. So I think this is about priorities. And I hope that everyone on both sides will vote for this bill in a bipartisan fashion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for yielding. I support this bill and hope we all vote for it.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, although I support the legitimate Government of Lebanon, I could not support H. Res. 1194 because it contains language calling upon the United States ``to immediately take all appropriate actions to support and strengthen'' the current Government of Lebanon. I believe this wording is unnecessarily broad and could he construed by some to implicitly endorse military action against any state or organization that this administration deems a threat to the Lebanese government. Because the resolution does not expressly exclude the use of force as one of the ``appropriate actions'' to be taken by the United States, I was not able to support it.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to yield the remaining time to close to the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton).

Ms. LEE. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott). (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 1 minute to the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Ms. LEE. I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Woolsey).

Ms. LEE. I would yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have left?

Ms. LEE. I would like to yield now 1 minute to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First let me thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for their work on this bill and also for their devotion to the men and women of our Armed Forces. Thank you very much on behalf of my dad, retired Lieutenant Colonel, recently deceased, Garvin Tutt. Thank you, Mr. Skelton; thank you, Mr. Hunter. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple and straightforward. It provides that no provision contained in any Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, negotiated between the President and the Government of Iraq which commits the United States to the defense and security of Iraq from internal and external threats is valid unless this agreement has been authorized and approved by Congress. This may sound complicated but it really is not. The issue is really simple. Should President Bush, this President, or any President be allowed to obligate our troops to a long-term commitment to spend resources and provide troops to defend Iraq against its enemies internal or external without congressional review? The longstanding answer and constitutional answer to this question is ``no.'' So, Mr. Chairman, this amendment should not be controversial. And why is it needed? Because in November, 2007, President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki signed the Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation, which included an unprecedented commitment to defend Iraq against internal and external threats. Frankly, this is not only unprecedented, but it is really insulting when one considers that the agreement does require the review and approval of the Iraqi Parliament but not our own Congress. That doesn't make any sense. If prior review and approval is good enough for the Iraqi Parliament, it is good enough for the United States Congress. In fact, it is essential for the United States Congress to give their approval. I want to take a moment to address the position of the administration and some of my Republican colleagues who would argue that the agreement is nothing more than a garden variety. Status of Forces Agreements, for the most part, don't require congressional involvement or approval. But the reality is that this Declaration of Principles goes far beyond what is typically covered in the Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA. The reality is that routine SOFAs do not include any guarantee to defend a host country against external or internal threats. That just has not been part of prior SOFA agreements. I cannot underscore just how serious this commitment is. An agreement of this kind to commit American troops to the defense of security of another country is not routine or typical or minor. It is a major commitment that must have the support of the American people, and that popular support will only be reflected through the Congress of the United States, the people's House. Mr. Chairman, if a decision is made about keeping troops in Iraq indefinitely, then it is the Congress that should have a say. My amendment does that. I want to be clear, though, that this amendment is not about redeploying our troops from Iraq, a position that I strongly support, nor is it about timelines or reconstruction or oil or the various other debates raging around our occupation of Iraq. We can't undo the suffering, the death, the horrible injuries, the deep psychological scars, or the millions of lives that are forever altered, and we can't erase the misrepresentations made, the mistakes made, or the damage done. But we can, however, prevent future mistakes. And it would be a disastrous mistake to let the current declaration move forward without congressional debate and approval. So this amendment is about the future. Do we want the next President and Congress to inherit a situation where our troops are committed to fight Iraqi civil wars and any entity the Iraqis deem a threat? Do we really want that? Do we want to do that without even having debated it or allowing congressional review? Do we really want that? This is about standing up for Congress and the Constitution. Again, this amendment is responsible, practical, and necessary. For these reasons, I urge all Members to support my amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of the McGovern- Sestak-Bishop, GA, amendment. This important amendment will restore public access to the name, country of origin, and other information of graduates and instructors of the infamous Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, WHINSEC, formerly known as the School of the Americas. In doing so, this amendment will provide a critical measure of transparency to the training provided by the United States at this institution. We know that prior training provided by WHINSEC has led to increased instability in Latin America and numerous violations of human rights at the hands of former students--including torture, extortion, and executions. Rather than supporting peace and stability, this institution has instead done quite the opposite. Many countries in the region are still struggling to recover from decades of dictatorship, corruption, and human rights abuses perpetrated by WHINSEC graduates. At a time when our occupation of Iraq has greatly damaged our credibility and standing in the world, it is imperative that we reverse the legacy of this school that is drenched in secrecy, terror, and violence. I urge my colleagues to improve our reputation as a promoter of democratic ideals, protect human rights, and support this amendment.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, first let me thank and applaud Congressman Wu for his leadership in offering this very important resolution today. It is with great sadness that all of us have watched the news reports of thousands of people who have been displaced or who have died as a result of the earthquake in China last week. I have talked with constituents in my district who have family and friends affected by this tragedy. I was particularly pained by the children who were trapped in the collapsed schools and buildings. It is my hope and my prayer, like those of this entire body, that more survivors will be found and that more families will be reunited. I want to extend my condolences to the Chinese people and especially to those families who have lost their loved ones. The people of my district, the Ninth Congressional District of California, are rallying together in solidarity to provide humanitarian relief in response to the quake. Donations to humanitarian relief agencies are already flowing in, and our local Chinatown Chamber of Commerce is working with the local Red Cross to place donation canisters at local restaurants and businesses to help raise additional funds. I know that 14 of the canisters have already been placed. The people of my district and myself will do everything we can to help with the relief and recovery efforts during this tragic time. This is a natural disaster of enormous proportions that requires an unprecedented response. As a country, we must extend our hand of friendship and our heart of compassion. My heart and my prayers go out to the people of China, but I know that with the world unified in assisting with these efforts that the people will receive some form of relief very quickly. I thank Congressman Wu for your leadership and for your compassion and for giving us the opportunity to talk about this very important, tragic natural disaster that has turned really into a human disaster.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. First, let me thank my colleague from New York, a great American and a proud daughter of the Caribbean, for your leadership and for putting together this Special Order tonight. And as I listen to you, I'm thinking, I hope everyone in the country is listening tonight because I get so many questions about the world food crisis, the whys, what is going on? Why, even in some of our communities, stores are stockpiling rice? And I think what you are doing tonight is allowing us to give the big picture, the explanation, talk about what is really talking place. And so thank you, Congresswoman Clarke, for your leadership and your vision and for putting this all together tonight. Let me just say a couple of things. First of all, Congresswoman Clarke mentioned the congressional delegation. Congresswoman Kilpatrick and myself co-led it to Haiti to examine the current conditions on the ground. Now, during our visit, we were joined by 10 members of the Congressional Black Caucus and one member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. I'd like to mention who these Members are because they reflect the broad concern, regionally, and just in terms of their deep commitment to address some of the humanitarian issues that we must address in the world. Congressman Andre Carson, Congresswoman, of course, Yvette Clarke, Congressman Keith Ellison, Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Congressman Hank Johnson, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congresswoman Diane Watson, and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. We all have a longstanding interest and commitment to strengthen our ties with Haiti and the Haitian people. Now, during this codel we met with Haitian President Rene Preval, our United States Ambassador Janet Sanderson, and representatives from humanitarian and development organizations in Haiti. Our goals were to examine the United States strategy to help alleviate the effects of the recent rise in food prices in Haiti. We were there to ensure that there is infrastructure, which we discussed with President Preval, to make sure there is adequate infrastructure in place to help distribute aid to the Haitian people, and that there is a long-term plan in place to expand that infrastructure. Also, to take steps to ensure a safe and stable and promising future for Haiti and all Haitians by providing immediate relief to help the Haitian people. So we want many, many short-term goals to be met, but also, we want these short-term goals and initiatives to lead to a more sustainable effort to make sure that the Haitian people begin to receive our assistance with regard to the infrastructure, health care, clean water, and all of the systems that people just deserve so that they can live decent lives. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. And Haitians are particularly affected by soaring food prices, which have risen over 40 percent globally since mid 2007. Haiti produces 50 percent of the food it needs and imports the rest. The rising cost of living has keenly affected the people of Haiti. Forty percent of Haiti's population is only able to eat one meal a day. Eighty percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. And the cost of staples, such as rice, beans, fruit, and condensed milk, have gone up 50 percent in the last year. In terms of health aid organizations, they fear that the nutritional crisis will get worse in Haiti. Haiti has the highest rates in the Caribbean of HIV and AIDS. And in order to make sure that the anti- retroviral drugs are effective, good nutrition must be available. Food must be available for people to eat so that they can just take their medications, otherwise, it just won't work. According to the World Food Program, malnutrition is particularly acute in Haiti, where the average Haitian diet contains just 1,640 calories, 460 calories short of the typical 2,100 daily requirement. Particularly, one in five children is chronically malnourished. Now, anti-government protests and public looting in reaction to soaring food prices have really jeopardized Haiti's capacity to sustain and administer its government institutions effectively. Currently, Haiti's government is in a very precarious caretaker position, where they are unable to create and enforce new laws. On April 12 of this year, Haitian Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis was forced out of office for failure to boost food production and lower food prices. In addition, the Haitian Parliament vetoed President Preval's recent replacement appointee for the Prime Minister position. With no head of government, Haiti is left in a very fragile state, and it's up to us to help fill the void in terms of just helping to feed the people of Haiti. As a witness to these dire conditions in Haiti, we must take urgent steps to implement an effective strategy to help the Haitian people. Congresswoman Clarke reviewed some of the initiatives that have taken place here in terms of what we have done in the farm bill, what we are urging the President to do. Actually, he did announce we would release 200 million in emergency food aid, some of which would go to Haiti. He also called on Congress to approve the 770 million in food aid to help fight the food crisis. But we've learned now that there is $1 million that has not been released yet, which would help reduce the cost of rice for the Haitian people. And so one of the initiatives that we talked about is how we could help facilitate this $1 million so that the Haitian people will at least be able to afford to buy rice. We're working on that very diligently as I speak. This crisis, though, let me just say, has opened the door to much needed innovation for long-term development solutions in Haiti. So as I said earlier, this crisis should be addressed with an immediate response, and it should be a strong and very aggressive and very robust response because this is a very dire situation. But we also need to make sure that we don't go backwards and that the crisis is contained, and that we move forward and look at how to help Haiti find some sustainable solutions in terms of agricultural development, the development of their infrastructure, and all of the other initiatives, debt relief, that are so desperately needed. And so members of our delegation are working on a variety of bills which will be announced very shortly, and we're working on a variety of actions. And so I just hope that President Bush will make sure that everything is done on behalf of the people of the United States to just help Haiti live, help Haiti thrive, and help the Haitian people move on with their lives. Thank you, Congresswoman Clarke.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this continued occupation in Iraq, and I want to thank Chairman Obey for his leadership and for yielding me this time. I'm so much opposed to giving this President this new funding to continue this occupation with no strings attached until last night, once again, I went to the Rules Committee to propose the Lee amendment, which would provide funding only for the safe, responsible redeployment of our troops and contractors, and also for a strong diplomatic initiative. Not one dime should be spent anymore for funding this combat operation. We just left a hearing of our Winter Soldiers. These young men and women told us about the dehumanizing effects of what has happened to them in terms of our troops. This has got to stop. One of their first requests was to ask us not to vote for any more funding, to fund only redeployment and to bring them home. In honor of our troops, let's bring them home and not send any more money over there to fight this war. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the continued occupation in Iraq and I want to thank my Chairman, David Obey for his leadership and for yielding me the time. I am opposed to giving this president $180 billion with no strings attached to continue the disastrous war and occupation in Iraq as amendment No. 1 does. The war and occupation in Iraq has put our country and economy in a hole. When you are in a hole, you've got to stop digging and climb your way out. Today that means funding the safe redeployment of our American troops and contractors out of Iraq. The Lee Amendment I offered at the Rules Committee would have accomplished that but it was not made in order. So I have no choice but to vote against providing more funding for Iraq. Unlike amendment No. 1, amendment No. 2 contains important restrictions and limitations on funding and would begin redeployment of our troops within 30 days. The second amendment also contains two restrictions and conditions that I have long championed. The first is the prohibition against the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq. The second condition prohibits the President from unilaterally binding the U.S. to an agreement with the Government of Iraq that includes security assurances for mutual defense. Finally, I support amendment No. 3 which provides urgent funding for domestic and international priorities, including a new GI bill for our brave veterans, extension of unemployment benefits, funding for peacekeeping operations in Darfur, and urgently needed international food and disaster assistance. The sad fact is that in the last 5 years this Administration has spent nearly a half trillion dollars on the Iraq war and occupation and we have precious little to show for it. Iraq has been destabilized, our national prestige has been tarnished, and national attention has been diverted from the real and urgent challenges facing the American people. Over 4,000 American troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis have died, more than 30,000 Americans are wounded, and more than 4 million Iraqis are displaced. It is far past time to stop the madness. I urge a ``no'' vote on amendment No. 1. I urge a ``yes'' vote on amendment No. 2 and No. 3. We must redeploy and honor our troops by bringing them home.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a proud associate member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus chaired by a great leader, Congressman Mike Honda of California, I rise today to join my colleagues in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Countless Asian Pacific Americans have contributed to our history, culture and economy. We could not be the Nation that we are today without the contributions of the Asian Pacific American community. My home State of California has the largest and fastest growing Asian American population with 4.6 million people. I represent a wonderful and diverse mix of Asian Pacific Americans who are proud of their cultural heritage and who share a strong link to people in their home countries. We have many festivals that share music, food, dance, culture, art and customs with the entire Bay Area. On behalf of my constituents, I also want to take this moment to express my great sadness for the recent tragedies that just occurred in Burma and China. My heart and prayers go out to the millions of people who have been affected by these natural disasters. I especially want to extend my condolences to the families who have lost loved ones. The people of my district and I will do everything we can to help with the relief and recovery efforts during this tragic time.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. Mr. Speaker I must state from the beginning--I have never been a strong supporter of the previous farm bills that we have considered. I and many of my constituents have long believed that the Federal Government wastes far too much taxpayer money on subsidizing farmers and farm programs. While it is true that many small scale farmers should be protected during cyclical downturns, far too much Federal funding is spent subsidizing large scale agribusiness and wealthy farmers who don't need our support. That being said, I appreciate the efforts of the committee to address some of the unnecessary spending in this bill. However I had hoped they would have gone further to reform farm bill programs. The reason I am able to support the conference report is because it does include a very robust nutrition title that provides $10.361 billion in funding which will support 38 million families to purchase healthy foods. Among the key nutrition items included in the bill: The food stamp program is modernized to help an additional 11 million people by 2012. The Emergency Food Assistance program is expanded and indexed for inflation to help support food banks, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. The bill also provides $1 billion to help schools provide free fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren. These and other improvements to nutrition programs in the farm bill will provide much needed funding to groups like the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Berkeley Food and Housing Project in my district. The conference report is also supported by a number of organizations, including the California Association of Food Banks, California Food Policy Advocates, California School Employees Association, National Council of Jewish Women, Congressional Hunger Center, AARP, ACORN, Families USA, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Counties, and the Center for Law and Social Policy. Mr. Speaker, despite my concerns about continuing unnecessary subsidies, I believe the robust nutrition title in the conference report deserves our support.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank Chairman Frank and Chairwoman Waters for bringing this badly needed legislation to the floor today. Millions of families in America are seeing their dream of homeownership turning into a nightmare. Foreclosure rates have reached crisis levels. In California and in many parts of my district, too many families are facing devastation, and entire neighborhoods are on the brink of collapse. Homeownership has been the primary means that most Americans have to accumulate any kind of wealth, to send their kids to college, to start a small business, or to do whatever they want to do to be part of the American dream. I want to thank Chairman Frank for including language in this legislation which I introduced with Senator McCaskill to address the Reverse Mortgage Proceeds Protection Act which protects seniors from losing their homes. We are beginning to see some of the same abuses in the advertising and high-pressure sales of reverse mortgages as we saw in the subprime mortgage crisis. These provisions will ensure that vulnerable seniors are fully informed of hidden costs and pitfalls of reverse mortgages before they sign.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize World AIDS Orphans Day, which is commemorated every year on May 7. Over 15 million children have already lost one or both of their parents to HIV and AIDS, 12 million of which live in Sub-Saharan Africa. By 2010, there could be 20 million children. Children who have been orphaned by HIV and AIDS of course are left without food, shelter, education or protection. Three years ago, we enacted legislation that I authored with Chairman Henry Hyde to better focus and coordinate our foreign assistance programs to address the unique needs of these children. Last month, the House passed legislation named after two great men who love children, former Chairman Tom Lantos and Chairman Henry Hyde, to reauthorize and provide $50 billion for our global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs, and to allocate 10 percent of global AIDS funding to meet the needs of AIDS orphans. Today, on World AIDS Orphans Day, I urge my colleagues in the other body to take the next step and to pass this important bill. Together we can create a brighter, safer and more secure future for the world's children.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Let me thank Chairwoman Waters for continuing to take on the tough issues as she once again is taking on this tough issue of the foreclosure crisis with this bill. I want to thank her for her leadership and also Chairman Frank. This bill will give HUD the tools to work with States and local governments to identify distressed neighborhoods and purchase and rehabilitate vacant houses before they become a blight on their neighborhoods. There are entire neighborhoods in my district in Oakland, California that are threatened, quite frankly, with complete collapse. The longer homes stay empty, the more likely they will further destabilize already fragile communities, discourage investment, depress home values, and create a spiraling cycle of foreclosures. This bill provides $15 billion in loans and grants to directly relieve these neighborhoods. This is just half of what this administration has already spent on bailing out Bear Stearns. Thank goodness Congresswoman Waters has provided this plan to help stabilize communities. I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Let me thank you, Chairman Conyers, for yielding and for those kind words but also for your leadership on so many issues. You are a true warrior, and we would have never been at this place today had it not been for yourself. I also want to thank Chairman Berman; I want to thank our subcommittee chairman, Don Payne; and Chairman Bennie Thompson for their leadership on so many issues and for making sure that this bill came today to this floor in a bipartisan fashion. As a cosponsor of this legislation and a long advocate against apartheid, I am especially pleased that we are taking this important step to finally right this inexcusable wrong. Many of us were arrested during the anti-apartheid movement, myself included. It wasn't until the mid 1980s that finally Congress put our country on the right side of history by overriding President Reagan's veto to impose sanctions. This is a bill that my predecessor, a great warrior, now the mayor of Oakland, California, Ron Dellums, had introduced for 12 long years. I can remember during that period the ILWU protesting, in fact, I was arrested with them also, the unloading of ships from South Africa which kicked off much of the anti-apartheid movement. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a great leader who just recently received, as did Mayor Ron Dellums, one of the highest honors by the South African Government, led the fight in California against apartheid. And I think we were one of the first States to impose sanctions. All of us who were involved during that time had to take risks. The ANC couldn't even travel outside of New York and couldn't come to Washington, D.C. because they were considered a terrorist organization. Many of us had to go to Europe just to meet the members of the ANC to talk about how we could help end the brutal regime of apartheid which was killing so many people, dehumanizing the whole country, and was one of the most ruthless systems that we have ever known. It has been 18 years since Nelson Mandela was released from prison and 14 years since he was elected president of South Africa. And this year he will turn 90 years old. Yet to this day, to this day, despite his legacy as a hero of the anti-apartheid movement, despite the fact that he is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, he received the Peace Prize in 1993, despite his election as president, we still require Nelson Mandela to apply for a visa waiver to enter into the United States just for a visit. This is just plain wrong. Last December I traveled to South Africa for World AIDS Day with our colleague, the Delegate Donna Christian. And we were asked by many people many times over and over and over again why President Nelson Mandela was still on the terrorist list. Well, we were, quite frankly, very embarrassed and shocked. And we were determined that we would do everything we could to finally, again, put our country on the right side of history. So I am pleased and I am excited that we are taking this step today. The ANC was fundamentally involved in a war of liberation against the oppressive apartheid regime in South Africa for over four decades. If they hadn't been involved in this war of liberation, apartheid would still be existing in South Africa. So instead of continuing to penalize the ANC for their political struggle against apartheid, we really should be commending them for their work in transforming South Africa into a beacon of democracy. And just look at how they have moved forward in their peace and reconciliation process. I think we could learn a heck of a lot in our own country by the leadership of President Mandela and how the people of South Africa, black and white, have come together to reconcile and to move forward to take South Africa into this new millennium and into a new South Africa. So let me just thank again Chairman Conyers and Chairman Berman for bringing this bill to the floor today. It's really the right thing to do. And for those of us who have been so long involved in the anti- apartheid movement, and now, of course, in the movement to stop the genocide that is taking place in Darfur, this is a day that we have been waiting for for a long time. This is the only thing that we can do now, to say, first of all, that we understand that this should not have taken so long, but at least it is better late than never. Thank you very much, Mr. Conyers.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Cover the Uninsured Week, to highlight the deplorable fact that over 47 million Americans-- including 9 million children, lack health insurance in our country. Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that health care is a basic human right. Yet far too many people have no access to even the most basic health services. Contrary to popular belief, 8 out of 10 Americans who lack health insurance come from working families who just can't afford the high cost. Minority communities also disproportionately suffer from a lack of health coverage. More than one-third of the Hispanic population in our country and more than one-quarter of Native Americans live without health insurance. Nearly 22 percent of African Americans and 20 percent of Asian Americans also lack health insurance. These statistics are just plain shameful. What's worse is that because these individuals lack health coverage they are more likely to wait to seek treatment until they are really sick, which in turn further drives up health care costs and creates a vicious cycle of un-insurance. Mr. Speaker, the sad truth is that over the last 8 years of this administration, the number of uninsured Americans has been steadily rising. Instead of supporting proposals to expand access to health care, however, this administration has continually supported policies that have driven more people into poverty, placing affordable health care even further out of reach. Perhaps the clearest example is this President's veto of the SCHIP bill and his refusal to provide health coverage to 10 million children. That is just unconscionable. As the only industrialized nation in the world that does not guarantee health care for all our people, I believe we must move toward a system of universal health coverage. That is why I have introduced H.R. 3000, the Josephine Butler United States Health Service Act, to make the United States Health Service its own independent executive branch and establish an Office of the Inspector General for Health Services. My bill would require the Health Service to ensure that everyone has the right and the ability to access the highest quality health care available regardless of cost. Mr. Speaker, providing universal health care is the right thing to do and it is consistent with our values as a nation and the goals of Cover the Uninsured Week.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I missed rollcall vote No. 239 on approving the Senate amendments to H.R. 5715, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker and Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, I rise today on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus to honor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, one of our own who served as a Representative of California's 37th Congressional District from 1973 to 1979, and is retiring at the end of this year, after an impressive 50-year career as a public servant in the State of California. On the occasion of Mrs. Burke's retirement from public office, we wish to extend to her sincere congratulations for the decades of dedicated service that she has given to her nation, her State, and her County, most recently as Chair of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, the largest county in the nation with a population of over 10 million. For the past 15 years, she has served with distinction as the Supervisor of the Second District, representing nearly 2.5 million residents. Indeed. Mrs. Burke has blazed a path for African-American women in public service that had its genesis during her high school years when, as a teenager, she got involved in public speaking and competitive contests, earning scholarships to the University of California-Berkeley and later to the University of California-Los Angeles. In 1953, she was the first African-American woman to be admitted to the University of Southern California Law School since its founding in 1928. Upon graduation from Law School, inasmuch as many private law firms showed no interest in hiring women as attorneys, particularly African Americans, she opened a law practice, specializing in civil rights and laws regarding housing, immigration, eminent domain, and the licensing of residential care homes for children and adults. Mrs. Burke was active in the Civil Rights Movement, with memberships in various local and national organizations, and served as a staff attorney on the McCone Commission that investigated the causes of the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles. She became a spokesperson for the underrepresented and, through a grassroots campaign, won her first political office in 1966 as a California State Assemblywoman, a position she held for the next six years. In 1972, Mrs. Burke was the first African-American woman, west of the Mississippi River, to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and, one year later, she was the first Member of Congress to give birth while in office. In 1978, she ran for Attorney General of California winning the Democratic nomination, but subsequently losing in the general election. The Governor of California in 1979 appointed her to a vacancy on the Fourth Supervisorial District in Los Angeles County. She also was appointed by the Governor in 1982 to serve on the Board of Regents of the University of California. In 1984, Mrs. Burke was selected to serve as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Olympics Organizing Committee. before becoming the first African-American elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 1992. Notably, Mrs. Burke served as the Vice Chair of the 1972 Democratic National Convention, and she played a significant role in the 2000 Democratic National Convention in hosting an event for hundreds of African-American elected officials nationwide. She has received innumerable awards and honors both as an African American and as a woman, including being selected as one of Time Magazine's ``America's 200 Future Leaders'' in 1974, as The Los Angeles Times'' ``Woman of the Year'' in 1996: UCLA's ``Alumni of the Year'' also in 1996, and UCLA's ``Local Legislator of the Year'' in 2008. She has served on the Boards of numerous prestigious organizations and corporations. While these are just some of Mrs. Burke's significant accomplishments, on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, the House of Representatives, and the State of California, we extend our deepest gratitude for her important contributions throughout her illustrious career. With sincere best wishes, we congratulate Mrs. Burke upon her retirement from elective office. We are pleased to join her many co- workers, family, friends, and associates in wishing her health, happiness, and continued good fortune in her future endeavors. In conclusion, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke's exemplary record testifies that she is a woman of indomitable compassion, courage, character, and faith. We believe that she will be remembered for the beneficial changes she made in people's lives.