Gregory Meeks

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I think it is without question that we have the strongest, the most stringent, and the toughest refugee system in the entire world. I don't think anybody can dispute that. Yet, we are still humanitarians with regard to what our system is. This bill is called the American SAFE Act, but where our greatest danger lies is when rhetoric is given for ISIS to utilize in order to recruit American citizens--those of us who are here to radicalize them--and then they can go to a gun shop and buy an assault weapon. If we truly want to make sure that America is safe, we should make sure that no homegrown or radicalized person here has access to an assault weapon. We should have a bill. We want every American to be safe, as I hear my colleagues talking. I am with you. How do we make them safe? Make sure that nobody, refugee or otherwise, has the ability to come to our Nation and put their hands on an assault weapon that can harm our people. That is what will keep America safe. Working together with the most stringent refugee system is what we need to do. This is just something to try to keep people from coming in who are running away from rape, from violence, from persecution. Young children and women who are widows overwhelmingly are the individuals of the 2,000 that have been led in here. Let's keep America safe. Let's keep assault weapons out of our land.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, on September 30, 2015, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to vote for Roll Call votes 525 through 528. I would have voted in the following way: Roll Call Number 525 on providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 79, directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 719; and providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 719, TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015, nay; On Roll Call Number 526 on the motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 2082 to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend certain expiring provisions of law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, yea; On Roll Call Number 527 on agreeing to the resolution, H. Con. Res. 79, directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 719, nay; And on Roll Call Number 528 on concurring in the Senate Amendment to the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment for H.R. 719, the TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015, yea.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. I thank the gentleman from Virginia. Mr. Speaker, Dr. King once said, ``On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, `Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, `Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, `Is it popular?' But Conscience asks the question, `Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right.'' I have often reflected on those words when faced with tough decisions. Today's vote on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is one of the most consequential votes we will take as Members of Congress. My support for the Iran agreement is about doing what is right for America, our allies, and the world. It is, indeed, a matter of conscience. Mr. Speaker, since the conclusion of the agreement, I have traveled to 10 nations and vetted this deal from every angle I could think of so that, at this moment of decision, I could act without reservation and with full understanding. As I listen to this debate, I am deeply disheartened that we are not adequately weighing the realities of our globalized world. After years of effort toward a more unified approach to addressing Iran's nuclear ambitions, key partners in the Middle East region and most of our allies consider the Iran agreement as an important next step in diplomatic efforts. Former U.S. ambassadors; former Israeli military; former U.S. Secretaries of State, including Colin Powell; and so many others from an array of vantage points have expressed support for this landmark deal, as have over 100 nations. We should not ignore the considered judgment of scientists, security experts, renowned diplomats, and our allies. The consensus is that this is a good deal. Now, some of my colleagues believe that, despite the risk, rejecting this deal can lead to a better deal down the road. Others oppose the deal out of reckless political gamesmanship. But what has become clear to me in my assessment of the risks involved in supporting or rejecting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is that, if Congress derails this deal, history will record such act as a monumental mistake and the alternatives would not change Iranian nuclear and weaponization pursuits. Mr. Speaker, rejecting the plan and resorting to unilateral sanctions would prove futile, as it has in the past, while relying on military action would not curb Iran's ambitions or erase its technical knowledge. Critics also assert that this deal does not address concerns about issues with Iran that are outside the scope of the plan. We know from past experience that reaching an agreement on one critical issue does not preclude us from working on other serious concerns by other means. We negotiated with the Soviet Union during Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, which took place in the midst of the Vietnam war that was waged against us with Soviet-made arms, yet those agreements lessened the danger of nuclear confrontation. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the Obama administration has shown tremendous leadership on the world stage by choosing diplomacy first. Leadership is never easy. By definition, it is a lonely and sometimes an unpopular exercise. Today we must show leadership, we must display fortitude, and do what is right. And what is right in this scenario is that we support the Iran agreement.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jack Lund and his retirement after forty years of leadership and service in the YMCA. Jack currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Greater New York, the largest YMCA in the United States. As head of New York City's largest private youth-serving organization, Jack is dedicated to strengthening the foundations of communities in New York City through programs that nurture the potential of children and youth, improve the health and well being of individuals and communities and address some of New York City's most challenging social problems. Jack has pioneered programs in education, civic engagement and immigrant services. Most recently, the Y has launched signature programs addressing the academic achievement gap for children living in poverty, the epidemic of youth obesity and disconnected young people-- who have dropped out of school and are not working. Jack has spent 40 years working for various YMCAs, starting his service in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the YMCA of Greater New York, he served as president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee from 1995 through 2004. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Mr. Jack Lund on this remarkable occasion. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing him a wonderful retirement and many years of happiness.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, vision and resolve: the fertile grounds for greatness. These are the qualities that Major General Joseph McNeil exemplified when in 1960 he and three of his classmates protested segregation with a sit-in at a Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina. The `Greensboro Four', as they came to be known, were denied service at a Woolworth lunch counter because of the color of their skin. With the spirit of peaceful protest, they committed themselves to a sit-in, which, little did they know, would reverberate across the nation. With wisdom beyond his years, Joseph knew that strength was not in the individual but in the many. The Greensboro Four united the North Carolina A&T State University student body by establishing the ``Student Executive Committee for Justice'' and, in the face of all controversy, he won the battle. Woolworth agreed to allow service to blacks and whites alike. Many years later, when asked in an interview what he had felt at that trying time, Joseph responded: ``Intense sense of pride, a bit of trepidation''. Not three weeks before he was to depart for training at a Texas Air Force Base was so unwilling to stand idly by in the face of injustice that he was arrested at a demonstration alongside Reverend Jesse Jackson. The Air Force saw in Joseph what everyone else did too. From first Lieutenant to Captain; from Major to Lieutenant Colonel; from Colonel to Major General, McNeil excelled in every aspect. Today he dons the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal as a symbol of his achievements, just one the many awards Mr. McNeil earned. He received honorary degrees from North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina at Wilmington, Molloy College, and St. Johns University in my own district. He is a man truly worthy of every honor bestowed upon him. Today, we honor Major General Joseph McNeil for his success as a civilian, a community leader, a husband, a father, and as a distinguished member of the United States Air Force. May many more be made of the cloth from which he was cut.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, today's vote to grant the President trade promotion authority is about America's future in a globalized world. Let's be clear what is at stake. America's standing as a global leader has not come without strong leadership from this body, and it will not be sustained if we act out of fear rather than on facts. The most basic fact is that nations around the world are fighting for trade agreements for every advantage they can get for their economies and their workers. It then raises the question: If we don't pass this agreement, who will set the standards of trade? Will it be us, or will it be China? If this bill fails, it will be China. The bill before us today is a bipartisan effort to ensure that trade deals negotiated by the Executive will be guided by congressional directives to reach the highest, most transparent, and progressive standards ever required by law. This bill should have the support of any Member who cares about the enforceable labor and environmental standards, promoting the rule of law, greater congressional oversight, and greater transparency for the American people. Today, we are also considering Trade Adjustment Assistance, a program that for years Democrats have promoted to provide income and job training for those affected. TAA should pass also.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Rangel. I stand in support of this bipartisan legislation, which passed the Senate by a vote of 99-1. It includes preferences that are critical to so many economies in the developing world: the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, a core of close economic partnerships between the United States and a host of African nations; the Generalized System of Preferences, tariff preferences which help developing countries compete and build their economies worldwide; the Haiti HOPE and HELP programs, which provide duty-free treatment for certain Haitians to help Haitians build a 21st century economy. And I know that my constituents have been calling for the passage of these provisions for many, many months. As I have traveled to many affected nations, they too have experienced and expressed the serious and dire consequences that they could suffer without these benefits. This is not just about helping other nations. The fact is, right here in the United States, exports grow as a result of increased trade with these nations that results from extending preferences in trade and investment flows--critical to my district and districts all across the United States. It is critically important. And I compliment, also, Chairman Ryan, for putting this together in a way that we can pass it in a bipartisan way, because this is an important aspect of also making sure that we are secure because, as we help these nations on their feet and put them in part of the global economy, we are making sure that we are giving hope and opportunity to all. So I heartily support, and ask everyone to support this bipartisan bill, which passed, again, 99-1 in the Senate. Collectively, we are going to make this place a better place.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and accomplishments of Oscar Hopkins, Sr.: Whereas, Oscar Hopkins, Sr., a native of Sumter, South Carolina, was born in 1929. He worked as a farmhand before he left home to seek a better life for his family and establish his business as a barber in Springfield Gardens, New York; and Whereas, after moving to New York in 1951, Oscar Hopkins was drafted into the military, serving in the 7th Infantry Division, 31st Regiment, Company C as an ammunition bearer for 50-caliber machine guns during the Korean War. After completing his tour of duty and returning to the United States three years later, Oscar was united in holy matrimony to Novell Henry. Having made a lifetime commitment to each other, two boys and one girl were added to this union; and Whereas, deciding to go into business, Oscar took advantage of his veterans benefits by signing up for barbering courses working as an apprentice before obtaining his Master Barbering License and opening his own shop in 1966. The past several years Mr. Hopkins has been an exemplary member of the Southeastern Queens community; and Whereas, for four generations Hopkins Barber Shop has served over 500,000 people since opening its doors, serving as a forum for community residents to have healthy open dialogues regarding current affairs, politics, faith and sports. In addition to serving its community well, the barber shop has trained several dozen of men of color to become barbers. Having achieved the status of Mayor of Springfield Gardens, today we gather to salute this exceptional person; Therefore, be it Resolved, That I, Gregory W. Meeks, Member of the 114th Congress, representing the Fifth Congressional District of New York, congratulate you, for your service to your country, and your dedication to the Southeast Queens Community. On behalf of the 723,000 residents of the Fifth Congressional District, I thank you, Oscar Hopkins, Sr., for your outstanding and ongoing contribution to our community's well-being. I hereby proclaim today, May 15, 2015, ``Oscar Hopkins, Sr. Day''.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 5 perpetuates the same serious flaw with the accountability systems as in No Child Left Behind, which deters high-quality teachers from joining low-performing schools. We need to remediate this problem. The current accountability system discourages quality teachers from joining low-performing schools because they are warned that if their students are not considered proficient then they will suffer adverse consequences. As it stands, if a student starts seventh grade at a fourth grade reading level, works diligently with their teacher, and then achieves a sixth grade level by the end of the school year, that student will not be deemed proficient, and both the teacher and the school would be negatively impacted. My amendment would change that. My amendment would require that annual statewide assessments measure students' growth as a crucial component of the achievement within the accountability system established by the State. It would leave it to the State to decide their own measurement of growth, so they can measure an individual student's learning progress and not give an entire school one score based on the amount of the students who are deemed proficient in particular subjects. I believe high-quality teachers would be more willing to join schools composed of a significant amount of students not meeting proficiency standards. My amendment, therefore, upholds the fundamental principle of the original ESEA to encourage equality in the provision of education, regardless of social economic status or demographics of the student behind the desk. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chairman, this is an issue that I believe really needs to be addressed, and I would hope that this amendment will be included in a larger bipartisan reauthorization of ESEA. I withdraw the amendment at this time, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. MEEKS. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

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

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, on February 2, 2015 I missed recorded votes #51-53 as I was delayed en-route to Washington by inclement weather. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here: On Roll Call #51 I would have voted yea. On Roll Call #52 I would have voted yea. On Roll Call #53 I would have voted yea.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. When I think of Governor Mario Cuomo, many talk about his great oratory, many talk about some of the fantastic speeches that he made, but when I think about Mario Cuomo, he didn't just talk the talk; he walked the walk. His speeches were not made just because it was a political gathering or forum. His speeches were made because that is what he truly believed. It came from his heart. It is how he lived his life, and you could see that in how he dealt with his family because that was his foundation. From that foundation, he was able to build--and starting with that little place in Jamaica, Queens, that I am now proud to represent, he looked at Queens and then, by extension, the city of New York and then, by extension, the State of New York as the foundation of which he could make a difference, learning from his growing up with his parents. As a result, you found individuals falling in love with Mario Cuomo, and you could see that by the people that were around him who became completely loyal to him because he had a real great leadership. Once you became infected with the spirit of Mario Cuomo, you continued to stay around him, and you would see in the visuals who were with Mario Cuomo until the day that he died folks loyal to him. In this business in this day and age, sometimes, if you don't have that kind of character, people come, and people go. Lastly, because I know that we have got so many members of the New York delegation that are here that want to speak, let me just say that he was competitive. I can think about those days when--I thank him first because he talked about getting into politics, he allowed me to cut my teeth by appointing me first to the New York State Workers' Compensation Board as a judge, then later appointed me to become the supervising judge in the State, having me going all over the State, and then encouraging me to run for the State assembly and, once I got elected to the State assembly, working very closely with him. Once I got into the assembly, I thought he was a nice guy until you got on the basketball court. How competitive was he on that basketball court? Elbows--I look at some of the players now when they are complaining, et cetera, well, you need to go play old school basketball with Governor Mario Cuomo. I close by saying that I thank God--because he was a very religious man, Mario Cuomo, too, but God could have sent him to California; he didn't. He could have had him in Illinois or in Texas or in Florida; no. We were fortunate because God had him, through his parents, who emigrated from Italy to come to a place where the Statue of Liberty was, who believed ``Give me your tired, give me your weary,'' who believed in family, and we had him in the great State of New York. Thank you, Governor Mario Cuomo.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I was with Mr. Crowley attending the funeral on Monday of former Governor Mario Cuomo, and therefore I was not able to be here. Had I been here, I would have cast my vote for Speaker for the Honorable Nancy Pelosi from California, and I want the Record to reflect the same.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, on January 6, 2015, I missed recorded votes #1-7 as I was attending the funeral of Governor Mario Cuomo in New York. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here and sworn into office: On Roll Call #1 I would have voted present (Quorum Call). On Roll Call #2 I would have voted for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. On Roll Call #3 I would have voted no (Motion to Table). On Roll Call #4 I would have voted no (Previous Question). On Roll Call #5 I would have voted yes (Motion to Commit). On Roll Call #6 I would have voted no (Passage of House Rules Package). On Roll Call #7 I would have voted yes (Passage ``Hire More Heroes Act of 2015'' H.R. 22). I would also like to reflect that I would have voted for the Honorable Nancy Pelosi for Democratic Leader.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Barbara Lee for her steadfastness, for her tenacity, for her consistency in trying to bring a change in a policy that has been faulty, for it has been the policy that we have been doing over and over and over again, we have had over and over again and getting the same results: zero. I want to thank Barbara for her hard work on this. I look forward to continuing to work with her as the President has opened up the opportunity for diplomatic relations with Cuba again, but we know that we still have a lot of work to do, and I look forward to working side by side with her until we have the kind of relationship and we have the kind of movement in this Congress where we really end the embargo, so that we can come together and make sure that change has happened within our relationships. I want to thank President Obama for his bold move, for indeed the camera of history is rolling and has brought us to this historic point which will take the United States of America and Cuba in a new and more positive direction after over five decades of severed diplomatic relations. American policy towards Cuba since 1961 has left our Nation out of sync with our neighbors in the Americas--for that matter, out of sync with our friends and allies all over the world. Our outdated policy, highlighted by our trade embargo, which has lasted for over half a century, has not only been ineffective but has blocked investment and trade opportunities for U.S. businessmen and farmers, it has kept families apart, and has done virtually nothing to change Cuba's policies. In fact, just 90 miles away, if we had these trade agreements, if we were able to trade and bring markets and food to the shores of Cuba, it would be the humanitarian thing to do because people are starving simply because they don't have that opportunity on the island of Cuba. Clearly, when you think about the world which is smaller now--and one of the things that we should have learned by now is that unilateral sanctions don't work; if anything, they have further isolated us from the global community. We have got to work collectively with others, not just doing something out on our own. It has not worked. It does not work. As mentioned, denying American citizens the freedom to travel to Cuba to visit its many historic and cultural attractions, to meet its people, has been a stain on our democracy. I think the gentlelady from Florida talked about where we, as Members of Congress, have opportunities to go when we have travel. I can recall traveling, for example, not only to Havana, but Santiago de Cuba, and feeling the rich heritage and culture and looking at the people in Santiago who were poor, but I saw something when I looked in their faces: they were poor, but they were not hopeless. They were not destitute. They welcomed us into their homes to see how they were living. They had music playing, and they had hope for a better tomorrow and a better relationship with the United States of America. In fact, they scratched their heads, did not understand why they didn't have this better relationship with the United States of America, so I say that so that they want us to come. Others are going; we should permit our citizens to do the same. Now, the question is what is happening here in America. Well, a December 17 through 21 ABC News and Washington Post poll of adults nationwide showed that 64 percent of Americans supported establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba, with 31 percent opposed; 68 percent supported ending the trade embargo, while 74 percent supported ending restrictions on travel to Cuba. Americans support the President's actions to normalize relations with Cuba. The United States International Trade Commission has concluded that if U.S. restrictions on financing and travel to Cuba were lifted in 2008, U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba would have increased between $216 million and $478 million, and the U.S. share of Cuba's agricultural imports would have increased from 38 percent to 49 and 64 percent, which also would prevent some of the hunger that is taking place in Cuba. U.S. wheat, rice, soy, and meat producers have said that their industries will benefit from normalized relations with Cuba, now that trade financing restrictions are to be alleviated. President Obama's plan to establish relations and facilitate trade and commerce is a major market opportunity. It is good for Cubans, but it is also good for Americans because when you do that, you are also creating jobs for Americans right here in the United States, so it is a win-win because we are all about creating jobs in the United States. We are all about that commerce. We are also all about making sure that trade facilitation helps us in America, but it also can help people who have a great need on that island called Cuba. President Obama's actions to open the relationship and reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba will bring us closer, as Barbara Lee indicated, to our allies in the region who have pursued more open relationship with Cuba while we have not. I serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee; I sit on the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. I have had the opportunity to have dialogue and conversations with heads of states from throughout the hemisphere. For example, one of our closest allies, Colombia, one of our strongest partners, they are negotiating with the FARC on the island of Cuba; and when I talk to many of their individuals, they said the one thing that they think could help the entire hemisphere is for the United States to change its relationship with Cuba. Now, Colombia is one of our strongest, one of our most reliable allies, but they, too, have engaged with Cuba and are asking and looking and saying that our engagement with Cuba will change and help the hemisphere. Panama has invited President Castro to the Summit of the Americas, and the rest of our hemisphere wants this change, and our antiquated policy has been holding us back and hampering our ability to cooperate with countries in the region on a wide range of issues. Let me begin to conclude by saying this: the President's historic announcement has been universally well received by the region, which is heralding it as a major step forward in regional integration. The Presidents of Brazil, Argentina, and--as I said--Colombia and Mexico have praised President Obama's announcement. The announcement has also been applauded by regional organizations, including the Union of South American Nations and the Organization of American States. I conclude by saying that I have visited Cuba many times. I have worked tirelessly throughout my years in Congress to foster an improved relationship between United States and Cuba, and I believe the President's actions are good for both our countries and our hemisphere. American businesses will benefit, U.S. citizens will be able to travel to Cuba on a more regular basis and send remittances to their relatives by reopening our Embassy in Havana. We will be a safer place, and finally--finally--the world often looks to the United States to be a leader militarily. We should be proud that the world can also look at us as champions of diplomacy. Through our President's new Cuba policy, we have shown our neighbors in the Western Hemisphere--and indeed the rest of the world--that we are committed to building new partnerships and that we will not be beholden to antiquated policies and that we are optimistic about what is possible through dialogue and diplomacy, and I thank the chairman.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the ranking member for her hard work and focus and dedication for getting this done. I know that any time you have things added to a bill so it is not a clean bill, it makes it difficult. But I thank her and the chairman for working together to make this happen because this is a major bill, significantly important. As we learned, I think, from the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this was substantial. When you look at the losses, it was about $32.5 billion, or $42.9 billion in 2013 dollars. It was the largest insurance loss in global history at that time. And prior to 9/ 11, insurance companies generally covered all of the costs of terrorist attacks. After 9/11, terrorism risk insurance quickly became either unavailable or very, very expensive and unaffordable. Furthermore, premiums for workers' compensation insurance increased significantly, and real estate and commercial ventures were stalled because of an inability to attain the requisite insurance coverage. Now, 9/11 happened in New York, and so, yes, you see New York and New York City Members here supporting the bill. But this is not a bill just about New York. It is about all of America because they did not attack for New York; they attacked New York because it was part of America. We don't know, and we pray that we don't have another attack ever on our homeland again, but it could be someplace else. It doesn't have to be New York. This is when we should rally around as Americans, as patriots, to ensure that we continue our economy flowing and moving. That is why, even though there are things added and certain things that people don't like, we are trying to figure out how we get this right because it is too important to America to allow TRIA to expire. Furthermore, when you examine TRIA, it costs taxpayers virtually nothing, yet it continues to provide tangible benefits to our overall economy. TRIA allows for terrorism insurance market stability, affordability, and availability so that those in business, et cetera, can know, predict, and be confident that we will continue to move on. TRIA is a critical part of the U.S. economy's security infrastructure and would ensure a swift recovery in the event of a significant terrorist attack. Now, in New York, I am proud we have the Freedom Towers up because it also sends a message, is a symbol to those who don't like us that you can't keep us down, that we will get back up on our feet, stronger and better than ever, and that is what makes this country the great country that we are going to rally around and work with one another. So this TRIA bill is significantly important, and I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on TRIA.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, on H.R. 5759, I inadvertently missed that vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. I want to thank my friend and colleague, a great attorney, a great legislator, for leading this effort this evening, for not only here on the floor of the House of Representatives but for what you do every day; and, in fact, it is an example of what we could follow, how you lead in your district, especially in Brooklyn. Rallying around, as I will talk about later, when you saw a prosecutor not do his job, you were one that led in Brooklyn to say the people will get a people's prosecutor. And folks went to the polls. When someone said it couldn't be done, where you led and helped make it happen, where an incumbent forgot his way and was not representing the people, you helped people get together to go to the polls and have a new prosecutor in Brooklyn to move forward. We thank you for that leadership. Today we talk about Black in America. What Ferguson says about where we are and where we need to go. Now, as Congressman Jeffries has said, I am a former prosecutor, so I know about the grand jury system. I know the failure of the grand jury process directed or, as some would argue, manipulated by county prosecutor Robert McCulloch to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, Jr., an unarmed Ferguson, Missouri, teenager, undermines public confidence in the very notion of equal administration of justice. Now, when you go before a grand jury, all you have to show is that there is probable cause--probable cause, the lowest standard there is-- that a crime was committed. And when you see the process that this prosecutor went through, he tried to try a case, or he came in with a preconceived thought that he did not want an indictment here. I don't know of any prosecutors that go into the grand jury and don't at least, after it is all done, ask for an indictment. Mr. McCulloch never asked for an indictment in this case. The tragic circumstances in Ferguson and other unfortunate instances around the country have sparked a movement for justice, equality, and change that I believe is critical to the communities affected by miscarriages of justice. But this movement is not just for those communities. Indeed, the United States of America needs this movement. As others have said, this is an American problem. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' Racial disparities of any kind are troubling for our entire Nation. And so, though we have elected President Barack Obama here in the United States, I heard some say that we were in a post-racial America. No, we are not. For racism is still alive and well in the United States of America. We have got work to do. So where do we go? This movement, with its courageous contingent of young activists, is quickly learning, adapting, applying, and innovating on the most effective methods and models of the civil rights movements of previous generations. As this movement continues to grow and takes every opportunity to focus its demands, expand its outreach, develop its activists in the discipline of peaceful direct action, and deepen its understanding of how to apply mass pressure on policymakers, it will cascade not simply to interrupt business as usual, but to generate electoral participation on levels unseen in generations. This movement has the potential to transform the tragedy in Ferguson into a historic turning point in the centuries-long struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. The Congressional Black Caucus is part of this moment and is a part of this movement. Tens of thousands of Federal, State, and local elected officials, civic leaders, civil rights organizations, activists, clergies, lawyers, educators, artists, athletes, business owners, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of ordinary working people of all ages from all over America are part of this movement. So now is the time for America to come together to reform police practices, redress patterns of racial disparities in the justice system, and to hold police accountable for the use of excessive force, especially deadly force. Now is the time to match nonviolent direct action with meaningful legislative and administrative action. Now is the time for the Federal Government to act, for Congress to act, for courts to act, for State legislatures to act, for county and city governments to act. Now is the time, my friends, to register to vote, because soon, very soon, it will be time to act at the ballot boxes. Only then will these voices be truly heard in every corner of every county and throughout this country. Then the world will know that unwarranted violence and abuse of power has no home in America; injustice has no seat in our democratic institutions. Only then will we honor the sacrifice of those who have paid the ultimate price and begin to heal a Nation of many who aspire to become one. Yes, indeed, we have come a long way; but yes, indeed, we have a long, long, long way to go. I thank the gentleman for the time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Ms. Jennette Starks-Faulkner. As you know Mr. Speaker, great athletes are not born they are forged through the combined efforts of our entire community and the dedication and determination of individuals. Ms. Starks-Faulkner's discipline and her commitment to living a healthy and active lifestyle is evident in the success she has found participating in competitions hosted by the United States Fencing Association. Ms. Starks-Faulkner's precise footwork, lightning thrusts, and deft ripostes have made her one of the most accomplished fencers in the entire world. This past October in Debrecen, Hungary she became the first U.S. woman ever to win the International Fencing Federation's Veteran Fencing World Championship gold medal in foil competition. Among her long list of achievements, which I ask be added into the Record, Ms. Starks-Faulkner won a gold medal at the 2014 USA Fencing National Championships in the Veteran Foil competition, a silver in the Veteran Saber competition and she has represented the United States as a member of the last seven Veteran World Championship teams. Anyone who watches Ms. Starks-Faulkner compete will attest that her physical ability is only surpassed by her willingness to give everything she has to win. In a sport where there are very few African American participants, Ms. Starks-Faulkner has distinguished herself as the first among champions. While small in stature, her presence casts a great shadow on her competition. Ms. Starks-Faulkner's accomplishments are a testament to the power of the human spirit and the limitless potential each and every person possesses. Lastly, her dedication to fencing is an important reminder not only to her students, but to all Americans, that when you believe in your dreams, nothing can stop you. As an ardent admirer of those who would push beyond their limitations, I salute Ms. Starks-Faulkner and her long list of accomplishments.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor H.R. 3957. I urge its quick and unanimous passage and ask all Members to join me in honoring one of southeast Queens' best and a memorable public servant, Cynthia Jenkins. Let me, at this time, also thank my colleagues from the New York delegation who all signed onto this bill, because Cynthia was a history maker. She was the first African American woman in Queens County to be elected to the New York State Assembly. She was elected because of the work that she did prior. For 22 years, she worked as a librarian and made sure that every single library in southeastern Queens would remain open. She, in fact, worked in every library in southeastern Queens. She fought hard on behalf of libraries and those who enjoyed their services, even preventing many branches from closing in a time of cutbacks. She wanted to make sure the children had a safe place to go to learn after school. She also had various programs within the public libraries. As indicated, when servicemembers returned from Vietnam, it was Cynthia Jenkins who played an integral role in opening the State Veterans' Home in St. Albans at the veterans' facility. That facility still exists and continues to serve thousands of veterans to this very day. In addition, her advocacy on behalf of civil rights was inspiring for many at a time when civil inequality was rampant. She was instrumental in trying to make sure that there was a district where an African American could run for Congress one day--the seat that I hold today. She also was the founder of Social Concern, which took care of young people, older people, and seniors who were frail and had to stay in their homes and helped make sure they got the food and quality health care that they needed. Indeed, Cynthia Jenkins, a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a member of the community, was a long, hard fighter who did not know how to take ``no'' for an answer when she was trying to make sure that the community received its due. Today, I ask all of my colleagues to honor this public servant who was dedicated to her community, dedicated to libraries, dedicated to literacy, dedicated to the commitment of social and racial equality, and that we unanimously pass this bill memorializing the late Cynthia Jenkins, our assemblywoman.