Gwen Moore

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, Today, we gather to pay tribute to a remarkable man, and one of the most revered workers rights pioneers, Cesar Estrada Chavez. Cesar Chavez became one of our Nation's and the world's notable advocates for nonviolent social change. Born on a small Arizona farm on March 31, 1927, Cesar Chavez began his life as a farm worker in the fields at age 10. He later served in the United States Navy during World War II. Cesar Chavez didn't just learn about the struggle of migrant workers. He and his family lived it. He grew up moving from town to town and from school to school while his family worked in the fields. He became a farm worker as soon as he finished the eighth grade. Born out of his sweat and toil was a fierce determination to give a voice to families like his who labored so hard and received so little in return. Cesar Chavez became that voice of the farm workers. He established the United Farmworkers Union to establish this movement. The priorities he fought for are America's priorities: Better pay and benefits for workers. Better education for children. Health and safety protections for workers where there were none. He helped in expanding civil rights for minorities and advocated on behalf of every person living within the United States. He was committed to the idea that no matter their education or their job, anyone can demand fair treatment at work. Before Cesar Chavez, farmworkers were exposed to horrifying conditions, working long hours and being poisoned by pesticides. Chavez drew national attention to the plight of the farmworkers. Because of Chavez, farmworkers can no longer legally be treated in the inhumane manner they were before. Cesar E. Chavez was loved and respected by many, and he continued to fight for the rights of farm workers until his death in 1993. Chavez lived his life fighting for workers' rights, civil rights, environmental justice, equality for all, peace, non-violence, children and women's rights. Over 50,000 mourners came to pay their respects to the humble man, whose simple, modest manner was driven by his commitment to social justice. In 1994, Cesar Chavez was posthumously awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Robert F. Kennedy once described Cesar Chavez as ``One of the heroic figures of our time.'' He encouraged millions of people across the country to join the fight for social and economic justice for farm workers and to empower the poor and disenfranchised. It is important that we do our part to make America a place where everyone receives respect and opportunity. We must ensure Cesar Chavez' dream by promising every man, woman, and child in America a secure future with promising opportunities. We must work hard to raise the minimum wage, ensure that all Americans can earn a decent living and secure access to affordable health care. Selfless Service to others is why Cesar Chavez will always be an inspiration to all of us. Let's continue Cesar Chavez's legacy, by truly honoring his memory and continuing his commitment to achieving basic rights and dignity for all American workers.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Virginia. I rise in favor of the CBC alternative budget. Mr. Chairman, a nation is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable; and during the last 7 years, families have experienced a decline in their income, increased hunger, skyrocketing home heating costs, and higher taxes. This has had a devastating impact on children, families, and our seniors; and that is why our CBC budget assumes extension of these family-friendly tax cuts, but just not extending the tax cuts, for example, for corporate offshoring of jobs. The CBC budget goes above and beyond the President's budget request. Yes, we are spending. We are spending to reinvest in the future of America's children by providing increased funding for the State Child Health Insurance Program, the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program, the child welfare services, the Child Care and Development Block Grants, the Community Supplemental Food Program, child nutrition programs, and Child Support Enforcement to address the problem of the 13 million children who live in poverty. The CBC budget also recognizes the importance of fueling the global economy by providing increased funding for educational programs like TRIO and Head Start, and fully funds No Child Left Behind. The CBC program also increases funding for Pell Grants and Perkins loans to ensure that young people will continue to have the opportunity to get a college education and, again, support America's aspiration to stay ahead in the global economy. Last week, a government report revealed that employers made their deepest cut in staffing in almost 5 years in the month of February. The report showed that there was a net loss of 63,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department. The CBC budget acknowledges the importance of job training programs by providing increased funding for programs under the Workforce Investment Act. Along with laying a strong foundation for children, families and seniors and workers, the CBC budget also takes care of our Nation's veterans by providing increased funding for post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health services. It is imperative that we provide veterans with the necessary resources to guarantee excellent health care for these courageous men and women. Most importantly, the Congressional Black Caucus alternative budget applies over $16 billion to reduce the egregious Federal deficit. I want to thank my colleagues, and particularly the gentleman from Virginia who worked on this budget.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. And I thank the ranking member, the chairman and all of the members of the Budget Committee for looking at this very serious issue.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey. The Democratic budget resolution is a lifeline to families during this economic downturn. One aspect of the chairman's mark before us calls on Congress to restore the harmful cuts made to the Child Support Enforcement program, and as a result of the only bipartisan amendment brought forth by the ranking member and me, it restores the ability of States to pass along every cent of child support collected to families rather than nickeling and diming them out of this child support to make repayments to government bureaucracies. Since we have demanded that parents move off welfare and take financial responsibility for their families, child support has become the premier safety net for children. Therefore, Congress should make every effort to ensure that child support is collected and that all of it goes to families. The Child Support Enforcement program collected more than $24 billion for 17 million children participating in the program in 2006. The Child Support Enforcement program doubled its collection rate in the past 10 years and is consistently among the Office of Management and Budget's top-rated government programs. Why? Because research has shown that it is a very cost-effective program, that for every $1 spent on child support enforcement, $6.50 of child support is collected. With this budget resolution, which restores the Child Support Enforcement cuts, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that $11 billion in child support payments would go uncollected over the next 10 years, even if States backfilled half of the lost Federal funds. Additionally, Child Support Enforcement supports domestic violence services and initiatives to help fathers work, support their children and stay out of prison. Families need their child support payments to pay for their children's basic needs because children represent a disproportionate share of the poor in the United States. While they are only 25 percent of the population, they represent 35 percent of the poor. Loss of child support income could not come at a worse time for families. Their ability to make ends meet has already been battered by unemployment, rising gas and home energy costs and rising food costs.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, today I pay homage to an unsung hero among Federal programs. This initiative has found innovative ways to employ the blind and severely disabled persons among us. I am speaking, of course, of the AbilityOne Program, formerly known as the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program, which in FY07 created over 40,000 quality jobs for Americans who were blind and/or severely disabled. Because of this program, blind and severely disabled people are able to gain skills and training that have helped them to find meaningful employment, which ultimately improved their quality of life. Thanks to the AbilityOne program, blind and severely disabled people have more opportunities to more fully participate in society. Traditionally, people with these conditions are left with no other alternative but to rely heavily on Government programs such as SSI to support themselves. AbilityOne gives them more control over their own lives and destinies by allowing them to significantly reduce their dependence on Government resources. Recent studies have shown that the AbilityOne's employment program creates a positive net impact of $46.75 million to Federal and State governments in both reduction of entitlements and increases of payments employees make through income and payroll taxes. Moreover, this program also helps them to enhance their self esteem by giving them alternative ways of defining themselves, their place, and their purpose in the world. Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin Inc. is able to provide sound employment opportunities and training for 935 blind and disabled people through the AbilityOne Program. National Industries for the Blind and NISH, along with local nonprofit organizations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin are creating new employment opportunities for people who are blind or disabled. These local programs right here in our community make possible the economic and personal enhancement of physically disadvantaged people. I commend the efforts of AbilityOne and Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin Inc. in fighting to bring new opportunities and resources to those that are blind or severely disabled. The remarkable contributions that they have made to communities in and around Milwaukee are significant and worthy of recognition.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank so much the gentleman from Illinois for yielding. I rise today to express my strong support for H. Res. 1013, which emphasizes the importance of school breakfast programs and their positive impact on a child's overall academic performance. Again, I would like to thank the Education and Labor Committee for bringing this resolution forward in honor of National School Breakfast Week. Mr. Speaker, every 35 seconds a child is born into poverty in this country. A recent survey done by the Department of Agriculture reported the prevalence of persistent hunger among children in the United States to be about 18 percent. In fact, as a Nation, we've seen a steady increase in childhood poverty since 2000, and we're now at nearly 13 million poor children. This means that every year there's an increased need for child nutrition programs. Children represent a disproportionate share of the poor, Mr. Speaker, in the United States. While children are only 25 percent of our total population, they represent 35 percent of the poor. With increased energy costs, medical copayments, higher rents and mortgages, these children live in distressed families that have difficulty providing their children an adequate breakfast every day. The National School Breakfast Program is one of the most important school nutrition programs because it provides children with the nutrients needed to get the school day off to a healthy start; and, indeed, the National School Breakfast Program serves as a critical safety net for America's poor. In fiscal year 2006, 9.8 million students participated in the National School Breakfast Program, and a total of 1.7 billion breakfasts were served, 81 percent of which were free or at reduced prices. This past year, my own State of Wisconsin saw the most significant increase in school breakfast participation with a 25.3 percent growth rate, and that is largely due to implementation of universal classroom breakfast in most of Milwaukee's public elementary schools. School breakfasts under this program must meet the nutrition standards under the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat and less than 10 percent from saturated fats. In addition, breakfasts must provide one-fourth of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and calories. A 2002 study done by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School concluded that children who are at nutritional risk have significantly poorer attendance, punctuality, and poorer grades. The study also showed that children whose parents reported food insufficiency were more likely to have repeated a grade in school, lower scores on standardized tests, lower grades in math, and more days tardy and absent from school. Studies have also shown that students who fail to eat an adequate breakfast increase their chances of becoming obese. With the growing amount of uninsured children, we must work to establish and expand the National School Breakfast Program in all States. So, in honor of National School Breakfast Week, I ask that you vote to pass this resolution.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a woman of faith, journalist, businesswoman, communicator and grassroots activist from the Fourth Congressional District. Mrs. Louvenia Johnson passed away on February 27, at the age of 96. Born in McDermott, Arkansas, Mrs. Johnson relocated to Milwaukee in 1939, with her husband, Paul Johnson, who preceded her in death. She worked in the health care field as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She was Executive Director of Project Focal Point, a youth and elderly service agency. After retirement in 1981, she established ``The Christian Times'' with three others: Nathan Conyers, Lynda Jackson-Conyers, and the late Luther Golden. The weekly newspaper was devoted to church news within the city's African American faith community. The paper was renamed ``The Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper'' as it began to cover more general community news. The Christian Times remains as a standing feature section of that newspaper to this day. Louvenia Johnson established ``The Black Excellence Awards Program'' in 1985, to recognize the good works of ordinary people from Milwaukee's black community whose accomplishments had gone unnoticed. The awards program observed its 23rd year on February 15, 2008. More than 680 local citizens whose activities have benefited all of Milwaukee have been recipients of the award. Mrs. Johnson established The Louvenia Johnson Journalism Scholarship Fund in 1988 to assist college-bound high school graduates who wished to pursue careers in print and broadcast journalism. She initially funded the scholarship with money from her Social Security benefits. The scholarship funds are awarded during The Black Excellence Awards Program. To date, more than $350,000 has been awarded to area students through this non-profit, charitable organization. Previous scholarship recipients include Jamaal Abdul-Alim, an urban affairs reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and Silvia Acevedo, news reporter for WTMJ- TV/Channel 4 in Milwaukee. Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to pay tribute to Louvenia Johnson who is survived by her siblings, Mr. Harvey Williams, Mrs. Algenora Davenport, nieces, nephews and many friends. Mrs. Johnson has made a positive impact on Milwaukee and her contributions and legacy continue to benefit the citizens of the Fourth Congressional District.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Mr. Percy Julian, Jr., a pioneering civil rights and civil liberties attorney from my home State of Wisconsin. My friend, Percy Julian, Jr., passed away on February 24, 2008, at the age of 67. Mr. Percy Julian, Jr. helped to make the civil rights laws passed in the Martin Luther King, Jr. era real tools for justice. He became best known for representing University of Wisconsin-Madison students charged in the Dow Chemical demonstrations in the 1960s, and further for handling pioneering employment discrimination and voting rights class action suits across the United States, often in cooperation with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Percy Julian, Jr. grew up in the Chicago area but made Wisconsin his home. He was son to Percy Julian, Sr., an acclaimed scientist of the 20th century. A 2-hour documentary on Julian Sr., ``Forgotten Genius,'' which aired last year, not only highlighted his enormous contributions as a chemist, but also detailed how racism had hampered his career. Julian, Jr. said of his father in the documentary, ``My father took advantage of the country's promise of equality, but was in some ways undone by the country's failure to live up to that promise.'' Julian Jr. spent much of his legal career insuring the country met its promises. Percy Julian, Jr. was both a fierce advocate and a model for other attorneys in promoting the importance of civility. While serving as a State senator in Wisconsin, I called upon Percy Julian, Jr. to utilize his expertise on voting rights and civil rights issues. His presence often caused the other side to retreat rather than face his formidable knowledge base. He is survived by his wife, Jan Blackmon; daughter, Kathy Julian; and sister, Faith Julian. Wisconsin and our country have lost a valuable leader and a civil rights and civil liberties pioneer. Percy Julian, Jr.'s work in the areas of fair housing, voting rights, school desegregation, and first amendment issues have proved invaluable in preserving the rights of all people in our State and our Nation. I extend my condolences to his family and friends on this tremendous loss. Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to pay tribute to Percy Julian, Jr.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered the first sponsor of H.R. 840, a bill originally introduced by Representative Julia Carson of Indiana, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, as I speak, more snow is blanketing Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin, the latest in an unending series of snowfall that has overwhelmed municipalities in Wisconsin this winter. By mid-February, Milwaukee had received over 75 inches of snow compared to 33 inches at this time last year. Madison, our State capital, has already broken its record for the snowiest winter. A few weeks ago, one storm dumped at least a foot of snow in southern Wisconsin, including 17 inches in downtown Milwaukee. Just outside of Madison, some 2,000 cars were stranded on a highway for up to 12 hours. Last week, Wisconsin's Governor, Jim Doyle, requested Federal assistance to help Wisconsin deal with snow removal and other emergency costs. Yesterday, the entire Wisconsin delegation sent a letter urging the President to approve this request. Mr. Speaker, Wisconsinites are proud of our ability to handle snow; but in this case, Federal help is sorely needed and should be swiftly approved and provided.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 74, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' personal explanation

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5478 corrects an oversight made in the Native American $1 Coin Act which passed the House by voice vote on June 12, 2007, and became public law on September 20, 2007. The Native American $1 Coin Act authorized the minting of the ``Sacagawea Design'' golden dollar coin for circulation beginning in January, 2009. In that legislation, we purposely did not require the production of 2008 Sacagawea coins for circulation; however, the act unintentionally eliminated the Mint's authority to issue ``Sacagawea Design'' golden dollars in 2008 for coin collection purposes. As a result, many of the standard U.S. Mint products the coin- collecting public is expecting to order and receive this year, such as annual proof and uncirculated sets, will not include a 2008 Sacagawea dollar. The legislation before us would correct this oversight and immediately authorize the continued minting and issuance of 2008 ``Sacagawea Design'' golden dollars for numismatic purposes only. This is an important bill for coin collectors nationwide and for the popularity of the Sacagawea dollar coin. I urge all Members to support its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5478) to provide for the continued minting and issuance of certain $1 coins in 2008.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. I have no other speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, February 13, I was detained and unable to vote on rollcall 46. Had I been present I would have voted ``no.''

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 44, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, a snowstorm in Milwaukee cancelled all flights to Washington, DC yesterday, and I was unable to vote on rollcall votes 29, 30, and 31. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes'' on all three.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Thank you so much, Representative. I rise, Madam Speaker, to memorialize another of my constituents, Private First Class Keith Lloyd, who died of wounds suffered when the vehicle he was in struck a roadside bomb in Iraq at the tender age of 26 on January 12. He was born in Milwaukee. He went to elementary school in Milwaukee prior to his family moving to Oak Creek and then to South Milwaukee. Lloyd graduated from South Milwaukee High School in my district in 2000 and worked in a number of retail stores. He also took courses at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Oak Creek and ITT Technical Institute in Milwaukee. According to media reports, as a teen, Private First Class Lloyd was not crazy about high school, but he never shirked the responsibility that came with it. After graduation he wasn't quite sure what career path to take, like many high school graduates, including myself. Finally, as a young man, he decided to follow the path of his younger brother, who had just completed a tour of duty in Iraq with the United States Army. According to his sister Christine, he was looking for direction. He wanted to make something of himself and thought the Army was a good place to do that. He enlisted in March 2007, and, indeed, he made much of his life and paid the ultimate price for us, his fellow Americans. This was a young man who did not want to sit on the bench and let life pass him by. His sister also noted that he had a big heart and would do anything for anybody. Private First Class Lloyd deployed to Iraq in November as a member of the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment based in Fort Hood, Texas. Yesterday Private First Class Lloyd was laid to rest at Good Hope Cemetery in Milwaukee. Madam Speaker, I wish to express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of Private First Class Lloyd today: his sister, Christine; brother Thomas; his mom, Cynthia Allam; his dad and stepmother, Gary and Joanne Lloyd; sister Cora Lloyd; and brothers Kraig, Gary, and Joshua Lloyd. These men certainly made the lives of those around them better day by day and exemplified the character and qualities that enrich our communities and our Nation. This is indeed a sad day for the Nation. While as the Bible says, ``each heart knows its own grief'' and I cannot possibly understand the grief their families are going through today, I offer this timely tribute today to express the gratitude of a Nation and my condolences on their loss.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, as of Monday, January 21, 2008, 3,929 members of the United States military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press account. Today, I want to take this opportunity to talk about just two of these soldiers, residents of the Fourth Congressional District of Wisconsin. After these gentlemen have given so much for their country and their communities, our community, I just must pause, we must pause. We can't just allow business to go on as usual until we pay tribute here on the floor of the House to these young men and to offer my sincerest condolences to their families. On January 5, Army Private First Class Jason Lemke, age 30, was killed in Iraq as a result of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb. PFC Lemke was not just a soldier, Madam Speaker, but also a father of three young daughters, Amber, Liz and Casey. When he was interred just a few weeks ago on January 16, a family lost a loving father, a beloved son, his mom and dad, Colleen and Greg, and brother to Jerrie and Jill Lemke. A 1996 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, Jason wanted to enlist in the Army right after graduation from high school, but his parents talked him out of it. Instead, he worked and raised his baby girls. In December of 2004, PFC Lemke answered the call of his heart and enlisted in the Army in Milwaukee and reported to Fort Benning, Georgia, in January of 2005 for initial entry training. In May of 2005, he reported to Fort Lewis in Washington where he was assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, and his brigade was then deployed to Iraq in April of 2007. One talent that sticks out in my mind was his exceptional linguistic skill. He possessed this extraordinary skill, and he spoke both Spanish and Arabic, and I'm sure that that was an incredible asset to his fellow soldiers in Iraq. His language training came about because the military saw something special in this young man and selected him for intensive training in Arabic. His proficiency in it speaks well of Private First Class Lemke's own capacity and ability to pick up a difficult language in such a short time. I wish I had had the opportunity to meet this outstanding young man. I can so relate to him, and I'm sure the rest of us can, in that he had his fair challenges in life. Here are some of the words that have been used to describe this young man, just briefly, from his mom, Colleen. ``He's my son, my little boy, and my friend. He always made me proud and never disappointed me. His wit he shared with everyone. He always looked out for the underdog and did what he had to do. When he was with his kids and his sister's kids, the room was full of love. I'll miss his head in my lap when talking and watching TV. He was not afraid to show his love. But he's home in my heart and soul today.'' From his father, Greg: ``His grandpa was in the Marines. His uncle was a Marine. His father was in the Army, and my older brother was in the Army,'' Greg said. ``So there's a family service thing here. He wanted to make a mark.'' In a last but fitting honor, Private First Class Lemke was posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal. So today, Madam Speaker, as Corporal Lemke's family, friends, and his fellow soldiers come together at Fort Lewis to remember him in a memorial ceremony, I rise to honor this valiant soldier, loving son, and father, and to express my gratitude, condolences and that of the House to those who knew him and loved him best.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Thank you, Madam Chairman. HOPE VI is not just a tremendously successful housing program; it's a program that revitalizes entire communities. When you have an area with thousands of people in dense public housing communities, it's essential that we disperse poverty and create communities within mixed-income groups. HOPE VI has had enormous success at doing just that. I would like to remind my colleagues that HOPE VI is not some liberal Democrat program; it was created under a Republican administration, the previous President Bush. However, for the past 5 years, this President Bush has proposed ending this vital program, claiming that it has already accomplished its goal. Clearly, he's mistaken. Secondly, I just want to remind the body that we're experiencing a mortgage crisis of gargantuan, indeed, global proportions. The bad actors in the mortgage market have found fertile ground among families who have yearned for decent housing. They have preyed upon these families with these awful mortgage products because of the dearth of affordable rental units. HOPE VI is an answer to prayer for these families who may not be able to achieve homeownership, but deserve decent and affordable housing.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Booker Townsell. Mr. Townsell was falsely accused along with 42 other African-American soldiers for rioting and lynching an Italian POW at Fort Lawton, an Army base in Seattle in 1944. It was the largest and longest Army courts-martial of World War II. Mr. Townsell was ultimately court-martialed and convicted with 27 others and served two years in prison. After 63 years, Booker Townsell has been fully exonerated. Mr. Townsell was not able to see this travesty reversed having died in 1984 at the age of 69. However, his family persevered until he was fully exonerated for a crime he did not commit. Members of Mr. Townsell's family learned of Jack Hamann's, 2005 book, ``On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II'', which chronicled the Fort Lawton court martial. The Townsell family contacted Hamann and was the first to petition the Army to reverse the conviction. The Army Review Board required each family to apply individually for a review. Bipartisan requests were made in Congress to review the case. In October, 2007, an Army review board, acting on evidence uncovered by Hamann's book, overturned Townsell's conviction. The analysis used to reverse Townsell's conviction would apply to all of the soldiers convicted, an Army lawyer who reviewed the case for the review board told The New York Times. Hamann's investigation uncovered racial bias against the soldiers, including charges being brought immediately without the benefit of full counsel which led to their unfair convictions. This incredible story also involves Leon Jaworski, a young lieutenant who prosecuted the case for the Army and later served as special prosecutor in the Watergate case. Hamann discovered that Jaworski failed to share evidence with defense lawyers that could have exonerated the black soldiers. Hamann said it seemed suspicious that black soldiers in 1944 would participate in a lynching, given the racial attitudes in America at the time. According to his research, no black person had ever been put on trial for a lynching until then. A lawyer who specializes in military affairs helped the Townsell family with their petition to the Army review board. The decision that overturned Townsell's conviction was a sweet victory for justice in our country. On January 19th 2008, the family will celebrate their legal victory with a ceremony attended by Army officials to recognize the overturning of this conviction after 63 years. I am honored to have this opportunity to pay tribute to Mr. Townsell and to his family. Mr. Townsell's good name has now been restored.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a compassionate educator, a civil rights activist, an ordained Baptist minister and veteran from the Fourth Congressional District, Dr. Salomon Hernandez Flores. Dr. Flores passed away on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, in Milwaukee at age 79. Dr. Flores was dedicated to his students, and his illustrious career as an educator began over 50 years ago, as a high school teacher of English and Spanish in Kansas and Missouri. Dr. Flores retired at age 72 as Professor Emeritus from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after 24 years of service in the School of Education. He had also taught and trained teachers at universities including Avila College, Northeastern State University, Ohio State University, University of Maryland and Chicago State University. At the national level, he was an early practitioner, advocate and scholar on bilingual education and served over the years as a consultant on bilingual education and multi- cultural education to numerous agencies and educational institutions. During the 60s and 70s, Dr. Flores was active in the civil rights and Chicano rights movements as an educational activist and proposal writer. He worked directly with the Teacher Training Corp. of Texas, and the Midwest Desegregation Center. In recognition for his contributions as a Chicano activist, he was granted an audience with President Echeverria of Mexico. As an ordained American Baptist minister, he served as pastor at two churches, one each in Kansas and Missouri, with bilingual ministries. He participated in two missionary tours, one to Cuba and the other to Mexico, while attending Ottawa University. Dr. Flores was born on October 14, 1928, in Kansas City, Kansas to immigrant Mexican parents. He attended Rosedale High School in Kansas City, where he held championship titles in the mile run. He continued his track career in college. Dr. Flores received his B.A. in English at Ottawa University in 1953, his M.A. in Spanish at the University of Kansas in 1963, and his Ph.D. in foreign language instruction at the Ohio State University in 1969. He honorably served his country during the Korean conflict. Dr. Flores leaves behind a wonderful legacy of not only three children, Maria, David and Jose and beloved sister and brother, Damaris F. Mendez (nee Flores) and Faron; but also, the many colleagues, students and friends with whom he shared his knowledge, kindness and generosity over the years. The ``Salomon Flores Scholarship Fund'' has been established in his name to assist students in the completion of their educations. Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to pay tribute to Dr. Salomon Hernandez Flores and his many positive contributions to the Fourth Congressional District.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Chairman, I'll be brief. I hope that with Mr. Frank's bill, we can see that these exotic products have created a crisis in the mortgage industry. But as Attorney General Cuomo from New York said, any real estate scam, at the very base and root of it, is a faulty and a bad appraisal. This is a very commonsense regulation, and I congratulate Mr. Kanjorski and my other co-authors for bringing this forward. This amendment is about putting the interests of homebuyers first. Buying a home is daunting enough without having to worry that the people that supposedly work for you aren't on your side. The safeguards in this amendment--the independence standards for appraisers and provisions that strengthen Federal oversight of the appraisal process will assure homebuyers that the home they are purchasing hasn't been inflated in ``perceived'' value by an unscrupulous appraiser. A bad appraisal can also make it impossible for a subprime borrower to refinance--what happens when they try to get into a prime loan and a responsible bank wants a responsible appraisal done? That's when the other shoe drops and the homeowner finds out they've been duped. These safeguards would protect consumers, but would also benefit the secondary market and our economy. When a mortgage is sold on the secondary market, investors need to know that the securities they hold are backed up by a home that has been appraised accurately. Further, the amendment's requirements that subprime and other at-risk borrowers receive an escrow account will protect those borrowers from huge end-of-the-year tax bills and will reduce foreclosures. I urge my colleagues to support the Kanjorski-Biggert-Capito-Hodes- Moore amendment.

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin

Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Second Chance Act. According to the 2001 census, Wisconsin had the highest incarceration rate for African American males in the country, and I can tell you that this legislation represents a second chance for these convicted felons. You know, becoming a felon is akin to the civic death penalty. Ex- offenders are often lacking a high school diploma, lacking vocational skills. They are drug and alcohol dependent. They are estranged from families. They are homeless. But this legislation not only is a second chance for those felons, but it is a second chance for our communities. Those communities, our States that are tethered to these billion dollar budgets for incarcerating particularly African American men and can't use those billions of dollars for more constructive and productive purposes like job creation and job training, educational and vocational training, and strengthening our families and communities. Please support this Second Chance Act. Mr. Speaker, I rise today In strong support of the Second Chance Act. I would like to thank Congressman Danny Davis for his hard work on this vitally important legislation. In my community, according to 2001, census data, Wisconsin had the highest incarceration rate of African Americans in the nation. In 2005, there were over 2 million people incarcerated in Federal or State prisons. Nearly 650,000 people are released from prison to our communities each year. Nearly two-thirds of released prisoners are expected to be rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years of release. It is no secret that high recidivism rates translate into thousands of new crimes each year, many of which can be averted through improved prisoner reentry efforts. In my district alone, there were approximately 10,308 Milwaukee County Residents incarcerated as of June 2006. Since 1993 Milwaukee County has experienced nearly a four-fold increase in its recently released incarcerated population. In 1993 2,191 prisoners were released, compared to 8,147 in 2005. 32 percent of offenders released to Milwaukee County are under the age of 25 at the time of release from prison. 31 percent of the offenders released to Milwaukee County have less than a High School education. We are seeing an increased use of imprisonment to address the ``War on drugs'' : We are now incarcerating people at an alarming rate who have never been convicted of violent crimes and who have had no prior convictions. 24 percent of the offenders released to Milwaukee County are in prison for Property crimes; 18 percent Drug crimes; 14 percent violent crimes; 4 percent Sex crimes and 3 percent Other Non-Violent crimes. Ex-offenders face an automatic uphill battle when released from prison. As a result of being incarcerated, they are denied: The right to vote: The U.S has the most restrictive felony voting rights in the World. In Wisconsin, those in prison, probation or parole are restricted from voting. Access to public assistance: Those with felony drug convictions are ineligible for food stamps and TANF services. Some are not eligible at all for subsidized housing, while all face significant barriers when applying for public housing and subsidies. Some can't apply for financial aid to get an education: Felons with drug-related convictions are denied financial aid to attend vocational education classes, college, and other postsecondary education programs. It is beneficial for an entire community when we provide proper resources and services to ex-offenders. The Second Chance Act will do just that by: Directing the Bureau of Prisons to create a Federal Re-Entry program to assist prisoners in successfully returning to their communities. Authorizing new grant programs to assist states and local governments with drug abuse treatment for those convicted of or facing criminal charges. Authorizing a new educational program that will improve vocational education programs in prisons, jails and juvenile detention facilities. Mr. Speaker, it is high time that we change our focus from catching ex-offenders violating parole or probation to providing the adequate resources and programs to help them successfully integrate back into society. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Second Chance Act.