Donald Payne

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, it is my pleasure to yield to a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Klein) for 2 minutes.

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, I yield to the vice chairperson of the Subcommittee on Africa, a member, of course, of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) for 2 minutes.

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, I thank Representative Watson for her kind remarks. Madam Chairman, at this time I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Africa Subcommittee (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. PAYNE. It is my pleasure to recognize the Speaker of the House for 1 minute, the gentlewoman from California, Speaker Pelosi.

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of Mr. Blumenauer's amendment to ensure that safe drinking water is a component of our HIV/ AIDS strategy. Congressman Blumenauer, the lead sponsor of the Water for the Poor Act of 2005, has been a strong advocate on this issue for years, and he was kind enough to testify about the challenge of clean water in Africa at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Global Health I chaired in May of 2007. During the course of that hearing, it became clear that in Africa, the region hardest hit by the AIDS pandemic, the problem of safe water is particularly acute. The total number of people without access to potable water in the region has actually increased by 60 million in the past half decade. That is why Mr. Blumenauer and I, along with other Members of Congress, successfully secured $300 million for safe drinking water and sanitation projects for fiscal year 2008. We all know that HIV compromises the immune system. Those infected with the disease are far more likely to succumb to the illness caused by unsafe drinking water, especially if they are children, and there is no way that people can take ARVs if they do not have access to clean drinking water. I strongly support Mr. Blumenauer's amendment, and thank him for his cosponsorship of H. Res. 318, supporting the goals of the United Nations International Year of Sanitation. His resolution encourages international communities to achieve the target of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. I encourage my colleagues to support the Blumenauer amendment.

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, I rise to speak on the amendment offered by Mr. Fortenberry. We appreciate the work that he does on the subcommittee and he contributes greatly. We feel that the Inspector General has been doing an adequate job; however, we do not oppose this amendment. The Office has approved over $10 billion for programs in 136 countries around the world so far, which amounts to 21 percent of all donor HIV/AIDS spending, and two- thirds of all the donor spending on malaria and tuberculosis. Through the Global Fund, 1.4 million people have been treated with life-saving antivirals, 3.3 million cases of TB have been treated; and, in a new area, 46 million bed nets have been distributed to protect children against malaria. And I am pleased to say that Ray Chambers from New Jersey and my congressional district has been appointed ambassador for the U.N. to combat malaria. So, we do not oppose this amendment, and we look forward to the bill's passage.

Mr. PAYNE. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by the gentlelady from Wisconsin. Southern Africa has the highest rate of HIV and AIDS in the entire world. In Lesotho, we have heard, a country with an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 38 percent among pregnant women, only 19 percent of those in need of treatment for the disease have access for it. Even more troubling is the fact that only 5 percent of HIV-positive mothers get drugs to prevent the transmission of the virus to their children during childbirth. Life expectancy for women is 44 years, and for men a mere 39. In Malawi, the situation is a little better; men are expected to live 41 years, women 42. The health care worker shortage in the country remains a major obstacle. Circumstances in Swaziland are equally grim: 26 percent of adults are HIV positive. In a country of just over 1 million, there are 70,000 AIDS orphans. Clearly, HIV and AIDS pose a dire threat in these countries and must be urgently addressed. Therefore, I commend the gentlewoman, Ms. McCollum, for her amendment to make Swaziland, Lesotho, and Malawi focus countries, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, I appreciate the gentlelady, the ranking member, yielding me this time, and I rise in strong support of the Carson amendment relating to the building of human capacity to fight HIV/AIDS through collaborations between U.S. colleges and universities and those in the developing world. I, too, am very pleased to see this piece of legislation by Mr. Carson. We all knew Julia Carson. She came to my district to deal with health disparities in my district in New Jersey, and traveled to Africa with me on a trip dealing with this problem. So this is very appropriate, and let me commend you again. In May of 2007, Doctors Without Borders released a report that found that in southern Africa, a shortage of trained health care workers was the main barrier to increasing access to antiretroviral treatment. The report found that in Mozambique, people had to wait up to 2 months to start ARVs because there were not enough doctors and nurses to manage it. In one health district in Lesotho, nearly half of the nursing posts were vacant. Malawi has only two doctors per 100,000 people. The minimum standard according to the WHO is 20 doctors per 100,000 people. I am pleased to say that the bill under consideration seeks to address those problems. It calls on the United States to train 140,000 new health care workers and professionals so people can start on life- saving therapy. University partnerships are a logical and effective means through which to support this goal. So I once again commend Mr. Carson for his amendment, and urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, we have now entered the sixth year of the war in Iraq, a war the Bush administration assured us would be short and easy. One Bush official famously remarked that the victory in Iraq would be a ``cakewalk.'' Sadly, it has been the opposite for our troops, who continue to face lengthy and multiple deployments in the war. Last week, as we mourned the marking of a grim milestone, the death of 4,000 American troops in Iraq, we were reminded of the human costs of this ill-advised war. Military leaders warned that the war is putting enormous stress on our troops. We have seen a dramatic increase in suicides and depression. Lieutenant General William Caldwell, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, said the Army is experiencing a shortage of majors and captains, because many who have had one, two and three combat tours have made the decision to go back into civilian life. With 4,000 American lives lost and thousands of young men and women suffering serious injuries, we should be looking at a way to end the war in Iraq. Instead, the Bush administration continues to support the status quo. ``100 years'' is one presidential candidate's latest statement. We must end the war.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today to honor an extraordinary public servant, Jo Ann Forney. Ms. Forney has contributed thirty plus years of love and concern to her community in East Orange, New Jersey. Prior to attending Rutgers University, Ms. Forney worked at Western Electric and at the Conmar Zippers Factory as an assembler. She also worked at Bell Telephone as a toll operator. After graduating from Rutgers, Ms. Forney became a Family Enabler for Family Life Education Center. There she became a substance abuse counselor and worked part-time on weekends and holidays at Orange Memorial Hospital as a switchboard operator. Finally, Ms. Forney worked as a social worker at United Hospitals and later she became a valued employee of the East Orange Board of Education at the Enrollment Center for the past 10 years. Madam Speaker, I invite my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in honoring Ms. Forney as she leaves the East Orange Board of Education, and in expressing appreciation for her hard work and dedication. I am proud to honor Ms. Forney and I wish her never-ending success in her future endeavors.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, during the first 6 years of the Bush administration, the President and congressional Republicans squandered away large budget surpluses that were left to them by the Clinton administration; yet they failed to properly fund key national priorities. Again this year, the Bush administration proposed a budget that ignores the real needs of American people, particularly at a time of such economic uncertainty. This week, congressional Democrats will bring a budget to the House floor that fully funds Medicare and Medicaid, the health care programs for the Nation's most vulnerable people, including our children and our seniors. Unlike the President's budget, our budget fully invests in environmental protection and low-income heating programs such as LIHEAP so that low-income families, including those in my district in New Jersey who are facing skyrocketing home heating bills this winter, will receive some much-needed assistance. We also fully invest in the COPS program so that we can better protect our streets against crime. Mr. Speaker, we do all of this without raising taxes by one single penny. This is a well-crafted budget, and it deserves strong bipartisan support.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to acknowledge the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Jersey City, New Jersey, on the celebration of its 162nd anniversary. Metropolitan AME Zion Church, established in 1846, has a long and rich history as the oldest African- American congregation in Jersey City. Metropolitan AME Zion Church grew out of the John Street Methodist Church, established in 1796 near the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City. Since its founding in Jersey City 19 years before the United States abolished slavery, the church has occupied several locations in Jersey City and thrived under the leadership of a long line of dedicated pastors. On March 27, 1968, Metropolitan hosted Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for what would be one of his final speeches. He addressed an overflow crowd of more than 2,000 people promoting his ``Poor People's march on Washington.'' The deep history of Metropolitan AME Zion Church is a story of strong faith and passionate work on behalf of the surrounding community. Theirs is a journey that we hope will continue for many years to come. I am pleased to congratulate the Metropolitan Church and its current pastor Reverend Nathaniel B. Legay on this momentous occasion. Madam Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in wishing the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Jersey City a joyous anniversary and best wishes for the future.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to acknowledge the lifetime service of Monsignor William J. Linder, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Newark, New Jersey and founder of the New Community Corporation. Monsignor Linder has served in the Catholic priesthood for more than 44 years, spending the entire length of his ministry in Newark, New Jersey. For the past 31 years he has been the pastor of St. Rose of Lima parish, a multi-ethnic and multi-racial congregation with representation from 42 nations around the world. The New Community Corporation celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Its history is filled with stories of service to the city of Newark. The New Community Corporation is the most comprehensive and largest community development organization in the United States, employing over 1600 individuals and providing urban dwellers with housing, day care, alternative education, social services, job training, employment services and health care. Monsignor Linder has received many honors and awards including the HUD Distinguished Service Award, The National Association of Home Builders Housing Hall of Fame award, the Aetna Foundation Voice of Conscience Award, the MacArthur Foundation Fellows Award and the Governor's Gold Medal (NJ). He was also selected by President Clinton to attend the president's first inauguration as one of the 60 ``Faces of Hope'' and by President Bush to participate in a conference on faith-based initiatives. Madam Speaker, I know my colleagues will join me in honoring a wonderful servant to humanity. I am pleased to recognize his tremendous contributions to the city of Newark and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring a very special person, Mr. Paul Costello, for his outstanding work with young men and women from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In organizing the Washington-Ireland Program for Service and Leadership, Paul has used his boundless energy, enthusiasm and passion for peace to bring together students from varying backgrounds to learn about one another as they also gain valuable work experience in our Nation's Capital. Promoting cultural understanding among the next generation has united students to face the challenges of the future together, in keeping with the spirit of the Northern Ireland peace process. I have been fortunate to host young men and women from the Washington-Ireland Program in my Congressional office during the summer months. I have been impressed with their commitment to positive change as well as their strong desire to develop leadership skills they can put to use when they return home. As a result of Paul Costello's vision and dedication, more than 350 young graduates are now engaged in prestigious and rewarding careers in diverse fields including law, business, politics, communications and education. In addition, all who have come to know him have enjoyed his delightful sense of humor and his talent as a most entertaining storyteller. He founded storywise.com, the Center for Narrative Studies, here in Washington and has shared his insight with audiences nationally and internationally. On Friday, February 29, friends, supporters and alums from the Washington-Ireland Program will come together to toast Paul Costello for 10 years of remarkable success. I know my colleagues here in Congress join me in expressing appreciation for his service and in wishing him all the best for the future.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 909 introduced by Representative Kendrick Meek of Florida commemorating the courage of the Haitian soldiers that fought for American independence in the Siege of Savannah and for Haiti's independence and renunciation of slavery. H. Res. 909 recognizes the honorable act of the Haitian soldiers of the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint Domingue who volunteered to join the fight for American independence in the fall of 1779. Already in the fifth year of the American Revolution, Americans were growing weary of gaining independence when the Haitians stepped in. Today, we give them our gratitude for their bravery in sending over 500 soldiers to aid us in our fight for independence. We also remember and honor their sacrifice of over 300 men lost during the Siege of Savannah in October 1779. I hold Haiti's achievements of being the world's first black-led republic and the first Caribbean state to achieve independence in high esteem. However, Haiti continues to struggle against poverty and instability. This is why we need to commemorate the landmark of the brave actions of the 500 Haitians who fought alongside Americans for our freedom. It is important that we honor the progress of states in the 21st century continuing the fight against racially driven injustice. I would like to mention that H.R. 3432, which I introduced in August 2007, was signed into law by the President last week on February 5, 2008. This bill called for the establishment of the commission on the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. As Haiti still struggles to find her own model of peace and liberty, we extend our support by commemorating the loyalty of Haitians to the U.S. Haitians played a vital role in America's path to independence and freedom.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, ``Kenya is at a crossroads.'' Those are the words spoken this morning by the chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Kenya in a hearing that I chaired on the current crisis today. Kenya had been considered a linchpin on economic and political stability in the East Africa region for decades. We always were proud of the accomplishments and the achievements of them, and we often pointed to Kenya as a beacon of how other African countries and countries throughout the developing world should move towards democracy. However, we have seen very sad occurrences during the past month or two. H. Con. Res. 283 seeks to address the unfortunate and still unfolding political crisis in Kenya. I went to Kenya last month to assess the situation and to encourage political, religious, community, and civil society leaders to find a peaceful resolution to the current situation. I visited thousands of displaced children in Jamhuri showground and met with volunteers from diverse backgrounds. It was remarkable and encouraging to see Kenyans coming together to help their fellow citizens, donating food and material to those in need. Indeed, witnessing the violence and meeting the young victims was deeply troubling. Yet, I am confident that Kenyans will come out of this crisis united. Kenyans must put Kenya first. Kenyans of different religious, ethnic, and economic backgrounds live together peacefully in a region long marred by civil war and political chaos. Unfortunately, like the millions of Kenyans, the more than 170,000 refugees from the Ogaden and Somalia regions in Kenya will also be affected, because when the central government is affected, those other people, refugees and other groups in need, are also affected, as will be the lives of so many others in the countries surrounding Kenya. Many depend on Kenya for economic and industrial progress for their countries to survive. On December 27, 2007, the citizens of Kenya went peacefully to the polls to elect a new parliament and a new president, despite the logistics challenges and long lines. More than 14 million Kenyans registered to vote. That is 82 percent of the eligible voters. An estimated 2,547 parliamentary candidates were qualified to run in the 210 constituencies, a clear indication of the desire and the determination of Kenyans to participate and to be a part of the political process in their country. Incoming President Mwai Kibaki was hastily declared the winner by the Electoral Commission of Kenya, after a series of highly irregular events which cast significant doubt on his so-called victory. Let me be blunt: The election results announced by the ECK do not reflect the wishes of the Kenyan people. The people of Kenya voted for change. What they were given was more of the status quo. In reaction to what occurred, Kenyans went to the streets to express their frustration and anger. The protests soon turned violent, and it is still unfolding as we speak. More than 1,000 people have been killed and over 300,000 displaced as a result of unrest, including an estimated 80,000 children under the age of 5, and these young lives are being traumatized as we speak. Millions more have been adversely affected. Two members of the parliament from the opposition ODM were killed in January, reducing a five-member lead to three. The instability in Kenya continues to threaten and affect the economies of neighboring countries, imposing serious threats to regional stability, a fragile region in the first place. But this is going to make it even more fragile. The Kenyan economy has been hit hard and recovery may take a long time. H. Con. Res. 283 does several critical things. One, it strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Kenya and urges all parties concerned to immediately end the use of violence as a means to achieve their political objectives. It also calls for all parties to participate in good faith and dialogue mediated by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, and asks President Bush to consider imposing asset freezes and travel bans on leaders in the Party of National Unity, the Orange Democratic Movement, and other relevant actors who refuse to engage in this dialogue to end the current crisis. Additionally, the resolution calls for the international community to respond to the grave humanitarian needs of the people of Kenya and all neighboring countries to provide assistance to those affected by the violence. At the same time, it calls for a review of our assistance to Kenya and restrict any nonhumanitarian assistance. Before concluding, though, I would like to point out that U.S. diplomatic efforts in the wake of the election have not been stellar. Indeed, the response to the Kenyan election crisis proves beyond a doubt that some of the administration officials are too quick to embrace a government that engages in electoral abuses and overlook rather than condemn its electoral and human rights abuses. We saw this happen in the 2005 elections in Ethiopia. We must proceed carefully and thoughtfully and work with our partners in the EU and AU to help resolve this crisis. I also want to emphasize a very critical point. Despite statements by some to the contrary, what is happening in Kenya is not an ethnic conflict. It is a political conflict with ethnic overtones. We must look closely at the historical and political context to really understand and to avoid making additional mistakes on how we characterize what is happening today in Kenya. However, if political leaders in Kenya do not make a serious effort to stop the violence now and address the systemic problems that exist in their political structures, the violence we are seeing could certainly reach a point of no return. Once that happens, it will be very difficult to stop. It is critical that a transitional coalition government is established with a clear mandate to implement necessary reforms such as a new constitution, a new electoral law, a new electoral commission, and address the root causes of the crisis and prepare the country for transparent Presidential elections within 2 years. The people of Kenya deserve no less. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 283) calling for a peaceful resolution to the current electoral crisis in Kenya, as amended.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. PAYNE. Let me thank the gentleman from California and commend him for the outstanding work that he did as chairman of this subcommittee and his continued interest in the subcommittee's activities. I would like to say that I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey cosponsoring this resolution, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Wolf, who has been a true real leader on issues in Africa, too. One of the things that I must say, as I already mentioned about Mr. Royce, that our Subcommittee on Africa, regardless of which political party tends to chair it, has worked in a bipartisan manner for the 20 years that I have been a member of the committee, sometimes in the majority, sometimes in the minority. But the thing that has been very encouraging is that in 95, 96 percent of the time, I would say we are on the same page. We see things the same way. We might have to tweak a word or two here, but by and large, we have been able to move forward on so many important issues because of the bipartisan spirit. Once again, Mr. Royce, I appreciate your continued support, and, of course, Ranking Member Smith, who is not only doing a tremendous job here but with the Helsinki Commission, and for the fact that he is very interested in the situation in China, I appreciate your continued human rights efforts. It's a pleasure to work with you.

Mr. PAYNE. I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island.

Mr. PAYNE. Let me thank you very much. Let me also commend you for the work that you continue to do in Cape Verde and other developing countries, and your work in Haiti certainly makes all of us proud. With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 947) congratulating Lee Myung-Bak on his election to the Presidency of the Republic of Korea and wishing him well during his time of transition and his inauguration on February 25, 2008.