Donald Payne

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. At this time, I yield 5 minutes to the delegate from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

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

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. PAYNE. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 283) honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Rabbi Charles H. Rosenzveig, 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 resolution under consideration.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Res. 283, a resolution offered by Mr. Peters of Michigan, honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Rabbi Charles H. Rosenzveig. Although Rabbi Rosenzveig passed away last December, I think it is extremely and particularly appropriate that the House honor him now after having recently marked Holocaust Remembrance Day. While Rabbi Rosenzveig will always be remembered as a loving husband and father with a wife, Helen, and four children, one of whom followed in his father's footsteps into rabbinate and became a rabbi, many of us knew him as a path-breaking educator about the Holocaust and the founder of an important Holocaust museum and memorial. His life story of survival, escape and renewal serves as a model for all of us. Though he escaped the clutches of the Nazis who invaded his native Poland, Rabbi Rosenzveig lost much of his family in the Holocaust. After making his way east through the Soviet Union, he found refuge in the United States in 1947. After attending Yeshiva University in New York City, he became the spiritual leader of Congregation Mount Sinai in Port Huron, Michigan. In 1984, Rabbi Rosenzveig founded the Holocaust Memorial Center, a national freestanding memorial to the horrors of the Holocaust, in Farmington Hills, Michigan. In 1993, he left the pulpit to devote his energies full time to the center. The center serves not only as a memorial to those who perished at the hands of the Nazis but as a Jewish history museum and an educational institution dedicated to tolerance to future generations. While it is fitting that Rabbi Rosenzveig's memory and his many accomplishments be noted here today, the Nation's other Holocaust museums, many modeled after the center he founded in Farmington Hills, form perhaps the most enduring tribute to his achievements. We mourn the loss of Rabbi Charles H. Rosenzveig and pay our respects to his family and to those who knew him well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the sponsor of the resolution, the gentleman from Michigan, Representative Peters, as much time as he may consume.

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend and express my appreciation to the gentleman from Arkansas who has worked very closely in a very bipartisan manner on many issues. It is a pleasure to work with him as we continue to move forward the needs of the people, not only of our country, but of the world. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chair, let me commend the gentlelady from California for presenting this very important budget. And let me also state, to the gentleman from California, that it's no question that in our parameter we provide for providing for the common defense but we also say that it's a part of our country to promote the general welfare. It seems that that part tends to be left out in many instances. So I rise in strong support of the Progressive Caucus budget. As a member of the caucus, I am proud of the work we have done to restore common sense to the Federal budget by addressing our Nation's most pressing domestic needs. As I travel around my congressional district in New Jersey, it is obvious that families are suffering as a result of many of the decisions of the previous administration, including their determination to siphon valuable resources away from our communities and direct them towards the ill-advised invasion and occupation of Iraq. It is time to rebuild our own Nation by embracing the priorities embodied in this bill: providing a strong economic stimulus package of $300 billion that includes an extension of unemployment insurance, as well as improvements in transportation infrastructure, school construction, and needed water projects. Our budget pays for these domestic needs by redeploying U.S. troops out of Iraq and repealing the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest among us. I urge that we support this commonsense Progressive Caucus budget because it puts America first.

Mr. PAYNE. Let me commend the Congressional Black Caucus and its chair, Congresswoman Lee, and to our leader on the Budget Committee for many, many years, Representative Bobby Scott from Virginia, for presenting this very sound budget. As we know, we are supposedly a country that not only promotes the general welfare, as it does to provide for the common defense but, in many instances, we find that promoting the general welfare is lost. The Congressional Black Caucus budget takes care of that. But, in the meantime, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, I have been deeply disturbed by the damage done over the past 8 years to the reputation and the standing of the United States of America around the globe. By replacing diplomacy with the use of force and military threats in the Middle East and other regions and dismissing our longtime allies, France and Germany, as ``Old Europe,'' the previous administration alienated those who had looked to the United States for moral leadership. Under the Obama administration and the Democrat Congress, we now have the opportunity to move in a more constructive and positive direction by investing in overseas development and restoring diplomacy to our international relations efforts. In crafting the international affairs portion of the Congressional Black Caucus budget, we have allocated increased funding to assist other nations in lifting themselves out of poverty, a critical part of the plan to restore America's reputation and prestige around the world. We were pleased that in the Budget Committee our chairman's mark increased funding for international affairs by 11 percent over FY 2009 levels. The CBC budget provides for an additional $2.5 billion on top of that, which puts funding for international affairs closer to the President's request.

Mr. PAYNE. The President's request puts us closer to there. The additional allocation would go toward increased funding for the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria; USAID programs; Iraq humanitarian assistance; migration and refugee assistance; peacekeeping efforts in Darfur; education, health care, and cultural exchange programs; child survival and health programs; and development assistance. Vote for the CBC budget and let's restore America's promise and America's greatness in the eyes of the world.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, after leading our Nation to the brink of financial disaster through their reckless economic policies, our Republican colleagues now have the audacity to launch attacks on the budget proposed by President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress. After taking the healthy budget surplus left by the Clinton administration and turning it into the most disastrous deficit in history, Republicans are actually attacking a budget proposal which cuts the deficit by nearly two-thirds by the year 2013, cuts taxes for middle-income families by $1.5 trillion, creates jobs with investment and reforms in health care, clean energy, education, and reduces nondefense discretionary spending to its lowest level as a percentage of the economy in nearly half a century. By contrast, the Republicans have put forth a so-called budget which, unbelievably, contains no numbers. None. What their budget does is propose more of the same failed policies that got our country into this deep financial economic crisis.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Let me thank the gentlelady from Ohio for her continued leadership in the Congressional Black Caucus' weekly address to the Nation. As you may recall, last week we talked about the activities in Africa and problems in our Caribbean neighborhood of Haiti, the problems in Darfur and Sudan and the Congo to show that the Congressional Black Caucus is universal. We are the conscience of the Congress, not only for domestic issues but issues worldwide where people are in need. And so this evening, Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great historian, and let me thank, as I mentioned before, Representative Fudge for her consistent support for our debates and discussions on Monday, but let me just speak about Dr. John Hope Franklin. As you've heard several of our previous speakers, he was just a great American. As a former teacher and a strong advocate for the inclusion of African American history in the school curriculum for all students, I place enormous value on the work of Dr. Franklin, the extraordinary man whose loss we mourn and whose life we celebrate. As a professional historian, he worked tirelessly to ensure the accurate sharing of American history--of course, as we know, history was distorted, and it took Dr. Franklin to lay it out properly--with its tragedies, as well as its triumphs, at a time when there were few voices willing to listen, to explore the painful legacy of enslaved people. In forging the inclusion of the African American experience, Dr. John Hope Franklin was instrumental in championing civil rights issues and breaking color barriers. He was engaged in the most pressing issues of the past and present. As the Chair of President Clinton's Initiative on Race, which he served with the former Governor of New Jersey, Tom Kean, who talked about how great Dr. Franklin was and how difficult it really was to get Americans to speak about race. People just wanted to avoid it, but it's something that Dr. Franklin and Tom Kean, in their responsibilities on the commission, attempted to have an honest dialogue. Dr. Franklin offered recommendations on ways to eliminate racial disparities. Dr. Franklin was quoted in the Emerge Magazine in 1994 as saying, ``I think knowing one's history leads one to act in a more enlightened fashion. I cannot imagine how knowing one's history would not urge one to be an activist,'' John Hope Franklin said. And he lived for nearly a century, and during that time, his scholarship inspired many activists. The permanent impact of Dr. John Hope Franklin's public service has cultivated a richer understanding and greater appreciation of African American history. He was a man of immense strength, courage and wisdom, and his contributions to American society are invaluable. As we celebrate the life of this great historian, we also mark this evening the important contributions of women of our Nation's rich history. As we are commemorating Women's History Month, we pause to remember the women who laid the groundwork, often at great personal risk, for rewards that future generations would reap. We remember a great woman in history, Harriet Tubman, who secretly guided 300 enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad, the network of safe houses that enslaved people followed during the Civil War era. Many records still exist which document the dangerous journeys to freedom. Interestingly, because enslaved people were forbidden to read or write, many created quilts in order to leave messages and pass down stories about their lives. During Women's History Month, we also recall the great debt of gratitude we owe to strong women of the past like Sojourner Truth, the abolitionist and orator who risked her life to speak out against slavery. She even refused to sit in the back of a trolley car way back when she lived here in Washington, D.C. She defied the law. In most recent times, we have seen women trailblazers in all professions. The first African woman to join a space mission, Dr. Mae Jemison, traveled aboard the space shuttle Endeavor on September 12, 1992. Dr. Jemison is a chemical engineer, scientist, physician, and astronaut who worked as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone and in Liberia in West Africa. Of course, we now have a wonderful role model in the White House for our daughters and our granddaughters in Michelle Obama, our First Lady, who graduated cum laude from Princeton University in my State of New Jersey and went on to earn her law degree from Harvard before taking a position at a Chicago law firm. I would also like to remember a good friend and colleague, one that our Representative has replaced, a wonderful woman whom we lost last year, Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a true pioneer who was the first African American woman elected to Congress from Ohio. A former county prosecutor and a former judge in the Cleveland municipal court, she went on to break another glass ceiling when she successfully sought and won a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which no other African American woman had ever achieved before that time. In my congressional district, we are fortunate to have many accomplished women who are working actively every day for the betterment of their communities. The executive director of the Newark Day Center, Trish Morris-Yamba of South Orange, has worked tirelessly to provide services for local seniors and to send young children to summer camps through the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund. She has been active in many organizations, including the Newark Public Library, where she served as board president. Prior to that, she ran an organization called CHEN, which was one of the very innovative day care centers in our City of Newark. Another dedicated community volunteer, a woman I have known and admired for many years, is Blanche Hooper, who has given generously of her time to serve as a senior citizen's commissioner and, up until 2007, served as the director of the Nellie Grier Senior Citizen Center in the south ward of Newark. In addition, she is active in Mt. Zion Baptist Church, vice chairman of the South Ward Democratic Committee, and has been the recipient of an award for living the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Barbara Bell Coleman has given her considerable energy and intelligence to a number of important causes in New Jersey. Barbara Bell Coleman, during the 1990s, served as the president of the Amelior Foundation, established by Newark philanthropist Ray Chambers to support urban education and other programs. As chairman of the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark, she helped to coordinate youth development programs for thousands of young people in the City of Newark. She is the recipient of a United Way award for her outstanding work with youth. And last week, I had the pleasure of attending a retirement ceremony for a woman who has touched many, many lives in the course of her career, Dorothy Knauer, executive director of the Community Agencies Corporation of New Jersey. Over the past three decades, this remarkable woman has devoted her life to community service, notably through programs like Project Babies, the James Street Neighborhood House, Reading is Fundamental, and Community Partners for Youth. She has been honored by New Jersey's Office of Volunteerism and was recognized as a woman of distinction by the United Nations League. Madam Speaker, I know that my colleagues here in the United States House of Representatives join me in expressing gratitude to these women and the countless others who are contributing their time and talents each and every day towards making our communities a better place for all of us to live and to work.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Thank you very much, Representative Fudge. Let me commend you for taking the leadership for this hour on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. We certainly have appreciated your experience as a former mayor and as a person involved in politics in the State of Ohio and how you have come in, not as a trainee, but fully running. We know of the untimely death of your predecessor, Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, but we certainly appreciate your taking up the mantle and moving forward. I would just like to speak briefly on several of the countries that we have mentioned. We have just heard the gentlelady from Wisconsin talk about Haiti, and I might just mention briefly that Haiti has had a long and difficult history, highlighted by prolonged poverty, political instability and underdevelopment, resulting in a politically fragile state with the lowest standards of living in the entire western hemisphere. With the assistance of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti and large amounts of international aid, Haiti has been attempting to establish a foundation for longer economic development. Security issues have presented the primary risk to stability while restoring economic growth, investment, employment, and access to basic services have been the major and equally formidable challenges to sustainable development. President Preval, since assuming his second nonconsecutive term in office in May of 2006, has emphasized the importance of rebuilding democracy, rebuilding Democratic institutions and of establishing conditions for private investment, which is key to the development of any country to create jobs. The success of his government will depend largely on its ability to improve security and social economics. The condition in the country: 76 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day. These are conditions that make it very difficult. Security conditions have improved, but Haitians have seen their already substandard living conditions deteriorate further with the rise in global food prices and in the recent devastation by a series of hurricanes. When people say, ``Why Haiti? Why should we be concerned?'' number 1, they are very close to our shores. Number 2, there has been a history of United States' involvement in Haiti. As a matter of fact, in the Battle of Savannah, when we fought for independence of the United States of America from Britain, Haiti sent soldiers over to fight in the Battle of Savannah. As a matter of fact, recently--and I visited last year--the statue that has been dedicated to Haitian soldiers who fought for the independence of the United States' 13 original colonies away from Great Britain. Also, as we know, Haiti became the first revolt of enslaved people to defeat the colonists, and that sent a message throughout Central and South America. As you know, Haiti in 1804 defeated the forces of the great Napoleon's army, and as a result of this 12-year war between France and Haiti, France was defeated. There is great wealth that France would get from Haiti, which actually was more than all the 13 colonies of the United States provided for Britain. The one portion of the island of Espanol, of which Haiti is half of it and the other half is the Dominican Republic, gave more wealth to France. So, when France lost Haiti, it lost economics, and as a result, the Louisiana Purchase came about. As you may know, at that time, the United States was landlocked. The United States only went to the Mississippi River, and it was the land that was owned by France. Because France after the long war with Haiti needed cash--it was land rich and cash poor--it sold the Louisiana Territory for, I think, about $15 million and, therefore, opened up the West. The Lewis and Clark expedition started in St. Louis as a result of the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. So Haiti has had a tremendous impact on the United States of America. Finally, about Haiti, part of the erosion which we see was spurred along in World War II. With the U.S. being cut off from the Pacific region, there was a need for rubber to be grown and produced. There was a Haitian grower who said that it was going to be impossible for rubber trees to grow in Haiti. However, the Haitian leadership wanted to help in the war effort and wanted to placate President Roosevelt, and so they cut down natural kinds of ecology, and tried to introduce rubber trees, which would not grow, which was already known by Haitian farmers, but they did it anyway. As a result, erosion started. This was one of the areas that, with the natural habitat taken down and the foreign intervention of other plants, Haiti's erosion also began. So I just would like to say that we need to take a look at the status of Haitians in America. We need to change that situation so that people who have come to this country will definitely have an opportunity to become full-fledged citizens of our country. Let me just quickly talk about the Liberians who we have heard about, another country. We just heard our previous speaker talk about the fact that there was Deferred Enforcement Departure status which expired on March 31 of 2009 for Liberians as a result of the war with Charles Taylor. People got TPS, Temporary Protective Status, from Liberia. Then when that ran out, they had the Deferred Enforcement Departure, and we have gotten word that we believe that Liberians will be able to have a 1-year extension of the DED, from words that I received from President Obama's office. Let me just say that, once again, in 1820, $100,000 was funded by the U.S. Congress that went to help start Liberia. As you know, Monrovia was named after President Monroe, and many free black men and women went to Haiti. As a matter of fact, there was an integrated group of blacks and whites that went back originally, but the whites all died, and were unable to survive. Only the blacks survived. And so we have had a long relationship with Haiti and with Liberia, and we should, certainly, with the 3,600 people who are in the DED current status, I hope that within the next year--and there will be a rally on Wednesday at 1:30 here at the west terrace at the Capitol that will allow Liberian leaders to come and show their appreciation for the extension, and we urge anyone who is free on Wednesday of this week at 1:30 to come and participate in the rally. Finally, we've heard about Darfur. I was pleased that we were able to get the genocide resolution through, but I did expect more to happen from the world, and I have been disappointed. I went to eastern Chad, and I spoke to an elderly woman who talked about what happened in her town: a pregnant woman was bayonetted there, a neighbor was shot. Even in huts they would lock, tie the door together and burn the huts and the boys would be burned to death, all of this by al-Bashir, the president who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and should stand for trial. As has been mentioned, there's been a long, north-south battle between the NIF government, the National Islamic Front, and the SPLA, the Sudanese Freedom--South Sudanese Liberation Movement, the late Dr. Garang, for 21 years. Four million people have been displaced, two million people have died. And 21 days after Dr. Garang was able to get the comprehensive peace accord signed, his plane mysteriously crashed and Dr. Garang was killed I immediately went there and participated in the mourning and attended the funeral of him. His wife and children--Rebecca, his wife, is very strong and continues to move forward on the question of South Sudan, the comprehensive peace agreement must be upheld and Darfur, the International Criminal Court, should go forward with the prosecution of al-Bashir. He has put out 13 nongovernmental organizations who are feeding people and are bringing in food and so forth. This must not stand, and he must be stopped. We could talk about the Congo, but I will yield back the balance of the time so our chairperson of tonight's special order may be able to conclude in any manner that she sees fit. But let me once again thank you for taking this hour, and we still have much to do. The CBC, the conscience of the Congress, will continue to move forward, not only domestically, but internationally.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues to join me today to pass S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. This bill is a compilation of over 160 bills intended to protect millions of acres of wilderness and miles of national wild and scenic rivers. It will also establish three new national park units, four new national trails and more. The Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison (LITE) Act, which is part of the omnibus legislation, honors the life and accomplishments of New Jersey's own Thomas Edison. The Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison Act (LITE) Act is a testament to Edison whose impact is still being felt today. Congress, in 1928, honored Edison with the Congressional Gold Medal for the ``development and application of inventions that have revolutionized civilization in the last century.'' In 1997, Life magazine named Edison ``Man of the Millennium'' in recognition of his inventions that have transformed modern society, including the incandescent light bulb, the motion picture camera, and the phonograph. The LITE Act will preserve the intellectual and physical accomplishments of Thomas Edison by commemorating his lifetime achievements; re-designating the Edison National Historic Site, located in West Orange, NJ, my Congressional district, as a National Historic Park; and authorizing appropriations to support the site. The Edison site is actually comprised of two separate sites--Edison's home of 45 years (known as Glenmont) and his laboratory complex. The Edison site houses over five million pages of documents, over 400,000 artifacts, approximately 35,000 sound recordings, and over 10,000 books from Edison's personal library. Like this priceless collection of documents and artifacts, Edison's laboratory complex and home are also historical treasures. With buildings dating back to 1887, the laboratory complex was one of America's first research and development facilities, and is where Edison earned over half of his 1,093 patents. Moreover, Mr. Edison's gravesite is located on the grounds of his beloved Glenmont, a twenty-nine room home built in 1880 that contains original furnishings and other family items. The LITE Act is critical to efforts to protect the Thomas Edison National Historic Site. The Edison site has enormous historical significance for America and for the world, and is badly in need of restoration. The need for major infrastructure improvements at the Edison site has been documented as early as 1972. Additionally, the site was listed, in 1992, by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the nation's most ``endangered historic places.'' The laboratory complex is currently closed to the public because of an extensive restoration effort. It is estimated that the first phase of the restoration effort will conclude this April and that the laboratory complex will open for public preview some time this summer. Renovations at Glenmont have been completed and the site is open to the public and fully functioning. Plans also exist for a second phase of the restoration project. Currently, National Park Service (NPS) staff are housed in historic buildings under less than ideal circumstances. The second phase will focus on getting NPS staff out of the historic buildings and into office space that better supports their critical mission of preserving Edison's historical legacy. When the Edison site was fully operational, approximately 95,000 people visited the site each year. It is estimated that the number of visitors will nearly triple when the first phase of the restoration project is completed. The LITE Act would ensure this commitment by re- designating the Edison site as a ``national historical park'' (consistent with National Park Service guidelines) and authorizing appropriations for restoration work. These measures will preserve Thomas Edison's historical legacy, enhance the educational experience of visitors to the site, and hopefully, encourage more private funding for restoration projects. Although private benefactors--most notably the Edison Preservation Foundation--have generously donated significant resources to restore the site, the federal government's long-term commitment to the site is critical to its longevity and educational mission. This legislation recognizes Thomas Edison's numerous contributions to American society and preserves the Edison National Historic Site as a leading educational, scientific and cultural center. S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 is a sweeping piece of legislation that will conserve millions of acres of America's splendor for future generations. The Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison Act is a small component of the bill but will provide great educational and entertainment opportunities for the people of New Jersey and others who will visit this historic gem. I respectfully urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, one of the most serious challenges facing our Nation is the need for health care reform to ensure access to quality and affordable health care for all families. It is shocking that nearly 46 million Americans in the United States have no health care coverage. Unless we act, estimates from the Congressional Budget Office warn that the number of Americans without health insurance will grow to about 54 million during the next 10 years. In meeting with health care professionals and with my constituents in New Jersey, everyone agrees that changes in our current system are needed. Congress has already taken some important steps. Working with President Obama, we have enacted into law a much-needed expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, SCHIP, to ensure that the 7 seven million children who currently participate in the program continue to receive coverage. We also worked to provide $20 billion in crucial funding in the economic recovery package to modernize our health care system through the adoption of health information technology. Mr. Speaker, we want to see these moves continue.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, over the last 8 years, the Bush administration turned our budget situation from rosy to grim. President Bush and the Republican Congress pushed their economic policies as an answer to the prolonged growth that never came. They let budget rules lapse and enacted expensive tax cuts for the wealthiest few, with no offsets. Now it turns out, instead of spurring long-term growth, these trickle-down policies have cost our Nation dearly. Our economy nationwide and in my home State of New Jersey is in worse shape than ever. As a result of the economic deterioration that occurred under President Bush's policy, the projected deficit for fiscal year 2009 has reached an unprecedented $1.2 trillion. This deficit did not arise overnight, and out of the blue. President Bush inherited a healthy $5.6 trillion surplus. And so, Mr. Speaker, we need to bring our country back to fiscal responsibility.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Thank you for allowing me to participate in this very important recognition of Black History Month. And let me thank Congressman Al Green in particular for bringing H.R. 83, which recognizes the significance of Black History Month, to the House floor. Over 80 years ago, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the men of Omega Psi Phi created Negro History and Literature Week, which called upon the black community to study black history and literature as well as raise awareness about our community's contributions to American history. At that time, the seed was planted. The movement that grew out of the black churches, colleges, schools and community centers flowered in the designation by President Jimmy Carter of February as Black History Month. For over 30 years, the Nation, and particularly the black community, has used February as a time to shine a light on the achievements that African Americans at every level have made to our community, our Nation, and to the world. The contributions that African Americans have made to the creation and evolution of our Nation, while sometimes glossed over, are so intricately interwoven in the American fabric. To know American history, one must know black history; they go hand in hand. Far too often black history has been watered down to disconnected factoids and pieces of trivia or quick mentions in our schools' history books. We, as a Nation, lost sight of the fact that the accomplishments of African Americans are not ones of disjointed milestones, but ones that have been innumerable, continuous, enduring and diversified. Dr. John Hope Franklin once recalled a conversation he had with Dr. Woodson where the latter wished for a time----

Mr. PAYNE. Where the history of African Americans would be made an integral part of American history. Well, let me conclude by saying that, in New Jersey, we have been able to have legislation called the Amistad bill, A1301, that incorporates the history of African Americans into the history books and has a commission--it was a bill that was introduced by Senator Bill Payne in 2002--and the history of African Americans is now to be interwoven into the regular history of our Nation. And that's where we should strive for the day where we will not have a separate African American history month, but that the accomplishments of African Americans would be interwoven into our history books.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to recognize the Honorable Betty J. Lester for her many years of service to the community and to congratulate her upon her historic retirement from the Essex County Superior Court bench. I would like to express my personal thanks and voice the gratitude of the many people for whom she has paved the path and set standards of excellence. Judge Lester holds the distinction of being the first African American female judge in Essex County and the second African American female judge to be appointed to the superior court bench in New Jersey. As a trailblazing woman of color, Judge Lester has built a great legacy in her 32 years of service to the city of Newark, Essex County, and the State of New Jersey. Judge Lester has served on many committees of the Supreme Court including the Committee to Study New Jersey Bar Admission, the Committee on Municipal Courts, the Task Force on Women in the Courts, the Task Force on Municipal Improvement, and the Task Force on Minority Concerns. She has been a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Essex County Bar Association, and the National Association of Women Judges. On the national level, Judge Lester was appointed as a commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies. Madam Speaker, I know my colleagues agree that Judge Lester is an excellent role model for women and minorities in the law profession. She will leave a lasting impact on those who were fortunate enough to benefit from her guidance. I am pleased to join all those in attendance in wishing her a wonderful retirement.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, in commemorating Black History Month this year, it is certainly fitting that the members of the Congressional Black Caucus have chosen to honor unsung heroes, since all of us know men and women in our communities who are laboring tirelessly to improve the quality of life for others while seeking no recognition for themselves. Let me begin by commending the new Member to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Fudge, for her outstanding work in the short period of time that she has been in the caucus. As you know, she replaced the Congresswoman from Cleveland, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, whose untimely death left a big hole in our heart and the Congressional Black Caucus. But we are very pleased to welcome her, and she is starting with a sprint. And her experience as a former mayor and active in civic and government affairs throughout her life have prepared her for this task. And so it's a pleasure to share this hour with you. As we mentioned, it's only fitting and proper that we recognize unsung heroes because there are so many in our community, all through the history of African Americans, whether it was the Underground Railroad, whether it was people at the battle of Bunker Hill, Peter Salem, who killed Major Pitcairn who led the Boston Massacre. We could go on through history, that so many African Americans were unsung heroes, many whose names never appear in our history books. And we have these living legends today in our community, and that's why I think it's so important that we have an opportunity to mention a few of them in our own district. My district, the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey, encompassing parts of 22 towns and three counties. I will focus on several who live in the City of Newark and Irvington, those who have devoted their time and energy to lifting others up and truly performing labors of love in communities in our Nation. Our community activist who have had a significant positive impact on my home City of Newark and surrounding communities for a period spanning over 30 years, is a dedicated human rights activist, Larry Hamm, whom I've known and had the privilege of knowing since he was a high school student as a very young man. He has been described as a forceful and articulate spokesperson for educational needs and aspirations for the students in the City of Newark. And, as a matter of fact, he was appointed to the Newark School Board when he was only a high school student himself, and transformed the local Board of Education to listening to the needs and the ideas of young people. Those who were supposed to be served by the Board of Education and felt they were not being served had an active voice on the School Board. He graduated from Arts High School in Newark, even achieved an outstanding record as a long distance runner, once again, showing the endurance that he even learned as a young person. He then went to Princeton University. And at Princeton he did not sit on his laurels. He actually organized a student protest against the oppressive system of apartheid in South Africa, successfully arguing that Princeton had a moral obligation to divest its financial interests in that Nation. As you may recall, there was the question of divestiture in South Africa's P.W. Botha-led apartheid government, and there was a move afoot to have governments, institutions of higher learning, other kinds of foundations divest their funds in companies that did business in South Africa. And by having that economic stranglehold on the finances going into South Africa, that was one of the weapons that helped bring down that evil system of apartheid that strangled people of color in South Africa. And Larry convinced the Board of Trustees at Princeton University to divest from South Africa. After earning his degree, Mr. Hamm returned to Newark and became active in local politics. A district leader and President of the 24th Assembly District, he was the founder and director of the People's Energy Cooperative, a community fuel oil cooperative. As you know, cooperatives tend to help people make affordable the cost of energy, and he did an outstanding job in that position. Then he served as director of the Community Organization Program of the United Church of Christ, the Commission for Racial Justice. Along with Reverend Ben Chavis, he organized a voters registration drive in Alabama during the 1980s. He is also known locally for his work this organizing the People's Organization for Progress, called POP, an independent, grass roots political organization that is active in Newark and the northern part of New Jersey. Under Mr. Hamm's leadership, the group works to build unity among community organizations, from promoting access to quality education and affordable health care. He currently is supporting H.R. 676, the universal health care legislation, to protesting racial profiling and police brutality where he's been extremely active in cases in the local communities. He says that a people united can never be defeated, and he says that if there is no justice there can be no peace. And he continually raises the question of police brutality and excessive use of police authority. He is a wonderful, committed young man. He's always been in the forefront of the struggle for justice and equality. As a matter of fact, most recently, he arranged for five buses to bring 300 New Jersey residents to Washington, D.C. so that they could experience the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. As a matter of fact, he had to come down early because he wanted to be sure that all 300 people had Metro cards. Thinking ahead, he said, rather than have them wait in line that day, he took another day off to come down and had to then purchase them to bring them back so that when his group got here, they were able to proceed in an orderly fashion. We're all certainly proud of Larry Hamm, and we wish him well in his pursuit of equality for all. All of us know individuals who are literally doing the Lord's work, and that is pastors and church volunteers who reach out to meet both the material and spiritual needs of those they serve. There are many, many great pastors in our communities, as we know. But there's one young one that I would just like to mention, his name is Reverend Ron Christian, who is pastor of Christian Love Baptist Church in Irvington, New Jersey in the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey. Reverend Christian inspires all of those who find their way to his church with his message of compassion, forgiveness, spiritual renewal and optimism. He holds a special appeal for the young and the dispossessed, coaxing former gang members to give up destructive pasts and, instead, fulfill their God-given potential. Reverend Christian welcomes all with open arms. And he has said that his philosophy is, come as you are; let God worry about the rest. As a matter of fact, our court system depends on Reverend Ron, because they allow him to run a community service program for young men and teenagers who have had problems with the law. But they send them to Reverend Ron's church to do community service. And he has taken so many young men and has turned them around. Each Sunday, many, many young men come, and women, to give their life to God, who have said they're turning their life around because of how Reverend Ron has inspired them. He's just a wonderful young man. And not only does he do work here in the local community, but he's gone overseas to Africa, to Liberia, where he's had projects to help over there. He's just an exciting young man, and he said he's finally pleased that he is performing more weddings than funerals of young people because, as we know in our communities, there is an unbelievable carnage of young people with gun violence. But he is turning so many of those young lives around. As we talk about these two young men, let me talk about a remarkable woman in my community, Ms. Eddiemae Livingston. Now, Ms. Livingston, you would think that she was as young as Reverend Ron and Larry Hamm, but she was born in 1919 so she is a little bit older. Ms. Livingston, if you're looking, you said it was all right for me to mention your age once before so I remembered that. And you are a remarkable, 90-year old, and the work that you continue to do is amazing. It's hard to believe that Ms. Livingston will be 90 this summer. Actually I pushed it up a couple of months because she remains interested and active every day. Early in her professional career she worked for the Federal Government providing family allowances to soldiers families. She wanted to move to Newark but initially was prevented from transferring because of discriminatory laws. After the NAACP intervened, she was able to move to Newark in 1942 where she worked for the Office of Dependents Benefits. Her community service includes working as a counselor for unwed mothers. She worked at various social agencies until retiring from the City of Newark in 1992. She holds two life memberships and two golden heritage memberships with the NAACP. In addition, Ms. Livingston has been honored for her work at Hopewell Baptist Church, Reverend Geis, where she actually sends donations to students from her church to simply help them with their books and things of that nature. She just has such a big heart. The North Jersey unit of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs and the City of Newark has recognized her. Our community was pleased when the Mayor of Newark declared July 13, 2004, as Eddiemae Livingston Day. Ms. Livingston now devotes much of her time to the unit complex where she lives. And she's active in the tenants council. She was an active supporter of President Barack Obama and was thrilled at his historic election. She was also a volunteer at the local YM/YWCA where I ran a program for young people when I was teaching. And she volunteered to be a counselor to one of the Tri-Hi-Y clubs at that time. So she is just a wonderful person. I wish her another several decades of outstanding work. Finally, another outstanding woman who I am pleased to call a friend is Gloria Hopkins Buck, who has dedicated her life to working tirelessly to improve the quality of life in our community. She is well-respected and well-loved for her accomplishments over the years as a leader in service to community, arts, culture, professional and educational organizations, primarily located in the Newark metropolitan area. Ms. Buck worked for over 25 years with the Newark Public Schools as a licensed clinical social worker and was among the first nationally to become certified as a School Social Work Specialist. In her early years she was a supervisor of Adoptive and Protective Services, which is now the Division of Youth and Family Services in our State. Ms. Buck is a former Public Relations Consultant with Rochelle Jones & Associates. She is a founder and former president of First Friday Group, Incorporated, a 20-year old corporate business designed to facilitate networking and socializing among African American entrepreneurs and professionals. Ms. Buck has served as a Trustee to the Newark Museum Association since 1978, and is presently vice president of the board and a member of the executive committee. She has initiated projects that increase community participation in museum programs and exhibitions. As chairperson of the Community Gifts for the Museum's 1989 Master Plan Campaign, Mrs. Buck helped raise $50,000 in the Black community in 2 days. She has delivered important testimony before the legislature on behalf of the Newark Museum, one of the prides of our city, one of the most outstanding museums in the country, where people now from New York City come to visit the Newark Museum, and that's really an achievement. And Mary Sue Sweeney Price, who is the director, has done such a fantastic job, with the help of people like Ms. Gloria Buck. And the overall importance of the arts in culture and contemporary life is something that Gloria Buck continues to push. Ms. Buck is also a 1976 charter member and chairperson of the Newark Museum's Newark Black Film Festival Selection Committee. Celebrating 35 years, the film festival has been acclaimed the best and longest running festival of its kind in the country. Ms. Buck will serve as co- Chair for the Newark Museum Centennial Committee. One of the highlights of Ms. Buck's contribution to the arts in Newark and the State of New Jersey was her appointment in 1988 by Governor Tom Kean to the Literacy in the Arts Task Force, a 16-member panel charged with developing a comprehensive plan for arts education within the State's public school system. Many social and civic organizations have been the recipient of Ms. Buck's membership. She has given 25 years of service as a vice president and member of the board of trustees of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark, and currently serves on the Leadership Council. She led the effort that resulted in the historic decision to legally make girls a part of the Boys Clubs of Newark. Ms. Buck cofounded the Annual Wine Tasting to benefit the clubs, which has been held for over 20 years. She was a 1982 charter and founding member of the board of directors, New Jersey Coalition of 100 Black Women. For 25 years, Ms. Buck was a member of the governing body of the board of trustees of the New Jersey State Opera. In 2003, she was appointed a commissioner of the Newark Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission for a 3-year term by the then mayor of Newark. Ms. Buck is the recipient of many honors and awards for her work in the Newark community. In most recent years, she was awarded the 2001 Sojourner Truth Award by the Essex County chapter of the National Association of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., and was honored Woman of the Year by the National Council of Negro Women, the Newark chapter. In 2005, she received the Newark Museum's Commemorative Medal Award for Distinguished Service. In 2007, Ms. Buck received the Newark Boys and Girls Clubs' Champion of Youth Award, honoring her outstanding commitment to our youth, community and the club. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring these devoted volunteers who are the glue helping to hold our communities together and the light helping our neighborhoods to shine. We appreciate their service, and in that spirit, we pause this evening to say thanks to all you do. It has been a pleasure to have an opportunity to just shine the light on four individuals who happen to brighten the corner where they are.

Mr. PAYNE

Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, millions of Americans across the country, including many in my home State of New Jersey, are losing their jobs, their homes, and their health care. The economists agree that unless Congress acts to stem the tide of unemployment and the disappearing jobs, the American economy will continue to decline. Chad Stone from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said, ``There is no time to waste.'' Mark Zandi, an economist who was an adviser to Senator McCain's Presidential campaign, said the economic downturn is likely to ``intensify further unless policymakers respond aggressively.'' John Ogg from the ``24/7 Wall Street'' warns the economy ``is going to get worse, much worse'' without this legislation. An economist from California State University said ``without the stimulus package, the downside of this economy won't be arrested.'' Economists are united in the need for this Congress to act boldly and quickly. We must pass an economic stimulus recovery package immediately so that we can begin the long process of turning this economy around and ending the pain so many Americans are feeling all over our country.