Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) for the purpose of closing.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.'' Dr. King was referring to the struggles of African Americans to achieve basic civil rights and equality of opportunity in the civil rights movement of the 1960's and this same sentiment is applicable today. I come to the floor of the House of Representatives today in support of H. Res. 393. Concerning the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe because I believe it is time for us to speak out against this rise to expose and combat it. The rise of anti-Semetic sentiment in Europe over the last 18 months is abominable, and detestable. The attacks on Jewish people and Jewish institutions are upsetting and should be the source of great concern by us all. Anti-Semitism is just a fancy name for stupidity and ignorance. It is imperative that a goal of the governments in Europe be to eradicate sentiments and expressions of hate against any culture anywhere in their nations. I stand in support of this bill, H. Res. 393, to express my belief that if we don't stop the spread of anti-Semitism in Europe we as Americans are as accountable as the arsonists who burned down the Or Aviv synagogue in Marseilles, France on March 31, 2002. Individuals who harbored feelings of hate toward Americans and our way of life attacked the United States of America. That attack, September 11th, has permanently scarred us as a country. I believe that there is a direct correlation between anti-Semitism and terrorism. It is therefore our duty, as Americans not to stand silent while our brethren across the pond allow for the spread of this form of terrorism. To quote the great Dr. King again ``Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.'' It is therefore our responsibility to pressure the European of governments to root out anti-Semitism. I agree with my colleague, Congressman Joseph Crowley; who authored the resolution ``the governments of Europe should make a concentrated effort to cultivate an atmosphere of cooperation and reconciliation among the Jewish and non-Jewish residents of Europe''. If we do not stop the spread of anti-Semitism in the streets of Germany, in the stadiums of Italy, in the Cafe in France, then what stops this hate from arriving here in the institutions of the United States of America?

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I am resisting and voting against the rule because it does not allow the House of Representatives an opportunity to work its will. We have in this bill a provision that would allow us to hold back the fundings of the Joint Committee on Taxation until such time that they release to the Committee on Ways and Means, and the House of Representatives, information which they have that would tell us with some degree of accuracy the cost to the United States for companies that have decided to leave the United States and to go abroad in order to avoid paying United States taxes. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) for using this vehicle for us to get what we are entitled to get. At the end of the day, we are not asking anyone to vote up or down. All we are saying is that when a committee that has been formed for the purpose of providing information for us to work our will based on that information, that we should have it. And whether we are under Democratic leadership or Republican leadership, the ability to stop a legitimate committee from reporting that information is against the best interests of the committee, the Congress and, indeed, our country. When that flag is up and waving as a result of the terrorists' cowardly attack on the United States of America, it would seem to me that all of us have to find some sense of responsibility as to what do we owe this great Republic, this great country of ours. And even though I have not reached the position that it is a privilege to pay taxes, I do reach the position it is a responsibility to pay taxes in order to appreciate the rights and the privileges that we have in this great country. When someone decides that they do not want to pay taxes here, that they do not like our tax laws, what they should be doing is petitioning this Congress to change those laws, but not flee the jurisdiction of the United States and take the jobs with them abroad just for the sole purpose that they do not want to do it. We are asking for information, and when we get so partisan that we do not like the reports, that we tell the employees we do not want to hear it, then it is up to us to say that we do not fund that type of activity. And when we are able to persuade the committee to put it in there, then the least that you can expect from the Committee on Rules is that they would protect us, because it is not Moran, it is not Democrats, it is not Republicans, it is the integrity of this great House.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the passing of General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., who was born on December 18, 1912, and died on July 4, 2002 at the age of 89. General Davis was buried at Arlington Cemetery with full military honors. General Davis was an American hero, who through his leadership of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, helped to dispel the myths about the ability of African-Americans to successfully engage in combat and specifically to master the complexities of flying and maintaining aircraft. He was the first black graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point in the 20th Century. When Davis was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1936, the Army had had a total of two black officers, Benjamin O. Davis Senior and Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. While at West Point, Davis applied for entry to the Army Air Corps, but was rejected. He later attended the Army's Infantry School at Fort Benning, and taught military tactics at Tuskegee Institute. Diverting Davis from the Air Corps was the Army's way of avoiding having a black officer command white soldiers, in a time when segregation prevailed and black troops had little hope for promotion. In 1941, as wartime approached, an all-black flying unit was created, and Captain Davis was assigned to the first training class at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. In March of 1942, Benjamin O. Davis won his wings and became one of five black officers to complete the course. In July of the same year, Davis was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was named commander of the first all black air unit known as the 99th Pursuit Squadron. In the spring of 1943, the 99th Pursuit Squadron went to North Africa, where they saw combat for the first time on June 2. By summer, the 99th were flying missions to support the invasion of Sicily. In the fall, Colonel Davis returned to the United States to command the 332nd Fighter Group, an even larger all black unit preparing to make the trip overseas. it was about this time when Top Brass recommended that the 99th be removed from tactical operations for poor performance. Colonel Davis held a news conference at the Pentagon to defend his men. Although they were permitted to continue fighting, a top-level inquiry ensued. Questions about the squadron were put to rest in January 1944, when its pilots downed 12 German fighter planes over the Anzio beach in Italy. Colonel Davis and the 332nd arrived in Italy shortly after that. They were based at Ramitelli and came to be known as the Red Tails for the distinctive marking on their planes. The four-squadron unit accumulated a successful record of missions flown deep into German territory. General Benjamin O. Davis was a highly decorated leader of dozens of missions in P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs. He received the Silver Star for a strafing run into Austria, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for a bomber escort mission into Munich. General Davis went on to lead the all black 477th Bombardment Group, which compiled an exemplary combat record. When General Davis retired from the military in 1970, he became the Director of Public Safety in Cleveland. Later he joined the United States Department of Transportation, directing anti-hijacking efforts. In his five years with the department he supervised the sky marshal program, airport security and a program to stop cargo theft. In 1998 President Bill Clinton awarded General Benjamin O. Davis a fourth star, the military's highest peacetime rank.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, this rule does not allow Democrats an opportunity to say that we think we have a better idea. The majority found it very difficult to get enough votes to support the pharmaceutical industry, but it would just seem to me that it is not a rule against Democrats. It is not a rule even against the integrity of the House. It is a rule against the senior citizens who really deserve better treatment than they are getting. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I object to the gentleman characterizing the ex-President of the United States of America, President Clinton, who actually brought about the surplus that we used to enjoy.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. At the appropriate time the minority would hope that common sense and fairness would allow us to send this bill to the Committee on Ways and Means and have it reported out the right way with the right amount of increase in the debt. Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to yield the remaining time that is left to our distinguished leader from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) in order to close this argument on behalf of the minority. (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend from Kansas (Mr. Moore).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy), a member of Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mr. TANNER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a distinguished member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Matheson). (Mr. MATHESON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I did not hear what he said. If they do not have any speakers, we have a lot of speakers. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews). (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. If the majority has no further speakers, is it possible they could give us their time, because we have a lot of speakers?

Mr. RANGEL. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I did not want to embarrass them by saying we told you so, but since he asked for it, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on the Budget, to tell them what our plan was. (Mr. SPRATT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the gentleman. All we need is a plan. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Where is the debate? Well, I guess it is all on the outside. I can understand the problem. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm), one of the outstanding Members of the House.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means.