Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I join with the hundreds of thousands of Dominican residents of my congressional district and across our Nation to commemorate February 27th, the 165th anniversary of the Dominican Republic's Day of Independence. This celebration comes at the tail end of Dominican Heritage Month. Dominican Heritage Month gives us the opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the economic, cultural, and social contributions Dominican Americans have made to this great nation. Dominicans living in our shores have been motivated by the value of hard work and the bonds of family--the same pillars of our society that have built this great Nation for over 230 years. It also gives us an opportunity to consider the many Dominican achievements, on the island and in the United States. Many of our hemisphere's first institutions were established on the shores of Quisqueya, including the first cathedral and the oldest university. Since the initial wave of Dominican migration in the 1960s to the most recent arrivals of today, Dominicans have worked hard to contribute to our national identity, educating us all on their culture and traditions and enriching the quality of our shared futures. Their contributions can also be found in every facet of U.S. life--from the many baseball stars in our national pastime, to fashion legend Oscar de la Renta to the thousands of professionals that do battle as soldiers, doctors, lawyers, journalists, educators, and public servants. This past year, the Dominican community and I shared the loss of our fallen soldier, Army SGT Jose E. Ulloa, who lost his life tragically in Sadr City on August 9, 2008, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We also shared the grief of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna, the deadliest storms of the 2008 hurricane season, along with hurricanes Ike and Fay responsible for approximately 14 deaths and the displacement of more than 20,000 people in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican people are known to triumph in the face of tragedy. They first began their campaign for the independence of the Dominican Republic in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte, who formed a secret society named The Trinity. Thirteen years later, he succeeded in commanding a decisive uprising, which resulted in independence for the Dominican Republic. After the long and hard campaign for freedom had ended, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, 1844, marked the Dominican Republic's first official Independence Day. Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my distinguished colleagues join me in marking this celebration of not just the independence and triumphs of the Dominican people, but also the invaluable impact that this small island nation has had on our country and the world.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Let me thank you for the tremendous job that you and the leadership have done during this historic period in our Nation's history. There is a common expression that we have in our committees, and that is, ``How is the gentlelady and gentleman recorded?'' You don't have an opportunity to say you were confused, you didn't know what you were doing, or you wish there was another way. And I gather when you get back home, people will be asking, ``And how were you recorded?'' How were you recorded when you had an opportunity to give some assistance to the working people in this country, where 95 percent of them will be receiving a tax cut so that they will be able to assist them in keeping their kids in school, paying their rents, their mortgages, keeping up their health insurance? How were you recorded when we said that this Nation should take care of those people who unfortunately lost their job, lost their dignity, lost their health insurance? Are we going to explain that we thought there was a better idea? How were we recorded when there comes a time that we're saying that we have to find alternative ways in order to fuel the country's energy needs? How were we recorded when the bridges and the tunnels and the hospitals and the schools are in trouble, when the mayors and the governors are asking and screaming for help? How is history going to record what you have done at a time when everyone is screaming out, every economist is asking us to come to our Nation's economic savior? And how are we recorded when it comes time to make certain that there is hope for those people who are not only jobless but hopeless? I do hope that people recognize that we're not talking about a Presidential plan, a Republican plan, or a Democratic plan. We're talking about the heart of America, just as patriotic as the flag is, is the energy of people who want to be middle class. Are we going to give them an opportunity or are we going to ask the question how were we recorded because we didn't know what the right thing to do was. Well, I suggest to you, just as people talk about how they voted in support of Roosevelt, how they went and tried to give assistance not just to the big-time CEOs who were hardly embarrassed and never even inconvenienced--these are people that are our constituents. To put them back to work means that we're helping small businesses out. To put them back to work means that we're talking about their dreams and the aspirations that we have. To restore our schools mean that we're going to, once again, become imaginative, be able to go to the international market with the genius that this great Nation always had. These are hard times, and we have an opportunity to say how were we recorded and to be proud of our vote, or to try to do the worst thing that any legislator can do, whether it's local, whether it's State, or whether it is a Member of this august body, and that is trying to explain your vote if you don't support this effort. I think that it's a rough time for the Nation, but we've always responded with ways that we can show that we will persevere and come out of this stronger than ever. And your kids and your grandkids who know that you've been privileged to serve here, historians are going to look to see one thing that's going to be so important to all of us, and that is, how were you recorded. So we can't talk about the process, we can't talk about what we wish will happen; but we can talk about how are you recorded in this vote that would long-time be remembered.

Mr. RANGEL. At this time at the request of the chair, I'd like to yield to the chairlady of the Small Business Committee and thank her for the great work that she has been doing.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the following letters relate to a matter of jurisdiction with respect to a provision included in the conference agreement to H.R. 1 House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, February 13, 2009. Hon. Charles B. Rangel, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Rangel: I write regarding the section entitled ``Grants for Specified Energy Property in Lieu of Tax Credits'' in H.R. 1. Although originally passed by the House of Representatives as a program administered by the Department of Energy, under the conference agreement on this bill, this program will reside at the Department of the Treasury. I am pleased that the consultation process between our Committees has resulted in an understanding that this grant program will be under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce despite its administration through the Department of the Treasury. I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to this program. I would also ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of the conference report on the House floor. Sincerely, Henry A. Waxman, Chairman.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the actions of the pilot, crew, and rescuers who risked their lives to save the passengers of Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009. US Airways Flight 1549 lost engine power and began to fail shortly after its take off from LaGuardia Airport in Queens, headed to Charlotte, North Carolina. The lives of 155 passengers and crew were at risk. Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III and First Officer Jeffery B. Skiles acted with immense valor and dexterity to land the plane in the best option available, the Hudson River. The actions of both of these men demonstrate that they were cognizant of the lives on and off of the plane and choose to avoid populated areas. Additionally, the skilful control of the aircraft and decisions made by Sullenberger and Skiles allowed for the effective assistance of flight attendants Shelia Dail, Doreen Welsh, and Donna Dent, to prepare passengers for the impact in a short amount of time. In this time, passengers had to prepare for their landing and from all reports they did so with great discipline and concern for each other. Local ferry boats, official police boats and U.S. Coast Guard craft were incredibly quick in their response, rescuing passengers and crew from the near freezing water in minutes. Thanks to the heroic efforts of all parties responsible for the passengers of Flight 1549, 155 passengers and crew survived without serious injury. As a result of the courageous initiatives taken place by these individuals, I urge that the House of Representatives give recognition and credit where it is due by passing the Resolution introduced by our colleague from New York, Joseph Crowley. In doing so we applaud Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III, First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles, flight attendants Doreen Walsh, Donna Dent, and Sheila Dail, rescue boats, and private citizens for their quick thinking, and bravery amongst many other heroic actions demonstrated.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a fixture in New York State politics and journalism, M. Paul Redd--the strong- willed publisher of the country's only black-owned newspaper, the Westchester County Press. The weekly celebrated its 80th anniversary last year, just a few months prior to the passing of its longtime publisher and muse. Redd was an African American leader whose foray into journalism and politics made him a premier advocate for equality and fairness. With a seriousness of purpose, outpouring of passion, and great eloquence, he and his paper prodded politicians towards responsible, progressive stances and held them accountable to the people and communities they served. He traversed the world of media and public service, blurring the line that separates them and serving as vice chairman of the state Democratic Party for a number of years. A voice--when as clear, cogent, and powerful as his was--cannot be silenced, even in death, as the following WVOX radio tribute titled ``M. Paul Redd Dies Suddenly'' makes clear. He will continue to reverberate and resound in the minds of those he touched, in the words of those he influenced, in the work we public servants have yet to do for our constituencies, our state, and our country. M. Paul Redd Dies Suddenly One of Westchester's most prominent and durable African- American leaders has died. Word came within the hour from the office of NYS Assemblyman George Latimer that M. Paul Redd died suddenly last night of a massive heart attack. He was in his mid-80's. Paul Redd published the Westchester County Press which last month at Manhattanville College celebrated its 80th anniversary as the county's only black-owned newspaper. Paul Redd purchased the weekly many years ago from the late Dr. Alger Adams. In addition to his publishing activities . . . M. Paul Redd was very active in New York State and Westchester politics serving as Vice Chairman of the State Democratic Party for many years. He was married to political activist Orial Redd and their daughter Paula Redd Zeeman is the County's Director of Human Resources. He was also a fixture at many WVOX broadcasts. For almost 40 years, Mr. Redd attended this station's St. Patrick's Day salute broadcasts. (WVOX is dedicating this year's broadcast to Mr. Redd). One of the features of his newspaper--the Westchester County Press--was the ``Snoopy Allgood'' column which tweeked politicians in a good natured, if occasionally pointed, way. Mr. Redd never revealed who actually wrote those Snoopy Allgood columns. He was also a frequent guest on our radio and tv talk shows and discussion programs.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the impending transition our nation will be facing on their television broadcasts from analog to digital. Despite efforts that have been made by the government to advise the public as to what steps would be necessary to prepare for the transition such as continuous advisory commercials and convertor box coupons, there are still those who are not prepared. Whether it is because of a lack of accessibility to applying for the coupons or a delay in receiving the coupons, no one should be left ``in the dark'' when the transition occurs. The government to this point has been doing what it can to help those upon whom this transition is being forced by offering coupons to offset the cost of the converter boxes needed to continue receiving television broadcasts. Nonetheless, with the transition date of February 17, 2009, only a few days away, there are still more than 2 million households that are on a government waiting list to receive assistance in purchasing the converter boxes. It is for this reason that I am urging Members to support the DTV Delay Act, S. 352, sponsored by Senator John D. Rockefeller, which seeks to delay the transition date from February 17, 2009 to June 13, 2009 and it would also extend the deadline of applying for government converter box coupons to July 31, 2009, provided that funding is available. This bill would also provide extra time for those who have not applied or received converter box coupons to still do so. Although this bill would not prevent stations from transitioning from analog to digital and letting others use the recovered air waves, it does allow for these same analog channels to have an extension in their broadcasting license on analog channels thus allowing people to continue viewing television broadcasts with their regular antennas.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and contributions of Robert (Bob) Nesta Marley and the impact that he has had on the world. This is a man whose music has inspired the world over and whose lyrics began a movement of revolution not just in actions and words but in the core being of individuals and he made his contribution and achieved his wonderful legacy in a short life cut off by cancer at the age of thirty-six. On his birthday on February 6th of this year he would have been only sixty-four. Bob Marley's humble beginnings in a small town in Jamaica instilled in him an appreciation of the various stations in life and especially that of the most unfortunate. His early life influenced the majority of his music which heralded the strength of the worker and denounced the unfortunate plight of the disenfranchised. Throughout his life Bob Marley strove to create music that would inspire people for generations to come. His music was born in a time of turmoil and heavy racial prejudice throughout the world and his music absorbed the hatred and bigotry only to release lyrics that spoke of reconciliation and harmony. One of his most celebrated songs, ``One Love'' is a perfect example of his music that seeks to find the beauty in the midst of darkness. He sings of a nation with ``one love'' and ``one heart'' that is united towards the achievement of harmony and peace. This song is rightfully acclaimed as a global anthem and recognized as one of the most influential songs of the 20th century. Bob Marley asks ``Let's get together and feel all right, I'm pleading to mankind'', and in so doing, he challenges us all to respond to our better selves.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, there may be a lot of people that have objection to the process in which we have moved forward, but one thing is abundantly clear and that is, the President of the United States, and every economist from the left to the right, believes that if we don't do something and do it fast, that our economy would be in far worse shape than we find it today. To think the number of people that are losing their jobs, losing their health insurance, losing their families and losing their hope are things that are not labeled Republican and Democrats. This is what the core of America is all about. I cannot think of anything that's more American, even the American flag, than our middle class citizens, our middle class taxpayers. Whether we've been involved in war, whether we've been involved in depressions, it's been the guts of these people that's been able, with pride, with dignity, to be able to come back stronger than ever. And now we find that their demands have increased, but at the same time, their resources have decreased. These are people that work hard every day; that have families with kids in school, that want to protect their health. And the one thing they can't do is purchase. I don't understand this word that you have to build the confidence of people in the market. But one thing is that if you're the working poor, $500 or $1,000 in the family, that's not confidence, that's filling a gap, that's filling a need. And it seems like it makes so much sense, no matter what town or village that you live in. If people can't afford to buy, if they can't afford to buy from the small businesses in their towns and villages, then these people have inventory that has built up, but they also have staff and clerks and employees that they can't afford to hire. Once these people are discharged, fired, laid off and go right back into the general economy, these are the middle class people. They're not the rich. They're not the poor, they're not the homeless, but there are people that believe that this country will never let them down. And so the President says that 95 percent of people who work hard every day would be receiving some type of a tax cut. It would seem to me that, whatever objections you have, that time is not our friend. We find more small businesses closing, more people going into unemployment, losing their benefits for health. And in this bill we try to ease the pain, to try to stop the hemorrhage that we have from job loss, to try to make certain that someone who wants to buy would believe that they can keep their kid in school, that they will be able to have a job the next day and they don't have to hold back. I'm hoping that we try to break this partisan past that we have, because I don't see how anyone can explain to anyone that's in trouble as to what their party label would be. Our country is involved in an intensive care unit, and it seems to me that they're saying that we need an infusion of resources, an infusion of health care, an infusion of economic assistance. If we don't help this patient, our great Nation, then most every economist has said that she could come to near death. And every day we hold back this care, every day we hold back this injection of having funds, whether it's the earned income tax credit that allows people to work, even though they may be below poverty, they still are able to work and have their dignity, to be able to have children that are deductible where we can receive an additional two or $3,000 a year. It may not be much to people who are in the upper income, but to the people who have to count their salaries each and every week to see whether or not they can put food on the table, clothing on their children's back, or to be able to fulfill that dream, once the dream that Americans have, that they will not be able to succeed, to me, that's even more important than the economic loss that they would have. To believe that in this great Nation of ours, no matter what the economic setbacks will be, that we can and we will recover, we've done it before, during bad times. We've come back after World War II stronger than ever. And I think this President, this new President has given hope to people, not only throughout our towns and villages, not only throughout the United States of America, but indeed throughout the world. I don't see how any Democrat, having a Republican President, could not say during this time for our Nation that we'll put our party labels behind, we'll work together and try to save the economy of this great country. Now's the time, I really think, if you're talking about bipartisanship, that this is the time to see whether or not we can work together because this word ``confidence'' means not Democrats and not Republicans, but Americans working hard together.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to former light-heavyweight boxing champion Jose Torres, who sadly passed away on January 19th this year. Mr. Torres was an extraordinary man who achieved a life that advanced the cause of civil rights, community empowerment, and equality of opportunity. Of Puerto Rican descent, Mr. Torres was fiercely proud of his heritage and made New York his home for 50 years. Mr. Torres learned to box in the Army and captured the light- middleweight silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. After that, he served as a sparring partner for Sugar Ray Robinson. Mr. Torres boxed professionally from 1958 to 1969, sporting a record 41 wins, three losses, and one draw. He was a light-heavyweight champion, successfully defended his title three times, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997. He captured the light-heavyweight crown in 1965 by defeating then undisputed champion Willie Pastrano. His victory sent an outpouring of joy and pride into the streets of Spanish Harlem which held a parade in his honor, and he dedicated his title to the people of Puerto Rico. Mr. Torres had a passion for civil rights and became a voice for the Latino. He joined Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 Presidential campaign to serve as a liaison to the Puerto Rican community. After boxing, Mr. Torres began his journalism career as a columnist for the New York Post. He became the first Hispanic columnist for a major English- language paper, writing about politics and life in the neighborhoods of Spanish Harlem. He also wrote for the Spanish-speaking New York newspaper El Diario La Prensa. His was a powerful voice because people trusted him. You could not find any one in New York who would not talk to him. Mr. Torres' literary interests extended to authoring the celebrated biographies of boxing legends Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. In the mid-eighties, Mr. Torres served as the chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, becoming the first former professional boxer and first Latino to head the boxing oversight agency. He understood the social disadvantages that many boxers faced and vowed to promote educational opportunities for fighters ``at least so they can read their contracts.'' Mr. Torres dedicated his life to helping others professionally and personally. Over the decades, he befriended and nurtured aspiring journalists and up-and-coming fighters. Mr. Torres is revered among the people of Spanish Harlem and Puerto Rico, which declared three days of mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half staff. Once again, I pay tribute to Jose Torres, a trailblazer for his people and a renaissance man who made a positive impact in boxing, literature and civil rights. Those of us who had the opportunity to observe and experience his example consider ourselves blessed.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam, Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the family of the late and great Hazel Scott and the author of Hazel Scott's first memoir, Karen Chilton for writing such an important biographical book on a stellar Caribbean American pianist, singer, actress, and activist. In 1939, when Cafe Society, New York City's first fully integrated nightclub, was all the rage, Hazel Scott was its star. Still a teenager, she wowed audiences with her jazz renditions of classical masterpieces by Chopin, Bach, and Rachmaninoff. A child prodigy, born in Trinidad and raised in Harlem in the 1920s, Scott's musical talent was cultivated by her musician mother, Alma Long Scott, as well as several great jazz luminaries of the period, namely, Art Tatum, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, and Lester Young. Career success was swift for the young pianist--she auditioned at the prestigious Juilliard School when she was only eight years old, hosted her own radio show at fourteen, and shared the bill at Roseland Ballroom with the Count Basie Orchestra at fifteen. After several stand-out performances on Broadway, club impresario Barney Josephson proclaimed Hazel Scott the ``Darling of Cafe Society.'' By the time Hollywood came calling, Scott had achieved such stature that she could successfully challenge the studios' deplorable treatment of black actors. She would later become one of the first black women to host her own television show. During the 1940s and '50s, her sexy and vivacious presence captivated fans worldwide. She was known for improvising on classical themes and also played boogie-woogie, blues, and ballads. Her marriage to the late and great Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., whom I succeeded, made them one of the country's most high-profile African American families. In a career spanning over four decades, Hazel Scott became known not only for her accomplishments on stage and screen, but for her outspoken advocacy of civil rights. Her relentless crusade on behalf of African Americans, women, and artists made her the target of the House Un- American Activities Committee (HUAC) during the McCarthy Era, eventually forcing her to join the black expatriate community in Paris. By age twenty-five, Hazel Scott was an international star but, before reaching thirty-five, she considered herself a failure. Plagued by insecurity and depression, she would try twice to take her own life. Her life came to a close, dying of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 61 on October 2, 1981. Karen Chilton, a New York-based writer and actor who also co-authored ``I Wish You Love,'' the jazz memoir of legendary vocalist Gloria Lynne, traces the fascinating arc of this brilliant and audacious American artist from stardom to ultimate obscurity. Readers will learn from the prelude to the civil rights movement to the dark moments in our nation's history where racial, ethnic, and political discrimination ran rampant. So Madam Speaker, I ask that in this Black History Month, that you and my distinguished colleagues join me in honoring the life of Hazel Scott and thanking Karen Chilton. Karen truly authored a book that many generations of future stars will cherish.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, what a great opportunity for us in this august body, whether we are Republican or Democrat, to think in terms of the comfort that we are giving parents and grandparents by having assurances that, if anything happened to these very special people, that they would have health insurance. There is hardly a weekend that goes by that I don't thank God for my three grandchildren, and not have to worry that if anything, God forbid, should happen to them, that at least we would know they have access to health care. It reminded me when I was a young father and how precious my son and daughter would be. And then you think, of course, of the so many millions of people that go to work every day not being able to concentrate on their jobs and being productive and competitive, but thinking what would happen if their child became ill. And it is not just the compassionate and right thing to do, to know that all of us would be able to go to sleep at night and to know that we made our contribution to provide health care to 11 million kids, but even from a national security or fiscal point of view, as doctors and researchers indicate, the great burden of fiscal costs for diseases and ailments that could have been detected if the children had access to health care. So many kids drop out of school with people not even knowing that they couldn't hear, that they couldn't understand properly, that they couldn't see minor things that could have been detected if the child had the availability of health care. And, of course, in the long run I don't think any on the other side and certainly none of ours can challenge the fact that it is in the later years of life things that could have been prevented that increase the need for health care and of course increase the costs for health care. In other words, we can dramatically improve the quality of care and cut down the ever increasing costs of care by preventing these things from happening. I sat here trying to listen to some argument about why anyone would be against this bill. Sure, no one likes taxes. I am opposed to excise taxes. But, my God, cigarettes? You almost feel like you are doing the right thing by making it difficult for kids and others to smoke cigarettes. Indeed, from a Ways and Means point of view, it is a question of whether or not the bill could be adequately funded because last year we collected more taxes because there was more consumption. So something is really working in terms of curtailing of people from destroying the quality of their own lives. And so I do hope that we continue to have this as a bipartisan bill, that we can walk out at least and go home and say that we worked together on one initiative that was good for our children, good for our community, and good for our country. I now ask unanimous consent to yield the balance of my time to the chairman of our Health Subcommittee, and to have Dr. McDermott determine which Members he would like to yield to.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Apollo Theater on kicking off its 75th Anniversary Season and its long-time success in showcasing many of the world's greatest entertainers. Additionally, I want to pay tribute to my dear friend Percy Sutton who saved the Apollo Theater and made this moment possible. I also congratulate the Apollo Theater Foundation president & CEO Jonelle Procope and board chairman Richard D. Parsons for their leadership and their efforts in putting together this anniversary celebration. Before there was American Idol, there was Amateur Night at the Apollo which launched the dreams of stardom for many of America's greatest entertainers. Among them are some of the legends: Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown. Located in the heart of Harlem on 125th Street, the Apollo is the musical soul of our community. For the past 74 years, it has thrilled Americans of every race and religion who have enjoyed unforgettable performances by new and established artists. This year continues and celebrates that tradition. I truly wish I could be there to celebrate this historic event. However, my work on the House Ways and Means Committee focusing on President Obama's economic recovery plan requires me to be in Washington. The Apollo is special place in the entertainment world where many celebrities who started here come home and ``look back.'' That is the case with Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson who starred at the Apollo years ago and will be with us this week participating in the 75th Anniversary Season Kick-Off. Once again, I congratulate the Apollo Theater and join in its celebration. Our district is proud to serve as the home of the Apollo and deeply appreciates all it has done for the community. We look forward to a 75th season filled with amazing talent and memorable performances.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 181, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is critical in the struggle for financial equality. Even in 2009 women still on average earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts in a nation where 41 percent of women are the sole income providers for their families. Economic equality is not an issue that should be based on gender but on fairness and the quality of ones hard work. The Supreme Court Case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., by the narrow 5-4 vote, greatly impaired the ability of women and others to challenge pay discrimination. The passage and enactment of this act will restore prior longstanding law which will enable women and others to challenge instances of pay discrimination within 180 days of a discriminatory pay check. For too long women have performed the same tasks and have been unequally compensated. Unequal pay is not merely a women's issue but a disparity that affects all of us. Though there is still more work to be done in the fight for equality this legislation is an important step.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 5 minutes and ask unanimous consent that the remainder of the time be allowed to be controlled by Richard Neal, a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, not only does the other side reject this plea of our newly elected President, but for whatever political reasons insist on sticking their thumb in the eyes of millions of Americans, 11 million of them unemployed. Ninety-five percent of all of our taxpayers are being asked to have this tax cut be rejected, people who work every day, people who dream, people who aspire, are now going to be told that some people in the House of Representatives voted against the President's bill and the bill that's before us on this historic day. I don't know what occasion it was, but the late Jack Kennedy once made a remark that sometimes, just sometimes your party asks too much of you. And for Members of the other side that are being asked in this substitute to vote against exciting infrastructures that would take us into a modern technology to be competitive, that would deny poor folks money for energy, for air conditioning and heat, food stamps, health information technology, why they would ask you to vote against this I will never but never know. And then as a substitute for this, not only do we remove the tax benefits from the low and the middle class, but to find some category of doctors, lawyers, consultants and lobbyists and just say, across the board, they have decided not to give you the 20 percent tax cut, because you know it's not going to happen, but just to suggest it so you might get famous in the future. It just seems to me that there should be some compassion for working families that have children. There should be some understanding that people who work each and every day, and still come out under the poverty line or close to it, are entitled to the earned income tax credit so that they can meet their basic needs of rent, paying their mortgage, food, clothing. Every community, not Democrats, but Democrats and Republicans are feeling the impact of these fiscal crises that we are going through. Banks don't cry, fiscal institutions don't cry, but people in the neighborhood cry when they lose their job, lose their dignity and they will have to tell their kids that they are pulling them out of college, all the provisions that we put in, and especially those that provide incentives for teachers and kids and school construction. How could you do it? What were you thinking, and just how are you going to explain it when you get back home? I really think that this goes beyond politics because I don't think the people back home should be made to pay for political decisions that are being made here, but there is a particular part in this bill that the House and Senate wanted in there, and that was a $6 billion tax benefit for crises that exist in our cities and in our rural areas, which allows local governments, based on census tracts, not based on your party line, not whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, but just based on unemployment, based on how many people are poor, how many people are feeling the pain of this crisis. Oh, I know Wall Street in my district is inconvenient and the banking CEOs have been inconvenient, but the people that are suffering are American people, are middle class people. That's the dream that we have in this country, not to be rich and certainly not to be homeless. But we even had a provision for the work-opportunity training program. It came from one of your Members that said, what about the veterans, they came out feeling that they were going to be accepted as the heroes that we all believe they are, and yet have extended unemployment. What do you say when you go home and tell them that that too has been stripped from the bill, as have kids that have special problems? It's painful to believe that this is being discussed in a political way, because I would like to believe that it's America that's in trouble, not a party that's in trouble. And people are going to evaluate what's in this paper. I congratulate the Republicans for their honesty. This thing is talking about cutting away tax benefits for our working poor people. And so it seems to me that people to learn more about this might contact their Representatives, Democrat or Republican, and I am confident at the end of the day that Congress will do the right thing, not by their party but by their country.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend anyone who dedicates his or her time to mentoring this country's impressionable youth--in any capacity, in all capacities. There is no greater gift than the selfless giving of one's time and energies to the emotional, scholastic, and moral development of another. We can all trace back in our histories that one person or group of people who set us on the straight and narrow, from whom we drew inspiration, motivation, and a sense of purpose. For far too long, wayward youth have had few role models to emulate, few adults to guide them in an otherwise confusing, self-deprecating, and turbulent moment in their lives. For far too long, the corrosive influence of drugs, domestic abuse, academic failure, and delinquency have instilled in our youth a hopelessness that permeates far into their adolescence and even adulthood. These honorable many, who have taken the charge of leading these youngsters to the road of successes, deserve our praise and our respect, and I am thrilled to support naming this month of January ``National Mentoring Month'' in an attempt to do just that. Three million youngsters are currently benefitting from a mentoring relationship, but that just isn't enough. Five times as many kids are in urgent need of guidance, and it is up to us to demonstrably reward mentors for their vows of time, commitment, and effort. A mentorship is not a task taken up lightly or without the resolve to work diligently, generously, and openly--but it provides its participants such innumerable, intrinsic rewards that it becomes a challenge, and pleasure, certainly worthy of fulfilling. May mentors across this great Nation feel proud of the work they are doing, and may others take note of their tremendous example and develop a mentoring relationship of their own.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin). (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 3 minutes. (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. My colleagues, someone once said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I think of our great country, knowing that through the Depression, that's just what happened. We came back stronger, more competitive, and became a nation that was respected. I remember so clearly in 1941 they thought America was a loser. We almost lost our entire fleet. But what happened after that? Again America came back stronger as a world power economically and militarily. And now we're in trouble again. This $275 billion bill brings relief. The Ways and Means Committee is proud to bring this to you for your consideration. It doesn't help our banks. It doesn't help our fiscal institutions. They don't cry. But those of us who go back home know who's doing the crying: those people who work hard every day, and yet they're losing their jobs, they're losing their dignity, they're losing their homes, they can't put food on the table. There is only one way to do it, and that is to be equitable and to make certain that we have a decent and fair response to their tax relief, and that's what we intend to do. We provide $144 million to people who work every day to put food on the table, to be able to get clothes for their children. And the reason they don't have confidence is because they don't have money, and we provide that for them. For families that are low income that have children, we try to provide something not only for those people who don't have tax liability immediately but to relieve them of that payroll tax, because at the end of the day, it's what you take home and not what you call it. For working families we have the earned income tax credit. And we tried desperately hard to make certain that for those people who have lost their jobs that they not lose their dignity, they not lose their health insurance, and that they be able to get education and retraining. For small businesses, unless we have the people who are working that have resources to be able to buy, we try to help our small businesses by giving them an easy opportunity to depreciate and to buy equipment and not to have to lay off. And one of the most important parts of our bill is something that they'll never be able to take away from our great country, and that is education and technology training. So we can come back stronger. We can come back notwithstanding what's happening here. And I can't see anybody in this House going back home saying we didn't do enough because for those that are out there feeling the pain of what we're going through, they are just waiting for relief to be coming. And our President has promised this, our leadership has promised this, and this is the time for the Congress to be a part of that. The health information technology is not only going to save lives, it's going to be able to say at the end of the day that we moved forward to make our country healthier, better educated, knowing more about technology. And once we do that, when people ask how are you going to pay back the money, you don't pay it as a sick Nation. You pay it back as an educated, healthy Nation that restored the dignity and prosperity that we know. And so we find Members will have ribbons on, and I refer you to the Record to know more about the bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RANGEL. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), who will share with you our concern about people who have lost their jobs. (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), who is going to share with us his dreams about a country that is not dependent on fossil fuel.

Mr. RANGEL. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. RANGEL. At this time I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), who will share his idea of a new America.