Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the committee has reported out a bill that reduces corporate taxes from 35 percent to 30.5. I'm not saying that we have all of the answers, but it does challenge the administration to come forward either with support, opposition, or compromise. But I agree with the last speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's my great honor to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), the vice chairman of our caucus, a leader in the Democratic Party, a leader in the Congress and in our country.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5140) to provide economic stimulus through recovery rebates to individuals, incentives for business investment, and an increase in conforming and FHA loan limits.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that we extend the debate by 80 minutes, resulting in 2 hours equally divided between both sides.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield 20 minutes of my time to be controlled by the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, I want to thank Mr. McCrery for getting his views and his willingness to listen to mine, with both of us understanding that, at the end of the day, that people are not concerned with our differences, but they are concerned about the United States Government responding to their needs. And to that extent, of course, I want to thank our Speaker in recognizing the legislative and political pressures as she negotiated with using the skills of Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson and working with the distinguished minority leader in recognizing that we were a part of trying to make certain that the American people knew that we weren't able to do everything that we wanted to do, but we did not ignore our obligations to come together with some type of a compromise. And I think it was historic as we expanded to reach people who would have been ignored had it not been for changes that were made in how we get the money to people. So I want to thank the leadership of the House, but make it abundantly clear that all of us thought, at the time that we agreed to this agreement, that the Senate was prepared to accept our agreement without change. It's my understanding now, as we talk, that the Senate Finance Committee is marking up their own stimulus package, and I assume that it will not deviate substantially from what the leadership of this House has done. But I do hope that it's made abundantly clear that the House has done its responsibility, and that if there's anything that impedes the Senate from complying to the mandate that the President has set on our Congress, that they too have an obligation to make the type of compromises that's necessary so that we can move forward. I also would like to add that sometimes it's very difficult in being chairman of a committee that not only do we have partisan differences, but we have differences among my own party. And while we are reaching out to provide assistance to people who are suffering economically, I cannot help but remind myself that these people were not selected out of any compassion of wanting to help the poor and those in need. Indeed, the main reason that these people are targeted is because economists, conservative or liberal, agree that the assistance that we are giving has to be timely, fast. It has to be targeted to people that are going to have to spend the money, and it has to be temporary so that we don't do severe additional damage to the deficit. I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that we are talking about the heart of America, hardworking American middle-class people that are now being targeted because they can't afford to take care of their families. Yes, they have to spend the money to put food on the table, put shoes on their kids' feet, put clothing on their backs, to pay for shelter. And I submit that we shouldn't walk away from this House, because we give economic assistance, proud of the fact that millions of people in this country find themselves in that predicament and for that the Congress cannot be charged. And I do hope after we finish going through this bipartisan effort, which we have to do, that we might find some way to tell these people that we are going to provide relief without considering a stimulus, but we are going to provide relief because it's the right thing to do. And no man and woman in this country that works hard every day should have to be stigmatized that they can't afford to provide a different type of lifestyle for their family because they can't meet their obligations. And so I hope in the way we, in a bipartisan way, have cooperated with this administration, that they recognize that the Tax Code, which is tilted toward the wealthy and therefore supposed to create the jobs of the wealth for the middle class, didn't work this time. And maybe we can think in terms of how we can bring more equity to the moneys that are available to disposable income to those people who work hard every day and not have to target them because of their inability to meet their needs, but to know that we did what we should have done, and that's to provide them with the dignity and the means to continue to contribute toward the economy of this great Nation of ours. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like at this time to recognize the majority whip from the sovereign State of South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn) for 2 minutes.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel), the Chair of our Democratic Caucus. No one has received more creative ideas of how to improve this legislation than him. But I want to thank him publicly for his leadership and directness toward this bipartisan historic legislation.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with the gentleman from Indiana the fact that we should blame the Congress for this because clearly we have had no leadership from the executive branch. So I guess the blame has to fall on us. For those who are concerned about tax reform, we waited 7 years, and we have got nothing. So either accept what we have got, or ask the President to at least bring something to the Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott), who is a subcommittee chairman of this committee, that has fought hard for the creation of jobs but has just as much compassion for those who, through no fault of their own, have lost their jobs. I publicly thank you for your service. (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have the remainder of my time be controlled by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to Mr. Levin of Michigan and congratulate him for the outstanding contribution that he makes to the committee and the Congress.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I'd like to ask unanimous consent that I yield to myself 3 minutes and then be allowed to yield the balance of that time to Chairman Stark to control.

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I stand in support of overriding the President's veto, not for the reasons given by Chairman Dingell, because it's the right and moral position, because that has existed all of the time, and yet we've been unsuccessful. But I would say to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) that since the last time this has come up, the President has admitted that we are going toward a recession and that the economy may be jeopardized unless the Congress supported a stimulus package. It would just seem to me that if it's recognized that our States are going to go into deficit, our Governors are going to have serious problems, and that it is very possible, if not likely, that services for our kids would be further cut under Medicaid. It would seem to me that a legitimate argument could be made that, by providing care for these 11 million children, it allows their parents to know that they'll be able to be more productive knowing that their kids are covered by health insurance. It's sad that the poor now have to be used merely as a vehicle to stimulate our economy. But had we taken care of these people during the robust great economic times, perhaps we would not be going through this struggle. So it appears to me that this is another opportunity that the minority would have, not just to do the moral thing, but to do the economic thing, and to be of some assistance to the Governors who are screaming out for the continuation of this program, indeed, the expansion of it. And we're not talking about just adults being restricted, but we talk about adults being in a better chance to be productive knowing that their kids are being taken care of. So we do have this new opportunity for the minority to rethink their position and to do it, again, because it's the economic thing to do and to know that being able to detect serious illnesses, sight problems, hearing problems for our children at an early age, that we really are strengthening the economy so we don't have to pay for these health setbacks and sometimes detection of chronic diseases at a later stage. So instead of talking compassion, which obviously is not a compelling argument on the other side, let's talk economically and ask the question of economists, whether or not expanding preventative care for our children in health care is really strengthening the economy and saving money in the future with all the restrictions, you know, kicking illegal aliens out and making certain that adults don't participate, all of those things that make you feel good, we would go along with as we have in the past. But let's make certain that every child that can be treated would be treated, and so I support the override.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today, as we approach his retirement, to recognize the exemplary career of Arthur Barnes, who culminates a career marked by glowing accomplishment and triumph. He, this year, ends an illustrious 15-year stint as the Health Insurance Plan of New York's senior vice president for external affairs and corporate contributions--there, successfully pursuing with great energy and imagination the promoting of the health and well-being of the diverse New York community. Under his direction, the HIP generously doled out aid--in the form of grants, scholarships, contributions, sponsorships, and in-kind services--to those nonprofit organizations actively working to improve the quality of life for New York City residents. Through his efforts, Arthur Barnes empowered community organizations to make a substantive contribution to the education of people who were previously unaware of how they could positively affect their well-being through preventative behavior. This working partnership stands as Arthur's perhaps greatest legacy. It is that legacy of selfless service to the greater good that Arthur leaves behind for all to emulate. He ably served in an array of influential posts before arriving at HIP: presiding over the New York Urban Coalition as its leader and CEO for 20 years, becoming a vice president at the Institute for Mediation and Conflict Resolution, and rising from file clerk to vice president of administration over a 21-year period at Consolidated Mutual Insurance Companies. His commitment to philanthropy remains a pillar of his public work, serving on the volunteer boards of Black Agency Executives, Associated Black Charities, and New York City Partnership, which he helped found. A native son of Harlem, he has remained loyal and true to his home. But the benefits of his efforts are far-reaching and innumerable.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3996) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes.

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This is an extraordinary time for those of us in the Congress, because a constitutional change is taking place that never was expected, and that is where the minority in the Senate can actually dictate to the House of Representatives exactly what they will and what they won't do. And so the whole question of whether or not the fiscal responsibility of supporting revenues for this bill is even going to be considered is something that we cannot expect the Senate ever to respond to because they need 60 votes in order to fulfill their Senate responsibility. So what do we have on the floor today? We have the principle that most Republicans as well as Democrats have agreed to in the past, and that is that the time has come for us to be fiscally responsible. Now, when the Congressional Budget Office has an item in this budget and it is called the alternative minimum tax and they put in that budget a receipt of $50 billion, it means to me and should mean to others that if you are going to delete that provision, you are deleting the $50 billion. And in order for the books to be balanced, as any family, any corporation, and I hope most intelligent and motivated countries, you raise the revenue to pay for it. So this is not happening. The President says you don't have to pay for it. Go to the Japanese, go to the Chinese, borrow. And why should you pay? Let your children and your grandchildren pay for this tax relief that was never but never expected that it would hit these middle-class people. Now, what are our options? We could stick to our fiscal guns. We could say the right thing to do is not to pass a bill that is not paid for. We could say that the taxpayers are not really entitled to the benefits of waiving the PAYGO rules. Or, we could say, why hold 23 million taxpayers hostage because of the irresponsibility of the minority in not being willing to pay for this, no matter how many alternatives we give them? Well, we choose to say, protect the taxpayer. Forget the loopholes, forget the revenue losses, forget the indebtedness, at least for now, because we don't want those hardworking people, most of them hardworking couples with children and with deductions, to wake up in the morning and find there is a feud between the House and the Senate and the Republicans and the Democrats that would cause them to carry this burden. And the President says, remove it and don't pay for it. Well, we come out on the side of the taxpayers, and we just hope that we can pass this suspension, get on with the protection, and then, in a responsible way, maybe the Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate can deal with this in a more permanent way next year. Madam Speaker, I hope that those that are listening come to the floor on this historic occasion as we hope that we can reverse the thinking in the House and the Senate in pay-fors. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), a member of the committee.

Mr. RANGEL. I am glad that the last speaker is so young and vibrant that he may be able to share with the President his views. It was never intended that this tax would hit the people. That's why for 7 years the President never did anything to remove it. He never expected it to hit the people. That's why every year except this year he put it in the budget and expected the $50 billion. No one ever expected this to exist. That's why the Congressional Budget Office says we should be getting $50 billion. This argument is so persuasive, I can't wait to get home to explain it to my creditors. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our majority leader, and thank him so much for the work he has done for the majority and, therefore, for the Congress and our country.

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I have two requests. One, that Dr. McDermott, one of our most expert legislators, who is trained as a psychiatrist, be given the opportunity to try to bring some reasonableness to the last speaker's remarks for 1 minute. And also, that I be allowed to yield the balance of my time to the chairman, Richard Neal, of the Select Committee on Revenues, who had the responsibility of guiding us through the alternative minimum tax.

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, at the end of this day, notwithstanding the philosophical arguments that we have exchanged on this floor and whatever they do in the other body, the American people and taxpayers are going to ask the question, Did this Congress deliberately allow a $50 billion tax burden to fall on their shoulders? And we have to be in the position to say we have a long way to go in getting our tax reform straight. But it would be just so totally unfair for people to say that because of our differences of opinion that on this close to Christmas Day, we have blessed them with billions of dollars of a tax burden that they should not have. It was the Congress that allowed this to go forward in 1969 without fixing it for indexing. And I hope it will be this Congress that would say that we remove this burden. I do really hope that even though this President has only 1 year left in his term of office that somewhere, maybe the Treasury Secretary, maybe the Republican leadership, that they might come forward with any plan or some plan to remove the alternative minimum tax. And even though we know it's going to cost over $800 billion or maybe $1 trillion, I just hope that maybe next year that it's not smoke and mirrors and we didn't intend to tax in the first place, but we either cut programs or raise the revenue but, for God's sake, not only do the right thing for our taxpayers that are out there today wondering what we are going to do, but for those taxpayers that decades from now after many of us have gone, they'll ask the question, Why did you burden us with this load? Why did you have us to have to pay this indebtedness to Japan, to China? And why didn't you do the right thing?

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange's letter to President Bush and to enter into the Record a copy of their letter. On November 27, 2007, the U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange sent a letter to President Bush that expressed their desire to establish relations with Cuban artists and urged him to take steps to normalize interaction with Cuba. The letter was signed by several artists including Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Carlos Santana, and Sean Penn. As of December 11, 2007, the letter has been signed by one thousand four hundred and twelve people. I applaud the U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange for urging President Bush to change the U.S. policy towards Cuba and for raising awareness about how the policy impacts the artist community. Further, I support their movement, which would allow people from both countries to exchange and experience performing and literary arts. Art in any form including, but not limited to dance, music, and poetry provides a mechanism where by people are able to express themselves, which ultimately represents their culture, identity, and voice. In addition to representing a culture, the selling of artistic goods provides a source of income for artists and substantially contributes to an economy, especially in the U.S. The artists issue is part of the broader implications with the travel ban and trade embargo, which hurts the U.S. economically, politically, and socially. It is estimated that the U.S. economy loses millions of dollars annually due to the trade embargo. The lack of diplomatic relations prevents any effort to democratize Cuba. There is no way to quantify the cost paid by Cuban Americans who can't visit their loved ones freely. The United States-Cuba policy is a failure, period. Change is needed now. I urge my colleagues to support my bills, H.R. 624 and H. R. 654, which would lift the embargo and travel ban. U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange, Albuquerque, NM, November 27, 2007. President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC. Dear President Bush: We wish to bring to your attention the accompanying letter, dated October 26, 2007, received from Alicia Alonso, Prima Ballerina and Director of the Cuban National Ballet, and also Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Ms. Alonso has toured extensively in the United States and her work has long been admired by the American performing arts community, cultural critics and the public. We are writing you as representatives of the cultural sphere in the United States. We write you as American citizens. We write to express our dismay at your administration's continuing hostility towards Cuba. We write to express our opposition to policies that keep us divided from our Cuban counterparts, preventing cultural interchange between our two countries. We believe the time has come to move towards cooperation and constructive relations with Cuba. The present policies deny such possibilities of friendship and cultural sharing. We further note that cultural interchanges and relationships are also modes of communication and expression. In denying us the possibility of engaging in such exchanges and relationships, we are being denied our fundamental rights as guaranteed by the 1st, 5th and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. This reality seems to run counter to other positions expressed by your Administration. In September 2006, for example, Laura Bush inaugurated your Administration's ``Global Cultural Initiative,'' stating that ``One of the best ways we can deepen our friendships with the people of all countries is for us to better understand each other's culture by enjoying each other's literature, music, films and visual arts.'' As citizens, artists, scholars, educators and cultural workers from all artistic practices, academic disciplines, advocacy and service organizations in the arts, we hope you will read and consider the words of Alicia Alonso as we call upon your Administration to: 1. open a respectful dialogue with the government and people of Cuba in accord with established protocols supported by the community of nations; 2. end the travel ban that prevents U.S. citizens from visiting Cuba and allow for Cuban artists and scholars to visit the United States, thus eliminating the censorship of art and ideas, and 3. initiate, by working with appropriate members of Congress, a process that can result in the development of normal bilateral relations between our countries. Supporters of Cultural Exchanges with Cuba: Louis Head--Cuba Research and Analysis Group--Co-founder US-Cuba Cultural Exchange. Bill Martinez--Martinez & Associates--Co-founder US-Cuba Cultural Exchange. Cynthia Semon--Media consultant/music promoter--US-Cuba Cultural Exchange. James Early--Cultural Policy Specialist--U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange. Harry Belafonte--actor/singer. Danny Glover--actor. Sean Penn--actor. Carlos Santana--musician. (Plus more than 1,400 other signatories).

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to an event honoring my pioneering predecessor, former Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., of New York, and acknowledged in the New York CARIB News December 10 story, ``Honoring The Legacy of Adam Clayton Powell Jr.'' Local 32BJ--the largest private sector union in New York and the largest property service union in the country--has evoked the memory and legacy of Mr. Powell in its campaign to organize private security guards. The more than 60,000 New York security officers deserve a living wage that meets their needs and those of their families. This battle is the most recent offshoot of Mr. Powell's influence on social and economic justice. It is in his spirit that these hard-working Americans fight for the benefits due them, and I wholeheartedly join them in this campaign. Honoring the Legacy of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. New York, NY.--In a major step forward for Local 32BJ's city-wide campaign to organize security officers, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts welcomes Local 32BJ President Mike Fishman and Reverend Johnny Ray Youngblood to the Abyssinian Baptist Church for its annual commemoration of the life and work of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. This is the first time the union's security officer campaign is being brought to the attention of Abyssinian's members. ``Honoring the legacy of Adam Clayton Powell means continuing his fight for social and economic justice,'' said Mike Fishman, Local 32BJ President. ``It is unfair that these men and women risk their lives protecting million dollar buildings, but don't make enough to support their families.'' More than 60,000 men and women in New York, most of whom are African-American, work as private security officers. Although they keep our city safe, many of them earn less than $10/hr, receive no affordable health care and little, if any, state-of-the-art security training. ``As leaders in this city in the fight for social and economic justice the support of Reverent Butts and Reverend Youngblood is vital to the success of our campaign,'' Fishman added. ``Local 32BJ's campaign to raise wage and living standards is about more than 60,000 security officers--it is about New York itself,'' said Reverend Calvin Butts. ``The union's campaign is our community's campaign because it represents a unified call-to-action to pay men and women not only what they deserve, but what they need, to support their families--regardless of color. ``Labor and African-American leaders have a long history of working together--including organizing campaigns led by Dr. Martin Luther King on behalf of sanitation workers and by Adam Clayton Powell on behalf of pharmacists in Harlem. ``Nothing is more important in the union's security officer campaign than fighting for respect,'' said Rev. Youngblood. ``Armed with respect for ourselves and from the community, and empowered with hard-earned respect from employers, we will win this fight for economic and social justice.'' The recent event took on added significance because the union's campaign has been gaining momentum, and now represents more than 6,000 security officers in New York-- double the number from just a few years ago. With new campaigns visible at Jet Blue and Fordham University, which both use Summit, a low-wage security contractor, the campaign has picked up steam in recent months. With more than 85,000 members, including 60,000 in New York, Local 32BJ is the largest private sector union in New York and the largest property service union in the country.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I rise to ask my colleagues to take a moment to honor one of our most successful and important educational campaigns, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, for 20 years of outstanding service. Best known for its national drug-education campaigns, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America continues its mission to reduce illicit drug use in America by uniting communications professionals, renowned scientists, and parents. What began in 1986 as a 3-year endeavor to ``unsell'' drugs to the American public, has turned into the largest public service campaign in our Nation's history. The pro bono work of some of the country's best advertising agencies across all forms of media has allowed the Partnership's anti-drug message to reach the public on local and national levels for the past two decades. The organization first entered the wider public consciousness in 1987, with its ``This is Your Brain on Drugs'' broadcast and print public service announcements, which used the analogy that if a person's brain were an egg, using drugs would be like frying that egg. Another PSA featured a television, a trip to Paris, and a new car all disappearing right under the nose of a cocaine user. Still another that year focused on how a drug-induced high is like diving into an empty swimming pool. All these commercials and print campaigns were praised in a speech given to those involved executively with PDFA by then- President George H.W. Bush in late 1989. Since then, the Partnership has grown from simple advertising into a drug prevention and treatment resource. Parents and caregivers can request materials and teaching aids that they can use to effectively address drug and alcohol abuse with their children. A major new initiative now unfolding integrates the latest science and research with the most effective traditional media and digital communication techniques to give parents the tools, resources and support they need to help their children lead healthy lives. This effort--the first ever for the Partnership--will include a Web-based interactive information resource center, parent-to-parent support network, a national toll-free call center and user-friendly online/offline tools. Time and time again, the Partnership proves that the media industry can play a very positive role in influencing our young people to turn away from drugs. Fueled by their educational programs and grassroots community outreach efforts, the use of illicit drugs across the country has fallen by almost a third. Adolescent drug use alone is down by 19 percent in just the past 4 years and 32 percent since its inception. To celebrate the accomplishments and longevity of the organization, the Partnership will kick off its 20th anniversary at its annual gala being held on November 27, 2007 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The Partnership will honor William C. Weldon, chairman and CEO of the Johnson and Johnson Corporation. In light of this momentous occasion, I congratulate the staff and volunteers of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America on 20 years of influential service to our Nation. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending them for continuing on with their vision to raise awareness on how we can prevent substance abuse in our communities and make America a safer and sober place to live.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Ossie Davis, an American actor, World War II veteran, writer, and civil rights activist. Raiford Chatman Davis, better known as Ossie Davis was born on December 18, 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia as the fifth child of Laura Cooper and Kince Davis. The name Ossie derived from a pronunciation of his first and middle initials, RC. He began studying in 1939 at Howard University, but decided to withdraw to pursue his dream of being an actor. He relocated to New York City and began acting with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem. He served as a surgical technician for the Army during World War II from 1942 to 1945. After returning from the war, he continued to pursue his dream of acting and debuted in the 1950 film No Way Out. He was an exceptional actor and appeared in many movies, television shows and stage plays. He married Ruby Ann Wallace, also known as Ruby Dee, in 1948. She was also an actress and civil rights activist. Their contribution to the civil rights movement was significant and inspiring. They played a key role in planning the historical 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and served as emcees. They were friends of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Rev. Jesse Jackson and worked side by side with them to advance the rights of African Americans. Mr. Davis had the honor of delivering the eulogy for Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2007, their album ``With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together,'' won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. Mr. Davis passed away on February 4, 2005. His contributions to the performing arts and civil rights movement will live on for years to come.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise in tribute to Bertram M. Lee Sr., a trailblazing entrepreneur who exemplified the truest ideals of courage, fortitude and commitment. Bertram believed that there was nothing he could not achieve or conquer with personal dedication and faith as his instruments. Bertram, who died in October 2003, gained national recognition as a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. He broke through the barriers that sought to limit his vision to accomplish more than was expected of a person of his background. He launched large, sophisticated firms and expanded opportunities for other Black entrepreneurs and executives in media and telecommunications industries. As lead investor and president of Dudley Station Corporation he was in the vanguard of minority ownership of major media properties. His efforts culminated in 1982, when New England Television Corporation, a minority-led consortium acquired WNEV-TV, Boston's CBS affiliate. Under his leadership as President of the corporation from 1982-1986, both the value of the station and its journalistic quality increased. Bertram went on to become the first minority owner of a professional sports franchise as co-owner and managing partner of the Denver Nuggets basketball team. In banking, he showed outstanding leadership as chairman of the board of directors of Boston Bank of Commerce. He also served on the boards of Shawmut Bank and Reebok International, Inc. A common thread woven through all of his accomplishments was his ability to expand existing boundaries and open opportunities in areas that were traditionally closed to African-Americans. In politics, we worked together on the historic campaign to elect David Dinkins, the first African American mayor of my beloved city of New York. We shared a view of the world that believed in, and struggled for, the empowerment of African Americans no matter where they were on the globe. I urge my colleague to join me in recognizing this great American.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in reverence of the trailblazing life led by our colleague, Congresswoman Julia Carson, and to commemorate the myriad achievements attached to her name. She spent over 35 of her years--more than half of her life--as a spirited public servant, pushing her message of hope and equality in the Indiana legislature, and subsequently, the halls of Congress. Her 1996 election from the Indianapolis district marked a litany of historic firsts: the first woman, the first African American from that area to serve in the House, and up until her passing, the only one in that delegation to fit that profile. Hers was a unique--strong, proud-- voice, and the people of her district--the people of America--were all the better for it. Known to all as ``Miss Julia,'' Congresswoman Carson was raised in modest conditions and retained that modesty throughout. She was born to a single mother, a housekeeper, who instilled in her the core values that impelled her to always agitate for justice. Her convictions drove her to be a vehement critic of the Iraq invasion of 2003, and her respect for history led her to push for the conferring of a congressional gold medal to civil rights heroine Rosa Parks. Representative Carson, herself, was a heroine, and although her presence is infinitely missed, her aspirations for this great Nation will never leave us.