Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. So, ``the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee said that this was a tax increase.'' What is this, Taxes 101? When you and other people come to me and say that we need to get this great bipartisan agriculture bill out, you didn't go to the chairman of the Transportation Committee. You didn't go to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. You went to the tax-writing committee. Now, when you say you want revenue enhances, when you say you want to raise the money to pay for food stamps, it means you have to get it from somewhere. If you're lucky enough, if you work hard enough, you will find that certain people are not paying their fair share of taxes. And you would find that they go out of their way to go to foreign countries in order to avoid paying the United States obligation. I would be less than honest if I didn't tell you that as far as those people who don't pay any or little taxes, oh, yes, they will consider this a tax increase. Give me some language that I can call it something else. But I'm saying that equity and fair play means if you're not paying what you should pay and we catch up with you, you can run to your accountant and say, ``We gotcha.'' Now, I can understand how philosophically you don't like to talk about taxes. But just, Mr. Ranking Member, when your time expired yesterday, you said on the floor that none of us ever came to you and asked for the money. Now, I don't know where you thought, when you asked me where do you go to get the money, when I say ``you,'' I mean you by name. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. RANGEL. I agree with you. But anyway, let me thank all of you that thanked me for making it possible for you to get a bill out. And if something happened on the way to the floor, believe me, politically, I understand it. But for all of you who thanked me, we did the best we could. We catch the devil for it. But if you take a look at foreigners that are avoiding taxes and hardworking farmers that deserve a better break, you explain it; we don't have to.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the reinstatement of the military draft, which will ensure that the burden of war is shared by all residents of this great country. All Americans should be given the opportunity to prove their patriotism. We should all share in the sacrifices being made by our exhausted troops. It is a fact that most of these volunteer troops come from economically depressed small towns and rural areas. As shown in a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office, children of society's affluent are the least represented class of Americans in the Armed Forces. Sacrifices for America should not be made only by those who are less fortunate. The burden of war should be shared by all who enjoy the privileges and rights that our citizenship grants. My bill to reinstate the draft would ensure that. It not only provides the manpower necessary to restore our exhausted troops but repairs the broken military. Furthermore, with a draft in place, decision-makers would be more cautious about sending America's sons and daughters into harm's way. I believe our troops should be withdrawn from Iraq as soon as possible. But as long as our troops are there it will be up to the President and the Congress to ensure that the whole Nation, in some way, shares their sacrifice. In times of war it should be the duty of all citizens to contribute to the effort. There is honor and pride in military service, but we do harm to our troops if we make them alone responsible for paying the price.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Chairman, it's an honor for me to be here. I wish that we didn't have to mark up the SCHIP bill so that I could be here for the rest of the theater. I have been overly impressed with the remarkable bipartisan work that Mr. Goodlatte and Chairman Peterson have been doing on a very complicated piece of legislation. And I was very surprised that, with their ability to, so-call, offset the expenditures of the bill, that they came to the conclusion that when it came to food stamps they ran out of money. Ran out of money to such an extent that I was really completely taken off guard when they told me that the Ways and Means Committee should provide $4 billion to pay for the food stamps. And I admit I don't follow the Agriculture Committee's work as closely as I should have. But knowing that Republicans as well as Democrats wanted to make certain that 26 million people will continue to have food stamps, I said, where would you expect the tax-writing committee to get the money that is necessary to keep this bipartisan agreement to? I assume if you went to the Energy and Commerce Committee, you would be going there for energy. If you went to the Transportation Committee, you would go there for transportation. And I assume that we talk the same language, and the Ways and Means Committee is the tax-writing committee. And when you said it was important to maintain this bipartisan agreement, I looked over the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee. It wasn't $4 billion in Social Security. It wasn't $4 billion in Medicare. It wasn't $4 billion in training, though we were working hard to make certain to break down the barriers so that our farmers could go overseas. So there is not one living person on the Agriculture Committee that didn't ask me to get it out of what? Taxes. Sorry to use that word, and I don't know who is offended. But we felt that we weren't going to raise individual taxes. We weren't going to increase corporate taxes. So I thought that common sense and political sense would mean that we would find out who is not paying taxes and bring that revenue in so that we can have a bipartisan agreement in the House and the Senate in order to do this. Now, strange things can happen, and it appears as though it has. But I just want you to know that you can call it offset. You can call it revenue enhancement. And we call it fraud and evasion and equity and fair play. And it is coming out of the tax-writing committee. I just hope you never come to the tax-writing committee and ask for relief and, when you get it, say you don't want tax increases.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the Nation lost a beloved friend and one of its most dedicated environmentalists on Wednesday when Lady Bird Johnson passed away at the age of 94. Much has been written about how the classy woman from Austin was a calming influence on our 37th President, Lyndon B. Johnson. When President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Lady Bird stepped in and provided comfort to the Kennedy family and a grieving Nation. When civil rights legislation looked to be stalled in the Congress in 1964, the devoted mother of two took to the road on her own whistle-stop tour across the country, defending the administration's policies and goals. However, her most lasting legacy can be seen anytime you see the flowers bloom in the Capital or the colorful landscapes as you travel the Nation's roads. In addition to leading clean-up efforts of parks and natural habitats in and around the DC area, her advocacy helped push through the $320 million Highway Beautification Act in 1965. The Federal legislation provided money and other incentives to reduce the number of billboards and other eyesores along Federal highways and expanded local programs to plant wildflowers and other native plants. Active well into her 90s, Lady Bird Johnson was a role model for future generations. She broke the mold of what a First Lady could do, both during and after the White House. Her achievements and efforts with the National Wildlife Research Center that she helped establish in 1982 expanded the Nation's interest in the environment, providing a foundation for today's current green movement. Her activism and graceful presence will be missed. Yet, her smile and charm will always be remembered any time anyone looks at the beautiful landscapes and wildflowers that she championed all across this great land.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize, honor, and pay tribute to the significant, groundbreaking achievements of the talented Dorothea Towles Church, who overcame the many obstacles placed in her way to become the first successful black fashion model. She was the seventh of eight children, born on July 26, 1922 in Texarkana, Texas. She began her college education at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, majoring in biology. However, after moving to Los Angeles to live with her wealthy uncle after the death of her mother, she transferred to the University of Southern California and received a master's degree in education. While present in Los Angeles, she began to generate an interest in acting but was discouraged by the lack of black actors in the entertainment industry. Instead, she became a model for black magazines and fashion shows in the area. Dorothea Church's unprecedented success came at the young age of twenty-seven when she was vacationing in Paris to listen to her sister, Lois Towles, sing with Fisk University. Church's great beauty and striking presence were extraordinary. Her beauty and talent were indisputable and she made a breakthrough in the most famous and prestigious fashion market in the world when she was signed by Christian Dior as a high-fashion model. For the first time in her life, Church was not impacted by racial intolerance. Church once stated, ``If you're beautiful, [the French] don't care what color you are.'' Even though many racial barriers were overcome, Church still had to deal with the innate prejudices that many people had towards African- Americans. Church had been forbidden to model and display high fashioned pictures in predominantly black magazines. The industry's excuse was that it was meaningless to display such photographs because the black community was not interested in the clothing. Or perhaps they didn't believe the black community could afford such clothing. Either way, Church used her power and prestige and was able to open the door for other aspiring black models by extending her appearances in the white fashion magazines to appear in a newly founded black owned Ebony magazine. Dorothea Towles Church, the gorgeous and influential fashion model, couture designer, and black activist, bridged a divide between the races in high-fashion that appeared to be insurmountable. Church was an inspiration to all African-Americans who ever had an impossible dream. After her death from heart and kidney disease on July 7, 2006, there has been a renewed appreciation of Church's triumphs and accomplishments. She was, and continues to be a perpetual role model who brought pride to her people and community and who continues to serve as an important role model to young women with dreams today. [From the New York Times, July 23, 2007] Obituaries: Dorothea Towles Church, Black Model in 1950's Paris (By Eric Wilson) New York.--Dorothea Towles Church, the first successful black model in Paris, who discovered personal liberation on the runways of Christian Dior and Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1950s, died July 7 in Manhattan. She was 83. Her death was confirmed by Michael Henry Adams, a curator at the Museum of the City of New York, where she is among those to be featured in an exhibition called ``Black Style Now,'' which will open Sept. 7. Church's success was historic in an industry that had resisted using any but white models to represent beauty on magazine covers, in advertisements and on runways. Church was responsible for breaking down some of those barriers and was revered in France during the five years she modeled there. ``If you're beautiful, they don't care what color you are,'' she said of the French in postwar Paris. ``I got invited out all the time,'' she said in Barbara Summers's 1998 book ``Black and Beautiful.'' ``I was the only black model in Europe and I just thought I was an international person.'' Her easy acceptance in Paris was reported at home in black publications, in articles about the designers she knew and about how she once dyed her hair platinum at Dior's request. But her growing fame did not eliminate prejudice on the part of some designers. At Schiaparelli, she once overheard someone describe her as Tahitian. While she worked for Pierre Balmain, she recalled, he would not allow her to borrow dresses for a photograph for Ebony magazine, fearing that would offend his white clientele. She took the clothes later on the pretext that she would wear them to a party, and the magazine then photographed them.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to respond to the Appropriations Committee vote on amending the Tiahrt Amendment. Sadly, last week the House Appropriations Committee voted 26 to 40 on an amendment offered by Congressman Patrick Kennedy that would have addressed the current restrictions on the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms with sharing gun trace data. The limitation, known as the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits the effective tracing of the ownership of weapons, puts handcuffs on illegal gun investigators all over the country. This vote was extremely disappointing. It was a rebuff to all Americans, who desperately want guns out of the hands of criminals. Once again law abiding Americans were victimized by the political pressure of National Rifle Association lobbyists. Proponents of the Tiahrt Amendment argue that removing the restriction is a challenge to the Second Amendment. This is just not true; the Second Amendment right to bear arms is not affected by a more effective means of identifying illegal guns. I support removing the restriction and I also support the rights of legal gun ownership; the key word being legal. Tiahrt Amendment supporters stress that there are privacy issues involved. That is absolutely true. The privacy of illegal gun dealers is being protected. This means they can continue to sell weapons to criminals and Americans will continue to be hurt and killed every single day as Congress sits back and watches.

Mr. RANGEL

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

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Campbell, I would like to answer you. I would have a problem if you did it because I don't think that you've been around long enough that having your name on something to inspire a building like this in a school--it might be that it would be in order for you to get publicity and to get reelected. But since I've been here 38 years and have not really had any opposition from the other side, it doesn't serve any function for me, except to try to encourage people to participate with government, local government, teachers, in order to keep our kids in school. So, I am proud of the fact that they're using my name in order to create this. And it's going to be created. As I said, if you had gone to the Web site, you would have gotten a number, you could have gotten in touch with President Williams, he would have told you we've collected $25 million, and that would be it. So, not only do I not see anything wrong, but I wish more public servants that have the ability to do this would get involved in this type of thing. I think it's very important.

Mr. RANGEL. No. But I'm convinced that after you're here a while that you would find out it's the quality of service and what you have produced for your constituents rather than how long you've been here. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. RANGEL. I tried to make it clear, and I wish I had been better at it, that as flattered as I am that they are using my name, I am thoroughly convinced that the only reason they are using my name is the ability to attract funds to get this thing going. So for me to be able to remove my name from it, I would say that the $25 million that they raised was in bad faith, and the money that they intend to raise, that I would not lend my name to, they would never have done this unless I agreed.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition because I'm supporting the spirit and the rule. Let me make some things abundantly clear that this would not only not violate the spirit in which we are doing this, but 60 years ago Charles Rangel was a high school dropout on the streets of Lenox Avenue, and the only thing that brings him to this Congress is the G.I. Bill. And in my community, where only four out of 10 kids manage to finish high school, I've devoted my entire life in working with the public and private sector in trying to keep our kids in school, and giving them the opportunity to get an education. The days that we think that education is a local issue are over. As we move toward globalization, it is going to be far more important for every young person, every person in this country to be exposed, to get the education, and to compete. This is not a question of Federal funds being used to start anything. The City University came and asked would I start a drive to raise the money, which they already raised $25 million, in order to do this. And all the office things that you're talking about, when you talk about archives, it means after I leave here. And I do hope that there would be an office there, as we bring people in to encourage people to get an education, to go into public service. I cannot think of anything that I am more proud of. I wish we had more of this type of thing. And so it just seems to me, as you have seen fit to apply for an earmark here, that you understand what it is. I've been in office for 38 years, I don't need any accolades. My community has given me that. My predecessor served for 26 years before me. So I do hope that when you start talking about we understand that you can do this, but we're anxious to make certain that people don't want this, anybody that has given 38 of their years to the Congress, anybody that was able to go back to high school under the G.I. Bill when they were 23, anybody that spends his time inspiring kids to go to school, to stay in school, to get an education, to get married, make contributions in anybody's community, and the city college that stood on a hill, where I had no idea that it was a college when I was a kid since nobody in my family had gone to college, anybody that can get this Congress to support something like that, I would laud not only the success in getting it done, but the spirit in which it's being done.

Mr. RANGEL. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. RANGEL. We have corporation people making contributions. The school does not exist. It will be announced in October. And I hope my Federal Government is a part of that, as I know my city and State are going to be a part of it, not because my name is on it. I would feel just as strongly about this if it wasn't. But somehow they feel, as some people do, that my name on it will drive and be able to raise the private funds, and so far $25 million has been raised. And I want my government to be a part of that effort. The brochure is what is being sold to encourage people, including you, to understand what we're trying to do and what we're going to do.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues in Congress to lend support to The Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act of 2007 (H.R. 2819). This bill addresses several important issues related to our relationship with Cuba and is intended to remove obstacles to legitimate transactions. First, it removes pre-payment requirement for U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba. It also allows for direct payments to U.S. banks for purchases by Cuba, instead of third-country banks. From 2000 to 2004, American agricultural producers were allowed to embark on a trading relationship with Cuba. During the 4 year period, agricultural trade with Cuba grew from nothing to being a $380 million dollar trading industry. However through sanctions placed by the administration, this lucrative trading relationship was terminated after the administration placed barriers. Our American agricultural producers have potential to gain much-needed sales revenue in the Cuban market. Our agricultural sector has recently experienced declining sales numbers. Cuba, a new trading partner, will be a good customer and revitalize this area. It seems illogical that while other nations are taking advantage of this lucrative trading opportunity, the administration is denying us access to this opportunity. This bill is about America's right to prosper by participating and competing in international trade. This legislation provides for the lift of the travel ban and also for the expedited issuance of U.S. visas for Cubans involved in agricultural purchases. As Americans, we pride ourselves on how our liberties are protected and respected by our government. However, banning American citizens to travel to Cuba is a blatant infringement on our democratic freedom to travel without restrictions. It is not appropriate for the government to prevent citizens to visit Cuba. Also, Cuban Americans should have the right to visit their native country without limitations placed on them. Scholars, architects, travelers and students should have an opportunity for cultural exchanges with Cuba. Another provision included in the bill would eliminate on-site verification requirements for U.S. medicines and medical supplies, which currently is a major impediment on sales. This restriction makes the process of exporting medical goods more costly and difficult. This act would recognize certain Cuban trademarks, while protecting U.S. trademarks there, by repealing Section 211 of the FY 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which bars U.S. courts from hearing claims by foreign nationals asserting rights to trademarks similar to or associated with expropriated property. Section 211 currently violates the regulations of the World Trade Organization. Cuba has recently threatened to not uphold trademark protection for American companies because of the unfair balance between our country and theirs. Finally, it also provides proceeds to fund an agricultural export promotion program for agricultural export promotion activities with respect to Cuba during a 5 year period. It is imperative that we find new markets to income opportunities for our farming community; therefore, this bill provides for support of an Agricultural Export Promotion Program with respect to Cuba to be administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This bill would allow us to achieve this. It is time to depart from our flawed foreign policy on Cuba and normalize our relations with this nation. I strongly urge you to join me in Promoting the American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act in 2007.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to praise His Excellency Michael I. King, Ambassador of Barbados to the United States, for his commitment to protect the environment in the Caribbean. His remarks at the opening ceremony of the Third Conference on the Environment indicated his support for environmental sustainability and compliance with the international environment agenda in order to foster partnerships for preservation in the region. During his speech, Ambassador King encouraged students and professionals to transition to sustainable business and support non- governmental organizations that make such business a priority. He also challenged his audience to utilize the expertise of Caribbeans abroad that have experienced success in environmental sustainability. Ambassador King insisted on strengthening stewardship, advocacy, public education, and innovation in the absence of great financial resources in order to improve the environment. While he marked the progress made by Caribbean nations in terms of securing trained and knowledgeable staff on environment and development issues, he acknowledged the narrow scope of much of the expertise due to limited resources forcing specialization. Ambassador King gave the example of The University of the West Indies (UWI) as a Caribbean institution of higher learning that should adopt sustainable energy and recycling programs to better the environment of the Caribbean. With a focus on such programs, graduates of UWI, and other Caribbean universities, would be more dedicated to achieving sustainability in the environment as well as building upon existing exercises aimed at biological diversity. Article 58 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which established the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), details the framework wherein member nations are to operate in order to protect and manage their biological and natural resources. Ambassador King encouraged CARICOM members to develop a vision for environmental sustainability, with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States setting the precedence.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Stax Records for its contributions to American culture as one of the oldest recording labels. For 50 years, Stax Records has been providing great music and recordings of blues, soul, and R&B. Originally created as Satellite Records in 1957 in Memphis, Tennessee and changing its name in 1967, Stax Records has released albums from artists like Otis Redding, Richard Pryor, Isaac Hayes, and Angie Stone. Founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, the label had undergone a series of stages. It was sold to a Gulf and Western firm, but was forced to declared bankruptcy. It was later purchased by Concord Records, which was sold to Fantasy Records in 2004. Revered as producing the 1st multiracial bands, the record label continues to make its presence known for over half century. Stax Records released its new album on March 27, 2007, titled Interpretations: Celebrating The Music of Earth Wind and Fire. I urge my colleagues to please join me in cosponsoring H. Res. 154, and praising Stax Records for the courage that it has displayed and for 50 years of great music.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support striking the Tiahrt Amendment and to enter into the record an editorial from today's Washington Post, ``Follow the Guns--It's time for Congress to free up the data on firearms.'' I serve as a co-chair for the Congressional Task Force Against Illegal Guns. This bipartisan group was formed to support the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, whose current primary focus is striking the Tiahrt Amendment. The Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is also a bipartisan group has over 220 members and the support of several local and national police organizations. I strongly agree that action is needed now to address the issue with the trafficking of illegal guns and striking the Tiahrt Amendment is a good step. At the heart of this issue, is the gun trace data that is maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Not too long ago, back in 2002 to be exact, ATF released gun trace data which helped law enforcement identify illegal gun dealers. That all changed, and now the police agencies in this country that work so hard every day to investigate crimes can't fully do their jobs. This does not make any sense. The police agencies need gun trace data information and Congress needs to ensure that they get it. Some would argue that this is a Second Amendment issue. It simply is not. This issue is solely about fighting crime to protect Americans. Everyday in cities all across our great country, people are harmed and often lose their lives because criminals gained access to illegal guns. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in this crime fighting effort. I applaud the Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the police organizations who are fighting this issue to decrease crime and improve the streets of America. [From the Washington Post, July 11, 2007] Follow the Guns--It's Time for Congress To Free Up the Data on Firearms The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) used to release analyses of data gained by tracing the history of guns used in crimes. These reports yielded valuable information for local law enforcement officials, researchers and the public. Some of the results were startling: For example, 57 percent of crime guns came from 1.2 percent of licensed dealers, the ATF estimated in 2000. The guns the bad guys use don't just come from the black market, in other words; a huge proportion come from a handful of unscrupulous vendors. But since Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) added a rider to the Justice Department's budget in 2003, the ATF has been prohibited from sharing such gun-trace information with the public, keeping additional insights that might be gained from the data out of public view and making it harder for local authorities to connect the dots. Every year since, the so- called Tiahrt Amendment has gotten more restrictive, narrowing the ability of local police to gain access to or apply gun-trace information. The worst iteration yet came last month, when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a version from Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) that threatens to put police officers in prison if they use federal gun- trace data for any purpose other than to advance specific, ``bona fide criminal investigations''--for proactively tracking and interdicting illicit guns, for example, or identifying problem gun sellers. The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider a less restrictive, but still odious, provision tomorrow. The panel should remove the Tiahrt language, and the House Democratic leadership should encourage its members to do so. District Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I) yesterday called for repeal at a joint news conference, and their cause is backed by more than 200 other mayors and scores of law enforcement organizations and police chiefs. Striking the Tiahrt rider is not about chipping away at Second Amendment rights. It is about empowering local authorities to do basic police work.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an article published in the New York CaribNews, for the week ending July 10, titled ``President George Bush to Send U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings to Caribbean.'' While the Caribbean Community-- CARICOM--nations were in the United States last month, they highlighted the education challenges the region is facing. The article discusses Secretary of Education Spellings' upcoming visit to the region following up on their concerns, in the hopes of developing a cooperative solution to boost CARICOM's educational systems. The Secretary's trip will focus on the need to foster stronger tertiary educational systems throughout the region. By sharing our experiences in addressing the challenges of education, we can strengthen our efforts to reach the goal of better education for all throughout the region. Quality education for all is a recipe for growth and innovation that leads to economic and social development. Education is a way out of poverty and fosters democracy, as well as respect for human rights. In her visit to the CARICOM nations, I also encourage her to visit the nation of Haiti. This country is the most economically vulnerable of the CARICOM states and would benefit greatly from methodologies to address their education challenges. Haiti is a nation of 9 million habitants and it is estimated that more than half of the population is unable to read and write. This trend cannot continue due to the increased interdependency of countries caused by globalization. It does not benefit the United States or the Western Hemisphere to continue to leave behind the thousands of Haitian children each year by allowing illiteracy to prevail. Lack of education leads to poverty and it is my contention that poverty puts the security of the region at risk. I cannot underscore enough the importance of a consistent and progressive relationship between the United States and the Caribbean. Educational collaboration with our partners in the western hemisphere will lead to higher living standards and stronger democracies. President George Bush To Send U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, to Caribbean (By Tony Best) U.S. Secretary of Education is going to Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and their neighbors to see how they can work together to boost CARICOM's educational system. Margaret Spellings, the first mother of school-aged children to serve as Education Secretary, is being sent to the region by President George Bush. The proposed visit is a follow up to the recent summit in Washington between the United States chief executive and CARICOM leaders held at the State Department in Washington in June. Dr Ralph Gonsalves, St. Vincent's Prime Minister, who until yesterday was chairman of CARICOM and is being succeeded by Barbados' Prime Minister Owen Arthur, first disclosed plans for Spellings' visit at the behest of President Bush. Dr. Gonsalves, a former political science lecturer at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies before studying law and entering active politics in his homeland, said that the President indicated to the Caribbean Prime Ministers and President that the Education Secretary would go to the region to meet with government officials and educators. ``We welcome any opportunity to work with the United States to expand our educational institutions. The President told us that the Secretary of Education, a member of his cabinet is eager to visit the Caribbean to meet with us,'' he said. Spellings, a key architect of President Bush's ``No Child Left Behind'' education program, is expected to pay considerable attention to the Caribbean's efforts to boost tertiary level educational opportunities and to link universities and colleges at the regional and national levels, including the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Universities of Guyana, Suriname Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and other colleges in the Bahamas, Barbados and the

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to submit for the record an Op-Ed published in the New York Times, on July 2, 2007, entitled, ``A Much-Needed Second Chance.'' The editorial highlights the efforts taken by Texas and Kansas to address reintegration of former inmates into their communities, as well as the lack of a federal initiative to address the challenges communities face because they do not have the social service networks that are necessary for this kind of work. Unfortunately, the current system of corrections seems far more focused on punishment than rehabilitation, an approach that exacerbates crime rather than reducing it. One-third of all correction departments provide no services to released offenders, and most departments do not offer a transitional program, placing a heavy burden on families and communities. Most men and women released face tremendous obstacles as they try to reenter society successfully, encountering imposing impediments to attaining gainful employment, overcoming drug addictions, gaining custody of their children, or finding affordable housing. In fact, two- thirds of those released will be arrested within three years of leaving prison. These men and women deserve a second chance. Their families, spouses and children, deserve a second chance and their communities deserve a second chance. A second chance means an opportunity to turn a life around; a chance to break the grip of a drug habit; a chance to support a family; a chance to make positive contributions to society; and a chance to be self-sufficient. I strongly urge you to join me and the other 91 members of Congress in encouraging community safety through recidivism prevention by cosponsoring H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007. [From the New York Times, July 2, 2007] A Much-Needed Second Chance The United States now has more than two million people behind bars, a number that has been rising steadily for decades. But state lawmakers who once would have rushed to build new prisons have begun to see that prison-building is not the best or most cost-effective way to fight crime or protect the public's safety. Several states have instead begun to focus on developing community-based programs that deal with low-level, nonviolent offenders without locking them up. And they have begun to look at ways to control recidivism with programs that help newly released people find jobs, housing, drug treatment and mental health care--essential services if they are to live viable lives in a society that has historically shunned them. Texas and Kansas have recently made important strides in this area. But corrections policy nationally would evolve much faster if Washington put its shoulder to the wheel. Congress needs to pass the Second Chance Act, which would provide grants, guidance and assistance to states and localities that are developing programs to reintegrate former inmates into their communities. The states have made a good start, thanks in part to the efforts of the Council of State Governments and its prison policy arm, the Justice Center. The center's analysis of corrections patterns has led to sweeping changes in Texas, where the Legislature was facing a projected upsurge in the prison population and a projected outlay of more than a billion dollars to build several new prisons. The surge in Texas was not being driven by crime, which had risen only slightly, but by a breakdown in the parole and probation systems, which were unable to process and supervise the necessary numbers of released prisoners. Mental health and drug treatment services were also lacking. By expanding those services, along with other community-based programs, the Legislature projects that it could potentially avoid the need for any new prisons. A similar solution was found in Kansas, where about 65 percent of the state's admissions to prison were traced to technical violations of probation or parole, often by people with drug addictions or mental illnesses. The Legislature has expanded drug treatment behind bars and created a grant program that encourages localities to provide more effective supervision and services as a way of keeping recently released people away from crime and out of prison. The social service networks that are necessary for this kind of work are virtually nonexistent in most communities. To put those networks together, the states need to require that disparate parts of the government apparatus work together in ways that were unheard of in the past. It is encouraging that state officials are willing to break out of the old patterns. But they need help. The Second Chance Act would bolster the re-entry movement with money, training, technical assistance--and the federal stamp of approval.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I stand today to recognize the inspirational and commendable work of Anointed Voices as part of the therapeutic ministries of the Bowery Mission in New York City and to enter into the record an article from the New York Times entitled ``Recovering Addicts Sing of Faith and Hope.'' Anointed Voices is an a cappella group, started in 2006, housed in the Bowery Mission: a faith based organization that serves the homeless, helps people fight their addictions to alcohol or drugs, and assists individuals with leading lives independent of substance abuse. It is considered one of New York City's most successful homeless shelters, providing compassionate and life-changing care to the city's most vulnerable populations. The men who sing in the a cappella group were once homeless and struggling with addiction yet somehow found their way to the Mission. Their life stories reveal the power of faith and the power of individual will to overcome life's most challenging obstacles. They went from losing everything to becoming a voice of inspiration and encouragement to others. Anointed Voices sings in prisons and hospitals to the incarcerated, the youth, and the sick. Everyone who has had the pleasure and experience to hear their message has been both moved and impressed. I am truly pleased to know that not only have these men turned their lives around, they are also empowering others to do the same. At the Bowery Mission, Songs of Faith and Redemption (By Dalton Walker) Inside an empty chapel in Lower Manhattan, Dwight Walker stood with his back facing the empty rows of pews. His voice began to rise with songs that included words like faith, found and lost. Five other men joined him. ``The storm is passing over--have faith in the Lord,'' Mr. Walker sang in the sanctuary at the Bowery Mission. The six men are known as Anointed Voices, an a cappella group that sings and preaches in churches, in hospitals, before youth groups and in prisons. Theirs is a small tale of redemption--of how hard work, willpower and faith can sometimes lead people away from lives of desolation. All were homeless at some point, struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. All forged a new path at the Bowery Mission, a faith-based organization that serves the homeless. ``The message is, no matter where you come from, there is a place God has given you,'' said James Macklin, 67, a member of Anointed Voices and director of outreach for the mission. ``The only thing one has to do is mine for this goal and make a human being all he can be.'' In 2004, Ien Williams, 46, lost everything to his cocaine addiction: his marriage, his truckdriving business and his home in Queens. He carried his possessions in two suitcases through the streets of Manhattan. Someone told him about the Bowery Mission, and though he was wary of its emphasis on Christianity, he decided he had nothing to lose by going there. Spending time there helped him beat his addiction, he said, and now Mr. Williams lives at the mission, on the Bowery near Rivington Street, where he is in charge of housekeeping duties. The other singers call him ``the minister'' because of his preaching. ``For me, it's a total worship experience,'' Mr. Williams said. ``I sense the presence of God. This is where I'm safe.'' The life stories of the other singers--Eugene Chisholm, Dennis Ogarra and Carroll Baylor--are strikingly similar to Mr. Williams's. Three of the six live at the mission, while the others have found their own places. Mr. Ogarra helped found Anointed Voices in 2006 and recruited Mr. Walker and Mr. Williams. The others joined soon after. Elvon R. Borst, manager of alumni programs at the mission, was impressed when she heard the group perform recently at a church in the Bronx. ``It seems to me that the men really try to deliver a message of encouragement and hope,'' she said. Mr. Macklin serves as the group's coordinator, arranging four or five performances a month. Some churches have been particularly welcoming, impressed with their music and their message. ``Everyone,'' Mr. Macklin said, ``deserves a second chance.'' Two years ago, Mr. Walker, at 39 the youngest of the six members, was using large amounts of crack cocaine. His awakening came, he said, when he was shoved into a van in Manhattan with a bag over his head. The details, he said, are vague because he was high on crack. The next thing he remembers was a bright light shining through the bag into his eyes, he said. It was the police. Mr. Walker eventually found his way to the Bowery Mission. ``This has helped me stay clean, helped me develop a relationship with God,'' he said. Mr. Ogarra, 49, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, joined the Army to escape living on the streets. He was stationed in Kansas at Fort Riley, but before long he was back to his old ways--using crack and cocaine and abusing alcohol. After he was discharged from the Army he moved back to Brooklyn. ``I took the habit with me,'' Mr. Ogarra said. His addictions kept his life in chaos, preventing him from holding a steady job, and leading to the breakup of his marriage. In 2005, he said, he stood on a Long Island Rail Road platform on Atlantic Avenue and thought about killing himself. But something stopped him, he said, and someone who spotted him called the police. An officer suggested he seek help at the Bowery Mission. ``I was just mixed up,'' Mr. Ogarra said. ``I drank many years away. I did many things. I had no direction, no drive and no hope.'' The mission has kept him free of drugs. and the musical group has given him a more hopeful view of life. He now lives in Washington Heights and has a job with U.S. Security Associates, a nationwide security firm. ``It's a godsend I got here,'' Mr. Ogarra said. ``I've learned to trust in my faith. If! was to give up I would be lost.'' A tear rolled down Mr. Ogarra's right cheek as he spoke. But as the six men talked about their lives and prepared for another singing performance, there were plenty of jokes and laughter, too. ``We're kind of like a family,'' Mr. Macklin said.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I stand today to recognize and honor Jack Valenti: a man from humble beginnings who achieved widespread recognition and respect in a career of remarkable and memorable accomplishments. I would also like to introduce an article from the New York Times entitled, ``Walking with Presidents and (Hollywood's) Kings.'' His recent passing is a great loss to his family and many friends. Jack Valenti, the son of a tax clerk and grandchild of Sicilian immigrants, was born September, 1921 in Houston, Texas. He admirably served the United States during World War II as a member of the Army Air Corps, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross; and later received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard, Valenti returned home to Texas where he co- founded an advertising and political consulting agency, ``Weekley & Valenti,'' in 1952. Fellow Texan and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson called on Valenti to organize President Kennedy's trip to Houston; and was subsequently invited to Fort Worth and Dallas the next day where Valenti found himself an eyewitness to President Kennedy's assassination. After President Kennedy's death in 1963, Valenti accompanied Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson aboard Air Force One as Johnson took the oath of the office of the President. Valenti had the honor of writing Johnson's first address to the American public as President and the privilege of serving as President Johnson's special assistant. Following his work in the White House, Valenti worked for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) where he served as President for 38 years. In 1968 he created the MPAA film rating system. Although some changes have occurred along the way, this voluntary movie rating system is still used to date. Even as Valenti worked in Hollywood, he continued to play a hand in government as a pro-copyright lobbyist. As a husband, father of three, lobbyist and MPAA President, Valenti will be greatly missed. He served his nation through both the private and public sector. While we are all saddened by his passing, we are grateful for his contributions and achievements concerning our federal government and motion picture industry. He will never be forgotten. Walking With Presidents and (Hollywood's) Kings (By Jeanine Basinger) The first time I heard Jack Valenti speak, I noted that he was dapper, unexpectedly handsome and short. He had arrived at a meeting of the trustees of the American Film Institute to nominate his friend Kirk Douglas for the annual Life Achievement Award. When he had finished and whirled out, he was still dapper and unexpectedly handsome, but he had grown very big in stature. I had witnessed Mr. Valenti in action, an in-the-flesh version of his autobiography, ``This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood.'' He had exuded charm, established himself as everyone's pal with a few harmless anecdotes, taken the room by surprise with a passionate (and well-prepared) speech and rapidly moved on to his next battle, confident he'd get what he came for. (He did; Mr. Douglas got the award.) Mr. Valenti, who died on April 26, was a warrior, and he knew how to win. He just looked harmless. Mr. Valenti was born in Houston, the grandchild of Sicilian immigrants, and his parents taught him loyalty, love of the United States and the importance of education, values he never surrendered or compromised. Still, ``a fierce ambition burned in me,'' he wrote. ``I wanted to see more, know more and feel more than what seemed to be my lot.'' He found three major combat zones in which to achieve his dreams--war, politics and movie-making--and he writes about each in a different manner. Mr. Valenti's earliest chance to make something of himself came in World War II. He entered the Army Air Corps and flew a B-25 on 51 combat missions over Europe, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor. His descriptions of that time, that place, are among the most vivid in his book. His prose throbs with memories of an experience that was simultaneously exhilarating, terrifying and ``brutal, callous and cruel.'' After the war Mr. Valenti completed his education at Harvard Business School and returned to Texas, joining with a friend to form a highly successful advertising agency. When Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, a fellow Texan, asked Mr. Valenti to organize President John F. Kennedy's visit to Houston, scheduled for Nov. 21, 1963, Mr. Valenti managed on short notice to mastermind a flawless event. Pleased and impressed, Johnson impulsively invited him to go along on the next leg of Kennedy's journey: a brief hop to Fort Worth and Dallas, set for the next day. Mr. Valenti went, and found himself eyewitness to the assassination of one American president and the emergency swearing in of another aboard Air Force One. Mr. Valenti would never again return to his life as an adman in Houston. That fateful Nov. 22 and its aftermath became the defining event of his life, a frame to hold his story, a shadow over it but also a foundation under it. Mr. Valenti served three years in the Johnson White House as a top presidential aide. In this section of the book he is circumspect. He's a shrewd observer but careful with what he shares. Since he supervised Johnson's speeches, decided whom the president would see (or not see) and where he would go (or not go) to speak (or not speak), a reader wishes for more. If Jack Valenti were a great writer (he's not), a tattletale or even a Judas (he's not), his book could have been one of the most important historical pictures of the tormented decade of the 1960s in the United States. Mr. Valenti left Washington in 1966 when Lew Wasserman, the chief executive of MCA Universal Studios, offered him the opportunity to become the head of the Motion Picture Association of America. To accept, Mr. Valenti had to face Johnson's wrath, and it says a lot about him that he did face it, carried the day and ended up still friends with that mercurial politician. Writing about Hollywood, Mr. Valenti is looser, more willing to tell tales. His good-old-boy Texas storytelling skills are brought into irreverent play. He wryly describes his first meeting with the combined studio moguls (``the most skeptical audience in the Western world''). Full of Oval Office confidence, Mr. Valenti gave a rousing speech defining his job problems, only to hear Jack Warner, the tough-guy head of Warner Brothers, calmly tell him, ``Your biggest problem will be the people sitting around this table.'' Ultimately, Mr. Valenti learned how to operate in Hollywood: ``In any meeting, I had to know who could carry the room at a particularly sensitive moment.'' He does not state the obvious: it was usually he. His most enduring legacy from those years was his establishment in 1968 of the motion picture rating system, for which he fought ferociously and which he defended without apology. In the preface to his book Mr. Valenti warns the reader that he is writing for his grandchildren. In other words, he's going to censor himself. Just as he kept a lid on fear under combat stress, a lid on President Johnson (no doubt a lid the size of Kansas) and a lid on the leaders of Hollywood, Mr. Valenti keeps his memoir firmly under control. He tells only what he wants to tell, disappearing behind platitudes or quotations from Emerson, Faulkner and others when camouflage is needed. To compensate, he never apologizes for being a Democrat and gives opinions on literature (``I never fathomed James Joyce''), Cary Grant (``getting Cary to pick up the restaurant check was a miracle few had ever witnessed''), Oscar night (``a ghastly piece of business'') and more. Mr. Valenti is only indirectly the hero of his own story, but he's still a clever adman who knows how to sell his product. What emerges is a portrait of a man who was not, as some might think, merely a political toady. In his own way he was strong and relentless, with a tough definition for leadership: ``I have my own formula, which is quite simple. It is rooted in the ability to engage in courtship, to cosset talent, to understand the human condition and to make decisions fast.'' When Mr. Valenti died at 85 of complications from a stroke, he had already unknowingly written his own most honest epitaph: ``The professional does his job right every time, without regard for anything else.'' He had lived his life as a gentleman and a patriot, always the smooth operator (with scruples), but a man of steel whenever that became necessary. He might have been the last of the breed.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to provide tax incentives to encourage greater diversity of ownership in telecommunications businesses. My bill is a response to the increasing ownership of television and radio properties by large media companies. I strongly believe that promoting diverse viewpoints on the airwaves is an important public policy goal. The only way to accomplish that goal is to broaden the ownership of broadcast stations. The television and radio spectrum is a limited resource. The trend in recent years has been toward a greater concentration of ownership in the hands of large media companies. We need to reverse that trend. Madam Speaker, small businesses that wish to enter telecommunications businesses face significant barriers. To enter a broadcast industry, a small business must purchase an existing property. Owners of those properties find it much easier to sell to large businesses than to small businesses. Therefore, small businesses quite often do not have a seat at the table when there are negotiations over the sale of broadcast properties. My bill would reduce those barriers by providing limited deferral of capital gain taxes when a telecommunications property is sold to a small business. This would provide the sellers of those properties a positive incentive to consider a small business purchaser. Large segments of our society historically have been underrepresented in the ownership of radio and television properties. I believe that it is vital that those groups have access to the television and radio spectrum so that their views are represented on our airwaves. As a result, my bill increases the capital gain tax deferral when the sale is to a small business owned and controlled by individuals from these historically underrepresented groups. Madam Speaker, I understand that some may attack my bill as being the re-enactment of a flawed prior program. The provisions in my bill are quite similar to the tax certificate program that was repealed by the Congress in 1995. I do not quarrel with those who assert that there were abuses in that program. However, it is unfortunate that the Congress chose repeal and not reform because that program had been effective in accomplishing its goal of expanding ownership of radio and television businesses. In 1978, before the implementation of that program, only .05 percent of all broadcast stations in this country were owned by minority groups. By 1994, the year before the program was repealed, the program had succeeded in increasing minority ownership 60-fold to 3 percent. Since that program was repealed, the number of minority-owned broadcast properties has declined. The bill that I am introducing today is designed to prevent any potential abuses. It is limited to small business purchasers, it contains restrictions on the number of purchases that can be made by anyone business, it contains recapture provisions to prevent the use of the small business as a front for another party, and it contains provisions designed to prevent avoidance of the ownership requirements through options or other sophisticated transactions. All small businesses, regardless of their ownership, would be eligible for the benefits of my bill. I believe this incentive is appropriate so that the views of many different groups are heard on our Nation's airwaves. The bill simply attempts to ensure that small businesses, including minority-owned small businesses, have a seat at the table when a broadcast property is being sold. Madam Speaker, I am hopeful that we will be able to deal with this issue on a bipartisan basis. We should all support the goal of expanding diversity in ownership of broadcast properties. I am pleased that in the past Senator McCain introduced a similar proposal in the Senate. I am hopeful that we can find bipartisan support in the House.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 57th anniversary of the Korean War, also known as the ``Forgotten War'', which began on June 25, 1950. In honor of this event the Embassy of Korea held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2007. As a decorated Korean War veteran I am proud that this ceremony has taken place to honor the brave soldiers that served and gave their lives while fighting this war. A conflict that started as a civil war became a war between 21 nations that served under the United Nations against communist North Korea. As a result of this 3-year war the United States lost about 33,741 casualties. But, this anniversary is not only about recognizing the American solders that were lost in this war, it is also a time to recognize the British, Australians, South Africans and the brave soldiers from other nations that served in this war, as well as, the families of these soldiers whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice. I commend the organizers of this event for their efforts to coordinate this special ceremony. Although this war is known as the ``Forgotten War'' lets make sure that it is not forgotten. This wreath- laying ceremony and other events commemorating the anniversary of this war helps to ensure that our children and their children will not forget those that fought to protect our freedom and peace. I ask my colleagues to join me in paying respect to the men and women who honorably served our nation in Korea and I urge you to also take a moment to honor the fallen heroes of the Iraq War as we celebrate our Independence Day next week.