Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 58, to honor Muhammad Ali, global humanitarian, on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Mr. Ali was crowned ``Sportsman of the Century'' by Sports Illustrated in 1999 and has traveled around the world working for hunger and poverty relieve, supporting education efforts of all kinds, and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville, KY, on January 17, 1942, and was named Cassious Marcellus Clay, Jr. He later changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam and subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975. He won the World Heavyweight Boxing championship three times, and won the North American Boxing Federation championship as well as an Olympic gold medal. Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005, and the prestigious ``Otto Hahn peace medal in Gold'' of the United Nations Association of Germany in Berlin on December 17, 2005, for his work with the United States civil rights movement and the United Nations. Ali, since retiring from boxing, has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the hungry. He travels, on average, more than 200 days per year to promote his humanitarian efforts. Please join me in support of this bill honoring Muhammad Ali and extending best wishes to him and his family on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record my strong support for H.R. 61, in observation and celebration of the birthday, life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; his life of service in promoting peace and justice for all people of every nation, and the preservation of his legacy in our continued efforts to ensure peace and justice to every man, woman, and child. In celebrating the birthday of Dr. King, we are reminded of his sacrifice and leadership in ensuring that this great nation live up to its highest potential by acknowledging and practicing the self-evident truth ``that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.'' As we are engaged in a war that has taken the lives of thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, we must revisit Dr. King's stance of nonviolence and his opposition to the Vietnam war; a war that oppressed the poor and voiceless, a war that obstructed the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Dr. King would have us on the frontlines of the anti-war movement, questioning whether our actions in Iraq and around the world are doing more than just creating more chaos and violence. He would ask us to attack the root causes of poverty, building bridges between the private sector and non-profits to provide educational and work opportunities to everyone. He would challenge us to put the fate of our brothers and sisters ahead of property and profit, to invest in people and ideas, not guns and violence. On April 4, 1967, a year to the date of his death, Dr. King addressed the Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church in New York City, condemning the Vietnam war and urging his fellow citizens to break their silence. His message echoes the plight that we face today in Iraq; his words, etched in history, serve as a guide that we must heed. Dr. King stated that ``. . . Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor of America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours.'' One need only substitute the word Vietnam with Iraq to recognize the analogous gravity that our Nation is engaged in. We must embrace Dr. King's legacy to achieve equality for the poor and to promote peace. The invasion of Iraq has led the poor in our country to bear the brunt of military responsibility, while the children of government officials and the wealthy make no sacrifice. Dr. King's remarks serve as a mirror to this country's unwillingness for all to make a sacrifice in engaging in war. He said ``perhaps the more tragic recognition of reality took place when it became clear to me that the war was doing far more than devastating the hopes of the poor at home. It was sending their sons and their brothers and their husbands to fight and to die in extraordinarily high proportions relative to the rest of the population. We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem.'' We must take this day to get our national priorities back in order. We must recognize our obligation to the citizens of this country, and our responsibility to promote peace around the world. Now is the time to grab a comfortable pair of shoes for a new journey of activism. If we truly want to honor our king, we must renew our commitment to the world congregation that he loved. To follow footsteps as large as his is definitely difficult, but not beyond our hearts and minds. The task may well prove to be easier if more of us can take them together. I want to especially thank the Baptist Ministers Conference, the National Action Network, and the 16th Council District's Annual MLK Memorial for allowing me to honor the life of Dr. King with them, and to follow in his footsteps.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Jane Bolin, the first African-American judge in the United States, who left this world at the age of 98 years and to enter into the Record an article in the New York Times by Douglas Martin entitled ``Jane Bolin, the Country's First Black Woman to Become a Judge, Is Dead at 98.'' Jane Bolin was born in Poughkeepsie, NY, daughter of the late Gaius C. Bolin and the late Matilda Emery. Her father was the first black graduate of Williams College, had his own legal practice and was president of the Dutchess County Bar Association. She grew up enamored of her father's shelves of leather-bound books on the law and went on to be the first Black woman to attend Yale Law School, after graduating with honors from Wellesley College. Bolin was appointed to Domestic Relations Court--now the Family Court--of New York in 1939 by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, where she served with distinction for 40 years. As judge, two major changes she accomplished, along with Judges Justine Wise Polier and Hubert Delaney, were the assignment of probation officers to cases without regard for race or religion and a requirement that private child care agencies that received public funds had to accept children without regard to ethnic background. Bolin served on the board of the Wiltwyck School for Boys, the Child Welfare League of America, the Neighborhood Children's Center, the New York State Board of Regents, and took an active role in the local and national NAACP. Judge Bolin has received honorary degrees from Morgan State University, Western College for Women, Tuskegee Institute, Hampton University, and Williams College. Even though Jane Bolin passed away on January 8, 2006, her contributions to the practice of law brought revolutionary changes to New York's legal bureaucracy and her legacy will live through all those families she touched throughout her years on the New York family court bench. [From The New York Times] Jane Bolin, the Country's First Black Woman To Become a Judge, Is Dead at 98 (By Douglas Martin) Jane Bolin, whose appointment as a family court judge by Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in 1939 made her the first black woman in the United States to become a judge, died on Monday in Queens. She was 98 and lived in Long Island City, Queens. Her death was announced by her son, Yorke B. Mizelle. Judge Bolin was the first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School, the first to join the New York City Bar Association, and the first to work in the office of the New York City corporation counsel, the city's legal department. In January 1979, when Judge Bolin had reluctantly retired after 40 years as a judge, Constance Baker Motley, a black woman and a federal judge, called her a role model. In her speech, Judge Motley said, ``When I thereafter met you, I then knew how a lady judge should comport herself.''. The ``lady judge'' was frequently in the news at the time of her appointment with accounts of her regal bearing, fashionable hats and pearls. But her achievements transcended being a shining example. As a family court judge, she ended the assignment of probation officers on the basis of race and the placement of children in child care agencies on the basis of ethnic background. Jane Matilda Bolin was born on April 11, 1908, in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her father, Gaius C. Bolin, was the son of an American Indian woman and an African-American man. Her mother, the former Matilda Emery, was a white Englishwoman. Mr. Bolin, who was the first black graduate of Williams College, had his own legal practice and was president of the Dutchess County Bar Association. His daughter grew up enamored of his shelves of leather-bound books on the law. But her comfortable girlhood was profoundly shaken by articles and pictures of lynchings in Crisis magazine, the official publication of the N.A.A.C.P. ``It is easy to imagine how a young, protected child who sees portrayals of brutality is forever scarred and becomes determined to contribute in her own small way to social justice,'' she wrote in a letter at the time of her retirement in December 1978. She attended Wellesley College, where she was one of two black freshmen. They were assigned to the same room in a family's apartment off campus, the first instance of many episodes of discrimination she said she encountered there. At her graduation in 1928, she was named a Wellesley Scholar, a distinction given to the top 20 students of the class. When she broached the subject of a law career to a Wellesley guidance counselor, she was told that black women had little chance. Her father also discouraged her at first, saying that lawyers had to deal ``with the most unpleasant and sometimes the grossest kind of human behavior.'' But Mr. Bolin did not know she had already been admitted to Yale Law School, and he eventually agreed to her career choice. At Yale, Ms. Bolin was one of three women in her class and the only black person. In an interview with The New York Times in 1993, she said that a few Southerners at the law school had taken pleasure in letting the swinging classroom doors hit her in the face. One of those Southerners later became active in the American Bar Association and invited her to speak before his bar group in Texas. She declined. After graduation, she practiced for a short time with her father in Poughkeepsie. She then married a lawyer, Ralph E. Mizelle, and the two practiced in New York. He died in 1943. In 1950, she married Walter P. Offutt Jr., a minister; he died in 1974. In addition to her son, she is survived by a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter. In 1937, six years after her graduation from Yale, she applied for a position in the New York City corporation counsel's office. An assistant there was initially dismissive, but the counsel, Paul Windell, walked into the office and hired her on the spot. She was assigned to Domestic Relations Court, renamed Family Court in 1962. On July 22, 1939, she was told that Mayor La Guardia wanted to see her at the New York City building at the World's Fair, which had just opened. She worried that she was going to be reprimanded. Instead, she was sworn in as a judge. The ceremony made news around the world. In an interview with The New York World-Telegram the next day, she said she hoped to show ``a broad sympathy for human suffering,'' adding, ``I'll see enough of it.'' Her cases included homicides and other crimes committed by juveniles; nonsupport of wives and children; battered spouses; neglected children; children in need of supervision; adoptions; and paternity suits. She chose not to wear judicial robes in order to make children feel more comfortable. She was reappointed to 10-year terms by Mayors William O'Dwyer, Robert F. Wagner Jr. and John V. Lindsay. When she resigned in December 1978 because she had reached the mandatory retirement age of 70, she complained, ``They're kicking me out.'' After her retirement, she was a volunteer reading instructor in New York City public schools for two years, and was appointed to the Regents Review Committee of the New York State Board of Regents. She was outspoken on civil rights issues of many kinds. When she returned to her hometown of Poughkeepsie in 1944 as a judge and something of a local heroine, she pointed out that the city government, schools and hospitals remained segregated. ``Poughkeepsie is fascist to the extent of deluding itself that there is superiority among human beings by reasons solely of color, race or religion,'' she said in an interview with The Poughkeepsie New Yorker. In 1958, speaking on women's rights, she said, ``We have to fight every inch of the way and in the face of sometimes insufferable humiliations.''

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 66, I call up the bill (H.R. 6) to reduce our Nation's dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources, promoting new emerging energy technologies, developing greater efficiency, and creating a Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to invest in alternative energy, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record my support for the H.R. 3, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. This bill will enable continuing scientific research on embryonic stem cells that will provide enhanced treatments and potential cures for the millions of Americans afflicted with chronic and debilitating diseases. The benefits that stem cell research promises can dramatically enhance the quality of life for people suffering from spinal cord injuries, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, among many others. It will allow these Americans and their families the opportunity to enjoy healthier and more fulfilling lives. Stem cell research has the support of over 100 million people suffering from these diseases, medical professionals, and the American people. With over 200 health organizations, research universities, advocacy groups and scientific societies supporting stem cell research, it is the responsibility of the United States govemment to listen and actively ensure progress in the field of medicine in saving people's lives. In the Republican controlled 109th Congress, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 was passed in the House, later to be vetoed by President Bush. This administration cannot continue to impede the efforts of sound scientific research based on ideological beliefs. In an age of tremendous technological and scientific advances, we must allow the medical community to engage in research that will benefit all Americans. This legislation provides strict ethical guidelines for the usage of embryonic stem cells to further medical research. The stem cells will be donated from in vitro fertilization clinics that have an excess of stem cells from individuals no longer needing fertility treatment. Individuals that sought fertility treatment were consulted before the donation of stem cells, and it was determined that these stem cells would never be used in future treatment and would thus be discarded. In addition, individuals donating stem cells did so with written informed consent and were not paid any monetary compensation or given any other incentives to do so. These individuals have offered their support in enhancing further research through their donations, and we ought to follow by ensuring that their contribution to stem cell research help those who suffer. The medical and science community see the potential of this research to treat people with damage to the spinal cord, heart, brain and skeletal muscles. Those who suffer from genetic diseases, those whose life depends on organ transplants, and those who are ravaged by the affects of degenerative diseases will benefit from the research performed on embryonic stem cells. It is our responsibility to support legislation that will provide the resources to improve the lives of Americans who suffer everyday. I commend my colleagues for readdressing this issue, and urge you to support this bill.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that I wish that we had had more time to have gone into the details of this proposal, but I want to point out that we have an opportunity to allow the administration to decide how we can best reduce the price of drugs for all people and to give him the discretion to use every tool that we have in the Congress. Now, some people on the other side have indicated that this is price control and the free marketplace should work its will. It appears to me that common sense and judgment would say that the Secretary should have every available tool that he or she thinks is necessary in order to reach this common goal that we want to reach. Just saying that the power to negotiate prices, which you have to admit sounds like it makes good sense, would be restricted and prohibited by the person responsible for reaching the goal of lower prices makes no sense at all. If indeed some of the objections that have been raised by those who don't have the responsibility that the Secretary has, if they truly believe this is an impediment to reach that goal, then I think that all of us in the Congress have the responsibility to change the law and to do whatever is necessary in order to reach that goal. To say that someone is prohibited from participating in the reduction of that price, the price of the drugs when they can buy in quantity defies common sense and reason. This is especially so since we would like to assume that the pharmaceutical industry would be partners with us in getting the maximum amount of medicine necessary to those who need it. And even if we had no knowledge of the facts at all as to what works and doesn't work, the protest that is coming from the pharmaceutical industry should indicate that there is something wrong with the system if they do not trust the Federal Government to negotiate fairly. So for all of those reasons, I hope that those who have a problem with the bill would recognize that this is just the beginning of a process to improve upon what we already have and that if there are any problems, that we will be coming back to the committee to try to make those adjustments that would be necessary. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask unanimous consent to yield the balance of my time for purposes of controlling the time on this bill to Mr. Stark, who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and who spent a tremendous amount of time on this. And, believe me, there is no politics involved in it. We all want to achieve a common goal, and I think this just removes the restriction on the Secretary so that together we can be of assistance.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Three Kings Day holiday, which is traditionally celebrated on January 6. For millions around the world, especially Latinos, the final curtain on the holiday season doesn't begin to fall until January 6, Three Kings Day. From El Barrio through Mexico and the Carribean all the way down to the tip of South America, communities find their own unique way to celebrate the Biblical journey of Balthasar, Melchior, Caspar. Like Christmas, it is a day for kids and family, a time to exchange gifts and celebrate life. Surely, it is also a time to remember that acts of kindness and generosity should extend well into the year. Yet, perhaps more than any other day of the season, it is day to remember the potential that we all have for greatness, especially our children. Balthasar, Melchior, Caspar traveled on the wings of hope, believing that a better future lay in the hands of this humble child in the manger. They did not write him off because he was a carpenter's son or because he was poor. They crossed desserts and overcame hurdles because they believed that despite his present conditions, his future was as bright and limitless as the stars that adorned the sky. Unfortunately, not enough of today's children are at the center of that kind of investment of time and energy. Despite the tireless work of many parents and educators, far too many are falling through the cracks in schools that are ill-equipped to teach them the skills that they need for work and life. So on this last weekend of the holiday season, let all of us resolve to renew our commitment to our next generation. The private and public sector must work together to arm our children with the necessary tools that they will need to realize their goals and dreams. The future of this great land rests on their shoulders and how many of them have the opportunity to fully shine and reach their full potential.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to and to honor the recent heroics of Wesley Autrey, the selfless New Yorker who this past week jumped in front of a subway train to save a stranger that had fallen below. As we begin the difficult task of putting America back on track, we can all draw inspiration from this 50-year-old Harlem father, The construction worker was with his two daughters waiting for the train when he noticed that film student Cameron Hollopeter had suffered a seizure. The Navy veteran and two other strangers immediately rushed to the 20-year-old's aid. Autrey helped stabilized him, sticking a pen in his mouth to prevent him from swallowing his tongue. Yet, just when it appeared that he was fine, Hollopeter had a relapse and stumbled off the subway platform. With a No. 1 train fast approaching, Autrey made a split second decision to put this young man's life ahead of his own. He jumped down and pinned Hollopeter between the rails, shielding him from harm's way. In the days since that split second decision, Autrey has been deservingly lavished with tons of media attention and honors. Not surprisingly, the humble Autrey has been caught off guard. He wasn't thinking of the fame or glory. All he could think about, he says, was his girls--six-year-old Shuqui and four-year-old Syshe. He didn't want them to see a man die before their eyes. He didn't want them to witness their father do nothing to stop the blood and the screams that could follow. He asked himself, how will I be judged? Will it be said that I had the opportunity to help and just sat there to do nothing. His conscience wouldn't let him be still--and neither should any of us. We live in a time of great imbalance. In the midst of great prosperity, far too many are struggling to just keep their head above water. Far too many are disconnected from opportunity and hope. We must follow the example set by Mr. Autrey and not sit on the sidelines while injustice and tragedy unfolds before our eyes. We must ask ourselves: did we do all that we could to help our fellow brothers and sisters? What did we do to help better the world? Wesley Autrey has done his duty. Now it's time to do ours.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2, an increase in the minimum wage. It has now been a decade (i.e., 1996) since the minimum wage was last adjusted for inflation. The issue absorbed a considerable amount of attention during the 109th Congress-- but no new legislation was adopted. Over 25 states (including the District of Columbia) have adopted a minimum wage in excess of the federal rate. The current Federal minimum wage rate leaves full-time workers in poverty. Thirty-seven million Americans live in poverty today--an increase of 5.4 million since 2001. Many of these individuals are full- time, full-year hard working Americans who are unable to lift themselves out of poverty because of the declining value of the federal minimum wage. Minimum wage earners working 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year make $10,712--nearly $6,000 below the poverty line for a family of three. Today, the value of minimum wage as a percentage of poverty has fallen to its lowest level on record--going way back to 1959. Earnings for full-year, full-time minimum wage work now equal less than 70 percent of the poverty level for a family of three. Increasing the federal minimum wage would also raise the wages of low-income working families in general, not just those who fall below the official poverty line. Many families move in and out of poverty, and near-poor families are also important beneficiaries of minimum wage increases. In addition, raising the minimum wage will have a positive effect on lives of women and other minorities in this country. Over one-half of workers paid less than $7.25 an hour lived in families with incomes of $40,000 or less. According to CRS estimates of low-wage workers in families with incomes of $40,000 or less were spouses in married-couple families (with or without children). Some 13.4 percent were single parents. Another 11.9 percent were teenagers. Hourly workers who earned less than $7.25 an hour in 2005 were more likely to live in poor families compared to workers paid at least $7.25 an hour (18.1 percent versus 6.0 percent). Women were overrepresented among low-wage workers in 2005: almost 7 million of the more than 11 million hourly workers who earned under $7.25 an hour were women (60.1 percent); in contrast, women accounted for a smaller share of all hourly workers (50.2%). Further, Hispanic women were two times as likely as Hispanic men to earn $5.15 per hour or less. It also appears that relatively more working women than men might gain from a higher federal minimum wage. An increase in the minimum wage would greatly benefit about 33 percent of African-American or Hispanic women. Over the last five years, the number of African Americans living in poverty has grown by 1.5 million, and the real median household income of African American families is down $2,676. Increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour would affect more than 2.1 million hardworking African Americans in the minimum wage. Over the last five years, the number of Hispanic Americans living in poverty has grown by more than 1.6 million and the real median household income of Hispanic American families is down $1,631. Over 2.3 million out of 12.5 million Hispanics employed on an hourly basis--or almost one in five earned less than $7.25 an hour in 2005. Hispanics comprised the largest share of workers paid below $7.25 an hour than they did of all hourly workers in 2005. Raising the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour would have a positive effect on the lives of more than 2.3 million hardworking Hispanic Americans. Over the last five years, the number of Asian American/Pacific Islanders living in poverty has grown by 243,000 and the real median household income of Asian American/Pacific Islander families is down $2,157. Lifting the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour would have a positive effect on the lives of an estimated 280,000 hardworking Asian American workers. Over one-half of hourly workers paid below the proposed federal minimum wage were between 16 and 24 years old. A substantial percentage of young workers might be affected directly if the minimum wage increases. Nearly three out of five teenagers paid an hourly wage might see their earnings increase if the federal standard goes to $7.25 per hour. We must do more to support families living in poverty and those who are vulnerable to falling into poverty. Increasing the wages is an important step toward reducing the high levels of poverty in this nation.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Walter M. Booker, Jr, jazz bassist who left this world at the age of 72 years and to enter into the Record an article in the Washington Post by Matt Schudel entitled ``Walter Booker, 72; Jazz Bassist worked with Vaughn, Monk.'' Walter M. Booker, Jr, was born in Texas, son of the late Walter Monroe Booker, Sr. and the late Thomye Collins Booker. The family moved to Washington, D.C. when his father accepted a position with the Howard University Medical School and later became Head of the Department of Pharmacology. Booker was drafted into the United States Army in the 1950s. While serving in Europe he was fascinated with the acoustic bass and began to play the instrument at the age of 26. Known as ``Bookie,'' Booker lived for over 40 years in my Congressional District. He provided the rhythmic foundation for Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughan and many other prominent jazz musicians. His most notable partnership was with the Adderley brothers' quintet, featuring Julian ``Cannonball'' Adderley on alto saxophone and Nat Adderley on cornet. For six years, until Cannonball's death in 1975, Booker served as music ambassador touring the world with the popular group, which pioneered the catchy yet sophisticated style of music known as ``soul jazz.'' Booker played a Viennese bass built in 1792 salvaged from the dusty basement of a German church. He is known for his bowing technique, sure intonation, ability to play high, accurately pitched notes, as well as his animated performing style, often swaying from side to side. Booker appeared on more than 275 albums before making his first and only recording under his own name, ``Bookie's Cookbook.'' He gave his final public performances in December 2004. Even though Walter M. Booker passed away on November 24, 2006, his contributions to the world of jazz and the United States of America will continue to resonate through his music. [From the Washington Post, Dec. 17, 2006] Walter Booker, 72; Jazz Bassist Worked With Vaughan, Monk (By Matt Schudel) Walter Booker, a bass player who provided the rhythmic foundation for Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughan and many other prominent jazz musicians, died Nov. 24 of cardiac arrest at his home in New York. He was 72. Mr. Booker, who spent his formative years in Washington, came to the bass at a relatively advanced age, first picking up the instrument at 26 while serving in the Army. He had completed two years of medical school at Howard University in the early 1960s when he left his studies to pursue music as a full-time career. Known for his precise, resonant tone, Mr. Booker was quickly recognized as one of the elite bass players in jazz, working for extended periods in the 1960s with singer Betty Carter, pianist Chick Corea, trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz. He also toured widely with Washington singer and pianist Shirley Horn. Mr. Booker formed one of his most significant partnerships in 1969, when he joined the Adderley brothers' quintet, featuring Julian ``Cannonball'' Adderley on alto saxophone and Nat Adderley on cornet. For six years, until Cannonball's death in 1975, Mr. Booker toured the world with the popular group, which pioneered the catchy yet sophisticated style of music known as ``soul jazz.'' Working in several groups at the same time in the early 1970s, Mr. Booker was in one of the last ensembles led by visionary composer and pianist Thelonious Monk. From 1975 to 1981, he was the bassist for singer Sarah Vaughan. ``They were more than colleagues,'' Mr. Booker's wife, Bertha Hope-Booker, said of her husband's many associations with renowned musicians. ``They were friends. All the music he played, he imbued with something different.'' After moving to New York in 1964, Mr. Booker studied with Homer R. Mensch, a faculty member of the Juilliard School of Music who had played under conductor Arturo Toscanini. Mr. Booker, who played a Viennese bass built in 1792 that had been salvaged from the dusty basement of a German church, became known for his bowing technique, his sure intonation and his ability to play high, accurately pitched notes. He was also known for his animated performing style, often swaying from side to side. ``He was a `dancing' bass player,'' said his wife, a jazz pianist and composer in her own right. ``It was like he and the bass had this connection.'' Walter Monroe Booker Jr. was born Dec. 17, 1933, in Prairie View, Tex., and moved to Washington in the early 1940s, when his father joined the faculty of the Howard University medical school. (He later was the head of the pharmacology department.) The younger Mr. Booker studied clarinet and piano, attended D.C. public schools and graduated from high school at the Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina. He was a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he played alto saxophone in the concert band. In the late 1950s, while serving in the Army in Europe--he was in the same unit as Elvis Presley--Mr. Booker developed his interest in the bass. After returning to Washington, he began to play in jazz bands, most notably the JFK Quintet led by Andrew White, while attending medical school. In New York, Mr. Booker designed a recording studio based on the geodesic principles of Buckminster Fuller. His studio became a gathering place for many musicians who later had celebrated careers, including Angela Bofill, Nat Adderley Jr., T.S. Monk, Noel Pointer, Airto Moreira and the jazz-rock group Weather Report. In the 1980s and `90s, Mr. Booker worked regularly with Nat Adderley, pianist John Hicks and, in recent years, his wife. He also led groups that performed Brazilian music, which he occasionally played on guitar, and the works of jazz pianist Elmo Hope, his wife's first husband. In the 1990s, he led workshops at the New Sewell Music Conservatory in Washington. Mr. Booker appeared on more than 275 albums before making his first and only recording under his own name, ``Bookie's Cookbook,'' for the Mapleshade label in Upper Marlboro in 2000. He gave his final public performances in December 2004. Suffering from prostate cancer and other ailments this year, Mr. Booker asked that his bass be brought to his hospital, where he could play it during his final illness. His marriages to Yvonne Blakeney and Maria Smith ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 20 years, of New York; two sons from his first marriage, Randall Booker of Miami and Russell Booker of Philadelphia; a son from his second marriage, Krishna Booker, who is a percussionist with Sergio Mendes, of Los Angeles; three stepchildren, Monica Hope, Kevin Hope and Daryl Hope, all of New York; a sister, Marjorie Booker of Washington; two grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. You may not have received the amendment, but you have received the best wishes from the Democrats on your 65th birthday, and we wish you well.

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

Mr. RANGEL. We are saying good-bye. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to an outstanding Member who has served this Congress and served the Ways and Means Committee with distinction. And as he goes to raise the level of intellect in the other body, I yield to him on this bill.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), an outstanding member of the committee.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Melancon).

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

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

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

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

Mr. RANGEL. I would just ask the chairman whether he is going to be the last speaker, then I can just use whatever time I have.

Mr. RANGEL. Well, I reserve. I would just like to be able to close on my side.

Mr. RANGEL. Yes.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield 15 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), who is in opposition to the bill before us.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I concur, Mr. Speaker, with the observations of the chairman as to the content of this bill. Naturally, this is the last day of the 109th Congress, and I do hope that the new majority would at least learn how not to legislate. Most of the Members have no clue as to what is in this bill. This is a late hour. There is certainly far more good in it than bad. I wish we had seen fit to have been able to get the New York Liberty Bond 9/11 relief converted to a transportation infrastructure, which was stripped from this bill that passed the House before. There are other things in this bill, and I assume those people who are asking for time will be discussing them. Mr. Speaker, as of now, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), a senior respected member of the Ways and Means Committee. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)