Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record, information about the new Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranking that was researched by experts at Yale and Columbia Earth Institute, and revealed in the World Economic forum in Davos, Switzerland in early 2006. ``The index draws on available data to measure 133 countries on 16 indicators in six established policy categories: environmental health, air quality, water resources, and sustainable energy.'' EPI is the brainchild of Daniel Esty, director of the Yale Center for Environment Law and Policy and Hilhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy, who has high hopes for the project. An overarching score and ranking such as the EPI can be instrumental in drafting environmental policies. For example Haiti has an EPI of 114 whereas the Dominican Republic, a country of similar geography and natural resources, has a ranking of 54. A comparative analysis of these two countries would be extremely helpful to policymakers who are trying to improve the environmental standards of Haiti. EPI also provides an evaluation of the performances of the current governments in terms of their environmental standards. EPI is an excellent resource that encourages discourse and is a potentially useful tool for preparing environmental legislation. I would like to draw the attention of the Congress to this resource. Worldwide Environmental Rankings: Will Nations Compete To Be Green? At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in early 2006, a new global survey was unveiled that assigns a numerical ranking to individual nations based on their environmental practices and outcomes. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI), which has prompted both praise and controversy in the international environmental community, draws on available data to measure 133 countries on 16 indicators in six established policy categories: environmental health, air quality, water resources, biodiversity and habitat, productive natural resources, and sustainable energy. A team of experts at Yale and Columbia University's Earth Institute analyzed the data to produce the rankings. The EPI is the brainchild of Daniel C. Esty, director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy. Esty, a member of RFF's Board of Directors, believes that it will be a critical tool in bolstering successful pollution control and natural resource management worldwide. (Full text of the report and a summary for policymakers are available at www.yale.edu/epi.) Resources asked Esty to explore the policy aims and outcomes of the EPI with Senior Fellow Jim Boyd. Their conversation follows. Boyd: Give me the big picture as a place to start. What was your primary motivation for doing this? And how does your ranking system relate to other performance measures, such as national welfare accounting? Esty: Our goal is to shift environmental decisionmaking onto firmer analytic foundations. We're trying to make policymaking--across the full spectrum of pollution control and natural resource management issues--more empirical, more fact based, and more durable. One of our motivations was to provide a counterbalance to the emphasis on GDP growth, which is taken so seriously, not only by economists, but also by decisionmakers in government. We believe the index provides a fairly clean and clear look at current government performance across a spectrum of core environmental challenges. Boyd: One of the things that will immediately jump out at people is the fact that the United States ranks 28, not far from Cyprus. That's a little surprising to me personally, but how do you view that? Esty: When I present the EPI in the United States, people are often surprised--even shocked--that the United States ranks as low as 28. When I present the EPI in Europe, people are often surprised--even shocked--that the United States ranks as high as 28. The United States does very well on some issues, like provision of drinking water--it really is unsurpassed in the world in terms of the percentage of the population that has access to safe water. But it does much worse, if not quite poorly, on a range of other issues, like greenhouse gas emissions. So, if you are sitting in America, where the air looks pretty clear and the drinking water looks pretty clean, you might say, gee, why aren't we closer to the top? But in Europe, where people are very much focused on the U.S. failure to step up to the climate change challenge, people think the United States should rank about 130 out of 133 countries. Boyd: Certain things that you are measuring are more amendable to control by government or society, while others seem more like a country's natural resource inheritance, such as its geography or climate. Are areas for improvement things that all countries can act on--or are some countries stuck with their bad environmental luck? Esty: All six of the core policy areas that we are looking at represent important challenges that governments can be held accountable for: the quality of their air, water, land- use, and biodiversity, how they manage productive natural resources, habitat protection, and energy and climate change. Clearly, some governments are better positioned to hit the established targets because of their underlying natural resource endowments or, for example, because of their relatively low population density so they don't strain the resources of their land--a good example would be Sweden. But are these things that governments should be looking at? Absolutely. Are governments being held accountable for these things? All across the board. Boyd: When you come up with a ranking like this, there's a power in boiling it all down to that one number. Talk to me about your philosophy of doing that versus disaggregating what you have done and going deeper on the specific issues. Esty: What we found is that there is enormous power in presenting a single, overarching score and a ranking related to that. This is what attracts top-tier government officials, presidents, ministers, and the media. Everyone loves rankings, and everyone wants to know who is up and who is down. From a policy point of view, however, that's just a hook to draw people into a dialogue. What we are really excited about--and where I think we are succeeding--is what comes after people look at that top-line number, when they get a chance to drill down to the underlying rankings that relate to the core policy categories and even below that, to the issue-by-issue analyses that are the foundation of the index. The rankings lure people into a policy dialogue that can surface best practices that put some nations nearer the top of the ladder. Boyd: Tell me your thoughts on how this work relates to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, issued in 2005. Esty: The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the EPI share a common vision of a more data-driven approach to environmental decisionmaking, where we really look at on-the- ground facts and results so that policy priorities can be based on good information and good science. What differentiates the EPI and gives it particular traction is that it is aligned not on an ecosystem basis, like the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, but rather on a national basis. National-state boundaries are the true lines of accountability. In our index, where countries rank low, there's no ducking, there's no hiding. The political officials find they are called upon to answer for poor performance, and we think that's a very powerful tool. No one wants to be at the bottom of the rankings: every country would like to be higher up. We made particular efforts to group countries with regard to appropriate peers so that they are not ranking themselves against the top of the spectrum, per se, but against others that are similarly situated. Take Haiti, for example, which ranks really quite low on our scale, at 114 out of the 133 countries we ranked. It's not Haiti's job to figure out why it is not number 2, like Sweden, or number 3, like Finland. But it is interesting, if you are Haiti, to figure out why you are doing so much worse than the Dominican Republic, at number 54. These are two countries that share an island, that have a lot in common. And obviously, something is going seriously wrong in Haiti with regard to natural resource management and pollution control. But for a poor country, the Dominican Republic is doing quite well. So we think there is some learning there for Haiti, and perhaps for the Dominican Republic as well, because across 16 issues, there are probably some things that Haiti is doing better. Boyd: Inherently this is a global data exercise. Comment on the increasing availability of spatial data on environmental conditions, but also about where a government, particularly the U.S. government, stands on its ability to produce and present information that people like you would find useful. Esty: We are moving into an era of information-age environmental protection, which is exciting. There is a great deal of data that weren't out there before, which gives us a much better handle on problems, the chance to track trends, and a better basis for evaluating policies and understanding what's working and what's not. Having said that, I think the U.S. government still underinvests in producing relevant data. Boyd: In that regard, how close a connection is there between the top five countries in the ranking and the quality of the data you are getting about those countries? Or is there no correspondence? Esty: Much better data sets are available for the top 30 countries--basically the ones that are part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Paris-based, ``developed country'' think tank. Beyond that, the data become very thin, and frankly, after about 130 countries, it becomes so thin that we can't include all the countries that we would like. So if this move toward a more data-driven approach to environmental protection is to gain further traction, we are going to have to collect data on many more countries. We are also going to have to go after some issues that aren't tracked at all, not even in the most developed countries. These include exposure to toxic chemicals, waste management practices, releases of SO2 and acid rain, recycling rates, lead and mercury exposure, and wetlands loss. Boyd: In principle, a country could do poorly because it is using its resources to produce commodities, like cutting trees for lumber. How do you handle the fact that some of those crops and therefore the benefits of that land use are exported? In effect, you are measuring the negative consequences in one country but countries elsewhere are benefiting from that degradation. Is there any way to factor that into your index? Esty: We took a hard look at this question in the context of exporting dirty businesses and whether countries benefit because someone else is willing to take up the challenge of producing things like steel or aluminum. And it turned out to be very difficult to get at that and hard to do consistently with our model, which centers on the government's responsibility for what it can achieve within its borders. For example, the United States imports steel from Korea but the numbers don't exist to allow us to shift some of the public health and environmental burdens that Korea faces back to this country. It's a weakness of the structure and means that in some respects we haven't captured the full picture. Boyd: When you unveiled the index at the World Economic Forum in Davos, what indications did you get that the environment is present in the minds of these world leaders? Esty: It's a very exciting place to release a study because you have lots of people producing reports, businesses releasing statements, major world leaders talking about critical questions, and business leaders like Bill Gates speculating on the future of the information world. So the competition for air space is tough. In that regard, we were very pleased, first by the good turnout for the release in Davos itself, and then, by the stories around the world in the weeks that followed that came from more than 100 countries and appeared in more than 500 newspapers. To date, there have more than half a million downloads of the report from our website. Speaking more broadly, business leaders overseas take environmental protection very, very seriously, incorporating it into their operating strategies--it's one of their top concerns, falling behind only globalization and competitive strength. A dominant theme at Davos was the rise of India and China and the enormous implications this will have, both positive and negative. Obviously, it means that many, many people will rising out of poverty, and hundreds of millions, if not billions of new consumers will be driving the economy of the world. But it also means vast consumption of natural resources and potentially significant rats of pollution, locally and at a global scale, threatening to exacerbate problems like climate change.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay a special tribute to the late Joseph D. Peters, a sports pioneer who demonstrated leadership and commitment to extending the reach of sports as a positive force for social change. Peters was born on June 2, 1938 in Wilmington, Delaware and he passed away on January 9, 2006 at his home in New York City. His commitment to service began in 1962 when he joined the United States armed forces. He was a former director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Sports Project. As director he was responsible for many projects including The International Freedom Games track and field meet and the Martin Luther King All-Star basketball classic. Peters was inspired by the legendary baseball great Jackie Robinson, who in 1947 broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. This inspiration was very much reflected in his philosophy on sports. He viewed sports as much more than athletic competition; sports had a deeper purpose and he dedicated his life to making people realize that. He strongly believed that sports were capable of bringing people together and bridging the gaps that divided nations. He also knew how influential sports could be on the home front as well. Sports have provided economic opportunities and hopes for many disadvantaged but athletically gifted young people. For athletic competition whether as amateurs or professionals has provided a way to move forward when all else around may have seemed to be standing still. Peters was diagnosed with stomach cancer after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, yet he continued working to organize a special benefit basketball game in which the Argentine and French Olympic gold and silver medal winners would challenge NBA stars for the benefit of the victims. This was another extension of his sports philosophy. Peters also attempted to organize a U.S.-Cuban baseball game aimed at bringing the two countries together by engaging in an activity common to both countries. He knew the influence and power that such an event would have on people. We need to continue to believe in his philosophy because it is important to see what further impacts sports can have on our world. Peters' ambitious initiatives were not always successful, but neither his passion or his resolve ever faded. His dedication was an inspiration not only to athletes but to many others in our community who are seeking ways to make a contribution.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend E.J. Dionne Jr. for his recent article published in the Washington Post entitled, ``Divisive In Any Language'', in which it describes how the argument surrounding the English Language can become more of a tool to divide instead of unify. It is my belief that all who seek to enter our borders understand the vital importance of learning English, for it is the path to any route of social mobility. The immigrants of the past have understood the importance of learning English just as those who come today do. English must not be seen as a barrier to upward mobility, but as an extremely useful device that opens up the doors to opportunity. This ``American Dream'' that we speak of so often seems to now be under fire from those who have made the dream a reality, or who are the beneficiaries of a dream sought many years ago by their forbearers. It is now those who have since benefited from the ``American Dream'' who seek to shut the door on the hopes and aspirations of others. To create amendments in our laws and especially in the Senate immigration bill that explicitly say that English is the language of this land will indeed be disrespectful to our current large population of Spanish-speaking members. Dionne pointedly says this will be ``legally and formally'' disrespectful in a way earlier generations of immigrants from--just a partial list--Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, France, Hungary, Greece, and China'' were not. I acknowledge my fellow colleague in the United States Senate, Ken Salazar from Colorado for his realistic approach to this divisive ordeal. He declared that, ``English is the common and unifying language of the United States'' while also insisting on the existing rights of non-English speakers ``to services or materials provided by the government' in languages other than English''. Senator Salazar knows that the key to settling the issue is not by imposing restrictions and making amendments on people who speak English as a second language, primarily Spanish speakers. Our job here today is to get others to see the light, and to understand the real issue at hand. I enter into the Record the Washington Post article by E.J. Dionne Jr. for presenting this issue regarding the use of the English language with a personal perspective. Being brought up in a home where English is not the only language spoken, he knows firsthand the plight of the other side. More of us need to understand and put ourselves in the shoes of those we have come to discriminate against. Let us use English to bring ourselves closer together, for if it is the only common bond we have why not use it. It is in the best interest of this Nation to get this issue settled efficiently, and accordingly. [From the Washington Post, May 23, 2006] Divisive In Any Language (By E. J. Dionne Jr.) Yes, let's talk about the English language and how important it is that immigrants and their children learn it. And please permit me to be personal about an issue that is equally personal to the tens of millions of Americans who remember their immigrant roots. My late father was born in the United States, and grew up in French Canadian neighborhoods in and around New Bedford, Mass. When he started school, he spoke English with a heavy accent. A first-grade teacher mercilessly made fun of his command of the language. My dad would have none of this and proceeded to relearn English, with some help from a generous friend named James Radcliffe who, in turn, asked my dad to teach him French. My dad came to speak flawless, accent-free English. He and my mom insisted that their children speak our nation's language clearly, and without grammatical errors. None of this caused my parents to turn against their French heritage. On the contrary, my sister and I were taught French before we were taught English because my parents took pride in the language of our forebears and knew that speaking more than one language would be a useful skill. My mom would give free French lessons at our Catholic parochial school to any kid who wanted to take them. When we were young, we'd visit our cousins on a farm in Quebec during the summer, partly to improve our French. (And Parisian French elitists take note: I still love the much-derided accent of the Quebec countryside, which many have compared to the English of the Tennessee mountains.) I tell you all this by way of explaining why I can't stand the demagoguery directed against immigrants who speak languages other than English. Raging against them shows little understanding of how new immigrants struggle to become loyal Americans who love their country--and come to love the English language. As it considered the immigration bill last week, the Senate passed an utterly useless amendment sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) declaring English to be our ``national language'' and calling for a government role in ``preserving and enhancing'' the place of English. There is no point to this amendment except to say to members of our currently large Spanish-speaking population that they will be legally and formally disrespected in a way that earlier generations of immigrants from--this is just a partial list--Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, France, Hungary, Greece, China, Japan, Finland, Lithuania, Lebanon, Syria, Bohemia, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia were not. Immigrants from all these places honored their origins, built an ethnic press and usually worshiped in the languages of their ancestors. But they also learned English because they knew that advancement in our country required them to do so. True, we now have English-as-a-Second-Language programs that have created some resentments and, in the eyes of their critics, can slow the transition from Spanish to English. Still, the evidence is overwhelming that Spanish speakers and their kids are as aware as anyone of the importance of learning English. That's why we have an attorney general named Gonzales, senators named Salazar, Martinez and Menendez, and a mayor of Los Angeles named Villaraigosa. Ken Salazar, a Colorado Democrat, introduced an alternative amendment to Inhofe's that also passed the Senate. It declared English the ``common and unifying language of the United States'' while also insisting on the existing rights of non-English speakers ``to services or materials provided by the government'' in languages other than English. As Salazar understands, the best way to make English our unifying language is to avoid making language a divisive national issue. I make my living writing and speaking in English, and I would preach to anyone the joys of mastering this Anglo-Saxon gift to our nation. My wife and I encourage our kids to speak the language with precision and to show respect for its grammar, as did the nuns who taught me as a kid--even if some of them spoke French better than English. Politicians who care about the language might usefully think about how it can be taught well, to the native-born as well as to immigrants. When I put my children to bed, I recite the same prayer that my late mother said for my sister and me. The prayer is in French. I certainly hope that it doesn't make my children any less American to hear a few spiritual thoughts in a language other than English before they fall asleep.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her hard work on behalf recognizing Mayas Jewish American Heritage month and to express my gratitude to the President for his proclamation making May Jewish American Heritage Month. After the burning of the Second Temple and the final dispersion of the Jews from Zion, people of Jewish heritage have settled in every comer of the world. There are Jews in China, in India, in Mexico, in Greece. While Hitler almost murdered all the Jews of Europe, he did not entirely succeed. Because of the moral values of this country we put our entire nation into the fight against the Nazi's in World War II. What is so remarkable about the fact that the United States fought so fiercely and so bravely in World War II is that they did so to save the world. That desire arose from the nation's character, which is an amalgam of the religious heritage of its people--including its Jewish people. Today I think about the Jewish soldiers in World War II who fought in the WWII not even knowing of the death camps and the ovens. I think of the men who risked their lives every day in the mud of France and the fields of Belgium because they knew what was spreading and taking over Europe was immoral. When Eisenhower's troops first came upon a death camp, he made the camp guards and the German villagers who had lived in the green fields and gardens around the camp come to view the bodies and to bury them. The message was clear: Americans find what you have done here and you villagers have tolerated here to be an immense crime, an unimaginable crime. The greatness of our people is their character. Jewish people have brought a lot to the making of that character. Jews have known that the values in the Five Books of Moses are universal and throughout two thousand years of Diaspora brought their values with them to the shores of all the countries where they settled including America. Judaism is a religion and a value system. No one who is not a Jew is considered less a person by a Jew. No stranger can be left without shelter, no hungry man without bread. I could not help but notice in the Save Darfur Coalition and other grass roots organizations working so hard to stop the genocide in Darfur that many Jewish organizations are involved in the grass roots efforts. Among them are the American World Jewish Congress, The American Jewish Committee, Jews against Genocide Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. I have received letters from children in Jewish schools asking me to help the people of Darfur. Jewish people have a special understanding about genocide. The parents of these children who write to me may have lost grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. But they also know they can write to their congressman and their children can write and ask for help for these people so far away who are in desperate trouble as their relatives once were. One of the characteristics I most admire is the activism many of the Jewish people engage in. That activism has meant a great deal to the Civil Rights movement. I also admire the way Jews have contributed to the ``personality'' of New York. As a New Yorker, I feel especially lucky because I have learned some Yiddish, some great jokes and have met some truly amazing people who love books, culture, art and life. I'm glad for the Jewish heritage I experience in my district every day I am at home. I say to Jewish Americans today: Congratulations and Mazol Tov!

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the observance of Memorial Day, 2006, I invite my colleagues to join me in paying posthumous tribute to the 2,459 members of the U.S. Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Iraq War. These brave men and women came from every State as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Washington, DC, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Whatever our views may be on the war, we salute these fallen heroes for their patriotism, sacrifice and bravery. We thank their families and mourn with them, and promise that we will never forget the contributions of their loved ones. Whether Democrat or Republican, supporter or opponent of the war, we honor those who have given their lives with the deepest gratitude and heartfelt compassion. COL. Geoffrey Slack of New York's Fighting 69th who lost 19 men under his command in Iraq said it well: The vast majority of Americans have it right. Regardless of their thoughts about the war, most have separated the soldiers from the policies of Washington. I can't tell you how much that means. The average young man or woman who goes to serve in Iraq has nothing to do with policy. They just go and do what they're asked to do. As the dean of the New York State congressional delegation, I have enclosed a roster of New Yorkers who have given their lives in Iraq. Also listed is a State-by-State numerical accounting of the deceased. New York State Fallen Heroes (As of May 22, 2006) City/county of NY, rank, name, and date: Airmont, Corporal, Vahaviolos, Steve, 11-May-06; Albany, Sergeant, Sacco, Dominic J. 20-Nov-05; Baldwin, Private 1st Class, Urbina, Wilfredo F., 29-Nov-04. Bay Shore, Private 1st Class, Heighter, Raheen Tyson, 24- Jul-03; Bay Shore, Private 1st Class, Fletcher, Jacob S., 13- Nov-03; Bloomingburg, Private 1st Class, Vonronn, Kenneth G., 06-Jan-05; Brentwood, Specialist, Ruiz, Jose L., 15-Aug-05. Bronx, Commander, Acevedo, Joseph, 13-Apr-03; Private 1st Class, Moreno, Luis A., 29-Jan-04; Sergeant, Engeldrum, Christian P., 29-Nov-04; Staff Sergeant, Irizarry, Henry E., 03-Dec-04; Specialist, Martinez, Victor A., 14-Dec-04; Sergeant, Swindell, Nathaniel T., 15-Jan-05; Corporal, Valdez, Ramona M., 23-Jun-05. Brooklyn, Lance Corporal, White, William Wayne, 29-Mar-03; Specialist, Sahib, Rasheed, 18-May-03; Private 1st Class, Johnson, Rayshawn S., 03-Nov-03; Sergeant, Jimenez, Linda C. 08-Nov-03; Specialist, Akintade, Segun Frederick, 28-Oct-04; Sergeant, Calderon, Pablo A., 30-Nov-04; Corporal, Behnke, Joseph O., 04-Dec-04; Staff Sergeant, Melo, Julian S., 21- Dec-04; Sergeant, Lozada Jr., Angelo L., 16-Apr-05; Sergeant, Hornedo, Manny, 28-Jun-05; 1st Sergeant, Mendez, Bobby, 27- Apr-06. Buffalo, Lance Corporal, Orlowski, Eric James, 22-Mar-03; Private 1st Class, Burkett, Tamario Demetrice, 23-Mar-03; Private, Evans Jr., David, 25-May-03; Specialist, Williams, Michael L., 17-Oct-03; Private 1st Class, Bush Jr., Charles E., 19-Dec-03; Sergeant, McKeever, David M., 05-Apr-04; Specialist, LeBrun, Jeff, 01-Jan-05; Specialist, Pfister, Jacob M., 19-Apr-05. Canandaigua, Sergeant, McMillin, Heath A., 27-Jul-03; Corning, Gunnery Sergeant, Lane, Shawn A., 28-Jul-04; Sergeant, Pusateri, Christopher M., 16-Feb-05. Delmar/Albany, Captain, Moshier, Timothy J., 01-Apr-06; Depew/Cheektowaga, Sergeant, Gasiewicz, Cari Anne, 04-Dec-04; Douglaston, Specialist, Ling, Roger G., 19-Feb-04; East Islip, Specialist, Pope II, Robert C., 07-Nov-05; East North Port, Chief Warrant Officer 4, Engeman, John W., 14-May-06; Elizaville, Staff Sergeant, Robsky Jr., Joseph E., 10-Sep-03. Elmsford, Private 1st Class, Arciola, Michael A., 15-Feb- 05; Forestport, Private 1st Class, Huxley Jr., Gregory Paul, 06-Apr-03; Garden City, 2nd Lieutenant, Licalzi, Michael L., 11-May-06; Glen Oaks, Lance Corporal, Postal, Michael V., 07- May-05; Hammond, Sergeant, Friedrich, David Travis, 20-Sep- 03; Hauppage, Lance Corporal, Kremm, Jared J., 27-Oct-05. Hempstead, Specialist, Sage, Lance S., 27-Dec-05; Hicksville, Corporal, Kolm, Kevin T., 13-Apr-04; Highland, Sergeant, Williams, Eugene, 29-Mar-03; Specialist, Chan, Doron, 18-Mar-04; Jamestown, Private, Cooper Jr., Charles S., 29-Apr-05; Jamestown/Celoron, Sergeant, Matteson, James C. ``J.C.'', 12-Nov-04. Jericho, 1st Lieutenant, Lynch, Matthew D., 3l-Oct-04; Jordan, Staff Sergeant, Reynolds, Steven C., 24-Nov-05; Lewis, Corporal, Davey, Seamus M., 21-Oct-05; Lowville, Corporal, Cannan, Kelly M., 20-Apr-05; Mastic, Specialist, Wilwerth, Thomas J., 22-Feb-06; Middle Village, Staff Sergeant, McNaughton, James D., 02-Aug-05. Middletown, Specialist, Medina, Irving, 14-Nov-03; Middletown, Specialist, Gonzalez, Carlos M., 16-Mar-06; Monroe, Petty Officer 1st Class, Pernaselli, Michael J., 24- Apr-04; Mt. Vernon, Corporal, Gooden, Bernard George, 04-Apr- 03; New Windsor, Corporal, Tremblay, Joseph S., 27-Apr-05. New York, Staff Sergeant, Tejeda, Riayan Augusto, 11-Apr- 03; Captain, Wood, George A., 20-Nov-03; Master Sergeant, Toney, Timothy, 27-Mar-04; Lance Corporal, Gavriel, Dimitrios, 19-Nov-04; Lieutenant Colonel, Crowe, Terrence K., 07-Jun-05; Sergeant, Floyd Jr., Clarence L., 10-Dec-05; Specialist, Mercedes Saez, Sergio A., 05-Feb-06; Staff Sergeant, Lewis, Dwayne Peter R., 27-Feb-06; Newark Valley, Petty Officer 3rd Class, Wilson, Nicholas, 12-Feb-06. Niagara Falls, Staff Sergeant, Bass, Aram J., 23-Nov-05; North Creek, Staff Sergeant, Kimmerly, Kevin C., 15-Sep-03; North Merrick, Specialist, Bandhold, Scott M., 12-Apr-06; North White Plains, Private 1st Class, Cuming, Kevin A., 21- Aug-04. Orchard Park/W. Seneca, Specialist, Roustum, David L., 20- Nov-04; Philadelphia, Sergeant 1st Class, Howe, Casey E., 26- Sep-05; Port Chester, Lance Corporal, Sanchez Jr., Efrain, 17-Jul-05; Purchase, Specialist, Kalladeen, Anthony N., 08- Aug-05. Queens, Corporal, Rodriguez, Robert Marcus, 27-Mar-03; Lance Corporal, Lam, Jeffrey, 08-Nov-04; Private 1st Class, Obaji, Francis C., 02-Mar-05; Specialist, Ali, Azhar, 02-Mar- 05; Specialist, Lwin, Wai Pyoe, 08-Aug-05; Private 1st Class, Rios, Hernando, 17-Sep-05; Staff Sergeant, Nelom, Regilio E., 01-Feb-06; Specialist, Bustamante, Marlon A., 28-Apr-06; Sergeant, Gomez, Jose, 17-Jan-05. Rochester, Chief Warrant Officer (CW3), Smith, Eric Allen, 02-Apr-03; Lance Corporal, Schramm, Brian K., 15-0ct-04; Rockville Center, 1st Lieutenant, Winchester, Ronald, 03-Sep- 04; Rome, Sergeant, Uvanni, Michael A., 01-Oct-04; Sackets Harbor, Lieutenant Colonel, James II, Leon G., 10-0ct-05; Schenectady, Sergeant, Robbins, Thomas D., 09-Feb-04; Scio (Allegany Co.), Corporal, Dunham, Jason L., 22-Apr-04; South Glens Falls, Private 1st Class, Brown, Nathan P., 11-Apr-04. Stony Brook (Long Island), Petty Officer 3rd Class, Bruckenthal, Nathan B., 25-Apr-04; Suffern, Captain, Esposito, Phillip T., 08-Jun-05; Suffolk, Lance Corporal, Mateo, Ramon, 24-Sep-04; Taberg/Camden, Sergeant, Parker, Elisha R., 04-May-06; Theresa, Private 1st Class, Perez, Luis A., 27-Aug-04; Tonawanda, Staff Sergeant, Dill, Christopher W., 04-Apr-05; Unadilla, Specialist, Nieves, Isaac Michael, 08-Apr-04; Wallkill, 1st Lieutenant, Dooley, Mark H., 19-Sep- 05; Waterloo, Master Sergeant, Auchman, Steven E., 09-Nov-04. Watertown, Sergeant, West James G., 11-Jul-04; Master Sergeant, Tuliau, Tulsa T., 26-Sep-05; Sergeant 1st Class, Acevedoaponte, Ramon A., 26-Oct-05. Watervliet/Green Island, Specialist, Fisher, David M., 01- Dec-04; West Henrietta, Specialist, Koch, Matthew A., 09-Mar- 05; West Seneca, Specialist, Baker, Brian K., 07-Nov-04. White Lake, Sergeant, Dima, Catalin D., 13-Nov-04; Whitestone, Private 1st Class, Prevete, James E., 10-Oct-04; Williamsville, Private 1st Class, Shuster, Benjamin C., 25- Feb-06. Numerical Accounting of Iraq War Fatalities by State (As of May 22, 2006) Alabama, 42; Alaska, 9; American Samoa, 5; Arizona, 58; Arkansas, 31; California, 254; Colorado, 33. Connecticut, 19; Delaware, 11; District of Columbia, 3; Florida, 108; Georgia, 75; Guam, 3; Hawaii, 12. Idaho, 15; Illinois, 94; Indiana, 49; Iowa, 29; Kansas, 25; Kentucky, 41; Louisiana, 57. Maine, 12; Maryland, 40; Massachusetts, 36; Michigan, 82; Minnesota, 31; Mississippi, 35; Missouri, 41. Montana, 10; Nebraska, 23; Nevada, 20; New Hampshire, 10; New Jersey, 43; New Mexico, 17; New York, 117. North Carolina, 55; North Dakota, 10; Northern Mariana Islands, 3; Ohio, 109; Oklahoma, 42; Oregon, 37; Pennsylvania, 121. Puerto Rico, 22; Rhode Island, 9; South Carolina, 35; South Dakota, 17; Tennessee, 52; Texas, 217; Utah, 12. Vermont, 16; Virgin Islands, 3; Virginia, 75; Washington, 46; West Virginia, 17; Wisconsin, 55; Wyoming, 6. Source: iCasualties.org

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of one of baseball's most successful stars, Barry L. Bonds. An all-star outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, Bonds has had a stellar career. Since entering the major league in 1986, Bonds has created quite a name for himself. As a young man growing up in California during the 60s, Bonds discovered his talent for sports. Not only did Bonds play baseball, but he played football as well. With a former all-star player as a father, Bobby Bonds, Barry was destined for athletic greatness. Considered as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Bonds has both created records and broken them alike. Bonds has won 8 Gold Glove Awards for his defensive might in left field, and he is a 13 time All-Star. He is the only player in baseball history to have hit at least 500 home runs and stolen at least 500 bases, no other player has reached even 400-400. This is all a mark of Bonds' true athletic dominance, He is now only trailing the great Hank Aaron's 755 home run record, while currently tied with Babe Ruth's 714. Even though Bonds' record has been questioned due to alleged steroid use, it seems to not have affected such a trailblazer. I want to wish Barry Bonds all the best in his pursuit of the home run record, for it is only in arms reach. He needs to know that he should keep pushing on and playing the game that he loves so much and the game we love to watch him play. We must be careful to not let the racial prejudice and bias of others take away from the phenomenal achievements of such a remarkable athlete. Bonds has achieved all his accomplishments because of his work ethic and extraordinary performance. Please let us acknowledge the good that Bonds has done and to not let the bad overshadow the good. None of us are saints in this world, but we do our best to put the best foot forward. Please allow me to enter into the Record this song of praise for one of the best athletes this generation has ever seen. Bonds has forever solidified his name and place in the history books and he belongs there. He belongs there for not only his love of the game, but for the fact that his commitment is unmatched by so many. [From the Witness for Justice No. 268, May 15, 2006] Race Matters (By Wallace Ryan Kuroiwa) Okay, I'll admit it: I am a San Francisco Giants baseball fan. Always have been, always will be. Maybe it's because living in Hawaii, I used to get the Giants games on the radio. Or maybe it's because in my first year of seminary in the Bay Area, I watched Juan Marichal pitch and the two Willies, Mays and McCovey, homer--my first live Major League game! So I will admit to a bias in my following rumination. I have watched with some dismay as slugger Barry Bonds has been vilified in the media and by fans as he nears the home run milestone of 714 home runs, the record the immortal Babe Ruth held until Hank Aaron eclipsed it. Most of the discussion has centered on the purported use of steroids by Bonds. Although there has not been any substantiation of steroid use in the legal arena, Bonds has been tried and convicted in the media. Television commentary will show pictures of Bonds as a younger player and then pictures of him in his present manifestation, and then conclude: now who can say he hasn't used steroids? Huh? What would happen if we put pictures of all of us in our twenties and then put them side-by-side with our pictures in our forties and jump to the same conclusion? I believe Minnesota Twins outfielder Tori Hunter hit on a reality when he observed: ``They can say what they want, but there's no way they would launch an investigation if Barry Bonds was not about to break Babe Ruth's record. It is so obvious what's going on. He has never failed a drug test and said he never took steroids, but everybody keeps trying to disgrace him. How come nobody even talks about Mark McGwire anymore? Or (Rafael) Palmeiro (who tested positive for steroids in 2005?) Whenever I go home I hear people say all of the time, `Baseball just doesn't like black people. Here's the greatest hitter in the game, and they're scrutinizing him like crazy.' It's killing me because it's about race.'' It may not be all about race, but race certainly is a rain cloud over the whole issue. Race has been a specter over sports for as long as I have been alive, and much longer. Remember Jesse Owens in Germany? Jack Johnson? Jackie Robinson? Even Hank Aaron received death threats as he approached the beloved Babe's record. Those who would claim that sports is a level playing field, that anyone with talent can make it in sports, need to take their heads out of the sand. Race matters, as Cornel West simply put it. Globally speaking, sports serves as a microcosm of American society. The insidious reach of racism is always near the surface of the dynamics of human interaction, if it is not overtly present. Whether it is in the New Orleans debacle, or the immigration debate, economic globalization, or whatever, you don't have to look far to find race lurking. We will never make progress toward a more just society until we own up to that, and move forward. So my defense of Barry is more than just about being a Giants fan, much more. It's about needing to name the sin. When we do that, we can start to do better. And we do need to do better as a society, much better. The United Church of Christ has more than 5,700 churches throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, Rooted in the Christian traditions of congregational governance and covenantal relationships, each UCC setting speaks only for itself and not on behalf of every UCC congregation. UCC members and churches are free to differ on important social issues, even as the UCC remains principally committed to unity in the midst of our diversity.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge that many challenges lie ahead for President Rene Preval as he embarks on the task of rebuilding and developing the country of Haiti. I am in full support of Rene Preval and I wish him well as he strives to reconcile his countrymen through better communications and commitments for peace and progress. Haiti is a country plagued with trouble and instability. Preval's successors, the interim administration, were not able to unite the country. A rebellion that led to the ouster of the former president, Jean Bertrand Aristide, also set the country on a path of violence, crime and bloodshed from which it may take years to recover. Rene Preval's election is clearly the best thing that could have happened to the country as it has served to give hope to its population of eight million-plus people. While President Preval pledges to lead the country in unity he continues to cite that the solution to Haiti's problems is in the hands of the Haitians. Needless to say, the country could benefit greatly with assistance from the United States, Canada and France. I strongly urge my colleagues to be generous with U.S. assistance to Haiti at this time when they need it most. None of us want to see Haiti revert to its previous political and security conditions. Contributions of aid and finances must be followed through and the Caribbean region must also re-engage with Haiti to help them on the course to peace and development. Mr. Speaker, I rise to enter into the Congressional Record an editorial by Tony Best from the May 23, 2006 edition of the New York CaribNews entitled Haiti's Future--The Task of Rebuilding a Shattered Nation. This article sheds light on Haiti's plight. Haiti's Future, the Task of Rebuilding a Shattered Nation (Editorial by Tony Best) ``If we don't talk, then we will only fight.'' Rene Preval, Haiti's newly installed President, struck an important and positive note for reconciliation, peace and development in his nation as he began the second, but not successive, term as his country's leader. His return to the Presidential palace in Port au Prince is being widely hailed as an opportunity step forward if the country is follow a growth path, recognizing that his is an unenviable task. Preval needs the cooperation and active involvement of Haitians of all stripes and social class, whether at home or abroad if their shattered country is to serve its eight million-plus people. It goes without saying that the international community, especially the United States, Canada and France must help lead the way towards reconstruction and unity. Caribbean nations too, especially those in Caricom must also do their part. But as Preval himself said on Sunday as he took the oath of office, ``the solution to our problems is in our hands.'' Outside economic and political forces can help drive the engines of progress but in the end, Haitians must be responsible for their future. When Preval ran the country for the first time between 1996-2001, he sought to unite the fractured society. But with Haiti polarized between his mentor and predecessor in office, Jean Bertrand Aristide, and those who opposed Lavalas and the former Roman Catholic priest Preval's record fell far short of the high expectations. Now he has a chance to redeem himself. Fortunately, he was not viewed as a corrupt politician, interested only in himself and the interest of his cronies. Preval has succeed an interim administration that lost its way from the get-go and was never able to unite the country as Haiti had to grapple with more than its share of trouble, insurrection and instability. A rebellion set in motion by the machinations of people in Washington and carried out by Haitians in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere, not only led to the ouster or abduction of President Aristide but set the country on a path of violence, crime and bloodshed from which it may take years to recover. The recent presidential election, which Preval won fair and square, was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to the country. The Republications in Washington, who played a key role in Aristide's ouster and in the instability that followed, must see itself as a part of the solution, having helped to create some of the problems. Preval, a former ally of the ousted former President who is cooling his heels in South Africa, must battle some formidable obstacles and challenges that run the gamut from weak judicial institutions, an inept and corrupt bureaucracy and a devastated economy to rising crime and lawlessness, not to mention the lack of a democratic tradition needed to prevent political forces from turning on each other and prolonging the agony. As if to send a strong message to the new head of state about the enormity of the task ahead of him, inmates of the national penitentiary went on a rampage, demanding their freedom and calling for better treatment. Shots were fired and when the inmates appeared on the roof they help up two bodies, apparently those of inmates, according to a news agency account, Haitian police and United Nations armed personnel were quickly able to restore order. If Preval and his administration needed a reminder of the troubles ahead that brief incident showed them that whether on the streets of the urban centers or behind bars, chaos could erupt at any time. It also underscored the need to address the ills facing the awful justice system and the inhumane conditions in prison, something the U.N. Envoy in Haiti, Juan Gabriel Valdes, urged Preval to do something about. After all, hundreds of prisons have been languishing in prison for extended period of time under the most wretched of conditions. Preval must break with the past, especially the past two years during which the interim Prime Minister, Gerard LaTortue and his ministers ignored human rights issues and the need for the prompt delivery of justice. Instead, they preferred to spend much of their time attacking Aristide's supporters. It also failed miserably to come to grips with the day-to- day economic and social difficulties that plague the average Haitian. And as the poorest people in the Western Hemisphere, Haitians who suffered the most numbered in the millions. That hard fact of life may explain why the UN envoy urged President Preval to show Haitians that he means business. ``It is critical for him to be able in the first year . . . to show Haitians that he can produce some change in their lives,'' Valdes told the Associated Press. ``It would be frankly intolerable to see that for lack of international assistance at this point in time the country goes back to previous political and security conditions.'' The depth of the financial and development crunch is there for all to see. So far, the rich nations have pledged $1.2 billion in aid but only $200 million of that amount has been invested in development projects. The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and others can and must do better, much better than that. Clearly, much of the trouble isn't at Haiti's doorsteps. Its roots are in the complicated and unfathomable rules imposed by the international financial institutions on how the money must be spent. We agree with Valdes when he said, ``A country in this situation cannot be forced to follow rules that will bring it political catastrophe.'' For its part, the Caribbean region, which largely stood on the sidelines during the chaos of the past two years, must become re-engaged with Haiti again. It must welcome the country and its president back into the regional fold and while it may not have the financial resources to help get the job done, it certainly possesses the human capital and the experience to set the French-speaking nation on the right course to peace and development. In his inaugural address President Preval stressed the value of better communications, telling Haitians, ``we need to make peace through dialogue and talking to each other so we can decide where we want to go together. If we don't talk, then we will only fight and there will be no peace.'' Well said.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, an American patriot and champion of democratic values. I salute his life achievements that have furthered the cause of American liberty and freedom at home and abroad. His life is a reflection of commitment and dedication to the vibrancy of the American economy. The brilliance that personified his life in public services has guided America to a ``more perfect Union.'' Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. was born Feb. 11, 1921, in Mission, TX, in a small frame house; from this humble beginning, Lloyd Bentsen rose to prominence in American politics. He received a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1942 and served as Army Air Corps combat pilot in World War II with the 449th bomb squadron. At the early age of 23, he was given command of a squadron of 600 men. For his bravery and leadership, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and four awards of the Air Medal. Upon his return to his native Rio Grande Valley he was elected Hidalgo County Judge. In 1948, Lloyd ran for Congress and won easily. At 27, he had the admirable designation as the youngest Member of the House. Representative Bentsen gained respect from his colleagues by his leadership skills and political acumen. He was a strong advocate for a number of policy issues which include the deregulation of natural gas, State control of offshore oil and notably the repeal of the poll tax. He was only one of two Southern Congressmen to challenge this device that impeded voting of African-Americans in the South. In 1955, Lloyd left Congress after he experienced difficulty raising a family in Washington on a meager congressional salary of $12,500. Subsequently, he began a business career in Houston and he eventually became president of Lincoln Consolidated, an insurance and financial holding. However, in 1970 he sold his business in a lucrative deal, and declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. He won the democratic nomination and then defeated George H.W. Bush, 53 to 47 percent. He was immediately tagged as a coalition builder among liberals and conservatives, putting aside differences and arriving at consensus regarding numerous policy issues. This was evident in his ability to advocate for both minorities in the South and wealthy conservatives linked to Texas oil money. Lloyd has said that his proudest accomplishment in the Senate was pension reform. Also as a member of the Finance Committee and joint Economic Committee, he also contended that the tax code should provide incentives for a myriad of activities that include national saving, production of oil and college loans. Lloyd worked closely with President Reagan and President Carter on numerous issues. In 1977, he ran for the White House, but his campaign was unsuccessful. However, in 1986 he took the place of retired Democratic leader Senator Russell B. Long as chairman of the finance committee. He also served as chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Joint Economic Committee and was a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee. As a Democrat, Lloyd garnered respect from his colleges across the aisle. He was known to be well versed in tax law and was always known as the consummate insider. He commanded the respect and ear of Wall Street and was a man of integrity and character. In 1988, Dukakis tapped Lloyd as his vice-presidential running mate and instantaneously he was again catapulted to the national stage. Though the Dukakis ticket did not win the White House, he won the hearts of Americans. He famously reminded Dan Quayle that he was no Jack Kennedy in a televised vice-presidential debate. Bentsen retired from the Senate in January 1993 to serve as the 69th Secretary of the Treasury under Clinton from 1993 to 1994. He played an intricate role in several of Clinton's achievements. The $500 billion deficit reduction measure was crucial and drove the deficit down, which later turned into a government surplus. Additionally, he assisted in passing NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which dramatically changed American trade policy with Mexico. Lloyd retired in 1994 and said, ``I couldn't leave with the economic flag flying any higher.'' His stellar public service career was solidified in 1999 when President Clinton presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to my dear friend, Katherine Dunham, who passed away Monday, May 21, 2006. Katherine may have become famous for her extraordinary dancing capabilities, but it was her humanitarian activities that truly made her a legendary American. Born in Chicago, Illinois on June 22, 1909, Dunham was once described as ``the hottest thing to hit Chicago since Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked the bucket.'' From a very young age, her talent for dance was obvious. However, she decided to heed her parent's wishes and began studies in social anthropology at the University of Chicago during the 1930's. It was during these formative years that she was awarded a Rosenwald Travel Fellowship to study anthropology and native dance in West Indies. Forced by her advisors to choose between the two, she went with dance and the rest, as they say, is history. Dunham's extensive knowledge of anthropology became instrumental in the style of dance, now referred to as the Dunham technique, which she invented and popularized. She brought African and Caribbean dance and ritual influences to a dance world dominated by a European style, thus beginning the anthropological dance movement, which made use of ethnic and folk choreography. To Dunham, her methods were ``more than just dance or bodily executions.'' Instead, her style was ``about movement, forms, love, hate, death, life, all human emotions.'' She made her Broadway debut in the late 1930's sporting an unorthodox costume, which included a bird cage on her head and a cigar in her mouth. Her reasoning: such accessories were typical of the women whom she saw while in the Caribbean during her anthropological studies. From the 1930's to the 1960's, Dunham revolutionized the worlds of dance, theater, music and education, touring the world, visiting over 60 countries on 6 continents with dance companies and touring productions. She introduced the art form of black dance to Europe and was the first person to expose elements of American modern dance to a foreign country. James Dean, Marlon Brando and Eartha Kitt all became disciples of her technique as they sought Katherine out as a teacher. With the permission of King Hassan II, she first introduced the dancers of Morocco to an American audience with her 1962 production of Bamboche. She formed the first all Black dance company, Ballet Negre, which became the famous Katherine Dunham Dance Company. Even during her years dancing, Katherine's interest in culture and anthropology never faltered. In 1965, she decided to disband the Katherine Dunham Dance Company to act as advisor to the cultural ministry of Senegal. She also wrote eight books, numerous articles and short stories and several essays touching on her cultural interests ranging from experiences from her world travels to the Myal dance, a secret rite native to Jamaicans. Following her retirement from dancing in 1967, Dunham continued to choreograph shows; however, humanitarian leanings became the focal point of her efforts. She moved to East St. Louis, Illinois, a predominantly black area, to work with inter-city youth. Her concept was to infuse a spirit of the arts with these children in an attempt to keep them out of trouble. To do so, she founded the Performing Arts Training Center and the Katherine Dunham Museum and Children's school, which brought in artists like Harry Belafonte, to teach subjects as diverse as African hair-braiding, conversational Creole, martial arts, and aesthetics. She would continue to carry out these programs for the rest of her life, despite cuts in government and private funding. This would not be her first or last activist effort. While touring the United States in the 1940's through the 1960's, Dunham refused to have her dance troupe perform in segregated theatres in an attempt to fight discrimination. In fact, she once refused to perform after finding out that African Americans had been prohibited from buying tickets to one of her shows. Her promotion of African and Caribbean values during the peak of the Civil Rights movement helped to infuse a positive image of black culture in the public consciousness. Later on, in 1992, she would once again make a political message, as she went on a 47 day hunger strike to protest the government policy that repatriated Haitian refugees. Her involvement with Haiti did not stop there. Dunham was a big supporter of democracy in the country and in particular of the exiled President Aristide. In 1991, when Aristide was ousted in a military coup, Dunham petitioned the United States government to aid in his restoration as president. She also made several civilian trips to Haiti, eventually purchasing a house there. On each trip, she did her best to help stimulate the country economically and to provide humanitarian aid to the poverty-stricken people of Haiti. Throughout her life, Katherine Dunham was many things to many people. To her surviving daughter, Marie-Christine Dunham Pratt, she was a mother. To her late husband, theatre designer John Thomas Pratt, she was a wife of 49 years. Yet, to all, she was an exemplary American. Katherine earned her celebrity status in a time when discrimination was at its peak, revealing immense reservoirs of creativity and dedication. She then used her fame as a way to create positive change in the world. As every dancer knows, actions speak louder than words and it was clear that Katherine lived by this doctrine. Her life is an inspiration to me and her loss will be felt, not just by the dance community, but by all Americans.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her hard work on behalf of recognizing May as Jewish American Heritage month and to express my gratitude to the President for his proclamation making May Jewish American Heritage Month. After the burning of the Second Temple and the final dispersion of the Jews from Zion, people of Jewish heritage have settled in every corner of the world. There are Jews in China, in India, in Mexico and in Greece. While Hitler almost murdered all the Jews of Europe, he did not entirely succeed. Because of the moral values of this country we put our entire Nation into the fight against the Nazis in World War II. What is so remarkable about the fact that the United States fought so fiercely and so bravely in World War II is that they did so to save the world. That desire arose from the Nation's character, which is an amalgam of the religious heritage of its people--including its Jewish people. Today I think about the Jewish soldiers in World War II who fought not even knowing of the death camps and the ovens. I think of the men who risked their lives every day in the mud of France and the fields of Belgium because they knew what was spreading and taking over Europe was immoral. When Eisenhower's troops first came upon a death camp, he made the camp guards and the German villagers who had lived in the green fields and gardens around the camp come to view the bodies and to bury them. The message was clear: Americans find what you have done here and you villagers have tolerated here to be an immense crime, an unimaginable crime. The greatness of our people is their character. Jewish people have brought a lot to the making of that character. Jews have known that the values in the Five Books of Moses are universal and throughout 2,000 years of Diaspora brought their values with them to the shores of all the countries where they settled, including America. Judaism is a religion and a value system. No one who is not a Jew is considered less a person by a Jew. No stranger can be left without shelter, no hungry man without bread. I could not help but notice in the Save Darfur Coalition and other grass roots organizations working so hard to stop the genocide in Darfur that many Jewish organizations are involved in the grass roots efforts. Among them are the American World Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, Jews against Genocide and the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. I have received letters from children in Jewish schools asking me to help the people of Darfur. Jewish people have a special understanding about genocide. The parents of these children who write to me may have lost grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins. But they also know they can write to their Congressman and their children can write and ask for help for these people so far away who are in desperate trouble as their relatives once were. One of the characteristics I most admire is the activism many of the Jewish people engage in. That activism has meant a great deal to the civil rights movement. I also admire the way Jews have contributed to the ``personality'' of New York. As a New Yorker, I feel especially lucky because I have learned some Yiddish, some great jokes and have met some truly amazing people who love books, culture, art and life. I'm glad for the Jewish heritage I experience in my district every day I am at home. I say to Jewish Americans today: Congratulations and mazol tov.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a dear friend and colleague on the occasion of a very special awards recognition to honor him with the Hudson Link's Bill Webber Award. Wilbert ``Bill'' Tatum has been an integral part of the fabric of New York for many, many years. When I think back on the years of our association many thoughts come to mind. Bill is not only an intellectual, in the best sense of that word, but a pioneering journalist, and entrepreneur who for more than 30 years has guided the Amsterdam News, one of the Nation's most important newspapers. In doing so, he has dedicated his professional life to informing and defending his people, building his community, and fighting to make our country better. In April 1971, when he. along with Percy Sutton and Clarence Jones. acquired the Amsterdam News, Bill Tatum was determined to play a role in changing the social climate in New York. By the mid-1970's the newspaper took what some called militant positions on civil rights issues but by the end of the decade began to focus more broadly on the social and economic issues. Under Bill's leadership, the Amsterdam News continued to flourish and gained a reputation as an intrepid African American voice on controversial local issues. Most New Yorkers can remember how tenacious Bill Tatum was when he applied pressure on the then New York mayor, Ed Koch. Bill, through the newspaper, constantly monitored the activities of city hall and the mayor. Holding the mayor's feet to the fire, brought New Yorkers out of the polls, and cleared the way for the election of David Dinkins, New York's first African American mayor. I would like to acknowledge that Bill's daughter, Elinor, continues the Amsterdam News' legacy into the 21st century. She has pledged to keep the Amsterdam as the unwavering voice the Black community in New York. Mr. Speaker, again I congratulate my friend Bill Tatum as a much deserving recipient of the prestigious ``Hudson Link's Bill Webber Award'' as I enter this recognition into the Congressional Record.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on what would have been his 81st birthday, to enter the Record a salute to EI-Hajj Malik EI- Shabazz, also known as Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a formidable character who was truly ahead of his time and very much under appreciated during his lifetime. He remained an advocate of racial pride and self- determination during a period in history where African Americans were systematically denied the rights enjoyed by white America. Malcolm X's teachings focused on helping African Americans to deny negative stereotypes impressed upon them by the white society and also stressed economic empowerment through community building with other African Americans. To understand the man is to know about his past. To understand the man is to know what life lessons affected his being. Born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 to a Baptist minister in Omaha, Nebraska his father was killed while attempting to fight racial oppression. His mother was committed to a mental institution. After moving to New York Malcolm was arrested in 1946 for burglary. Unbeknownst to him, his incarceration led to the first of many life altering experiences. During his incarceration he developed an interest in the philosophy of the Muslim movement and joined the Nation of Islam. Upon leaving prison in 1952 he changed his last name to ``X''. This change in surname signified the shedding of linkage to the white slaveholders who had given him and other African Americans their family names. Unde the tutelage of Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm flourished as one of the most effective speakers for the Nation. He increased membership and founded new mosques, eventually being assigned to be the Minister of the Nation's Harlem, New York mosque. In 1963, disagreements with Elijah Muhammad caused Malcolm to leave the Nation of lslam. In 1964 he embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. That pilgrimage proved to be another life altering experience for Malcolm X. While in Mecca he witnessed the union of all races. His observances proved to be the foundation that led to the development of the Organization of Afro- American Unity and the Muslim Mosque Inc. When he returned to New York, Malcolm gained an even more loyal following. His popularity was at a pinnacle. Malcolm's success did not fair well with many of the Muslim sect. He quickly became the victim of death threats from those who disagreed with his views. In February, 1965 his home was firebombed. His family escaped unharmed. A week later Malcolm X was shot to death at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem as he prepared to make a speech. Malcolm X had a profound influence on Americans of all races and all around the world. While he was often portrayed as a black militant leader because he encouraged Black Nationalism, separatism and black pride little was said to recognize him for creating a framework for world brotherhood and human justice. Mr. Speaker: This cursory review that I offer does not do justice to the larger-than-life figure known as Malcolm X. I encourage everyone to read ``The Autobiography of Malcolm X'' to understand one of the 20th century's true Renaissance figures. On this 81st anniversary of his birthday, I rise to honor an unforgettable and extraordinary individual who during his lifetime changed the world. His conviction and devotion to instilling the concept of self empowerment in people of color still resonates today. He left an indelible mark on mankind. I wonder what Malcolm X would think of the world today?

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in appreciation of an article printed in New York's CaribNews entitled, ``Horseracing and the Black jockey, the return to Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby''. Little is known about the history of Blacks in horseracing and how they dominated the sport, but it spans back from the 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States and Europe. With such an illustrious and long history, why is it that such few Blacks are seen engaging in the sport? What we come to learn from the article is that because of racism and greed, Blacks were eliminated from the sport in North America. They were simply denied the chance to engage in horseracing, an activity loved by so many. Late tennis great Arthur Ashe made the case in his book, ``A Hard Road to Glory'', a history of the African American Athlete between 1619-1918, that ``Black jockeys enjoyed an unprecedented streak of good fortune until racism forced them off the tracks. No civil rights groups came to their aid and then most had unfortunate endings.'' In the article we learn about a man, Patrick Husband who grew up in a poor Barbadian neighborhood who with strong-will and determination was able to ride in the Kentucky Derby. He was not the first to do so, but his mere presence at the Derby that day brought admiration to all that watched. Truly this has become an inspiration for people up in those same neighborhoods as Husband. Witnessing these historic moments encourage Black youths to seek experience and careers as jockeys and trainers, a career once dominated by Blacks. There is so much history to be studied and very few people know about it, nor do they have access to the information. Few people know that 14 of the 15 jockeys who participated in the inaugural year of the Kentucky Derby in 1875 were Black and that the first winner, Oliver Lewis atop Aristedes was Black. Another interesting fact was between 1875 and 1902, Black jockeys won 15 of the 27 Kentucky Derby races. This type of information should not be hidden from people. There was a time in racing history known as the ``golden days'' in which the greatest contributions were made by Black jockeys and trainers. The youth of today should know the names of Isaac Murphy, Willie Simms, Jimmy Winkfield, Billy Walker, Alonzo Clayton, Isaac Lewis, Erskine Henderson and James Perkins who have made history for their achievements in racing in the United States from 1875 to 911. These are names forever to be cherished and embraced by people everywhere. When L.P. Tralton, a famous trainer, died in 1896 he wrote in the Thoroughbred Record, ``I have seen all of the great jockeys of England and this country for years back, but, all in all Isaac Murphy is the greatest of them all.'' I enter into the Record with pleasure the article by Tony Best published in New York's CaribNews for its careful historical analysis of some of America's most talented yet sadly forgotten athletes. We must never forget the sacrifice Black jockeys have made for the sport of horseracing. The article helps in increasing the awareness about those who have made the sport what it is today and who rightfully deserve their place in the history books. Horseracing and the Black Jockey--The Return to Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby When Patrick Husbands climbs aboard Seaside Retreat in Saturday's Run for the Roses, as the world famous Kentucky Derby is often called, his presence astride the horse will write another interesting chapter in the history of horse racing in the U.S. It's a chapter that brings to mind the glory days of Blacks in the saddle in the 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States and their elimination from a sport in North America that attracts and holds people's attention around the world, the pernicious effects of racism and greed and now the return of Blacks to the pinnacle of a sport from which they should never have been driven out in the first place. That Husbands, who grew up poor in a Barbadian neighborhood that's within walking distance of one of the Caribbean's leading race tracks, the Garrison Savannah, can make it all the way to Louisville, Kentucky, tells a story about sheer grit, determination and talent and recalls the era of the golden days of Black jockeys and trainers. Granted, he is not the first Black to ride in the Derby since the turn of the 21st century. That honor belongs to an African American from Louisiana who rode in the race in 2000. But his presence brings pleasure to tens of millions, not only racing fans in North America and the Caribbean but elsewhere. It can also inspire Black youth to seek careers as jockeys and trainers once again in a sport, a multi-billion dollar business that they once dominated. Unfortunately, too few television viewers and horse racing fans who will watch the 2006 Kentucky Derby from the comfort of their living rooms, sports bars and other places and who will follow the course of the race in their car radios know that Husbands is simply adding his name to a long list of outstanding Blacks who have ridden in the Derby and various major races. Indeed 14 of the 15 jockeys who rode in the inaugural year of the Kentucky Derby in 1875 were Black and the first winner, Oliver Lewis atop Aristedes was Black. Between 1875 and 1902, Black jockeys won 15 of the 27 Kentucky Derby races. Names like Isaac Murphy, Willie Simms, Jimmy Winkfield, Billy Walker, Alonzo Clayton, Isaac Lewis, Erskine Henderson and James Perkins dot the pages of racing's history books for their accomplishments in the saddle between 1875 and 1911 in the U.S. For example, Murphy, a native of Fayette County in Kentucky, became the toast of the horse racing fraternity in the 19th century, so much so that historians insist he was to the sport of kings what Michael Jordan became for basketball, Jessie Owens to track and field, Hank Aaron to baseball, O.J. Simpson, Jim Brown and Jerry Rice to American football, Sir Garfield Sobers to cricket and Tiger Woods to golf. That is the greatest performer in their sport. Murphy rode winners three times in the Kentucky Derby, including back-to-back victories in 1890-1891; captured the Travers in 1879; the Saratoga Cup in 1881 and 1886; the Kentucky Oaks in 1884. At the height of his career in the late 19th century, he was making more than $20,000 a year back then, in today's money, we are talking about millions of dollars. When he died of pneumonia in 1896 at the age of 35 years, L.P. Tarlton, a famous trainer, wrote in the Thoroughbred Record, ``I have seen all of the great jockeys of England and this country for years back, but, all in all Isaac Murphy is the greatest of them all.'' In his book, A Hard Road to Glory, a History of the African-American Athlete between 1619-1918, Arthur Ashe, the late tennis great explained that ``from roughly 1800 until the eve of World War I, Black jockeys had few peers in their profession.'' He went on: ``Black jockeys enjoyed an unprecedented streak of good fortune until racism forced them off the tracks. No Civil rights groups came to their aid and then most had unfortunate endings. What a pity. Most observers and historians blame the Jockey Club which was formed in 1894 to license riders for the disappearance of Black jockeys. Greed and racism were the major engines that systematically drove them out. The ebony-skinned riders were just too good and made too much money to suit the whites in charge, complained Ashe. But Blacks weren't restricted to the saddle or to being grooms. Dating back to the colonial days and continuing long after the Revolutionary War and the Reconstruction period in America's history many of the trainers were Black. Blacks in horse racing were the first to make a name for themselves in the business of sport. Now that they are returning astride horses in growing numbers, jockeys from the English-speaking Caribbean, principally Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are leading the way in North America, especially in Canada where they are consistent winners. Competitive sport, often called the product of western civilization, a people's desire for conquest, empires and exploration have spawned the Olympics and other major competitions, giving Blacks the chance to show that they can thrive in any area, where ability rather than skin color or place of birth is the means to success.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Marco A. Mason for all that he has done for the Panamanian community here and abroad. A distinguished academic, Dr. Mason has been directly involved in the community through various educational services and youth development for many years. He is very deserving of the honor being given to him. Due to the fact that Dr. Mason has remained committed to the community for so long, The Panama Canal International Alumni Association Inc. (PCIAA) and The Panamanian American Community Center honored him for Distinguished Community Service at their fourth annual Spring Dinner Dance and Distinguished Awards Presentation, held at Crystal Manor in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Mason is also a medical sociologist and serves as an assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences at Medgar Evers College in New York City. He is also a member of an array of associations and councils including being a charter member of the Caribbean Women's Health Association (CWHA), the Caribbean American Medical and the Scientific Association, the Caribbean American Social Workers Association as well as various other community action groups. An academic at heart, Dr. Mason's primary field of study includes very pertinent topics such as the impact of United States immigration policy on ethnic communities, and the delivery of culturally competent health services to ethnic groups. He is well versed in his field and has written extensively on the subject. He has contributed so much to not only the Panamanian people in the United States, but to those at home, too. Former New York State Senator Dr. Waldaba Stewart, who currently heads the Diaspora Research and Development Center presented the award to Dr. Mason and he noted that, ``under Dr. Mason's leadership for the past two decades, facilitate the growth of CWHA to become a noted urban problem solver that creates innovative solutions to community issues with a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty''. Dr. Stewart makes it clear that Dr. Mason knows what it takes to keep one's community strong for future generations, and it starts with as Dr. Stewart points out, ``grassroots initiatives''. I enter into the Record with great admiration the article published in New York's CaribNews for its recognition of such a true humanitarian. Dr. Mason without a doubt is deserving of the acknowledgment for all that he has done over the years. He should be recognized for his commitment to the fundamental belief that changes start at home in the community and he did his best to make others see just how much power they really had. Panamanians Honor Dr. Marco A. Mason The Panama Canal International Alumni Association Inc. (PCIAA) and The Panamanian American Community Center Inc., recently honored Dr. Marco A. Mason, for Distinguished Community Service. At their Fourth Annual Spring Dinner Dance and Distinguished Awards Presentation, held at Crystal Manor in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Mason is a Medical Sociologist. He serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, at Medgar Evers College. He is the President of the Panamanian Council of New York Inc. He is also a charter member of the Caribbean Women's Health Association (CWHA) the Caribbean American Medical and the Scientific Association, the Caribbean American Social Workers Association, among other community and professional organizations. Dr. Mason also serves as a consultant to a number of private, community, public and international sector organizations. He is accredited to practice Immigration Law. His principal scholarly interests include: U.S. Immigration Policy Impact on Ethnic Communities, and the Delivery of Culturally Competent Health Services to Ethnic Groups. He has written extensively on these topics. He has a Doctorate in Social Welfare (Immigration and Health Policy) from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Former New York State Senator Dr. Waldaba Stewart, head of the Diaspora Research and Development Center, presented the award to Dr. Mason and lauded Dr. Mason's solid track record in the Panamanian community at home and abroad. He also stated that, under Dr. Mason's leadership for the past two decades, facilitate the growth of CWHA to become a noted urban problem that creates innovative solutions to community issues with a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty through building diverse partnership and grassroots leadership initiatives. CWHA has concentrated its efforts on a variety of issues: Immigration, Youth Development, Public Health, Welfare Reform, Economic Revitalization and Community Empowerment. Ms. Laura Thomas James, PCIAA's President stated that, PCIAA's objective is to keep the Panamanian Antillean culture and heritage alive and pass it on to future generation through cultural, educational, and social programs. She also stated that Panamanian American Community Center is a non- profit information and referral service that provides services to approximately 500 social support family, immigration, health, housing, legal, emergency shelter, child care, education, employment, cultural, citizenship and youth services. She also said that, this gathering of the finest women and men in our community allows us the opportunity to recognize the outstanding services and accomplishments of outstanding members of our community. They deserve our best wishes and congratulations. In addition to Dr. Mason, other awardees include: Club El Pacifico, Inc., Ms. Petrona Pet Honeywell, Ms. Gloria A. Spencer Morgan, The Rev. Frank Elcock and Mr. William Ben Townsend.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Valrie A. Bennett who recently departed this world as we know it. Although we grieve her being taken from us we must not see her departure as a loss because she fought the good fight, ran the good race and completed her life's mission. A woman of true character gifted with an endearing spirit, she was an inspiration and mentor to many in her life, including a very close family member and a dear friend and colleague of mine Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of Houston, Texas. A matron of the family, she dedicated her life to keeping her family together and instilling exemplary values in those she influenced. Congresswoman Jackson-Lee can attest to this because that same dedication has made her what she is today, a compassionate and honorable public servant. Ms. Bennett was not only active in providing for those she loved in her own household, but she was deeply involved with the many institutions and people in my Congressional District in New York where she resided for almost 50 years. She was a prominent member of her community church in which she served as an Elder always welcoming strangers into the fellowship and assisting in serving their spiritual needs. She is remembered for her belief in and practice of fervent prayer. With many years of experience connecting with young people in the community she has influenced my lives. Ms. Bennett has accomplished this through the use of certain outreach programs that get to the core of problems within our inner cities. Ingrained with the caring spirit that only a mother has, she was responsible for many of the great initiatives aimed at keeping young people off the streets. With high admiration I enter into the Record a tribute to Ms. Valrie A. Bennett, for I know that Ms. Bennett's heart of gold has touched someone in the community; whether it is a person of youth, vibrant with life and spirit, or a person of age with greater life experience. All who knew her benefited from her active counsel and example. Even though Ms. Bennett has gone on her strong spirit and commitment live on in each and everyone of us. She will truly be missed.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to enter into the Record an article published in the Washington Post of April 18, 2006 ``Limbs Lost to Enemy Fire, Women Forge a New Reality'' and to offer my heartfelt gratitude and good wishes on Mother's Day to the women serving in the United States Armed Forces who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and come home with life-changing physical or mental injuries. Some of these women might not be mothers themselves yet; some may never enjoy the precious gift of motherhood because of their injuries, but they all have mothers. I send the mothers of injured female troops a wish for the speedy recovery of your child and for a healing of your heart. For the mothers of women who have died in combat I offer my humble apology and heartfelt sorrow. Your grief as a mother is more than I can ever understand but I grieve with you and for this Nation. The loss of your child, a brave woman and a blessing you delivered to this country is a loss to us all. I wished to enter the particular article I cite above about women amputees because it is not widely enough known that the Iraq war is the first to make amputees of women in combat. The story in the Washington Post is subtitled ``Women After War: The amputees.'' The Post features the story of Dawn Halfaker, a 26-year-old retired Army Captain, whose right arm and shoulder were ravaged by a rocket propelled grenade that exploded in her Humvee in 2004. According to the Post, she was one of the newest soldiers ``To start down a path almost unknown in the United States: woman as combat amputee.'' Retired Captain Halfaker underwent multiple surgeries, learned to eat on her own and write with her left hand. ``She was part of a new generation of women who have lost pieces of themselves in war, experiencing the same physical trauma and psychological anguish as their male counterparts.'' But there is a difference from male amputees for these women who have lost limbs in combat. They do not know how society will view them as society has never experienced female amputees. They do not know how they will view themselves. Body image is an important part of every female child, teenager and woman in this country, more so and differently than it is for men. Society knows women will starve themselves to be ``thin'' because a thin body is important. They undergo implants, botox injections, and plastic surgery to make sure they look like society's favorite model or celebrity. Girls in their teens are susceptible to life threatening bulimia and anorexia for fear of ``getting fat.'' On April 18, 2006, when the Washington Post published the story about women amputees, the numbers were ``small.'' In 3 years of war there were only 11 female amputees. On that same date there were 350 male amputees. Dawn Halfaker was on night patrol in Baqubah, Iraq on June 19, 2004, when her vehicle was hit. Another soldier's arm was sheared off in the same accident and went flying past her head. As the medics worked to stabilize her, she warned them not to cut off her arm. She had been a strong athlete, a basketball standout at West Point, a starting guard through 4 years of college. When she was at Walter Reed, she did not want to know what she looked like. She asked her mother to cover the mirror in her room with a towel. One of the more shocking aspects reported by this article in the Washington Post is the following information from historian Judy Bellafaire of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, which researches such issues. Ms. Bellafaire is quoted as saying: ``We're unaware of any female amputees from previous wars.'' More shocking still is the report from the Post that follows: ``Surprising many political observers, the fact of female casualties has produced little public reaction. Before Iraq, many assumed that the sight of women in body bags or with missing limbs would provoke a wave of public revulsion.'' Yet the Post quotes Charles Moskos of Northwestern University, a leading military sociologist: According to Moskos, ``The country has not been concerned about female casualties.'' Moskos goes on to say, politically the issues of female casualties ``are a no-win political issue. Conservatives fear it will undermine support for the war if they speak out about wounded women, and liberals worry they will jeopardize support for women serving in combat roles by raising the subject.'' In a section of the article entitled Motherhood Redefined, the Post article tells the story of Juanita Wilson, a mother of a 6-year-old girl. Ms. Wilson returned from Iraq with her left arm in bandages and her hand gone. At first she did not want to see her daughter but would only talk to her by telephone. It was 4 weeks before Ms. Wilson would allow her husband and daughter to visit her. For this visit, she insisted the nurse help her with makeup and stow her IV in a backpack for an outing to Chuck E. Cheese. When she finally was home, she was disturbed to learn she could not make her daughter a sandwich. My Mother's Day wish for our female troops is that you come home soon, safe and to the life you dreamed of and if you are changed, you find the political will of your country has made your return as comfortable and satisfying as possible. You deserve no less. [From the Washington Post, Apr. 18, 2006] Limbs Lost to Enemy Fire, Women Forge a New Reality (By Donna St. George) Her body had been maimed by war. Dawn Halfaker lay unconscious at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, her parents at her bedside and her future suddenly unsure. A rocket- propelled grenade had exploded in her Humvee, ravaging her arm and shoulder. In June 2004, she became the newest soldier to start down a path almost unknown in the United States: woman as combat amputee. It was a distinction she did not dwell on during days of intense pain and repeated surgeries or even as she struggled to eat on her own, write left-handed and use an artificial limb. But scattered among her experiences were moments when she was aware that few women before her had rethought their lives, their bodies, their choices, in this particular way. She was part of a new generation of women who have lost pieces of themselves in war, experiencing the same physical trauma and psychological anguish as their male counterparts. But for female combat amputees has come something else: a quiet sense of wonder about how the public views them and how they will reconcile themselves. Their numbers are small, 11 in 3 years of war, compared with more than 350 men. They are not quite a band of sisters, but more a chain of women linked by history and experience and fate--one extending herself to another who then might offer something for the next. They have discovered, at various points of their recovery, that gender has made a difference--``not better or worse,'' as Halfaker put it, ``just different.'' For Halfaker, an athlete with a strong sense of her physical self, the world was transformed June 19, 2004, on a night patrol through Baqubah, Iraq. Out of nowhere had come the rocket-propelled grenade, exploding behind her head. Another soldier's arm was sheared off. Blood was everywhere. ``Get us out of the kill zone!'' she yelled to the Humvee driver. She was a 24-year-old first lieutenant, a platoon leader who two months earlier had led her unit in repulsing a six-hour attack on a police station in Diyala province. As medics worked to stabilize her, she warned: ``You bastards better not cut my arm off.'' In the hospital, there had been no other way to save her life. At first, in the early days, she tried to ignore the burns on her face, her wounded right shoulder, the fact of her missing arm. She had been a basketball standout at West Point, a starting guard through four years of college. She was fit, young, energetic. Suddenly, she was a disabled veteran of war. ``I didn't want to know what I looked like,'' she recalled recently. She asked her mother to get a towel and cover the mirror in her hospital room. new terrain, new perils The Iraq war is the first in which so many women have had so much exposure to combat--working in a wide array of jobs, with long deployments, in a place where hostile fire has no bounds. In all, more than 370 women have been wounded in action and 34 have been killed by hostile fire. The war has created what experts believe is the nation's first group of female combat amputees. ``We're unaware of any female amputees from previous wars,'' said historian Judy Bellafaire of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, which researches such issues. Surprising many political observers, the fact of female casualties has produced little public reaction. Before Iraq, many assumed that the sight of women in body bags or with missing limbs would provoke a wave of public revulsion. ``On the whole, the country has not been concerned about female casualties,'' said Charles Moskos of Northwestern University, a leading military sociologist. Politically, Moskos said, it is a no-win issue. Conservatives fear they will undermine support for the war if they speak out about wounded women, and liberals worry they will jeopardize support for women serving in combat roles by raising the subject, he said. In the hospital, female combat amputees face all the challenges men do--with a few possible differences. Women, for example, seem to care more about appearance and be more expressive about their experiences, hospital staff members said. Among the women, there also was ``a unique understanding or bond,'' said Capt. Katie Yancosek, an occupational therapist at Walter Reed. The advent of female combat amputees has left an enduring impression on many hospital staff members. ``We have learned not to underestimate or be overly skeptical about how these women will do,'' said Amanda Magee, a physician's assistant in the amputee care program. ``Sometimes they arrive in really bad shape, and people are really worried. . . . But we've learned they can move on from a devastating injury as well as any man.'' motherhood redefined Two months after Dawn Halfaker was wounded, Juanita Wilson arrived on a stretcher at Walter Reed, her left arm in bandages, her hand gone. It was August 25, 2004, just days after a roadside bomb went off under Wilson's Humvee. She came to the hospital as the Iraq war's fourth female combat amputee--the first who was a mother. From the beginning, Wilson decided she did not want her only child to see her so wounded. She talked to the 6-year- old by phone. ``Mommy's okay,'' she assured the girl. ``What are you doing at school now?'' It was only after four weeks that Wilson allowed her husband and child to travel from Hawaii, where the family had been stationed, for a visit. By then, Wilson was more mobile. She asked a nurse put makeup on her face, stowed her IV medications into a backpack she could wear and planned an outing to Chuck E. Cheese's. ``Mommy, I'm sorry you got hurt,'' her daughter, Kenyah, said when she arrived, hugging her. And then: ``Mommy, I thought you died.'' The sort of mother who mailed her daughter penmanship exercises and math problems from the war zone, Wilson wanted Kenyah to stay focused on school and the ordinary concerns of being 6. ``I wanted it to be like I was going to be okay when she saw me,'' said Wilson, 32. Changes revealed themselves one at a time. Wilson remembered that her daughter eyed a plate of croissants in the hotel-like room where the family stayed at Walter Reed that first time they were together again. The child asked her mother for a sandwich. ``I realized, `Oh, I can't even make a sandwich,' '' she said. ``It was a hurting feeling, your kid asking you to make her a sandwich and you're saying, `You'll have to make your own sandwich' to a 6-year-old.'' In November 2004, she heard that a female pilot had just been shot down in her Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq. Within days, Tammy Duckworth arrived at the hospital missing both legs, her right arm in jeopardy. She lay in a coma, her husband and parents at her bedside. ``You care about everybody, but somehow amputees connect to amputees,'' Wilson said, especially if they are women. ``It was a big deal to me,'' she said. Wilson headed to the pilot's room to sit with her family. She found herself returning to Duckworth's bedside again and again--arranging her get-well cards, decorating her room, kissing the top of her head. One day, when Duckworth, now 37, was conscious, Wilson rolled up her sleeve to reveal her own amputated arm. In a soft voice, Wilson said, she reassured her that another soldier was with her now. Wilson told her she could not imagine exactly how she felt but that she cared deeply. She could not hold the pilot's hand because Duckworth was too injured. Instead, Wilson stroked her hair. the sky is the limit By mid-2005, Juanita Wilson was back to the rhythms of daily life with her husband and daughter. The couple bought a house in the suburbs of Baltimore. She took a new job with the Army, is a staff sergeant and is up for a promotion. At 6:30 one winter morning, Wilson was cooking Cream of Wheat on her stovetop--taking great care to pour with her prosthetic and stir with her other arm. In her life as a woman, a mother and a wife, there are limits she once didn't face and could not even imagine. ``Kenyah,'' Wilson called. When the child came down the stairs in bright pink pajamas, she saw her mother's trouble: Wilson was in uniform, almost ready for work, but she needed help with her hair. Wilson sat on a chair as Kenyah brushed gently, and then brought her mother's hair up in a bun. She is ``a happy helper,'' Wilson said. The girl, now 7, tells all her friends about ``handie,'' as she has nicknamed Wilson's artificial limb. ``My daughter is definitely not bashful about telling anybody,'' Wilson said. ``She tells other kids at school. Kids don't judge you. They think it's the coolest thing that I have a robotic arm.'' But Wilson continues to shield her daughter from the discomfort and anguish of her injury. ``I didn't want to take her childhood away. That's my focus--that she is happy and enjoying life and not thinking about me. She'll ask me questions, and I'll say, `Oh that's not for children to worry about' '' On that winter morning, Wilson had already tied her combat boots, her right hand doing most of the work and her prosthetic holding the loop before it is tied. ``I want it to be known that just because you're a female injured in combat, you don't have to give up your career and you don't have to look at yourself as disabled,'' she said. She added: ``I haven't met any female soldier yet who feels she shouldn't have been there.'' How the world sees war-wounded women like her, she said, is a little harder to pinpoint. ``When you're in Walter Reed, you're in a bubble. I could walk around with my arm off. It's acceptable. Everyone there knows. . . . But when you walk out that gate, it's a whole different world. No one knows what I've been through, no one probably cares, and to avoid all of that, I never come outside without my [prosthetic] arm. Never.'' Wilson added, ``I have noticed that when you're a female walking around as an amputee, everybody's mouth drops.'' Lately, she has set new career goals, aiming high, perhaps even for the Army's top enlisted job. She listened with glee to the news that Tammy Duckworth--at whose bedside she had prayed--had decided to run for Congress in Illinois. Soon after she learned about her friend's new political life, she called Duckworth, joked that she would serve as her assistant in Congress, and then reflected: ``It definitely says the sky is the limit.'' scars farther from the surface Long out of Walter Reed, Dawn Halfaker is also deeply into a life remade. It has been 17 months since she was wounded, and her favorite yoga tape is playing on a small VCR in an apartment in Adams Morgan. Halfaker barely seems to notice her image, which once was difficult to bear and is now reflected back at her from a large mirror: red hair and trim, athletic build, one arm extended perfectly above her head. In place of her missing limb is a T-shirt sleeve, empty, hanging. Following along with the yoga tape, Halfaker visualizes that she still has a right arm; it helps her balance. She retired from the Army as a captain--a tough choice only four years out of West Point, but one she made as she tried to imagine fitting back into military culture. Without her arm, she could no longer do push-ups, tie her combat boots, tuck her hair neatly under a beret. She still has friends in Iraq, although one was killed in December. But the Bronze Star that she was awarded last year for her role at the Diyala police station is tucked away in a box. That day, she was in charge of 32 soldiers during the sustained firefight, taking a position on the roof with a grenade launcher, then quelling a jail riot. Lately, she works at an office in Arlington, mostly as a consultant to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. She has applied to graduate school in security studies, bought a condo in Adams Morgan and co-wrote a book proposal about postwar recovery. To get to this new place, Halfaker has made all sorts of adjustments. She types on a computer one-handed. Drive a car with a push-button ignition. Uses her knees to hold steady a peanut butter jar she wants to open. To write a note or a letter, she learned to use her left hand, practicing nightly at Walter Reed as she penned her thoughts in a journal. ``You don't think about how many times you have a lot of things in your hands, like for me just carrying my coffee from cafe downstairs up to my office on the seventh floor is a total battle every day,'' she said. She has to hold the coffee cup, scan her identification badge, open doors, press elevator buttons. Sometimes she spills. Sometimes the coffee burns her. In her apartment, Halfaker bends and stretches into yoga poses, her artificial arm lying beside the mirror. More functional prosthetics did little good for her type of injury, she found. So she persuaded prosthetic artists at Walter Reed to make this one--lightweight and natural- looking, easier on her body, allowing her to blend in with the outside world. Halfaker goes without a prosthetic when she is exercising, jogging through the streets of Washington or snowboarding in Colorado or lobbing tennis balls around a court. ``I never really wanted to hide the fact that I was an amputee,'' she said, ``but I never wanted it to be the central focus of my life.'' For some men, she said, it seems a badge of honor that they do not mind showing. ``For a woman, at least for me, it's not at all. . . . The fact that I only have one arm, I'm okay with that, but I want to be able to walk around and look like everyone else and not attract attention to myself. `` Last year, a guy she met on the Metro asked her out, saying that he thought she was pretty. She agreed to meet him for lunch but felt nervous about mentioning her missing limb. It turned out that he was no less interested, she said. In the fall, she started dating an Army anesthesiologist, to whom she has become close. He is deployed in Iraq. As a woman in her twenties, ``I want to look as good as I can look,'' she acknowledged. ``I think that's very much a female perspective, based on the roles that society has put men and women in.'' Even more, she said, ``I don't want to be known for being one-armed. I want to be known for whatever it is I do in my life.''

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to the life and legacy of Floyd Patterson, a giant of our time. He emerged not only as a heavyweight boxing champion, but as a champion for morality and an exemplar of courage. Patterson's life achievements span throughout the world, though his most notable accomplishments are in the sport of boxing. Patterson defeated opponents in the ring and those challengers he had to overcome outside the ring, particularly the likes of poverty and social marginality. Patterson was born January 4, 1935, in a dilapidated cabin in rural Waco, NC. He later as a small boy moved to a poor neighborhood in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York. His early years were met by challenges in school and emotional unrest. At the age of 11 he was sent to Wiltwyck School for Boys, an institution for emotionally disturbed youths in upstate New York. In a later account of Patterson, he said the school and a particular teacher, Vivien Costen, saved his life. At Wiltwyck he first discovered his interest with boxing and it was encouraged by his teachers. In 1947 he returned to Brooklyn. At age 14 he began working out with his brothers at Gramercy gym on New York's Lower East Side. The gym was owned by the legendary Constantine ``Cus'' D'Amato, who later would become Patterson's manager. At age 16, Patterson won the New York Golden Gloves middleweight title at Madison Square Garden. He was successful in winning 11 amateur championships in the Golden Gloves and the Amateur Athletic Union. In 1952 at the Olympics in Helsinki he won a gold medal and later that year, at age 17, he turned pro. In 1965, the Washington Post described him as ``a quietly confident young man with a school boyish air who likes ice cream, sweet potatoes and cream-colored cars.'' D'Amato was protective and careful with the progression of his career. However, when Rocky Marciano retired, D'Amato navigated a channel for his young fighter to the number one contender spot. On June 8, 1956, Patterson defeated Tommy ``Hurricane'' Jackson even though he suffered a broken hand 2 weeks before the fight. The victory positioned him to fight for the heavyweight title. On November 30, 1956, Patterson knocked out Archie Moore in Chicago to become the youngest world heavyweight champion. Patterson has been described as a good guy in the bad world of boxing. His fans loved him--the way he fought and his admirable personality and quiet spirit. Cus D'Amato, his trainer, called him ``a kind stranger.'' Red Smith, the New York Times sports columnist, called him ``the man of peace who loves to fight'' Patterson once said of himself, ``You can hit me and I won't think much of it, but you can say something and hurt me very much.'' Patterson's career as a boxer has set the standard for greatness in the world of boxing. He became the first to hold the heavyweight title twice. He suffered a hard loss to Swedish boxer Ingemar Johansson at Yankee Stadium on June 26, 1959, but regained the title a year later when he knocked out Johansson in the fifth round. Patterson said that it was the most gratifying moment in his life. He successfully defended his title until he fought ``Sonny'' Liston in September 25, 1962 in Chicago. Overall, Patterson finished 55-8-1 with 40 knockouts. Patterson was voted into the United States Olympic Committee Hall of Fame in 1987 and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. After he retired, Patterson became a passionate advocate for the sport of boxing. At a congressional subcommittee hearing he said, ``I would not like to see boxing abolished. I come from the ghetto, and boxing is a way out. It would be pitiful to abolish boxing because you would be taking away the one way out.'' Patterson was a member of the New York State Athletic Commission, which supervises the sport of boxing in the state and from 1995 to 1998 he chaired the Commission. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to highlight and celebrate the accomplishments of Floyd Patterson, an American hero.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Damu Smith, who died May 5, 2006, and to enter into the record an article by Makani Themba-Nixon entitled Damu Smith, popular activist, dies at 54 which appeared on May 13, 2006 as a special to The Washington AFRO American. Damu Smith was a people's activist who put his heart and energy into more than one cause. He was a St. Louis native and long-time Washington, D.C. resident, but he was renowned internationally as a great organizer and a man of ideas. He was a co-founder with Donelle Wilkins of the National Black Environmental Justice Network, NBEJN, in 1999. As the first coordinator for Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice, Smith revealed the practice of some corporations that targeted poor African American Communities. He organized Toxic Tours in the South to help bring national attention to this very serious problem. The story of this successful campaign to force a PVC plant out of Norco, La., was made into Lifetime cable movie, Fenceline: A Company Town Divided. Smith was a leader and co-founder of several social justice initiatives including Artists for a Free South Africa and Black Voices for Peace. For over 30 years, Smith worked to bring justice to all. When Smith first became ill, his many friends and followers from many peace, environmental and social justice movements rallied around him to give him their full support as a way of showing their love and gratitude for everything he had done to promote peace, justice and preservation of our mutually shared planet. Among the many projects Smith was involved in was promoting a national Martin Luther King Jr., Holiday. In the 1990s he joined Greenpeace USA and monitored corporate pollution on the Gulf Coast. He coordinated the first National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991, helping to link the civil rights movement to the environmental movement for the first time, colleagues said. Born LeRoy Wesley Smith, he came to Washington in 1973. He later took the name Damu, which the Associated Press of May 8, 2006 reported means blood, leadership and strength in Swahili. Damu Smith was a leader of great strength and passion. His causes were many and varied but all of them were about social justice and civil rights. Smith was an activist for 30 years. During this time, he was a co-founder of Artists for a Free South Africa and Black voice for Peace. His efforts ranged from a stint as executive director of the Washington Office on Africa during the anti-apartheid movement to work on gun violence and police brutality with the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice. According to the Afro American article, Ron Daniels founder and president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century, reflected that Smith was an incredible organizer, an incredible leader and teacher. He was also an incredible human being. I certainly second that assessment. Journalist George E. Curry wrote that Damu Smith who died at age 54, crammed more into his 54 years on earth than people who live twice as long. Yet, the feeling lingers that he left us too soon. Curry wrote that Smith was a man of integrity and he was a visionary. Those are words of high praise and they are true in describing Damu Smith. I want to add, he was a man with a great heart who spent his life working for those who most needed him. Damu Smith loved his one child very much. His many friends knew how much and how deeply he loved Asha Hadia Vemice Moore Smith, his 14- year-old daughter. They have set up a trust fund so she will have the opportunity for the education he wanted for her. I believe if Asha has inherited his heart and his character Damu Smith's daughter will be a light in the world just like her father. [From the AFRO American News, May 10, 2006] Damu Smith, Popular Activist, Dies at 54 (By Makani Themba-Nixon) Damu Smith, internationally renowned activist and a founder of the environmental justice movement, passed away early on May 5 at George Washington Hospital. Surrounded by a crowd of friends and family that spilled down hospital corridors, Smith, 54, succumbed after a year long bout with colorectal cancer. Smith was a dedicated organizer who even at the height of his health challenges found time to support social justice work. In recent months, Smith addressed the Millions More March and a capacity crowd for a TransAfrica forum, despite his ailing health. ``He loved his people,'' says Donelle Wilkins, co-chair of the National Black Environmental Justice Network (NBEJN) an organization she and Smith founded in 1999. ``You may have seen him at the big podiums and the big meetings but he was also in the country corners, the small towns, the little places. He rolled up his sleeves. He got his hands dirty.'' A St. Louis native and long time Washington, D.C. resident, Smith was a leader and co-founder of several social justice initiatives including Artists for a Free South Africa and Black Voices for Peace. A consummate organizer and bridge builder, Smith's work extended over 30 years and several issues. ``He was about bringing justice wherever it was needed,'' said Wilkens. Smith's efforts ranged from a stint as executive director of the Washington Office on Africa during the anti-apartheid movement to work on gun violence and police brutality with the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, the National Wilmington 10 Defense Committee and the National Black Independent Political Party. An outspoken activist on peace and disarmament, Smith served as associate director of the Washington Office of the American Friends Service Committee and traveled internationally to support movements for peace and justice around the world. ``He was undoubtedly one of the most important activists of our time,'' reflected Ron Daniels, founder and president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century. ``He was an incredible organizer, an incredible leader and teacher. He was also just an incredible human being.'' Perhaps Smith is best known for his groundbreaking work to establish the environmental justice movement. As national associate director and national toxics campaigner for Greenpeace USA, he helped carve out the racial justice analysis that helped distinguish environmental justice from the ``green space'' focus that typified environmental work of the day. As the first coordinator for environmental justice for the Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice, Smith gained firsthand experience of the corporate pollution practices that target poor and African American communities. He organized Toxic Tours in the South to help bring national attention to the issue, taking celebrities Alice Walker, Haki Madhubuti and others to the infamous area in Louisiana dubbed Cancer Alley. ``The work in Cancer Alley was his heart. He didn't think anything about his well being. He stood in the face of the threats, of the violence, of the toxics. He set an example for what was possible. It gave his community a sense of strength, a sense that together they can make a difference. And they did. It was profound,'' said Wilkens. The campaign to force a PVC plant out of Norco, La. was eventually the subject of a Lifetime cable channel movie, {Fenceline: A Company Town Divided}. Smith's efforts helped draw attention to the disproportionate toxic dumping in African-American communities nationwide, which led him to help found the National Black Environmental Justice Network. ``It was his vision to bring Black people together from all over the country to unite us around this issue,'' Wilkins said. ``He single-handedly brought together folk from more than 30 states--welfare moms to PhDs--to give birth to this network. Damu's leadership and commitment was relentless.'' Although Smith remained executive director of the network until his death, his primary campaign over the last year was his own survival. Friends launched the Spirit of Hope campaign to support Smith with living and healthcare expenses as years of organizing work left him with little resources and without health insurance. His wide network responded with an outpouring of support including a star studded gala last July that brought together artist activists Danny Glover, Bernice Reagon and Sonia Sanchez. ``These resources went to support Damu in acquiring the care he needed,'' said Sandra Rattley, Spirit of Hope coordinator. ``Damu was so grateful. The doctors were saying he only had three months last year but the community came together and literally extended his life. And every month he had, he continued to give back.'' Survivors include his daughter Asha Hadia Vernice Moore Smith, 13. He is also survived by a sister Sylnice Williams; two brothers Richard Anthony Smith and Leslie Dudley Smith; a significant other Adeleke Foster, two nephews, six nieces and thousands of friends and fellow soldiers in the battle for peace and justice. Rattley said the community is rallying to ensure that Asha is provided for. Smith often referred to his daughter as the crown jewel of his life and once boasted had started a Black Kids for Peace organization. Friends and colleagues often remarked on what a devoted and caring father Smith was. ``I know that Damu wanted to make sure that Asha is alright,'' says Rattley. A memorial service is scheduled for 5 p.m. May 20 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 5301 North Capitol St., N.W. in Washington, D.C. In lieu of floral arrangements, the family requests all donations be made to the Asha Moore Smith Trust, 1750 Columbia Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 or online at www.damusmith.org.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Florence Ricketts Gaynor, my constituent, who will celebrate her birthday on May 18, 2006. She will be 105 years of age. I offer my congratulations to her on this special day, and my hearty wishes that she celebrate many more. Born on May 18, 1901, Mrs. Gaynor was one of eight children of Frances Drake and James Ricketts who resided in Crooked River, Clarendon, Jamaica, West Indies. In the 1920's, she married Gilbert Gaynor in May Pen, Clarendon, where they had six children. Throughout her life, Mrs. Gaynor remained active in the church, especially the Mother's Union. She worked as a sales clerk and a seamstress. She was also employed in the laundry at the U.S. Air Base at Vernon Field, Jamaica. Her husband, Gilbert Gaynor, died in 1978. Mrs. Gaynor immigrated to New York City in May 2001, shortly after her 100th birthday, to live with two of her daughters--Violet Morgan and Enid Gaynor. They reside on Riverside Drive in the Washington Heights neighborhood of my congressional district. Mrs. Gaynor has 14 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and one great, great granddaughter. Mrs. Gaynor attributes her long life to her faith in God and uses white rum as part of her final hair rinse to prevent colds. As a proud resident of the United States, she is very happy to have a permanent resident card even though she has no plans to work. It is my great privilege to represent Mrs. Gaynor in the Congress of the United States, and I call upon my colleagues to join with me in wishing her a happy birthday and joyous reunion with her family to celebrate the occasion.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significance of the Mother Hale Learning Center by entering into the record an article from the New York CaribNews that celebrates the official opening of the MHLC in Harlem, New York. Clara Hale, best known as ``Mother Hale,'' was a prominent philanthropist, social activist and child care worker who founded Hale House in New York City and created a sanctuary for drug-addicted and AIDS-infected infants and their mothers. As a foster care parent in 1940, Mother Hale provided a home to over 40 children of all ethnic and religious backgrounds over the next 25 years. As problems associated with drug abuse exploded in Harlem, Mother Hale expanded her home for infants addicted before birth. It was the first--and only known program--in the U.S. designed to deal with infants born addicted to illegal drugs. Clara Hale was a rare individual who devoted her life to caring for over 800 unwanted children. She left her loving imprint on the lives of thousands. When Mother Hale passed away in December, 1992, her daughter, Lorraine Hale carried on her mother's mission. The Mother Hale Learning Center is an expansion of the work Hale House does through its residential programs. It also allows for affordable childcare to the Harlem community. This dedication of the Mother Hale Learning Center, as detailed in the attached article, is recognized as the perfect present to honor the legacy of Mother Clara Hale. Mr. Speaker: I congratulate everyone associated with this notable community resource expansion known as the Mother Hale Learning Center. This center is truly a testament to the life work of Clara Hale. Deputy Mayor & Children's Character Clifford The Big Red Dog Join In Opening Mother Hale Learning Center New York, NY.--Dennis Walcott, Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development and beloved children's character Clifford The Big Red Dog, recently joined Zachary Carter, Hale House Chairman of the Board, and Randolph McLaughlin, Executive Director of Hale House, civic leaders, parents and children to officially open the Mother Hale Learning Center (MHLC), located at 300 Manhattan Avenue in Harlem. ``The opening of the Mother Hale Learning Center is a natural expansion of the work Hale House does through its residential programs and gives us the opportunity to provide educational and affordable childcare to the community-at- Iarge,'' said Mr. McLaughlin. ``It also is the perfect present to honor the legacy of Mother Hale, who would have been 101 on April 1st.'' Following the opening ceremony, attendees were led on a tour of the facilities and Deputy Mayor Walcott and Clifford The Big Red Dog greeted the excited children. MHLC offers high-quality, yet affordable educational childcare for infants, toddlers and preschoolers of families in the community. Classes are led by the Center's experienced and highly trained childcare staff, who create an atmosphere that is caring, nurturing and supportive to each child's educational needs. Adhering to the standards of excellence set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the curriculum is designed to foster the growth of each child by focusing on social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. There are classrooms for each age group, each with a daily curriculum and activities specifically designed for that particular group, including: Infants (6 weeks to 1 year old) curriculum which utilizes tactile toys and stimulating activities to help infants gain awareness of their senses; Young Toddlers (1 to 2 years old) and Older Toddlers (2 to 3 years old) curriculum which focuses on building language, creativity, motor skills and social interaction to help children process the new and exciting things they discover each day; and Preschoolers (3 years old to their 5th birthday) curriculum which provides hands-on learning experiences that foster independent thinking and self- expression, and daily group activities that help enhance cognitive and social skills to prepare children for kindergarten. As one of the few educational programs in Harlem that works with both infants and toddlers, the fully secured facility can accommodate up to 38 children and is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It also features a computer room with three child-friendly computer stations--donated by I.B.M. and United Way--a sleep room for the infants, as well as an outdoor recreation courtyard. The Center will also provide parent workshops, a resource library and referrals to other appropriate services.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of Asian/Pacific Americans and their innumerable contributions to our Nation. The fabric of American society has benefited from the talent, dedication and enthusiasm of Asian/Pacific Americans. The month of May is designated as a time when we all can appreciate and observe diversity in America by highlighting the contributions of Asian/Pacific Americans. In June 1977, Representative Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y. Mineta of California introduced a House Resolution that called upon the President to designate the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. Subsequently, Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both House and Senate Bills were passed. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history. The arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843 and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed on May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded the observance for the entirety of May. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for students. This year's theme is ``Freedom for All--A Nation We Call Our Own.'' Mr. Speaker, Asian/Pacific Americans are leaders in public service, business, government, science, law, education, athletics, the arts, and many other areas. Their love of family, community, and hard work has helped to uphold our Nation for many generations. Asian/Pacific American entrepreneurs are helping to strengthen our economy and our communities through their hard work and ingenuity, and they inspire a new generation of American innovation through their example. More than 14 million Americans of Asian or Pacific Island Heritage contribute to the vitality, success, and prosperity of our Nation.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of a bold moral voice in Harlem, the Rev. Frederick B. Williams. He gave his life to the cause of righteousness and justice. He ministered and worked in my Congressional district on behalf of the destitute and poor. He also spoke courageously concerning national and international social- political issues which captured the attention of the world. Canon Williams served as Pastor Emeritus of the Episcopal Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York. As the IXth Vicar and XIVth Rector he launched the first religious center in the United States addressing the HIV-AIDS crisis. This program provided crucial care and advocated for those inflicted with the disease through a concrete programmatic approach. He led the way in opening up dialogue to discuss and grapple with HIV-AIDS at a time when it was not popular. In 1993 Canon Williams was able to galvanize black clergy to step up to the challenge. He said, ``What has changed is that all of us know, or will know in the next 12 months, someone who has died of AIDS.'' He helped to raise broad awareness of HIV-AIDS and initiated a movement to educate and respond decisively to the crisis. Canon Williams was founder and chairman of Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement which developed over 2,000 units of new and rehabilitated housing in Harlem, which still stands as the largest in the history of New York City. His community efforts as chair also included 40 commercial spaces and Harlem's first large supermarket. He also opened the doors of Intercession Church to the Boys Choir of Harlem which gave them their first home. Additionally, he led the renovation of Jackie Robinson Park at 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue. He was widely known for his passion for the arts. Since 1973 he served as chairman of trustee of numerous major African-American performing arts group in New York City. Among other committees, he served on the Rockefeller Foundation; member of Board of Advisors, New York City Landmarks Conservancy; Black Alumni of Pratt Institute advisory council; Trustee of the African Activists' Archive Project, Inc. and served as chair of the National Clergy Advisory Committee of Harlem Week of Prayer. He was also an advisor to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa. Mr. Speaker, I am forever indebted to Rev. Canon Frederick B. Williams for his dedication and commitment to public service through ministry in my Congressional district. Celebrating the Life of Canon Frederick B. Williams Canon Williams is the Pastor Emeritus of the Episcopal Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York, where he has served 1972--2005 as the IXth Vicar and XIVth Rector. This institution is one of the first religious centers in the United States to initiate a programmatic response to the HIV- AIDS crisis. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Interfaith, Ecumenical, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, Inc. (HCCI) and is a key member of the leadership team that has developed over 2,000 units of new and rehabilitated housing in Harlem, the largest such undertaking in the history of New York City. Recognized as a true ``Patron of the Arts,'' Canon Williams served, since 1973, as chairman of trustee of almost every major African-American performing arts group in New York City. He is a Trustee of The Rockefeller Foundation; member of the Board of Advisors, New York City Landmarks Conservancy; Black Alumni of Pratt Institute advisory council; Trustee of the African Activists' Archive Project, Inc. and served for 10 years as Chair of the National Clergy Advisory Committee of the renowned Harlem Week of Prayer (the Balm in Gilead, Inc.). He is an advisor to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa whom he represents on the board of Directors of PEACEJAM, Inc. an international peace education program for youth headquartered in Denver, Colo., and sponsored by 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates. has been a visiting professor at the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge Massachusetts, the General Theological Seminary, New York City; and guest lecturer at several American and international institutions of higher learning. He has preached on six of the earths' seven continents and is the founder of the International Conference on Afro-Anglicanism.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor General Anthony Zinni for his courage and for his vision for Peace and to insert into the Congressional Record an article published in the Washington Post on April 10, 2006, entitled ``A General with an Alternative Vision.'' His recently published book with Tony Koltz is entitled The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose. I am pleased General Zinni is now an author of his third book. I am especially pleased that this third book is available now at this time in our country's history when General Zinni's ideas and leadership are so sorely needed. The Washington Post calls General Zinni a ``General with an Alternative Vision.'' It is that alternative vision which I want to celebrate in this Record. Because General Zinni has a vision for America he is able to set out specific strategic goals he believes would achieve his vision for America. According to General Zinni, this Nation's purpose and most important strategic goal is to bring stability wherever there is instability. It is his belief that stability should be the centerpiece of the Nation's national security policy and the most important purpose of the U.S. government. As Michael Abramowitz, National Editor of the Washington Post put it in this article, Zinni's view of ``job number one'' for the U.S. government as ``Wresting order out of a chaotic world.'' The remarkable part of this vision and purpose for American and its part in the battle for peace is that it is a combat hardened veteran and diplomat who has had the vision. War and a near-death experience in Vietnam; listening to the rationale for the loss of 60,000 Americans in Vietnam and hearing similarities in the rationales given for going to war in Iraq and a promise he made himself as he lay dying in Vietnam to always speak the General Zinni has envisioned it, is who General Zinni is and the events that have shaped his life. Upon graduating from Villanova University in 1965, Anthony Zinni was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Sent to Vietnam in 1967 as a Infantry Battalion Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corp, he returned as a company commander where he suffered life threatening wounds, taking three rounds from an AK-47 in the chest and back. From 1997 to 2000, he was Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central Command, in charge of all American troops in the Middle East. That was the same job held by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf before him, and Gen. Tommy Franks after him. Following his retirement, he was selected by the President Bush to one of the highest diplomatic posts in the administration, special envoy to the Middle East. General Zinni has 40 years serving his country as a marine and as a diplomat. He is widely respected. He is known for his candor. General Zinni supported the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2000 but broke with the administration on the issue of going to war in Iraq. He spoke out in print and on television against an invasion of Iraq. In his first book, Battle Ready written with co-author Torn Clancy, Gen. Zinni wrote that he saw true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility in the lead up to the war as well as lying, incompetence and corruption. He was especially critical of the insufficient number of forces and lack of planning for the invasion. He voiced his criticism on the CBS program 60 Minutes. He blamed the war on the civilian leadership at the Pentagon. General Zinni characterized the Iraq war as one the generals did not want but the civilians at the pentagon wanted. In his new book, The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of American's Power and Purpose General Zinni has in fact become a visionary. I have long searched for a visionary for our beleaguered military. Our forces are stretched dangerously thin in Iraq, a war based on lies from President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rice and others in the Administration who deliberately sold the war as a ``product'' to the Congress and the American people. I have looked back on General Zinni's statements on 60 Minutes and as quoted in The Washington Post. In an article by Thomas E. Ricks in the December 23 2003, issue of The Washington Post General Zinni was quoted stating: ``Iraq is in serious danger of coming apart because of lack of planning, underestimating the task and buying into a flawed strategy,'' he says. ``The longer we stubbornly resist admitting the mistakes and not altering our approach, the harder it will be to pull this chestnut out of the fire.'' Ricks wrote: ``Zinni long has worried that there are worse outcomes possible in Iraq than having Saddam Hussein in power-- such as eliminating him in such a way that Iraq will become a new haven for terrorism in the Middle East.'' Again, Zinni was quoted: ``I think a weakened, fragmented, chaotic Iraq, which could happen if this isn't done carefully, is more dangerous in the long run than a contained Saddam is now,'' he told reporters in 1998. ``I don't think these questions have been thought through or answered.'' We know now Gen. Zinni's words were prescient. That is why it is so important we listen to him now when he talks about the use of our military in the future and the goal of our national security policy. Although General Zinni remains a strong critic of the Bush Administration, this book The Battle for Peace is not a screed against the administration, but it is a condemnation of its war policies and its use of the military. But what is best about the book is that it contains a positive plan for real national security. He remains a strong critic of the Bush Administration. In fact, in The Battle for Peace, General Zinni offers a vision of national security policy and national purpose that is the complete opposite of those stated by President Bush. In doing so, General Zinni offers the harshest and truest criticism of President Bush's most recent rationale for his misbegotten Iraq war. There is no talk in Zinni's book of bringing ``freedom to the people of the world because all men and women deserve to be free.'' There is no talk of making democracies so they will become our allies.'' Instead Gen. Zinni gives pragmatic and realistic ideas and plans for stabilizing any nation-state or country that is about to destabilize. In his book Zinni writes: ``The real threats do not come from military forces or violent attacks; they do not come from a nation- state or hostile non-state entity. They do not derive from an ideology (not even from a radical, West-hating, violent brand of lslam). The real new threats come from Instability. Instability and the chaos it generates can spark large and dangerous changes anywhere in the land.'' General Zinni believes that the most urgent problem facing the country is the problem posed by dysfunctional countries or those in danger of becoming dysfunctional. These countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, are the breeding grounds for the radicals and terrorists who hate the United States and want to attack us. But, General Zinni believes we cannot rely only on the military to solve the problems we face from these countries. He believes we use the military in ways that alienate other countries. Most importantly, General Zinni, a military veteran and retired General believes we should better organize U.S. agencies to respond to droughts, famines and civil wars and other sources of instability before they metastasize into situations that require military force. He advocates for an interdepartmental team drawn from relevant agencies to watch for tensions and other signs of instability and a deployable force of civilians to handle recovery and reconstruction in war zones. I view General Zinni's statement of what he believes should be this nation's purpose and plan for national security to be a direct refutation of President Bush's often stated depiction of our ``enemy'' the one driven by an evil ideology who ``lurks'' everywhere and must be fought ``over there,'' as well as General Zinni's strong statement that it is the business of the U.S. to bring stability where there is chaos is a reality based statement of what our national purpose should be. General Zinni was one of the generals who endorsed President Bush in 2000. It is clear now that he would take the country in an entirely different direction on national security than the path the President is on. That is in sync with the American people who also believe the President is taking the country in the wrong direction. [From the Washington Post, Apr. 10, 2006] A General With an Alternative Vision (By Michael Abramowitz) Well into his new book, Gen. Tony Zinni lists what he thinks ought to be the nation's strategic goals. They include, among other things, keeping regions and countries stable; making unstable countries stable; and working with regional partners to address unstable conditions. For Zinni, stability is the lodestar of modem national security policy. Wresting order out of a chaotic world is the mission he sees as job number one for the U.S. government. ``The real threats do not come from military forces or violent attacks; they do not come from a nation-state or hostile non-state entity. They do not derive from an ideology (not even from a radical, West-hating, violent brand of Islam),'' Zinni writes. ``The real new threats come from Instability. Instability and the chaos it generates can spark large and dangerous changes anywhere in the land.'' Notably absent from Zinni's list is any mention of spreading democracy and freedom, among the goals articulated recently by the White House in its National Security Strategy, often with soaring, idealistic rhetoric. The document states: ``The United States possesses unprecedented--and unequaled--strength and influence in the world. Sustained by faith in the principles of liberty, and the value of a free society, this position comes with unparalleled responsibilities, obligations, and opportunity. The great strength of this nation must be used to promote a balance of power that favors freedom.'' Zinni's contrast in tone and emphasis seems purposeful. With ``The Battle for Peace,'' the retired Marine general has set out to present an alternative vision of the national interest to the one espoused by President Bush. It is a less ambitious, more incrementalist vision. If adopted by the Democrats, his dry, bureaucratic approach may lack for popular appeal. Yet might it bring about a more rational alignment of our national purpose with our fiscal and military resources? That is the implicit question raised in this slender volume by one of the nation's most prominent military voices. Zinni is a combat veteran whose experience in Vietnam brought him three rounds from an AK-47 and a near-death experience. Before retiring, Zinni served as chief of the military's Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East and South Asia, a post that brought him into direct contact with many of the region's leading political and military figures and a firsthand experience in the most challenging foreign policy questions facing the United States. He was one of a raft of former generals who endorsed Bush for president in 2000, but he has since broken with the administration over what he sees as its ill-thought-out adventurism in Iraq. Zinni was against the war before it was popular to be so. Those hoping for an intemperate screed against Bush's policies, however, will be disappointed. Zinni writes soberly and, largely, without invective. Although he disapproves of what he considers Bush's excessive faith in military power and the imprudence of the Iraq invasion, he does not frontally attack the administration. But by the end of this book, it is clear Zinni would have us move into a radically different direction on national security matters. Zinni believes far too little thought and attention are being paid to the management of what, as he describes it, is the most urgent issue facing the country--how to manage the problems posed by dysfunctional countries or those that are in danger of becoming dysfunctional. Those countries, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, are the breeding grounds for the radicals and terrorists who hate the United States and want to attack us. Yet as Zinni tells it, we have expertise in only one tool-- military force--for dealing with these countries, and we too often use our power in ways that alienate other societies. He offers a variety of proposals to better organize U.S. agencies to respond to droughts, famines, civil wars and other sources of instability before they metastasize into situations that require military force. He wants an interdepartmental team drawn from relevant agencies to watch for tensions and other signs of instability and a deployable force of civilians to handle recovery and reconstruction in war zones. This is not an easy book to read. Even with the help of a professional writer, there is a fair amount of jargon in here, and the structure of the book is a bit mysterious. Zinni veers between interesting accounts of his involvement in various crises--such as the effort to aid the Iraqi Kurds after the Persian Gulf War--and his analysis of the shortcomings in U.S. grand strategy and how we are organized to deal with the threats of the 21st century. It is hard to judge whether his proposals would amount to more than a reshuffling of the bureaucratic deck. Still, Zinni is an interesting man, and he has a lot of interesting things to say about the dangers of pursuing our current course in foreign policy. He is a distinctly non- ideological man in an era when ideology is running rampant both home and abroad. He seems to be saying that the world is full of problems that can be better managed if only we had more competent U.S. leadership, different bureaucracies and less idealism from our leaders. The premise is debatable, but the next president may decide to give it a go.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of the life and work of Ana Peiera. Ana Peiera championed the cause of the poor and disadvantaged of New York City. She courageously led the cause of housing for the neediest and most vulnerable and dedicated her life to virtues that are admirable and noble. She certainly exemplified Jesus' admonition stated in Matthew 25:40 to devote one's life to serve ``the least of these.'' She indeed has left an indelible print on the landscape of New York City. Her advocacy work led her to found the Heritage Health & Housing and Community Services organization which serviced many of New York City's poor. She was loved in a variety of circles, especially within social action and social service professional networks. Jorge Abreui, the acting executive director of the Heritage Health & Housing, stated ``She was a multifaceted social worker, who greatly influenced the construction of a safety net to care for this City's neediest-- especially in the Harlem, Washington Heights and South Bronx districts of New York.'' Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for all of the hard work Ana engaged in during her life in my Congressional district. However, her legacy stretches beyond borders to the hearts of those persons who need homes and who are challenged by the likes of poverty, mental illness, Aids and drug addiction. Ana became a voice for the voiceless in New York City; those who live at the margins of society had a platform through Ana to voice their needs. She implemented and fought for comprehensive programs to adequately address the needs of the underserved. She was never known to dodge even the most difficult cases and prided in the opportunity to conquer the giants of poverty and homelessness. She believed that her life could reach even the most destitute who found themselves in the grips of calamity and deprivation. Through 24-hour/7 days a week comprehensive programs she managed to wrestle those individuals away from the strong grips of poverty and lack. Before starting Heritage Housing she worked in New York City Housing authority. From 1972 to 1978 she was the District Supervisor for Community Services. From 1969 to 1972, she was Director of the Senior Advocacy Services in the Bronx. She provided leadership in a host of other capacities that all centered on addressing the needs of the poor. Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter into the Congressional Record an article titled, ``Memorial Tribute to Ana Peiera'' featured in CARIBNEWS on May 2, 2006, highlighting the achievements of Ana Peiera. Memorial Tribute To Ana Pereira Tireless Founder Dedicated Life Work to New York City's Neediest On Thursday, April 27, 2006, elected officials; health, housing and social service professionals; family and friends will join Heritage Health and Housing to celebrate the life of one if its founders, Ana Pereira. The former Executive Director, who championed housing for New York City's neediest, will be memorialized at a special ceremony at Aaron Davis Hall from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. The ceremony, hosted by WHCR-FM radio personality, Jeanne Parnell Habersham, will conclude with a special reception. ``Ana Pereira was a beloved figure in New York City's social action circles'', stated Jorge Abreui, Heritage Health & Housing acting Executive Director. ``She was a multifaceted social worker, who greatly influenced the construction of a safety net to care for this City's neediest--especially in the Harlem, Washington Heights and South Bronx districts of New York. Her legacy lies in the care of persons who needed homes, and suffered from mental illness, addiction, AIDS, poverty, and the accompanying deprivation typically evident in the lives of many of her consumers of service. I knew her for 21 years, and worked with her for 18 of those years, crafting programs, fighting for, and winning services for the underserved''. Under Ms. Pereira's supervision, Heritage Housing and Community Services developed a reputation as an agency willing to take on the most difficult cases and help individuals transform their lives through programs providing a full continuum of care, from 24-hour/7-days-a-week supervision to semi-independent living. Working with the mentally ill, substance abusers, individuals with HIV/AIDS, the homeless and ex-offenders, the Agency, through Ms. Pereira's strong, personal leadership, helped its clients achieve independence and become contributing members of their communities. Prior to starting Heritage Housing and Community Services, Ms. Pereira worked in various capacities for the New York City Housing Authority. From 1972 to 1978, she was a District Supervisor for Community Services and managed a District office responsible for community services in 35 different housing developments. At the time, she was responsible for agency budgets totaling $25 million. From 1969 to 1972, she was Director of the Senior Advocacy Services in the Bronx, responsible for training and supervising case workers who provided services for homebound elderly. In effort to keep her legacy alive, the Board of Directors and staff of Heritage Health and Housing established The Ana Pereira Memorial Endowment Fund 416 West 127th Street, New York New York 10027. From deep in the heart of Harlem to the Banks of the South Bronx, Ana will be missed but never forgotten.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, well, the Republicans are coming. The Republicans are coming. The Republicans are coming with relief for the alternative minimum tax. It is the same way they were coming to give our older people prescription drugs. Work through the maze, and at the end of it we will give you a penalty. The Republicans are coming in order to balance the budget, but we just have to borrow more money from China and around the world. Just how gullible do you think that the American people can be? I can imagine now in November my colleagues, Republicans, running around with a sign, ``I am from the Republican Congress. I am here to help you.'' You cannot believe it. If you want the alternative minimum tax the way they are offering it, wherever the conference was, you have to swallow with that a tax bill, a tax cut bill that costs over $40 billion. And this only would help a fraction of 1 percent of the wealthiest Americans in the world. So if you want equity and fair play, which they refuse to give in the House for the alternative minimum tax, all you have to do is hold your nose and let them continue to give the tax cut to their rich friends and then tell you this is the last chance that the train of equity is coming through your neighborhood. Well, it is not the last time, because we have a motion to recommit to tell the conferees to take care of those 81 million people that are caught up in this tax hookup which they should not be and to drop the rest of it and to let you try to do something with the deficit. So let's focus not on the fact that this is the last train in town to help, but Democrats are on the way to really help by knocking off the tax cuts that no one is asking for except the administration and K Street, and concentrate on what we are here for. And so it just seems to me that you should not frighten people to join some HMO and hold back their drugs and you should not frighten people that you are not going to get relief from the alternative minimum tax unless you buy the whole package, which is an additional $50 billion of unfair, undeserved tax cuts for the wealthy. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.