Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, it is of great importance that we undertake changes to the tax law with a real understanding of the current budget crisis facing our Nation. It is simply irresponsible to contemplate tax cuts that are skewed to the very richest in our country when Americans are facing the largest deficit we have ever seen. The Congressional Budget Office projects a Federal deficit of approximately $337 billion for this fiscal year alone. That number does not reflect the approximately $181 billion that has been borrowed from the Social Security trust funds to pay for government programs. Unmasked, the true deficit, counting what is being pulled out of the trust funds, is well over half a trillion dollars for this year alone. The administration has cited the large deficit as an excuse for massive reductions in education and health programs, and that is for the Nation's least well-off. Pursuing additional tax breaks for the super-wealthy would further jeopardize the remaining safety net for children, the disabled, and other vulnerable individuals in the future. Just 2 weeks ago, Republicans in Congress voted to increase the Nation's public debt limit again. Where did the money go? One need only connect the dots to see where the Republicans' priorities lie. Madam Speaker, this administration and congressional leaders have hit bottom. It is irresponsible and it is immoral to direct current deficit spending to tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest 1 percent of the country; yet this is the trajectory that has been pursued by many of the Republican conferees. Further, these Republican conferees would be willing to mortgage the cost of this gift to the wealthiest taxpayers on the back of every man, woman and child in this country, and it is evident that most of the Republicans have these misplaced priorities. Beyond the sheer irresponsibility of enacting these skewed tax cuts, the Republican leadership has underscored its stubborn and steadfast commitment to cutting taxes on investment income and handing the bill to middle-class families that are more and more falling prey to the growing reach of the alternative minimum tax. Madam Speaker, I think it is very important that we take stock in what is going on here and what the ramifications are of any law coming out of this conference. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to return to our values and return to a commitment to fiscal responsibility. Madam Speaker, my motion today would instruct the conferees on the tax cut reconciliation bill to focus the relief offered in the conference agreement on helping almost 17 million Americans to avoid painful and cumbersome tax increases by extending relief from the sprawling reach of the AMT. Without this relief, American families could see an increase in taxes as large as $3,640. This relief is certainly a priority that this Congress can and should not ignore. My motion would also instruct the conferees to exclude from the conference report provisions to extend the tax cuts on the capital gain and dividend incomes in 2009 and 2010. These reduced rates do not expire for another 2 years. There is plenty of time to extend those benefits in the future if it is determined to be appropriate and affordable. It seems misguided at the very least to allow the extension of this very skewed tax cut to take priority over tax relief that is vital to 17 million Americans. And finally, my motion instructs conferees to not increase the burdens on our children and grandchildren in the future by insisting on a conference report that does not increase budget deficit, and does not decrease the public debt limit. The increase passed 2 weeks ago was the fourth such increase in the public debt limit during the Bush administration. The President's own budget envisions the debt rising to $11.5 trillion by 2011. For too long misguided Republican policies have funded a series of lopsided tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans by jacking up the debt, a burden that our children and grandchildren must bear. It is simply unfair to mortgage these policies on the backs of future taxpayers. Even in normal times the Republican fiscal policies would be shocking, but these are not normal times. We are facing a war in Iraq. We have enormous deficits. We have done nothing to ensure the solvency of Social Security and Medicare programs. Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support my motion to instruct the conferees that perhaps we can work together to get the wheels back on this fiscal wagon. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to transfer the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce in to the Record my sincerest congratulations and best wishes for Portia Simpson Miller, Jamaica's newly-installed President of the People's National Party and newly-elected Prime Minister, on her imminent Inauguration on March 30, 2006. Celebrants of Women's History Month in Jamaica and elsewhere had much to rejoice about as Simpson Miller made history on February 25th, when she was elected the first woman president of the 68-year old People's National Party (PNP). With this, the stage was set for more history: she will become the first woman Prime Minister of the great nation of Jamaica. Simpson Miller knows full well the numerous challenges in store as she embarks on this political journey as Prime Minister. She is no stranger to the political arena--where partisan and national expectations are high--and realizes that there is much to be done to address the many problems of the Jamaican society. The much anticipated question about the direction in which Simpson Miller intends to take the country will begin to unfold in a couple of days when she is sworn in as Prime Minister and appoints her Cabinet to implement her priorities. Yesterday, in Ocho Rios, St. Ann Jamaica, Simpson Miller shed a single tear as she accepted the People's National Party's symbolic baton of leadership from P.J. Patterson, the outgoing Prime Minister. Simpson Miller stressed the need for unity, and urged the party to have its election machinery oiled and ready by June this year. Simpson Miller praised Patterson, who has led the party for 14 years, for helping her political career, and she paid tribute to their friendship even when they competed against each other for the presidency fourteen years ago. In her acceptance speech yesterday before ruling party's National Executive Council (NEC) she calmly stated ``I come to you today with no malice, no malice whatsoever, because I come today as your party leader. I am determined to lead a united party. I am determined to build bridges that will lead to unity of purpose and accomplishment of our mission. I am determined to devote my energy and time to the healing process because it is only in unity that we can have strength, and it is only in strength that we can be assured of the success of our programs and victory for the fifth term''. Mr. Speaker, with change come challenges. There are always skeptics and detractors lurking on the horizon waiting to pounce at the first signs of failure. I am confident that Portia Simpson Miller will rise to lead the great Jamaican nation into the future with optimism and hope.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon the United States Government to assist the islands of the Caribbean with preparation for the impending 2006 hurricane season and to enter in the Record an editorial from the New York CaribNews entitled ``Prepare Now Don't Wait for a Hurricane Strike'' which addresses the need to take timely action now before a natural disaster occurs. The impact and wreckage still linger in Grenada from 2004 and 2005. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Ivan and Emily we realized that decades of progress was wiped away and insurmountable damage was done to 90 per cent of the country's housing stock and watersheds. Similar devastation exists throughout the islands of the Caribbean who received direct force of the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes. It is crucial that steps be taken to prepare for these tragedies long before they occur. We must have programs in place to respond immediately and not wait until the disaster strikes. With 2006 Hurricane Season Around The Corner, A Loud Caribbean Appeal: Prepare Now Don't Wait for a Hurricane Strike March 21, 2006.--Among Caribbean leaders, Dr. Keith Mitchell, Grenada's Prime Minister, is undoubtedly the best person, not only to talk about the importance of preparing a country's response system before a natural disaster occurs. He is also well qualified to be the region's spokesman on rebuilding a nation after devastation caused by a hurricane. That's because of the wreckage Hurricanes Ivan and Emily left behind in 2004 and last year in Grenada. In a matter of hours Ivan wiped out decades of progress in the Eastern Caribbean state, destroyed the productive base of the economy, took at least a dozen lives and damaged 90 per cent of the country's housing stock, forested areas, watershed and mangroves. In less than a year Emily came along and unfortunately piled on damage on top of damage and put a halt to much of the rebuilding effort after Ivan. That put Dr. Mitchell and his people in the unenviable position of starting from scratch to rebuild a beautiful country. Small wonder, then, that when the United Nations was about to launch its international Central Emergency Response Fund last week in New York, the Grenada leader was invited to join UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, at the head table to speak to delegates from around the world about the value of being well prepared in case of a natural disaster and the need for an effective response by the international community to appeals for help. A key task was to appeal for financial and technical assistance for victims of natural disasters. Speaking on behalf of Caricom and addressing the high level meeting as a ``survivor of an unprecedented catastrophe'' the Prime Minister presented a sensible case for small states. ``The Caribbean is among the regions in the world most vulnerable to natural disasters,'' he said. ``The survival of our economies is dependent on the frequency and magnitude of these events.'' Afterwards, he told us at Carib News that he was worried and nervous about the upcoming hurricane season, which begins in June. His concern for the Caribbean region as a whole, not simply Grenada, wasn't misplaced. After all, Ivan left a trail of devastation in Jamaica, Haiti, St. Vincent and other islands. The loss of life in Haiti was mind-boggling and tragic. Other hurricanes also affected the Bahamas and the U.S. Last year, Katrina took its lethal high winds and heavy rains to the Gulf Coast of the United States, especially New Orleans and the pitiful sight of tens of thousands of homeless persons, at least 1,000 killed and the Big Easy brought to its knees wouldn't be erased from the memory banks of Americans for decades to come. Add the inept response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, and the Bush White House to the nightmare and it would become clear why rich and poor countries alike should be petrified about the 2006 hurricane season. But hurricanes aren't the only cause for despair. Monstrous floods hit Guyana in late 2004 from which it hasn't fully recovered. Some estimates by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC, put the damage in Guyana to approximately 60 percent of its gross domestic product. The floods affected almost two-thirds of the 800,000 plus persons who live there. Clearly, nations and territories in the region should have learned some important lessons from these tragedies. The first was that they should be prepared for the tragedy long before it occurs. Next, they must have programs in place to respond immediately after the all clear has been given. That was why it was so distressing to hear both Dr. Mitchell and Jeremy Collymore, Coordinator of the Caribbean Emergency Response Agency, CEDERA, express regret that some countries seem to be waiting until the next calamity strikes in order to wake up. That would add to the suffering. In his speech to the diplomats and other representatives in New York, Dr. Mitchell expressed the Caribbean's disappointment at the ``poor response'' to the region's appeals for assistance in the wake of the natural disasters. ``In both cases only a small percentage of the pledges were fulfilled,'' he said. That's an international scandal, a crying shame. Here were countries and institutions making pledges, lifting people's hopes but failing to live up to their word in times of need and suffering.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record the first part of an eloquent speech made by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Honorable P.J. Patterson, March 9 to the Protocolary Session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States on the theme of ``Caribbean Integration In Emerging Hemispheric Relations''. The Caribbean region is a breathtaking area. The rich people, culture and natural resources make it a jewel of the global community. But as Mr. Patterson outlines in his remarks, more must be done to promote the countries' political and social prosperity. He warns, ``Unless we focus in a meaningful way on the intrinsic link between democracy, good governance and international security on the one hand, and development on the other, our goals for peace, stability and political and economic security will always remain elusive.'' Patterson continues, ``We must therefore address the development agenda with the same energy and commitment as we have sought to strengthen the democratic agenda, giving each equal dedication, in order that the benefits of democracy can be widely felt to improve the quality of life for our peoples.'' One key to further development, according to Patterson, is integration. ``Smaller units operating on their own can no longer be viable counterweights in this rapidly changing world,'' maintains Patterson. The plight of the people of the Caribbean can only be enhanced through greater national and international commitment in addition to empowerment among national leaders. Not only must Caribbean leaders, ``broaden the boundaries of our collaboration beyond the OAS and the United Nations,'' and look towards the World Trade Organization, as Patterson recommends, but a greater commitment must be made to principles such as education, justice and the rule of law, inclusion, and integrity in order to make the region stronger. Mr. Speaker, I rise again to strongly support the words spoken by Mr. Patterson in an effort to bring to light challenges facing the region and his proposals for what actions need to take place to secure a brighter future for the Caribbean nations. Caribbean Integration in Emerging Hemispheric Relations Introduction It was indeed with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation extended by the distinguished Secretary General to address this august body. I consider it a distinct honour to be doing so in this prestigious Hall of the Americas. Most importantly, the opportunity afforded me at this time, takes on added significance as it comes at the juncture when I am about to take formal leave from the ``field'' of active politics. In a few weeks, my involvement in regional and hemispheric developments henceforth will be from the vantage point of the spectator's stands. As one who has participated in these two processes from very early in my political career, I have been asked to share a few thoughts on my vision for the Caribbean and the Americas, bearing in mind the current global realities and our shared commitment towards advancing the political, economic and social development of this hemisphere. As such, I propose to focus on the nexus between developments in the regional integration process, particularly within CARICOM, and developments taking place at the hemispheric level. How do I see these two processes coalescing to bring about a partnership that will meet the needs of every member state, regardless of their size or wealth and one that will improve the quality of life for our peoples, our most important assets? The International Scenario In order to fully appreciate where our countries are going, we must first understand the milieu in which they are operating. This will affect the vision we all have for a hemisphere in which we can enjoy peace, stability and prosperity on a sustained basis. Some sixty years ago when the OAS was created, no one would have thought that we would have experienced such rapid and radical shifts in the international environment, propelled by marked transformations in the global economy. These, together with the emergence of new threats to international peace and security, now challenge the very survival of many of our countries. As the twin forces of globalisation and liberalization have become more pronounced, new demands were thrust upon the countries of the hemisphere forcing, in varying degrees, modifications to our national objectives and priorities. Increased vulnerabilities to the vagaries of these two phenomena have led to the abandonment of traditional economic policies and the adoption of new models of economic development as we seek to secure a greater space in the world economy and a more participatory role in international economic relations. There is no doubt that both globalisation and liberalization, especially in the last decade, have been the driving force behind the integration of the global economy. Despite the potential benefits of this process, we have to acknowledge that the long-term survival of many of our countries continues to require adjustment to the new realities of an international environment which has become increasingly hostile and unpredictable. Notwithstanding improvements in global economic prospects and the potential benefits to be derived there from, we have to admit that inequities still remain, putting a number of countries at economic risk, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean. The quest for sustainable growth, particularly for small economies, has become even more elusive as traditional support mechanisms are gradually eroded. There continues to be increased pressure to move more rapidly to reciprocal trade rules as we bear the brunt of rising energy prices and the weakness in non-oil commodity prices. All of these are occurring simultaneously, as investors become increasingly risk averse and restrict capital flows, and as the fiscal positions of our economies weaken and debt increases. While we welcome international commitments to the Global Partnership for Development as outlined in the Millennium Declaration, Monterrey Consensus, and Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, we are discouraged by the limited progress to date. This means that priority projects which form the core of our development agenda such as poverty eradication and improvements in health and education will continue to lag in implementation. We remain hopeful but by no means certain, that the UN General Assembly's Outcome Document of last September will spur renewed action with a greater degree of political will. If this scenario were not daunting enough, emerging security concerns have brought added uncertainties resulting in new changes in objectives and priorities, causing even further delays in implementing national agendas, as we seek to be ``reliable partners'' in implementing international security objectives. Against this backdrop, the current international situation poses a number of challenges to regional integration, notwithstanding the fact that the popularity of regionalism evolved from this very same process in the early 1970s as an effective response to the onset of globalisation. The Hemisphere's Challenge In this present scenario, how do we reduce our vulnerability to external shocks, achieve sustainable development, strengthen governability, promote democracy and at the same time, comply with our international, regional and hemispheric obligations? Jamaica and indeed CARICOM, has always maintained that there is an urgent need to make this process of global economic governance and integration more inclusive and more beneficial to the interests of developing countries. By so doing, there would be greater prospects for tangible signs of development and strengthening democracy in our countries and societies around the world. We are reminded everyday of the sense of unease and restlessness which emerges when the people we lead are not given meaningful opportunities for self-expression and self- actualisation. We regard these as fundamental elements of democracy and civil society. In order to meet the challenges which militate against peace and stability, we must provide a truly enabling environment. The Hemispheric Agenda It is not surprising, therefore, that we in this hemisphere share a wide range of similar problems and concerns. Our regional and hemispheric agendas are inextricably linked and have therefore become inseparable. This is reflected in both our interdependence and the elements of globalisation that today characterizes international relations and which ultimately leads to a myriad of interlocking issues. Within this context, both the OAS and our respective regional integration movements have a salient role to play. From its creation in 1948, the OAS was envisaged as the primary political forum in the hemisphere to maintain peace and security, to promote and consolidate democracy and advance cooperation for integral development. The OAS has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the settlement of disputes and in bringing solutions to various political crises within the hemisphere as we have seen through the important role it has played in dealing with the political situation in Haiti. We welcome and applaud the return of President Rene Preval as the duly elected Leader of Haiti. Today, we are confronted by new threats and challenges which our Governments are simultaneously obliged to address and surmount. The hemispheric agenda has expanded significantly over the years to address issues such as corruption, the fight against drug abuse and drug trafficking, transnational organized crime, terrorism, money laundering, children's issues, women's affairs and the protection of human rights. The pursuit of these programmes at the level of the OAS, complements the important initiatives on which we have all embarked at the national and multilateral leve1, as we seek not only to come to grips with, but also to overcome these problems. The multidimensional nature of many of these issues requires a comprehensive, cooperative approach. Today, the OAS has also assumed additional responsibilities for the implementation of the mandates of the Summit of the Americas, aimed at creating prosperity through economic integration and trade, eradicating poverty and discrimination and protecting the natural environment. Moreover, within this process, we have adopted a shared vision to consolidate democracy and security in the hemisphere, and to create conditions to advance prosperity, a multitude of items for an ever-increasing agenda. The adoption of other mechanisms and instruments, including the Inter-American Democratic Charter, have served to concretize our adherence to the tenets and principles of the democratic agenda. These commitments have brought tremendous impetus to what we are doing at the regional level. Our citizens at all levels have become involved in every aspect of governance; more women are running for political office and being appointed to high positions and I can certainly attest to that! An increasing number of civic organizations are actively monitoring transparency and accountability; the exercise of the undeniable freedom of expression and of the press is widely enjoyed; and access to information legislation has been passed in many countries, including my own. While the foregoing is laudable, however, are we satisfied that in this dynamic process of globalization, the OAS is fulfilling the economic development aspect of its mandate?

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the contributions of my friend and colleague, Congressman Sherwood (Sherry) Boehlert. After 24 years in Congress, Congressman Boehlert who has served this House with dignity and a great deal of integrity has decided that ``it's time.'' First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, Congressman Boehlert represents the 24th District of New York, and he does so with steadfast leadership, commitment, and simply put, a love for the job. As he rose in seniority and became chairman of the House Science Committee in 2001, Boehlert worked to further economic development for his district and the State of New York, as well as to push for an environmental agenda that would benefit not only his constituents, but the nation as a whole. While we are losing one of the most dynamic and passionate Members of this great body, the good people of central New York, are losing a man who fought and worked tirelessly on their behalf. From his efforts to secure money for transportation projects to supporting the agenda of the National Science Foundation, Sherry Boehlert was going to do what it took and what was best for those who elected him into office. It has been a privilege to serve with my friend in the House and to work side by side with him on matters concerning the New York State Congressional Delegation. Mr. Speaker, I submit to the Congressional Record, an article by E.J. Dionne, Jr. which speaks to the retirement of our much-respected and admired Member, Sherry Boehlert. [From the Washington Post, Mar. 21, 2006] The GOP's Shrinking Middle (By E. J. Dionne Jr.) Members of Congress retire all the time, but some retirements are leading indicators of the direction of our politics. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert's announcement last week to call it quits matters, and in a depressing way. The affable 69-year-old New York Republican is one of the last of a breed: a liberal Republican, though he calls himself a ``moderate'' and has the record to prove it. Boehlert's departure does not leave the House bereft of liberal Republicans--Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa is more liberal than Boehlert. But Leach, alas, is an outlier. The spotted owl is in good shape compared with liberal Republicans. Boehlert chose to retire in the year when National Journal, the political world's answer to Sports Illustrated, featured him as the ultimate ``Down the Middle'' guy. In its Feb. 25 issue, the magazine published its annual ratings, which showed that Boehlert's votes were more liberal than those of 52.2 percent of House members and more conservative than 47.8 percent. Boehlert's district includes the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and it's hard to move the ball more to the middle of the plate than he does. It's been downhill for his brand of Republicanism from the moment he set foot in Washington as a congressional staffer in 1964. That's the year Barry Goldwater won the Republican presidential nomination and the great flight of the Republican liberals began. After Goldwater's landslide defeat, two Republican progressives who later became conservatives, George Gilder and Bruce Chapman, wrote a brilliant book called ``The Party That Lost Its Head,'' detailing how and why the party's liberal wing responded so anemically to the conservative challenge. But it was too late. The party of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt was destined to become an annex of the conservative movement. Boehlert has always been unabashed in embracing his liberal roots. Over breakfast on a sunny summer morning in Cooperstown five years ago, Boehlert embraced two of the most progressive politicians of his lifetime. ``People say to me: `Why are you the kind of Republican you are?' Because in my formative political years, when I was coming up in New York, my governor was Nelson A. Rockefeller and my senator was Jacob K. Javits.'' Why does the decline and fall of liberal Republicanism matter? After all, rationalizing the political system into a more conservative GOP and a more-or-less liberal Democratic Party makes the alternatives clearer to voters, who are offered, in Goldwater's famous phrase, ``a choice, not an echo.'' But it turns out that a Republican Party dominated by conservatives is no more coherent than the party that left room for progressives. The huge budget deficit is conservatism's Waterloo, testimony to its political failure. The conservatives love to cut taxes but can't square their lust for tax reduction with plausible spending cuts. Oh, yes, a group of House conservatives has a paper plan involving deep program cuts, but other conservatives know that these cuts will not pass, and shouldn't. Paradoxically, because the liberal Republicans didn't pretend to hate government, they were better at fiscal responsibility. They were willing to match their desired spending levels with the taxes to pay for them. It didn't make for exciting, to-the-barricades politics. It merely produced good government. Boehlert, being an optimist by nature, was always ready to declare that the ``moderates' moment'' had finally arrived. Last November, after I had written a column taking some moderate Republicans to task for backing the outrageous budget bill that passed under the cover of darkness at 1:30 a.m., there was Boehlert on the phone insisting that he and fellow moderate Mike Castle (R-Del.) had wrung some important concessions out of the House leadership. Maybe so, I replied, but I had a higher opinion of moderate Republicans and expected more of them than that lousy budget bill. The problem may be that Boehlert and Castle did get as much as they could, given the numerical weakness of their variety of Republicanism, but that's not good enough. I suspect Boehlert knows this. Absent a robust progressive wing, congressional Republicans will continue to produce fiscally incoherent government. Democrats now have the task of representing their own brand of politics, and that of progressive Republicans, too. I'll miss Boehlert and his optimistic moderation. Our politics worked better when a sufficiently large band of Republican moderates and liberals could take the edge off polarization and orient government toward problem-solving. But the liberal Republicans are gone. We have to deal with the GOP we have, not the GOP we wish still existed.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue my supplication for increased U.S. support for the people of Liberia and to enter into the Record a Washington Post editorial dated March 20 which outlines why the United States should lend itself to providing assistance to the poverty-stricken West African country. When the country of Liberia was founded by freed American slaves in 1847, it held a world of promise. Today, however it is suffering from profound poverty--a product of a civil war that has driven more than 3 million Liberians from their homeland. More than 8 in 10 Liberians cannot find work. Underdevelopment plagues the country--a country with no running water and no electricity. Founded by the dream of freedom, it now suffers from a distinct deprivation that the United States can now address through their support of the newly elected president of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and her goals for her countrymen and women. This month, President Johnson-Sirleaf addressed a special joint- session of Congress and met with President Bush. She outlined the many things that are needed to be done in order to ensure her country thrives. ``We must revive educational facilities, including our few universities. We must provide essential agricultural extension services to help us feed ourselves again, developing the science and technology skills to insure that we prosper in a modern global economy,'' she told Members of Congress. President Johnson-Sirleaf has expressed the urgency of resettling displaced Liberians, the rehabilitation of the core of an electricity grid to high-priority areas and institutions, in addition to the demobilization of former combatants and restructuring of their army, police and security services. President Johnson-Sirleaf, as Mr. Fred Hiatt mentions in his editorial, is one reason why President Bush should help Liberia. A Harvard-trained economist, and former World Bank and United Nations official, she is committed to uplifting her country. A second reason, according to Hiatt, is the fact that if nothing is done at the present time, the cost of repair in Liberia will be ``far more difficult and expensive'' later on. Mr. Speaker, all these are pressing reasons to assist Liberia and I am certain that with President Johnson-Sirleafs commitment and U.S. aid, the economy and social conditions of Liberia can be revived. [From the Washingtonpost.com, Mar. 20, 2006] The Case for Caring Now (By Fred Hiatt) On one of her visits to her native Liberia, Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf told a joint session of Congress last week, she was placed in a jail cell with 15 men. ``All of them were executed a few hours later,'' she said. ``Only the intervention of a single soldier spared me from rape.'' Now Johnson-Sirleaf, 67, is the newly elected president of her unhappy African country, and if you think she was trying to seize Congress's attention with that anecdote of 20 years past, you are no doubt correct. After all, the world is full of unhappy countries that have won sympathy here, and then been rapidly discarded. Think Haiti, for example, or Afghanistan, which was of interest to Ronald Reagan, forgotten by George H.W. Bush, neglected by Bill Clinton and then (not coincidentally) a crisis again. Now Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first female elected leader, is enjoying her moment of fame and good feeling. Laura Bush and Condoleezza Rice attended her inauguration in January, Congress greeted her as a hero last week, President Bush will receive her tomorrow. After a quarter-century of coups, dictators and civil wars in Liberia, this is a moment of restored democracy and hope. Do not assume, however, that Johnson-Sirleaf therefore will stoop to unseemly flattery or diplomatic spin. After all her years of exile, harassment, surveillance and prison with all the misery waiting for her back home, she seems to have no time for that. As in: When she is asked during a visit to The Post how she will plead her case for aid to Bush, given draining U.S. commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan, she replies, ``For the reason you said--he needs a success. Billions are being spent on Iraq, billions are being spent on Afghanistan--and it will take a fraction of those billions to make Liberia a success story. ``I think he needs one, and we're going to give him an opportunity to have one.'' It's not that Johnson-Sirleaf, stately in traditional dress, comes across as ungrateful. In her address to Congress, she thanked the United States for its help in brokering an end to Liberia's vicious civil war and for sending money to get the country going again. But, she says, ``we still have problems. I can't tell you we're out of the woods.'' Any Western leader might regard that as an astonishing understatement. Johnson-Sirleaf works out of a dilapidated palace that, like the rest of her country, depends on generators for electricity. ``We have a city that's dark,'' she says. ``We have a city where many young children don't know that water comes out of a tap.'' At night, children gather on street corners to do their homework by the spillover from private floodlights, since they have no light at home. Many others do no homework because they can't afford pencils, or can't attend school at all. Civil war drove most of the country's 3.5 million people from their homes. Some 45 percent of the population is 14 or younger; many of those children were press-ganged into armies and know no other life. Life expectancy is 42.5 years. Unemployment is 80 to 85 percent. Of every 1,000 children born, 132 die in infancy. Why should the United States care? The standard answer of traditional historical ties, based on the freed American slaves who founded Liberia, may have worn thin after all these years. But there are two others. One is that helping is cheaper in the long run than the alternative. When conditions in a country become too atrocious to bear--when drug-addled marauders take to chopping off the hands of children who get in their way, as in Liberia's neighbor Sierra Leone--public opinion may (at least some of the time) force the United States, Britain or the United Nations to intervene. By the time that demand comes, the destruction is so complete--in Liberia, roads, hospitals, water pipes, everything has crumbled--that repair is far more difficult and expensive. The second is Johnson-Sirleaf herself: Harvard-trained economist, former World Bank and U.N. official, democrat. She espouses an anti-corruption, socially inclusive vision that aid officials can only dream of finding in most poor countries. Courageously, for he still has many followers, she has asked that former dictator Charles Taylor, now in Nigeria, stand trial for his crimes. When her hour at The Post is over, she waves off the usual pleasantries and asks: What will emerge from this interview? What will Liberia get out of it? And suddenly ``grandmotherly,'' the adjective you often hear applied to her, reminds you less of the woman who sneaked you an extra cookie when your mother wasn't looking and more of having your hands checked for cleanliness before being seated at the Sunday dinner table. Well, Madam President, I'm afraid this column is the best I can do. I hope you get more out of President Bush tomorrow.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory and legacy of Wellington Mara, former co-owner of the National Football League's New York Giants franchise and League businessman extraordinaire, and in support of Congressman Pascrell's resolution recognizing the life of Wellington Mara and his outstanding contributions to the New York Giants football club, the National Football League and the United States of America. Wellington Timothy Mara was a man among men. Wellington Mara was a man whose entire lifetime was dedicated to the National Football League and his family-owned Giants. Mara, who was given the nickname ``The Duke'' as a youngster by Giants players, joined the Giants in 1937 as a part-time assistant to the president, started working full-time in 1938 as a club secretary and later served as vice president before becoming the team's president after the death of his brother, Jack. Mara's extensive experience in organization, player personnel, trading and drafting helped produce 16 NFL/NFC divisional titles (two came after his induction into the Hall of Fame) and four NFL championships during his 68-season tenure that began with his graduation from Fordham in 1937. He engineered trades throughout the League solidifying deals with such stars as Frank Gifford and Roosevelt Brown--both future Hall of Famers--to mold the Giants into a dominant team in the late 1950s and early 1960s. From 1956 to 1963, the Giants won six divisional championships and the 1956 NFL title. Mara's Giants went on to win Super Bowls XXI and XXV. From 1984 to 2005, he served as president of the National Football Conference. He was inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame in 1997 and into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame. In spite of a busy, grueling schedule Wellington Mara always found time to serve his community as a member of the board of the Giants Foundation, a charitable organization founded by the New York Giants to provide financial and social support for disadvantaged youths in the New York Metropolitan Area. Wellington Mara, who was born on August 14, 1916, in New York City, was respected as one of the most knowledgeable executives in pro football. He passed away on October 25, 2005. He leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Ann, his 11 children and his 40 grandchildren. He also leaves a legion of devoted admirers, friends and colleagues. The NFL game ball was known as ``The Duke'' from 1941 to 1969. The NFL first used a ball in honor of Mara at the suggestion of Chicago Bears owner George Halas, who along with Tim Mara, Wellington's father, arranged for Wilson to become the league's supplier of game balls. ``The Duke'' ball was discontinued before the start of the 1970 season. The NFL owners recently voted unanimously to bring back ``The Duke'' game ball with the logo written on all game-day footballs. I believe it is more than befitting that the National Football League pay tribute to the memory of this outstanding gentleman by bringing back ``The Duke'' football named in his honor and that this House pay him tribute with the passage of this Resolution today.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, under rule XXII, clause 7(c), I hereby announce my intention to offer a motion to instruct on H.R. 4297, the tax reconciliation conference report. The form of the motion is as follows: I move that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 4297 be instructed-- (1) to insist on the provisions of section 106 of the Senate amendment (relating to extension and increase in minimum tax relief to individuals), (2) to recede from the provisions of the House bill that extend the lower tax rate on dividends and capital gains that would otherwise terminate at the close of 2008, and (3) to the maximum extent possible within the scope of conference, to insist on a conference report which will neither increase the Federal budget deficit nor increase the amount of the debt subject to the public debt limit.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud an Olympic Champion Gold Medal winner speed-skater Joey Cheek. Joey Cheek won the Olympic Gold Medal in the men's 500-meter speed skating race in Turin, Italy on February 13, 2006. Minutes after he won the race while millions of Americans and almost a billion listeners from around the world were focused solely on him, Cheek used his ``fifteen minutes of fame'' to announce he was donating his prize money to child refugees from Darfur. Cheek, citing the U.S. government finding of genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, said he wanted to sponsor programs for 60,000 children of Darfur forced into refugee camps in Chad. For Joey Cheek, competing in the Olympics was a blessing and his way of saying thanks for his opportunity, was to help others. Before answering any questions about his winning race, Cheek announced he would talk to and challenge all Olympic sponsors and participants to match his gift. When Mr. Cheek won the Silver Medal in the 1000 meter he donated his $15,000 prize money. By the end of the Olympics, Mr. Cheek donated his total money from the US Olympic Committee, $40,000, to victims of genocide in Darfur. By the end of the Olympic Games, ABC's announcer, Bob Costas reported that Cheek's challenge had brought in donations of $300,000 for the refugees from Darfur. Joey Cheek is an Olympic champion, but he is more; he is a citizen champion: a person who demonstrated the true American values of his country: generosity, compassion, kindness and goodness of heart. Mr. Cheek is not a rich man; he is 27 years old. He had already announced the 2006 games would be his last Olympics. In donating what might have been his one and only time to bask in triumph before a world-wide audience for his skating skills, Joey Cheek revealed his heart. He demonstrated something I believe lives in the hearts of all the compassionate people of this country; altruism, a pure selfless gift to men, women and children who, without our help, are destined to die. UNICEF's website says 1.4 million Sudanese children, including 500,000 age five or younger, have been displaced from the Darfur region by militia groups, including the Janjaweed militia, that have destroyed villages, brutally killed men and children and raped women as the means of annihilating an entire people because they are non-Arab, black Africans. The Government in Khartoum has been complicit in these mass murders and slow starvation of at least 300,000 people. Two and one- half million people of Darfur have been displaced, their villages burned, their crops destroyed and their well water poisoned with the bodies of their children, spouses, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. In February of this year, I signed a bipartisan letter to the President along with 80 of my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, in the House of Representatives asking Mr. Bush to exercise badly needed leadership to stop the genocide in Darfur. This is the first genocide that can be stopped. The 7000 African Union (AU) peacekeepers protecting the people in Darfur are good, but they are not enough to save the tribes of Darfur. They need help. According to the experts, the genocide could be stopped, it would cease, if there were 20,000 peacekeepers to provide genuine security. My colleagues and I wrote the letter in February because for 28 days the United States was the President of the United Nations Security Council. We hoped the President would seize this moment to do what no other President has done: stop genocide. Although we are not now the President of the UN Security Council, it does not mean we cannot act to stop the genocide. Not one other winner of any medal did a deed as great as Joey Cheek's. I am proud of every American Olympian who worked so hard and made us proud by winning gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympics, but I believe what Mr. Cheek did is worthy of special recognition and celebration; he set an example, a standard for the people of America. He is one person who made a huge difference to children, many of whom are orphans, victims of genocide by the government of Sudan in Khartoum. Joey Cheek told the media that he wants to help Darfur refugee children to live but he also hopes they will be able to learn and play sports. If more citizens would follow Mr. Cheek's example, his vision of the children of Darfur being children not victims, would not be out of reach. There is a teaching from the Talmud: ``He who saves one life has saved the world.'' Joey Cheek started what I hope will be a beginning for many who want to express their moral values as Mr. Cheek has done. Every citizen may not be able to give money for Darfur, but he or she can ask his pastor, priest, imam or rabbi to speak out at every service and remind their congregations that genocide is happening. It is a long slow genocide that has gone on for three years. Each citizen can also call on the Administration to stop the genocide now. It is within the power of this greatest country on earth to end the horrific suffering of people who are being murdered, starved, raped and mutilated because they are non-Arab Africans. Each person can do something to save a life in Darfur and to save the world.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep concern at reports of the apparent harmful impact of the marketing of high-cost refund-anticipation loans, RALs, to underserved communities. While RALs are advertised as giving consumers quicker access to their hard-earned tax refund, it has been brought to my attention that tax refunds can be obtained almost as fast by the taxpayer to whom the refund is due as if taxpayers file online. It appears that not only are refunds not delivered with any greater expediency, but with interest rates between 40 to 700 percent and additional fees, these loans are so excessively priced that they deny the taxpayer full use of their money. This issue is of particular interest to me as some of my constituents seem to be feeling the brunt of these loans, I have recently been informed that one of the highest concentration of refund loans in 2003 was made within the 15th Congressional District in my home community, central Harlem. Also as the Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee, I am concerned because according to a recent study undertaken by the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, one quarter of New Yorkers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2003 paid large amounts of their wages in fees related to RALs. Low-income families need not be exploited for the gains of corporate entities. According to the IRS, 79 percent of RAL recipients in 2003 had incomes of $35,000 or less. In contrast, as the nation's largest tax-preparation chain, H&R Block experienced an 8.5 percent increase in RAL revenue for Fiscal Year 2003. While RALs are one of H&R Block's products, I expect the company to practice due diligence not only in promoting these products equally among your many locations but also in informing clients of their rights and product terms. Mr. Speaker, I urge you during this tax season to lend your support in holding H&R Block and other tax-preparing companies responsible to equitable targeting of these high-cost loans and full disclosure of their terms.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to say a few words in recognition of International Women's Day and to enter into the Record a very profound statement titled ``Meeting the Challenges of Discrimination against Women from Minority Groups,'' authored by Gay McDougall, a human rights lawyer and a United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues. In the country and around the world, holidays and special recognition days come and go every year. We all celebrate and/or reminisce briefly to honor the occasions. Many times there are occasions that deserve more than just a cursory acknowledgement. International Women's Day is one such occasion. March 8th--International Women's Day is a day marked by women's groups around the world. This date is commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. The idea of an International Women's Day first came about at the turn of the century during a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. Great strides in women's rights have been made since the turn of century and everyone, especially women, can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. In the present day, women on all continents often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences continue to come together to celebrate International Women's Day. The United Nations has played a pivotal role in ensuring that International Women's Day continues to receive their support. The growing women's movement has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences which served to make the commemoration a rallying point for coordinated efforts to demand women's rights and participation in the political and economic process. Few causes promoted by the United Nations have generated more intense and widespread support than the campaign to promote and protect the equal rights of women. The charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco in 1945, was the first international agreement to proclaim gender equality as a fundamental human right. Since then, the organization has helped create a historic legacy of internationally agreed strategies, standards, programs and goals to advance the status of women worldwide. With so much awareness of the issues facing women in this day and time, one would believe that women have come close to reaching the pinnacle of achievement and recognition in today's society. Yes, great strides have been made but the reality is that new and urgent attention must be given to the rights of women facing multiple forms of discrimination, exclusion and violence. Amongst the most disadvantaged and vulnerable are women from minority communities who face problems compounded by their uniquely disadvantaged positions in society. These women face two forms of discrimination--first because they belong to certain minority communities and secondly because they are women. This article that I enter into the Record today thoroughly exposes some of the challenges of discrimination against women--particularly women from minority groups--and clearly brings the unfinished business of equal rights for women to the forefront. Gay McDougall the U.N. Independent Expert on Minority Issues has written this article to remind us that much is left to do to confront the reality of the present unacceptable situation facing millions of women worldwide. Meeting the Challenges of Discrimination Against Women From Minority Groups (By Gay McDougall) All women share common bonds in the fight for equal rights. In every region and in every society, women are undervalued, face issues of personal insecurity because of violence in their homes and communities, and must wage a constant struggle for self-determination over their bodies and personal destinies. While some gains have been made in those battles, gender based discrimination remains a persistent and universal problem. However, some women's problems are compounded by their uniquely disadvantaged position in society as members of national, racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities that are targets of discrimination. The damage done to individuals, families, communities and societies by discrimination, exclusion and racism on these grounds is immense. Women from these groups must often fight the patriarchy within their communities along with the patriarchy and racism of the larger community. On this, International Women's Day, it is incumbent on the international community, to speak out in support for those women whose voices have been silenced and whose lives have been blighted by discrimination, intolerance, exploitation, violence and patriarchal ideologies. Addressing the situation of the most disadvantaged women is a challenge requiring the urgent attention of all of us. Minorities are often restricted from participating fully or effectively in economic, social and political life. Yet it is women who belong to minority population groups whose choices, opportunities and life chances, are the most restricted, in both public and private spheres. Where minorities suffer poor access to education, health services and employment, it is often the women from those minority groups, whose needs are least recognized, and whose potential remains the least fulfilled. While minorities are the most frequent victims of conflict and genocide, it is the women of those communities who often suffer the most, supporting families under unimaginable conditions, or targeted for rape or killing, due to their status as the most vulnerable of minorities, and the bearers of a new generation. Overwhelmingly, the poorest of the world are disproportionately minority communities that have been subjected to on-going discrimination, yet it is minority women who often bear the greatest burden. A Roma woman in Europe, for example, may experience complex multiple forms of discrimination, touching every aspect of her life, including her social interactions, her health and work. An Afro-descendent woman in Latin America is also more likely to be poorly educated, to live in the poorest quality housing, lack access to health care and other services, and to work in the lowest income employment. Women in communities affected by caste in some Asian or African nations are often severely disadvantaged and forced to perform the most degrading tasks in society. If such women happen to be unmarried, to have a disability, to be lesbian or a single mother, they may also face additional forms of discrimination. Action must be taken at the community, national and international levels to address the discrimination and rights violations faced by women from disadvantaged minority groups. In the first instance, this requires recognition that such complex problems, exist. It is often the case that we do not see the most disadvantaged, precisely because of the violations perpetrated against them. They are, in a very real sense, hidden victims. Socio-economic data that is aggregated hides the problems that minorities face. The increasing practice of disaggregating data along gender lines is revealing the general inequalities between men and women. But only when that data is further disaggregated based on both gender and race, ethnicity or religion, will the problems of marginalized and disadvantaged women come into focus. In order for policies and programs to be effective, the gender lens must be adjusted to reveal the dynamics of colour, ethnicity and religion, so that the plight of these women can become visible through research and statistics. While reinforcing a clear message of the value of cultural and religious diversity, we must not shy away from addressing those cultural, religious or traditional practices which impair or restrict the full range of choices that women, as humans, are entitle to as rights. Yet calls for the rights and empowerment of minority women should not be seen as a challenge to the cultural or religious identity or heritage of minority communities. The protection and promotion of the rights of women in disadvantaged communities provides a means to realize the full potential that exists within those communities as a whole, in the abilities and efforts of both their men and their women equal in rights and in dignity. These are not solely problems of the developing world. Minorities and women belonging to those minorities also face unique disabilities in the context of discrimination in the developed world. Trafficking of vulnerable women and girls, for example, many of whom are from disadvantaged minorities, is a manifestation of how the global economy can prey on those burdened with multiple forms of discrimination. These are problems in all countries and issues for all nations to confront together. I believe that the problems faced by women from disadvantaged minority communities must be tackled both from within their communities and as it is manifested in the larger society. These are problems that must be confronted both by women themselves, and by men, whose attitudes and ideologies are often a root cause of discrimination and inequality. A new challenge exists for those organizations working on women's rights, to fully and effectively address minority rights as they relate to women. Equally, those organizations working on minority rights must pay greater attention to the plight of women within minority communities and the broader society. National legislation, sensitively conceived, actively promoted, and vigorously applied, can pave the way for social progress, and for real change to the lives of disadvantaged women. Access to effective legal remedies for women is an essential step on this path. Community based awareness raising and practical initiatives must go hand in hand with legal and judicial progress, and have a role to play in the empowerment of women to achieve their potential and to enable them to claim their rights with confidence. Crucially, girls and women from minority communities must have full and equal access to quality education. Education must extend beyond the, classroom, to reach deeply into the fabric of society with a strong and pervasive message of human rights, equality and understanding, which enriches all lives. As Independent Expert on minority issues, I believe that the issues of the rights of, women from targeted minorities deserve particular attention under my mandate, and by the international community. Across the full spectrum of rights, civil and political, economic, social and cultural, minority women are often the most disadvantaged from birth until death. I will support campaigns to highlight the issues and to find effective and sustainable solutions, confronting the reality of the present unacceptable situation facing millions of women worldwide. True gender equality will only be achieved when it is achieved for all women, not simply the women in advantaged majority communities. And, the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities will be realized only when the women of those communities enjoy fully their human rights.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to honor The Cornell Black Alumni Association as they prepare to celebrate not only the 30th Anniversary of their revered organization, but the 100th Anniversary of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Founded in 1976, the Cornell Black Alumni Association, CBAA, was conceived as an organization devoted to providing a communication network for Black alumni. It's current mission is to promote the professional development of Black alumni; to provide opportunities for alumni to give back to the Cornell community; to provide support for current Black students at Cornell through the endowment of scholarships and the development of other resources; and to aid in maintaining the diversity of the student body at Cornell by assisting the University in its recruitment efforts. The distinctive attributes of this fine Association speak volumes for their ambition, commitment, and drive to inspiring young people to pursue higher education, is to be applauded. Through their leadership, knowledge, and vigorous enthusiasm, the Cornell Black Alumni Association has served the Cornell family and community admirably and with great integrity. They have, in the very best traditions of Cornell University, reached out and have given back whereby their efforts have resulted in countless programs that have had a direct and significant impact on alumni and future Cornell students. By the same token, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., of which I am a proud member has supplied voice and vision to African-Americans and people of color around the world since its inception in 1906 on the campus of Cornell University. This first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially at Cornell. However, in time, the Fraternity would succeed in laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha's principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity. Mr. Speaker, this June as the Cornell Black Alumni Association celebrates their 30th Anniversary and the centennial of Alpha Phi Alpha, it is my hope that they will seize every opportunity to ``celebrate the legacy and embrace the future.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep appreciation of the life and legacy of Gordon Parks. A gifted photographer and director, Parks, passed away Tuesday, March 7 at the age of 93. I would also like to enter into the Record numerous obituaries chronicling his life's achievements. Born in 1912, in Fort Scott, Kansas, he was the son of a dirt farmer and overcame tremendous obstacles to become a trailblazer--breaking down barriers posed to blacks throughout media and entertainment. The youngest of 15 children, Parks was orphaned at 16 when his mother died. After leaving high school before graduation, he found himself drawn to photography as a means of social documentary to advance those forgotten in the community. He referred to his photography as ``his weapon against poverty and racism,'' and used his skill to give a voice to the black experience. ``I never allowed the fact that I experienced bigotry and discrimination to step in the way of doing what I have to do,'' he once said. ``I don't understand how other people let that destroy them.'' His first substantial work came when he began work in 1942 as a documentary photographer with the Farm Security Administration, an agency created to call attention to and produce a historical record of social and cultural conditions across the country. Six years later, Parks became the first black person to work at Life magazine where he covered poverty, segregation, crime and other issues through poignant photo essays. He was also the first black writer to join Vogue and the first to write, direct and score a Hollywood movie ``The Learning Tree'', based on a 1963 novel he wrote about his life as a farm boy. He later directed the 1971 film ``Shaft''. Parks was a passionate voice and a pioneer in the civil rights movement. While his mark was made documenting the human consequences of intolerance and crime through photojournalism, him empathy also shone through novels, poetry, autobiography, and nonfiction including photographic instructional manuals and filmmaking books. A self-taught pianist, Parks composed Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1953) and Tree Symphony (1967). In 1989, he composed and choreographed ``Martin,'' a ballet dedicated to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Parks also performed as a jazz pianist and as a campaigner for civil rights. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the life of Gordon Parks, a man who not only changed the face of photography, but refused to ignore the most forgotten. [From Reuters, March 7, 2006] Filmmaker Gordon Parks Dies (By Bob Tourtellotte) Los Angeles (Reuters).--Gordon Parks, the pioneering black photographer and filmmaker who explored the African-American experience in his work, including landmark movies ``The Learning Tree'' and ``Shaft,'' died on Tuesday in New York, a relative said. Parks, 93, had been in failing health, said the nephew, Charles Parks, who lives in Lawrence, Kansas. Born in Fort Scott, Kansas, Parks was orphaned by age 15 and grew up homeless. He worked a variety of menial jobs before taking up photography in the late 1930s. He joined ``Life'' magazine in the late 1940s and became its first black staff photographer, remaining with the publication until 1968. He worked at several government jobs as a photographer and was a correspondent for the U.S. Office of War Information during World War Two. After the war, he served for a stint as a fashion photographer for Vogue magazine. But it was at ``Life'' where he made his mark documenting the human consequences of intolerance and crime. He was equally at ease with gangsters as with cops, and he won the trust of the fiery Malcolm X, the militant Black Panthers and ordinary black Americans who lived in big cities and small, rural towns. His photo of a black cleaning lady, standing in front of a huge American flag, mop in one hand, broom in the other and a resigned look on her face, became one of his best known shots. ``I suffered first as a child from discrimination, and poverty to a certain extent, bigotry in my hometown in Kansas,'' Parks told Reuters in a 2000 interview. ``So I think it was a natural follow from that that I should use my camera to speak for people who are unable to speak for themselves.'' photos to film He turned to filmmaking in the late 1960s, and in 1971 directed the hit movie ``Shaft,'' one of the first of a wave of ``blaxploitation'' films that directly targeted a black American audiences and typically featured exaggerated sexuality, violence and funk or soul music. ``Shaft'' starred Richard Roundtree as a police detective who was as street tough as he was sexy with the ladies. It spawned a hit song, ``Theme from `Shaft' '' by Isaac Hayes, and in 2000 was remade by director John Singleton with Samuel L. Jackson in the lead role. In 2000, when HBO aired a documentary on the photographer and moviemaker, called ``Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks,'' he said the two films were hard to compare. ``There was a lot of humanity in the first one that was lacking in the second one,'' he said. ``People probably want more violence now and so on.'' Parks' first movie, 1969's ``The Learning Tree,'' was adapted from a novel he wrote about growing up poor and black in 1920s Kansas. He became the first black to write and direct a major studio production when Warner Bros. commissioned him to adapt his book to the big screen. In 1989, the film was among the first 25 to be deemed culturally and historically significant and was preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry for future generations. Over the years, he wrote volumes of poetry and fiction, grew into an accomplished pianist and wrote a ballet about the life of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., titled ``Martin,'' which aired on the PBS network in the United States. [From the New York Times, Mar. 8, 2006] Gordon Parks, a Master of the Camera, Dies at 93 (By Andy Grundberg) Gordon Parks, the photographer, filmmaker, writer and composer who used his prodigious, largely self-taught talents to chronicle the African-American experience and to retell his own personal history, died yesterday at his home in Manhattan. He was 93. His death was announced by Genevieve Young, his former wife and executor. Gordon Parks was the first African-American to work as a staff photographer for Life magazine and the first black artist to produce and direct a major Hollywood film, ``The Learning Tree,'' in 1969. He developed a large following as a photographer for Life for more than 20 years, and by the time he was 50 he ranked among the most influential image makers of the postwar years. In the 1960's he began to write memoirs, novels, poems and screenplays, which led him to directing films. In addition to ``The Learning Tree,'' he directed the popular action films ``Shaft'' and ``Shaft's Big Score!'' In 1970 he helped found Essence magazine and was its editorial director from 1970 to 1973. An iconoclast, Mr. Parks fashioned a career that resisted categorization. No matter what medium he chose for his self- expression, he sought to challenge stereotypes while still communicating to a large audience. In finding early acclaim as a photographer despite a lack of professional training, he became convinced that he could accomplish whatever he set his mind to. To an astonishing extent, he proved himself right. Gordon Parks developed his ability to overcome barriers in childhood, facing poverty, prejudice and the death of his mother when he was a teen-ager. Living by his wits during what would have been his high-school years, he came close to being claimed by urban poverty and crime. But his nascent talent, both musical and visual, was his exit visa. His success as a photographer was largely due to his persistence and persuasiveness in pursuing his subjects, whether they were film stars and socialites or an impoverished slum child in Brazil. Mr. Parks's years as a contributor to Life, the largest- circulation picture magazine of its day, lasted from 1948 to 1972, and it cemented his reputation as a humanitarian photojournalist and as an artist with an eye for elegance. He specialized in subjects relating to racism, poverty and black urban life, but he also took exemplary pictures of Paris fashions, celebrities and politicians. ``I still don't know exactly who I am,'' Mr. Parks wrote in his 1979 memoir, ``To Smile in Autumn.'' He added, ``I've disappeared into myself so many different ways that I don't know who `me' is.'' Much of his literary energy was channeled into memoirs, in which he mined incidents from his adolescence and early career in an effort to find deeper meaning in them. His talent for telling vivid stories was used to good effect in ``The Learning Tree,'' which he wrote first as a novel and later converted into a screenplay. This was a coming-of-age story about a young black man whose childhood plainly resembled the author's. It was well received when it was published in 1963 and again in 1969, when Warner Brothers released the film version. Mr. Parks wrote, produced and directed the film and wrote the music for its soundtrack. He was also the cinematographer. ``Gordon Parks was like the Jackie Robinson of film,'' Donald Faulkner, the director of the New York State Writers Institute, once said. ``He broke ground for a lot of people-- Spike Lee, John Singleton.'' Mr. Parks's subsequent films, ``Shaft'' (1971) and ``Shaft's Big Score!'' (1972), were prototypes for what became known as blaxploitation films. Among Mr. Park's other accomplishments were a second novel, four books of memoirs, four volumes of poetry, a ballet and several orchestral scores. As a photographer Mr. Parks combined a devotion to documentary realism with a knack for making his own feelings self-evident. The style he favored was derived from the Depression-era photography project of the Farm Security Administration, which he joined in 1942 at the age of 30. Perhaps his best-known photograph, which he titled ``American Gothic,'' was taken during his brief time with the agency; it shows a black cleaning woman named Ella Watson standing stiffly in front of an American flag, a mop in one hand and a broom in the other. Mr. Parks wanted the picture to speak to the existence of racial bigotry and inequality in the nation's capital. He was in an angry mood when he asked the woman to pose, having earlier been refused service at a clothing store, a movie theater and a restaurant. Anger at social inequity was at the root of many of Mr. Parks's best photographic stories, including his most famous Life article, which focused on a desperately sick boy living in a miserable Rio de Janeiro slum. Mr. Parks described the plight of the boy, Flavio da Silva, in realistic detail. In one photograph Flavio lies in bed, looking close to death. In another he sits behind his baby brother, stuffing food into the baby's mouth while the baby reaches his wet, dirty hands into the dish for more food. Mr. Parks's pictures of Flavio's life created a groundswell of public response when they were published in 1961. Life's readers sent some $30,000 in contributions, and the magazine arranged to have the boy flown to Denver for medical treatment for asthma and paid for a new home in Rio for his family. Mr. Parks credited his first awareness of the power of the photographic image to the pictures taken by his predecessors at the Farm Security Administration, including Jack Delano, Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein and Ben Shahn. He first saw their photographs of migrant workers in a magazine he picked up while working as a waiter in a railroad car. ``I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs,'' he told an interviewer in 1999. ``I knew at that point I had to have a camera.'' Many of Mr. Parks's early photo essays for Life, like his 1948 story of a Harlem youth gang called the Midtowners, were a revelation for many of the magazine's predominantly white readers and a confirmation for Mr. Parks of the camera's power to shape public discussion. But Mr. Parks made his mark mainly with memorable single images within his essays, like ``American Gothic,'' which were iconic in the manner of posters. His portraits of Ma1colm X (1963), Muhammad Ali (1970) and the exiled Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver (1970) evoked the styles and strengths of black leadership in the turbulent transition from civil rights to black militancy. But at Life Mr. Parks also used his camera for less politicized, more conventional ends, photographing the socialite Gloria Vanderbilt, who became his friend; a fashionable Parisian in a veiled hat puffing hard on her cigarette, and Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini at the beginning of their notorious love affair. On his own time he photographed female nudes in a style akin to that of Baroque painting, experimented with double- exposing color film and recorded pastoral scenes that evoke the pictorial style of early-20-century art photography. Much as his best pictures aspired to be metaphors, Mr. Parks shaped his own life story as a cautionary tale about overcoming racism, poverty and a lack of formal education. It was a project he pursued in his memoirs and in his novel; all freely mix documentary realism with a fictional sensibility. The first version of his autobiography was ``A Choice of Weapons'' (1966), which was followed by ``To Smile in Autumn'' (1979) and ``Voices in the Mirror: An Autobiography'' (1990). The most recent account of his life appeared in 1997 in ``Half Past Autumn'' (Little, Brown), a companion to a traveling exhibition of his photographs. Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks was born on Nov. 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kan. He was the youngest of 15 children born to a tenant farmer, Andrew Jackson Parks, and the former Sarah Ross. Although mired in poverty and threatened by segregation and the violence it engendered, the family was bound by Sarah Parks's strong conviction that dignity and hard work could overcome bigotry. Young Gordon's security ended when his mother died. He was sent to St. Paul, Minn., to live with the family of an older sister. But the arrangement lasted only a few weeks; during a quarrel, Mr. Parks's brother-in-law threw him out of the house. Mr. Parks learned to survive on the streets, using his untutored musical gifts to find work as a piano player in a brothel and later as the singer for a big band. He attended high school in St. Paul but never graduated. In 1933 he married a longtime sweetheart, Sally Alvis, and they soon had a child, Gordon Jr. While his family stayed near his wife's relatives in Minneapolis, Mr. Parks traveled widely to find work during the Depression. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, toured as a semi-pro basketball player and worked as a busboy and waiter. It was while he was a waiter on the North Coast Limited, a train that ran between Chicago and Seattle, that he picked up a magazine discarded by a passenger and saw for the first time the documentary pictures of Lange, Rothstein and the other photographers of the Farm Security Administration. In 1938 Mr. Parks purchased his first camera at a Seattle pawn shop. Within months he had his pictures exhibited in the store windows of the Eastman Kodak store in Minneapolis, and he began to specialize in portraits of African-American women. He also talked his way into making fashion photographs for an exclusive St. Paul clothing store. Marva Louis, the elegant wife of the heavyweight champion Joe Louis, chanced to see his photographs and was so impressed that she suggested that he move to Chicago for better opportunities to do more of them. In Chicago Mr. Parks continued to produce society portraits and fashion images, but he also turned to documenting the slums of the South Side. His efforts gained him a Julius Rosenwald Fellowship, which he spent as an apprentice with the Farm Security Administration's photography project in Washington under its director, Roy Stryker. In 1943, with World War II under way, the farm agency was disbanded and Stryker's project was transferred to the Office of War Information (O.W.I.). Mr. Parks became a correspondent for the O.W.I. photographing the 332d Fighter Group, an all- black unit based near Detroit. Unable to accompany the pilots overseas, he relocated to Harlem to search for freelance assignments. In 1944 Alexander Liberman, then art director of Vogue, asked him to photograph women's fashions, and Mr. Parks's pictures appeared regularly in the magazine for 5 years. Mr. Parks's simultaneous pursuit of the worlds of beauty and of tough urban textures made him a natural for Life magazine. After talking himself into an audience with Wilson Hicks, Life's fabled photo editor, he emerged with two plum assignments: one to create a photo essay on gang wars in Harlem, the other to photograph the latest Paris collections. Life often assigned Mr. Parks to subjects that would have been difficult or impossible for a white photojournalist to carry out, such as the Black Muslim movement and the Black Panther Party. But Mr. Parks also enjoyed making definitive portraits of Barbra Streisand, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Alberto Giacometti and Alexander Calder. From 1949 to 1951 he was assigned to the magazine's bureau in Paris, where he photographed everything from Marshal Petain's funeral to scenes of everyday life. While in Paris he socialized with the expatriate author Richard Wright and wrote his first piano concerto, using a musical notation system of his own devising. As the sole black photographer on Life's masthead in the 1960's, Mr. Parks was frequently characterized by black militants as a man willing to work for the oppressor. In the mid-1960's he declined to endorse a protest against the magazine by a number of black photographers, including Roy DeCarava, who said they felt that the editorial assignment staff discriminated against them. Mr. DeCarava never forgave him. At the same time, according to Mr. Parks's memoirs, Life's editors came to question his ability to be objective. ``I was black,'' he noted in ``Half Past Autumn,'' ``and my sentiments lay in the heart of black fury sweeping the country.'' In 1962, at the suggestion of Carl Mydans, a fellow Life photographer, Mr. Parks began to write a story based on his memories of his childhood in Kansas. The story became the novel ``The Learning Tree,'' and its success opened new horizons, leading him to write his first memoir, ``A Choice of Weapons''; to combine his photographs and poems in a book called ``A Poet and His Camera'' (1968) and, most significantly, to become a film director, with the movie version of ``The Learning Tree'' in 1969. Mr. Parks's second film, ``Shaft,'' released in 1971, was a hit of a different order. Ushering in an onslaught of genre movies in which black protagonists played leading roles in violent, urban crime dramas, ``Shaft'' was both a commercial blockbuster and a racial breakthrough. Its hero, John Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree, was a wily private eye whose success came from operating in the interstices of organized crime and the law. Isaac Hayes won an Oscar for the theme music, and the title song became a pop hit. After the successful ``Shaft'' sequel in 1972 and a comedy called ``The Super Cops'' (1974), Mr. Parks's Hollywood career sputtered to a halt with the film ``Leadbelly'' (1976). Intended as an homage to the folk singer Huddie Ledbetter, who died in 1949, the movie was both a critical and a box-office failure. Afterward Mr. Parks made films only for television. After departing Life in 1972, the year the magazine shut down as a weekly, Mr. Parks continued to write and compose. His second novel, ``Shannon'' (1981), about Irish immigrants at the beginning of the century, is the least autobiographical of his writing. He wrote the music and the libretto for the 1989 ballet ``Martin,'' a tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., choreographed by Rael Lamb. He also continued to photograph. But much of Mr. Parks's artistic energy in the 1980's and 1990's was spent summing up his productive years with the camera. In 1987, the first major retrospective exhibition of his photographs was organized by the New York Public Library and the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. The more recent retrospective, ``Half Past Autumn: The Art of Gordon Parks,'' was organized in 1997 by the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington. It later traveled to New York and to other cities. Many honors came Mr. Parks's way, including a National Medal of Arts award from President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The man who never finished high school was a recipient of 40 honorary doctorates from colleges and universities in the United States and England. His marriages to Sally Alvis, Elizabeth Campbell and Genevieve Young ended in divorce. A son from his first marriage, Gordon Parks Jr., died in 1979 in a plane crash while making a movie in Kenya. He is survived by his daughter Toni Parks Parson and his son David, also from his first marriage, and a daughter, Leslie Parks Harding, from his second marriage; five grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. ``I'm in a sense sort of a rare bird,'' Mr. Parks said in an interview in The New York Times in 1997. ``I suppose a lot of it depended on my determination not to let discrimination stop me.'' He never forgot that one of his teachers told her students not to waste their parents' money on college because they would end up as porters or maids anyway. He dedicated one honorary degree to her because he had been so eager to prove her wrong. ``I had a great sense of curiosity and a great sense of just wanting to achieve,'' he said. ``I just forgot I was black and walked in and asked for a job and tried to be prepared for what I was asking for.'' [From the Associated Press, Mar. 8, 2006] Filmmaker Gordon Parks Dies at 93 (By Polly Anderson) New York.--Gordon Parks, who captured the struggles and triumphs of black America as a photographer for Life magazine and then became Hollywood's first major black director with ``The Learning Tree'' and the hit ``Shaft,'' died Tuesday, his family said. He was 93. Parks, who also wrote fiction and was an accomplished composer, died at his home in New York, according to a former wife, Genevieve Young, and nephew Charles Parks. ``Nothing came easy,'' Parks wrote in his autobiography. ``I was just born with a need to explore every tool shop of my mind, and with long searching and hard work. I became devoted to my restlessness.'' He covered everything from fashion to politics to sports during his 20 years at Life, from 1948 to 1968. But as a photographer, he was perhaps best known for his gritty photo essays on the grinding effects of poverty in the United States and abroad and on the spirit of the civil rights movement. ``Those special problems spawned by poverty and crime touched me more, and I dug into them with more enthusiasm,'' he said. ``Working at them again revealed the superiority of the camera to explore the dilemmas they posed.'' In 1961, his photographs in Life of a poor, ailing Brazilian boy named Flavio da Silva brought donations that saved the boy and purchased a new home for him and his family. ``The Learning Tree'' was Parks' first film, in 1969. It was based on his 1963 autobiographical novel of the same name, in which the young hero grapples with fear and racism as well as first love and schoolboy triumphs. Parks wrote the score as well as directed. In 1989, ``The Learning Tree'' was among the first 25 American movies to be placed on the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The registry is intended to highlight films of particular cultural, historical or aesthetic importance. The detective drama ``Shaft,'' which came out in 1971 and starred Richard Roundtree, was a major hit and spawned a series of black-oriented films. Parks himself directed a sequel, ``Shaft's Big Score,'' in 1972, and that same year his son Gordon Jr. directed ``Superfly.'' The younger Parks was killed in a plane crash in 1979. Roundtree said he had a ``sneaking suspicion'' that the Shaft character was based on Parks. ``Gordon was the ultimate cool,'' he said by telephone. ``There's no one cooler than Gordon Parks.'' Parks also published books of poetry and wrote musical compositions including ``Martin,'' a ballet about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Parks was born Nov. 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kan., the youngest of 15 children. In his 1990 autobiography, ``Voices in the Mirror,'' he remembered it as a world of racism and poverty, but also a world where his parents gave their children love, discipline and religious faith. He went through a series of jobs as a teen and young man, including piano player and railroad dining car waiter. The breakthrough came when he was about 25, when he bought a used camera in a pawn shop for $7.50. He became a freelance fashion photographer, went on to Vogue magazine and then to Life in 1948. ``Reflecting now, I realize that, even within the limits of my childhood vision, I was on a search for pride, meanwhile taking measurable glimpses of how certain blacks, who were fed up with racism, rebelled against it,'' he wrote. When he accepted an award from Wichita State University in May 1991, he said it was ``another step forward in my making peace with Kansas and Kansas making peace with me.'' ``I dream terrible dreams, terribly violent dreams,'' he said. ``The doctors say it's because I suppressed so much anger and hatred from my youth. I bottled it up and used it constructively.'' In his autobiography, he recalled that being Life's only black photographer put him in a peculiar position when he set out to cover the civil rights movement. ``Life magazine was eager to penetrate their ranks for stories, but the black movement thought of Life as just another white establishment out of tune with their cause,'' he wrote. He said his aim was to become ``an objective reporter, but one with a subjective heart.'' The story of young Flavio prompted Life readers to send in $30,000, enabling his family to build a home, and Flavio received treatment for his asthma in an American clinic. By the 1970s, he had a family and a job as a security guard, but more recently the home built in 1961 has become overcrowded and run-down. Still, Flavio stayed in touch with Parks off and on, and in 1997 Parks said, ``If I saw him tomorrow in the same conditions, I would do the whole thing over again.'' Life's managing editor, Bill Shapiro, said in a statement Tuesday that it had ``lost one of its dearest members. `` ``Gordon was one of the magazine's most accomplished shooters and one of the very greatest American photographers of the 20th century,'' the statement said. ``He moved as easily among the glamorous figures of Hollywood and Paris as he did among the poor in Brazil and the powerful in Washington.'' In addition to novels, poetry and his autobiographical writings, Parks' writing credits included nonfiction such as ``Camera Portraits: Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture,'' 1948, and a 1971 book of essays called ``Born Black.'' His other film credits included ``The Super Cops,'' 1974; ``Leadbelly,'' 1976; and ``Solomon Northup's Odyssey,'' a TV film from 1984. Recalling the making of ``The Learning Tree,'' he wrote: ``A lot of people of all colors were anxious about the breakthrough, and I was anxious to make the most of it. The wait had been far too long. Just remembering that no black had been given a chance to direct a motion picture in Hollywood since it was established kept me going.'' Last month, health concerns had kept Parks from accepting the William Allen White Foundation National Citation in Kansas, but he said in a taped presentation that he still considered the State his home and wanted to be buried in Fort Scott. Two years ago, Fort Scott Community College established the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity. Jill Warford, its executive director, said Tuesday that Parks ``had a very rough start in life and he overcame so much, but was such a good person and kind person that he never let the bad things that happened to him make him bitter.'' Parks is survived by a son and two daughters, Young said. Funeral arrangements were pending, she said.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my wishes for the upcoming meeting to be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and foreign ministers of Caribbean countries in the Bahamas later on this month and to enter into the Record a Carib News story reiterating concerns about what priorities should be covered in the meeting to build a stronger U.S.-Caribbean alliance. Secretary Rice is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers of Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua, Jamaica, Belize, Suriname, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Vincent and Barbados March 21-22. This meeting is a prime opportunity for Secretary Rice to pledge U.S. support in the areas of economic and social development. Specifically, meeting participants should focus on crime, disaster preparedness, drug trafficking and immigration. The recently held democratic elections in Haiti of former President Rene Preval to once again lead the nation will also be an issue needing urgent attention. As reporter Tony Best explains in the Carib News story, Democrats on the Hill, myself included, insist that Secretary Rice should utilize this opportunity to show Caribbean nations that their development is important and that the United States is a partner in economic and social advancement in Caribbean countries. These nations are in dire need of assistance erecting strong economic and social infrastructures that bear opportunities to their citizens. For example in Haiti, 8 out of 10 Haitians live in abject poverty. Unemployment exceeds 70 percent while the country has a 10 percent HIV infection rate in the city and 4 percent in rural areas. More must be done for these countries. Mr. Speaker, I hope you'll join me conveying to Secretary Rice the urgency of economic and social issues in the Caribbean and that she be mindful of the plight of Caribbean citizens during her upcoming meeting. [From the Carib News, Feb. 28, 2006] Democrats On Capitol Hill: U.S. Secretary of State should show Caribbean Nations That Their Development is Important (By Tony Best) ``A partner in economic and social development in Caribbean nations.'' That's the message, which some Democrats on Capitol Hill in Washington are hoping U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, would convey to Caricom foreign ministers when they meet in the Bahamas later this month. And the message shouldn't be just in word, lip service, if you will, but in concrete measures, which can help the Caribbean. So said U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat who represents thousands of Caribbean immigrants in the Bronx and Westchester County. He is the ranking Democrat on the Western Hemisphere sub-committee of the House of Representatives. ``I think she needs to tell the Caribbean foreign ministers that the United States wants to be a partner, a close working partner and to have a close working relationships with the nations which are our close neighbors,'' was the way he put it to the Nation after addressing the 27th Congressional Breakfast of the Jewish Community Relations Council, JCRC, at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. ``It is one thing for us as a nation to pursue goals all over the world, Iraq and wherever,'' he added. ``But it is quite another thing for us to say that we need to concentrate on what we do back home. I think we can do both, but I don't think we should neglect the people who are geographically closest to us,'' meaning inhabitants of Caribbean nations. Rice is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers of Barbados, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua, Jamaica, Belize, Suriname, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Kitts- Nevis, St. Vincent and Belize on March 21-22. Economic and social question as well as security issues in the ``broadest sense, and not simply matters about fighting terrorism'' should top the agenda, say diplomatic and other highly placed sources in Washington. Immigration, Haiti, drug trafficking and crime, HIV/AIDS and disaster preparedness and reconstruction are expected to dominate the meeting's agenda. Congressman Charles Rangel, who like Engel, addressed the Congressional Breakfast, had previously said in a Carib News interview that the Bush Administration should work with Caribbean nations to develop an effective strategy that would help the various countries improve their economic performance and boost their infrastructure. ``These are sovereign states with a long tradition of respect for the rule of law and adherence to principles of parliamentary democracy,'' he said. ``We should treat them with the respect they deserve. They aren't colonial territories that can be pushed around or ignored to suit our every whim. Many in the Administration didn't like their position on Iraq and even went so far as to threaten them. It's time that the Bush White House recognize that the Caribbean countries, including those in Caricom, are among our closest neighbors and remain our strong allies. We must treat them as friends and not try to punish them if they disagree with us from time to time.'' In his address to the breakfast, which was attended by scores of Jewish community leaders, senior diplomatic and consular officials from the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Asia, Israel and other nations, Rangel spoke about the need to respect the U.S. constitution and the rights to privacy ``of our people.'' While emphasizing America's commitment to Israel, which was ``well-known,'' the Representative of Harlem and surrounding communities in Manhattan said that the sons and daughters of Americans who were being killed in Iraq were not the children of members of Congress, corporate America or people in the White House. Engel said that the upcoming meeting in the Bahamas was important for both the U.S. and the Caricom because it would give Rice a chance to convey a ``sense of involvement and engagement of the United States with the Caribbean'' countries. ``It's one thing to pay lip-service to it,'' added the Bronx Democrat. ``It's another to really act. They are many pressing issues, not only immigration, which must be considered. The economy of the Caribbean is one such issue.''

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Portia Simpson- Miller, who has been elected president of the People's National Party in Jamaica and will become the first female Prime Minister of Jamaica at the end of the month and to enter into the Record an editorial and news story both published in the New York CaribNews hailing her victory. The election of Ms. Simpson-Miller is a milestone. As the first female Prime Minister Designate, Ms. Simpson-Miller has been a passionate, longtime voice for the oppressed. Her career in politics has spanned three and a half decades most recently as vice president of the PNP since 1978 and president of the PNP Women's Movement since 1983. Her previous assignments also include several Cabinet portfolios--serving as a Minister of Labour, Welfare and Sport and a Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport. By serving her people diligently, she has earned the right to succeed Mr. P.J. Patterson, the island's longest serving Prime Minister. Simpson-Miller represents the vanguard of women succeeding in politics throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, changing the political and social landscapes in places such as Chile and Peru. As she sought to become Prime Minister of Jamaica, Ms. Simpson-Miller's campaign focused on themes of empowerment for the marginalized and uniting all classes to tackle deep-rooted problems of crime and economic underdevelopment. Simpson-Miller is a Jamaican success story; an iconic figure who has become a metaphor for the hopes and aspirations of poor, underprivileged black people, particularly black women. Her victory has yielded an outpouring of praise from Jamaicans living throughout the world, including in my home city of New York who, as is seen in the following article, hailed and celebrated her victory. She is a woman of faith, conviction and of the people--traits that will surely be needed to effectively address the problems of entrenched poverty and crime and enhance employment opportunities for youth. Mr. Speaker, again I rise to congratulate Ms. Portia Simpson-Miller as she ascends to the post of Prime Minister in Jamaica and to commend her on her genuine commitment the people of the island. Portia Simpson-Miller Hailed as New Leader (By Tony Best) If there is something called national euphoria then it best describes the reaction of Jamaicans at home and abroad to the victory of Portia Simpson-Miller in the fight to lead the ruling People's National Party and Jamaica itself. For in the Caribbean nation, the news that Simpson-Miller had won the vigorous and potentially divisive battle for the PNP's Presidency and the Prime Minister's job triggered an outpouring of praise and celebrations for the victory. In the Diaspora, from New York, Miami and Toronto to London and the cities where hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans live in North America and the United Kingdom, the response was the same: overwhelmingly positive. Whether they were religious ministers, elected officials, health care professionals and administrators, business executives or working men and women, the reaction was the same: the best person has won and Jamaica's government should be in good hands. The Rt. Rev. Don Taylor, Episcopal Vicar Bishop of the New York Diocese of the Anglican Church, saw her election and elevation to the Prime Minister's office in a few weeks time as a ``great day'' for the women of Jamaica. ``It's a great day when we have reached that point in our history where a woman can taken on the reins of leadership of Jamaica,'' he said. ``As I have done in the past, I will do everything to support her, because in supporting her I am really supporting Jamaica.'' Not only did Yvonne Graham, Brooklyn's Deputy Borough President, followed along Bishop Taylor's path by pledging support to the Prime Minister-designate, now that the election battle was over but hailed the choice and the significance of a woman heading the government for the first time in the 43-plus years of Jamaica's independence. ``I am just absolutely excited that the election of a woman to lead the country has happened in my own hometown and in my lifetime,'' was the way Graham put it. ``I have watched her political career over the years and I know she will make an excellent, excellent Prime Minister. Many of the Jamaicans in the Diaspora with whom I have spoken since the weekend election by the PNP delegates share my elation. I look forward to her leadership and pledge my support in any way that I can to help move Jamaica forward. She is a competent and very popular public figure and has the experience in Government. She is in tune with the people of Jamaica, from top to bottom.'' Graham believes Simpson-Miller would bring knowledge of the ``grass roots'' and her own record as a ``people-person'' to the job as leader of the Government. ``She understands the needs of the masses and she has a tremendous ability to surround herself with people who can get the job done,'' added the Deputy Borough President. ``One can expect that she would build on the legacy of the current Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson. After all, she has been there for a long time in government, has seen it from the vantage point of different capacities and ministries and knows how to motivate people.'' New York State Assemblyman Nick Perry, who represents a large East Flatbush District in the legislature in Albany, the State capital, said that by electing a woman to lead the country, the PNP has reinforced Jamaica's track record of ``treating women with equality'' and respect. ``We not only claim to be a country where women are treated equally or have access to the same positions and treatment as our men, but we have actually demonstrated that in our action,'' Perry stated. ``The success of Portia Simpson- Miller's campaign for the leadership of the ruling PNP says quite clearly to the world that we are in the forefront when it comes to the treatment of women.'' Beyond issues of gender, Perry credited Simpson-Miller's work ethic, her drive to succeed and determination to lift herself up by her own efforts for the victory over Dr. Peter Phillips, Dr. Omar Davies, and Dr. Karl Blythe. ``She didn't come from a background of someone who was born with a golden spoon,'' he added. ``She came from among folks who lived and earned their way. Her parents worked hard to give her an education and she made good use of the opportunities. In essence, she won the election, the old fashioned-way, she earned it.'' Assemblyman Perry believes her popularity and her badge to the ``masses of Jamaicans'' would enable her to form a government and provide the leadership Jamaica needs at this time of its development. ``She will bring the experience of a person who came from among the common people, knowing the have-nots in Jamaica from the time she was a child to her current status in government, one can expect the understanding and empathy that flow from such a background,'' he added. Dr. Donna Facey, a physician who heads the Caribbean- American Medical and Scientific Association of the United States, is looking to her country's new leader to solidify Jamaica's place in the Caribbean integration movement. ``Joining the bulwark of leadership of the region that's going to take the Caribbean Single Market and Economy into the next 50 years, she will be well-placed to make her mark on Jamaica and on the wider Caribbean,'' said Dr. Facey. ``Although the campaign within the PNP wasn't strictly about the CSME, if Jamaica and the Caribbean are to survive in a global economy then the CSME would be crucial to future success. As a public figure who is in touch with the common men and women, she can be expected to work closely with the other Caribbean leaders to ensure that the CSME is a success.'' Vangalane Hunter, a health care administrator and a member of the Board of the Caribbean Women's Health Association in New York City said that Simpson-Miller would have her ``hands full'' as she attempts to address the economic and social needs of her country. ``Hopefully, she would be a able to go into the job as Prime Minister and try to do something about the problems and challenges facing Jamaica,'' she said. Jamaicans in both the UK and Canada responded with equal confidence in Simpson- Miller's ability to tackle the job head-on and to succeed. ``Portia is a woman of great experience,'' said Philip Mascoll, President of the Jamaica Diaspora Canada Foundation. ``She should be judged by her performance, not by the fact that she is a woman.''

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Karl B. Rodney and Faye A. Rodney, publisher and president, respectively of New York Carib News on receiving the ``Measure of a Man'' award conferred by the New York State Conference of NAACP in recognition of their work as entrepreneurs and journalists and to enter into the Record a Carib News story briefly describing the recognition. During a Feb. 23 ceremony, the Rodneys were lauded by a cross-section group of distinguished New Yorkers for their service to the community in founding the newspaper a quarter of a century ago which today serves as a vital bridge between the Caribbean American community and the greater New York City area. The New York Carib News fulfills a responsibility in educating not only my constituents whom I proudly represent but myself as well, as I often am able to take away so much from the newspaper in terms of familiarity of ever-changing Caribbean socio-political affairs. The New York Carib News was founded to fill a recognized void in communication of the growing Caribbean-American community. Carib News was designed to provide consistent, timely, accurate, and reliable information of the Caribbean region, and the Caribbean-American communities in the United States. It has since flourished into the largest circulated publication serving the Caribbean-American community. Because of the pioneering efforts of the Rodneys, Carib News is now a recognized institution of the community playing a substantial role in projecting its importance and promise. Mr. Speaker, please join me once again in congratulating the Rodneys for their triumphs in journalism and writing of the challenges facing the Caribbean nations. [From Carib News, March 7, 2006] NAACP NYS Conference Honors Rodneys With ``Measure Of A Man'' Award New York.--On Thursday, February 23, the Metropolitan Council of the New York State Conference of NAACP invited a cross section of New Yorkers to join them in honoring Karl B. Rodney and Faye A. Rodney, Publisher and President respectively of New York Carib News, in recognition of their outstanding achievements as journalists and entrepreneurs. The awards reception represented an Annual event under the theme ``Measure of a Man'', an excerpt from one ofthe speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was held at the New York Hilton & Towers Hotel and the Rodneys were honored for founding The New York Carib News, a weekly newspaper that has become a respected voice in the community and has served as a bridge between the Caribbean American and the community -at- large. In the past, distinguished New Yorkers who have been similarly honored include David N. Dinkins, Rabbi Marc Schneier, Dr. Sandye P. Johnson, Principal of the Thurgood Marshall Academy and the Reverend Al Sharpton. The Rodneys were commended for forty years of extraordinary public service and enduring commitment to the pursuit of equal opportunity for all. As noted by Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, one of the attendees at the event: ``I was honored to participate in this celebration and am pleased to note that the honorees have truly embraced the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who understood the principle that a people who are fighting for their rights are only as honorable as when they fight for the rights of all peoples. The Rodneys have championed the civil and Human Rights for all ethnic groups.''

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to articulate how crucial it is for the international community to reach out to Haiti and help President-elect Rene Preval achieve his many goals for the impoverished I nation that is Haiti and to enter into the Record an editorial appearing in the New York CaribNews appealing for greater international involvement in the country. Preval's election represents what could be a potential turning point in the history of Haiti which has been marred by corruption, military intervention, violence and a stifling of the will of the people. Having served as president in the 1990s, Preval is the only elected president to have served out a full four-year term without being overthrown. In the elections held last month, Preval was clearly the choice of the masses with more than half of votes cast in his favor--leading his nearest rival, Leslie Manigat, a former president, who received only 12 percent of votes. So far, the international community has acted on behalf of the Haitian people--urging the country's Electoral Council to declare Preval the winner and preventing further violence from spilling out through the entire country. By doing so, the will of the Haitian electorate was respected and protected. Now it up to the United States to step in and assist Preval in establishing his government. the government of the United States must act fast to secure the results and also begin providing humanitarian, economic and other forms of aid that President-elect Preval will need to build and sustain a viable government. I also urge that the transitional government of Haiti to actively engage in the transfer of power to Preval. Mr. Speaker, please join me again in calling on all the great nations of the international community to actively assist Haiti during its momentous transition to a democratically elected government. [From the New York CaribNews, Feb. 28, 2006] Haiti Has a Chance To Move Forward (Editorial) ``The international community must show the Haitian people that it is sincere about ending their suffering.'' U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, one of the strongest and most consistent voices on Capitol Hill when it comes to articulating Caribbean causes was right on the money as he summarized the Haitian situation. His call on the world's leading nations and many developing states to move swiftly to improve the economic and social conditions in what is the Western Hemisphere's poorest nations couldn't have come at a better time. His plea to the United Nations, Washington, Paris, Ottawa, Berlin, Brasilia, Santiago and other capitals which say they have a keen interest in what happens in the French-speaking Republic that's next door to the Dominican Republic was voiced a few days after Rene' Preval had been declared the winner in the February 7th presidential elections. If the same international community had previously shown the resolve to end the Haitian nightmare that it demonstrated last week to end the election stalemate, the world's oldest Black Republic would have been spared the pain and trauma it has endured for decades. By stepping in and forcing the incompetent and politically bias Electoral Council to declare Preval the winner, the countries with the resources and the influence to halt the slide into anarchy avoided more spilling of blood and paved the way for the will of 2.2 million Haitian voters to be recognized. That it took eight days after the election to count the votes and announce a winner was clear evidence of an attempt by a handful of people, backed by the powerful business and political elite to stop Preval, a former protege of ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide, from taking office after the people had made a clear choice. Some 33 candidates had faced the electorate but Preval was the only one with widespread national support, especially in the urban slums of Port-au- Prince. That was seen in the fact that his nearest rival, Leslie Manigat, a former President, had received only 12 percent of the votes cast. Early in the count, Preval had secured a resounding 61 percent but mysteriously, his share of the votes cast began to decline, so much so that by the time 90 percent of the ballots had been tabulated he had only 48.7 percent, less than two percent short of the 50 per cent plus one vote needed to escape a run-off. Obviously, the Council and Preval opponents were manipulating the process by invalidating almost 150,000 votes, many of them from the poorest areas of the country. They claimed that the spoilt or blank votes which represented about seven percent of the total had to be counted, never mind that it was difficult to understand how so many Haitians who had waited in line for hours, traveled long distances or who had endured all kinds of hardship in order to select their president would then turn around and turn in blank ballots. It just didn't make sense. Several people believed most of the blank votes were simply stuffed into the ballot boxes to defraud Preval. Added to such election woes, almost 10 per cent of the tally sheets disappeared and several supporters found thousands of burned ballots smoldering in a garbage dump in Port-au-Prince. The suspicions of fraud and the delay in announcing a winner triggered pro-Preval demonstrations that virtually shut down the capital and raised the real fair that riots would turn deadly. The problem in the Caribbean country is that it doesn't have a tradition of electoral politics and its fledging democratic institutions are weak. The judiciary is far from being indpendent and the security forces are untrained and often heavy-handed. To add to such woes, the powerful elite isn't concerned about the widespread poverty and illiteracy. Instead, it is committed to furthering its nest at the expense of progress and peace. What the country needs the most is a government committed to economic and social progress. Such an administration would need all of the help it can get from both inside and outside of the country. Now that Preval has demonstrated that he has the people's support through relatively free and fair elections, the international community must step forward and live up to its responsibility providing the much promised but never delivered massive financial and technical support. At the same time Preval, who is the only elected President to have served out a full four-year term without being overthrown, must reach out to his opponents in a meaningful fashion in order to be able to deliver on his election promises. Just as important, the Haitian Diaspora in North America must back the government and help to keep it focused on its key task, and that is to lift the nation out of deep poverty and despair.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to inform you of the achievements of Andrea Corey, a young lady whose aspirations and goals are contributing to her success as an international affairs scholar. Andrea's record is cause for great pride to the International Affairs Diversity Fellow Program, which is identifying and preparing qualified minority applicants for the Foreign Service. Having obtained an International Affairs' masters through hard work and perseverance with a current 3.6 GPA, she is also a concerned citizen who will certainly change the way American diplomacy is practiced. She is an example of what the program has achieved with Federal funding, awarding deserving minority students with grants to cover their tuition, books and fees. Andrea Corey has already experienced the reality of the Foreign Service, having worked with Foreign-Service diplomats at the United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic and writing talking points for speeches by the United States Ambassador. She plans on working with political economic issues at the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas this summer, while expanding her knowledge and professional experience.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my congratulations to Rep. Barbara Lee of California for her leadership in championing legislation that would designate a national Caribbean-American Heritage month. I am looking forward to the signing of this legislation by the President and to having the first celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage Month later this year. We as a nation will enthusiastically participate in this celebration in recognition and gratitude for the contributions made by our Caribbean-American communities. We have been richly blessed by this immigrant community who have followed and achieved their American dream through hard work and devotion to self- improvement. As you know Mr. Speaker, the United States Senate earlier this month unanimously approved the legislation, H. Con. Res. 51, introduced by Rep. Lee last year. Last summer, the bill was approved by the House of Representatives and had 81 co-sponsors and support from more than 40 non-governmental organizations working on Caribbean-American issues. As the most senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations Committee, and a member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Rep. Lee has worked to strengthen U.S.-Caribbean relations and wanted to raise awareness about the role that Caribbean people and their descendants have played in the United States by introducing the bill. As an original co-sponsor of H. Con. Res. 51, I am ecstatic that the lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in the House and the Senate lent their support to such a worthy bill. The Caribbean people have been a blessing both to the 15th Congressional District of New York and the country. There have been many influential Caribbean-Americans in U.S. history who have changed the fabric of this fine nation. Shirley Chisolm, the first African-American Congresswoman and first African- American woman candidate for President, had familial roots in Barbados. The parents of Colin Powell, the first African-American Secretary of State, were Jamaican. In the area of the arts, Celia Cruz, the world- renowned queen of Salsa music, was Cuban, while the parents of Sidney Poitier, the first African-American actor to receive the Academy Award for best actor in a leading role, hailed from the Bahamas. It is undeniable that great patriots of the United States have cultural roots in the beautiful countries of the Caribbean. Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating Rep. Lee on her hard work to advance this legislation and lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and the Senate on passing H. Con. Res. 51. I also hope you will join me in urging the President to designate the month of June for annual national recognition of Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment at comments made earlier this month by Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich that he would veto a bill that would restore voting rights to felons. Disenfranchisement is a problem plaguing society. Nationally, more than four million Americans are not allowed to vote as a result of laws that prohibit voting by felons or ex-felons. In 48 states, with the exception of Maine and Vermont, and the District of Columbia prisoners cannot vote. In 36 states, felons on probation or parole are disenfranchised and in 11 states, a felony conviction can result in a lifetime sanction long after the completion of a sentence. Unfortunately disenfranchisement is not a color-blind problem. This fundamental obstacle to participation in our democracy is aggravated by racial disparities within the criminal justice system, resulting in an estimated 13 percent of black men unable to vote. In 10 states with the highest Hispanic populations, including California, Latinos are as much as three times more likely to lose their right to vote from felony disenfranchisement than the population at large. The denial of black and Latino ex-felons from membership and participation in our electorate is a glaring disgrace to a country that prides itself on its equitable criminal justice system. It is said that once prisoners have ``paid their debt to society,'' they are free to re-enter it. But are they truly free? The answer is no if some of their fundamental rights aren't restored at the conclusion of their sentence. Not only are some ex-felons not allowed to vote, but employers hesitate to contract workers with criminal records and participation in certain housing and training programs is elusive to them as well. It is shameful and unfair to punish ex-felons even after they have served their sentence. We must avail to these citizens every opportunity to regain their dignity so they do not return to a life of crime. The unfortunate alternative is for society to continue to be victimized by ex-offenders who, having given up all hope of employment, resort to careers in crime. It is my belief that expungement allows for a fresh start for reformed ex-prisoners. That is why I have reintroduced. H.R. 662, the Second Chance for Ex-Offenders Act of 2005, which would permit the expungement of federal records for certain nonviolent criminal offenses. Gov. Ehrlich's comments that fully restoring voting rights to felons is inappropriate are in and of themselves egregious. If we continue to deny all ex-felons the right to vote and continue to punish them even after they have served their time, then what debt have they paid to society during their incarceration? What message are we sending not only to ex-offenders but the world as we continue to tout ourselves as the leader of the free, Democratic world, if we do not allow some of our citizens the right to vote? Currently, some states have reformed their laws to allow ex-offenders to become active participants in their government. Several states, such as Kentucky and Illinois, permit the expungement of the records of certain ex-offenders who have violated state laws. Voting rights advocates and legislators are pushing for such initiatives in Virginia. In the governor's great state of Maryland, dozens of House Democrats have co-sponsored legislation that would allow about 150,000 ex-felons to vote this year and the state Democratic Party has endorsed the proposal. To unilaterally turn a deaf ear to constituents, advocacy groups and fellow lawmakers is an offense to democracy. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that Gov. Ehrlich comes to realize the type of damage his vow to forbid restoration of voting rights to ex- prisoners has done to disadvantaged communities in his state. It is his vow that I find inappropriate.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the challenges facing Caribbean countries, and their leadership and to acknowledge the vital roles they play in the global community. As an example of the richness of the thinking in the region on the challenges faced by small states in their transition to the global economy, I enter in the Record a speech delivered by His Excellency Michael King, Ambassador of Barbados to the United States of America and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. Comments made by Ambassador King were part of his address to the annual general meeting of the Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA), a membership organization dedicated to the preservation of Caribbean cultural and natural resources, held Friday, February 3, 2006. Currently, the Caribbean region is undergoing a transformation, but changes could come with a steep price. Countries such as Jamaica and Barbados have seen a boom in real estate, primarily for local housing development and further growth will necessarily be contingent on the greater exploitation of natural resources. In Trinidad, the lucrative oil windfall may open opportunities for industrialization which will not only use scarce resources but will bring up concerns regarding safe disposal of waste byproducts and health ramifications in nearby communities. Natural disasters also pose a challenge as the Caribbean and the United States observed with the destruction of Grenada in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan. All governments must boost their preparedness in order to prevent devastation to families, homes and businesses. In his remarks, Ambassador King explains that because of the CCA's unique mission, they are in a position to outreach to members who can influence change. ``Having gone through a period of dormancy, the organization must act quickly not just to confirm its relevance but to provide the mechanism whereby it can become the catalyst for a resurgence of the environmental movement in the Caribbean,'' Ambassador King said in his remarks. The Ambassador suggests continued collaboration between CCA and organizations dedicated to promoting agriculture and tourism in order to boost CCA's efficiency. He also recommends CCA becoming a vehicle for interventions related to community-based educational programs and alliances with fledging non- governmental organizations working in the field. Mr. Speaker, again please join me in acknowledging the merit of Ambassador King's remarks regarding the challenges facing the Caribbean in this era of globalization and what can be done to protect and preserve the Caribbean's cultural resources and environment.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to the many Black Fraternal, Social and Civic Institutions which have had such a tremendous impact and overall positive effect on African American life and history. Established in an age when racial segregation and disenfranchisement plagued African Americans, the rise of each of the black fraternities and sororities bore witness to the fact that despite hardships, African Americans refused to conform to a status of inferiority. These organizations, some which have been in existence since the early 1900s, have cut across racial, national, physical and social barriers, in order to make a difference educationally, socially, economically, and politically. They have proven to be an effective channel for social change and a recognized force in the struggle for civil and human rights. Serving more than just their immediate members, these black fraternities and sororities known as the ``Divine Nine'' joined with other civic associations such as the Urban League, the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, the Prince Hall Masons, the Eastern Stars, and so many others to provide service to the entire black community. It wasn't just the ``church'' that addressed the needs and answered the call of the black community, but it was these fraternal organizations that stepped up and took on that role as well. Just who are the ``Divine Nine''? They are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Nine strong, they promote interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums in order to exchange information and engage in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities. Other black social organizations also took the helm in addressing the concerns of the black community and like the fraternal organizations, represent the aspirations of many African Americans. They are The Links, Jack and Jill, 100 Black Men, and Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. We look to and thank all of these organizations for striving to improve the quality of life within our communities, and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans. Their leadership and steadfast commitment to the betterment of our young people and our communities, has been and continues to be a tremendous success and of great inspiration. May all of these fine and outstanding organizations continue to carry on their good work knowing that they have the admiration and support of the U.S. Congress.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce into the Record an opinion piece by Bob Herbert in the February 16, 2006 edition of The New York Times entitled ``Mr. Vice President, It's Time to Go.'' Anyone who has been a long-time reader of Mr. Herbert's columns in the Times as I have knows Mr. Herbert has deplored the unshared sacrifice of this war, the fact that it is one small percentage of the people of this country who bear the burden of the war. He has been consistent in his criticism of the hubris of this administration and the secrecy surrounding everything it does. This is the most secretive administration in the Nation's history. Mr. Cheney is if not the designer of this secrecy policy, is certainly the most prominent member of the administration using the policy which he clearly believes allows him to keep secrets not only from the Congress, but also from the President. Before the hunting incident now before the public's very interested eye, there are many examples of Mr. Cheney's policy of not telling anyone anything. Going as far back as Mr. Cheney's meetings with the Energy mogul's who helped him shape this country's lopsided energy policies in which Exxon Mobile posted the greatest profits ever made in the history of this country last year when energy prices were so high some of America's poor have to depend on the charity of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela to make it through the winter. Mr. Cheney is so secretive he implemented and managed a system of CIA prisons and torture cites in Europe called ``black sites'' which violated not only our laws and treaties but those of the European Union. And practically no one in the Congress of the United States knew anything about these prisons until the Washington Post disclosed their existence.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the tri- island state of Grenada which celebrated its 32nd anniversary of independence Tuesday, February 7 and to enter into the Record a Caribnews editorial celebrating how the country has overcome obstacles to persevere during its young existence. Grenadians are resilient people who are dealing with trying times. As the editorial reads, ``Like many of its neighbors in and out of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, OECS, Grenada is facing some serious economic and social challenges. Crime has reared its ugly head and the galloping economic expectations of its young people are adding to the list of worries which need urgent attention.'' The editorial continues, ``As if those weren't enough, it has a pile of debt on its books to manage and reduce it.'' Despite these social issues and a violent political uprising in 1983 that subsequently led to a U.S. military presence and later the disastrous results of Hurricane Ivan, the people of Greneda have never faltered in showing the will to advance their country. Today, Grenadians continue to embrace their current stable parliamentarian, democratic government and highly respect the civil liberties afforded to them. As the editorial explains, ``Grenada, a nation, which has had more than its fair share of difficulties, has shown an amazing ability to see the glass as being half full when others looking on consider it half empty.'' It is this glowing optimism and resolve that makes the island of ``spice'' such a treasured nation in our global community. Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating Grenadians in the United States, abroad and in their native homeland on their thirty-second anniversary of their glorious independence. Much To Celebrate On Anniversary Of Independence One of the most heart-warming scenes is that of a small country, rising from the ashes left behind by natural and national disasters, picking up the pieces, if you will, and showing neighbors, even the wider world the stuff of which resilience and legends are made. Grenadians are one such people. After Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004 and devastated the land of ``spice,'' killing 39 persons, leaving thousands homeless and wiping out almost all of its infrastructure while coming close to tearing out the soul of its inhabitants, a collective will emerge once again, determined to rebuild and make the country of 90,000 people even better than before. Although Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, the tri- island state, is far from reaching its goal of a complete recovery, it is well on the way, so much so that Standard & Poor's, Wall Street's premiere credit rating firm, recently hailed the efforts to return the country's finances to a manageable and sound foundation. That's quite an achievement in less than two years. Aided by Caribbean help, international assistance and led by Dr. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister, the government reached out to civil society, the trade unions, the church and other limbs of society. In the process, the administration marshaled the energy of the young and the middle-aged and the wisdom of the senior folk to chart a new course and write a new chapter in the nation's colorful history. So, when it observed the 32nd anniversary of independence on February 7 with church services, military parades, special games and other activities, it was clear that Grenada had much to thank God for and to celebrate. Grenada, the most southerly of the chain of Windward Islands, has traveled this road of disaster and rehabilitation before. Almost a quarter of a century ago, October 1983 to be precise, the People's Revolutionary Government turned on itself, killing its leader, Maurice Bishop and several of his ministers and senior government officials. The resulting turmoil, including a dust-to-dawn curfew imposed by the military triggered an invasion or a U.S. ``rescue mission,'' depending on your point of view. The country then set out to rebuild itself and by any measure, it had succeeded. Its housing stock improved by leaps and bounds; the infrastructure expanded and upgraded; the health and education profiles brightened; and the economy was on a growth path. Then along came Ivan. Like many of its neighbors in and out of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, OECS, Grenada is facing some serious economic and social challenges. Crime has reared its ugly head and the galloping economic expectations of its young people are adding to the list of worries, which need urgent attention. As if those weren't enough, it has a pile of debt on its books to manage and reduce. But it has many things going for it as well. The nation has a stable political environment that's based on the rule of law and parliamentary democracy. Its respect for people's civil liberties hasn't been tarnished by any abusive practices and the main opposition forces led by the National Democratic Congress are keeping Dr. Mitchell and his government on their toes. As in the case of its OECS neighbors Grenada must make good on its pledge to join the Caribbean Single Market later this year. It should have come home to Grenadians by now that they can't afford to remain outside of the CSM and survive in a globalized world. It must also move to recognize the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ, as the judicial body of last resort, a move that would end its long-standing relationship with the Privy Council in London. Just as important, it must continue to place education high on its agenda. The investment in education, which got a major boost during the days of the People's Revolutionary Government, is paying off in the form of a strong human resource base. Grenada, a nation, which has had more than its fair share of difficulties, has shown an amazing ability to see the glass as being half full when others looking on consider it half empty. That positive approach to life has worked well for its people in the past and we are confident that with more international and regional help it would do so again. Grenadians abroad, whether in New York, Miami, London, Toronto, Birmingham or Port of Spain have been a well of support from which the country has drawn some of its succor. They too deserve praise at this time of celebrations. Happy Independence anniversary.

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the modesty of the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus amazes even me, because destiny would have it that this is the last day of African History Month and he is the chairman of the historic Congressional Black Caucus. So that shatters protocol, and I thank him for his friendship, his support and the leadership that he has given to all Americans through the Congressional Black Caucus. Today probably will be one of the closest days to bipartisanship that this august body has seen in a long, long time. And, of course, Chairman Ney is right: what a historic day that was when we went and saw how many tens of thousands of Americans were prepared to give up their lives, knowing the dangers of the Normandy beachhead. We were there with Sam Gibbons and the leadership, and it did make all of us so proud to be Americans that day. We were not Republicans, Democrats or liberals; we were just so proud that we had this great Nation that had gone so far in providing her leadership for those who survived and for those who continue to serve. We have 300 cosponsors of this bill in this body, and I am thoroughly convinced, Mr. Speaker, that the only reason we do not have the rest is that somebody on staff did not handle this right. Because there has been no one that has not felt proud to be able to say three things: thank you, thank you, thank you. It is absolutely amazing how great this country is when you find young Americans, black as they may be, victims of racism though they may be, fighting to be able to defend this country against the Germans and the Italians and against the Japanese. The NAACP fought and won the opportunity for this group of young people to be trained, even though the Army had already ruled that they could not be black airmen, or colored airmen or Negro airmen. So they won the right to put their lives on the line and share in the sacrifice to which this great Republic was attached. I have to thank Barney Frank. He gave me all the questions to ask Chairman Oxley so that I could get the right answers in order to expedite the bill. And Mike Oxley has just been absolutely terrific, as has the Speaker in making sure that we guided this through the parliamentary procedure to be where we are today. And talking about bipartisanship, Mr. Hunter, the chairman of the Defense Committee, joined in with Mr. Skelton, the ranking Democrat, to send a letter to all of his colleagues asking them to see their way clear to support this bill. And, of course, the last is something that I have to thank Secretary Rumsfeld for. My book is not completed, and I am glad it is not, so I can thank him publicly for sending out a letter to the House and Senate recommending a gold medal for the historic Tuskegee Airmen. They fought not really just for black folks, but they fought for a better America. They fought for a better world. They were pioneers not only in fighting the war, but in showing and giving self-esteem to so many younger people, inspiring them to do what so many Americans just dream of doing, and that is to fly a plane in the defense of their country. Even though they were denied all types of recognition during the time that they served, and even though they were subjected to all types of scourges by other people, they still continued to fight. There were 450 Tuskegee Airmen that served with the 99th Fighter Squadron and were able to then join with the 332nd Fighter Group in the 15th Air Force. They flew 15,500 combat sorties, including more than 6,000 missions for the 99th Squadron before July 1944. Sixty-six pilots lost their lives and were killed in action. Thirty-two were downed or became prisoners of war. And among the outfit they received 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, eight Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars. My colleagues, in all of the time that they were protecting American bombers on their missions from the United States to Europe, in all of that time, no matter how many times that they were shot down, they never lost a bomber, never lost a United States bomber throughout World War II. They set an example for all of us somehow to try to follow, and that is that the vestiges of slavery were not over then and they are not over now. And certainly, when we take a look at those brave young men and women that are fighting in Iraq, we cannot tell whether they are Republican or Democrats; and we do not care whether they are Black, White, or Brown. They are sharing the sacrifices that this great Nation is involved in. I am so proud that because of my age, my community and my friendship, that the spirit of the Tuskegee Airmen is not involved with history books with me because one of those great airmen happens to be one of my very, very best friends, and that is Percy Sutton. Percy not only flew the planes but he was involved in intelligence and he provided the leadership, not just in the service, but became a leader in the civil rights movement and became a friend and advocate in support of Malcolm X, became the borough president of Manhattan, ran for mayor, and then when that did not work out, started out in business to become one of the most successful people in communication that we have had in the city and in the country. And so, what did that mean to a Charlie Rangel, who came from a depressed community? We had one symbol of hope. It was not World War II. It was restoring the Apollo Theater, and he brought back the Apollo, and with the empowerment zones, I invite all of you to be my guest in seeing the restoration of a historic beautiful community, Harlem. And Percy Sutton is the father and the creator of giving that type of leadership to my hometown. What about Roscoe Brown? Listen carefully. Roscoe Brown, with a single-engine fighter, was the first American to shoot down a German jet, with a propeller plane, was the first to shoot down a German jet fighter plane. And after this, he did not give up his struggle. He continued in education, became president of a university, and today still teaches in the Harlem community. Lee Archer. As you pointed out, Mr. Chairman, a guy who dreamed as a kid and fulfilled that dream and then finally went into business and even today, even though he is retired, provides the leadership for small business people and others. As we salute these people today, it gives us an opportunity to think about today and tomorrow, where color should never be an issue with those people that should not have to put their lives on the line to be respected as being Americans who are fully entitled to all of the benefits. And to the Members today, I am certain that I speak for the members of the Tuskegee Airmen, let this be the beginning. As we say thank you, let me never have to apologize for forgetting someone or not giving them an opportunity. Let this be the day where Democrats and Republicans can come together, ranking Members and majority Members, in saying as we look at the past and see where we made mistakes; let this be the guidance to provide leadership for all of us to avoid the opportunities in the future. To all of you who have supported the bill, on behalf of those survivors and their families of the Tuskegee Airmen, I say three things: thank you, thank you, and thank you very much.