Bobby Rush

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove Mr. Peter DeFazio, the gentleman from Oregon, as a cosponsor from H.R. 5820, cited as the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, we live in an age where the average length of time that a typical American worker spends on a job is from three to five years. That's why, as this month comes to a close, it is all the more remarkable that one of my most respected employees, Mrs. Judy Tucker, has served me with distinction, honor and humility for 24 years--only one year shy of a quarter century. Her commitment to service and to the people of the 1st Congressional District of Illinois is truly remarkable in this day and age. And for that, I thank her for her service. But there's so much more to Judy Tucker's story. When the history of Chicago's African American political community is written, Judy Tucker's name will be an important part of that vast network of tireless, determined men and women who served with distinction in those all important ``trenches''--you know, the nose-to- the grind, inner workings of government that mean the world to the typical voter, constituent and his or her family. Judy Tucker is the only employee to have served me, consistently, since I was first elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1992. That was 20 years ago. This tribute recognizes her for 24 years of service because, prior to my election to Congress, Judy served me capably and effectively, for four years, as my personal secretary in my Second Ward Aldermanic Office. Judy's background in public service also includes playing key administrative leadership roles for my friend, Cook County Commissioner Jerry Butler, and, prior to that, working for several years for the iconic African American Member of Congress, Ralph Metcalfe, who also represented the people of the 1st Congressional District. It is my pleasure to note that through all of Judy's professional life she has prided herself on her service to the men and women of the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois and, for the past 20 years, the people of the 1st Congressional District that I'm so proud to serve. As Director of Constituent Services, Judy managed those all important details of what it means to provide assistance to those constituents who need help. No matter the request, if it was within our power to assist a constituent, Judy Tucker made sure that their resource or information needs were addressed quickly, accurately and in a professional manner. There was never a request too large or too small for Judy to handle. In many ways, Judy's job is one of, if not the most important job that I have on staff. That's because her work hits home where it matters most--in the daily lives of the constituents that my staff and I are here to serve. Judy never forgot about the needs of my constituents and she worked tirelessly to provide them with the information, services or access to resources and services that they needed for all the years I've been a member of Congress. Madame Speaker, I can't tell you how grateful I am for her capable service and how proud I am of the honor and distinction she has brought to my office. In addition to being an effective Constituent Services Director, Judy is also a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Married to her husband, Elisheous Tucker for 38 years, she and her husband are faithful members of the Miracle House of Prayer Church. As she settles into her well deserved retirement, while my staff and I will miss her, I suspect she'll be able to spend more time with her church community, her family and friends. In addition to traveling, I can imagine her spending much more time tending to her garden, a hobby that I know she truly enjoys. What more can I say other than every Member of Congress should be blessed to have someone of the caliber, grace and professionalism of Mrs. Judy Tucker. While my staff and I will miss her presence in our office, she will always be a valued member of the permanent ``Rush Team'' for years to come. On behalf of my staff, my wife, Carolyn, and the people of the 1st Congressional District of Illinois, I wish Mrs. Judy Tucker all the joy and gifts that God can bestow upon her, and her family, for years and years to come. Thank you so much, Judy, for a job well done. I value our friendship and you and your family are forever in my thoughts and prayers. My God richly bless you now and always.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to and honor a distinguished constituent, community leader, humanitarian, and family woman, Mrs. Mable A. Watkins-Cass, on the occasion of her 75th birthday. A native of Holly Springs, Mississippi, Mrs. Watkins-Cass and her parents moved to Chicago in her early teens. She graduated from the Chicago Public Schools and attended Wilson Junior College in Chicago. A retired employee of the Chicago Public Schools, Mrs. Watkins-Cass remains active in the Morgan Park community of my congressional district. She is the mother of four adult children, a grandmother and great-grandmother and is a dedicated member of the Vernon Park Church of God on the southside of Chicago. Mrs. Watkins-Cass continues a lifelong commitment towards making a difference in the lives of other people. She is a shining example of how God can use even the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. She has endeavored to share the wisdom and knowledge that God has granted her with others to enable them to prosper in knowledge and wisdom. Indeed, many who have had the privilege of knowing and associating with her have come to recognize that they are much better the person as a result. Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to pay tribute to and congratulate my constituent and friend, Mrs. Mable A. Watkins-Cass on the occasion of her 75th birthday. I want to encourage her to continue to let her light so shine that men and women will see her good works and give glory to God in Heaven. I am privileged to enter these words into the Congressional Record of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank Chairman Waxman and Chairman Markey, and their capable staffs, for working with my office over the past year to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to avoid a repeat of the outrageous abuse of the public trust that left many of my constituents in Crestwood, IL, without clean drinking water for over 20 years. In 1986, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was alerted that Village of Crestwood officials were piping in contaminated drinking water to its citizens. Despite warnings from the state agency to end this illegal practice, incredibly, it took another 20 years, and a personal investigation from a courageous and determined private citizen, my constituent, Tricia Krause, before the state finally went back out to inspect the water supply and found that contaminated water was still being used. Twenty years!!! Mr. Speaker, my amendment to H.R. 5320, which was adopted unanimously in committee, will compel the U.S. EPA to issue a final rule, within 12 months, requiring public water systems and states agencies to submit all compliance monitoring data electronically. This will allow the U.S. EPA to update their systems to gather accurate and timely data collection so they are able to act more quickly and effectively against violations, especially when the public's health is in jeopardy. This bill will also require U.S. EPA to categorize any violations of federal drinking standards and determine what types of follow-up inspections are needed, as well as the frequency of inspections the state will need to carry out, depending on the risk to public health. By enacting this bill, as Representatives of the people, we will be able to better ensure that all citizens have access to clean, safe drinking water, and that the outrageous acts that resulted in the toxic contamination of Crestwood drinking water are never repeated. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and privilege to yield 3 minutes to the dean of the House and the chairman emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee, my dear friend Mr. Dingell. (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 additional minute to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the author of the legislation, my dear friend from California (Ms. Matsui).

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me return our attention to the matter at hand, to the issue that is before us. I want to, first of all, thank our chairman of the committee, Mr. Waxman, Chairman Waxman, and also the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Whitfield, for their vigorous support of H.R. 5156, the Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010. I was proud to cosponsor the bill with the author, Congresswoman Matsui of California, and also with my other cosponsors, Congresswoman Eshoo and our chairman emeritus, John Dingell. I want to thank this lady to my left, Congresswoman Matsui, for her stellar leadership and for taking the lead on this critical issue. I am asking my colleagues today to vote on this bill, a bill which addresses the challenges that we face in today's economy. My friends on the other side want to bring up a whole lot of other issues. They want to throw a lot of things on the floor. They want to try to baffle us with a lot of their sidebar discussion. Yet this bill, the bill that is before us today, will help to increase American manufacturers' green products through the establishment of a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund to assist U.S. businesses with exporting clean energy technology, products, and services. We all, Mr. Speaker, know that America is a prime market for foreign manufacturers. The other side doesn't want to deal with the issues that we are discussing in this bill. Though, I must remind all of us that, far too often, the U.S. market is open to everybody else--open to global manufacturers--but sadly, the converse is not always the case. This is the case, however, for green technology products as our Nation is in a unique position to once again lead on a global scale. The U.S. manufacturing industry faces serious challenges overseas despite the fact that we are a leader in green technology. As I have said repeatedly, we must seize the energy opportunity that we have today lest we slip further behind to foreign competition. We must seize the time, Mr. Speaker, and now is the time. Now is the time. There is no other time like this time. Now is the time. We need a strong domestic policy to allow the manufacturing industry to be confident enough to penetrate the international market. Also, it is equally important to strengthen and transform our economy and, in doing so, to further assert our global leadership. The disaster that continues to take place in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the BP oil spill is a wake-up call. We should not only be a global leader in offshore technology; we should also be a leader in green and clean technology exports. When I say ``clean,'' Mr. Speaker, I also mean responsible energy technology. This bill is results-oriented because I have added language that helps us to evaluate the impact of this program on its ability to create jobs, including the gathering of specific information as to the nature, location, and the duration of those jobs, as well as the methodology used by the Secretary to compile such needed and necessary information. Mr. Speaker, the jabbering and the nattering, let's bring that to a screeching halt on this bill. This is an important bill. This bill has to go forward. It has to go forward for the American people. It has to go forward for the American economy. It has to go forward so that we can once again assert our leadership across the world in the manufacturing sector, the green and clean manufacturing sector. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill and to expand their commitment to significantly increase our exports.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, what we don't need is more excuses. What America doesn't need is more excuses that have been heard on this floor for many years now. We don't need any more excuses, Mr. Speaker. We need action. This bill that we are deliberating on today will go a long ways toward making America much more viable and making America's manufacturing center much more robust. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the Members of this House that manufacturing has been the engine that drives the American economy for more than 100 years and it will continue to well into the 21st century. America's future growth, security, and leadership in the global economy will depend on the strength and viability of our manufacturing base. That's why it's so important to reverse the current ebb. The U.S., Mr. Speaker, has lost more than 5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000--almost 17 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the Nation. We can maintain our leadership position in the global economy but only if we strengthen the core of our economy, which is manufacturing. America's economy depends on manufacturing. Manufacturing in the U.S. generates about $1.4 trillion, or 12 percent of our gross domestic product. Manufacturing is responsible for nearly two-thirds of private sector research and development in the U.S. Over the past two decades manufacturing productivity has increased at twice the rate of the rest of the private sector. America's economy depends on manufacturing. America's economy depends on manufacturing for good jobs. Manufacturing directly employs 14 million Americans and supports 8 million more. Each manufacturing job supports as many as four other jobs, providing a boost to local economies. For example, every 100 steel or every 100 auto jobs create between 400 and 500 new jobs in the rest of the economy. This contrasts with the retail sector, where every 100 jobs generate 94 new jobs elsewhere, and in contrast with the personal and service sectors where every 100 jobs create 147 new jobs. This multiplier effect reflects how manufacturing's linkages run deep into the overall economy and means improvements in manufacturing productivity translate broadly into the economy as a whole. America's economy depends on manufacturing. America depends on manufacturing for good jobs. And across this Nation, our States depend on manufacturing. Manufacturing is a vital part of the economies of most States. As a share of gross State product (GSP), in 2001 manufacturing was among the three largest private-industry sectors in all but 10 States. Manufacturing is the largest sector in 10 States and in the Midwest region as a whole, the region that I love and I live in. It's the second largest in nine States and the third largest in 21 other States. Mr. Speaker, manufacturing is important. This is not just some kind of pipe dream. This is not just a study. This is a roadmap to recovering America's position in terms of manufacturing in the world. Make manufacturing real for America. Make manufacturing robust for America. Make manufacturing jobs reachable for all Americans.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the author of the legislation, Mr. Lipinski, once again.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4692) to require the President to prepare a quadrennial National Manufacturing Strategy, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4692, the National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010, introduced by my dear friend from Illinois, Congressman Dan Lipinski. I commend him for his leadership on this important issue. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the U.S. to revise our manufacturing policy. This bill under consideration has gained strong bipartisan support from Members of Congress because it speaks to the level of leadership in the manufacturing arena that our Nation seeks to assert once again on the global stage. America's manufacturing sector is an essential foundation of our Nation's economy. Consider the fact that in 2009 the manufacturing sector employed more than 11.5 million people. Ladies and gentlemen, that number, though significant, is not as good as it could be when you consider that 10 years ago America's manufacturing sector employed 17.3 million people, meaning that our Nation actually lost 5.8 million manufacturing jobs between the years 1999 and 2009. The National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010 will make a significant difference in helping to restore and reposition our Nation's manufacturing capacity so that American workers can compete in today's global economy. Today, we are still fighting our way through a global financial crisis, and we are facing aggressive competition from industrialized nations as well as emerging countries. Some of our manufacturing competitors have designed and implemented 5- or 10-year strategic plans to allow their economies to not only compete globally, but also to exploit their goods to our markets here in the U.S. The sad fact of the matter is that these international markets are not reciprocating, Mr. Speaker, by welcoming our U.S. goods to their marketplace. In recent years, the U.S. has actually lost market share to growing export countries like China, regional areas like Southeast Asia, and countries like India. If we do not act now, this steady decline will continue to exist and it will also persist. We simply cannot allow that to happen. This bill requires the President to undertake a deep and broad analysis of the Nation's manufacturing sector, including the international economic environment, related technological development, workforce elements, the impact of governmental policies, and other relevant issues affecting domestic manufacturers. I also added a provision requiring analysis on the trade imbalance, job creation, employment disparities, and workforce development. Based on this analysis, Mr. Speaker, the President, in collaboration with key Cabinet officials within his administration, as well as Governors, State and local elected officials and other key stakeholders in the public and private sectors, will develop a 4-year national strategy that identifies goals and makes recommendations to improve our Nation's economic growth. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to help our manufacturing sector become bigger, become bolder, and become better than it was in the distant past. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the author of the legislation, my friend and an outstanding Member of this House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

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

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege and honor to yield 1 minute to our great majority leader, Congressman Hoyer of Maryland.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 447, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. I would like to begin by thanking Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, Africa and Global Health Subcommittee Chairman Donald Payne, and my good friend Congresswoman Diane Watson. I also would like to thank Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and Congressman Ed Royce for their constant leadership on African issues. This year, Mr. Speaker, 17 African nations are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their independence. 1960 was an important year for those former French, British, and Italian colonies and protectorates. The triumphant march of a series of hard-fought victories that led to independence started on January 1 with the nation of Cameroon, and it ended on November 28, 1960, with the nation of Mauritania's securing its independence from France. The resolution I am bringing to the floor today will honor the sacrifices of the founding fathers of these African nations. Little did they know then that a proud and supportive USA would today enter into our Nation's permanent history this well-deserved tribute to the thousands of unsung men and women who gave their lives based on the simple dream of freedom and on a desire to assert their self- determination over the lives that only God could give them. We in the USA know something about that freedom and that determination. Chief among these visionary African leaders are Amadou Ahidjo in Cameroon; Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana; Patrice Lumumba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Leopold Senghor in Senegal; Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso; Felix Houphouet Boigny in Cote d'Ivoire; and Julius Nyerere in Tanzania. This resolution also commends the socioeconomic and political progress being made by these nations while acknowledging the associated challenges that many still face today. Many of these nations have become democracies and are striving to break the links to past oppressions. Men and women of good faith work tirelessly to overcome the remnants of colonialism, neocolonialism, structural adjustments, internal and regional wars, and their own bureaucratic hurdles. They also face serious challenges beyond their control, which have been exacerbated by growing threats from the global financial crisis, climate change, and terrorism. Despite numerous challenges, many of the African nations we salute today are becoming economically, politically, and strategically important to the United States. Our Nation simply cannot afford to take Africa for granted nor can it afford to mistakenly see Africa as a desperate continent forever in need of charity from our Nation. Africa's growing economic importance is reflected in intensified efforts by China, Russia, India, Iran, and other nations which seek to gain access to Africa's vast natural resources. Some say we may need Africa more than Africa needs us, and it is clear that many African leaders are beginning to think the same way. Both sides are mistaken. We need each other now more than ever. It is time to solidify our economic and strategic partnership. I and others who support this resolution commend President Obama for his leadership in making our mutually beneficial partnership a reality by signing a binational commission agreement with South Africa, with Angola, and with Nigeria. We hope that the United States will soon adopt a similar strategic agreement with the entire Gulf of Guinea region. The White House has announced that President Obama will be hosting these 17 African heads of state and a group of younger, emerging leaders within these nations at a celebration that will mark the 50th anniversary later this summer. I would like to take this opportunity to commend our President for calling this summit. It was long overdue. I hope the invitation will be extended to other African nations as well. As Professor Paul Collier wrote in a recent article, entitled ``The Case for Investing in Africa,'' ``The continent is now growing much more rapidly than the OECD nations. It may well be on the cusp of a reversal of fortune.'' It is time to revisit our relationship with the continent of Africa and to define a more comprehensive approach. I would encourage the administration to also establish a commission that will create a platform where human rights groups, the civil society, U.S., and African governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and the diaspora can formulate and implement a mutually beneficial and coordinated policy framework that advances democracy, economic growth, and prosperity in Africa. It is worth noting that the U.S. has already taken several steps that underline Africa's increasing importance. Our economy and its recovery are far more dependent on Africa than we have acknowledged to date, and so, too, is our national security. For these reasons, I urge you to vote for H.R. 1405, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of 17 African nations, recognizing that Africa is of significant strategic, political, economic, and humanitarian importance to the United States. It will renew the commitment of the United States and will help the people of the sub-Saharan Africa to foster democratic rule, to advance civic freedom, to promote market- based economic growth, and to alleviate the burden of poverty and disease that so many in the region continue to face. This is only the first step, Mr. Speaker, to Africa's much needed transition into a global economy. However, this step is the right one as we undertake the long overdue transformation and our own approach toward Africa and our own belief in the African people and in the African continent.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a hero of the American workforce: Ron Gettelfinger. For the past eight years Mr. Gettelfinger has dedicated himself to fighting for our Nation's auto workers as president of the UAW. Many of the fights that Mr. Gettelfinger undertook helped not only his constituency but Americans as a whole. Mr. Gettelfinger's priorities are not unique to the UAW but are shared by many members of this body, myself included. Whether fighting for single-payer healthcare, labor protections, or investment in America's industry Mr. Gettelfinger had made it his life's work to advocate for the American worker. I am proud to rise today to honor a fine man on the occasion of his retirement and commend him for the excellent work he's done. Mr. Speaker, it is because of individuals like Ron Gettelfinger that our workforce functions as well as it does.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) for yielding time. I also want to thank Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Kline, and Majority Leader Hoyer for working with my office in order to bring this important resolution to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, today, we have the chance to vote on a very important congressional resolution, congratulating Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men-Englewood Campus, which is the Nation's first all-male charter high school, for achieving a 100 percent college acceptance rate for all 107 members of its first graduating class of 2010. There have been over $4 million in grants and scholarships awarded to this one class, which is the first of its kind in the Nation. At a time when only 50 percent of African American males are graduating from high school in most large, urban, predominantly black school districts, the young graduates of Urban Prep are not only shattering the stereotypes that have surrounded the issue of black male dropouts, but they are also setting a standard and are establishing a model that we hope will be replicated in other school districts all around this Nation. The accomplishments that these students, teachers, administrators, and families of this esteemed high school, Urban Prep, have achieved are extremely important, not only to my district and to the African American community, but to the Nation at large. The Englewood district, where Urban Prep is located, has been better known for its high rates of unemployment and for its lack of opportunity, which has led to an infestation of drugs, violence, and gang activity in recent years. Today, Urban Prep stands as a national symbol of academic excellence, and within the Englewood community, the school represents pride, hope, and inspiration. There are countless hardworking and resilient Englewood families who have the same aspirations and desires for their children that you and I and the rest of the Members of this body carry, which is to obtain quality educations and to have the opportunity to build better lives for themselves. Mr. Speaker, as a former member of the Englewood High School Transition Advisory Council, I can recall working with Tim King, the founder, president and CEO of Urban Prep Academy, back in 2005, trying to get the Urban Prep charter approved through the Chicago Public Schools. I believed so strongly in Tim King and in his vision for building a strong, successful school in the Englewood community which would serve as a model for outstanding academic achievement and which would establish a solid foundation in the community that would make us all proud. We received a lot of pushback from the Chicago Board of Education and even from the community as they did not believe that we could be successful in teaching our young African American males on a level rivaling any rich, affluent district in the Nation. Well, Mr. Speaker, the first graduating class has shown, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Urban Prep is for real, that black males will learn, and that nothing is impossible if you are willing to dream and to work to make that dream come true. A 2009 study by the American Council on Education reported that only 28 percent of African American males who graduate from high school go on to enroll in college, compared with 41 percent of all other students. Well, again, Urban Prep graduates have shattered both of those records. With their hard work, with their commitment, with their dedication, and with their expectation of high standards among their parents, teachers and overall community, they are proving again that nothing is impossible. I am extremely proud of what Urban Prep has been able to accomplish over the last 5 years. That includes not only the students but also their families, teachers, staff, and of course, the leadership of Tim King, who is an outstanding young man and whose father I know quite well. For the sake of a strong national economy as well as for a more stabilized community around the world, we need more educated, strong, black male role models and black male leaders. All of the students, all of their parents, all of their supporters, and all of their friends who are watching this debate today, I say to you: Congratulations on all of your hard work. You have been an inspiration to your country. May God continue to guide you and to bless you in all of your future endeavors. The motto of Urban Prep is ``We Believe.'' Mr. Speaker, I attended their graduation last Saturday. I saw all of these young men in their graduation regalia, young men who were coming from different backgrounds--backgrounds of depravation and poverty--who have been able to transform and to transcend those barriers. I saw them walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. Not only, Mr. Speaker, are they graduating with high school diplomas, but every last one of them has a scholarship to a 4-year college in America--to Georgetown, to Howard, to Morehouse, to the University of Illinois. All across this Nation, Urban Prep is sending its graduates to represent my community, this community, and this Nation. Some of them--most of them--will be successful. They are the leaders of tomorrow. I would like to submit the commencement program book ``The First Commencement Exercises'' for the Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men--Englewood Campus, for the Congressional Record to be added to my remarks on the same given previously. Urban Prep Academies--The First Commencement Exercises Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men Englewood Campus (Saturday, June 12, 2010, University of Illinois at Chicago Forum) The Urban Prep Creed We believe. We are the young men of Urban Prep. We are college bound. We are exceptional--not because we say it, but because we work hard at it. We will not falter in the face of any obstacle placed before us. We are dedicated, committed and focused. We never succumb to mediocrity, uncertainty or fear. We never fail because we never give-up. We make no excuses. We choose to live honestly, nonviolently, and honorably. We respect ourselves and in doing so, respect all people. We have a future for which we are accountable. We have a responsibility to our families, community, and world. We are our brothers' keepers. We believe in ourselves. We believe in each other. We believe in Urban Prep.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the Murphy amendment. By adopting this amendment the House, today, takes an important step in eliminating discrimination in our nation's armed forces. Madam Chair, critics of this amendment, and the repeal effort, have often stated that allowing open service will ``disrupt unit cohesion'' and lead to a breakdown in ``good order and discipline.'' These are the same arguments that were used in the 1940s to object to the integration of America's armed forces. Since that time, tens of thousands of African-Americans, myself included, have proudly served this nation that they love. Some have even risen to positions of distinction such as Colin Powell, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Much in that same honorable tradition, Madam Chair, gay and lesbian service members have also served our country with distinction. Whether on land, sea, or in the air gay and lesbian Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have served, and continue to serve, professionally and admirably. Madam Chair, open service is a policy that is embraced by many of our key allies. In fact, in our current conflicts, American forces have served side by side with British, Canadian and Australian forces. These nations all permit open service and have demonstrated--through their soldiers' blood, sweat and tears--that they, too, are an effective fighting force. In fact, Madam Chair, 35 countries, thirty-five, allow for open service. That's 35 countries, on all six inhabited continents, that have moved past prejudice and bigotry. Now is the time for the United States to be the 36th country to join them. Of our NATO allies, Turkey and the United States are the only countries that have not yet allowed for open service. By passing this amendment, Madam Chair, the United States takes the first step in rectifying that situation. Madam Chair, I will close with a quote from one of our former colleagues that I seldom, if ever, agreed with: Republican Senator Barry Goldwater. In 1993, Senator Goldwater penned an op-ed for the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times where he stated, ``It's no great secret that military studies have proved again and again that there's no valid reason for keeping the ban on gays.'' I ask my colleagues to remember Senator Goldwater's words and to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, it is often difficult to find words to express the depth of one's feelings with the passing of a friend and constituent, nevertheless, I rise today to pay tribute to a public administrator, community leader, entrepreneur, humanitarian and family woman, the late Kay Francis Lance (Dyson) Murray, who made her heavenly transition on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Kay dedicated her life towards making a difference in the lives of other people. She was a shining example of how God can use even the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. Indeed, many who have had the privilege of knowing and associating with her have come to recognize that they are much better the person as a result. The first woman Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, Kay also served as Chief of Staff in the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and Executive Assistant in the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk's Office. Kay received a Bachelor's of Science degree from Roosevelt University, Master's of Education degree from Northeastern Illinois University, a graduate certificate from Cortez Peters Business School, a Management Development Program Certificate from Harvard University and a State of Illinois Real Estate License. Kay also co-partnered two designer clothing ventures and co-owned a limousine service in Chicago's Hyde Park community. Kay was a faithful member of the Apostolic Church of God and served with distinction as Secretary/Treasurer of the North Washington Park Community Organization; President of Jackson Park Hospital Women's Board; Member of the Jackson Park Hospital Board of Directors; Member of Jackson Park Hospital Foundation and President of the Genesis House Board of Directors. In addition to helping me in my congressional re- election efforts, Kay worked at the grass roots and community level for numerous public officials including the late Chicago Alderman Claude Holman, former Alderman and current Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans, the late Mayor Harold Washington and Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown. Madam Speaker, I want to encourage her devoted son Gary, her siblings, the entire family and the many friends of Ms. Kay Francis Lance (Dyson) Murray to always remember to look to the hills from which comes all of their help, trusting that their help will surely come from the Lord. I am truly blessed to have known and worked with her. I am honored to pay tribute to this outstanding public servant and privileged to enter these words into the Congressional Record of the United States House of Representatives.