Bobby Rush

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate and honor, Mrs. Bonita M. Herring on the occasion of her re-election as the 24th International Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. is a leading international, non-profit community service organization founded by seven African American educators November 12, 1922, on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The mission of Sigma Gamma Rho is to enhance the quality of life within the community through public service, leadership development, and the education of youth. With more than 500 chapters in the United States, Bermuda, Virgin Islands, Germany, and Korea, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. has grown tremendously in Sisterhood, Scholarship, and Service. Mrs. Herring embodies the highest ideals of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. She has served her community locally, regionally, and nationally with vigor and grace for over 40 years. Mrs. Herring's leadership and interpersonal skills are unparalleled. She has served on a myriad of boards, such as the Southeast Chamber of Commerce of Illinois and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, and as Director of Recruitment for the College of Education at Chicago State University. As the newly re-elected International Grand Basileus, Mrs. Herring represents the highest ideals of Sigma Gamma Rho which is encapsulated in the words of their motto: ``Greater Service, Greater Progress.'' Mrs. Herring also served as the 22nd International First Grand Anti- Basileus from 2008-2012 and as Executive Director of the sorority for 23 years. She is the only Soror of Sigma Gamma Rho to hold the distinction of serving as both Executive Director and International Grand Basileus. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Herring is the recipient of a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Masters of Arts degree in Communications and Training from Governors State University. Mrs. Herring is married to Mr. Chester Herring, a Certified Public Accountant. They have one daughter, Ms. Chevonne Herring who is also a Certified Public Accountant and member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Mrs. Herring lives by the mantra, uttered by Harriet Tubman, ``Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.'' Mrs. Herring's passion and impact on society are immense. She has cultivated a rich legacy as a woman that is fair, dedicated, business oriented, and honors the importance of the power of kindness and sisterly support. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the achievements of International Grand Basileus Bonita M. Herring. Her commitment to Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and indeed this nation is commendable. 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 certainly want to begin by thanking the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Waxman, for his outstanding leadership on this and other matters that have come before the Energy and Commerce Committee. I want to say to him that his leadership has been inspiring on so many issues. Mr. Speaker, I strongly disagree with the process that the majority's side has undertaken in order to hastily bring H.R. 5682 to the floor. Mr. Speaker, the Keystone pipeline is not key to America's energy future. If we just disregard the merits or the lack thereof of the Keystone pipeline itself, the majority just recently in the past couple of weeks has made promises to the American people that it will return to regular order for bills to be brought to the floor of this Congress. Mr. Speaker, here we are once again: promises made, promises broken. This bill was brought to this floor after 1 hour--1 measly hour--of debate and without the ability for the minority side to bring forth any amendments. Not one amendment can we bring to this bill. Where is the promise of bipartisanship of the other side on this particular matter regarding this bill? Promises made to the American people equals promises broken by the majority. Mr. Speaker, this bill will automatically approve the Keystone XL pipeline even though this pipeline has no legal route through the State of Nebraska, where there is a case pending in a court before a local judge regarding some of the siting issues that surround this illegal pipeline. Why can't the people of Nebraska, the citizens of Nebraska, have the time and the consideration just to make sure that this pipeline is safe for them and their aquifers and also for their environment? There are other States that this pipeline is going to be traveling through.

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, as President Obama pointed out, there is an independent process taking place, and this bill shortcuts the approval process and would allow, Mr. Speaker, this bill would allow a foreign company to preemptively seize property from American people, from the landowners, particularly those in Nebraska. Additionally, this bill seeks to usurp the President's ability and authority to ultimately approve or reject the project and instead uses this pipeline as a political football to score some elective advantages. Mr. Speaker, eight times we have brought this bill or a version of this bill to the floor. Eight times. Don't we get it. As the popular TV series used to pronounce to us all, ``eight is enough.'' Eight is enough.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor now because of a serious concern, a deadly concern even, that the people of my district, the First Congressional District of Illinois, the citizens of the great city of Chicago, and indeed those from around our country, that they are experiencing and that they are witnessing, and that is the preponderance of violence, killings, young people killing each other, and innocent bystanders shot down on the streets of my city. They leave victims of gun violence perpetrated by young men, older citizens, retirees, victims of gun violence in my city. One will get the notion that the name attributed to my city is apropos, that it is a worthy name, Chiraq, a nickname that has been associated with my city. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to say that this great city that I love, these people--worthy people of the First Congressional District, these hardworking Americans who have contributed greatly to the greatness of this Nation, they don't live in a place called Chiraq. Chiraq is not apropos. We wholeheartedly and determinedly resist and repudiate any references to our city with the inappropriate--grossly inappropriate name of Chiraq. We don't embrace Chiraq and none of its implications. Yes, there is a focus on the violence that occurs in our city, but, Mr. Speaker, I maintain that this functionality in Chicago and in other places across the country is a direct result of decades-long failed governmental policies, failed public policies, policies that have emanated out of this very institution, this Federal Government, policies that have emanated out of State capitals all across this Nation and city halls, village halls, all across this Nation, decades- long. Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about just the vestiges of slavery and that dark period of American history. We are not just speaking about segregation and all of the abuses and all of the trauma that segregation has caused upon African Americans. We are not just talking about Jim Crow laws that were a result of public policies. Mr. Speaker, we are not just talking about all of the policies that emanated out of this institution, the housing policies in my very city that until the seventies denied African Americans in my city to actually acquire a mortgage which was and still is the foundation of a middle class lifestyle, a foundation for the American Dream. Without the ability to get a mortgage, to own a home, the American Dream becomes an American nightmare. That is what we have experienced over these last decades--structural inequities, structural discrimination. Mr. Speaker, I am here to say this evening that there are three d's that define the structural inequities, structural problems in my city and other cities across this Nation. At the foundation of the violence that we are witnessing today--and I would just plead with anyone in this Chamber, anyone who is viewing this today in any capacity, on any platform throughout the Nation, please do not mistake anything that I say or feel as being an attempt to coddle criminals, to somehow give a sense of relief to those who are killing innocent people in our communities. They are just as wrong as they could ever be, and I am not in any way trying to give them cover. But if we want to get some real answers, then we are going to have to ask some real questions. Know ye the truth, the Bible says, and it shall set you free. The truth of the matter is that this violence can be summed up for the most part in terms of its causes by these three d's. Discrimination. Years and years, decades and decades of discrimination. Discrimination that has denied hardworking Americans access to the best that this Nation can provide. Discrimination not of the southern type, more subtle, more insidious, even in some ways more deadly than anything that the Ku Klux Klan could ever devise. This subtle institutional discrimination that has been a part of the culture in my city for too long and that takes on different characteristics is able to mask itself. Even with the good intentions of some of our friends, some people who will recall at the assault, that they might have mistakenly involved themselves at some point in time in being a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution. Discrimination is alive and well in my city, even today. The hopelessness that young people find themselves facing and embracing here in the year 2014 in this Nation, the hopelessness just completely engulfs their very existence. Every waking hour, they are confronted every day of the week, every week of the month, every month of the year. Year by year by year by year they are faced with total despair and utter hopelessness that erupts and stands tall in this institutional framework that is built upon discrimination. Discrimination rises up and causes all types of dysfunction in those who are discriminated against. Discrimination, the first d. Discrimination leads very quickly to disinvestment, the second d. You can discriminate against a community, against a people, and thereby you can disinvest in those communities--on the south side and the west side and the north side of the city, particularly on the south and the west side. My friend Congressman Davis is here and he can speak very, very appropriately and eloquently to the discrimination of people on the west side of the city. But the disinvestment, the stark disinvestment can't be denied. These patterns of disinvestment in our schools, in our business districts, in our housing, in our recreational opportunities, in our parks, on our streets, this rampant disinvestment decades long has led to a sense of frustrated rage. When there is no way out for families, for neighbors, for neighborhoods, for communities, then psychologists will tell you that violence is a byproduct of that failure to believe and to hope and to be assured that you have a future, that you have a stake. Life loses its meaning when there is no significant and righteous investment in the future of any of our citizens, particularly those who are young and those who have easy access to guns. Mr. Speaker, I agree with the National Rifle Association on this one matter: guns don't kill people; people kill people. But I disagree with them, and I want to take it a little further, because that is only one side of the coin. We are not just talking about people. We are talking about a hopeless people. People without hope for the future. Anybody, regardless of race, creed, color, sex, or nationality, anybody when you are caught, caged into a corner with no hope of getting out, you are going to turn violent. That is a part of the human makeup. Your violence is going to be directed to somebody. So the NRA, if it is going to be truthful, then it just cannot deal with any kind of people. It has got to deal more pointedly at people who have no hope. This disinvestment has led to staggering intergenerational unemployment. The bottom didn't fall out of the economy on the west side and the south side of the city of Chicago in '07, '08, and '09. The bottom fell out 25 years ago, 50 years ago, and it never has been repaired. There is no safety net in my city. It is like a bottomless pit. Generations yet to be born are still facing those desperate conditions, still will face that despair, still will face this gross disinvestment. Why aren't there jobs in my city for my community, for my district, no light manufacturing? Why is it that in my city we have to fight the labor unions in order to get employment or labor jobs? Why don't we have summer jobs for young people? Government policies have created this nightmare, and this nightmare that we find ourselves in keeps getting darker and darker and darker and darker and deadlier and deadlier and deadlier. Discrimination, disinvestment. When the mayor of my city stands proudly and takes credit for closing 54 public schools--mostly on the south and west side of the city of Chicago--that is nothing but a continuation of the decades-long disinvestment in good quality schools. If you look back at the history of my city, some of my most ferocious battles with the powers that be centered around the inequities in the public school system. Dropouts are produced at an alarming rate in my city because of the disinvestment in public education. Discrimination is the first d, and disinvestment is the second d. And then, Mr. Speaker, in recent times, we have seen rampant, gross depopulation of my city. Poor people have been almost run out of my city. Public housing is a failed public policy in my city. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, what happened. Yes, there were mammoth public housing developments in my city. Some we pejoratively called ``projects.'' Yes, there were a lot of social ills associated with public housing or projects, and some of those public housing buildings needed to be restructured, demolished, or redesigned. But unlike New York City, which took its public housing developments and invested money in those developments, my city didn't. What you had, Mr. Speaker, are former residents of public housing pushed into struggling lower, middle class communities; and that is when the disruption of those heretofore struggling middle class communities could not sustain themselves against this avalanche of former public housing residents into those areas, and those communities started experiencing extreme dysfunctionality. There is one beat in my city, beat 624. This is the most violent beat in the city of Chicago. In recent years, two police officers were killed in that beat. Day-to-day violence occurs in that beat. Six weeks ago, a brilliant special education teacher who worked part-time as a real estate agent stopped by temporarily to drop some forms off in her office on West 79th Street and lost her life. She was shot in the head by a stray bullet fired in beat 624. Well, Mr. Speaker, I want to say this. Beat 624 is in the heart of a community known as Chatham. When I was a young man growing up, Chatham was the model of middle class lifestyle for the African American community. It was exalted in many ways. Everybody thought that living in Chatham was the place to be. When you lived in Chatham, you lived in nice homes with manicured lawns, clean streets, garages, homes, good schools, a good business district, safe communities, and stable communities. This was the Chatham of my youth. But that Chatham is a long-ago memory now because of the disinvestment and because of the failed public housing policies that emanated out of this Federal Government. Discrimination, disinvestment, and lastly, depopulation. I grew up in an area called Cabrini-Green. It no longer exists. Gentrification has conquered the community of Cabrini-Green, and it is well on its way to conquering other communities. The public dollars over these last 20 or 30 years--maybe even longer than that--have been away from the communities and toward The Loop and the businesses around The Loop. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. I want to thank my friend, Congressman Davis. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that in the central business district of Chicago, or The Loop as it is known far and wide, there is a close- in circle around The Loop. They have created three communities. One is called the Near North Side, where public dollars and enormous investments have occurred. This is the area that used to house Cabrini- Green, the Near North Side. In recent times, we have had gentrification occur in the Near West Side. When I was a young man growing up in Chicago, there was never such a community, never such a time, never such an identity called the Near West Side. And, Mr. Speaker, there is now something called the Near South Side. All of these are gems of gentrification. But if you go further west, further south, you see a stark difference in Englewood and Garfield Park. You see a stark difference in capital investments in these communities, where hopelessness and despair dominate the lives and the thoughts and the culture. That is where the violence emanates from. Unless we deal with these issues, we will never, ever be able to deal with the violence and the increasing murders that are everyday news in the city that I love, the city of Chicago.

Mr. RUSH. Thank you so much, Congressman Davis. I know that you have a response to what I am going to say because I am sure you share the same feeling. I talked about discrimination earlier, and there is one aspect of discrimination that is probably of little notice. You have these youngsters in your community and in my community--in your district and in my district--and they are shepherded, to a great extent, to these prisons across the State. Most of these prisons are located in small towns, and these prisons are the economic engines for these small towns.

Mr. RUSH. So young people inside the city of Chicago, in your district and in my district, are actually the raw material of a lifestyle--a middle class lifestyle--for these small towns that surround these prisons because they are in the prisons, and their families and parents are working for the prisons. Their college educations are paid for by their salaries from the prisons, as are their homes, their mortgages. So they are creating an economic boon for these small towns, but we are suffering all of the issues.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to and honor the Illinois National Baptist State Convention (INBSC) on the occasion of the celebration of their 100th year Centennial Anniversary. The state affiliate of the National Baptist Convention of America, International, INBSC has been formally structured and rooted in the Baptist Doctrine since its inception. INBSC has a longstanding commitment to the advancement of the Kingdom of God on earth through the teachings of Jesus the Christ. Their dedication to Christian education, evangelism, and home and foreign missions has been the strength of their ministry. We are encouraged and uplifted by their efforts to help grow and develop church ministries and are reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in his Ephesian writing: ``and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.'' Mr. Speaker, the Illinois National Baptist State Convention has been a strong beacon of light in the State of Illinois and indeed the nation. I salute their State President, the Reverend Dr. Joel D. Taylor, the Convention officers, Member churches and Pastors and pray that they remain steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that their labor is not in vain in the Lord. I am honored to pay tribute to their historic 100th anniversary celebration and am privileged to enter these words into the Congressional Record of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to address the statement made just yesterday by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. As we all know, Mr. Speaker, Commissioner Silver dealt swiftly, decisively, and broadly with the reprehensible racist tirade that has been attributed to Los Angeles Clippers owner, Mr. Donald Sterling. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to applaud Commissioner Silver for his swift, forward-thinking, decisive action and for taking a meaningful step forward in improving racial relations here in America, and having a very progressive impact on the culture of our Nation by forbidding the racial and racist attitude of any individual that may seek to hide behind the popularity and celebrity status that we give to our athletes and other entertainers. Commissioner Silver's response to Mr. Sterling's appalling statements sent a message to all those who may hold racial or discriminatory attitudes that there is no place to hide here in the United States of America. Whether it comes from the floor of the House, whether it comes from the other body, whether it comes from any quarter, we should all be outraged at the racial attitudes of intolerance and indifference and the hatred that is being spewed across the airways of our Nation. Three times over this last month we have heard reprehensible commentaries by others. We should all have felt a sense of enormous outrage at the comments of these individuals. Much is left to be done, Mr. Speaker. The one thing that is before the Nation and the NBA is that the owners have to do what they are required to do. I urge the owners to do what is best for the Clippers, what is best for the players in the NBA and the NBA itself, what is best for the fans of the NBA, and what is best for the Nation. I ask the owners this morning to remove Mr. Sterling from the privileges of owning an NBA team and remove him from the equation that he currently operates in. And do that finally, firmly, and quickly. We need a decision by the NBA owners now to remove Mr. Sterling.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York who not only has yielded me some time to speak on this issue, but I just want to observe that he has been one of the most remarkable persons to ever serve in this House, this exalted House of Representatives. He is a man who has made enormous contributions to the plight of those who need a voice, to those who need a heart, to those who need a spirit that will fight for them where they cannot fight for themselves. I know that Congressman Gregory Meeks has stood the test of the opposition to those who are denied human rights anywhere in the world, and I am so honored that he will allow me a few minutes to share with the Nation the sadness of the hour, but also to celebrate the resurgence of the Rwanda people. The sadness of the hour is we come to the floor today, Mr. Speaker, to commemorate a very salient and sober observance. As was indicated by prior speakers, just 20 years ago this week the world witnessed one of the worst acts of violence since the end of World War II. It unfolded before our very eyes. Most of us can recall where we were, what we were doing, the life that we lived just 20 years ago. Mr. Speaker, I am right now referring to the outbreak of violence just 20 years ago in a place that most of us had never heard of, a place called Rwanda. And now this place, Rwanda, is written in our psyches as one of the horror stories of our lives of our time. This outbreak of violence in Rwanda ultimately led to the death of over 800,000 ordinary men, women, boys, and girls. This is an atrocity that has been appropriately labeled and called and will go down in history as the Rwanda genocide. Just that word ``genocide'' should give us all pause, and all should strike an attentive ear whenever we hear that word ``genocide'' because the images that are conjured up in our minds are images of some of the most horrendous acts of man's inhumanity to man, of human's inhumanity to human beings. Since the time of the Rwanda genocide, I want to congratulate the decent people, the justice-seeking people, the honorable people of Rwanda who have made great strides to rebuild their lives and to rebuild their country, to heal the deep, biting wounds, and to move forward as a nation. Today, Mr. Speaker, Rwanda is being led by a President that 20 years ago would have been unimaginable, an ethnic Tutsi. President Paul Kagame has, for the past 14 years, overseen Rwanda's rebirth and has made the world proud of Rwanda's incredible resurrection and progress. At yesterday's memorial service in Rwanda, he offered these simple words of everlasting hope: As we pay tribute to the victims, both the living and those who have passed, we also salute the unbreakable Rwandan spirit. Mr. Speaker, I, too, salute the Rwandan spirit and applaud the Rwandan people on just how far they have come in just a few years, just 20 years. At the same time that I applaud the Rwandan people, I admonish, I encourage, I plead, I ask, I beg the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to continue their quest for justice and to bring those to trial, those who have, up to now, escaped the might of justice and the appeal of justice-seeking people throughout the world. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, I must remind our own government that in 1994 we stood on this floor, in this Congress, in this Capitol, in this Nation, and we promised ourselves, we promised the world, we promised anyone who had ears to hear, that we would never, ever again allow such brutal violence to occur anywhere else in the world, that we had finally learned our lesson and that we would never have to relearn this awesome and brutal lesson. And yet, Mr. Speaker, we still see the same thing occurring, the same atrocities, the same murders and rapes, the same pillaging, the same acts of inhumane treatment toward fellow human beings. We bear witness that this same thing is again happening all over our world. Whether Syria or South Sudan, our Nation, the United States of America, the American people, and the entire global community must rise up and stand up shoulder to shoulder and ensure that humanitarian rights are protected all over this world. As we have witnessed in Rwanda, global inaction has already led to genocide. Global inaction will always lead to genocide. We simply cannot idly stand by and allow genocide to continue in our world. Mr. Speaker, I must close with a quote from the English poet John Donne, who said: Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. I want to paraphrase Mr. Donne's quote and say that any human's death diminishes me, because I am involved in humankind. Again, hats off to you, my honorable and humble colleague from the great State of New York. You don't surprise me being the chief sponsor of this particular moment in time in the history of this institution because, Mr. Meeks, this is just simply another step for you, because when it comes to the history and when it comes to justice for people throughout the world, it is a step forward, and you are a stepper for mankind.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to this horrendous bill, H.R. 1582. Although this bill is called the Energy Consumers Relief Act, a more appropriate title would be the Shamelessly Blocking Public Health Protections Act. While the gentleman from Louisiana and the rest of my Republican colleagues may attempt to fool the American people into thinking that this is some kind of a jobs bill, the fact of the matter is, as the Republican leadership admitted on national television a few days ago, the majority party is not interested in working on legislation to address the real problems that American families face, but rather they are more concerned with trying to overturn and undo any and all of the initiatives that the President has already accomplished. Whatever President Obama has done, the Republicans want to undo. So, Madam Chair, while the majority party proudly wears the label as the leaders of one of the most ineffective, do-nothing Congresses of all times, we are here today yet again spending valuable time debating yet another rhetorical, meaningless message bill that will never ever become law, instead of working on real problems that confront the American people. Madam Chairman, I am here today to say enough is enough. Let us get back to the business of governing by working on legislation to put Americans back to work and to get our economy running at full steam once again for the benefit of all the American people. Instead, we are here debating a bill that we know and that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know is dead on arrival in the Senate due to its radical and extreme positions. Make no mistake about it, Madam Chairman. This bill is not about making government more open and more accountable to the American people. In fact, the opposite is true. This bill is simply and solely about blocking the EPA from finalizing rules that would make our air and our water cleaner and help avert catastrophic climate change. This bill has many problems, but its most egregious flaw is that it gives the Department of Energy an unprecedented veto over the most important EPA rules, which are to protect human health and to protect our Nation's environment. The EPA regulations most likely to be delayed or the most likely to be destroyed by this legislation have tremendous benefits for human health and the environment, including money saved on energy bills and at the gas pump; reductions in the emissions of toxic pollutants, which cause cancer and developmental delays in children; hospitalizations that will be averted; and the prevention of asthma attacks and premature deaths, all of which provide real benefits to the American people--real people.

Mr. RUSH. The title of this bill is the Energy Consumers Relief Act, but yet the majority prevented me from offering an amendment that simply stated that the EPA rules could not be blocked if they resulted in consumers saving money at the gas pump. So, if the purpose of this bill were truly to provide relief to consumers, then allowing my amendment would have been, simply, a no-brainer. Madam Chairman, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. Enough is enough. Let us get back to considering real legislation.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, here we go again with the Republicans spewing their shamelessly empty rhetoric concerning jobs. Jobs for the American people might be on their minds, jobs for the American people might be in their mouths, but jobs for the American people are not in their hearts. Mr. Chairman, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are arguing that we need to weaken our environmental laws to create jobs. That's incredibly shortsighted. Do we really want to say to the American people that they must suffer contaminated groundwater, drink dirty water? Is that what we are saying? A study from Tufts University shows just the opposite. It's not a fight between jobs and clean environment, clean water, clean drinking water. The Tufts study says that we can create tens of thousands of new jobs by requiring safe disposal of coal ash. Ensuring that coal ash disposal sites protect human health and the environment will take work, will create jobs. It will take construction workers, equipment operators, and engineers to do this work. Let me add that this is not just makeshift work. These jobs will provide tremendous benefits to the communities in which they take place. But these jobs won't happen if we pass this atrocious bill. This bill simply preserves the status quo and keeps Americans out of work. Mr. Chairman, when it comes to protecting the public health and ensuring that all Americans have unhindered access to clean air, land, and water, I am very sensitive to the issue of ensuring that there are, at the very least, minimum State or Federal standards and that the U.S. EPA has the full authority to enforce those standards. Mr. Chairman, due to a case in my district of Crestwood, Illinois, where contaminated drinking water was piped into the homes of my constituents for over 20 years between 1986 and 2007 and the State of Illinois refused to intervene, I cannot support legislation that bars the U.S. EPA from enforcing State or Federal standards, as this atrocious, shameful bill does. Mr. Chairman, states' rights might mean States' inaction, as in the case of Crestwood, Illinois, where it was only the determined, courageous act of a citizen by the name of Tricia Krause, who had the courage to alert the media to this shameful act being committed by elected officials, those responsible for taking care of the public health and ensuring that the environment was safe and the water that in the morning and the evening during the day that they drank was safe. These officials, these local officials, had that responsibility, and they turned their backs on the people of the village of Crestwood.

Mr. RUSH. Not only did they turn their backs, but the Illinois EPA, the State EPA, refused to even investigate this matter. I had to get the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. EPA to end this atrocity. If this bill is ever enacted, it will bar the Federal Government, at the very least, from serving as the last backstop for the American people against polluters who would seek to skirt the law without regard to the families and communities that they would harm. Mr. Chairman, I ask that the people who are Members of this Congress who have a heart and a mind to not only put the American people back to work, but also to protect the environment, to resist this effort and vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it takes the safety net away from America's poor children.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. I want to thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I strongly disagree with the majority side's process of trying to usurp President Obama's authority by immediately approving the Keystone XL pipeline, even before the State Department of the United States of America completes its due diligence, as our laws require. Mr. Chairman, this is not an issue about jobs for Americans, but, rather, it is a question of whether this Congress should exempt one foreign company from the laws of America. This bill is about seizing power from the President of the United States. This bill is about curtailing all Federal and environmental permitting requirements. This bill is about limiting the ability of average U.S. citizens to seek justice through the court system of our Nation. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 3 will remove the Keystone pipeline out of the jurisdiction of State and local courts and will give only one court, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, exclusive jurisdiction over this project, causing undue hardship on ordinary American families, small businesses, and landowners who may or may not have the resources to retain a D.C. lawyer, to travel to Washington, D.C., in order to have their American legal rights heard by this American justice system. Mr. Chairman, I sought to amend this atrocious bill. My amendment would have struck section 4, the judicial review clause, so that ordinary American citizens could keep their legal rights intact, but my Republican colleagues wouldn't allow us to vote on that amendment here today in full view of the American people. Mr. Chairman, as the White House notes in its Statement of Administration Policy, and I quote: ``H.R. 3 conflicts with longstanding executive branch procedures regarding the authority of the President, the Secretaries of State,''----

Mr. RUSH.----``the Interior, and the Army, and the EPA Administrator. In addition, this bill is unnecessary because the Department of State is working right now diligently to complete the permit-decision process for the Keystone XL pipeline. The bill prevents the thorough consideration of complex issues that could have serious security, safety, environmental, and other ramifications.'' Mr. Chairman, I share these concerns of the President and, for that reason, I urge all of my colleagues to vote against this egregious bill.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Republic of Cameroon as it celebrates its National Day today, May 20th. Known by many as ``Africa in Miniature,'' Cameroon represents within its borders the whole of Africa's wondrous geographic diversity. This Central African nation, a strong ally of the United States, has made important strides both politically and economically over the past year. For example, last month, on April 14th, Cameroon held its first Senatorial elections, fulfilling its Constitutional requirement to sit an upper house of its National Assembly. This new legislative body, which commenced its first session last week, reinforces the steps Cameroon has taken on its path to a full and vibrant democracy. On the economic front, Cameroon has also made important strides on its road toward responsible development by joining the Kimberley Process and working toward validation under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. In January of this year, the Government approved the establishment of two new financial institutions to strengthen the financing of small and medium rural enterprises in Cameroon. Mr. Speaker, it must also be noted that Cameroon also represents the collective African desire to enhance bilateral trade with the United States and last month, I cosponsored legislation that would do just that. Among other things, H.R. 1777 would create jobs in the United States by increasing U.S. exports to Africa by at least 200 percent in real dollar value within 10 years. This legislation complements the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a system that reinforces African reform efforts and provides improved U.S. market access for African countries. African countries such as Cameroon benefit from AGOA in part because it helps build an economic foundation upon which a broader bilateral relationship can be built, and I urge my colleagues to support renewal of this important legislation before it expires in 2015. While Cameroon continues to make measured progress, challenges remain. Nevertheless, I am encouraged by the engagement that exists between our two nations, as it will help the Government of Cameroon consolidate its democratic gains and economic growth, both of which create a brighter future for the people of Cameroon. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my best wishes to the people of Cameroon as they celebrate their National Day.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated public servant from my district, The Honorable Dr. Irene H. Brodie, Mayor of the Village of Robbins. As Mayor Brodie retires after 24 years of service to the Village I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize her many achievements. Irene Brodie began her career in Robbins as a teacher at Kellar Elementary School where she worked alongside her husband, J. Edmon Brodie, who served as the school's principal. Through her hard work and diligence she later became Assistant Principal at Turner Elementary School. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Brodie continued to be a loving and devoted wife and mother. While doing this, and in spite of her busy schedule, she earned her Doctorate in Education at Northeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Now a recognized educator in the region, Dr. Brodie joined the staff of a small junior college that, at the time, had only a few buildings to accommodate its 12,000 students. After two years of serving as a professor, Dr. Brodie became the first African-American Dean at Moraine Valley Community College. During her tenure, Moraine Valley grew to become the second largest community college in Illinois with a student population that now numbers well over 30,000. Despite her having left the field, Dr. Brodie's dedication to education has never ceased. She has hired, financially supported, tutored, counseled, and graduated hundreds of residents from Robbins and the surrounding communities. Additionally, under her tutelage, the Mayor's Scholarship Fund has funded tuition costs for hundreds of students through the years and her individual efforts have produced teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and educators around the world. Her contributions to education were recognized when Moraine Valley named the ``Dr. Irene H. Brodie Academic Skills Center'' in her honor. This center serves as a critical area of academic enrichment for Moraine Valley students. During her tenure at Moraine Valley, Brodie also served as Village Clerk for the Village of Robbins for 12 years. Her service there led her to be recognized as a leader by a group of constituents who asked her to lead Robbins as its Mayor. Her election as Mayor marked her retirement from Moraine Valley and a shift in her career from educator to elected leader. Mr. Speaker, throughout her career Dr. Brodie has served in such leadership positions as Vice-President of the Illinois Municipal League, Executive Board Member and Assistant Secretary of the National Conference of Black Mayors, and Chair of the Education and Scholarship Committee for the National Conference of Black Mayors. Additionally she has served as a member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, numerous Gubernatorial Transition Teams, various state and federal advisory boards, and as a member of President Clinton's Environmental Think Tank Group. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank Mayor Brodie for her decades of service and congratulate her on her retirement.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, Ranking Member Waxman and I have sent 24 letters to Chairman Upton of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Whitfield of the Energy and Power Committee since May 2011 requesting hearings on the science of climate change. Mr. Speaker, since Mr. Waxman and I are not able to get the majority on the Energy and Commerce Committee to act, I take it upon myself to come to the House floor to speak directly to the American people on why this issue is so important to them. Power to the people. Mr. Speaker, last year, 2012, marked the hottest year ever recorded in U.S. history. Fully two-thirds of our Nation experienced drought. Half of the Nation's grazing pastures and up to 30 percent of the Nation's corn crop was in poor condition, or in very poor condition, which impacted the price that the American people pay for their food, for ethanol, and for consumer goods for all of the American people. Mr. Speaker, just because some of my colleagues might not like what the science is telling us, it does not mean that they can continue to put their collective heads in the sand and simply ignore these facts or wish these facts away. Last year's record temperatures, serious droughts, pervasive wildfires, and widespread flooding prove that there is climate change occurring all around us on a regular basis continually. And Mr. Speaker, the majority ignores climate change, not at some of our peril, not at a portion of our peril, not at a minority of our peril, but all of our perils are being impacted because of the majority's refusal to simply have the scientists come before the committee of jurisdiction and tell this Congress, in no uncertain terms, what is really happening to the world's climate. Mr. Speaker, these very same scientists, these experts, these people who have spent and dedicated their lives to understanding climate and climate control and what is happening, these climatologists are waiting, they're willing, and they're eager to come before this Congress to share their information and their expertise with the Members of this Congress. The scientists are sounding the alarm and informing us that we are reaching a critical tipping point as it relates to this very important issue of climate control. Mr. Speaker, my prayers are for the people of Boston, my prayers are for the people in Boston, and my prayers are for the American people. All power to the people.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. I want to thank my colleague, Luis Gutierrez, the dean of the Illinois delegation. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, it is my honor to introduce to you one of the most remarkable persons that you will ever want to meet--a fine, outstanding, accomplished public servant, one who has cut her teeth helping to address the pain and the problems of those who reside in the Second Congressional District. This fine woman is a sterling example of the kind of public officials that we send to Washington from the Land of Lincoln. She's beyond reproach in every area of her life. She commits herself day and night to solving the problems of common, everyday, ordinary people. She's a person with keen vision, enormous insight, and enormous capacity to accomplish what she starts out and what she began. She is indeed an inspiration to all of us. She is a person that's going to make this House proud, the State of Illinois proud, and the people from the Second Congressional District very, very proud of her. As the Congressman from the First Congressional District, I'm so glad to introduce you to the new Congresswoman from the Second Congressional District, Robin Kelly.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable young woman who had really just begun to embark upon her life's journey, but Hadiya Zaymara Pendleton was taken from us too soon on January 29, 2013 as a result of senseless gun violence. No words can ease the pain of losing a child, Mr. Speaker. To Hadiya's parents and loved ones I can simply offer them a word from scripture. In Luke 18:16 the Bible tells us ``Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, 'Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.' '' Born June 2, 1997, Hadiya was loved by everyone who has encountered her since that summer day. A lover of Chinese food, cheeseburgers, ice cream, and Fig Newtons, Hadiya was active in extracurricular activities such as the CHI-TOWN Cheerleaders, Debate, Volleyball, Basketball, Mentoring Programs, and serving as Band Majorette where she proudly participated in last month's Inaugural Parade. In addition to her extracurricular passions, Hadiya was an honor student who began her academic journey at Small Stride Academy and continued her development at such schools as John D. Shoop Math-Science Technical Academy, Marva Collins School, the Carter G. Woodson School, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep High School. These institutions were critical in creating a sound educational foundation for this well-rounded young woman. Hadiya had a high regard for academic success and higher learning. Her favorite class was Latin and she recently expressed how disappointed she was that the language program would end after this school year. Her love of learning drove her ambitions. One of her many aspirations was to major in pharmacology and journalism. Mr. Speaker, though Hadiya's voice has been silenced far too early her memory and her spirit continue to live on through all of us. It now falls upon us, Hadiya's friends, family, neighbors, and community to speak out in her name, to strive for excellence in her name, and to build a better world in her name. I, Mr. Speaker, am one individual who pledges to do just that.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, it is New Years 2013. The Nation now finds itself at an urgent crossroads. America has fallen over the fiscal cliff. Many of our fellow and most economically vulnerable Americans are now in a free fall. How far they fall and for how long will be up to Congress. The House of Representatives should be deciding now, and by that I mean today, whether to pass the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act of 2012, which was passed in the Senate by an overwhelming bipartisan 89-8 vote. If the House of Representatives fumbles this opportunity, it won't matter to these Americans which political party tells them that they did or did not cut taxes, or which party held more closely to its campaign promises. What matters to the 2 million Americans who are currently unemployed is why are their unemployment benefits being held hostage to provide tax cuts for employed and more well-off Americans? The deal agreed to in the Senate provides a strong enough platform for our country's continued progress and economic recovery. That package will generate a good deal of the increased tax revenues that our U.S. Treasury needs to operate the government. The Senate's package assures millions of students and unemployed and poor Americans that they will have the basics to carry out their daily lives and to advance their educational and career goals. Among other things, the Senate deal would also authorize the Farm Bill through September of this year. Extending earned income and child care tax credits and benefits, as the Senate deal would do, may not mean much for middle class families and individuals. But guess what? Those credits and benefits are hugely important, for example, to a family of four under the poverty level, which on average makes only $21,000 per year. The Senate's proposal, which the Majority should bring up immediately for a vote is a good compromise. It won't give Republicans everything that they want. Similarly, Democrats are not getting all of what they want in this package. And rightly so--neither party has all the answers to the plethora of very complex fiscal problems we are facing. Compromise is the solution, just as compromise will be the solution when we come up against sequestration, the debt ceiling, and passing a continuing budget resolution. I strongly urged you, Mr. Speaker, to call up H.R. 8, the Job Protection and Recession Prevention Act, as amended and passed by the Senate for a vote in this House. Let's stop dangling innocent and vulnerable Americans over the fiscal cliff; they've waited too long for us to act as it is.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late- Reverend Alexander I. Dunlap. Born December 4, 1930 to Rev. I.D. Dunlap, an A.M.E. minister, and Elmira McCoy Dunlap, a teacher in the public schools of North Carolina, Rev. Dunlap was the child of parents who loved the Lord and who loved education; each of them was an integral part of the man he was to become. A.I, as he was affectionately known, lost his father at the early age of 10, yet he was proud to tell everyone that he was raised by a phenomenal woman who helped instill in him a sense of dignity and respect for himself and who told him that ``You may be as black as coal but you are just as good as any child God has ever made.'' A.I. attended North Carolina A&T University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree. He joined the U.S. Army and served during the Korean War for four years and was honorably discharged. He continued to pursue his love of God and education by attending Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta where he received his Masters of Divinity degree. He also later took courses in Pastoral Counseling at Emory and Duke Universities. While still a young man in college, A.I. began his civil rights activities organizing sit-ins to protest the college Administration's policies. His love of community and commitment to the equal rights of every man, woman, and child continued to grow from the start of his career with the AME Church. As an Itinerant Elder, Rev. Dunlap travelled to many communities in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and finally to Illinois. Wherever he went, he made an impact. A.I. strove to ensure that everyone he encountered knew Jesus and were treated with the dignity and respect they deserved in all facets of their lives. During Rev. Dunlap's tenure as an A.M.E. minister, he participated and held positions some examples of his contributions: Special Consultant to the North Carolina Fund, which evaluated community action programs for the state of North Carolina; Faculty member and Vice President of Kittrell College in North Carolina; Chairman, Carolina Ford Fellowship; Chairman, Board of Directors for United Community Action: Director of Direct Action, Chicago's Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Chairman, Chicago Action Committee; Member, Board of Directors, Urban Training Center for Christian Mission; Chairman, 4th Episcopal Mass News Media, A.M.E. Church; Special Consultant to the late Bishop Frederick Jordan, Ecumenical Relations, National A.M.E. Church; Vice President, Danville, VA Ministerial Alliance; member of the Des Plaines Ministerial Alliance; Professor of Urban Programs for the Meadville Theological Seminary, affiliated with the University of Chicago; Director of Social Action, A.M.E. Ministerial Alliance of Chicago. Although Rev. Dunlap was very involved as a minister, he also found time to become involved in civic and political organizations. Some of these organizations and affiliations included Rev. Dunlap's Charter Membership in the Prince Edward County Christian Association, an organization that placed black pupils in schools after they had been closed to avert integration in Prince Edward county Virginia; Charter Membership in the Danville Christian Progressive Association, an organization that broke down racial segregation in education and employment; Charter membership in the Halifax County Voters Movement that registered 100,000 new voters in eastern North Carolina; Charter membership in the Coalition for United Community Action that helped break down discrimination in the Chicago Construction industry; the First Executive Director and founding member of Black Contractors United; President of the Dr. Martin Luther King Coalition in Chicago; Member of the Chicago Urban League; Chairman of the 2nd Congressional District of North Carolina; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina voter Education Project. While A.I. was busy bringing people to Jesus and helping to create a better world for all, he also had a family. A blind date in Atlanta led him to the love of his life and wife of 44 wonderful years, Margaret Della Princess Esther Lee Dunlap, who predeceased him on October 29, 2004. To that union four children were born: Michele Arnita, Alexander, Jr, Michael Andre and ``baby'' Barbara Andrea. He was a devoted husband and a generous and caring father. He would often state how people were amazed with all that he did that he had time to have one child, much less four. A.I. loved music and played the trumpet for many years, loved sports (especially basketball), was an avid reader, and an exceptionally skilled poker player. Through his efforts, A.I. helped open doors to African Americans in construction, education, housing and employment. He was responsible for helping to write some of the first Affirmative Action Programs for companies like Sears Roebuck and Co., Dearborn Park, CNA Financial, and Montgomery Ward to name a few. He sued the City of Chicago for the right to March in Marquette Park, one of the most segregated neighborhoods in Chicago in the 70s. For the city's failure to provide adequate protections for their peaceful demonstration, A.I. sued the City of Chicago and won his case in DUNLAP v. CITY OF CHICAGO (435 F.Supp. 1295 (1977)). These are just a few examples of the long-lasting impacts that Rev. Dunlap made towards the greater objective of creating a more loving and just society. While the family of Shepherd A.I. Dunlap will miss him, we do not mourn his death. We are so grateful to God Almighty that he allowed him to be with us for 82 years. He leaves the following persons happy about his life--his children: Michele (Donald), Haughton; Alexander, Jr. ( Darlene); Michael (Ophelia); Barbara; grandchildren: Nikhitut, Anjelica, Isaiah, Jillian, Chelsea, great-granddaughter Camia; a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and a myriad of friends.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sister Elizabeth Van Straten, who is a highly esteemed member of the Chicago area and a resident of the Englewood community in the City of Chicago. At the end of this year, Sister Van Straten will be retiring from her position as the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Bernard Hospital, which is located in the Englewood community of the City of Chicago. An alumnus of DePaul University, Sister Van Straten is a member of the religious congregation of women known as the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph (R.H.S.J.), which founded St. Bernard Hospital in 1904. She is the last member of the religious sisters serving at St. Bernard. In following a line of women dedicated to serving the poor, Sister Van Straten has committed herself and her talents for more than 34 years in service of and promoting the health and well-being of the Englewood community. Sister Van Straten has met and overcome major challenges in keeping St. Bernard Hospital open, even as three other neighborhood hospitals have closed. In addition to keeping open its doors, under Sister Van Straten's leadership St. Bernard has become the largest employer in the Englewood community and a leading national provider of emergency medical services, dental services and prenatal care services, just to name a few. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Sister Elizabeth Van Straten. She is truly worthy of recognition today and onward by this august body--the U.S. House of Representatives.