Bobby Rush

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 225 I was unavoidably detained in a strategic meeting of significant interests to my constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mrs. Maloney

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, today I would like to recognize an outstanding American who has worked tirelessly to stem the tide of youth violence that has gripped many communities in our country. Kenneth E. Barnes, Sr., M.S., attended Loyola College in Maryland and, while working towards his doctoral degree, tragedy of the worst kind struck--his son, Kenneth Barnes, Jr., was murdered. Rather than do nothing, Mr. Barnes established the organization Reaching Out to Others Together Inc., or ROOT, Inc. ROOT, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to advocacy, education and intervention on behalf of victims of gun violence and their families. ROOT, Inc.'s mission is to motivate and mobilize communities to take a proactive approach in reducing homicides as well as the senseless gun violence and youth violence that plague cities throughout America. Mr. Barnes has conducted workshops and seminars, locally and nationally, as well as testified on numerous occasions before the D.C. City Council. Mr. Barnes has also worked with my office and played an instrumental role in helping me to draft the Communities in Action Neighborhood Defense and Opportunity Bill, or CAN DO bill, which also addresses the issue of gun violence through a community- based comprehensive approach to the problem. Madam Speaker, each April since 1981, the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice has helped lead communities throughout the nation in their observances of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Rallies, candlelight vigils, and a host of commemorative activities are held each year to promote victims' rights and to honor crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year, Kenny Barnes has been nominated by the United States Department of Justice Office of Victim Services to receive the National Service Award for his work on behalf of victims of crime and he will receive this prestigious award on April 24, 2009. This is a great honor being bestowed upon a great man and I would like to congratulate Mr. Barnes for his commitment and dedication to an issue that is so dear to my heart and the hearts of millions of others throughout our nation.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, it's my sad responsibility to call your attention to the anguish that Ms. Rita Sallie is experiencing. Hers is a pain felt by so many mothers and families across this great nation. Losing a child is a tragedy that no parent should have to endure but, once again, an innocent child whose life was so full of promise abruptly lost her life due to gun violence in my Chicago community. Rather than add more of my own words, I'm taking this opportunity to enter into the record the entire statement by Ms. Rita Sallie. Somehow, she found the courage to speak through her pain and wrote a heartfelt statement to the Chicago Sun-Times--a statement aimed, directly, at the convicted murderers of her daughter, 15-year-old Schanna. It is important that history remembers her petition as it sadly resonates for millions of parents throughout the United States. Here's her statement, in its entirety: They stole the life of a beautiful, kind, free-spirited girl and made her a statistic. Why? To get revenge for an argument? A fight? The leader should have gotten over it and walked away. But he was mad, you see, so the only reasonable thing for a coward to do was to get an idiot to shoot up a park where children play, only to hurt my child who was feet away. She was born on Dec. 16, 1993, and was a cute, bald bundle of quiet joy. She grew to be a sincere, respectful, loving, selfless spirit filled with the joy of life. Her smile is infectious and no one can deny her energy and pure heart. She has a confident yet modest bearing and a smile like a balm to the soul. I would not realize until after I saw her smile how much I yearned for it. The child I anticipated seeing everyday was gunned down in the middle of a park, behind Funston Elementary School, by two nothings. She was supposed to start 8th grade in the fall of 2007, but she never made it. She will never have the chance to show herself to the world. I will never have the chance to watch her make her way. Schanna has always been so full of life. Her energy and vitality would leave me rolling my eyes in exasperation because sometimes I just wanted her to sit still and take a breath. They took the energy that left me breathless and left her lying, unmoving in the park behind Funston Elementary School where people could see her at her most vulnerable. They denied her the right to live, breathe, laugh, love and dream. Schanna has such a generous spirit. She thought nothing of sharing her time or her possessions with you. She hated to see others unhappy or angry. There was nothing that she had that she wasn't willing to share. This child would take her birthday money and buy Christmas presents for everyone else. She was supposed to donate her organs so that others could continue living, even though she would not. They denied her that right, as well, because her heart stopped before her organs could be harvested, leaving them unusable and the recipients to wait and maybe even succumb themselves. I have always been amazed by her. Over the years I would ask myself what did a barely passable person like me do to earn the privilege of having Schanna as my child? Somehow I was blessed to have a little girl with a brilliant mind, a big heart and a generous spirit. Although I struggle with being a better person, I do try to teach my children to know right from wrong, to make principled decisions and to have good moral character. Schanna took what I taught her and magnified it. She not only listened to what I advised, she put it into practice so much that she became the teacher, and I, the student. She is the person that I have struggled all my life to become. People have always been drawn to her. Even as a toddler, people would stop me on the street to admire her and buy her small gifts, a piece of candy, or lollipop. That never changed. Up until she was taken from me, I would watch her walk to school by herself and before she made it, she would be surrounded by so many friends that I would no longer be able to tell her apart from the sea of blue and white uniforms. All I have left are memories. The memories of our life before they intruded. The memories that I cannot call up because they are pushed aside for what they did to her on June 25, 2007. I saw my baby lying in the park, eyes open staring, with bits of her favorite fruit scattered around her. I struggle to recall the constant twinkle in her eye, the bright smile and the distinctive cackle of her laugh. I am embarrassed to admit that I try to avoid thinking of her at all because I don't want to recall that day and all the days that came after. I have to put her away, for now. Maybe, in the future, but not now. She had a life plan at 12 years old and they denied her all of her dreams and aspirations. She'll never experience going to high school, or college, or even the 8th grade. She will never be consumed by her first love and I will never have the chance to help her through her first broken heart. There will be no stories of her travels, the people she would meet and the things she would see and do. She never even got the chance to ride public transportation by herself. Over the years, people have told me that I was a strong woman. On June 25, 2007, I was exposed as a fraud. I'm not the strong woman I've always considered myself to be. My armor is only as strong as its weakest point. My weakness is my family, my children. They not only put a chink in my armor, but shattered it and left it lying at my feet, leaving me fearful and weak. I have gone from a strong, independent person to someone who would like nothing more than to crawl into a dark hole and lick the wounds that will never heal. My sleep is restless. I am overly emotional and struggle to make the simplest decisions and have felt no true happiness since that time. Since losing her, I have tried to find some sense of normalcy to my life. But I can't, because I know that I'm supposed to kiss three children before I go to work, not two. I know that I'm supposed to cook for four people, not three. I know I am supposed to hear three voices when I come home from a long day. I know I'm supposed to talk to three children about what is going on in their lives. I know that I'm supposed to hug three children. It's impossible to return to normal when you know these things in your heart and mind and that knowing is not enough. Her absence is the 800 pound gorilla in the room that everyone notices but tries to ignore, hoping that someone else will mention it first. The emptiness is physical and must be kept at bay. They left me powerless. I would do everything to help my children through crises real and imagined, and they knew it. They took away my power when they hurt my little girl. I had to leave her in the care of the paramedics, police, hospital, morgue and funeral home, only to lay her to rest in a cemetery surrounded by strangers. She could forgive people for anything. Make her sad or angry and a few minutes later all would be forgiven, whether you apologized or not. Knowing her, she's probably forgiven them. For years I wished I were more like her, but I'm not and despite my best efforts, I never will be. Schanna is a better person that I am in every way. She may have forgiven them, but I hate them. I have a fiery hatred for both of them that I know will one day consume me. The anger eats away at my mind and heart, knowing what they did to her, I seethe at the very thought of them as part of our history, that they are an asterisk on my family tree. We don't want them there, but they are, forever. When the situation occurred, my imagination made them seem big, menacing, nearly otherworldly. Upon actually seeing them, I realize they are two nothings. One, a pint-sized, arrogant wannabe outsider and the other, a stupid and spineless follower. Two insignificant, pathetic nobodies who barged into my life and took away my child. They had no right to decide if anyone lives or dies, yet they took the liberty of walking away with the life of my child. The leader made the fateful decision to have his lackey discharge a weapon in broad daylight into a park behind a school where scores of children congregated because he was mad. Even after hurting my child, he neither ran like the coward he is nor admitted his involvement like the man he should have been; rather he stood on the street and drank alcoholic beverages as though hurting a child made him thirsty. The circumstances surrounding the loss of my little girl makes me light hearted with nervous rage. The leader came to my country, my state, my city, my neighborhood, took my child's life and stole her future. Because he was mad, he committed an act from which none of us can ever recover. Not my family, not the shooter's family or even his family. His arrogance and leadership over those in the gang made for a potent mix and we, my family and the community, paid the price for it. He came here thinking that he could do whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted and would suffer no consequences. This makes him extremely dangerous to the general public. After the guilty verdict for the shooter, I happened to run into Susanna Rosa, who proceeded to tell me that that shooter was a good kid and that the gang threatened him. They told him to do it or else they would kill him. She let me know that he'd graduated from high school and everything. Well, the shooter is stupid and lacks moral character. He let a person who is of no importance tell him to commit an act with wide-ranging consequences. Why? To defend him from an argument that he could have and should have walked away from. The only person wielding a gun out there was the shooter. He hid near a car like a 2-year-old and came out gun blazing like an Old West villain to defend someone else. Nothing Ms. Rosa told me changes my opinion at all. I will accept no excuses. My hatred has not dimmed but flares white-hot at the idea of the destruction he's caused in our lives, throwing away his own in the process for a nothing, a nobody. I had the opportunity to observe the shooter and watched him smile. He neither smirked nor grinned, but smiled a big smile when he sat at the defense table towards the end of the trial. My stomach clinched and my skin became flushed. I was mad, just like his leader, the arrogant nobody who he came to rescue, but I did nothing, nor did I try to enlist anyone to do anything. The leader and his defender should have done the same thing and none of us would be here today and my little girl would be finishing her first year of high school. During the trial, the shooter had a number of family members and friends at court to support him. He didn't consider those same people who sat behind him and gave him them their strength. He didn't think about those people then. No. He thought only about rescuing his leader from an argument by using armed violence. High school diploma or not, if he's stupid and dangerous enough to let someone convince him to hurt others, then he needs to be taken off the street for the rest of his life. They took away her life and her future, her sister Joyce's best friend, her brother Antwun's protector and my dearly loved child and teacher. What they did is nothing less than an act of domestic terrorism. They took Schanna Danielle Gayden, just 13 years old, and left in their wake a destroyed family, distraught friends and a traumatized community. Despite their actions, Schanna actually brought the community together. People recognized how special she is and they came together for her and for us. They stood vigil with us during the darkest hours of our lives and they stand with us still. Schanna touched more people in her 13 years than I have during my entire life and continues to do so. She has an intangible gift for which people would recognize and respond. A tree was planted and a stone set up in her memory in the park where she suffered such a terrible hurt. The park has also been dedicated to her memory. This is the same park where so many children came to play or just watch the world go by. In fact, had they been just a little earlier, I could have been their victim, and my Schanna would still be here to continue the path she set out for herself. I've done all I'm going to do in this life, whereas she hadn't even begun. But it says something about her as a person that a park would be dedicated to her and a memorial tree and stone placed in her memory. On June 27, 2009, there will also be a tree planted at the cemetery where she has been laid to rest. It will be dedicated to her and all of the children lost to violence. These actions say that she is not disposable, the damage done is not collateral. She is important, not just to her family, but to her friends and community. It is fortunate for them that I was not responsible for charging them with a crime. If I were, they would have been charged with aggravated theft for stealing my baby's life, a gift which is truly priceless and cannot be replaced; and attempted murder, for all the people who were there who could have also been victims. Were it up to me, life without parole is nothing less than they would receive. With that sentence, Your Honor, I am being generous. However, I do request that because of their deplorable and thoughtless actions, sickening behavior and blatant disregard for all life, and the convictions that stemmed from these, I am respectfully requesting that you, the Honorable Judge Nicholas T. Ford, sentence both defendants to the maximum punishment allowed by law. Thank you for your consideration.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act of 2009. I would like to thank Chairman Waxman, Ranking Member Barton, my colleague Congressman Frank Pallone, and the Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee who unanimously supported this legislation's passage out of the committee. After eight long years, today marks an important step forward in the journey for Congress to fully recognize postpartum depression as a national women's health priority. This bill comes to the floor today with strong, bipartisan support. No longer will postpartum depression be dismissed as mere ``baby blues.'' Mr. Speaker, today, 60 to 80 percent of new mothers experience symptoms of postpartum depression while the more serious condition, postpartum psychosis, affects up to 20 percent of women who have recently given birth. Experts in the field of women's health like Susan Stone, Chair of the President's Advisory Council of Postpartum Support International, says that these statistics do not include mothers whose babies are stillborn, who miscarry, or who are vulnerable to these devastating disorders which raises those at risk into the millions. The most extreme form, postpartum psychosis, is exhibited in about one percent of all new mothers. At what should be the happiest time in a woman's life these mood disorders result in feelings of despondency, tearfulness, inadequacy, guilt and fatigue. In the worst case scenario, if left untreated or not treated properly, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis has resulted in suicide and infanticide. The consequences of untreated maternal depression in the mother range from chronic disability to death of the infant as well as learning and behavioral disabilities that can negatively impact a child's development. In light of all these sobering facts, sadly, I was finally compelled to author H.R. 20 in December 2007 after watching the news accounts of the missing Melanie Blocker Stokes. This bright, vibrant woman who loved life was a first time mother, a successful business woman and my constituent. Despite her family's valiant interventions, Melanie's psychosis was so severe that she slipped away and ended her life in solitary agony. As news of her death swept throughout Chicago, I reached out to Melanie's mother, Carol Blocker, who told me her daughter's diagnosis and suicide was the result of postpartum psychosis. And, sometime later, Dr. Nada Stotland of the American Psychiatric Association, also a constituent of mine, also reached out to me. Dr. Stotland detailed the value of additional research and discussed the under-reporting and misdiagnosis of postpartum depression and psychosis in our country. There is no denying the fact that the need for resources to combat postpartum depression grows more and more each and every year. Here are the facts: H.R. 20 will finally put significant money and attention into research, screening, treatment and education for mothers suffering from this disease. Research indicates that some form of postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 1,000 new mothers, or up to 800,000 new cases annually. This data does not include the additional cases of women who may be vulnerable to these illnesses even after they've miscarried or who deliver stillborn infants. Of the new postpartum cases this year, less than 15 percent of mothers will receive treatment and even fewer will receive adequate treatment; however, with treatment over 90 percent of these mothers could overcome their depression. Every 50 seconds a new mother will begin struggling with the effects of mental illness. Mr. Speaker, these facts are profound and, in the words of Carol Blocker, ``. . . hundreds of thousands of women, who have suffered from postpartum depression and psychosis are still waiting for Congress to act eight years after legislation was first introduced.'' Mr. Speaker, thank you for this day because, today, Mrs. Blocker and hundreds of thousands of mothers will not have to wait any longer for Congress to act! By passage of H.R. 20, today, we will put mothers first. When this bill becomes law, my legislation will: Encourage the Secretary of Health and Human Services to continue: (1) activities on postpartum depression; and (2) research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and treatments for, postpartum conditions. Express the sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy in various ways. Amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants for projects for the establishment, operation, and coordination of effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families. Direct the Secretary to ensure that such projects provide education and services with respect to the diagnosis and management of postpartum conditions. Moreover, this bill is an affordable approach to research and services. This is good policy, good politics and a good public health bill. Before I close, I'd like to take a moment to remember and honor the hundreds of thousands of women--women who have lost either their ability to ``mother'' or, in far too many cases, their lives to postpartum depression. Mr. Speaker, this bill, this day and this moment would not be a reality had it not been for a beautiful, young Chicago native, the late Melanie Blocker Stokes, and the valiant effort her husband and her family made to save her lift but to no avail. And, even though Melanie did not survive her battle with postpartum psychosis, Melanie's battle and her ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten because of our efforts, here, today. I would like to thank Carol Blocker, my friend, constituent and fellow activist, who with grace and dignity found a way for her daughter's memory to live on. I would also like to thank all the groups who support this legislation. Groups like, Postpartum Support International, the Family Mental Health Foundation, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. I'd also like to acknowledge the tremendous work of groups like the Children's Defense Fund, the Melanie Blocker Stokes Foundation, Suicide Prevention Action Network, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Mental Health America, NARAL, National Alliance for Mental Illness, Community Behavioral Healthcare, the March of Dimes, The National Association of Social Workers, National Organization for Women and North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology. I thank these groups and various activists for their relentless efforts to address this issue including calling their congressional representatives and mailing or faxing letters in support of H.R. 20. Our work will not be done until this bill is signed by the President. And, the good news is, this time we have a friend and fellow Chicagoan in the White House. And, finally, let me once again thank the hundreds of thousands of unsung women, and their families, who have battled postpartum depression in silence or isolation, in some form, for far too long. To those women and their families I say, you will never suffer in silence again. And, with that, I proudly urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 20.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Communities in Action Neighborhood and Opportunity bill, also known as the CAN DO bill. The Department of Justice reports that, on average, 45 people are shot and killed daily in America. Annually, there are 16,000-17,000 gun deaths in America. The Communities in Action Neighborhood Defense and Opportunity Act is a comprehensive, community-based approach designed to address the issue gun violence. The bill calls for a four-pronged strategy in addressing gun violence in our nation's most crime-infested neighborhoods, including aggressive law enforcement, increased access to mental health and psychological counseling, additional employment training and job placement, and increased educational and recreational services for at- risk youth. Madam Speaker, the issue of gun violence affects all Americans, white, black, Latino, Native American, and Asian. And gun violence pervades in all of our communities: urban, suburban, and rural. This issue is not a black or white issue, and it is not an urban or rural issue. This is an American issue that we must address with all of the resources we have at our disposal. The research confirms that in order to effectively combat the causes of youth gun violence, there must be a holistic approach that provides not only aggressive law enforcement, but also provides at-risk youth with constructive alternatives to their dangerous lifestyles and gives them access to critical social services and programs. This bill is unique in that it brings together the entire community to provide alternatives to youth by establishing partnerships between public and private agencies, businesses, community-based nonprofits, churches, schools, and universities. There is an 'all hands on' approach in order to get all of the stakeholders involved and provide a comprehensive and effective strategy that families and communities can support and get behind. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the CAN DO bill and help end the destruction that is tearing apart so many of our communities. Americans of conscious must come together to stop the senseless death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will we say ``enough is enough, stop the killing!''

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Waxman, Chairman Obey, and Chairman Rangel for their hard work on the compromise legislation that we have before us today. In a time when so many Americans are in the grips of economic hardship and despair, now is the time for all of us to come together and act on the part of those who are in need. Mr. Speaker, our people need jobs. Our people need jobs and our Nation needs jobs. And we need to invest in our infrastructure, invest in our communities, and invest in the next generation of Americans. This package includes all the tools and all the money to make our dream of a better tomorrow for all Americans a reality. With the passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we will act by deeds, not just words. The Bible tells us that a tree will be known by the fruit it bears. This bill has good fruit in it.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, the Department of Justice tells us that, everyday, 45 people, on average, are fatally shot in the United States. Last weekend, while my colleagues and I worked to help restore our nation's financial ship of state, the state of our urban communities continued to be plagued with an obscene level of gun violence. The Chicago community I serve tops our nation's list for gun-related violence which tragically included the second loss of life, in just two months, of a Chicago police officer. Last night, 14-year veteran officer Nathaniel Taylor, Jr., 39, lost his life while serving a search warrant and he leaves behind an orphaned daughter and a grieving city. There were also three other gun-related murders last weekend including 34-year-old James Purifoy who was shot in the back. Two others lost their lives whose names have yet to be released. And, to top it off, five people were shot on the Near West Side early Saturday night following a dice game gone bad. Fortunately, none of their wounds were life threatening. My condolences go out to the family and friends of Officer Taylor and to Mr. Purifoy whose lives ended much too soon at the end of a gun. Americans of conscious must come together to stop the senseless death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will we say `enough is enough, stop the killing!'

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Communities in Action Neighborhood and Opportunity bill, also known as the CAN DO bill. The Department of Justice reports that, on average, 45 people are shot and killed daily in America. Annually, there are 16,000-17,000 gun deaths in America. In contrast, the total number of American casualties in Iraq, over the entire 5-year span of the war, is about 4,155 and for Afghanistan, it's at least 500. The combined total of casualties for Iraq and Afghanistan is less than 5,000 since both wars began. More Americans are killed in America than American soldiers killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Madam Speaker, as elected leaders of this country, we must address this critical issue that inflicts so many of our most vulnerable communities. This issue of gun violence affects all Americans, white, black, Latino, and Asian. And gun violence pervades in all of our communities: urban, suburban, and rural. This issue is not a black or white issue, and it is not an urban or rural issue. This is an American issue that we must address with all of the resources we have at our disposal. The CAN DO bill offers a new strategy in dealing with gun violence. It combines strict law enforcement practices, along with new opportunities for mental health counseling, job programs, and educational and recreational services for at-risk youth and their families. This bill is also unique in that it brings together the entire community to deal with the issue of gun violence by establishing partnerships between public agencies, businesses, community-based nonprofits, churches, schools, and universities. There is an ``all hands on'' approach in order to get all of the stakeholders involved and provide a comprehensive and effective strategy that families and communities can support and get behind. As it is recorded by the Prophet Isaiah, ``They will turn their swords into plows, and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sword against other nations and they will never again train for war''. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the CAN DO bill and help end the destruction that is tearing apart so many of our communities. Americans of conscious must come together to stop the senseless death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will we say ``enough is enough, stop the killing''.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, the Department of Justice tells us that, everyday, 45 people, on average, are fatally shot in the United States. Far too often, while our culture is caught up in the exciting history of our nation's political season right now or the blessed peace that some of us enjoy from living life to its fullest, there are dozens of people, each and every day, who lose their life abruptly and in silence at the hands of a gun-wielding assailant. Such was the case, last night, on the streets of San Francisco. Twenty-four-year old Donovan Mumphrey, of Pinole, just outside of San Francisco, was shot and killed by an unknown assailant in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Witnesses said Mumphrey was approached by someone who demanded cash and fled after the shooting. I extend my condolences to Mr. Mumphrey's family and continue to pray for an end to this senseless violence. Americans of conscious must come together to stop the senseless death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will we say `enough is enough, stop the killing.'

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, everyday, 45 people, on average, are fatally shot in the United States. Patrick McDonald, a Philadelphia police officer pursuing an armed suspect September 23 was fatally shot. He is the fourth city officer to die in the line of duty in 11 months. The suspect was killed. An automatic weapon was recovered at the scene. Too many people have access to automatic weapons and we are all touched by the death of a police officer, killed in the line of duty. Americans of conscious must come together to stop the senseless death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will Americans say `enough is enough, stop the killing.'

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, everyday, 45 people, on average, are fatally shot in the United States. Unfortunately, many of these shootings are the result of a relationship gone bad. On September 22, in Massachusetts, with a .35- caliber gun in his hand and a lack of judgment in his head, Scott MacLellan shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend and then fired a fatal shot into his own skull. She was ready and did move on, but Scott refused to respect her wishes. Too many people with control issues are forcing either their partners or themselves to an early grave. Too often, they use a gun to carry out their plans. Americans of conscience must come together to stop the senseless death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will Americans say ``enough is enough, stop the killing!''

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 3232, the Travel Promotion Act, was introduced by Mr. Delahunt and Mr. Blunt and will help spur the tourism industry in the United States by creating a Corporation For Travel Promotion within the Department of Commerce. This corporation will be funded by private sector money and special user fees. Madam Speaker, I urge the bill's adoption. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt).

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3232) to establish a non-profit corporation to communicate United States entry policies and otherwise promote tourist, business, and scholarly travel to the United States, as amended.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), a fellow Eva Cassidy fan.

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. The gentleman is correct.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3402) to require accurate and reasonable disclosure of the terms and conditions of prepaid telephone calling cards and services, as amended.

Mr. RUSH. I want to assure the gentleman if the retailer knowingly sells fraudulent cards, it would be subject to FTC penalty. But if the seller, the retailer does not know that they are fraudulent cards, then the penalties would not apply, only injunctive relief.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers, and we yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3402, the Calling Card Consumer Protection Act, was introduced by my friend, Mr. Engel, and will help end calling card fraud that currently plagues communities across this Nation. It requires full and accurate disclosures on the fees, charges and terms that apply to calling cards, and it will go a long ways towards protecting innocent consumers. I urge the bill's adoption. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to my friend, the author of this bill, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

Mr. RUSH

Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, the Department of Justice tells us that, everyday, 45 people, on average, are fatally shot in the United States. At a time when millions of homeowners are facing daunting challenges associated with the economic meltdown of the housing market, last Sunday, homeowners and residents of Athens, California were facing a crisis of a different sort. On Sept. 21, when a still unidentified man was shot to death, his loss of life marked the 14th gun-related incident, and the eighth gun-related death, in this community alone! This latest victim, an African American man, had a life, a family and, I'm sure, someone who loved him. I grieve for him and the veil of violence that neither Athens nor any other American city should have to endure. Americans of conscious must come together to stop the senseless death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will we say, `Enough is enough, stop the killing!'