Martin Sabo

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for Black History Month. This year we are celebrating African-American women of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In Minnesota, we are fortunate to have a fine tradition of civic leaders who have dedicated their lives to enriching the lives of others through their selfless contributions. Today, I'd like to recognize three, among many, of the African-American women in Minnesota who have become shining role models for us all. In its brief history, the State of Minnesota has had many fine leaders who were also African-American women. In 1923, Ethel Ray Nance--1899-1992--was the first black woman hired by the Minnesota Legislature and was the first black police woman in Minnesota. During her long life, Ms. Nance was an activist in several civil rights organizations, including the National Association for Advancement of Colored People [NAACP]. She also served as the director of research for the National Urban League. In more recent years, Nellie Stone Johnson, who celebrated her 90th birthday in December 1995, has been one of the most outspoken and thoughtful leaders in Minnesota's African-American community. Generations of Minnesotans owe Nellie a great deal for her dedication to community building, to civil rights, and to economic fairness. In the tradition of Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale, Nellie Stone Johnson has been rock solid in her commitment to the most vulnerable in our society. Finally, representing a new generation of African-American women leaders, Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, elected in 1993, is the first African-American and the first female mayor of Minneapolis. Mayor Sayles Belton began her public service career immediately after college--when as a civil rights worker she traveled to Jackson, MS, to register voters. She later became the first African-American president of the Minneapolis City Council. As mayor, she has continued her efforts to strengthen families and children by focusing on education, crime prevention, and the economic development of neighborhoods in the city. I am proud to say that these women, and many other African-Americans, have had an important impact on my life and the lives of many Minnesotans. I wish to thank them for their service to the community, the women's movement, and the United States of America. All citizens should be grateful for their accomplishments and endeavors. Mr. Speaker, as we observe Black History Month, I commend Ethel Ray Nance, Nellie Stone Johnson, Mayor Sayles Belton, and all African-Americans for their contributions to our society.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, our Nation recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of our hard-fought victory in World War II. During this conflict, many people at home and abroad made sacrifices for their country. One of these was my constituent, Mr. Benjamin Longman. Mr. Longman served in World War II as a flight trainee and later as a flight instructor. Due to an administrative error, however, military records did not accurately reflect his service until they were corrected in May of 1982. At that time, the U.S. Air Force confirmed that Mr. Longman did in fact serve on active military duty in 1943. Mr. Longman, now 82 years old, was honorably discharged from military service in 1945. As his representative in Congress, I wish to publicly thank him for his military service to the United States of America. All of our fellow citizens should be grateful for his patriotism. Mr. Speaker, I commend Benjamin Longman's example of service to all Members of Congress and to all Americans.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for yielding. Let me commend the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Bentsen] for his outstanding work in defining this issue to both the Congress and to the American public and to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] for having had the foresight to introduce some time ago a bill to extend the debt ceiling. I introduced a more recent version. For the first time in my career in Congress, I signed a discharge petition. I am not one who believes that that should be done lightly or for simple political reasons or for trivial issues. But here we are dealing with just the fundamental management of the financial integrity of this country. I can think of nothing more foolish for the Congress to do than to refuse to extend the debt ceiling so that we go into default on our credit, so that we find ourselves in a position where we cannot send benefit checks that millions of Americans are expecting. And then the incredible long-term impact; when we look at the long-term potential of balancing the budget, one of the important ingredients that we manage is interest costs. If we are going to do foolish things now, playing political games, we may jeopardize our ability to reach any type of balanced budget over the next several years, simply because we are going to drive the interest cost factor in the Federal Government out of sight. It is foolish. It hurts people. It hurts other units of government and for no good, no good reason. We should simply go about extending the debt ceiling so our credit remains the best in the world. Sometimes people talk about we should run ourselves like a business. Can you imagine any business that would unilaterally go out and try and destroy their credit rating for no good purpose? That would only be described as dumb. So let us not be dumb. Let us be smart and extend the debt ceiling. I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, one of the interesting things in the Republican budget is the change of capital gains. Forgetting the merits, somehow it costs $9 billion in the year 2001, costs nothing in the year 2002, when we are supposed to be in balance, and then costs $10 billion in 2003. Is that not sort of a little weird, strange arithmetic in 2002?

Mr. SABO. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I would say to my friend from Virginia, there was some reference to what was promised in 1981 and what happened. The promise was that by 1984 the budget would be in balance. Instead, there was a deficit of $175 billion. Reagan projected that revenues would be 19.3 percent of the gross national product by 1984; they were actually 18 percent because of the tax cut.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], distinguished minority whip and my good friend.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to my good friend, the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee]. (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Cramer].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, the last gentleman described the Republican reconciliation bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend the gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer]. (Mr. SCHUMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Stenholm]. (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Rangel].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Orton].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Montana [Mr. Williams].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Cardin], my good friend.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Clement].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the gentlewoman, was the center open when the House passed the continuing resolution?

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Thurman], my good friend.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone].

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel].