Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder).

Mr. THOMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). (Mr. Davis of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks). (Mr. Meeks of New York asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON. Madam Speaker, on September 25, 1957, nine African American high school students voluntarily risked their lives to remind us of the basic American principles. When Jean Trickey, Carlotta LaNier, Melba Beals, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Karlmark, Thelma Wair, Ernie Green, Elizabeth Eckford and Jefferson Thomas stepped onto the campus at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, they forced our country to admit that segregation is an abomination to every democratic principle and every freedom we enjoy as Americans. Make no mistake, this is about race. It is about all the valiant men and women who fought in and are still fighting in our Nation's struggle to recognize the civil rights of every American. By passing H.R. 2560 and bestowing the highest award Congress can present to civilians on the Little Rock Nine, Congress is sending an historic, significant message. It is important for that little boy to be able to play baseball on the lighted field, and it is equally important for all Americans to recognize men and women who made that seemingly small feat possible for a small town boy in Arkansas. Today, our Nation has a solemn and long overdue thanks. Thanks to the civil rights pioneers who blazed a trail through the wilderness of racial discrimination to lead our Nation, kicking and screaming at times, down the path of justice and equality. I might add, Madam Speaker, it is long overdue. These individuals who are now all in their mid-fifties have paid a tremendous price. Some of them are on disability. Some of them are very successful. Nonetheless, by awarding this commemorative coin, we now recognize the work that they did.

Mr. THOMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald).

Mr. THOMPSON. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

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

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and congratulate a dear and close friend of mine, the national and international known Mr. Bobby Rush. On November 9 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, California, Bobby Rush will receive the Blue Foundation's second annual ``B.B. King Blues Hero'' Award during the Lifetime Achievement Ceremony. The B.B. King Blues Hero Award was established in 1997 by the Blues Foundation to recognize a Blues artist whose career has been characterized by community service and charitable activity. As the recipient of the award, Bobby will receive an honorarium, as is characteristic of his goodness and concern for young people, is donating his honorarium to a program to provide computers for Mississippi classrooms. While Bobby Rush is known for his amazing stage show and outstanding performances on the 21 releases that span his career, few people know of Rush's dedication to his community in Jackson, Mississippi. For years Bobby has taken time off the road to use his tour bus to transport people to the polls on Election Day, participates in voter registration drives, and encourages young people to be civic minded and help in their communities, which I truly appreciate. He also has played functions to raise money for sickle cell anemia research, child care, school band uniforms, and musical equipment for local students. Bobby Rush promotes the Blues by participating in the Blues in the Schools programs nationwide. During Black History Month, Bobby visits schools throughout Mississippi and Alabama. He also volunteers his own home as an emergency shelter for children leaving the Hinds County Youth Correctional Facility in Raymond, Mississippi. With professional accomplishments and personal acts of humanitarism such as these, I am truly proud and honored to stand here and extend congratulations to my friend Mr. Bobby Rush. He is truly a credit to America, his community, and his art.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, the budget surplus which will be obtained this year is the greatest achievement of common sense and foresight in decades. While much of the world around us flounders in economic chaos, the United States' economy continues to drive forward, largely due to this success. Now we are casting to the wind the same common sense planning--and if I might add, conservative policies--which eliminated the budget deficit and created the budget surplus. Six weeks away from the election we are voting on tax cuts, many of which I admittedly support and would like to see enacted, even though we can not yet pay for them without taking money needed for saving Social Security. The truth is that we only have a budget surplus today because a surplus exists in the Social Security Trust Fund. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 98% of the budget surplus from 1999 to 2008 will come from the surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund. Only 2% will come from non-Social Security sources. However, this surplus is only temporary. The hordes of retiring ``Baby Boomers'' will draw heavily on Social Security, and the Trust Fund will become bankrupt by 2032. The Democratic Substitute to the Republican's so-called ``Save Social Security Act'' we are now considering makes a very simple proposal: we set aside 100% of the budget surplus in a special fund to be used solely for keeping the Social Security Trust Fund solvent until a long term solution can be found. The Republican bill, on the other hand, will take the surplus which really belongs to Social Security and use it for funding the tax cuts we will vote on tomorrow. The Republican proposal risks Social Security and it risks America's future. What happens if the worldwide economic crises seriously affected American markets and the surplus turns out to be less than predicted? The result, I fear, will be less than welcome. We will be stuck with these new tax cuts, which I know this House will not have the political capital to repeal. We will return to the days of budget deficits, and our economy will be trapped in the same cycle of stagnant growth we thought we left behind when the last recession ended six years ago. In recent years the improving economy has permitted the vast majority of Americans to cast aside their fears and look towards their future with renewed hope and newly minted dreams. I hope that either this House or the more sensible policy-makers in this city reject the risky political games we are playing and return to the common sense that has served us well to date. Let us save Social Security first and enact tax cuts when we can pay for them.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, the 2000 census must be the most accurate census ever taken in American history. Period. I can not understand the controversy that surrounds this issue. Everyone seems to agree that the most relevant, current scientific methods should be used to count every single man, woman, and child in this country. So what is the problem? Why can certain members come to the floor and make the claim, ``we want to count everyone,'' when in actuality they have made no efforts to recommend a method of enumeration that works better than the statistical methods supported by the American Academy of Sciences, the American Statistical Association, the Population Association of America, and the Panel to Evaluate Alternative Census Methodologies at the National Research Council. The facts surrounding the 2000 census are simple and conclusive. We know that the 1990 census resulted in over one million Americans not being counted. Most of those individuals were people of African American, Latino, and Asian descent. They were urban, poor and rural. We know that a large portion of the undercount consisted of children. We know that the 1990 census was not nearly as accurate or representative as it should have been. As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to work with the Census Bureau--not against them--to develop a method that will count every American in this nation. Holding the 2000 census hostage to ridiculous partisan game will do nothing but undermine the legitimate efforts being made to accurately enumerate American citizens. Personally, I'm less concerned with the partisan tone this debate has taken than I am with counting the Mississippians who were missed in the 1990 census. More than 21,000 of the 55,500 Mississippian who were missed in the last Census, 38%, were from Mississippi's Second Congressional District, the District I represent. Let's look at who they were: 1.3% were White; 3.5% were African American; 3.6% were Asian; 7.3% were Native American; 4.8% were Hispanic; and 4.5% were children. The real, tangible impact of this debate has been glossed over. According to the Census Bureau, my District has the third highest percentage of people in poverty (37.7%). It has the fifth highest percentage of families in poverty (31%), and the third highest percentage of households in poverty (35.2%). This year, some of the counties in my District have had unemployment rates of 20% and higher. What we are really talking about here, is that the 55,500 people in my state who were not counted, represent children who were turned away form HeadStart, poor families who could not get public housing, and other vulnerable constituencies who were turned away from receiving forms of invaluable financial aid. I know that many Members of Congress have adopted a real ``slash and burn'' mentality when it comes to budgetary spending, but I refuse to be a hypocrite. I will say right here, right now that if families and children in my District will positively benefit from federal spending, then show me where to sign up. If there is a better method out there to conduct the census, then let's see it. Otherwise, let's put an end to the grandstanding and the pontificating and count Americans. The time for the Census Bureau to determine logistical specifics for the next census is rapidly approaching, and in layman's terms, ``it's time to put up or shut up.'' If there is another plan that enjoys the wide spread support of the scientific community, lt's see it. If there is another way of counting Americans at has been endorsed by the Carter, Bush, and Clinton Administrations, please bring it forward. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I do not understand how anyone could be opposed to correcting the undercounts that occurred during the last census in minority, poor, urban and rural communities. How can anyone be opposed to counting the one-in-ten African-America males who were missed in the last census, or support turning poor children away from public housing? Therein, Mr. Speaker, lies the real debate. Mr. Fazio of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Mr. Mollohan's amendment. I am sure all of us can agree that the 2000 Census should be fair and accurate and include everybody. But, for the past two years the majority party has played politics with the Census and not allowed the Census Bureau to get on with their plan. Tragically, the 1990 Census had the largest undercount in history. It is estimated that 10 million citizens were counted incorrectly, with a total of 4 million Americans not accounted for at all. The Republicans are scared that accounting for all Americans will affect their chances at the polls. They would rather deny Federal funding to those in our country who need it most--young children and the poor, who are the most hard-hit groups in an undercount--than get an accurate picture for the next congressional redistricting. Now that the majority party has put the sampling debate into the jurisdiction of the courts, the political arguments have become all but academic. Yet we still have language in this bill that withholds half of the funding needed by the Census Bureau to prepare for the 2000 Census. What are the Republicans afraid of? Are they worried that the courts won't rule in their favor? Join me in putting politics aside and allowing the Census Bureau to go forward. I urge you to support Mr. Mollohan's amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the final passage of H.R.1151, the ``Credit Union Membership Access Act.'' I was proud to be an early co-sponsor of the original House version of this bill, and I am glad to see the final product we will send to the President's desk includes most of the provisions in that bill. Last year the Supreme Court ruled the members of a federal credit union must be organized on the basis of a common occupational bond, which threatened the viability of federal credit unions across the nation. This suit was filed by one of the largest banks in the nation out of fear that credit unions were encroaching on business services which traditionally have been offered by banks. I find this fear irrational, especially when one takes into account the overall characteristics of the two industries. For example, the $5.4 trillion U.S. banking industry grew by more than $300 billion last year, an amount almost as great as the total assets of all American credit unions combined. Moreover, the average credit union has less than $28 million in assets--less than one sixteenth the size of the average banking institution. The bill we are voting on today expressly protects the structure of all existing credit unions and permits future credit unions to gather members from multiple groups. Despite the previous disagreements between the banking and credit union industries, I believe this design will permit both credit unions and banks to continue to prosper by correcting the flaws in existing law the Supreme Court has unearthed. Most importantly, the bill will ensure each working American is free to obtain services from whatever type of financial institution he or she considers best. I am pleased to join with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in support of the Credit Union Membership Access Act, and I look forward to watching the President sign it into law.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment by Representative Roger Wicker. Much like the standard bearers to long dead civilizations, Representative Wicker's amendment illustrates the same antiquated belief that there should be hurdles that citizens must clear in order to exercise their Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. Land owners. Male. Caucasian. One by one the spirits of freedom and democracy have worked against other misguided attempts to disenfranchise certain American voters, and it is my hope that they will prevail here today. There is an old saying that states, ``Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'' Well, Mr. Speaker I remember. I remember the days when African Americans in Mississippi sat cowering in their homes on election day because they were too afraid to go to the polls. I remember when men like Medgar Evers and Vernon Dahmer were murdered in cold blood because they realized the importance of voting and tried to impress their convictions onto other African Americans in Mississippi. I remember the two youths wounded by shotgun blasts fired through the window of a home in Ruleville, Mississippi where they were planning ways to register blacks to vote. I remember the dead bodies of three civil rights workers, who had been trying to register blacks to vote, being discovered on a farm near Philadelphia, Mississippi. I remember James Meredith being wounded by a white sniper as he walked in a voter registration march from Memphis to Jackson. I remember poll taxes and literacy tests. Mr. Speaker I remember voter intimidation and have fought long and hard against it. This debate belongs in 1960's not in 1998, and it is time to bury ideas like Representative Wicker's in the same grave with separate drinking fountains and making blacks sit at the back of the bus. This legislation is simply another attempt to appeal to mainstream sensibilities while ignoring the realistic and historically based fears of Black Americans. Having both grown up in Mississippi, Representative Wicker and I obviously have had universally different experiences, but the things I remember make it impossible for me to support this amendment. It would be a slap in the face of the civil rights pioneers who risked their lives, were beaten and murdered in cold blood to protect both my right to vote and Representative Wicker's.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Representative from Mississippi's 2d Congressional District in support of H.R. 3605, the bipartisan Dingell-Ganske Patients' Bill of Rights. This bill guarantees that decisions will remain in the hands of doctors and nurses, not insurance companies; that people will have access to specialists; that there will be protection for women after mastectomy (minimum hospital stay); and the ability to hold plans accountable when abusive practices kills or injure patients. I oppose the Republican HMO health care bill. Mr. Speaker, I am in support and committed to passing major managed care legislation. However, I do not support the Republican bill that covers too few people, provides limited patient protections, and contains unnecessary and irrelevant provisions. It undermines existing state consumer protections, leaves patients and small businesses with fewer protections than they already have. The Republican bill is being pushed through the House with almost no debate and virtually no amendments allowed in an attempt to stop the only real bipartisan managed care reform bill--the Dingell-Ganske Patients' Bill of Rights--from passing. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans are playing politics with the lives of Americans. Let's stop this ridiculous rhetoric and pass some meaningful legislation. As I close, I would like to once again express my support for H.R. 3605 and thank Representative Dingell and Representative Ganske for their work in bringing this legislation forth to protect the interests of patients. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, as we debate the Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1999, I rise to pay tribute to Representative Louis Stokes for his twenty years of dedicated work on the subcommittee responsible for much of the work on this bill each year. Representative Stokes has always been a stout defender of the progressive and innovative efforts included in this legislation which seek to provide more Americans with the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Representative Stokes' career on the Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on the Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations has left a mark forever on this House, and most importantly, on the lives of countless American families. I wish him luck and Godspeed in his well- earned retirement.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4193-- Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 1999. This bill appropriates $40,812,000 in funding for the Historic Preservation Fund which is an essential element in the preservation and restoration of historic buildings and structures at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These buildings will be ranked and receive funding in accordance to actual need. The National Park Service has ranked twelve HBCUs that are considered to have the most endangered historic sites. Those HBCUs, in order of rank are: 1. Allen University (SC) 2. Tougalo College (MS) 3. Knoxville University (TN) 4. Fisk University (TN) 5. Claflin University (SC) 6. Talladega College (AL) 7. Rust College (MS) 8. Stillman College (AL) 9. Concordia College (AL) 10. Miles College (AL) 11. Voorhees College (SC) 12. Selma College (AL) The preservation and restoration of the historical sites at the campuses of Rust College and Tougaloo College, both located in Mississippi, have been a personal endeavor of mine for many years. These institutions have historically educated African-Americans and other disadvantaged populations of this country as well as produced a large percentage of our nation's minority doctors, lawyers, educators and other professionals. HBCUs also address and intervene in issues of violence, hopelessness, poverty, and illiteracy through research, community service and other projects. I, myself, am a graduate of an HBCU, Tougaloo College, which has notably been the site of many significant events in America's history. Consequently, I have seen first hand the need for safe, sanitary, and appropriate facilities and acknowledge the insufficient endowments for the restoration and maintenance of buildings at HBCUs. All of the many HBCUs will continue to make valuable and much needed contributions to all of our citizens with the continued investments and support from federal agencies and departments through the passage of this bill.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today more than fifty Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Native American Caucus joined with a number of other Members of Congress in introducing legislation to address the disproportionate levels of tobacco use and tobacco related disease in the minority community. The ``Minority Community Tobacco Reduction Act'' was developed to address the absence of minority initiatives in national tobacco legislation and to reverse the disturbing effects of the tobacco industry's targeting of minorities. The three main priorities of the bill are: 1. Funding for tobacco-related prevention activities in the minority community; 2. Research on tobacco's effects on minority populations and the best means to reduce tobacco use in the future; and 3. Transition assistance for small, community-based events and activities which can no longer be sponsored by the tobacco industry. Without these provisions, guaranteeing reductions in youth smoking among all sectors of the American population will be impossible. Moreover, many of the bills introduced in Congress mandate a substantial increase in tobacco prices that will result in a regressive tax increase on low-income minorities if national tobacco legislation does not include efforts to reduce tobacco use among both minority youth and adult smokers. The Minority Community Tobacco Reduction Act will ensure that new cessation, prevention, research, or education programs, administered by federal agencies or state health departments (which will be funded through federal block grants), are supported in the minority community based on the minority group's percentage of the smoking population. In addition to funding these initiatives at an adequate level, the legislation assures this historic opportunity to prevent tobacco from further harming the minority community is not squandered. By providing the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Minority Health with a role in coordinating the minority tobacco activities of the Public Health Service and approving state applications for block grant funds, a sufficient degree of accountability and organization will be established to produce genuine results. The minority caucuses' legislation also makes $1 billion of the funds made available by national tobacco legislation for conducting badly needed biomedical, child health, and tobacco-related research at minority education institutions across the nation. Finally, the Minority Community Tobacco Reduction Act funds treatment of tobacco- related diseases at community health centers and provides transition assistance to small, community-based events, activities and publications sponsored by the tobacco industry in the past but may no longer receive advertising dollars as a result of bans included in national tobacco legislation. Despite last week's defeat of tobacco legislation introduced by Senator John McCain, it is imperative that Congress continue to work toward enacting comprehensive national tobacco legislation that President Clinton will be willing to sign. The bill introduced by members of the minority caucuses today offers substantial policy initiatives that any genuinely comprehensive national tobacco legislation must include. Minority populations have suffered from disproportionately higher rates of tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases as a direct result of the tobacco industry's targeting. The Surgeon General's report released last month entitled ``Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups'' found that Native Americans and African Americans have the highest smoking rates of any ethnic group. Hispanic youth have smoking rates which have almost overtaken those of white youth, and many Asian American/Pacific Islander sub-populations display frighteningly high rates of tobacco use. Minority populations also consistently display the highest rates of tobacco-related diseases, particularly lung cancer. According to a report recently released by the Centers for Disease Control, these trends of tobacco use in the minority community are likely to worsen. The report found that smoking rates among African American and Hispanic high school students increased by 80 percent and 34 percent, perspectively, from 1991 through 1997. While the legislation introduced today by the members of the minority caucuses is a standalone bill, its provisions are designed to be included in more comprehensive national tobacco legislation. The Members of Congress who support the Minority Community Tobacco Reduction Act look forward to working with the Republican and Democratic leadership as well as President Clinton to enact national tobacco legislation this year that will take positive steps toward fighting tobacco use in every American household. The Minority Community Tobacco Reduction Act is the culmination of almost a year of historic cooperation between the minority caucuses. I am proud of the final product, and would like to thank the dozens if not hundreds of people who have participated in its development. In particular, I would like to thank the following congressional staffers who have spent countless hours working on this bill: Adam Gluck, Alysia Davis, Angela Vincent, Ann Jacobs, Bobby Vassar, Brenda Pillors, Charles Dujon, Charles Stephenson, Claudia Pharis, Curt Clinton, Danny Cromer, Darlene Taylor, David Sutphen, David Wildes, Deborah Spielberg, Edward Jackson, Esther Aguilera, Emilie Milne, Fred Turner, Fredette West, Howard Moon, James Williams, Jennifer Leach, Jessica Diaz, John Schelble, Jon Alexander, Joyce Brayboy, Heather Hale, Kate Emanuel, Keith Stern, Ken Keck, Kenya Reid, Kerry McKenney, Kim Alton, Kim Richan, Kimberly McAfee, Kimberly Teehee, Kirra Jarratt, LaTario Powell, Larry Dillard, Leah Allen, Liz Powell, Lucy Hand, Marcus Mason, Marie McGlone, Marsha Mccraven, Minnie Langham, Oneki Dafe, Paul Cunningham, Richard Boykin, Ronnie Simmons, Rory Verrett, Samara Ryder, Sean Peterson, Sheila Harvey, Sherry Newton, Susan Rosenblum, Tammy Boyd, Tambi McCollum, Terri Schroeder, Todd Gee, Tom McDaniels, Tony Vance, Ufo Eric-Atuanya, Walter Vinson, and Yelberton Watkins. I would also like to thank Peter Goodloe from the House Legislative Counsel's office for his assistance in drafting our seemingly endless modifications. Without his expertise, this legislation would never have been prepared in time for introduction today.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Emily Mathem, a 13-year-old at the Vicksburg Junior High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Emily recently received a Prudential Spirit Community Award in recognition of her outstanding community service. Emily worked for more than a year with city administration officials, local community leaders, and classmates to restore an abandoned and neglected neighborhood park which had become a hangout for drug dealers. While the work is not yet completed, she has pledged to continue her efforts until the day children can play safely in the park. Emily Mathem is a shining example of leadership, goodwill, and courage. I wish her luck and hope that many more young people in Mississippi and this nation are inspired by her work.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate as well as acknowledge the 100th birthday of The Valley Bank in Greenwood, Mississippi. Originally founded in 1898 in Rosedale, Mississippi, The Valley Bank has persevered, persisted, prevailed and prospered into a system of community banks with eleven locations across the Mississippi Delta extending into the states' capital at Jackson, one of the fastest growing cities in Mississippi. The Valley Bank was founded by David Reinach, W.B. Roberts, Saint Kohn, Isaac Kohn, Godfrey Frank, J.L. Wilson, and G.J. McGehee, Jr. It was the vision of these seven aspiring gentlemen to create a financial institution in the Mississippi Delta. With this vision, The Valley Bank has grown to become a well known bank throughout the country. In 1997, The Valley Bank ranked 78th out of 14,850 banks in the nation on its return on assets and return on equity to stockholders. In addition to that, The Valley Bank ranked #1 out of 126 banks in Mississippi in both loan volume and dollar amount of loans made under the Farm Service Agency and in business and industry loans. Mr. Speaker, in this day of mega-mergers where banks are being bought and sold, consolidated, and reaching across state lines, The Valley Bank remains one of the few banks that continues the tradition of personal service, customer satisfaction and community involvement. It is refreshing to know that The Valley Bank today is as old-fashioned as it was 100 years ago when it first opened its doors for business. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the 100th birthday of The Valley Bank. May it prosper for an additional 100 years based on the principle of dedicated personal service.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Major Ned Swinney, who was born January 13, 1938, in Jefferson County, MS to the late Jim and Leola Swinney. Major Swinney departed this life on May 10, 1998, but he left a proud legacy as a husband, father, and law enforcement officer. He attended the Jackson public schools and received an associate degree from the Baptist Seminary of Mississippi. Major Swinney began his career as a law enforcement officer in 1956 as a military police officer in the United States Army. He began his 25-year-long association with the Hinds County Sheriff's Department in July 1972 where he served as Deputy Sheriff, Staff Seargent, Lieutenant, Captain, and was promoted to Major in 1992. Major Swinney exhibited thoughtfulness and compassion for people in the community he came in touch with. He reached out to those in trouble with a steady hand supported by his Christian belief of loving one's neighbor. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in saluting the family of Major Ned Swinney for the outstanding contributions he made to the world of law enforcement.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate one of my constituents, Tyler Sellers of Vicksburg, Mississippi, for winning a Grand Prize during the recent international poetry contests sponsored by the River of Words Environmental Poetry and Art Project. A third grader at Culkin Elementary School, Tyler has written a truly moving description of one of the pleasures we can all gain from a healthy natural environment. I would like to read the poem into the Congressional Record in hopes that it will encourage all its readers to develop a better appreciation of the great outdoors. Fishing on the Ouachita I burn my lure beneath the surface, Cordell redfin, real as rainbow you like to feast on. Starving striped bass cruising for a bleeding shad, you rise swift as white gulls above me, deep from your blue hidden kingdom. I wait for the moment when I feel you strike like a flood swallowing a levee. Your fight breaks the water, silver courage stronger than this line. It gives, you take, becoming my wish for another day.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition of Representative Frank Riggs' H.R. 3330, the ``Anti-Discrimination in College Admissions Act of 1998'' which will be offered as an amendment during the House consideration of H.R. 6, The ``Higher Education Authorization Act'' of 1998. This amendment would prohibit colleges and universities that take race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin into account in connection with admission(s) from participating in, or receiving funds under any programs authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). This amendment will not only have a devastating impact on post secondary admissions at both public and private institutions, but also discourages institutions from considering race, even in instances where the purpose is focused on remedying past discrimination. This piece of legislation is far more sweeping than California's Proposition 209 in that H.R. 3330 aims to eliminate affirmative action in private, as well as public, colleges and universities. It will also constrain an institution's ability to satisfy constitutional and statutory requirements to eliminate discrimination in post secondary education. There is now evidence of what happens when universities are forced to drop their affirmative action programs. The University of California's board of Regents banned all affirmative action and the acceptance rate of African Americans to UCLA Law School fell by eighty percent. After the Hopwood decision, admission of African-Americans to the University of Texas School of Law dropped by eighty-eight percent. It is clear that with the passage of this amendment, there will be a resegregation of colleges and universities. In Mississippi the percent of the population 25 years and older who have a college degree is 14.7%. Moreover, Mississippi ranks 47th out of fifty states in relation to the percent of the population having a college degree and 47th out of 50 in comparison to other African Americans in the fifty states. The Riggs amendment is an unnecessary, regressive, and dangerous bill that would destroy the progress that has been achieved in the last thirty years. This amendment will merely serve as a tool to increase the disparities in education and income between men and women and whites and blacks. Affirmative Action in higher education has clearly established significant advances in the area of equal opportunity for ethnic minorities and women in admissions to colleges and universities and the workforce. I will continue to support programs which strengthen not tear apart equal opportunity. If the Higher Education Authorization Act (H.R. 6) contains the ``Anti-Discrimination in College Admissions Act of 1998'', I will vote against H.R. 6.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition of Rep. Frank Riggs's (R-CA) H.R. 3330, the ``Anti-Discrimination in College Admissions Act'' of 1998 which will be offered as an amendment during the House consideration of HR 6, The ``Higher Education Authorization Act'' of 1998. This amendment would prohibit colleges and universities that take race, sex, color ethnicity, or national origin into account in connection with admission(s) from participating in, or receiving funds under any programs authorized by the Higher Act of 1965 (HEA). This amendment will not only have a devastating impact on postsecondary admissions at both public and private institutions, but also discourage institutions from considering race, even in instances where the purpose is focused on remedying past discrimination. This piece of legislation is far more sweeping than California's Proposition 209 in that HR 3330 aims to eliminate affirmative action in private, as well as public, colleges and universities. It will also constrain an institution's ability to satisfy constitutional and statutory requirements to eliminate discrimination in postsecondary education. There is clear evidence of what happens when universities are forced to drop their affirmative action programs. When the University of California's board of Regents banned all affirmative action the acceptance rate programs the acceptance rate of African Americans to UCLA Law School fell by 80 percent. After the Hopwood decision, admission of African-Americans to the University of Texas School of Law dropped by 88 percent. It is clear that with the passage of this amendment, there will be a resegregation of colleges and universities. In Mississippi the percent of the population 25 and older that have a college degree is 14.7 percent. Moreover, Mississippi ranks 47 out of 50 States in relation to the percent of the population having a college degree and 47 out of 50 in comparison to other African Americans in the 50 States. The Riggs amendment is an unnecessary and dangerous bill that would dismantle the progress that has been achieved in the last 30 years. It will merely serve as a tool to increase the disparities in education and income between men and women, whites and blacks. Affirmative Action in higher education has clearly established significant advances in the area of equal opportunity for ethnic minorities and women in admissions to colleges and universities. I will continue to support and strengthen such programs of equal opportunity. If Higher Education Authorization Act (HR 6) contains the ``Anti-Discrimination in College Admissions Act of 1998'', I will vote against HR 6.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise here before you today and acknowledge the retirement of one of Mississippi's greatest college administrators. Dr. William Sutton has announced his retirement as President of Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Dr. Sutton has held his position for nearly a decade. Since assuming the presidency, Dr. Sutton has overseen a multimillion dollar renovation of the school's physical plant. During the same time, the school's fiscal deficit has been eliminated and financial flexibility has been achieved. Since the fall of 1989, enrollment has increased by ten percent and new academic programs have been added. Dr. Sutton was educated at Dillard University in New Orleans, he went on to receive his master and doctoral degrees from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Sutton began to advance his administrative career from instructor to full professor and Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences at Dillard in 1979. He left there to serve as Academic Vice President, Provost and Professor of Biology at Chicago State University from 1979 to 1985. In 1985, Dr. Sutton was named Vice President for Educational and Student Services at Kansas State University before assuming the Presidency at Mississippi Valley State University. Dr. Sutton has been very active in the community serving on a variety of civic and educational boards in New Orleans, Chicago, Manhattan, and Kansas. He is an active member of the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce, the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll County Economic Development Foundation, and the Greenwood Rotary Club. He serves on the Advisory Board of Deposit Guaranty National Bank in Greenwood, Mississippi, and the Professional Advisory Committee of Mid Delta Home Health, Inc. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters and the Board of Directors of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Sutton has been a catalyst for change and growth in higher education in Mississippi. His knowledge and expertise will be truly missed and always appreciated.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to stand here before you today and pay tribute to a courageous young person in my district. Ms. Andrea Gibson, a 11th-grader at Warren Central High School in Vicksburg, MS saved a 5-year-old from drowning on June 29th in a pool in Birmingham, Ala. Ms. Gibson was on vacation with her mother when she noticed a child staring fearfully into the pool calling his brother's name. When Andrea heard the young boy, call out for his brother, she quickly noticed that the child was at the bottom of the pool and proceeded to jump in. Once the boy was rescued from the pool, Andrea quickly performed CPR to revive the young man. Had it not been for the actions of Ms. Gibson, the life of a young child could have been in severe jeopardy or lost. Mr. Speaker, my hat goes off to Ms. Gibson. At a time in our history where so many children are doing negative things, it is stories such as these where we need to take a look at our young people's positive actions and congratulate them on their valor and good judgement. Ms. Gibson is a very courageous young woman and I wish her the very best in her future endeavors.

Mr. THOMPSON

Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of America's Credit Unions. The United States Supreme Court ruled last week that the Depression-era statute which authorized the creation of our Nation's credit unions does not permit them to draw members from a variety of occupations. This decision will upset long-standing federal policies and the personal lives of 70 million credit union members and countless more workers who are considering their financial-planning options. While the Supreme Court's ruling will stand as long as the statutes governing credit unions remain the same, Congress can act now to clarify the law and protect credit unions. H.R. 1151, ``The Credit Union Membership Access Act,'' would permit credit unions to continue recruiting members according to their traditional practices. This bill has already received 182 co-sponsors, but it desperately needs more support to break its deadlock in Committee. Credit Unions are the only source of financial services for many low- income Americans. It is unfortunate that I am the only Member of Congress from Mississippi--one of the poorest states in the Union--who is a co-sponsor of this bill even though there are over 419,000 thousand credit union members in Mississippi alone. Nonetheless, Congress can not afford to ignore this issue, and I sense the mood is changing here. Let us act swiftly and move to save credit unions by enacting this bill; more than 70 million Americans are waiting.