Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, first let me thank the gentlewoman from Los Angeles for her leadership and for giving me the opportunity to speak for a few minutes on behalf of this resolution, H. Res. 822, recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Port of Los Angeles.

The Port of Los Angeles, and we are hearing this over and over again, and many of us who represent ports have known this for a long time, but it has a long and distinguished history as a training hub in California. Today, the fifth largest container complex in the entire world along with the Port of Long Beach, the cargo that comes through the port reaches every congressional district throughout the country. The Port of Los Angeles is an economic engine, not just for Los Angeles but for the region, for our entire State and our entire country. The economic benefits that it provides to the Nation are impossible to measure but assuredly are immense, just as is the Port of Oakland located in my congressional district.

So I want to commend my colleague from Los Angeles, California, our newest Member from California, for introducing this resolution. I could think of no Member who has come to Congress who has hit the ground running, who has done the hard work, and who has been able to bring forth a resolution such as this as Congresswoman Richardson. She recognizes the economic opportunities, the job creation aspects, the trade benefits of the Port of Los Angeles.

So I salute you, Congresswoman Richardson. From the Port of Oakland to the Port of Los Angeles, happy anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of overriding the President's veto of the L-HHS-Education conference report. I stand with Chairman Obey and greatly appreciate his support of funding programs that are essential to the growth and development of the communities I represent in Oakland, California.

This bill includes funding for critical programs under the Department of Health and Human Services--programs like nurses education; the Ryan White CARE Act, and the Minority AIDS Initiative. These are all programs for which we should increase funding, as opposed to playing politics with the lives and well-being of the American people.

We are in a fundamental struggle over war vs. peace. We now conclusively know where the President's priorities lie--they are with occupying Iraq, as opposed to funding critical labor, heath and education programs at home. In one stroke of a pen, the President signed the Defense funding bill, and yet in the next stroke he vetoed the LHHS funding bill.

What is the President saying to the American people when he rejects legislation that funds education programs like 21st Century Community Learning Centers, TRIO, GEAR UP and programs that strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities? He is saying that he does not care about the programs that our people care about--programs that we need and want to see implemented to help our communities grow. He is more concerned with occupying Iraq.

We are now spending $12 billion a month in Iraq and yet the President is asking us to approve another $200 billion. This is absurd! For the price of one month of our occupation of Iraq, we could be paying for 1.5 million children to go to Head Start for a whole year; we could hire 200,000 new school teachers for a year; we could have even insured 7 million of the 8.7 million children living in this country that do not have medical insurance--for a whole year.

This is a fundamental question of where our priorities lie. Would you rather we continue to waste our American tax dollars on a war without an end, or would the American people rather spend their tax dollars on our children, our schools, and in our communities? Mr. Speaker, I hope to continue our fight for our funding priorities at home, as opposed to waging war abroad. I urge my colleagues to override the President's veto.

Madam Speaker, I rise this evening in recognition of World AIDS Day, which took place last Saturday, December 1.

Now, all through last week and into the weekend, events were held all around our country and throughout the world recognizing World AIDS Day. This solemn day provided us with the occasion to commemorate the lives of those who have died of this disease, more than 25 million people worldwide, and express our solidarity with those who are currently living with the disease, over 33 million people.

I had the good fortune last week to travel with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to South Africa, where we celebrated and commemorated World AIDS Day with Congresswoman Dr. Donna Christensen. Our delegation met with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Johannesburg. We spoke to the group about our support for increased funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or better known as PEPFAR, and the importance of the private sector in fighting the pandemic. Later, we visited an HIV/AIDS testing site located in the Zola area of Soweto, sponsored by Levi Strauss Red for Life Initiative, Centers for Disease Control, USAID, and State Department and other organizations, and I had the chance to talk to young people about the importance of getting tested and knowing their status.

Together, Congresswoman Christensen and I helped lead by example by getting tested publicly, and we noted the very thorough pre- and post- testing counseling as well as the emphasis on maintaining confidentiality. We were very inspired to see young people sign up for testing, and some actually came up and told us that our speeches had convinced them to get tested. This really was remarkable and gave us a glimpse as to what we need to do more and more and more with our young people here in America also.

We ended our trip at the United States Embassy where we helped to hang a giant AIDS ribbon and spoke to the assembled diplomatic corps about HIV and AIDS and the importance of our collective struggle against the disease. We had an opportunity to meet with the great moral and religious leader Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Bishop Tutu had spoken earlier at the Swedish and Norweigian Embassy, and he talked about helping to fight this global HIV/AIDS pandemic just as we helped fight to end apartheid in South Africa.

It was especially important to be in Africa last week, because the discussions with regard to the reauthorization of PEPFAR will be coming up very shortly.

And tonight I must take a moment and ask that my remarks include my sympathy for Henry Hyde, Chairman Hyde's family. I thought about Chairman Hyde during our visit, because we worked together on the initial PEPFAR legislation. He was committed to address this HIV pandemic. He ensured that this bill became a bipartisan bill. And even though we didn't agree on every issue, tonight I commemorate him and I give my sympathy to his family because, as we reauthorize this, his spirit and his hard work and his legacy certainly will prevail as we move forward.

Many of the key issues which remain were addressed in South Africa as it relates to the PEPFAR reauthorization.

Some of them included addressing the abstinence until marriage earmark and the onerous prostitution pledge; reducing the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and AIDS by empowering them through my legislation, such as the PATHWAY Act; sharpening our focus on orphans and vulnerable children, which of course Chairman Hyde was committed to; better integrating nutrition and wrap-around programs. We also have to expand support for health systems and strengthen delivery of basic health care services. And, of course, I believe that we must provide $50 billion, not $30 billion as the President has asked for, but $50 billion over the next 5 years for this initiative.

And AIDS is also disproportionately affecting those who live in the Caribbean and also in black America. All across demographic ranges, African Americans are the most likely to get infected with HIV and to die from AIDS. The unfortunate reality is that to be black in America is to be at greater risk of HIV and AIDS. And the numbers are staggering, but I want to mention a few specifically.

According to the CDC, in 2005, African American women accounted for 66 percent of all new HIV and AIDS cases among women. Compared to white women, African-American women were 25 more times likely to be infected. Today, AIDS is the number one cause of death among African-American women between the ages of 25 and 34. We can no longer wait for this administration to take action. We have to take action immediately to address this pandemic.

Let me thank Chairman Frank, Chairman Watt, Congresswoman Waters and all the members of the Financial Services Committee for their leadership and commitment to help Americans who are struggling. And we all know, quite frankly, many, many people are struggling to keep their homes as this mortgage crisis continues to claim victims.

This legislation adds a very important piece of what we're trying to do in terms of the protections, including limiting prepayment penalties, requiring that loans be affordable, and that refinancing provide a net benefit to borrowers. However, I have some concerns about H.R. 3915 that I hope will be addressed as it moves through the process, and I would like to just mention a few of those concerns because I think they're very important to hear. They were forwarded by ACORN, the Center for Responsible Lending, the Consumer Federation of America, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the NAACP, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, and Opportunity Finance Network. They raised concerns with regard to these issues:

One, the ability to pay. They believe the standard does not apply to all loans, it undercuts agency guidelines, and will not change the markets;

Secondly, the prohibition on steering is weak and upselling of loan rates still possible. Homeowners cannot prevent foreclosure. Some feel, and I know that this is being addressed today, that the preemption is too broad.

So, I know that, as this bill moves through the process, we will look at it. It is a starting point. I urge our colleagues to make sure that it does become stronger because this American Dream of home ownership is, quite frankly, turning to a nightmare for so many people.

I want to thank Chairman Frank for his leadership and for really trying to put together a bipartisan bill. And also, with regard to the Putnam amendment, the reporting, I think, makes sense.

November 15, 2007.

Hon. Barney Frank,

Chairman, House Financial Services Committee.

Hon. Spencer Bachus,

Ranking Member,

House Financial Services Committee.

Dear Chairman Frank and Ranking Member Bachus: We, the

undersigned organizations, write to present our views on H.R.

3915, the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of

2007. While we greatly appreciate your efforts to reduce

predatory lending and to restore balance to the mortgage

market, we believe this bill requires improvements in the

areas described below in order for the bill to achieve its

goals.

Subprime lending has been a disaster of monumental

proportions, shattering hopes of economic progress for

millions of families and triggering a devastating chain

reaction of losses for communities and businesses. More than

two million families will likely lose their homes as a

result, and for most families--especially African-Americans

and Latinos--their home equity represents the greatest share

of their family wealth. Wall Street's demand for risky loans

with higher interest rates played a key role in encouraging

reckless lending, and brokers delivered whatever loans they

could sell.

When H.R. 3915 was introduced, we applauded many of its

strongest provisions, such as the originator duty of care and

anti-steering rules, the bans on yield spread premiums,

prepayment penalties, mandatory arbitration, and single

premium credit insurance, and the special protections for

extremely high-cost mortgages and for renters.

It is crucial to retain those strong provisions, to improve

the remedies and market incentives in the bill, and to avoid

preemption of state laws related to these issues.

Unfortunately, as the bill has passed through the legislative

process, several of the strongest provisions (such as the

duty of case and ban on yield-spread premiums) have been

weakened, the remedies have been weakened rather than

strengthened, and a preemption clause has been added that

would eliminate important state claims that help homeowners

protect the homes.

Our concerns about the bill fall into four main areas:

``Ability to Pay'' Standard Does Not Apply to All Loans,

Undercuts Agency Guidance, and Will Not Change Market: The

bill requires no ability to pay standards for approximately

90% of the current mortgage market and creates an

irrebuttable presumption that any loan below 8.25% is

affordable.

This immunity undercuts the existing joint agency guidance

that currently sets ability to pay standards for risky loans,

especially loans such as payment options ARMs, the majority

of which are ``qualified mortgages.'' Moody's estimates that

monthly payments on $220 billion of POARMs will reset--in

most cases to much higher monthly payments--between 2009 and

2011. Additionally, because there is no requirement that

secondary market purchasers conduct due diligence, we fear

that the secondary market will continue to purchase abusive

loans and choose to absorb the expense of any cures as part

of the cost of doing business.

Prohibition on Steering is Weak and Upselling of Loan Rate

Still Possible: Rather than prohibiting yield spread

premiums, as was originally intended, the bill as amended now

essentially authorizes such practices as long as there is

disclosure to the consumer. Research shows that disclosure

has virtually no effect on preventing abusive lending

practices such as steering. We also fear that incorporating

Title II into the Title I standards significantly weakens the

entire structure, and the permitted damages are insufficient

to change the market. Moreover, the damages for violation of

the steering provision are too low to change broker behavior.

Homeowners Cannot Prevent Foreclosure: As currently

drafted, homeowners have no rights against the actual holder

of the loan (in other words, against the entity that will

foreclose on them) until a foreclosure has already begun. At

that point, not only has the family been traumatized, but the

damage to the homeowner's credit is done, which will likely

prevent the use of the rescission remedy. Moreover, even in

foreclosure, it is not fully clear that homeowners will be

able to reach the holder in the vast majority of situations.

Preemption is Too Broad: Although we appreciate that there

is not preemption for the entire bill, the broad preemption

in the area of assignee liability would wipe out the many

existing state laws, such as UDAP statutes [and UCC

protections?], that provide remedies against assignees. Since

most loans are sold soon after origination, and since so many

originators and creditors are thinly capitalized (assuming

they even are still in business), many homeowners will be

left without any remedy for unaffordable loans.

Ultimately, unless legislation fundamentally changes the

incentive structure both for Wall Street and for mortgage

originators, predatory lending is likely to continue in one

form or another.

We look forward to continuing to work with the Congress as

this bill moves through the legislative process.

Sincerely,

ACORN, CDFI Coalition, Center for Responsible Lending,

Consumer Federation of America, Leadership Conference

on Civil Rights, NAACP, Ohio Attorney General Marc

Dann, Opportunity Finance Network.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of Ms. Mary Bergan, who has dutifully served and enriched the California Federation of Teachers and the labor movement for over 35 years. Her work has affected the lives of teachers and their students throughout the 9th Congressional District, and the great State of California.

Ms. Mary Bergan has been involved in community politics, volunteerism, and education for her entire adult life. After graduating from the prestigious University of California, Berkeley in 1965 with a B.A. in English, Mary promptly joined the Peace Corps. For 3 years Mary lived in Malaysia teaching English language and literature and coaching athletics. In this way, Mary has always been acutely aware of the importance of both healthy minds and bodies for her students. When Mary returned to the United States she became a teacher, and immediately started organizing for the California Federation of Teachers, CFT.

For more than three decades her passion and activism has rightly placed her in leadership positions throughout the State of California, both within her profession as an educator and within the greater Democratic Party. In 1976, while Jerry Brown was Governor of California, Ms. Bergan was chosen as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions. Shortly after, in the 1980's, Mary was elected as the chair of the Labor Caucus of the California Democratic Party. She continued her role as a delegate at the Democratic National Conventions in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004.

In 1991 Mary took her leadership skills, compassion, and dedicated experience to task. She was elected by her peers as president of the CFT. Only a year later, in 1992, Mary was elected vice president of the American Federation of Teachers, AFT, a national position of both great prestige and great responsibility. Not satisfied merely holding a title or position, Mary has participated in and continues to serve in numerous capacities within the AFT. She is a member of the Teachers Program and Policy Council, where she serves primarily on the council's working group on early childhood education. She is also a member of the organizing committee, the Task Force on Health Care Reform, and the State Federations Advisory Committee.

When she was elected president of the CFT Ms. Bergen pledged ``to renew the organization's commitment to excellence in education, to reinforce its efforts to increase education funding and to raise the organization's profile in the media and public eye.'' This is exactly what Mary has done, and continues to do. She is an outspoken advocate of our children and the conditions of our teachers.

Mary has always been quick to respond to the political issues of the day which most affect education, and she continues to be famously truthful and clear in those responses. Mary does not play with words, she does not play games with her positions on issues, and she does not play with the futures of our children and teachers. Mary has long known that the better the conditions are for our teachers, the better our schools will be. Ultimately, taking care of our teachers affords our students the greatest opportunities for success in their own lives.

A true servant educator in every sense, Mary Bergan has immeasurably contributed to our community, our State, and our Nation. On behalf of California's 9th Congressional District, I thank and applaud Mary Bergan for the more than 35 years of unwavering service and inspiration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of Ms. Joyce M. Taylor. As she retires from an illustrious and dedicated career in the communications industry, we have the opportunity to reflect on her achievements and thank her for her years of service.

Joyce was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma at Norman with a bachelor's degree in journalism. From this early beginning, Joyce began her long career, traveling and working throughout the Nation, assuming leadership positions in some of our most influential communications companies.

Ms. Taylor first served as the public relations manager in Oklahoma City for Southwestern Bell Telephone. After that, she held a number of communications positions, which included assuming responsibilities in advertising, employee information, news relations, public policy development and federal relations. Her capacities have taken her from Oklahoma City to St. Louis to Washington, D.C. Finally, she came to California, during an important merger between SBC and Pacific Telesis.

At the time of the merger, Ms. Taylor was serving as the executive director of external affairs for SBC Communications, Inc. Her work during this delicate moment in the communications industry directly helped earn the support from many Bay Area community and consumer organizations for the merger. This resulted in Ms. Taylor's appointment as AT&T's Senior Vice President for External Affairs-Northern California.

During all of this time, and throughout her professional endeavors, Joyce has always contributed to her community. Joyce has used her extraordinary talents to contribute to a number of worthy causes. From the arts to education, from industry to our neighborhoods, Joyce has always given back. It is our great fortune that the 9th Congressional District and the greater Northern California Area became her community as she grew in her capacities at AT&T.

In April 1997, Joyce Taylor was appointed to oversee regulatory, legislative, governmental and external affairs activities for AT&T in Northern California. Continuing her natural enthusiasm and belief in charity and the growth of communities, Joyce has become integrally involved in many boards and organizations in the Greater Bay Area.

Joyce serves on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Council, the Bay Area Economic Forum, First Tee of San Jose, the San Francisco School Alliance Foundation, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the Tech Museum of Innovation, United Way of the Bay Area, and Women's Forum West. In addition, Ms. Taylor is a member of the Northwestern Regional Board of Operation Hope.

Dedicated to the arts and education, Ms. Taylor also serves on the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Ballet and as a member of the Executive Campaign Advisory Board of the United Negro College Fund.

It certainly is not difficult to see how this remarkable woman has become such an invaluable part of our community.

On behalf of California's 9th Congressional District, I would like to thank and applaud our beloved Joyce M. Taylor on the occasion of her retirement. I am sure that her contributions to our community, and the value that she brings to the young leaders following in her example, are only just beginning.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the legendary Joe Morgan as the Board of Directors of Alameda County Youth Development, Inc. (ACYD) come together in the 9th Congressional District to pay tribute to Mr. Morgan and celebrate his impressive legacy.

Many are aware of Joe Morgan's incredible athletic accomplishments. His life has served as an inspiration to our youth, especially in communities of color, where Mr. Morgan's example has served as a symbol of the power of perseverance in overcoming obstacles and living up to one's great potential.

Even though Mr. Morgan has made significant contributions to our world in his capacities as a role model through sports, his contributions to our community as a steward of our youth programs and charitable causes has created an equally positive impact on thousands of people. Mr. Morgan has been one of the most generous and committed supporters of youth programs in Oakland, California for over four decades.

Joe Morgan was born in Bonham, Texas in 1944. At the age of 10, he moved to Oakland with his family, and has called the East Bay his home ever since. Mr. Morgan is a true product and member of the Oakland family. He attended Brookfield Elementary, Elmhurst Junior High, and graduated with recognition for his academic and athletic prowess from Oakland's Castlemont High School in 1961. Mr. Morgan went on to receive an Associate's Degree from Merritt College in 1963.

After graduating from Merritt College, Joe Morgan quickly rose to prominence as he launched one of the greatest careers in Major League Baseball. In 1963, Mr. Morgan signed his first professional contract with the Houston Colt 45's. A year later, he emerged as a key member of the Houston Astros, eventually going on to be named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1965. He remained with the Astros until 1972, when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, one of the all-time great teams that was given the moniker ``The Big Red Machine'' after the franchise strung together a series of World Series Championships during the 1970s, an accomplishment that continues to be recognized as one of the great achievements in American sports history.

After completing a successful career in professional baseball that eventually led to Mr. Morgan being inducted in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, he returned to school. This act of personal determination exemplified his unwavering dedication to education and personal growth. Mr. Morgan received a B.S. in Physical Education from California State University, Hayward, just as he had promised his mother he would do many years ago.

These tremendous accomplishments, however, were just one aspect of Mr. Morgan's capacities as an extraordinary person. Fame and fortune were not satisfying for Mr. Morgan if he was not able to use his experience and energy to give back to his community. Mr. Morgan has always displayed incredible dedication to his family, an unwavering love for children, and a personal concern with those around him and his community. Mr. Morgan continues to actively support the Young America Baseball Program and the Oakland Unified School District Sports Program, doing what he can to ensure that those institutions have the resources necessary to serve the youth of our community.

Harnessing so much compassion for his community, Mr. Morgan was compelled to create the Joe Morgan Youth Foundation. His Foundation provides many much needed services for our youth, including scholarships, financial support programs, and innovative community initiatives.

This year, in recognition of his extraordinary life, accomplishments, and dedication to our community, ACYD has presented Mr. Morgan with its first George P. Scotlan Outstanding Citizen Award. Mr. Morgan is certainly one of Oakland's most outstanding citizens, and an excellent choice for such a prestigious honor.

On behalf of the residents of California's 9th Congressional District, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Morgan as he receives due recognition for his contributions. The community of Oakland, especially those impassioned about the well being and future of our youth, salute Joe Morgan today, and we look forward to witnessing his lasting and positive impact on the lives of our children.

Mr. Speaker, as one who opposed the invasion of Iraq and as one who has led efforts to end the occupation of Iraq, I rise today to support the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act of 2007.

First, I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairmen Obey and Murtha for really crafting this historic legislation that takes the first step to end the occupation of Iraq. This bill's main purpose, main purpose, is to begin to fund the end of this occupation.

This is also the very first time that this Congress will explicitly tie funding to bringing our troops home. It mandates a start date for the President to begin redeployment of our brave troops within 30 days of his signature. It also once again puts Congress on record prohibiting the establishment of permanent military bases and United States economic control of Iraqi oil and also of torture.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is not perfect. I strongly feel that there should be additional clarity on the numbers and nature of U.S. forces that remain for protection of diplomats and training of Iraqi forces. And given the President's determination to protect his legacy by allowing the occupation to continue indefinitely, we really must be wary of providing him opportunities to prolong or extend this war.

So we made sure in this legislation that this bill explicitly states that ``the primary purpose of this $5 billion should be to transition the mission, redeploy troops in Iraq, and not to extend or prolong the war.''

But I am also disappointed that the end date in this legislation is a goal no later than December 2008. But hopefully, the Senate will pass this and send it to the President.

This legislation does conform to what Congresswomen Waters, Woolsey and myself have been working on all year. Earlier this year, we authored the Lee amendment that stipulates funding for Iraq should be used to fully fund, fully fund, the safe and orderly redeployment of our troops from Iraq. We did this way back in March. Now, 92 Members of Congress wrote to the President to put him on notice to this effect. So I am glad this remains the main purpose of this legislation.

This legislation represents for many of us a very important step forward to end the combat operations in Iraq. Otherwise, believe you me, I would never vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation does not give the President a blank check for his occupation. It provides a down payment on redeploying our troops from Iraq and ending the occupation. It clearly says these funds are to be used to begin to end the death, the violence, and the destruction that the Bush administration has brought on Iraq, which he has brought on our brave young men and women, and our country and the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3315-- legislation which would designate the great hall of the new Capitol Visitor Center as Emancipation Hall. As Vice Chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, I must note that similar language was added to H.R. 2771--the House-passed 2008 Legislative Branch appropriations bill.

Mr. Speaker, this recognition is long over due. For nearly two centuries, the slaves who helped to build our Capitol have been overlooked, brushed aside, and denied their just recognition. How ironic that this great building that is viewed world-wide as a symbol of freedom, a symbol of justice, and a symbol of democracy, was constructed in part, piece by piece, by those who did not know freedom nor justice.

That is why I would like to thank the Slave Laborers Task Force, chaired by Rep. John Lewis, for their diligence and commitment in ensuring that the slaves who labored to build our Nation's Capitol are both recognized and honored.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this historic legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1593, The Second Chance Act. I thank Congressman Danny Davis for introducing this important legislation and thank him for his leadership in support of formerly incarcerated persons making a successful transition back into their communities.

We must all begin to recognize the unique needs of those on the path of re-entry. I believe that there needs to be a comprehensive system of support to reduce the rates of recidivism and wasted tax dollars.

Today, our prisons and jails are filled beyond capacity, mostly with non-violent drug offenders, at enormous cost to the taxpayer. The politics of locking people up are easy. Not enough lawmakers have given much thought to the hard part: the inconvenient fact that more than 95 percent of the people who got to prison or jail will return at some point to our communities, with little or no preparation to succeed when they do.

The reality is, recidivism rates continue to rise with nearly 70 percent of those released from incarceration returning to prison within 3 years. By releasing the formerly incarcerated back into our communities without arming them with the necessary tools for survival, we are condemning them to repeat their past mistakes. This does nothing to reduce the crime rate or provide for safer communities.

We need to put the rehabilitation back into our penal system, to prepare people for reentry with job training and to send people with drug problems to treatment, not jail.

Today, we can change the landscape of re-entry programs for the formerly incarcerated in this country. We need to make rehabilitation a reality not just an abstract proposal. By providing all formerly incarcerated individuals with greater access to education, health care, job placement, and drug treatment we will reduce recidivism rates across the board.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is especially important to me because over 14,000 formerly incarcerated persons return to our community every year. The State of California had over 500,000 adults on parole or probation in 2005.

Comprehensive re-entry programs are critical to safely and productively returning the formerly incarcerated into the communities that they came from. Up to 60 percent are unemployed a year after release and up to 30 percent go directly to homeless shelters upon their release. The incidence of drug use among ex-offenders is over 80 percent, twice the rate of the United States population. It's more than clear that something needs to be done.

Following the lead of my colleague from Illinois, I host an annual Clean Slate Summit, which we held on November 3, to help those who qualify to legally clean up their records so that they can access the employment, education, housing and civic opportunities they need. We work to coordinate the efforts of community groups like the East Bay Community Law Center and All of Us or None, with local and county government leaders like Assemblymember Sandre Swanson and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson as well as local judges and the district attorney's office. It is only through this comprehensive and cooperative approach that we can successfully assist those who are so often completely cut off from their communities.

We have a vested interest in making sure that people reentering our community do so successfully. Help with cleaning their records provides and opportunity for a second chance to read an application, get a job or go back to school.

Booker T. Washington once said that ``Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he, or she, has overcome.''

Mr. Speaker, we must end the cycle of injustice that is perpetuated by a system that continues to punish people, long after they have paid their debt to society. H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act, is a critical step forward. No one condones criminal activity but once one serves their time, they should be free to feed their family and move on with their lives.

Let me thank the gentlelady for yielding, for her leadership, and for her fairness and her diligent work on the Rules Committee. Also, I want to thank Chairman Barney Frank and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin for their hard work in bringing this bill to the floor today.

First let me say that I was on the floor two nights ago, and Members of Congress so eloquently reminded us that this is National Bible Week. So as one who believes in the Scriptures, as a Christian, and as one who embraces what everything, Democrats and Republicans, were talking about the other night as it relates to love thy neighbor as thyself, we are responsible for the least of these. I know for a fact, like all of you know for a fact, that discrimination against anyone, and I mean anyone, is morally and ethically wrong, and it goes against the teachings of all of our great religions.

The Baldwin amendment, which recognizes that transgendered Americans should have all of the protections and the rights of any person in America, should be included in this bill. It should include the Baldwin amendment. Because if we believe in who we are as a country, and if we believe that discrimination is wrong against anyone, then how in the world can we leave out a significant number of Americans in this bill?

So, if it becomes law, transgendered Americans will still face discrimination in the workplace. And we must not let up until we ban discrimination against everyone.

I just want to say, in closing, that gender identity should not be allowed in terms of discrimination in terms of the laws that we pass. We should not allow discrimination against anyone based on gender identity, based on sexual orientation, based on race, religion, age.

This is America. This is America. And I think that the Baldwin amendment would take us one step closer to being the country and the America that we all believe in and that we all love.

What I'm saying is I think that the Baldwin amendment should be part of the bill that we are debating today. I believe that discrimination against anyone in our country is wrong based on any----

As I said earlier, I believe that discrimination against anyone is wrong in our country, and especially discrimination based on gender identity.

Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his diligent and fair leadership on the Rules Committee. Let me also thank Chairman Obey for this bill and for your tireless efforts in crafting this legislation.

Our spending priorities do reflect our values as a country, and during this week, which some of you heard last night, this is National Bible Week. I think it is very important as we debate this bill to remember some of the statements and speeches that were made last night with regard to caring for the least of these.

I am pleased we were able to fund critical programs under the Department of Health and Human Services, programs like nurses education and the Ryan White CARE Act and the Minority AIDS Initiative. I look forward to working with our colleagues to try to increase funding for all of our AIDS initiatives in the coming year.

I also want to thank the committee for funding critical education programs. What are we saying to the American people when we pass legislation that funds education, like the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, TRIO, GEAR UP, Upward Bound, and programs that strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic- serving universities. We are saying these are our priorities. These are the programs that we care about and want to see implemented which invest in our children's future.

Madam Speaker, much has been said and reported about the President's veto threat. What does this senseless veto threat say to the American people? It says that the President's priority is funding an occupation in Iraq as opposed to investing in the future of our country.

We are now spending $12 billion a month in Iraq. For the price of 1 month of our occupation in Iraq, we could be paying for 1.5 million children to go to Head Start for a whole year. We could hire 200,000 new school teachers for a year, and we could even insure 7 million of the 8.7 million children living in this country that do not have health care insurance for a whole year.

This is a fundamental question where we should spend our priorities. We actually could continue to spend our tax dollars on a war without end, or we could use our tax dollars to spend on our children, our schools, our communities and on our veterans who have valiantly sacrificed so much. They deserve an ``aye'' vote on this rule and the underlying conference report.

Let's remember this is National Bible Week and let us do what the Scriptures would dictate on this bill and support the rule and the bill for the least of these.

Madam Speaker, I rise to insert into the Congressional Record this important article on our colleague Congressman Pete Stark.

[From the Alameda Sun, October 26, 2007]

When Even the Powerful Can't Speak the Truth

Rep. Fortney ``Pete'' Stark, D-Fremont, the normally calm,

grandfatherly and moderate (for the Bay Area) congressman

found himself at the center of a rhetorical hornet's nest

last week after daring to tell his colleagues that paying for

children's health insurance should come before throwing money

at President Bush's bungling military adventurism.

With the president's approval rating at 24 percent, about

as low as former President Nixon's was when he left office,

according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released last week, it was

only too predictable that Bush's few remaining supporters

would immediately leap from their foxholes to shoot the

messenger.

The messenger, in this case was Stark. His words were crude

and offensive but his frank oration is admirable. Stark could

have chosen his words more carefully, a fact the Democratic

leadership made apparent when they dragged him behind the

woodshed. But love him or hate him, Stark had the guts to

speak in a way that most of his 434 colleagues won't.

Stark cut through the vapid pablum that passes for

political debate in this country; the junk-food rhetoric

composed by spin-doctors, tested by focus groups, and

proofread by campaign consultants and lobbyists. Just listen

to what emanates from the mouths of the leading candidates of

both parties in the lead up to November 2008. Or watch the

drivel passed off as incisive political coverage on the 24-

hour cable TV stations. Whether it's Hillary, Romney,

Guiliani, Edwards, or McCain, not one policy or word is

uttered without first being massaged and sanitized,

calculated not to enlighten or lead, but to win votes without

offending any demographic.

Obama, who was catapulted into second place in the polls

because he appeared sincere in the spring, has receded after

picking up the playbook of ``serious candidate.''

Stark got into hot water while speaking of the fundamental

choice of policy-makers: one framed as ``guns or butter.''

Eventually societies must choose between military spending

and the needs of its citizenry.

The statement was uttered during debate on the House floor

following Bush's veto of the popular State Children's Health

Care Program (SCHIP), an $11.2 billion annual program that

helps poor parents buy health insurance for their children.

Compare that figure to this week's White House request for

$46 billion more to shovel into the quagmires in Iraq and

Afghanistan. According to an estimate by the Center for

Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, if the above figure is

included, by the time the clock runs out on Bush's

administration, U.S. taxpayers will be on the hook for $808

billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That's roughly 10 times what Bush's father spent to humble

Saddam Hussein in 1991.

China won't keep lending us that money forever. Sooner or

later, the bill will come due.

What Stark actually told his colleagues: ``The Republicans

are worried that they can't pay for insuring an additional 10

million children.''

``They sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight

the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you going to get that

money? Are you going to tell us lies like you're telling us

today? Is that how you're going to fund the war?

``You don't have money to fund the (Iraq) war or children.

But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people--if

we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to

Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's

amusement.''

These incendiary words launched an explosive backlash from

pundits who immediately demanded Stark's head.

Stark was next criticized by the Democratic Party

leadership, but survived a vote of official reprimand that

Democrats tabled. Stark then publicly apologized Tuesday

saying: ``I want to apologize to my colleagues, many of whom

I have offended, to the president, his family, (and) to the

troops. I apologize for this reason: I think we have serious

issues before us, the issue of providing medical care to

children, the issue about what we're going to do about a war

that we're divided about how to end.''

If a U.S. congressman can be shouted down for speaking an

essential truth: that blood and treasure is being spilled in

a perverse quest by the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania

Ave. to outshine the legacy of his own father, these are

truly dire days for our republic.

One wonders what reactions would spew forth from the mouths

of those who vilify Stark had they read the words of another

great American, a true Republican: Gen. Dwight David

Eisenhower:

``In the councils of government, we must guard against the

acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or

unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential

for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will

persist.

``We must never let the weight of this combination endanger

our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing

for granted only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can

compel the proper meshing of huge industrial and military

machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so

that security and liberty may prosper together.''

Too bad his warning so quickly landed in the ashcan of

history.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you Congresswoman Tubbs Jones for once again organizing these very important message hours. Again, your experience as a judge, as a prosecutor, as a mother of a young African American brilliant young man understands very clearly why this legislation is so important.

You have seen lives shattered and you have done your best in so many ways to make sure that efforts such as the Second Chance Act gets passed. So thank you again for your leadership and for everything that you are doing.

And to Congressman Danny Davis, let me just say I am so excited that finally we will get a chance to vote on this very important bill. You have been the lone voice in the wilderness and have been working on this for so many years. We all must begin to recognize the unique needs of those formerly incarcerated individuals on the path to reentry, and I can think of no one who has led in this effort such as yourself, Congressman Davis. So thank you again and congratulations.

Today our prisons and our jails are filled to the roof, mostly with nonviolent drug offenders at enormous cost to the taxpayers. The politics of locking people up, very easy. Though not enough lawmakers have given really much thought to the hard part, and that is the fact that more than 95 percent, 95 percent of those who are locked up will return at some point home with little or no preparation to succeed and no support to keep them out of jail.

The reality is recidivism rates continue to rise, with nearly 70 percent of those released from incarceration returning to prison within 3 years. Without arming them with the necessary tools for survival, we are condemning them to repeat their past mistakes. This does nothing to reduce crime, nor does it do anything to provide for safer communities.

Today we can truly change the landscape of reentry programs. We must make rehabilitation a reality, not just an abstract proposal. By providing all formerly incarcerated individuals with greater access to education, jobs, health care, drug treatment, we will reduce recidivism rates across the board.

Mr. Speaker, the fact is, and just let me say with regard to my district alone, over 14,000 formerly incarcerated persons return to my congressional district every year. In my home State of California, over 500,000 adults, 500,000 adults are on parole or probation, primarily African American and Latino men. Moreover, California spends about $7,200, just a drop in the bucket, every year on each student but pays over $25,000 a year for each prisoner. Governor Schwarzenegger has increased the prison budget by more than $5 billion. That's more than $1 billion a year since he took office. This is not the way to go. And in California, unfortunately, and we have worked very hard to do this and still haven't quite made it, rehabilitation is still not a part of California's prison reform effort.

So what we are doing here by helping with the Second Chance Act and getting this passed provides for comprehensive reentry programs that are really critical not only to my State but to the entire country.

Up to 60 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals are unemployed a year after release, and up to 30 percent go directly to homeless shelters upon their release. The incidents of drug use among ex- offenders is over 80 percent. Now, that's twice the rate of the United States population. It is more than clear that something needs to be done.

Following the lead of our colleague from Illinois, Congressman Davis, just this past weekend, and I wanted to mention this because Congressman Davis was with at our first record remedy Clean Slate Summit 3 years ago to help those who qualify to legally clean up their record so that they can gain access to employment, education, housing, and civic opportunities. Since this first clinic in April of 2005, and I believe Congressman Clyburn was there and Congressman Watt and they witnessed this, there were 900 to 1,000 individuals, primarily African American men, who came to learn about how to clear up their records.

Well, I am very proud to say that now we have cleared approximately 3,600 records. We worked to coordinate these efforts of community groups like the East Bay Community Law Center and All of Us Or None of Us, which is a phenomenal organization, headed by Dorsey Nunn, whom Congressman Davis knows, who has chapters all over the country, and they are certainly leading the way in our community. Also with great elected leaders like Mayor Dellums and Assembly member Sandre Swanson, Supervisor Carson, many of our judges and the District Attorney's office.

And it is only through this very comprehensive and cooperative approach that we can successfully assist those who are so often completely cut off from their communities. And this is only a small example of what we can do within a very narrowly defined law. But it is truly all about us or none of us.

We have a vested interest, a vested interest, in making sure that people reenter our communities successfully. Help with cleaning their records provides an opportunity for formerly incarcerated individuals to get a job, to go back to school, or to find a place to live. This bill is so important to all of these efforts.

Also I want to thank Congressman Davis and Congresswoman Tubbs Jones for helping us deal with this one issue that, again, is so important but oftentimes goes below the radar, and that is allowing ex-offenders who have paid their debt to society to be allowed access to food stamps. Many don't even know that there is a lifetime ban, lifetime ban, on applying for food stamps for those who have been convicted of drug felonies. We say let them eat. I mean, you know, let them eat. Two hundred dollars, and you are turned out into a community with nothing and can't even get food stamps. This is a shame and disgrace.

Again, so many examples of laws that need to be changed, that need to be changed. But this moment we have now to help pass a bill to help formerly incarcerated individuals receive this second chance is so, so important.

Let me remind us of what Booker T. Washington once said. He said: ``Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life but by the obstacles which he or she has overcome.'' We must end this cycle of injustice that is perpetrated by a system that continues to punish people long after they have paid their debts to society. No one condones criminal activity; but I tell you once one serves their time, they should be able to feed their family and move on with their lives.

In closing, like Congresswomen Tubbs Jones and Jackson-Lee indicated, as I listened to those speaking tonight in honor of National Bible Week and as one who deeply believes in the wisdom and direction of the Bible, to love one another, I do hope that these statements which we heard tonight weren't just a bunch of rhetoric. I hope that all of those lifting up the teachings of the Bible tonight vote for this bill, H.R. 1593, and all of the legislation sponsored by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which continues to be the conscience of the Congress. Our bills, many bills that we see come to this floor truly reflect the command of the Bible to take care of the least of these. So tonight and this week we have a chance to do just that.

And I want to thank Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, our great Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for making sure that we come to the floor and have this opportunity to let the country know what the Congressional Black Caucus stands for and what we are doing for the least of these.

Thank you Congresswoman Tubbs Jones again for yielding.

Madam Speaker, first let me thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for yielding and her leadership in organizing these Special Orders. This is a particularly timely discussion we are having tonight, and I want to again thank Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones for ensuring that not only this issue, the ongoing genocide in Darfur, stays in the spotlight, but also so many issues that we are addressing here on behalf of the American people and as a result of the Congressional Black Caucus being the conscience of the Congress. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, thank you very much for your voice, stepping up to the plate, and your constant leadership on the issues we are addressing, which are so timely and, quite frankly, so difficult.

The poor track record of the Sudanese Government in previous talks really have warranted our work here to become more intense and revved up. We have got to do our part to keep the pressure up on all sides, especially the government, and come together to stop the violence and the killing.

Now, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, I am very pleased that you recounted some of this history tonight because it was Congressman Don Payne who for so long was the lone voice in the wilderness with regard to the genocide that was taking place. Finally, several years ago he brought together this entire body to declare that what atrocities we had witnessed is genocide.

So this declaration of genocide exists, it's a matter of record, and we, unfortunately, have not acted in a way that warrants that declaration in terms of the Darfurian people. So we have to remember Congressman Don Payne tonight and members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have visited Darfur. I have been there on three occasions. We have witnessed the tragedy, we have witnessed the faces, the eyes of the children who have seen right before their eyes their villages burn, their women raped and their family members killed.

It is very important that we come together once again with our young people from around the country, because it is young people who are leading the charge, and the faith community, to end this genocide. Unfortunately, as Congresswoman Tubbs Jones said earlier and, again, The Washington Post, actually the headlines today, says: ``U.S. promises on Darfur don't match actions. Bush expresses passion for issue but policies have been inconsistent.''

Let me mention a couple of the policies in addition to the bills that were passed today, which were very important, major steps in the right direction. We introduced a resolution, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was a cosponsor, and I introduced it with many others, about a year and a half ago, which really was a bill calling for divestment and allowing States to divest. This bill is called the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act, better known as DADA.

Two weeks ago, the Senate banking committee amended and passed DADA, which, again, is bipartisan, and it really is a major bill that I hope gets to the President's desk very soon. What it does is it would authorize divestment from certain companies doing business in or with Sudan and prohibit any new Federal contracts with such companies. No one should have to worry that they are supporting genocide, whether it is through their tax dollars or their pension funds.

Madam Speaker, thanks to the persistence of a committed group of students and grass-roots activists, divestment has become a national movement that has the potential to really hit the Government of Sudan where it hurts the most, and that is their wallets. Today, 20 States, 59 universities, 10 cities and scores of individuals and organizations around the country have chosen to divest from businesses supporting the genocidal regime in Khartoum. Their actions have already had an impact. Once we introduced DADA over here, many multinational companies began to significantly change their business operations in Sudan, and some actually ceased doing business there.

So we must follow through on this massive grass-roots mobilization and pass Federal divestment legislation now so that we can put further pressure on Khartoum to end this genocide.

As we pursue divestment, we must also ensure that we support our peacekeeping efforts in the region and protect civilians and prevent violence. Again, I witnessed what was taking place on the border of Chad several years ago in Sudan, and also this year and last year with two additional congressional delegations; and each time I was there, I saw more violence and it was getting much worse; and it still is getting much worse.

The recent attacks, really the AU forces, actually when we were there last time, I believe it was five soldiers were killed from the African Union. They are really overstretched and we need to make sure we approve the $210 million in the Foreign Operations appropriations bill, because they deserve the resources, they need the resources. We need a strong, robust force to provide for peacekeeping operations.

So I hope that the President will not veto this legislation and that he will sign the DADA bill, which would begin to end this genocide in Darfur and to assist the Darfurian people.

Our Speaker, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been such an unbelievable leader on this issue. She has made this a priority. I participated with her on her delegation last year. Subsequent to that, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer led a delegation. And Congressman Ed Royce led a delegation where Don Cheadle, the wonderful Academy Award nominee for Hotel Rwanda, was with us and spent time in the refugee camps.

I share that, because the world needs to know that this has been here in the House and Senate a bipartisan effort, but we still haven't quite done what we need to do. But it is a moment that we must all embrace now, because we have to do this. More people are getting killed each and every day.

Yes, some of us were arrested. We were very involved in the anti- apartheid movement, and sometimes you have to do things out of the box to make sure that the public understands that death and destruction is taking place and that we cannot allow this death and destruction to continue.

So I want to commend members of the Congressional Black Caucus for really putting their bodies on the line and getting arrested and doing some of the things that we had to do in the sixties and the seventies to ``make some noise,'' as Congressman John Lewis says, because we have to work with our outside groups and we have to do the legislative work. We have to do what it takes to end this.

We cannot have another Rwanda. Unfortunately, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones mentioned Rwanda. We stood by and we saw nearly 1 million people die. The only thing our government did was apologize after the fact, after the fact. One million people.

So not on our watch are we going to allow another Rwanda to take place. Whatever we have to do, we will do. The people of Darfur are suffering and they are dying. The world is watching. Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, under her leadership, we met with the President of Algeria. We met with President Mubarak. We tried to bring forth the League of Arab Nations. We talked to China and their representatives. We passed resolutions here in a bipartisan manner to ask China and the League of Arab Nations to join with us in condemning this genocide and doing the things that need to be done. So we cannot stand by and do nothing. Not on our watch, not on our dime.

So I want to congratulate Congresswoman Jackson-Lee for the passage of

your resolution today, and all of the other Members that are working so hard each and every day 24/7, to stop this slaughter that is taking place in Darfur.

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, thank you again for your leadership and for calling us together once again to beat the drum and to let the American people know that not on our watch, not on our dime, will this genocide continue.