Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in the cause of democracy, peace, and justice throughout the world.

I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Resolution 353, which congratulates the people of Haiti on holding peaceful and democratic elections on February 7. And I want to thank Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her bold leadership and for bringing forth this resolution immediately in full support of the Haitian people and their right to once again decide who will lead their democracy and to restore the rule of law in Haiti.

In supporting this legislation, we also congratulate President-Elect Rene Garcia Preval, a man who, I am confident, will restore peace, human rights, and accountability throughout Haiti and within Haiti's government.

Mr. Speaker, with over 2.2 million Haitians, more than 60 percent of registered voters, participating in these elections, it is clear to me that the people of Haiti are ready for peace and willing to do whatever it takes, whatever it takes to restore and secure their democracy once again.

Since the undemocratic removal of former President Aristide in 2004, Haiti's health, education, and economic sectors have spiraled into ruin. During the last 2 years, unemployment reached a staggering 90 percent in parts of Haiti. For months, schools remained closed and children feared kidnapping or death on the city streets. The only public hospitals that many of Haiti's poor could rely on were centers run by international organizations such as Doctors Without Borders or the International Red Cross. Public hospitals and government services were either closed or too dangerous to utilize. People feared kidnapping, assault, and even murder walking out of their homes and onto the streets.

However, the Haitian people have voted for a change, Mr. Speaker. Haiti now has an opportunity to set its own course through responsive government that puts people first. President Preval has demonstrated that he understands how to turn around Haiti's economy while still preserving the rights of all Haitians, especially Haiti's poor, and by raising the standard of living, increasing job opportunities and education for Haiti's poor.

During his first tenure, from 1996 to 2001, as president, Mr. Preval found ways to build hundreds of miles of road, dozens of schools, health centers. He transformed thousands of acres of land into peasants' hands and organized the two most famous and successful human rights trials in Haiti's history.

An international response, however, right now will be necessary in order to make Haiti's hopeful possibilities for a future a reality. That is why the Congressional Black Caucus, Haiti Task Force, the House International Relations Committee, Congresswoman Waters, Mr. Foley, myself, all of us, Democrats and Republicans, in a bipartisan way are committed to making Haiti's future a bright one by supporting their duly-elected president.

Haiti will also need our financial support and technical assistance if it is to overcome the challenges it faces in its economy and its infrastructure and its ability to provide basic services to all Haitians. We must support a restoration of security by helping to get guns off the street and support an international effort to establish a national truth and reconciliation commission.

Also, we must support and move forward all of the trade efforts and aid efforts; we have got to increase these efforts, and also additional resources for fighting the HIV and AIDS pandemic, which Haiti has the highest rates in the Caribbean. These are items which are key to securing order and peace in Haiti, securing the people's choice.

And this is what happened now, the people have made a decision once again. The people's choice is Mr. Preval, and we have got to make sure that we help him to do everything he can to turn Haiti around. The Haitian people deserve no less.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This amendment is very simple. This amendment would prevent FEMA from evicting from hotels and motels the thousands of families who were affected by the hurricanes on the gulf coast last summer.

Mr. Chairman, 6 months ago, the entire world watched the wealthiest, most powerful country on Earth turn its back on those who couldn't afford to evacuate their homes in advance and during the hurricanes. People were left to fend for themselves on rooftops, trying to save their lives and the lives of their families.

We cannot sweep under the rug the faces and the images of those who were disproportionately abandoned by their government. Unfortunately, today, 6 months after the storm, the majority of these people are still fending for themselves. The people of New Orleans and the gulf coast have experienced more tragedy and more suffering in the last 6 months than anyone should have to face in a lifetime. It is bad enough that they suffered through one of the worst natural disasters in the history of United States, it is bad enough that they lost their homes and their jobs and their livelihoods, it is bad enough that they are suffering mental breakdowns, high suicide rates and high rates of post-dramatic stress. And it is bad enough the insurance companies are trying to dodge their obligations to pay out claims to property owners.

But now to add insult to injury, yesterday their own government, our government, ended payments for hotel and motel rooms for thousands of displaced Katrina evacuees. Where will all of these people go? We already have a huge homeless population in this country. Why are we creating a new generation of Katrina homeless?

This lacks morality and is about as low as you can go. What benefit does the Federal Government have in kicking people when they are down?

Today, the newspapers are filled with accounts of people who were kicked out of their rooms and have no place to go. There are reports of families piling their possessions out of hotels and motels and into trucks, but with nowhere to go. This is just disgraceful. What kind of a message do we send with these evictions? What do we say to the rest of the world? What does it say about our values and our priorities and really what we believe in terms of putting people first?

I believe we have to send a different message, and we can do that today. We

have to reject the actions of FEMA and this administration and prevent people from getting kicked out of their hotel and motel rooms.

By passing my amendment, we would block FEMA from using any money in this bill to evict people living in hotels and motels as a result of Hurricane Katrina. We should not allow FEMA to dump people on the streets. That is just plain wrong. That is all it is, it is wrong. That should not be done. This is unjust.

Let us help at least stabilize their lives and give them a safe place to sleep without worrying about being on the streets. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), who is a real leader and was down there helping people save their lives during this tragedy.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

This issue speaks to who we are as a country. We know there are people living on the streets, and we know there are people who have been really just played around with in terms of you have to evict, you do not. You have 5 more days; you have 10 more days. You have to call this number and get a voucher. Maybe we will extend it another week; maybe it will be 2 weeks. The deadline is tomorrow.

What in the world are these people supposed to do, Mr. Chairman? I think until we fix this where everybody has decent transitional housing, we should just say ``no'' to evictions. That is what this is about. ``No'' to evictions to people who have already been traumatized and hurt.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

First, I would like to thank the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen) for working with me on this amendment and for his leadership and for being here to speak on this today.

This amendment is not about the war, although I offered an alternative to keep us out of Iraq when this war began. This amendment is not about bringing our troops home, although I believe we should do that and do it right away.

This amendment is not about holding the President accountable for misleading us into an unjust and unnecessary war, although he should.

Mr. Chairman, the amendment I am offering is very simple. It would provide that no funds would be used under this bill to enter into military base agreements between the United States and Iraq. Stating this will clearly indicate that the United States has no intention of making military bases permanent.

Mr. Chairman, can't we all agree on that right here and now, that we should not be in Iraq permanently? Unfortunately, this administration's position is unclear.

The President shares our views and said as much, I thought. On April 13, 2004, President Bush said, ``As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation, and neither does America.''

But just yesterday, General Abizaid, the general in charge of U.S. troops in Iraq, told a Defense Appropriations Committee that the U.S. could end up having bases in Iraq. So I think we need to be clear. The aim of my amendment is to simply codify the sentiment that the President and many of our constituents and many of us strongly believe here.

As we stand here today, the United States has renewed a bombing campaign against the insurgents, the largest assault since the invasion; and this is taking us in exactly the wrong direction. Destroying villages in the hopes of routing out insurgents only creates more insurgents.

In adopting this amendment, we can take the target off our troops' backs by sending a strong and immediate signal to the Iraqi people, the insurgents, and the international community that the United States has no designs on Iraq.

This very simple point is supported by a poll conducted by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes earlier this year. They found that 76 percent of Iraqis believe that the United States

will maintain bases in Iraq permanently even if the newly elected government asks the United States to leave Iraq.

Mr. Chairman, we need to be on record that we must not have permanent military bases in Iraq. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers).

(Mr. CONYERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).

(Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson- Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

(Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Northern California (Ms. Woolsey).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey).

I believe Mr. Hinchey needs another minute and Mr. Moran needs 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I will just close by thanking you, Mr. Lewis, for giving us time and for allowing for those who have a real perspective, the passion, the understanding to speak on this issue tonight. It is so important that the country understand that whether we agreed or disagreed with the war, that many of us believe there should be no permanent presence in Iraq.

We support our troops. We want them out of harm's way. We know that any notion of a permanent occupation or permanent bases continues to put our young men and women in harm's way. It is about time now that these signals be clear to the rest of the world. As I

said, we get mixed signals from the administration.

I think it is now the time for this House to say that whatever we believed, when this war started, we do not want to be a permanent occupying force, and we do not want permanent military bases in Iraq.

Thank you for being so generous, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely concerned regarding the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world in general and the threat that Iran poses in particular. I agree that we must make it a priority to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear technologies and materials for development of nuclear weapons. That is why we must not impede any and all diplomatic means to achieve this. I voted present on H. Con. Res 345 (rollcall No. 12) because this resolution seems to foreclose some important diplomatic options towards achieving that goal.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. Chairman, let me thank our new ranking member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee for his leadership and for his commitment to the people of Haiti. I think today illustrates the type of commitment that he has in terms of his truly understanding the critical needs of the Haitian people. So I want to commend you, Mr. Engel, for your leadership, and thank you for putting this out here, at least so we can have a debate and discuss why Haiti deserves this $50 million.

Let me just say, first of all, that we all know that on February 7 the Haitian people demonstrated their faith in the democratic process, and today the United States needs to send a signal. We need to show our support for their commitment and for their persistence.

I co-chaired the Haiti Task Force with the great leader Congressman Conyers. Many members of this Haiti Task Force have worked for many, many years to help the Haitian people, not only with their democracy, which, of course, they have engaged in in terms of the democratic process over the years, but also, most importantly, with their economic development and their humanitarian assistance and the infrastructure assistance that they so desperately need.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Caribbean, and we need to begin to provide resources in a very real way, and I mean in a real way, to the people of Haiti under the leadership of the newly democratically elected government.

This amendment, and it is just the beginning, it is only $50 million, begins to rectify some of the inadequacies of this supplemental, which, of course, we have heard there is really no money in it for Haiti.

So we need to support the Engel amendment. We need to send a message to the world, to the Caribbean, to CARICOM, that we support democracy in Haiti, that we support development assistance for Haiti, that we support economic assistance, that we support an increase to help the Haitian people address their health care needs. The HIV and AIDS pandemic is rampant in Haiti. The highest incidence of AIDS in the Caribbean is in the country of Haiti.

So whatever we do today in terms of this $50 million, I think we need to understand that we need more than $194 million to address the basic needs of the Haitian people.

So, Mr. Engel, this is an excellent first step. I hope that people throughout our country recognize that there are those of us here in the House who want to support the aspirations and the needs and the desires and the dreams of the Haitian people, and we should do so by passing this amendment, this $50 million.

Thank you very much. And let me begin by also thanking my colleagues from the gulf coast, of course, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Jefferson, and to you, Mr. Melancon, for organizing this special order tonight. But also more importantly for staying on the front lines, helping your constituents and your communities recover and rebuild. Each of them has suffered tremendous personal loss from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. But all of you have worked tirelessly to focus national attention on the Gulf Coast and to win the support of Congress and the President to provide more funding and more assistance.

Also, they continue to ask the tough questions, the tough questions in demanding accountability for this administration's failure to lead and coordinate the response to Katrina. They are a credit to their constituents, to our country, and you deserve our support and our thanks. Thank you, Mr. Melancon.

Let me just say tonight, Madam Speaker, that we know the entire world watched the wealthiest, most powerful country on earth, quite frankly, turn its back on those who couldn't afford to evacuate this horrific hurricane called Katrina. People were left to fend for themselves on rooftops trying to save their lives and the lives of their families. And the majority of these people were African American. And we cannot sweep under the rug the faces of those who were disproportionately abandoned by their government because unfortunately, today, 6 months after the storm, the majority of these people are still fending for themselves.

If we don't deal with this up front we will continue to be in denial about the unfinished business of America in addressing the issues of race and class.

Now, 2 months ago, I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans and Mississippi as part of the first congressional field hearing which was held in the gulf coast. We toured New Orleans. We saw the Ninth ward, New Orleans East, Lakeview and other areas. We went to Mississippi and passed through Waveland, Bay St. Louis and Gulfport. And I tell you, like others who have visited the region, it takes a visit to the region to really fully understand the impact and the devastation that this hurricane brought upon the people of that region.

We saw firsthand this devastation and quite frankly, I will never, ever be able to sleep as well ever again in life based on what I saw during those 2 days.

We heard from victims of the storm who lost their homes and were displaced, who were living with friends and relatives or staying in hotels or motels mostly waiting for their FEMA trailers. They wanted to know that they would have a place to stay so that they could call someplace, just someplace their own. They wanted to know that FEMA wouldn't terminate housing assistance for people living in motels or hotels. They wanted to know that they wouldn't be discriminated against in seeking housing because of their race, ethnicity, age or disability. They wanted to know that the levees would be rebuilt so that they could go back to their homes and their communities to rebuild. And they wanted to know that they wouldn't be evicted from their homes or be gouged.

And we heard of the price gouging over and over and over again. And they wanted us to help them to make sure that they would not be gouged by the high rental prices or that some opportunistic developer wouldn't buy up their land and gentrify their communities. And they wanted to know that they would be hired to carry out Federal contracts to clean up and rebuild the gulf so that they could work, they could work and get a steady paycheck and participate in the equitable development of the region. They wanted to know that their kids could go back to school and still be children. And they wanted to know that they could go to a clinic or a hospital if they got sick.

In short, they wanted to know that they mattered and that their government would do all that it could to take care of them and put them back on their feet quickly.

And, Madam Speaker, the survivors of Hurricane Katrina are still wondering the exact same things today. 6 months after Katrina, virtually nothing has changed. Only now, our government is about to add insult to injury by disenfranchising over 300,000 displaced survivors from New Orleans, who will not be given the right to vote in elections that will determine the future of their city.

And tomorrow, we have learned that FEMA will boot out probably another 7,000 families that are still living in hotels and motels and have no other place to go.

This is a disgrace. The administration failed to prepare a plan of action to respond to Hurricane Katrina, and they have failed to put together a coherent plan to rebuild and restore the gulf coast region.

H.R. 4997, a comprehensive bill to help the gulf coast rebuild, which is supported by Katrina survivors and introduced by the Congressional Black Caucus under the leadership of Congressman Mel Watt should be supported. This bill provides for housing rights, a victim restoration fund in the spirit of 9/11 Victims Fund, expanded opportunities in rebuilding the gulf coast and voting rights for all.

We also work very closely with Mr. Baker and improved upon his will to rebuild New Orleans and to help the region recover; got bipartisan support in the Financial Services Committee for that bill. But the administration has rejected both of these plans.

And now we are 3 months away from the start of the new hurricane season. And we can not afford to allow the continued incompetence of this administration to hinder the recovery and rebuilding process any longer.

Tomorrow, when we vote on the supplemental appropriations bill, I will offer an amendment to basically block FEMA from using, any money to evict people living in hotels or motels as a result of Katrina. We should not allow FEMA to kick people out on the streets. That is just plain and simple. That should not be done. So I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

And we must continue to stand with the people of New Orleans and gulf coast and send a clear signal to the rest of the world that we must take care of all people. We must put people first regardless of their race or their income or their age or their disability. We have got a lot of work to do, and we don't have a lot of time to do it, Madam Speaker.

And so I just want to thank my colleagues from the region for their tenacity, their continued support for staying strong in the midst of a storm and for allowing those of us from other areas to try to help and try to do something.

I am very proud of my congressional district, immediately raised money to

send to the gulf coast region and to New Orleans. The Ninth Congressional District, like other Congressional Districts and other non profit organizations and charitable groups, should be commended for stepping up to the plate.

But our government must do more and we must do more now.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I just want to join my colleagues tonight, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) in reminding us of the terrible scar on our Nation's history: the internment of Japanese Americans. And I want to say to them that as an African American, as a person of color in our country, from California, that we join you in making sure that this body continues to remind the entire country that never again shall we allow such a gross violation of the human rights of any, any people in our country and throughout the world.

So thank you, Mr. Honda and Ms. Matsui, for once again allowing us to participate and reminding us of this great atrocity.

I want to also add tonight my voice to those of my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in honoring an organization whose fight against the oppression and discrimination that all of us have felt in this country, whether we were directly victimized by it or not, it affected all of us, which gave birth to the modern-day civil rights movement, and that is the NAACP.

Today, this body unanimously passed H. Con. Res. 355, which was a bipartisan resolution honoring the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on their 97th anniversary. This is the largest and the oldest civil rights organization in our country.

Late last night, we concluded Black History Month by commemorating this month with activities led by the Congressional Black Caucus Chair, our great leader, Chairman Mel Watt, on the floor. But it was very late last night, and I hope people had an opportunity to listen to the few Members who were here to talk about the glorious history of African Americans in America.

Today, in keeping with the ideals of Black History Month and the tradition of our ancestors, we must recommit ourselves to a plan of action. For generations, the NAACP has provided the blueprint for organizing the African American community and other communities, communities of color,

throughout our country to build these coalitions for success.

In December, the House unanimously adopted my resolution recognizing the 140th anniversary of the 13th amendment. The abolition of slavery in 1865 should have been, should have been, a new day for African Americans. Yet 40 years later, African Americans continued to fight the repression and discrimination. It was this continued frustration and pain that led to the birth of the modern civil rights movement.

In Ontario, Canada, in 1905, a group of African American leaders developed an action plan and launched the Niagara Movement. Emerging from the Niagara Movement the call was issued and diverse progressives formed the National Negro Committee, which soon developed into the NAACP. For almost 100 years, since that historic meeting, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been the cornerstone of the social justice movement of minority communities.

Mr. Speaker, last year, Mr. Hilary Shelton, the Director of the NAACP's Washington Bureau, delivered a Black History Month speech to the Federal Aviation Administration, the following excerpt of which outlines the development of the NAACP.

From 1905 through 1910, an organization of African American

intellectuals led by W.E.B. Du Bois and calling for full

political, civil, and social and civil rights for African

Americans. This stance stood in clear contrast to the

accommodation philosophy proposed by Booker T. Washington in

the Atlanta Compromise of 1895, You see, the Niagara Movement

was the forerunner of the NAACP. In the summer of 1905, 29

prominent African Americans, including Du Bois, met secretly

at Niagara Falls, Ontario, and drew up a manifesto calling

for full civil liberties, abolition of racial discrimination,

and recognition of human brotherhood, a forerunner to the

United Nations U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Subsequent

annual meetings were held in such symbolic locations as

Harpers Ferry, W.Va., and Boston's Faneuil Hall.

Despite the establishment of 30 branches and the

achievement of a few scattered civil-rights victories at the

local level, the group suffered from organizational weakness

and lack of funds as well as a permanent headquarters or

staff, and it never was able to attract mass support. After

the Springfield (ILL.) Race Riot of 1908, however, white

liberals joined with the nucleus of Niagara ``militants'' and

founded the NAACP the following year. The Niagara Movement

disbanded in 1910, with the leadership of Du Bois forming the

main continuity between the two organizations.

Dubois and the many other brave men and women of the

Niagara Movement to the reigns of the challenges of there day

to lead the Niagara movement and now the NAACP, we too must

rise up to take on the challenges of our generation.

Founded on February 12, 1909, the NAACP's diverse founders, Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz, Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, and William English Walling, understood the importance of organizing and motivating people. Currently headed by Julian Bond and the President and CEO, Mr. Bruce Gordon, the NAACP exemplifies a movement that has transcended race, class, and generations in the fight for equal rights for African Americans and all disenfranchised people.

The focus of the NAACP has always been working to build coalitions for equality and opportunity in the United States. However, they never forget to advocate for Africans throughout the Diaspora. In Washington, D.C., the NAACP's Legislative Bureau mobilizes communities on issues from the fiscal year 2007 budget shortfalls, to equal opportunity, to the importance of an independent judiciary and racial profiling. Every session, the NAACP's D.C. Bureau outlines what issues and legislation will impact minority communities both here in the United States and abroad. Their vigilance is a constant reminder of how much work there is to do.

Recently, the NAACP's priorities have been rebuilding the gulf coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and addressing disparity in wealth, housing, and basic social services. That is the tragedy that unfolded, that we witnessed and which was exposed as a result of this tragedy of Katrina and Rita.

Also, the NAACP is very committed to reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act, the culmination of a movement that took blood, sweat, tears, and lives, and the sacrifices of those who came before us. This is set to expire next year.

They are committed to reforming our prison system, where our country has the largest prison population in the world. This is especially important since six in ten of those persons are people of color.

So let me just congratulate the NAACP on the 97th anniversary of this institution, and I urge everyone to use this occasion to recommit themselves to the struggle for freedom, justice, and peace.

Washington Bureau, National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People,

Washington, DC, February 28, 2006.

Representative Barbara Lee,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Lee: On behalf of the National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),

our Nation's oldest, largest and most widely-recognized

grassroots civil rights organization, I am urging you, in the

strongest terms possible, to reject provisions in President

Bush's proposed budget for 2007 and instead pass a budget

plan that supports and encourages low- and middle-income

Americans. A Nation's budget reflects its priorities; our

willingness ability to care for the sick and elderly, educate

the young, protect our surroundings, respond to natural

emergencies and protect those less fortunate. The budget

proposal put forth by President Bush for fiscal year 2007

does not reflect the priorities of, nor does it serve the

governmental needs, the majority of Americans. Rather, the

President's proposal would benefit the wealthiest Americans

while short-changing low- and middle-income Americans and

saddling future generations with a debilitating deficit.

I urge you to demonstrate the necessary leadership skills

and to work with your colleagues to develop a budget proposal

that ensures that the basic needs of all our citizens are

met. This means rejecting the cuts in federal funding for

education, health care, job training, small business

promotion, the protection of our basic civil rights and

liberties and energy assistance. This also means rejecting

the President's proposed tax cuts, which have been proven to

mostly benefit only the wealthiest Americans and cripple our

ability to address some of the most basic needs of our

society while at the same time ballooning our deficit.

Although a majority of the Administration's proposed cuts

or program eliminations are problematic for the NAACP, we are

especially troubled by the provision in the budget to reduce

funding for the crucial work of the EEOC. The President's

budget for 2007 includes a cut in funding of the EEOC Budget

from $333 million to $323 million, most of which would be

taken from State and local operations. State and local

enforcement agencies handle about 42 percent of the total

Title VII caseload, yet, they are being asked to take 60

percent of the budget cut. Because enforcement of civil

rights laws is a key element of the strategic goals and

initiatives of the NAACP, we are especially troubled by these

proposals.

Again, on behalf of the millions of NAACP members and

friends of civil rights across this Nation I hope that you

will work hard to see that the values of supporting our

young, our ill and our elderly as well as those less

fortunate are addressed in this year's budget. I look forward

to working with you to ensure that the needs of all Americans

are met. Thank you in advance for your attention to the

concerns of the NAACP.

Sincerely,

Hilary O. Shelton,

Director.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the efforts of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute (MCLI), a non-profit organization in my district. The MCLI, founded in 1965, is a think tank that works on national and international human rights issues as they relate to the U.S. In 1995, the Institute's Human Rights Reporting Project began using U.S. treaties as tools to work for human rights.

In 2005, the MCLI issued a report entitled Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations Since 9/11 in response to the failure of the U.S. government to submit timely and accurate reports to the United Nations (UN). According to 3 U.N. treaties ratified by the U.S. in 1992 and 1994, the U.S. is required to submit regular reports to U.N. oversight committees about human rights abuses and enforcement measures at the local, State, and Federal levels.

On March 15, 2005, the Berkeley City Council passed Resolution 62,841 in which the City Council resolved to submit a copy of Challenging to the U.S. State Department, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Human Rights Committee. On March 31, 2005, MCLI presented Challenging to the U.S. State Department for use in the preparation of its late reports to the oversight committees.

Although the second and third reports for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) treaty were due in 1998 and 2003, the U.S. State Department did not file a report until October 21, 2005. According to the MCLI, this combined second and third report fails to contain various instances of U.S. human rights violations and lack of enforcement measures. The combined U.S. Report will be discussed by the U.N. Human Rights Committee in March 2006 in New York and will be examined in greater detail by the committee in the summer of 2006 in Geneva.

The Challenging report raises important enforcement and reporting violations committed by the U.S. I encourage my colleagues to read this report for more information. The U.S. must comply with the treaties it signed in order to protect the rights of individuals both domestically and abroad and to realign the U.S. with the principles it was founded on. I appreciate the work of MCLI to promote and protect human rights around the globe and congratulate them on this report.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, February 14, 2006 due to urgent personal matters I missed Rollcall votes Nos. 8 and 9. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Con. Res. 322 and S. 1989.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, February 8, 2006, due to urgent personal matters I missed roll call votes nos. 5, 6, and 7. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Res. 670, H. Res. 657, and the Rangel motion to instruct on H.R. 4297.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his leadership and say to him what an honor it is to serve with him. Mr. Conyers is truly an icon and someone for us all to follow.

It is with a deep sense of gratitude and yet a deep sense of sadness that I rise tonight to pay tribute to the late Coretta Scott King and offer my sincerest condolences and prayers to her family and friends.

Today we mourn the loss of an incredible woman, an American legacy. She joined her husband, the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the front lines of the civil rights movement and made it her life's work to ensure that civil rights, a nonviolent struggle for justice, continued. You see, Mrs. King's marathon for justice and yes, for peace,

transcended race, gender and national boundaries.

Mrs. King was really an example for us all of us. I remember her leadership in fighting to end apartheid in South Africa and her determination to connect all of the dots of how social injustices affect us all.

As a congressional staffer to my predecessor Congressman Dellums, I remember the 15-year legislative battle, led by the great Congressman Mr. John Conyers to create a national holiday honoring Dr. King, but it took a grassroots national movement and Mrs. King's tireless advocacy to finally have this legislation enacted into law. That is when I first met this brilliant, beautiful woman.

Mrs. King was a role model for many women, including myself. On several occasions she reached out to me to offer her counsel, support and love. I will always remember her words of support and her comfort during some very challenging times for me. She hugged me, and would always tell me to stay the course, and she would say that is what Martin would want.

Several years ago I was invited to keynote the Martin Luther march and rally in Atlanta on Dr. King's birthday. Again, she encouraged me to remember Martin and his quest for peace through nonviolence as part of my work as a Member of Congress. I will deeply miss this great woman.

Mrs. King stood tall when many would have been overwhelmed. Imagine how she coped when her husband was arrested, beaten and wiretapped. She was an amazing woman, and we are going to miss her.

Mr. Speaker, my thoughts and prayers are with the King family this evening as we honor and as we celebrate the life of this great woman. Let us ensure that the flame of nonviolence and peace burns in her memory.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Conyers for making sure that we have the opportunity to reflect on this great woman tonight.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a deep sense of sadness yet gratitude that I rise to pay tribute to the late Coretta Scott King, and offer my sincerest condolences and prayers to her family and friends.

Today, we mourn the loss of an incredible woman--an American legacy. She joined her husband, the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the frontlines of the civil rights movement and made it her life's work to ensure that the civil rights and non-violent struggle for justice and peace continued.

You see Mrs. King's marathon for justice and peace transcended race, gender and national boundaries. Mrs. King was an example to us all; I remember her leadership in fighting to end apartheid in South Africa, and her determination to connect the dots of how social injustice affects us all.

As a congressional staffer to my predecessor Congressman Ronald V. Dellums, I remember well the 15-year legislative battle led by Congressman Conyers to create a national holiday honoring Dr. King. It took a grassroots, national movement, and Mrs. King's tireless advocacy to finally have this legislation signed into law. That is when I first met this brilliant, beautiful woman.

Mrs. King was a role model for many women, including myself. On several occasions, she reached out to me to offer her counsel, support and love. I'll always remember her words support and comfort during some challenging times for me. She hugged me, told me to stay the course and that would be what Martin would want.

Several years ago, I was invited to keynote the MLK March and Rally in Atlanta on Dr. King's birthday. Again, Mrs. King encouraged me to remember Martin in his quest for peace through non-violence as part of my work as a Member of Congress. I will deeply miss this great woman.

As the head of the first family of the civil rights movement, Mrs. King always handled everything with a distinct style and grace. As a single-parent to their four children--Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter and Bernice, she raised and educated her children while keeping Dr. King's dream alive. What a woman.

Mrs. King stood tall when many would have been overwhelmed. Imagine how she coped with her husband being arrested, beaten and stabbed, her home being bombed, her phone ringing with hate calls at all times of the day and night. Imagine how she felt isolated and hunted by the very ones who swore to protect her family.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read an excerpt from Mrs. King's autobiography, My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr., just to give you a glimpse of how the King family persevered despite being under constant attack--by segregationists, by pro-war radicals, and even by her own government. She wrote:

``. . . By 1965 we were sure that the FBI was tapping lines and was treating the Movement as if it were an alien enemy. We accepted that as part of the evil and injustice that come with leadership which challenges the status quo. We knew we did not deserve that treatment from our government. . . . We believed in our vows; we never became embittered or disillusioned; we held on to our faith. . . . We were not intimidated; we just realized that it was too much to try to take on an organization like that while maintaining our struggle for civil rights. How much farther we still had to go!'' Mrs. King endured warrantless domestic spying.

In Northern California, many continue to look to Coretta Scott King as a beacon of dignity in the face of adversity. We are a cultural and ethnic mosaic and continue to strive to realize the goals of the Kings' dream--peace, equality, and freedom.

Today as we pay tribute to Mrs. King's legacy, we must never forget her sacrifices and contributions to protect the liberties and rights that so many of us take for granted. And we need to recommit ourselves to the goals and ideals that she envisioned and embodied.

Wars and rumors of wars permeate our existence. Many of our young people see violence as an option to solve their problems. Mrs. King's life was about non-violence, and those who mourn her loss should embrace her ideals of peace and non-violence. It is in times like these that we must recall the legacy of Mrs. King embodied in places like Oakland's Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center which brings together our community to develop peaceful, nonviolent solutions to the challenges we all continue to face.

My thoughts and prayers are with the King family this evening as we honor and celebrate the life of this great woman. Let us ensure that the flame of nonviolence and peace burns in her memory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in total opposition to the extension of this unpatriotic act.

The NSA's warrantless domestic spying scandal has shown how this President has a tendency to overstep the rule of law.

Expanding the administration's powers, in light of these recent developments, may even be unnecessary.

That said, we should be repealing these undemocratic provisions, not continuing to expand government's reach into the private lives of the American people.

Since 2001, the PATRIOT Act has been used more than 150 times to secretly search private homes, and nearly 90 percent of those cases had nothing to do with terrorism.

Americans have rejected provisions in this legislation like sneak- and-peek searches, national security letters, and roving John Doe wiretaps.

And Americans have rejected unwarranted searches of private residences, libraries, businesses, and medical records.

I don't know how much clearer we need to be.

All the administration's word games and sugar-coating will do nothing to change the fact that we can protect our nation and protect civil liberties at the same time.

The PATRIOT Act fails to do so.

Vote ``no'' on this extension, and keep our civil liberties and our civil rights off the chopping board.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Links, Inc. Oakland Bay Area Chapter on the occasion of its 55th year of service to our community.

The Links, Inc. was founded in 1946 by Sarah Scott and Margaret Hawkins of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who envisioned an organization of African American women ``linking together in a chain'' to improve the quality of life in their community. Today, that vision has been realized, with The Links, Inc. being comprised of 296 chapters and more than 10,000 women as its members. The Links, Inc. is located in 39 U.S. States, as well as in the Bahamas and in Germany.

The Oakland Bay Area chapter of The Links, Inc. was founded in September 1950 when eighteen inspired women saw a need in our community and joined together to make a positive difference. Currently, there are more than fifty dedicated women who are members of this chapter which, since its founding, has worked continuously to support charitable organizations and community groups.

Each year, often times on the occasion of its Annual Cotillion, the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of The Links, Inc. presents philanthropic grants to a number of community and public organizations, particularly those that focus on youth & family development, community health, social justice, education, and the arts.

This year will mark the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of The Links, Inc.'s 50th Annual Cotillion. These events feature not only the community services of The Links and other organizations, but also the selection of each year's Debutantes. These young women are selected based on excellence in academics and extracurricular activities, as well as for a strong commitment to serving their community.

The list of Debutantes who will be featured at the Oakland Bay Area Chapter of The Links, Inc.'s 2005 Cotillion include: Ashley Burns, Ebony Campbell, Jessica Charles, Mickala Cheadle, Kimberly Clincy, Raphael Cobb, Robyn Cross, Kristen Davis, Vanessa Domenichelli, Dominique Drakeford, Joya Dupre, Morgan Frazier, Laura Green, Ashley Greene, Jazmyn Hammons, Victoria Harrell, Britney Jaymes Harrison, Jenevieve Harrison-Toney, Yasmine Hassan, Alehxa Jones, Jamela Joseph, Danielle Oliva, Brittany Pakeman, Jessica Pugh, Lauren Savage, Ashley Sewell, Ashley Shaw, Kaitlyn Sheehan, Jade Smith-Williams, Allison Greer Tillman, Mareesa Allyse Valentine, Erika Walker, Tierra Williams, and Erica Williams.

On Saturday, December 17, 2005, the Oakland Bay Area Links 50th Annual Cotillion will be held in San Francisco, California. On behalf of the California's 9th U.S. Congressional

District, I congratulate tonight's Debutantes, and I salute past and present Oakland Links members for their many years of invaluable service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Pacific Gas & Electric PG&E, Company's Black Employees' Association on the occasion of its 25th year of service to our community.

The PG&E Black Employees' Association, BEA, was founded in 1980 by a group of African American PG&E employees who wanted to enhance the social and intellectual exchange of ideas among the growing number of African American employees at the company. Over the past 25 years, this exchange has resulted not only in networking, collaboration and workplace adjustment opportunities for African American employees, but has also been integral to PG&E's outreach efforts to the African American Community and our community at large.

The primary focus of PG&E's outreach efforts in this regard has been on providing educational opportunity, namely in the form of college scholarships. Since its founding, BEA has awarded upwards of $700,000 in college scholarships, with the majority of those funds coming directly from BEA member contributions.

In addition to the significant contributions it makes to nationwide educational funds, BEA reaches out to young people and members of our community in a variety of other ways. In addition to its consistent support of the National Society of Black Engineers, the Black Employees Associations of Northern California, the Museum of African Diaspora and numerous diversity awareness efforts within PG&E, BEA provides mentoring and job shadowing opportunities to young people seeking career guidance. Furthermore, BEA sponsors regular events which address issues related to retirement, financial management and other forms of career management for current employees.

In addition to its efforts in the areas of education and professional development, BEA is known for its charitable involvement with a number of local community organizations, as well as its members' regular volunteer efforts. Recently BEA awarded $25,000 to five community based organizations through its partnership with PG&E and other groups, and has also awarded funds to local hospitals and community service organizations.

BEA is a regular participant in events and fundraisers at local K-12 schools and projects, such the Beacon Project and E. Morris Cox Elementary School in Oakland. BEA members also volunteer regularly for major health initiatives such as the AIDS Walk, Juvenile Diabetes Fund, the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, and many other community building efforts.

This year marks the PG&E Black Employees' Association's 25th Anniversary. On behalf of the California's 9th U.S. Congressional District, I salute all BEA for their many years of invaluable service to the African American community and to the community at large. I congratulate BEA on this very special occasion, and thank its members for their invaluable contributions to California's 9th Congressional District and to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in strong opposition to this $453 billion defense appropriations conference report.

As the proud daughter of a veteran of two wars, I believe that our nation is best defended by funding priorities that truly make our nation and world safer.

But what does it say about our priorities when Congress puts another $50 billion downpayment for the Bush administration's unnecessary war in Iraq?

This is outrageous particularly when the administration has failed to articulate a clear strategy for bringing our troops home or conduct any oversight on the war or demand accountability for funds spent to date.

And the Bush administration is set to come back for another $100 billion war supplemental in January. Where does it end?

The main purpose of this funding bill is to provide for our national defense.

Yet in the same way that the war in Iraq has made us less safe, the funding priorities in this bill are for weapons systems and military contractors, and billions of additional funds are unaccounted for in waste, fraud, and abuse.

This only undermines our national interest.

But what's even worse, Mr. Speaker, is not only does this bill fail to address our security priorities, with the inclusion of provisions to open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to commercial drilling, it's also a prime example of how the Republican majority pays off its generous campaign contributors in the energy industry.

Mr. Speaker, we must get our funding priorities right. It's incredible to me that we are provoking unnecessary wars and pursuing outdated defense paradigms while at the same time we are sacrificing the funding needs for our critical efforts here in America like housing, healthcare, and education and our environment.

That's why, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this conference report.

Mr. Speaker, on December 14, 2005, the House voted on H. Res. 575, a resolution stating that Hamas should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections. I voted ``no'' because this resolution is based on a faulty premise; that democracies should limit who participates in elections.

First, I want to be clear: I unequivocally denounce and condemn any and all terrorist acts, whether committed by Hamas or any other terrorist group. I believe that the United States should do everything within its power to strengthen President Abbas's ability to establish and ensure respect for the rule of law, to demand that all individuals renounce violence, and to successfully disarm all militant groups.

Participation of Hamas in elections and integration of Hamas into mainstream Palestinian politics is a risky strategy. However, demanding that President Abbas exclude Hamas from participation--and threatening consequences if he does not meet this demand--also involves risks, including undermining the nascent Palestinian democracy and sparking more bloodshed and possibly even civil war.

There is no question that Hamas can and must be disarmed. However, I do not believe the best way to achieve this is necessarily through ultimatums. I believe that the administration and Congress should be working with President Abbas to strengthen his authority, bolster moderates, and ensure that his own strategy for taking on militants-- from Hamas and from other parties, including his own Fatah--succeeds. Our shared vision is for a stable and democratic Palestinian state where views are expressed through legitimate political channels rather than violence--a state where there is, as President Abbas has repeatedly stated, one authority and one gun. Our goal must be to find ways to make this happen.

As the former military governor of the West Bank and Israeli Deputy Defense Minister,

Ephraim Sneh, wrote in the Washington Post on October 19, 2005: ``Attempts to postpone the elections yet again, or to prevent Hamas's participation, or Israeli disruption of the elections as `punishment' for the participation of Hamas, will strengthen Hamas in the Palestinian street instead of weakening it. The short time left before the elections must be used to empower all who oppose Hamas, first and foremost the supporters of the elected Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.''

Mr. Speaker, I am committed to doing all we can to support the fragile peace in the Mideast. Sabre-rattling resolutions like this are only counterproductive.