Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, as the daughter of a veteran, 25 years in the Army, I want to express my profound respect and appreciation for our brave men and women serving on the ground in Iraq. They have a very difficult job, and all of us pray for their safe return, and many of us want them home very quickly.

The administration's request for an additional $82 billion brings the total war funding to nearly $300 billion. We must continue to ask just where has this money gone? For example, the Coalition Provisional Authority was unable to account for about $9 billion, and that is just what we know. Where did that money go? We deserve to know. The American people deserve to know what our tax dollars have paid for. Did that $9 billion go, for example, to protect our troops? We have no idea.

Another important question is, are we safer today than when this war began? The answer is plainly no. If one believed the administration, the goal of the war was to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists and that Iraq posed an immediate threat to the United States. Now it appears that this unnecessary war may have actually increased that threat.

Instead of stopping terrorism, this administration's policies have allowed it to expand. According to the National Intelligence Council, this administration's war has turned Iraq into a breeding ground for Islamic terrorists. Before the war on Iraq, there was no connection, no connection, between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. Now there is.

Congress requires the administration to give a thorough accounting of how our tax dollars have been spent pursuing these policies in Iraq and what the administration's expectations are for future expenses. And despite this law, the administration has flatly refused to make this accounting to us, to the American people, or to determine what the future costs will be. We know, however, what has been overlooked. There is a documented failure to provide our troops with both body armor and armored vehicles. There are documented cases of waste and fraud perpetrated by contractors like Halliburton.

Mr. Chairman, it is the height of hypocrisy for Members of Congress to say that they support our troops and then fail to insist on the accountability of how these funds are being spent and whether or not the previous resources allocated were spent to protect our troops. If one asks me, the Bush administration just wants another blank check. No oversight, no accountability, and they have failed to provide a concrete plan for how our troops will stabilize the situation in Iraq and to bring our troops home.

Mr. Chairman, this administration has much to account for. There have been too many blank checks and not enough accountability. I will vote against the supplemental and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, on March 8, 2005 during rollcall votes Nos. 53, 54, and 55, I was unavoidably detained due to inclement weather on my travel back to Washington, DC.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all three resolutions: the Journal vote, H. Res. 133, a bill pertaining to funding of the standing committees of the U.S. House of Representatives, and H. Res. 122, legislation urging the President to proclaim a special year of languages.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 3, the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.

Mr. Speaker, TEA-LU represents the Federal government's ongoing commitment to improving our Nation's entire transportation system for the benefit of everyone.

Our taxes pay for this infrastructure, and this infrastructure is the lifeblood of the commerce that fuels our Nation. The profits of every single business are dependent on this transportation network, and in turn, are dependent on our willingness to pay the taxes that fund this network.

The very existence of our roads, our highways, our rail lines, our ports and our airports is testament to the critical role of the Federal government as the embodiment of our collective responsibility.

It's the elegantly simple idea that by paying your taxes you improve the quality of life of every person in this country and lay the foundation for a strong economy that benefits everyone.

Federal, State and local governments, corporations, small businesses, individuals--all of us have a responsibility to contribute our share. It is our right to use this infrastructure, but it is also our duty to maintain and improve it for the future.

While we plan for the future, the benefits are real, now.

In my district this bill will provide funding to a number of worthwhile projects that will improve the quality of life for my constituents, the State of California and the entire Nation.

One project in particular that I'm very proud of is the Ed Roberts Campus. This state of the art project makes it easier for people with disabilities to get around. It links eight disability organizations to create a multi-tenant facility that will serve as an intermodal transit center as well as a transportation information and travel-training center for people with disabilities.

The Ed Roberts Campus will play a major role in assisting and teaching people with disabilities to live their lives independently. And because it will be located above the Ashby BART station in Berkeley, its reach will stretch throughout the entire Bay Area, simultaneously serving as a model for urban independent living throughout the Nation.

I'm proud to support the Ed Roberts Campus, and I'm happy to announce that $3 million will go towards it through TEA-LU.

Another set of projects that I'm also very proud of are the transit oriented developments planned in the City of Oakland and the City of Emeryville. Transit oriented development is a relatively new concept that joins housing, business, public transportation and recreational areas into one liveable community.

We have been on the cutting edge of transit oriented development in my district from the very beginning. And last year's successful opening of the Fruitvale Transit Village in Oakland has served as a model for other transit oriented development projects in the Bay Area and throughout the country.

I'm happy to announce that TEA-LU will directly provide another $2 million for such projects in Oakland and Emeryville.

Another issue of concern and an area where this bill makes an immediate impact for my constituents is the construction of sidewalks in several unincorporated areas in Ashland and Cherryland in my district.

Even though sidewalks are often taken for granted--for a child, the simple act of walking to school can be treacherous without them. Thanks to TEA-LU, we will have another $1 million to construct those sidewalks and keep these kids safe in many neglected parts of my district.

The funding in TEA-LU for these and other projects is incredibly important to me and my constituents. But the truth is we need much more funding and not just in my district, but throughout the country.

Our transportation system is aging. The growth and sprawl of many of our cities has

strained transportation networks throughout the country, and placed a greater burden on our environment.

I commend my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for trying to address these problems through TEA-LU. But the President must also do his part and support more funding.

Make no mistake, this is not just about transportation. This is about jobs. This is about the health of our environment, and the health of our economy.

Every state, every city, and every member is invested in this piece of legislation, because this bill makes an investment in America.

The decisions we make today will affect the health of our nation for decades to come. And I hope that the President listens to us and makes the right one.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to open the CBC Special Order on Haiti.

Haiti should be in the hearts and minds of all who support justice, democracy, and freedom.

Until Haiti knows peace, we who are here tonight, ``the conscious of the Congress'' will remain duty-bound to bring our neighbors struggles to light.

This week commemorates the one-year anniversary of Haiti's 33rd coup d'etat.

As we reflect on the internationally orchestrated ousting of President Jean Bertrand, I am convinced now more than ever that President Bush undercut the potential for a diplomatic solution to last year's violent revolt and overthrow of democratically elected President, Jean Bertrand Aristide.

One year later, the result of the coup has left Haiti a breeding ground of the morally corrupt.

Drug dealers, thugs and brutal militia men who have taken the lives of hundreds of Haitians, raped and tortured women and children, and filled the coffers of the Haitian rich and elite who support and sponsor their terror now rule the country.

The interim Haitian Government has even gone so far as to reward these thugs with positions in government and label them ``freedom fighters''.

Today, Tom Griffin, renowned human rights activist, addressed the CBC Haiti Task Force and gave us a first-hand account of the human rights abuse and climate of destruction in Haiti.

He showed us gruesome pictures and reviewed the abysmal human rights report from his November trip.

The pictures show the battered-bloody bodies left in the street. A morgue full of hundreds of nameless, silenced voices that died at the hands of Haitian National police.

Babies who have no chance at life--because there is no food, no clean water, and no hope for the future--were placed in cardboard boxes.

Where were the U.N. troops?

Mr. Griffin's report was based on only 10 days in Haiti show but a glimpse of what the conditions are in Haiti. What about Haitians who have had to live in this corrupt-police state since Aristide's departure?

Who will Haitians call on for safety and protection? For basic electricity, health care, food and water?

They can't call on their elected officials, because they weren't elected--they were installed.

And who is to blame for the removal of democracy and Haiti's transformation toward hopelessness?

Mr. Speaker, the current state of affairs in Haiti is the product of this Administration's doing.

By refusing to work bilaterally with the Government of Haiti and President Aristide, by embargoing aid and humanitarian assistance to the government, by funding and encouraging opposition groups, thugs, rebels and the like, not to work with Aristide toward a political settlement, and by bullying the CARICOM countries to turn a blind eye to their fellow member state; the Bush Administration contributed to the current political instability and provided the environment for a coup d'etat to occur.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the issue of Haiti is simply an issue of democracy, and the Bush Administration has been instrumental in toppling a democratically-elected government. Step by step they have worked to undermine President Aristide, for example:

1. First, the Administration propped up Haitian opposition leaders; allowing political obstructionists to refuse and reject any plan for peace and democratic elections since the passage of OAS Resolution 822, and ultimately stonewall the elections process by rejecting the Catholic Bishops Plan, the CARICOM Plan, and finally the International Peace Plan.

2. Second, the Administration funded civil society and political opposition parties with USAID funding and arming paramilitary and military factions in the Dominican Republic where Guy Phillipe and other insurgents began their recent assault on democracy.

3. Lastly, the Administration hindered the instant support of peacekeepers and bullied the international community into blocking peacekeeping support that would have secured Haiti and protected ``then'' President Aristide.

The Bush Administration must never again pre-empt democracy but instead allow the Haitian people, and the Caribbean community to set the course for Haiti.

When the Administration was questioned regarding their involvement in Haiti, they justified their actions by critiquing President Aristide's effectiveness as a President.

Mr. Speaker, I myself have had many issues with the policies of President Bush. And I have always questioned the flaws of the 2000 elections that brought this Administration to office, but I refuse to believe any AMERICAN who believes in democracy would allow another country to help overthrow our government.

We do not teach people to violently overthrow our U.S. government, and we must not teach other people in the international community, particularly Haiti, to participate in activities that taint the hope for democracy by use of violence.

Mr. Speaker, this is a sad week for Haiti, the United States, and moreover democracy.

It is our moral obligation to find out the truth about this coup d'etat and cast light on the alleged covert activities of the Bush Administration.

It is time to stop the political pillaging of the country and begin saving Haitian lives for the future stability of the country.

Members of this Congress must condemn the continued violence and murders of Haitians, and call on the Bush Administration, OAS, and the U.N. to fully support democracy, the release of political prisoners like Yvonne Neptune, and disarm the thugs and rebels who continue to stifle democracy and create an environment of fear, intimidation, and anarchy.

We must press the transitional government, the OAS and the international community to respect the regional leadership of CARICOM.

And finally, we must push the United Nations to develop a special court in Haiti to try those who are most responsible for crimes against humanity instead of rewarding them with offices in the new government.

I call on the Bush Administration to do what is right for the Haitian people. I have introduced The TRUTH Act, or H.R. 945, which would commit President Bush and his administration to tell the truth about Haiti, and the Administration's involvement in President Aristide's ousting.

It is TRUE, that the Administration has, in essence, carried out a form of `regime change,' a different form than it took in Iraq, but still regime change, and we must bring their actions to light.

Shame on President Bush and the international community that is silent as thousands of young Haitian poor men, women and children are murdered in the streets and stripped of their chance for democracy, peace, and a basic decent life.

Mr. Speaker, Haiti boils down to democracy, fairness, and freedom, concepts that the Bush Administration must learn to respect and uphold.

Mr. Speaker, Haiti not only needs immediate democracy but it also needs an immediate health intervention.

Today in Haiti less than 45 percent of Haitians have access to safe water and access to sanitation.

Seventy-six percent of Haiti's children under the age of five are underweight, or suffer from stunted growth and 63 percent of Haitians are undernourished.

Eighty percent of the population lives in abject poverty and the unemployment rate is estimated to be nearly 90 percent.

Ninety percent of all HIV/AIDS cases in the Caribbean.

As we combat global HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, maternal and child mortality, and many other life threatening diseases, we must address the long-term effect of dilapidated physical and health infrastructure and abject poverty throughout the world, including in Haiti.

If the United States believes in helping families across the globe be healthy, happy and free--then now is the time to step up in our own backyard and support a comprehensive health approach to positively impact our neighbors in Haiti.

One way of attacking the varied diseases that leave thousands devastated in Haiti is working with a democratic Haitian government to rebuild the health infrastructure.

I recently introduced the New Partnership for Haiti Act of 2005, or H.R. 945 would offer a comprehensive plan for future engagement between the U.S. and Haitian Government.

This legislation partners Haitians and Americans together to produce environmentally sound strategies for rebuilding Haiti.

Its major provisions are aimed at developing basic sanitation, water, and other health infrastructures in Haiti.

The New Partnership for Haiti Act would bring the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to train and educate Haitians on how to rebuild, pave, and maintain roads to provide access to rural and urban areas to health clinics. It will commission environmental impact studies for these projects, focusing on long term, environmentally sound solutions--not short term remedies.

Haiti needs assistance in addressing its long-term health infrastructure development.

The most basic of these needed development challenges is water. How can Haiti begin to combat its enormous health problems without basic clean and safe water?

Well Mr. Speaker, Haiti's water quality is life-threatening. In a study released in May of 2003, Haiti ranked last in the world for water quality.

The New Partnership for Haiti Act will provide funds and expertise through USAID to partner with Haiti on rebuilding of sanitation, water purification projects, and education for Haitians on how to maintain these systems themselves in the future.

This bill will help Haitians build and maintain safer, quality sewage systems and safe water delivery for both urban and rural communities.

The New Partnership for Haiti Act will start a pilot program for American Health Professionals and also Engineers who are interested in going to Haiti and helping with the development process.

It is my hope that a transfer of knowledge from U.S. professionals in the fields of health and engineering to Haitians will ensure long term development and guarantee the success of the programs similar to the success of the Global Fund and other international initiatives.

By widening the knowledge base of non-governmental organizations and professionals in Haiti, the U.S. will take advantage of a unique opportunity and obligation towards Haiti's future.

We worked together to get the humanitarian loans, which had been held up by the InterAmerican Development Bank officially released on May 9, 2003.

We will continue to push for the full release of these loans and the potential for future humanitarian grants through the IDB.

I also believe we must move forward on establishing a health infrastructure for efficient delivery of these health and social sector funds.

Haiti has numerous health and social issues that are difficult to approach because of the undemocratically, installed Interim Government of Haiti; however, we must be forward thinking and prepare for Haiti's democratic future.

Preparing now will open the doors to safe, healthy clinics, reducing child and maternal mortality, combating HIV/AIDS with drugs and comprehensive treatment and nationwide sewage, sanitation, and clean water.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate this week as Lifetime's Violence Prevention Week and to call on this Congress to support legislation that will truly protect victims of violence and not punish them. It is time for the administration to get serious about protecting victims of abuse.

The President, quite frankly, failed in his proposed fiscal year 2006 budget. He cut funding to the Violence Against Women programs by $19 million. For public assistance recipients, the President has requested zero funding for domestic violence counseling and services.

How can he ignore the studies that find that up to 83 percent of mothers in the welfare system are victims of domestic violence. And to add insult to injury, the President proposes battered women and battered mothers with children be required to attend faith-based marriage classes or lose all of their welfare benefits.

Marrying an abuser to keep benefits is not the way to build healthy families and healthy communities. This standard of morality really hurts victims of abuse. We must reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and the Welfare Reauthorization Act, and we must be in the business of protecting the most vulnerable and the abused. That should be our standard of morality.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of an extraordinary woman and one of my political heroes, Berkeley Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek. In the nearly four decades Maudelle has spent as an activist, community leader, and elected official in the East Bay, she has exemplified not only what it means to be a true public servant, but through her efforts as a leader and a mentor has inspired countless members of younger generations to become involved in politics and to actively work for positive change within their communities and beyond.

A granddaughter of slaves, Maudelle came to the Bay Area over 60 years ago from Jefferson, Arkansas. Before long she became an activist for fair housing and civil rights for African Americans as well as other disenfranchised populations. She later went on to become an office manager and labor organizer at the Co-Op Credit Union, helping many people get loans to buy their first homes, pay for education or start small businesses, making it possible for many families and individuals in the 9th District to achieve financial stability.

Following her service at the Credit Union, Maudelle went on to found two senior centers. When she worked for the City of Berkeley as Director of the West Berkeley Senior Center, she simultaneously served on the State Executive Board of Service Employees International Union, Local 535, and initiated the first municipal Labor Commission in California. She also founded the New Light Senior Center in 1976, which she still actively oversees. Active in politics throughout this time, she mentored and encouraged others to become active as well. She convinced me, as well as my predecessor in the 9th District, Congressman Ronald Dellums, that to become truly effective in the fight for lasting change, we must become active and directly engaged in politics in our communities.

After decades of service to her community, Maudelle herself became a candidate for public office, and was elected to the Berkeley City Council in District 3 in 1984. Maudelle was the first Berkeley City Councilmember, and one of the first elected officials in the state, to take action against the AIDS pandemic by spearheading efforts to provide educational materials, needle-exchange programs, and housing for AIDS patients. When the county hospital tried to close its facilities serving AIDS patients, she chained herself to the doors to call attention to the plight of AIDS victims. As a result of her efforts, that facility remains open today. Throughout her tenure on the City Council, her dedication to her constituents and commitment to bettering the lives of those in her community earned her the unwavering support of residents within her district, and resulted in seven reelections as well as her election as the Vice Mayor of Berkeley.

Maudelle recently completed her eighth and final term on the Berkeley City Council, but her devotion to her community remains steadfast. At the New Light Senior Center, she continues to work to promote healthy eating habits and lifestyles for all residents, and still does all the shopping for lunches at the Center every Tuesday. She continues to be a role model and a tireless worker for civil and human rights, peace, and justice and persists in the fight to reorder our national priorities. She is a mentor, a friend, and a woman who I look to for advice and care.

On Saturday, February 26, 2005, Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek will be honored in Berkeley, California for her extraordinary life and accomplishments. Though we recognize and honor the truly incomparable contributions Maudelle has made to our community, we have barely begun to realize the true profundity of her social and political legacy. Maudelle's uncompromising fidelity to her ideals and compassion for people will never cease to be a source of hope, purpose, and conviction for those seeking to continue her work for peace, equality, and justice. Maudelle's vision for a better and more peaceful world is one that transcends time and place, and the lasting effects of the work inspired by that vision will shape the lives of countless individuals for generations to come. On this very special day, I salute, congratulate, and thank Maudelle Shirek for what she has given her community, our country, and the entire world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding work of California State Senator John Vasconcellos. In the nearly four decades Senator Vasconcellos has served in the California State Legislature, he has worked tirelessly to promote policies which emphasize education and peace, both in government and in local communities.

Senator Vasconcellos was born in San Jose, California, in 1932. He was the eldest of three children born to a Portuguese father and a German mother. Notably, he became the only student in the history of Santa Clara University to serve as Student Body President, to be the Valedictorian of his class, and to win the Nobili Medal, which is awarded to the most outstanding graduate. After completing his undergraduate studies, Senator Vasconcellos served two years as a lieutenant in the United States Army before returning to Santa Clara University to enroll in law school.

In 1966, Senator Vasconcellos was elected to represent California's 13th district in the State Assembly, a position he would hold for 30 years. During that time, he served on many of the state's most important committees, including the Committee on Ways and Means, the Assembly Education Committee, and the Select Committee on Ethics. During his time as a State Assemblymember, he also spearheaded some of the most important and socially consequential legislation of his time. He was responsible for the creation not only of the first campus childcare program in the nation, but has been a steadfast supporter of student financial aid throughout his career. His commitment to education is demonstrated not only by his creation of the Cal Grant Program 25 years ago, which now serves over 60,000 students each year, but also by his advocacy of the personal and academic development of all children, as evidenced by his creation of the California Task Force to Promote Self Esteem and Personal & Social Responsibility.

After terming out of the California State Assembly in 1996, he was able to run for the open State Senate seat in his district and won. He continued to tirelessly serve the public and the cause of quality children's education in this capacity until his retirement in 2004. Though he no longer holds public office, Senator Vasconcellos continues to work for the improvement and accessibility of education, and has worked to establish a scholarship fund as

well as a program for students pursuing careers in early education, and another program aimed at building a network of leaders and activists who focus on education reform, children's issues, health, and ageing.

On Saturday, February 19, 2005, Senator Vasconcellos will be honored in Berkeley, California for these extraordinary accomplishments. Through his commitment to improving education and increasing opportunity for all children, he has not only touched countless lives, but exemplifies the true spirit of public service. I am honored to call him ``my friend.'' On this important occasion, I salute and congratulate Senator Vasconcellos for his invaluable contributions the State of California, our country, and the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the New Partnership for Haiti Act of 2005, which will help Haitians overcome the many social, economic, and physical challenges currently facing the country.

Today in Haiti less than 45 percent of Haitians have access to safe water and access to sanitation. Seventy-six percent of Haiti's children under the age of five are underweight, or suffer from stunted growth and 63 percent of Haitians are undernourished. Eighty percent of the population lives in abject poverty and the unemployment rate is estimated to be nearly 90 percent.

My long standing interest in ending the AIDS pandemic has brought focus on Haiti, with 90 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases in the Caribbean. As we combat global HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, maternal and child mortality, and many other life threatening diseases, we must address the long-term effect of dilapidated physical and health infrastructure and abject poverty throughout the world, including in Haiti.

My bill, the New Partnership for Haiti Act of 2005 offers a comprehensive plan for future engagement between the U.S. and Haitian Government. This legislation partners Haitians and Americans together to execute an environmentally sound approach to rebuilding Haiti. Its major provisions are aimed at developing basic sanitation, water, and other health infrastructures in Haiti.

The New Partnership for Haiti Act would bring the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to train and educate Haitians on how to rebuild, pave, and maintain roads to provide access to rural and urban areas to health clinics. It will commission environmental impact studies for these projects, focusing on long term, environmentally sound solutions--not short term remedies.

Haiti needs assistance in addressing its long-term health infrastructure development. The most basic of these needed development challenges is water. How can Haiti begin to combat its enormous health problems without basic clean and safe water?

Haiti's water quality is life-threatening. In a study released in May of 2003, Haiti ranked last in the world for water quality. The New Partnership for Haiti Act will provide funds and expertise through USAID to partner with Haiti on rebuilding of sanitation, water purification projects, and education for Haitians on how to maintain these systems themselves in the future. This bill will help Haitians build and maintain safer, quality sewage systems and safe water delivery for both urban and rural communities.

The New Partnership for Haiti Act will start a pilot program for American Health Professionals and also Engineers who are interested in going to Haiti and helping with the development process.

It is my hope that a transfer of knowledge from U.S. professionals in the fields of health and engineering to Haitians will ensure long term development and guarantee the success of the programs similar to the success of the Global Fund and other international initiatives. By widening the knowledge base of non-governmental organizations and professionals in Haiti, the U.S. will take advantage of a unique opportunity and obligation towards Haiti's future.

We worked together to get the humanitarian loans, which had been held up by the InterAmerican Development Bank officially released on May 9, 2003. It is my hope that we can continue to push for the full release of these loans and the potential for future humanitarian grants through the IDB. I also believe we must move forward on establishing a health infrastructure for efficient delivery of these health and social sector funds.

Today I submit this legislation, and thank all of my original cosponsors.

I look forward to the support of my colleagues and the Administration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation calling on the Administration to expose and explain their involvement in Haiti's 33rd coup d'etat.

My legislation will create a TRUTH Commission, which stands for The Responsibility for Uncovering the TRUTH about Haiti. This independent commission will be bipartisan and work to uncover the Bush Administration's role in Haiti prior to President Aristide's exile.

I believe the Bush Administration undercut the potential for a diplomatic solution for peaceful democratic elections, any potential for a cease-fire and an end to violence.

It bears primary responsibility; therefore, for Aristide's unwilling departure as well as for the sacrifice of the democratic process in Haiti.

As Members of Congress find out more about the events leading up to President Aristide's departure, the twilight activities of his alleged resignation, the current unconstitutional government, and the ongoing turmoil, fear, and misinformation that is still flowing out of Haiti.

We want answers, Mr. Speaker and an independent commission is one of many tools that we intend on exercising.

I have several pressing questions that I hope this commission will find the answers for.

1. Did the U.S. Government impede democracy and contribute to the overthrow of the Aristide government?

2. Under what circumstances did President Jean-Bertrand Aristide resign and what was the role of the United States Government in bringing about his departure?

3. To what extent did the U.S. impede efforts by the international community, particularly the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, to prevent the overthrow of the democratically-elected Government of Haiti?

4. What was the role of the United States in influencing decisions regarding Haiti at the United Nations Security Council and in discussions between Haiti and other countries that were willing to assist in the preservation of the democratically-elected Government of Haiti by sending security forces to Haiti?

5. Was U.S. assistance provided or were U.S. personnel involved in supporting, directly or indirectly, the forces and opposed to the government of President Aristide? Was United States bilateral assistance channeled through nongovernmental organizations that were directly or indirectly associated with political groups actively involved in fomenting hostilities or violence toward the government of President Aristide?

6. Was any U.S. bilateral assistance channeled through nongovernmental organizations that were directly or indirectly involved in fuming hostilities or violence toward the Aristide government?

And there are more questions about the long-term origins of Haiti's current crisis and the long-term impact on the region as a result of the Administration's policies.

This was regime change by other means.

We do not teach people to violently overthrow our U.S. government, and we must not teach other people in the international community, particularly Haiti, to participate in activities that taint the hope for democracy by use of violence.

I stand here today because the Haitian community stands for democracy and not for political maneuvering by the Bush Administration.

This is an issue of democracy.

The United States must stand firm in its support of Democracy and not allow a nascent democracy like Haiti, fall victim to regime change and an international ``racist'' foreign policy.

I commend all of my colleagues to join in support of this commission and ask for its timely passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding work of Oakland Community Housing, Inc. For the past 30 years, OCHI has provided a truly invaluable service to the community by producing and managing quality affordable housing throughout the East Bay.

OCHI came into existence in 1974, when the construction of Oakland's City Center resulted in the demolition of 12 square blocks in the downtown district. When grassroots organizations, including the Black Panther Party, the Oakland Citizens' Committee for Urban Renewal, and the Oakland Legislative Council for Seniors successfully sued the city for the replacement of the over 300 lost units, OCHI received the grant for that rebuilding project. That project was the first step in a journey which has enriched countless lives over the past 30 years.

Since the completion of that first project, Eldridge Gonaway Commons, in 1982, OCHI's construction on new projects has been continuous. In working to meet the rental and homeownership needs of low-income families, single adults, the formerly homeless, persons with substance abuse issues, mentally challenged adults, and seniors, OCHI has successfully completed over 1,000 units of affordable housing units on 18 properties. In addition to developing properties in a variety of ways to meet the diverse needs of the populations it serves, OCHI has also developed some of its properties in partnership with less experienced community housing developers as an investment in community capacity building. Indeed, when OCHI undertakes to construct or renovate a property, it not only builds a home for its future residents, but creates a new beginning that changes entire neighborhoods for the better.

OCHI recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and I would like to take this opportunity to recognize its incredibly important work. With quality affordable housing so scarce in the Bay Area, OCHI has provided an invaluable resource to the communities it has served. I salute OCHI for its dedication to meeting the housing needs of low-income homeowners and renters in dozens of communities over the past 30 years, and for the profound and lasting impact its tireless work has had on countless lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary contributions of Thomas C. Fleming, an icon in the history of African- American journalism. Tom has led a distinguished career as a print journalist for more than 70 years, working during the majority of that time for the African-American newspaper he co-founded in 1944, the San Francisco Sun-Reporter. On this date, the day before his 97th birthday, Tom will be recognized in a ceremony marking not only the renaming of the library at New College of California, East Bay in his honor, but also a lifetime of truly outstanding achievement and leadership within the black community as well as the journalistic profession.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Tom spent his early childhood years there with his grandmother, who he believes was a former slave. He then spent a brief period living in Harlem during the years leading up to World War I, before finally moving to Chico, California in 1919. Upon his graduation from Chico High School in 1926, Tom worked as a bellhop for the Admiral Line, and then as a cook for Southern Pacific Railroad before entering the field of journalism in the 1930s as an unpaid writer for the Spokesman, a progressive black newspaper in San Francisco. He soon returned to Chico, however, and studied political science at Chico State University for three semesters during the height of the Great Depression. He then returned to the Bay Area, where he worked briefly for the Oakland Tribune in 1934, making him the only black journalist to work for a daily newspaper on the West Coast.

In 1944, Tom became the founding editor of a San Francisco newspaper called the Reporter, which was soon merged with a paper owned by his closest friend, legendary civil rights leader Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett. The publication that emerged, the San Francisco Sun-Reporter, is still in print, and is one of the longest-running African-American newspapers in the country. During the civil rights movement, when many African- American publications struggled to find enough advertising money to keep them in business, Tom remained devoted to the black press, and became renowned for the work he did reporting on this era. Throughout the 53 years he spent writing for the Sun-Reporter, Tom met and shared the struggles of several historic figures in the black community, such as Langston Hughes, Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He also became well-known for writing a series of eighty columns entitled ``Reflections on Black History,'' and for receiving the Career Achievement Award for Print from the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Although Tom retired from writing full time for the Sun-Reporter in 1997, he still writes a column and editorials for the paper, in which he continues to be an advocate for truth, equality, and social justice. By remaining active in and dedicated to this work for over 70 years, Thomas Fleming has contributed immeasurably to Alameda County and the San Francisco Bay Area. On behalf of the 9th Congressional District, I salute and congratulate him for his many years of invaluable service.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Delahunt, and I rise today to honor the extraordinary achievements and contributions of Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint of Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Poussaint has devoted his professional life to the eradication of racism in American society, and is one of the foremost experts in the world today on the topics of race relations, prejudice and diversity, and is also a world-renowned child psychologist.

Dr. Poussaint, who was born in East Harlem, New York, on May 15, 1934, completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia University before receiving his M.D. from Cornell in 1960. He went on to do postgraduate work at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, where he served as Chief Resident in Psychiatry in 1964-65.

Inspired by the burgeoning Civil Rights movement in the South, Dr. Poussaint chose to take a job as the Southern Field Director of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in Jackson, Mississippi, a position he held from 1965-67. In that role, he courageously worked to provide medical care to civil rights workers and fought for the desegregation of health facilities throughout the South.

Dr. Poussaint was influential in the founding of Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and served as the Chairman of its Board of Directors. Operation PUSH, which has since merged with the National Rainbow Coalition to form the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, has been a significant force in the struggle for racial equality in America, registering hundreds of thousands of voters across the country, assisting in the election of hundreds of local, state and national leaders and lobbying for increased representation of minorities in many industries.

As one of the nation's preeminent psychiatrists and experts on race relations, Dr. Poussaint has authored the books Why Blacks Kill Blacks (1972), Raising Black Children (1992, with Dr. J.P. Comer) and Lay My Burden Down (2000, with Amy Alexander). His most recognizable work includes contributing articles to Ebony magazine, and acting as a consultant for several television projects, including The Cosby Show.

On Saturday, February 12, 2004, Dr. Poussaint will be honored in Boston, Massachusetts for his wide-ranging contributions to the fields of civil rights, mental health, social justice and the needs of children. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my own heartfelt thanks and congratulations to him for his many years of tireless work for the enrichment of our society. The dedication, intelligence and compassion he brings to his work have helped him to touch countless lives, and we salute him for his invaluable contributions. Dr. Poussaint's work has been a credit to our country and, indeed, the entire world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the inductions of twelve former black Olympians into the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame on July 8, 2004 in Sacramento, California. The honorees were notable not only for their tremendous athletic achievements, but also for the profound social significance these achievements carried.

The Athens Games in 2004 marked the 100th anniversary of the first African American participation in the Olympics, when George Poage earned bronze medals in the 200- and 400-meter hurdles, and Joseph Stadler won a silver medal in the standing high jump in St. Louis in 1904. In the past 100 years, African Americans have produced numerous outstanding Olympic performances, and the July inductees to the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame are responsible for some of the finest.

Of the Hall of Fame's twelve honorees, eleven were track and field athletes, and one was a coach. Alice Coachman-Davis, who was not allowed to participate in organized athletic activities while growing up in the South, became the first African American woman to win a gold medal when she placed first in the high jump at the London Games in 1948. Harrison Dillard won an astounding 82 consecutive 110-meter hurdles races, a record which still stands. Wilbur Ross coached two of the most successful Olympic athletes of all time, Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson. And Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who finished first and third, respectively, in the 200 meters at the 1968 Games in Mexico City, took a courageous stand for social justice in one of the most powerful moments in the history of the Olympics. Other Hall of Fame inductees included Milt Campbell, Herb Douglas, Lee Evans, Edith McGuire-Duvall, Dr. Reginald Pearman, Wyomia Tyus and John Woodruff, all of whom were outstanding track and field athletes.

These inductees' achievements are clearly remarkable in the pure athletic sense, but when placed in their social context, they are even more meaningful. Athletics has played an important role in the broader Civil Rights movement, and the Olympic Arena has provided not only an opportunity for African Americans to prove that they could compete with the rest of the world, but has also served as a forum for making important social and political statements. Today, it is of vital importance that we continue to recognize and pay tribute to these achievements, and that we continue to draw inspiration from them in furthering our own work for equality, justice and peace. On behalf of the Ninth Congressional District, I salute both the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame and its July 2004 inductees for their invaluable contributions to athletics, the United States, and the entire world.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for his leadership and his assistance and his commitment to addressing this pandemic and also for yielding me the time.

Also, let me just thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal). I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton) and the gentleman from Michigan (Ranking Member Dingell) of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and also their staffs for helping us bring this bill to the floor today.

I want to especially thank our leadership staff and Christos Tsentas of my office, who worked day and night to make sure that the resolution became a bipartisan resolution.

Mr. Speaker, 2 days ago, on February 7, we commemorated the fifth National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day when we urged African Americans and all Americans to get educated, to get involved, and get tested. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was created in 2001 by a coalition of five national nonprofit organizations to raise awareness about the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among the African American community.

The numbers are startling, Mr. Speaker. Over 42 percent of all people living with HIV and AIDS are African American, even though, as my colleague from New York pointed out, we only represent about 13 percent of the population. That is about 172,000 people.

Each year, African Americans make up over half of all new HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in the United States. In 2003, 67 percent of all women diagnosed with AIDS were African American and 69 percent of all pediatric AIDS cases were born to African American mothers.

Behind each statistic, of course, is a real human being with family and friends who care about them. So we are here today for all of them, but we are also here to raise awareness among decision-makers in Congress and in the administration.

Many of my colleagues and I quite frankly were outraged last year during the Vice Presidential debates when Gwen Ifill asked both candidates to comment on the fact that black women between the ages of 25 and 44 are 13 times more likely to die of AIDS than their counterparts and both candidates were really quite frankly unaware of this.

So, Mr. Speaker, today I want to say it loud and clear so there is no misunderstanding. AIDS is a public health emergency for African Americans. The Congressional Black Caucus was out front of this epidemic 6 years ago when we worked with the Clinton administration to create the Minority AIDS Initiative, and I want to recognize and thank our colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), for her passionate and dedicated work as chairman of the CBC then in putting together the Minority AIDS Initiative in 1998.

She convened a national meeting here in Washington, D.C., and sounded the clarion call for all of us. Out of that effort, we declared in my district 6 years ago, as it relates to African Americans, a state of emergency.

Nationally, African American women are increasingly becoming more infected. Let us be for real. There has been a lot of discussion about many facts and a lot of individuals and communities really heap a lot of blame on men who are considered on the ``down low.'' Now, this is defined as men who lead secret double lives having sex with other men on the side. Some people feel that the down low is contributing to these statistics. But the truth is, we just do not know.

We have to be honest with each other. This is not new. But we must break the silence, for if we do not, the disease will continue to spread. We must respect each other's individual personal views, but this is a public health issue that requires a frank and open discussion about sex and sexuality. We insist that leaders in Africa speak up frankly to discuss the pandemic on the continent. We applaud President Museveni. We must demand our leadership on all levels break the silence. It is about life and death, not about personal views of morality.

The HIV/AIDS rate in our prisons is 10 times higher than in the general public. Ten times. And most of those incarcerated are African Americans and Latinos. What happens when over 70 percent of them return to their communities next year? Talk about a public health disaster. This is going to be catastrophic. Pediatric AIDS cases will continue to soar. We cannot ignore the reality of this situation any more.

Mr. Speaker, we need a comprehensive solution. Now, I commend President Bush for mentioning this in his State of the Union speech, but it is not enough for the President to talk about AIDS in the State of the Union. We have to follow through, and he has to follow through with the funding to combat it. The budget which the President submitted included a $10 million increase for the Ryan White CARE Act next year, but this will not really cut it. We need a realistic level of funding that meets the need and provides at least $513 million more, a realistic level of funding.

Let me just say in conclusion that we need a comprehensive approach that embraces abstinence, A; being faithful, B; and if you do not do either, use a condom. That is ABC. We have to stop the misguided ideological attack on prevention methods that work and that have been proven to work. An abstinence-only approach will not work. Again, it is abstain, it is be faithful, and if you do not do either, you use a condom.

This is not an ideological issue. We all have constituents affected by this disease. So let us come together and support a comprehensive response. Again, this is about life and death. We cannot keep our heads in the sand.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Barton and Ranking Member Dingell of the Energy and Commerce Committee and their staffs for helping me bring this bill to the floor today. And I also want to thank the leadership staff for their help.

Mr. Speaker, two days ago, on February 7th, we commemorated the 5th National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day--a day when we urged African Americans and all Americans to ``Get Educated, Get Involved, and Get Tested''. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was created in 2001 by a coalition of five national non-profit organizations to raise awareness about the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among the African- American community.

The numbers are startling, Mr. Speaker. Over 42 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS are African American, even though we only represent only about 13 percent of the population. That's about 172,000 people. Each year, African Americans make up over half of all new HIV/ AIDS cases diagnoses in the U.S. In 2003, 67 percent of all women diagnosed with AIDS were African American. And 69 percent of all pediatric AIDS cases were born to African American mothers.

Behind each statistic is a real human being, with family and friends who care about them. So we are here today for all of them. But we are also here to raise awareness among decision-makers in Congress and the Administration.

Many of my colleagues and I were outraged last year during the Vice Presidential debates when Gwen Ifill asked both candidates to comment on the fact that black women between the ages of 25 and 44 are 13 times more likely to die of AIDS than their counterparts and both were unaware of this. So, Mr. Speaker, today I want say it loud and clear so there is no misunderstanding.

AIDS is a public health emergency for African Americans.

The Congressional Black Caucus was out in front of this epidemic six years ago, when we worked with the Clinton Administration to create the Minority AIDS Initiative. And I want to recognize and thank my colleague, Rep. Maxine Waters, for her passionate and dedicated work as Chair of the CBC in putting together the Minority AIDS Initiative in 1998. She convened a national meeting here in Washington, DC and sounded the clarion call for all of us. Out of that effort, we declared a State of Emergency in my district six years ago, as it relates to the African American community, because in Alameda County, our statistics are nearly identical to the national averages.

Nationally, African American women are becoming increasingly infected. Most of these women get infected through heterosexual contact, while most African American men get HIV from sex with other men. That is a fact. So let's be for real.

There's been a lot of discussion about these facts, and a lot of blame heaped on men who are on the ``down low'', defined as men who lead secret double lives having sex with other men on the side. Some people feel that the down low is contributing to these statistics, but the truth is we just don't know. But let's be honest with each other. This is not new. But we must break the silence, for if we don't, this disease will continue to spread.

We must respect each other's personal views, but this is a public health issue that requires a frank and open discussion about sex and sexuality. We insist that leaders in Africa speak up frankly to address the pandemic on the continent--we must demand that our leadership on all fronts begin to break this silence. It is about life and death, not personal views of morality. Look at our prison system.

The HIV rate in our prisons is ten times higher than in the general public. Most of those incarcerated are African Americans and Latinos. What happens when over 70 percent of them return to their communities next year? Talk about a public health disaster--this will be catastrophic. Pediatric AIDS cases will continue to soar. We can't afford to ignore the realities of this situation any longer.

Mr. Speaker, we need a comprehensive solution. I commend President Bush for mentioning this in his State of the Union Speech. It's not enough for the President to talk about AIDS in the State of the Union Address, however--he's got to follow through with funding to combat it. The Budget which the President submitted includes a $10 million increase for the Ryan White CARE Act next year. That won't cut it. We need a realistic level of funding that meets the need, and provides at least $513 million more for Ryan White, for a total of $2.6 billion. And we need to rapidly increase funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative, to at least $610 million this year. We cannot accept another year of flat funding from this Administration.

And as far as prevention is concerned, we need a comprehensive approach that embraces the ABCs, Abstain, Be Faithful, use a Condom if you don't do either. We've got to stop this misguided, ideological attack on prevention methods that work, and that have been proven to work.

An Abstinence-only approach will not work by itself. Again Abstain, Be Faithful--if you don't do either, use a Condom. We all have constituents that are affected by this disease. Let's come together to support a comprehensive response. Again, this is about life or death. We cannot keep our heads in the sand.