Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I missed rollcall vote No. 256 on H. Res. 1294, rollcall vote No. 257 on H. Res. 1328, and rollcall vote No. 258 on H. Res. 1299. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on each of these rollcall votes.

I want to thank the gentlelady for yielding and for your leadership in making sure this very good bill moved to the floor. I support the rule, and I want to thank Chairman Waxman, Representative Welch, Representative Markey, and the committee staff for all of their very hard work in getting this bill to us today.

This bill is about more than home improvements. It's about reducing energy demand by expanding the use of cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies, for which my district and the State of California have long been a leader. This bill is about healthier homes and healthier communities, and it's critically important that we recognize that this bill is about the creation of good-paying, high-quality green jobs.

I am pleased that this legislation will incentivize targeted job training and financial assistance to low-income communities and the chronically unemployed, as well as the recruitment of small, women- owned and minority-owned businesses.

I commend my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and our staff, especially Congressman Rush, who helped to champion the cause for these vital provisions.

Thank you very much.

Let me just acknowledge the role of the Congressional Black Caucus in this and thank our leadership for working with us to make sure that these provisions were included because these provisions will ensure that we serve and that we empower and include those hardest hit by the economic recession and that no one is left behind in this bill, and will really look at how to achieve and rectify historical, environmental injustices. With that in mind, I strongly urge my colleagues to support the rule and this legislation.

Madam Speaker, today I missed rollcall vote number 243 on H. Res. 1307, rollcall vote number 244 on H. Res. 1213, and rollcall vote number 245 on H. Res. 1132. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on each of these rollcall votes.

Let me first thank Chairman Levin for your support for Haiti and for your leadership on this issue and so many issues.

The Haiti Economic Lift Program, or HELP, Act of 2010 is critical in Haiti's recovery and reconstruction. And let me thank Chairman Rangel, as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, for your vision in crafting this legislation. As one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, you have been a longtime leader on issues related to Haiti. Chairman Rangel has been a strong ally of the Haitian people throughout his career, and we want to once again thank you for your consistent work on behalf of the CBC and on behalf of the entire Congress.

The CBC does have a very long history of working with Haiti, the Haitian people, and the Haitian American communities. And many of us have traveled to the country several times. I was there just over a month ago and saw firsthand the extent of the devastation and the challenges of moving forward. And many people asked about this bill.

During the current crisis, the CBC has and will continue to work closely with the Obama administration, our Speaker, Chairman Levin, and our NGOs to provide whatever assistance we can to provide for support, relief, reconstruction, and recovery efforts.

I would also like to thank Chairman Levin and also Ranking Member Camp for their bipartisan work in bringing this bill to the floor today and for their commitment to supporting the people of Haiti as they rebuild their lives and their nation. This is not a partisan issue, and I am glad to see the commitment to the Haitian people within this Congress.

That commitment, as many of us know, cannot and it should not be limited to foreign aid. Emergency assistance is vital to any humanitarian operation. However, it cannot form the sole backbone of a long-term recovery strategy for promoting reconstruction and development. It is about many, many initiatives, including debt relief, which another member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Maxine Waters so valiantly----

Thank you.

Such strategies must take a whole-of-government approach to foster homegrown economic growth. That is exactly what the HELP Act aims to do. It expands upon the successes of existing trade preferences to spur investment and empower the private sector to take the mantle of rebuilding along with the government. The trade preferences provided in this legislation are certainly not a cure-all, but they offer powerful incentives to spur significant job creation, one of the surest ways to promote development and to reduce poverty.

So I call on all of my colleagues to join Chairman Levin, Chairman Rangel, and Ranking Member Camp to support this measure and to express our steadfast solidarity once again and our continued partnership with the resilient people of Haiti.

Thank you again. Thanks for the time.

Mr. Speaker, the Repeal Republicans have sided with the insurance industry from day one, ignoring the need for reform when they controlled Congress and opposing reform at every step as Democrats fought for reforms that serve the needs of the American people. The Repeal Republicans really haven't changed. They now want to repeal the reforms, and they will use every deceit, every piece of misinformation, and even outright lies to oppose reform and, in the process, try to protect the industry's profit margin.

When Democrats fought to close the doughnut hole and strengthen Medicare by extending its solvency, the Repeal Republicans sided with the insurance industry and opposed it. Now they want to repeal it. When Democrats fought to allow children up to the age of 26 stay under their parents' coverage, the Repeal Republicans sided with the insurance industry and opposed it. Now they want to repeal it. And when Democrats fought to ban caps on coverage, the Repeal Republicans sided with the insurance industry and opposed it. Now they want to repeal it.

We really shouldn't be surprised. The Repeal Republicans are the same ones who want to dismantle Medicare as we know it and who want to privatize Social Security.

Thank you very much. Let me thank the gentlelady from the Virgin Islands for that very moving tribute and for anchoring the Congressional Black Caucus's Special Order tonight.

Madam Speaker, this month our Nation and the world lost two towering giants in the pursuit of freedom and justice for all, Dr. Dorothy Irene Height and Dr. Benjamin Hooks. Both lived long and fruitful lives and leave legacies that will endure for generations to come. Tonight we pay tribute to Dr. Hooks and Dr. Height, two trailblazers, two giants who paved the way and opened the doors of opportunity for countless numbers of Americans.

This week Dr. Height will be laid to rest, and she will be forever remembered as a bold and brilliant African American woman who blazed many trails and opened many doors so that we all could lead freer and more prosperous lives. A matriarch of the civil rights movement and a staunch advocate of women's rights, Dr. Height wore many hats throughout her life, both literally and figuratively, with elegance and with dignity, with excellence and with determination. I am going to miss her so much. She showed us that the fight for women's rights and our struggle for civil and human rights were not mutually exclusive. She was a coalition builder in our work for justice for all.

A couple of months ago, as I was listening to Congresswoman Christensen's remarks about her personal involvement with Dr. Height and how she grew to love her, I myself had many, many experiences that brought me very close to Dr. Height. And I can remember one of the last times that we were together. She called and she insisted that I participate, and this was a couple of months ago, in the National Council of Negro Women's annual conference in Maryland. And of course, as Dr. Christensen knows, when Dr. Height calls, you answer because you know it's important. There is no way you say no.

But Dr. Height, she knows the schedule here on the Hill because she was constantly here helping us with our outside strategy to move the Congressional Black Caucus's agenda forward. Well, she called and she said she knew how busy I was, she said, but just come out to Maryland for the breakfast. I said, Okay, Dr. Height, I will be there. Well, I got there early, it may have been like 7 o'clock, 7:15, dragging. But there she was in her beautiful hat, sitting at the head table to greet me.

And being with Dr. Height, I tell you, that day I realized that I was in the presence of greatness. And I know, as with all of us, especially the women of the Congressional Black Caucus, whenever she introduced us it was amazing, because she knew so much about each of us and she humbled us by the things that she would say about us. And we would wonder how could this great woman say these nice things about us. I mean, you know, we look up to her as a legendary shero, but yet she always, always lifted us up and made us feel like we may be part of her.

From her legendary stewardship as the national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., to her unprecedented 41-year tenure at the helm of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Height, she was a woman of courage and strength. Her commitment to equality was reflected in so many of her pursuits--in fact, in all of her pursuits.

In the 1930s, for example, Dr. Height traveled across the United States to encourage the YWCA chapters to implement interracial chapters. After dedicating more than 60 years of her life to the YWCA, Dr. Height remained proudest of her efforts to direct the Y's attention to the issues of civil rights and racial justice. She was so committed to this work. In fact, the Y named Dr. Height the first director of its new Center for Racial Justice in 1965.

Imagine, in the thirties, this African American woman who put up a one-woman resistance movement to the segregation of the Y--and she won. One person made that difference in the thirties.

As a leader of the United Christian Youth Movement of North America,

Dr. Height worked to desegregate the Armed Forces to stop lynching. Yes, she knew lynching very well in her day. Not too many years ago this country has that stain which we still have to remind ourselves of. She worked to stop lynching, to reform the criminal justice system and to establish free access to public accommodations at a time when racial segregation was the standard, mind you--and I know Dr. Christensen remembers that. I remember that very well. That was the standard. Resistance to integration was often fierce. Dr. Height remained forever vigilant. She remained true to her convictions. Even when it was not the comfortable thing to do.

A lifelong advocate for peace and equality, Dr. Height was especially committed to empowering women and girls. She stood toe to toe with our great male civil rights leaders. Oftentimes, she was the only woman in the room, the only woman on the platform. She was steadfast in her dedication to ensure that black women's issues and concerns were addressed. She was forever dedicated to helping women achieve full and equal employment, pay, and education.

Dr. Height was an internationalist. Before many of us began our work on the continent of Africa or in the Caribbean, Dr. Height, as the President of the National Council of Negro Women, had chapters, and she did work in the villages in Africa--work that was visionary, work that touched the lives of so many women, children, and families. She knew that she was a citizen of the world and that she had to work both domestically here in our own country and internationally if, in fact, she were going to be a leader in our global movement. She is an internationally renowned woman.

Dr. Height led the NCNW, helping women and families combat hunger. She also established the Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement, in New York City, to prepare women for entry-level jobs. During her tenure as the President of the NCNW, they were able to buy a beautiful building right up the street, near the Capitol. It's a site where slave traders legally operated what was know as the Center Slave Market. To this day, it is the only African American-owned building on this corridor, proving that she was not only a great leader but an astute businesswoman as well. I'll never forget the evening of the fundraiser where she was able to raise the money to retire the debt, to burn the mortgage.

I mean Dr. Height was an unbelievably clear woman in terms of financial stability and economic security for the organizations that she was a part of, and now we have a building on Pennsylvania Avenue-- again, the site of the Center Slave Market. We heard her tell the story of how she found this building which was on that site, and we heard the story about that site, which is too long to talk about tonight, but there is a wonderful story about that. How she ended up purchasing a building on that site was, really, I think, the hand of God. Dr. Height remained a fighter until her last breath.

During my time here in Congress, especially as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I always knew that I could call on Dr. Height and that she would be there to support our efforts. Of course, last year, she attended President Barack Obama's first signing of a bill into law at the White House, the Lilly Ledbetter Act. She was present for the unveiling of the Shirley Chisholm portrait and for the bust of Sojourner Truth here in the Capitol. She worked diligently on various issues with the Black Women's Roundtable and the Black Leadership Forum, and she often participated in panels here on Capitol Hill.

Just recently, she joined our efforts to support the 2010 census. She was here in the Rayburn building, you know, helping us organize, giving us the message, speaking to young people, and just saying that we have to make sure that everyone is counted because, if everyone is not counted, they will be counted out. She knew what she was talking about.

We listened to Dr. Height. Many times, we attended many of her fundraisers, and I believe they are uncommon heights. Oftentimes, Dr. Height would talk, maybe, for 20 minutes, for 30 minutes, for 40 minutes, for 45 minutes. The older she got, the more she wanted to tell her story. Even with her talking about so much, people did not get antsy and did not want to leave. They wanted to listen to this great woman who knew Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. We were mesmerized every time we were in her presence, and we wanted to listen. We did not want to leave.

Her passion was really an inspiration to all of us here in Congress. It's hard to imagine that, in the thirties, she provided this resistance movement. I will tell you that we love her, that we celebrate her life--and we do. We mourn her death.

Last week, an individual who I was privileged to meet and to know, Dr. Benjamin Hooks, was laid to rest. He was born on January 31, 1925, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was the fifth of seven children. In life, he was a civil rights leader, a minister, an attorney, and forever a champion of minorities and the poor. He was a man of all seasons. While studying prelaw at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Dr. Hooks became acutely aware of the realities of racial segregation.

In an interview with U.S. News and World Report, he once recounted and said, I wish I could tell you every time I was on the highway and couldn't use a restroom. My bladder is messed up because of that. My stomach is messed up from eating cold sandwiches.

So, after graduating from law school at DePaul University, Dr. Hooks returned to his native Memphis where he earned a local reputation as one of the few African American lawyers in town. Thoroughly committed to breaking down the practices of racial segregation which existed in the United States, Dr. Hooks fought prejudice at every single turn.

He said, At the time, you were insulted by law clerks, excluded from white bar associations, and when I was in court, I was lucky to be called ``Ben.'' He recalled this in an interview with Jet Magazine, Usually, it was just ``boy.'' Yet he said the judges were always fair. The discrimination of those days has changed, and today, the South is ahead of the North in many respects in civil rights progress, he said-- an ordained Baptist minister, and he could preach.

Dr. Hooks joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, and he became a pioneer in the NAACP's sponsored restaurant sit-ins and other boycotts of consumer items and services. Dr. Hooks was the first African American Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, a board member of the SCLC, and the first African American criminal court judge in Tennessee history. Twice a month, he flew to Detroit to preach at the Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church. Dr. Hooks was a true public servant who committed his life to empowering communities of color.

As the executive director of the NAACP from 1977 to 1992, Dr. Hooks increased the NAACP's membership by several hundred thousand people and raised critical funds for the association. He was instrumental in establishing a program in which 200 corporations agreed to participate in economic development projects in black communities.

In 1986, the NAACP recognized Dr. Hooks for his lifetime commitment to civil rights by awarding him the Spingarn award, the NAACP's highest honor. He also rightfully received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. What a man. What a man. He is going to be missed. We miss him already, and I know, though, that the NAACP has taken up Dr. Hooks' mantle and has mounted a very, very active, focused, and committed campaign to the principles and to the work of Dr. Benjamin Hooks.

So, with the passing of Dr. Height and Dr. Hooks, our Nation mourns the loss of true national treasures. Dr. Height's leadership in the struggle for equality and human rights and women's rights serves as an inspiration to all. Dr. Hooks will be remembered as a man who ceaselessly demanded that America live up to its founding principle of justice, equality, and liberty. They will be truly missed.

So, in the memory of Dr. Height and Dr. Hooks, it is the duty, I think, of all Americans to pick up and to carry this baton of freedom and justice. The world is a better place for everyone because Dr. Hooks and Dr. Height lived their lives according to really what

they believed that God put them on this Earth to do. I think we all have a responsibility to keep their legacies alive.

Congressman Christensen knows, and every Member of this House knows this is a very intense, busy, hard job. We work here day and night. We go to our districts day and night. And whenever we get weary or think that we can't go any further, I am reminded of Dr. Height and Dr. Hooks, who exemplified the words of a gospel song that many of us sing oftentimes in church on Sunday. These words: I ain't no way tired. I've come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy, but I know he didn't bring me this far to leave me.

Even when the road was very difficult, and it was very difficult for these two great human beings, they kept going. They didn't get tired. They kept going because they knew their purpose and they knew that one day they would rest in peace. That day has come. But their spirit will live forever in the work of the Congressional Black Caucus and in the work of all of those that they touch. May they rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, let me thank, first of all, my colleague, the gentlelady from California (Mrs. Capps), for yielding me the time. Also, let me just thank you for using your invaluable background as a nurse in helping shape quality health care for all in our country. So to Congresswoman Capps, thank you very much for your leadership.

Also, let me thank Congressman Russ Carnahan and Congressman Michael Burgess, the co-chairs of the Multiple Sclerosis Caucus and their staff, including my staff, Christos Tsenta, for helping to work on this resolution in a bipartisan manner and for keeping the Congress focused on MS issues, which was recognized during MS Awareness Week, March 8 through March 14.

Let me also thank Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Barton and their staff for agreeing to bring the resolution to the floor, along with our nearly 110 cosponsors. And to Congresswoman Kilroy, the gentlelady from Ohio, I just want to say to her that her determination and her strength is such an inspiration to all of us here in the House of Representatives.

Let me thank the Multiple Sclerosis Coalition, the National Ms Society and all its staff, especially Shawn O'Neail and Shawna Golden, for leading the charge on MS Awareness Week and for their work on this resolution and for helping to support activities around the country in recognition of this week.

And this resolution is in honor of all of those living with MS and all of the friends and family and loved ones who care for them and support them.

Lastly, I just want to thank my beloved sister, Mildred, for teaching me what it's like to live with multiple sclerosis. Mildred was diagnosed with MS at about the age of 26 or 27. She has been living a productive and fruitful life. She has learned about the treatments and medications; and, fortunately, she has had access to some of the best. But she wants everybody to have access to the types of treatment that she has had.

I asked her this morning what she'd like for me to say and she said, increase funding for research so we can find a cure.

She said to me, You know, it's so frustrating to go to the doctor, and for me to ask the doctor a question about the symptoms of my disease and the doctor says, I just don't know. She said at first she thought the doctors were just putting her off; but, actually, the doctors just don't know.

So this bill is for all of the times that she told me she gets up in the morning and wonders whether she'll be able to walk that day. This is for all of the times that she is in remission, dreading the next flare-up, wondering what is going to trigger the return of her symptoms.

So I'm pleased to be here today to talk about a disease that my family and hundreds of thousands of families around the Nation have faced. In fact, our first lady, Michelle Obama, her dad, Mr. Frasier Robinson, had multiple sclerosis, and so our first family clearly understands the need for increased awareness and outreach and resources to fight this disease.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. It's thought to be an autoimmune disorder where the immune system incorrectly attacks healthy nerve fibers of the central nervous system, interfering with transmission of nerve signals throughout the body.

There are over 400,000 people throughout the United States suffering from multiple sclerosis; and worldwide over 2.5 million cases have been diagnosed. But the real numbers of people living with MS are almost certainly higher.

Although MS is largely considered a disease that affects Caucasian populations, it does occur among African Americans and other minority groups and can be quite severe. Because people of color tend to have had less access to the health care system, which I'm confident now that our health care law will finally address, they may not get diagnosed at the rates that they should.

As has been said, Madam Speaker, MS Awareness Week was recognized this year from March 8 through March 14. The theme of this year was ``Move It!'' and it was intended to encourage people throughout the country to volunteer, raise funding, advocate, educate, and raise awareness about this disease.

This is the fifth year of MS Awareness Week, and over the past 5 years, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has received $30 million in donated corporate support, advertising space and public relations, and generated more than 120 billion media impressions.

In March alone, the MS Society recently received over 650,000 hits on their Web site from people who got active in the fight against MS. So the drumbeat is being heard loudly and clearly.

People living with MS were at the Today Show and Good Morning America and featured on 12 digital billboards which ran more than 700 times throughout the entire month of March in Times Square. The MS Coalition, the National MS Society, and the Congressional MS Caucus were also actively engaged in discussions about access to quality health care, increased MS research, disability rights, and MS issues and sought more funding for MS research.

This month, the Northern California Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society is also in the middle of holding its MS walk fundraisers. Our own MS walk in my district in Alameda County is actually scheduled for this Saturday. I'm also proud to say that a former person in my office, Alicia Barron, has been on the front lines of raising awareness about this disease through her work with the Lone Star Chapter of the MS Society in Houston, Texas. We appreciate her work and service.

While MS Awareness Week has passed, there is still a lot we must do. On May 26, MS societies throughout the world will band together on World Ms Day to increase awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the disease and the needs of people with MS and how to improve their quality of life.

As I've always said, our health is tied to the health of our brothers and sisters throughout the world, and we have to view anyone's problems, their problems, as our own problems; otherwise, we will never be truly rid of this disease. As Members of Congress, we have the ability and the responsibility to ensure that additional research funding is put towards diseases like multiple sclerosis. We need to invest more time and more efforts into finding the causes of MS to prevent it, to improve existing therapies for those who suffer with it, and I hope one day, as my sister said, just find a cure.

I'm pleased that the fiscal year 2010 Defense appropriations bill included $4.5 million to fund research into multiple sclerosis among our veterans. I look forward to making sure that we provide even more next year.

So, once again, I want to thank my colleagues for their support of the resolution. And in honor of all of those living with MS, I want to say we are committed to putting more money into research and to finding a cure. As my sister Mildred said, that is all we need to do.

I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding and for his leadership, Congressman John Conyers, one of the great civil rights leaders.

Madam Speaker, I also want to say, as we think about and honor and mourn, yes, and celebrate her life, Dr. Height was one of our greatest civil rights leaders, a woman, who oftentimes, with the great men of the civil rights movement, had to make sure that a woman's voice, an African American woman's voice, was heard.

Dr. Height wore many hats literally and figuratively. I am going to miss her so much.

A couple of months ago, she insisted that I participate in the National Council of Negro Women's annual conference in Maryland. Dr. Height, of course, knows the schedule here on the Hill, and said, Well, just come out for the breakfast.

I said, Okay, Dr. Height.

I got there at, maybe, 7 o'clock in the morning. She was there to greet me at 7 a.m.

You knew you were in the presence of greatness when you were with Dr. Height.

Whenever we called on Dr. Height, she was there to support our efforts. Just recently, for example, she joined the Congressional Black Caucus in our efforts here on the Hill to support the 2010 census. Her passion was an inspiration to all of us here in Congress. It is hard to imagine that, in the thirties, she provided a resistance movement in her efforts to desegregate the YWCA.

We are going to deeply miss her. We love her. We celebrate her life and mourn her death.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support and as an original co-sponsor of this resolution honoring the life and legacy of a true American treasure--Dr. Dorothy Irene Height. I want to thank my colleagues Marcia Fudge and her staff and our leadership for working so quickly to get this resolution to the House floor. Today, I join with my House colleagues, the Congressional Black Caucus and people around the world as we celebrate the life of Dr. Height.

A Matriarch of the Civil Right Movement, staunch advocate for women's rights and all-around Grand Dame, Dr. Height was a bold and brilliant African American Woman, who blazed many trails and opened many doors so that we all may lead freer and more prosperous lives.

Throughout her life, Dr. Height wore many hats-both literally and figuratively--with elegance and dignity, excellence and determination. From her legendary stewardship as the National President and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., to her unprecedented 41-year tenure at the helm of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Height was a woman of courage and strength.

Dr. Height's commitment to equality was reflected in so many of her pursuits. In the 1930s, Dr. Height traveled across the United States to encourage YWCA chapters to implemet interracial charters. After dedicating more than 60 years of her life to the YWCA, Dr. Height remained proudest of her efforts to direct YWCA's attention to issues of civil rights and racial justice. She was so committed to this work in fact, that the YWCA named Dr. Height the first director of its new Center for Racial Justice in 1965.

As a leader of the United Christian Youth Movement of North America, Dr. Height worked to desegregate the armed forces, prevent lynching, reform the criminal justice system, and establish free access to public accommodations. At a time when racial segregation was the standard and resistance to integration was often fierce, Dr. Height forever remained true to her convictions, even when it was not the comfortable thing to do.

A life-time advocate for peace, equality, and justice, Dr. Height was especially committed to empowering women and girls. She stood toe-to- toe with male civil rights leaders, steadfast in her dedication to ensure that black women's needs were addressed. She was forever dedicated to helping women achieve full and equal employment, pay, and education.

As the National President of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Height led the NCNW in helping women and families combat hunger. She also established the Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement in New York City to prepare women for entry level jobs. During her tenure as President of the NCNW, they were able to buy a beautiful building just a few blocks away from here at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue--a site where slave traders legally operated what was known as the ``Center Slave Market''. To this day it is the only African American-owned building on Pennsylvania Avenue, proving that she was not only a great leader, but an astute business woman as well.

Dr. Height remained a fighter until her last breath. During my time here in Congress and particularly as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. I always knew that I could call on Dr. Height and she would be there to support our efforts.

Last year, she attended President Barack Obama's first signing of a bill into law at the White House--the Lilly Ledbetter Act. She was present for the unveiling of the Shirley Chisholm portrait and the bust of Sojourner Truth here in the Capitol. She worked diligently on various issues with the Black Women's Roundtable and the Black Leadership Forum and often participated in panels here on Capitol Hill. Just recently, she joined us in our efforts to support the 2010 Census.

Her passion was an inspiration to all of us here in Congress, and I was honored and privileged to call her a mentor and friend.

With the passing of Dr. Height, our Nation mourns the loss of a true national treasure. Dr. Height's leadership in the struggle for equality and human rights serves as an inspiration to all Americans. Her undying commitment to a just society and her vision for a better would undergirds the work of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the CBC is deeply grateful for her mentorship, wisdom, and guidance.

Today we mourn the loss, but celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Height--a visionary and great humanitarian who gave us all so much. We love you Dr. Height and we promise to continue your legacy of service to all human kind.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my comments on the passing of Dr. Dorothy Height be included with those of the Special Order that Congresswoman Diane Watson will be anchoring this evening.

Madam Speaker, today we lost an American

treasure with the passing of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, a matriarch of the civil rights movement, a staunch advocate for women's rights, and an all-around phenomenal woman.

Dr. Height was a bold and brilliant African American woman who blazed many trials and opened many doors to the American Dream for women and people of color. Tonight I join with people around the world as we mourn the death and celebrate the life of Dr. Height.

Throughout her life, Dr. Height wore many hats, both literally and figuratively. She wore them with elegance and dignity, with excellence and determination. From her legendary stewardship as the national president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority to her unprecedented 41-year tenure at the helm of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Height was a woman of courage and strength.

Dr. Height's commitment to equality was reflected in so many of her pursuits. In the 1930s, for example, Dr. Height traveled across the United States to encourage YWCA chapters to implement interracial charters. After dedicating more than 60 years of her life to the YWCA, Dr. Height remained proudest of her efforts to direct the YWCA's attention to the issues of civil rights and racial justice. She was committed to this work. In fact, Dr. Height was the first director of its new Center for Racial Justice. This was in 1965. I believe it was in New York. Imagine, though, the resistance that she felt and that she was faced with in her efforts to desegregate the YWCA in the 1930s.

As the leader of the United Christian Youth Movement of North America, Dr. Height worked to desegregate the Armed Forces, prevent lynching, reform the criminal justice system, and establish free access to public accommodations. At a time when racial segregation was the standard and resistance to integration was often very fierce, Dr. Height forever remained true to her convictions, even when it was not the comfortable thing to do.

A lifelong advocate for peace, equality, and justice, Dr. Height was especially committed to empowering women and girls. She stood toe to toe with the great male civil rights giants of our time, steadfast in her dedication to ensure that black women's needs were addressed. She was forever dedicated to helping women achieve full and equal employment, pay, and education.

Dr. Height was instrumental in establishing a multicultural ``Wednesdays in Mississippi.'' This was a program to assist freedom schools and voter registration drives. She knew that the fight for racial justice and for women's equality go hand in hand.

As the national president of the National Council of Negro Women, Dr. Height led the NCNW in helping women and families combat hunger. She also established the Women's Center for Education and Career Achievement in New York City to prepare women for entry into jobs and careers. During her tenure as president of NCNW, they were able to buy a beautiful building just a few blocks from here on Pennsylvania Avenue. And to this day it is the only African American-owned building on Pennsylvania Avenue, which is on the site where slave traders legally operated a center slave market, and where in 1848, 76 slaves, including Emily and Mary Edmondson, attempted to escape to the Underground Railroad.

Dr. Height said, and this is Dr. Height's quote, she said, ``It seems providential that we stand today on the shoulders of our ancestors with an opportunity to claim the site and sustain a strong presence for freedom and for justice.''

I tell you Dr. Height remained a fighter until her last breath. Last year she attended President Barack Obama's first signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Act, his first bill he signed into law. She was present here for the unveiling of the Shirley Chisolm portrait and the bust of Sojourner Truth here in the Capitol. She worked diligently on various issues with the Black Women's Roundtable and the Black Leadership Forum and often participated in panels here on Capitol Hill. Just recently, she joined us in our efforts to support the 2010 census. We always knew that we were in the presence of greatness. And we always knew, especially now as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, that Dr. Height, when we called, she would be there to support us.

We mourn the loss tonight of Dr. Height. We celebrate her life and her legacy. We love you, Dr. Height, and we promise to continue your legacy of service to humankind. May your soul rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I join with several of my colleagues today as an original cosponsor in the introduction of H.R. 5015, legislation that would require the President to submit to Congress a plan and a timeline for the safe, orderly, and expeditious deployment of United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan, including military and security-related contractors.

This legislation would also implement greater oversight and planning measures to reduce our reliance on contractors in Afghanistan and to curb waste, fraud, and abuse in contracting practices which continues to breed corruption at the expense of the Afghan people.

I would like to thank Representatives McGovern, Jones, and Senator Feingold for their leadership and for their hard work and collaboration on this very vital legislation.

Also, I would like to commend Congresswoman Woolsey for her stand and her work for global peace and security. Tonight I understand is her 350th time coming to this floor sounding the alarm against these wars, and I would just like to congratulate her for her steadfastness. She actually introduced the very first resolution calling for the redeployment of our young men and women out of Iraq.

It has been nearly a decade now since I voted against the authorization for the use of force, and this was on September 14, 2001. This was an authorization, mind you, that I knew then was a blank check to wage war anytime, anywhere, and for any length. That was a resolution that really authorized wars without end. H.R. 5015 provides the President and the Congress the opportunity now to change the trajectory of United States foreign policy from one of open-ended military conflict towards a strategy which counters terrorism and extremism around the globe in a sustainable and more effective manner.

I continue to believe United States economic and national security as well as our values are undermined by a military first strategy that many of us fear may lead us down a path of unending war in Afghanistan.

In September, 2009, General McCrystal stated very clearly, ``If the people are against us, we cannot be successful. If the people view us as occupiers and the enemy, we can't be successful.''

Top military officials and experts agree that winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people should be the focal point of the United States mission in Afghanistan. Yet I remain convinced that this will not be accomplished at the barrel of a gun. With every death, with each increase in troop deployment, and with every additional military contractor airlifted into Afghanistan, we provide a rallying point for al Qaeda, whose propaganda depends on the perception that America's aim is foreign occupation.

It is our stated policy, and President Obama has said this many times, the United States does not seek a permanent military presence in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, or elsewhere. We have already sent more than $1 trillion to the Pentagon for the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the administration has yet to provide an estimate for the long-term costs of the United States military operations in Afghanistan.

It has been estimated that roughly one-third, mind you, one-third of every tax dollar paid by the American people in 2009 went to the Pentagon and military related expenditures. The fact is we cannot even begin to talk about reducing the budget deficit without talking about reducing our military spending, and this legislation sets us down that path by ending a policy of open-ended war in Afghanistan that has ultimately made America less safe.

I have been clear in my conviction that the situation in Afghanistan will not be resolved with a military solution, and I think many agree with that. That's why last October I introduced H.R. 3699, which would prohibit any funding for increasing troop levels in Afghanistan beyond current levels.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee and as Congress considers the President's $33 billion supplemental funding request for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, I will be working to ensure that Congress is provided an opportunity to go on record regarding this grim prospect, mind you, of continued military escalation. Rather than increasing our

military footprint in Afghanistan, setting a timeline for the redeployment of our troops and military contractors is the single greatest step we can take to empower the Afghan people and their government while stripping al Qaeda of our indefinite foreign military presence used to justify the insurgency and the acts of international terrorism.

So I hope we pass this legislation. It puts us on the right path to getting out of Afghanistan and to ensuring our national security.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Dr. Frank S. Greene, Jr., technology professional, electrical engineer, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, parent, grandparent and friend. With his passing, December 26, 2009, at the age of 71, we are reminded of his life's journey, his prolific career and the joyful legacy he has inspired.

Dr. Greene was born on October 19, 1938, in Washington, DC, to Frank S. Green, Sr. and Irma Olivia Swygert. He was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where, in 1961, he became one of the first African-American students to graduate from Washington University. He was also among the first cohort of black students to complete the university's U.S. Air Force ROTC Program, and was ultimately promoted to the rank of Air Force Captain, helping to develop high performance computers for the National Security Agency.

An avid and industrious scholar, Dr. Greene earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, and his Ph.D. from Santa Clara University, where he was later elected as the first African-American Trustee. As Dr. Greene began a career in the private sector, he maintained close ties to academia and academic pursuits, teaching university courses in electrical engineering and computer science at prestigious universities across the country.

In 1965, Dr. Greene joined a research and development team at Fairchild Semiconductor that won the fastest memory chip design patent of the time. In 1971, he founded Technology Development Corporation, a fast-growing computer software and technical services company, which led to the founding of ZeroOne Systems in 1985. In 1993, he co-founded New Vista Capital, a venture capital firm that specialized in funding women-owned and minority-owned businesses. Throughout his career, Dr. Greene earned many accolades, including receiving Washington University's Black Alumni Achievement Award, Santa Clara University's Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, Purdue University's Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award, and, in 2002, induction as the first African American into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.

All the while, Dr. Greene kept in mind the critical importance of instilling in youth a love of learning and an indomitable belief in the ability to succeed. He began the GO-Positive Foundation to encourage life skills through, ``Vision, Relationships, and Execution,'' with his VRE Leadership Model. Additionally, the Dr. Frank S. Greene Scholars Program is a science, technology, engineering and math initiative contributing to the academic success of African-American students. He was also an active member of many local organizations.

I met Dr. Greene years ago while working on the former congressional staff for current mayor, Ron Dellums. Dr. Greene was always a kind and forthright man whose business acumen impressed me tremendously. We worked on many business issues together and, as an elected official, I enjoyed his gracious and consistent support over the years. Frank did so much for young people in the Bay Area and beyond. He was a good friend, and I will miss him.

Today, California's 9th Congressional District salutes and honors a wonderful human being, Dr. Frank S. Greene, Jr. Our community is indebted to his life's contribution in countless ways. Dr. Greene was truly a great man and he will be deeply missed by an extended group of family, friends and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Dick Bunce for more than three decades of tireless work to advance the causes of peace, nuclear disarmament, democracy and conservation. Today, we recognize the quality and excellence of Mr. Bunce's career on the occasion of his retirement.

Known for his invaluable leadership and service to organizations here, and around the globe, Mr. Bunce's early life took place in New Orleans, Louisiana. After graduate work in sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Mr. Bunce began accumulating a breadth of media experience. His-long career in fundraising, marketing, media and research includes a book, ``Television in the Corporate Interest,'' as well as leadership posts at Bay Area stalwarts such as Mother Jones magazine, Pacifica Radio and the Center for Social Research and Education at the University of California, Berkeley.

In addition to his media savvy, Mr. Bunce's skillful fundraising efforts have both enriched worthy organizations, and changed the face of the Bay Area. In fact, San Francisco residents and visitors from around the world enjoy the beautiful result of one of Mr. Bunce's most ambitious fundraising projects. His management of a $35 million campaign transformed a former military airstrip and ordnance dump in San Francisco's Presidio into a popular urban national park site known as Crissy Field.

Following that endeavor, Mr. Bunce joined the Ploughshares Fund, founded by legendary San Franciscan Sally Lilienthal. His work included expanding Ploughshares Fund annual fundraising efforts, planned giving and endowment campaigns.

As Deputy Director, Mr. Bunce implemented the first-ever capital campaigns for both Ploughshares Fund and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, overshooting his goals and raising more than $60 million to reduce nuclear threats and enhance park lands.

As friends and colleagues know, Mr. Bunce's profound dedication to peace and conservation efforts extends beyond his fundraising prowess. In his free time, he has

served on a number of boards, including the Pesticide Action Network and, currently, the Point Reyes National Seashore Association.

In all of his many vocations, Mr. Bunce has been praised for his strategic brilliance, strong leadership, tenacity and thoughtfulness. His work has created innumerable opportunities for organizations and communities to continue the work of building a better, safer future for generations to come.

On behalf of the residents of California's 9th Congressional District, Mr. Dick Bunce, I salute you. I congratulate you on your many achievements, and I wish you and your family all the best in this next chapter of your life.

Thank you, Chairman Obey, for yielding and thank you for introducing this bill. It's very important. And I want to thank you for your leadership. Also to Chairman Miller and Speaker Pelosi for working with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to ensure that this legislation does include funding, which is paid for, for a summer youth jobs initiative to target funds for our young people who are unemployed.

The members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been very focused on stimulating the economy and creating jobs, especially for the chronically unemployed. As my colleagues know, we are currently in the midst of a 5-week campaign launched at the beginning of this month to seek policy solutions for the chronically unemployed. We are working with our leadership, President Obama, Members of this House and our coalition partners to put a strategy together to put America back to work.

One of the key components of our proposed jobs package was to provide $1.3 billion to the summer youth jobs program with a goal of creating approximately 500,000 jobs for young people throughout the country. We met with the President, with our Speaker. We raised the importance of the summer jobs program to adjust the huge unemployment rate among young people.

We are committed to putting people back to work, especially our young people, because now, with this economic downturn, many of our young people, their parents are unemployed, and so they're helping to buy the food and to pay the rent.

When you take a look at the numbers, it's clear why this funding is so critical. The youth unemployment rate currently stands at more than 23 percent. This is really a national emergency.

Many low income and minority youth populations face even greater challenges. African American youth unemployment rates are now estimated to be as high as 42 percent. So we need targeted assistance to help put our young people to work and to teach them an array of valuable job skills that they can use throughout their lives.

While this does not include the full $1.3 billion for summer youth jobs that we requested, it does make a down payment of $600 million, which is, once again, fully paid for, to create approximately 300,000 new jobs. And this is a very important step forward; but, frankly, we need the full amount. I hope that we can continue to expand and increase funding for this valuable program.

In addition, this bill will provide $5.1 billion in disaster relief to local communities through FEMA to address the impact of recent storms and disasters throughout the country. As one who comes from California, a State which is prone to earthquakes and floods, I can tell you this $5.1 billion is desperately needed.

And, finally, the bill will include an additional $60 million to extend the provision of the Recovery Act for another month to help small businesses defray the cost of certain loan fees charged by the Small Business Administration. Our small businesses are creating jobs to help turn this economy around.

So as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I want to thank Chairman Obey and our Speaker and our leadership for this initial down payment. We are pleased that we can provide some funding for summer jobs for our young people and we are moving forward this job creation package.

Mr. Speaker, I first would like to thank my dear friend and colleague, Doctor Donna Christensen of the Virgin Islands for anchoring this special order hour. I cannot think of a more fitting person to lead us in a discussion of health care tonight than Dr. Christensen, who is not only a medical doctor, but also the co- chair of the CBC's Health and Wellness Taskforce along with Congressman Danny Davis of Illinois.

Dr. Christensen has been at the forefront of our fight to ensure that health care reform makes significant strides toward eliminating racial and ethnic disparities, and achieving disparities for residents of the U.S. territories. Thank you, Dr. Christensen for your leadership and your hard work.

I'm Congresswoman Barbara Lee of the Ninth Congressional District of California and chairwoman of the 42 member strong Congressional Black Caucus. I stand here brimming with pride and joy because of what we did here last night after such a long journey that began many decades ago.

Yesterday morning members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended church services together, where we were reminded of the moral imperative to reform health care.

Strengthened by the power of prayer we forged ahead with clarity of purpose, courage and determination, undeterred by the losing hateful rhetoric and threatening tactics of anti-health care protesters.

Last night, my colleagues and I cast a historic and monumental vote to improve the health and wellness of millions of Americans who suffer because they are uninsured and under-insured and because of massive gaps in our nation's health care system.

I spend a lot of time in emergency rooms with my 85 year old mother and my sister who has Multiple Sclerosis. I see these people--the uninsured. They are desperate. Many are hard working people who may have lost their jobs, or simply fallen on hard times, or have never even had the opportunity to make their way in society. Some of them can't hold a job because they are chronically ill. This is simply unacceptable.

So, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus cast our votes for all those people who deserve health care but simply can't afford it. We cast our votes for our senior citizens who will see their prescription drug costs go down. We cast our votes for our children and grandchildren, so that they can live longer, fuller and healthier lives. We cast our votes in the memory of those people who didn't have preventive care and died prematurely.

Throughout the long and arduous process culminating in the historic vote last night, many members of the CBC worked tirelessly to make sure that this bill holds insurance companies accountable and included a number of cost-saving provisions. We were vocal advocates for provisions in the bill to combat health disparities, illnesses and diseases that disproportionately affect our community.

The statistics are startling, but they are clear:

Nearly one in five African Americans (19%) is without health care insurance.

African Americans in general spend a higher percentage of their income on health care costs compared to their white counterparts (16.5% vs. 12.2%). However despite spending a larger share of their income on medical care, African Americans face continuing health care disparities.

African Americans also tend to reside in areas without hospitals or hospitals that have limited resources and may affect the quality care they offer. This is particularly a problem for hospitals in predominately African American communities where Medicaid reimbursements are low, charity cares is higher, and there is a shortage of health care providers who find it more difficult to maintain a practice.

African Americans suffer from higher percentages of chronic diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes which are perpetuated by a lack of access to quality care. Currently, 48% of African American adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39% of the general population.

To those who suffer from those health disparities, our vote last night carried significance similar to the passage of the Civil Rights Act in that it fulfills a dream that has been elusive for far too long and for far too many Americans.

Among the key provisions in the legislation that CBC members fought to have included are:

Expanded support for community health centers, which play a vital role in expanding access to preventive and other care in our nation's most vulnerable communities.

Key health equity provisions: greater support for programs that will increase the racial and ethnic diversity in the nation's health workforce, as well as improved data collection so that we can better measure health inequities and develop solutions to end all health disparities.

Strengthening the existing Office of Minority Health at HHS, creating new Offices of Minority. Health across HHS agencies, and establishing the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at NIH as an Institute.

Inclusion of coverage for residents of the U.S. territories, including a significant infusion of new Medicaid dollars, as well as access to the Exchange so that Americans in the territories will have access to affordable, high-quality health insurance plans.

The bill guarantees transparency on rates and enables state insurance commissioners to

recommend to the National Insurance Commissioner whether a particular insurer should participate in the Health Insurance Exchange, taking into account excessive or unjustified premium increases in making that determination. This will hold private insurers accountable, ensure affordability and help provide quality coverage for American families:

Expansion of community health centers.

This bill makes several immediate reforms that will directly improve the health and wellness of millions of Americans. Some of those provisions are:

Offers tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage;

Provides relief for seniors who reach the Medicare prescription drug donut hole;

Provides immediate access to insurance for Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high- risk pool;

Requires new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing;

Requires new plans to cover an enrollee's dependent children until age 26;

Prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;

Prohibits individual plans from dropping people from coverage when they get sick.

I could go on because the list of all the good things in this bill are many.

So to put it simply, this bill is a victory not only for our constituents, but for all Americans because it will make us a stronger and healthier nation.