Floor Statements

I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her wonderful bold leadership. Today we will pass the historic vote to improve the health and wellness of millions of Americans who suffer because they are uninsured or underinsured and because of massive gaps in the Nation's health care system.

I just want to say on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, we have to thank Congresswoman Donna Christensen and our health task force, Congressman Danny Davis, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Chairman Rangel, Congressman Conyers, our majority whip, Mr. Clyburn, for their very stellar leadership.

We all cast our vote for all of the people who deserve health care but simply cannot afford it. We cast our vote for senior citizens who will see their prescription drug costs go down. We cast our vote for all of those who have no health care and end up in emergency rooms, and we cast our vote for our children and our grandchildren so that they will live longer and healthier lives. And we cast our vote in memory of those people who didn't have preventive health care and died prematurely.

Health care will finally become a right for all.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Let me thank Chairman Grijalva for his leadership in bringing this bill, the Public Lands Service Corps Act, to the floor. And especially I want to thank you for bringing it to the floor and our leadership for allowing it to be brought to the floor today on such a historic day, a historic weekend. And Congressman Grijalva, I just want to salute you and Congresswoman Woolsey and all of you who fought so hard for this health care reform bill this weekend, especially for the public option.

And let me just say, when we cast this vote this weekend, we will be casting a vote on behalf of all of those uninsured and underinsured, on behalf of all of those who have died prematurely because they did not have preventative health care. And we will be casting this vote this weekend on behalf of our children and our grandchildren so that they may live longer and healthier lives.

So I'm very delighted that this bill is up this weekend so we would have a chance to talk about the importance of what we're doing within the context of this great bill.

This bill will train and connect young adults to service opportunities on public lands, putting a new generation of Americans back to work, finally, while instilling in them a great respect for America's legacy of conservation and stewardship.

The work done by the Public Lands Service Corps will do more than restore our public lands. It will also protect and preserve our environment, improve infrastructure, and help ensure the American public will always have access to the world's greatest recreational and scenic resources.

The bill would also engage with NOAA to allow young adults to serve

near coastal and marine waters along our treasured coastlines, such as those near my home in California in the Bay Area.

And we have many, many young people, especially those with the Martin Luther King Freedom Center, who work on many conservation projects. Also, they're learning about protecting our environment, ecology studies, nature studies. So this bill is going to be of tremendous help to the young people in my district.

But perhaps more importantly, this bill will provide service opportunities for our youth to work in restoring and preserving our public lands at a time when our young adults have been particularly hit hardest by the economic downturn. We have to remember that the youth unemployment rate now stands at more than 20 percent. Although low- income and minority youth populations face even greater challenges, African American youth, Latino youth, unemployment rates are now estimated to be as high as 42 percent.

In light of these harsh economic realities, I am so pleased that H.R. 1612 would encourage Federal agencies to prioritize outreach to underrepresented communities and populations and take steps to prepare participants----

Let me just say that this bill would prioritize, actually, outreach to underrepresented communities and populations and would take steps to prepare participants for careers with those agencies or within related conservation fields.

Simply put, this bill could not come at a better time. So I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and to provide the necessary funding to start this valuable program as soon as possible.

And let me just thank you, Chairman Grijalva, once again, for your leadership.

Mr. Speaker, as we stand now on the cusp of history, we have never really been this close to assuring quality, affordable health care for all Americans. While health care reform is essential for everyone, women are in particularly dire need for major changes to our health care system. Too many women are locked out of the health care system because they face discriminatory insurance practices and cannot afford the necessary care for themselves and for their children.

In 40 States and in the District of Columbia, insurers are allowed to consider gender, mind you, when setting premium rates in the individual insurance market. This practice permits insurers to charge women more than men for the exact same coverage. Additionally, businesses with predominantly female workforces can end up paying significantly more for their coverage than for predominantly male businesses.

In the past 2 years, nearly 7 million Americans have lost their health care coverage. This is just not acceptable.

While we all know that the current health care reform bill has some flaws--unfortunately it does not have a public option, or an expansion of Medicare, or a single-payer option--it offers vitally important advances for women's health. The bill makes health care coverage more affordable and extends many health services that women need.

Without health care reform, family premiums will continue to skyrocket leaving more and more women unable to afford health care. The health care system is failing American women. We owe it to each and every woman to pass this health care bill.

When I cast my vote, I will be thinking of my mother who nearly died giving birth to me, my mother Mildred. When I cast this vote, I will be thinking of my sister, Mildred, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. I will be thinking of all of the women who are denied coverage because domestic violence is considered a preexisting condition by insurance companies. When I cast my vote, I will be thinking about so many of my friends who died prematurely because they did not have access to preventative health care.

And, Mr. Speaker, when I cast my vote, I'm going to be thinking about my granddaughters Jordan, Giselle Barbara Lee, and Simone Lee, because we, when we cast this vote, are going to ensure that my granddaughters and my grandsons live longer and healthier lives.

So if we do nothing, the health care system will continue to work better for insurance companies than it does for the American people. And that is why the President has put forward a plan that will give American families and small business owners more control over their own health care by giving them more consumer protections and shifting power away from the insurance companies.

But if we pass health care insurance reform, we also know that families and businesses will have control of their health care, the insurance industry will be prohibited finally from continuing its worst practices like denying coverage based on preexisting conditions, and we also will cut the deficit by up to $1 trillion over the next two decades. As the President said this past week, if not us, then who. If not now, then when. Now is the time.

I urge my colleagues to support this health care reform legislation for our women, for our families, for our children, for all Americans. This is a major first step in setting a strong foundation where finally health care becomes a basic human right for all rather than a privilege for the few, which it has been in the past. We are finally, mind you, finally catching up with the rest of the industrialized world.

Madam Speaker, quality, affordable health care should be a fundamental human right, not a privilege for the few, as my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would have it. Today, 47 million Americans are uninsured, including 9 million kids.

Meanwhile, the CEOs of private insurance and drug companies are raking in huge profits. Take the case of WellPoint. They proposed increasing rates by as much as 39 percent in California, even as they made $4.2 billion in profits last year and paid out million-dollar compensation packages to their top executives. These rate hikes would hit Democratic and Republican districts alike. And the other side would have us do nothing.

We talk about the big banks making a killing off of taxpayers. Well, insurance company executives are literally getting million-dollar compensation packages while our constituents are dying.

Health reform is long overdue. The 31 million people this bill will cover are Democrats, they are Republicans, they are Independents, they are Greens, and they are people with no party affiliation. This should not be a partisan issue. The costs of inaction are much too risky, they are much too costly, and we must act now.

First, let me take this moment to thank Congresswoman Fudge again for the Special Order tonight, for your leadership, and for bringing to the Congress, really, the understanding of what unemployment is, given the unemployment rates in your district, given what has taken place in Ohio in terms of the recession. Your leadership and your commitment to turn the economy around is remarkable. We can learn a lot by what you have done in Ohio. So thank you again.

As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I rise this evening to continuing to sound the alarm about the need to create jobs in America, particularly for the chronically unemployed who are disproportionately suffering the brunt of this economic crisis and, who, as a result, are in desperate need of targeted, concrete, and meaningful relief.

Last week, members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with President Obama at the White House to discuss our job creation agenda. It was a candid, constructive, and substantive conversation which the CBC had with the President. We reviewed our priorities to create jobs, especially for the chronically unemployed.

We understand very well that President Obama inherited an economy on the brink of collapse and all that he and his administration have done in working with Congress to hold it together. It has certainly been remarkable, and we commend the administration for their efforts. The recovery, however, from this economic crisis has been uneven, at best, and there is a long way to go to put people back to work.

The impact of unemployment foreclosures and the housing crisis are particularly extreme among African Americans and Latinos. People are desperate, as Congresswoman Fudge knows in Ohio. As we try to create jobs, States are laying off people in order to balance their budgets. California has cut $20 billion out of our budget. Virginia will pass a State budget with $4 billion in cuts. If you extrapolate this nationally, we are talking about $200 billion State budget cuts nationwide, after about $350 billion last year. So we need the $200 billion this year just to break even.

Our Congressional Black Caucus member, Congressman Bobby Scott, who's on the Budget Committee, continues to remind us of these very glaring numbers and how we need a major jobs initiative just to break even. That's why the CBC has been and remains laser focused on helping people who are chronically unemployed and on direct job creation.

On Wednesday morning, the CBC will host a hearing focused on job creation. The event is called: ``Out of Work but Not Out of Hope: Addressing the Crisis of the Chronically Unemployed.'' This will be held on March 17 from 9 to 11 in room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. The hearing will focus on data that suggests the chronically unemployed include African Americans and other communities of color with unemployment rates significantly higher than the national average. Youth and adult workers also are in need of enhanced education and

training, and those who have lost their jobs as a result of the weakened economy and who have been unemployed for at least 6 months. Wednesday's hearing is part of a 5-week campaign launched by the Congressional Black Caucus at the beginning of this month to seek policy solutions for the chronically unemployed. Our aim is to engage our leadership and our coalition partners in a strategy to put America back to work.

We are all aware of the staggering high unemployment rates facing our communities. In February, the rate of unemployment for African Americans was 15.8 percent, compared with 12.4 percent for Latinos and 8.8 percent for whites. This is according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics' March 5, 2010 report.

But the job problem goes deeper for many of our constituents and communities because African Americans are not only unemployed in higher numbers but also stay unemployed significantly longer. Of the people who have been unemployed for over 6 months, 20.3 percent are African American. For those unemployed for a year or more, 22.1 percent are African American. The median duration of unemployment was 23.8 weeks for African Americans, and 18.4 weeks for our national average.

These figures underscore the urgent need to target job creation efforts for those communities hardest hit by the recession. This has nothing to do with directing resources based on race. This has to do with directing resources based on need, based on unemployment statistics, and based on where the unemployed live. These stories illustrate the reality that many of our communities have been disproportionately hit by this recession. That's why we must simply prioritize and deliver, and that's what we talked with the President about. We said specifically we must focus on chronic unemployment. We must have direct and targeted job creation, which can make a real and significant impact quickly for everyone.

For instance, given the unemployment rate of approximately 10 percent, that's 15 million people, one percentage point of the total number of unemployed is about 1.5 million. At $50,000 per job, $75 billion would hire 1.5 million workers and reduce the unemployment rate by one percentage point. For $300 billion we should be able to hire 6 million workers and reduce the unemployment rate by four percentage points below what would have been without any investment at all.

But it's not just enough to create jobs. We must ensure that we include all of our communities in that effort by targeting high areas of poverty, unemployment, and the chronically unemployed. Summer jobs for young people must be part of our direct job creation efforts. We all know that many of our young people have to help pay the rent and help buy food because their parents are unemployed.

We must also invest in infrastructure spending; but when we do so, we must ensure a path to apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities in any transportation and infrastructure investments, otherwise we're going to leave communities and millions of people behind.

Finally, we must ensure that contracting and procurement opportunities for minority and disadvantaged businesses are included and that existing provisions in transportation and in other areas are enforced. According to the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, which recently released its report on the impact of the Recovery Act, black businesses only received 1.1 percent and Latino businesses only 1.6 percent of all federally contracted ARRA funds.

So in closing, Mr. Speaker, members of the Congressional Black Caucus are committed to continue to work with congressional leaders and President Obama to fix our economy and create jobs to address the true depth, mind you the true depth, of this recession. There's no question that by working together we can make a real difference in the lives of all Americans. So as we work to turn the economy around and create jobs, the Congressional Black Caucus will continue to fight to make sure that no one is left behind. That is our moral responsibility as the conscience of the Congress.

Thank you again, Congresswoman Fudge. Let me thank Congressman Emanuel Cleaver who has led our Jobs and Economic Recovery Task Force since last January and has done a marvelous job in doing that and getting us to this point.

Madam Speaker, first let me thank the gentleman from Ohio for this very important resolution. Today's debate and discussion on the path forward in Afghanistan and the proper role of Congress in determining the United States' commitment of our country while at war, this debate and discussion is long overdue. So thank you, Congressman Kucinich, for bringing this to the floor.

Now in our 9th year of war, this body has yet to conduct a full and honest accounting of the benefits, costs, affordability, and strategic importance of the United States military operations in Afghanistan.

In order to understand Afghanistan and where we are today in terms of our commitment, I think it is really useful to point to how we got here. Of course, after the horrific events, the tragic events of 9/11 in 2001, I had to vote against the authorization to use force, this use of force authorization, because I knew that that authorization was a blank check to wage war anywhere, at any time, and for any length.

Almost 9 years later, in reflecting on the rush to war in Afghanistan and the Bush administration's war of choice in Iraq, the sacrifices made by our brave, young men and women in uniform and the cost to our economic and national security, all of these costs are totally immeasurable. Countless innocent civilians have lost their lives in Afghanistan, and just a few weeks ago the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan rose to over 1,000.

Where does this end? Where does it end? We have already given $1 trillion to the Pentagon for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the economic impact of these wars is estimated to be as much as $7 trillion in direct and indirect costs to the United States.

It is our responsibility as Members of Congress to really develop a more effective U.S. foreign policy for the 21st century. After a decade of open-ended wars, I encourage my colleagues to finally stand firm in asserting their constitutional prerogative to determine when the United States enters into war.

Thank you very much, Chairman Meeks.

Let me just first say how much I want to support this bill today and thank Chairman Meeks for his steady and consistent support for Haiti, and also Chairman Frank.

Also, let me just say, as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I have to extend our thanks to Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her work on this bipartisan resolution, especially also for her long-term leadership on the campaign for debt relief for Haiti and for all countries in the developing world. Congresswoman Waters has been a friend, an ally of the Haitian people for many years, long before this devastating earthquake struck.

Also, to the ranking members, your support and your sense of justice for Haiti is deeply appreciated.

The Congressional Black Caucus has a long history of working with the Haitian and Haitian-American communities, and many of us have traveled to Haiti several times. During the current crisis, the Congressional Black Caucus has and will continue to work closely with the Obama administration, the Government of Haiti, and the nongovernmental organizations to provide whatever assistance we can on an ongoing basis to help with the recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Debt relief is not a matter of charity; it is really a matter of economic justice. Over half of Haiti's debt was borrowed under Haiti's dictatorships, some of which were brutally repressive. Thus, moneys borrowed by these regimes should not be borne by the Haitian people who had no say whatsoever on how these moneys were spent.

But more to the point, I think that it is obvious that Haiti is not in a position to service debt--nor should it be--while it is struggling to meet the basic needs of its people like food, water, health care, and shelter. It is looking to rebuild from the most devastating tragedy to strike the island nation in its history. I know that the leaders of the international financial institutions feel the same way, and they understand this bill and that Haiti should not have to repay its debt. The United States Government and other donor nations must work with these institutions to fashion a plan for it, and this bill offered by Congresswoman Waters offers a legal framework and mandate to do just that.

Finally, I just want to say that I hope this bill passes on a bipartisan basis.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to honor the Peace Corps during this National Peace Corps Week.

On March 1, 2010 the Peace Corps celebrated its 49th anniversary. It is with the historic contributions of this organization in mind, that I proudly acknowledge the important work of nearly two hundred thousand Peace Corps volunteers since the agency's inception in 1961.

California has been and continues to be the largest producer of Peace Corps volunteers with 792 people currently serving abroad.

I am proud to report that my home District, California's 9th Congressional District, can be called home by 25 current volunteers who have committed themselves to the Peace Corps mission of world peace and friendship through service.

Through volunteer work abroad in fields including health education, food security, local business development, education about HIV/AIDS, and agricultural and environmental improvement, the work of the Peace Corps improves people's lives while enhancing the credibility of the United States abroad, fostering the exchange of ideas, and uniting cultures around values of peace, tolerance, and prosperity.

That is why I have introduced H.R. 336, which calls for the introduction of a semi-postal Peace stamp, which will sell at a slightly higher rate than the normal 44 cents to create additional revenues for the Peace Corps.

In the wake of the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, we are reminded of the power of the international community to assist and empower those who are in need.

During National Peace Corps Week, we salute past and present Volunteers who selflessly serve abroad in support of these ideals.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1117 to applaud and honor the California State University system on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

Achieving equal access to education has always been one of my top legislative priorities and I am proud to recognize the California State University's leadership in providing high-quality, accessible, student- focused higher education to the people of California and our nation.

The growth of the California State University System over the past 50 years provides an extraordinary example of the great success that can come to institutions that prioritize equity and excellence. With 23 campuses, over 430,000 students, and 44,000 faculty and staff, the California State University System is the largest, the most diverse, and one of the most affordable university systems in the country.

The California State University has a significant impact not only on the regions immediately surrounding CSU's 23 campuses, but on the state as a whole. Because many CSU students remain in-state after graduation, California greatly benefits from the skills and knowledge of CSU alumni. With 91,000 annual graduates, the California State University is California's highest producer of bachelor's degrees and helps drive California's economy in fields such as information technology, business, and education.

Additionally, CSU students perform 32 million hours of community service annually, equating to an economic impact of $624 million. CSU's community service efforts have not gone unnoticed, as 16 CSU campuses were rightly named to the 2008 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor roll in recognition for their innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs.

As the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am particularly proud to say that CSU provides more than half of all undergraduate degrees granted to California's Latino, African American and Native American students. Additionally, as part of its African American Initiative, CSU has partnered with churches throughout California to bring awareness to students, parents and families about the importance of early preparation for college. Clearly, CSU is committed to providing an excellent education to all of California's students.

In this challenging economic climate, the relevancy of the California State University is becoming ever more apparent. The CSU deserves continued support in its vital role in the growth and development of California's communities and economy. The California State University offers unlimited opportunities to help students of all backgrounds achieve their goals, and I am proud to join my colleagues in celebrating the achievements of this extraordinary institution.

Madam Speaker I rise to remember my friend and our dear colleague Congressman John Murtha.

I was deeply saddened when I learned of Congressman Murtha's death. I share the sentiments of my colleagues on the floor today, and my heart goes out to the entire Murtha family for their loss.

The people of Pennsylvania and of this entire country have lost a good and faithful servant with the passing of Congressman John Murtha.

For nearly half a century, whether it was on the battlefield as a Marine, the Pennsylvania state legislature or on Capitol Hill, John Murtha always led with distinction and honor.

As a veteran of the Vietnam War, Congressman Murtha served this country courageously and was a staunch advocate for our men and women in uniform.

In the House of Representatives he was a true leader, and a man of conviction, who was always willing to share a word of wisdom.

He had the courage to call for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq long before it was popular to do so and I will always be grateful for his willingness to take such a difficult stand.

We have lost a friend and colleague, and our country has lost a great public servant and statesman. Congressman John Murtha will be deeply missed.

My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Joyce, his daughter Donna, his twin sons Pat and John and his three grandchildren: Jack, Anne and Clayton.

It is our charge to ensure that his memory and legacy lives on, and that we continue his fierce dedication, loyalty and love for the brave men and women of the Armed Forces.

Madam Speaker, I submit the following letter:

February 19, 2010.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker of the House, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Harry Reid,

Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,

Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid:We write on

behalf of the broad civil rights and human rights communities

to urge swift action on a national crisis that is affecting

us all. Unless we resolve our national job crisis, all of our

other priorities--from reforming health care and fixing our

broken immigration system to expanding economic opportunity

for all Americans--are in real jeopardy. In our neighborhoods

and communities, people are calling for bold action to

rebuild the economy.

A recovery plan is needed that rescues Americans from job

losses and foreclosures, and that lays the foundation for a

more prosperous future for all. The lack of decent jobs, the

fear of losing the family home to foreclosure, and the

particular impact of both of these problems on minority,

tribal, and poor neighborhoods are pushing people to the

breaking point. In addition, people with disabilities, who

have had historic high levels of unemployment, need relief.

The economic and health care crises are inextricably linked

as job loss causes the loss of health insurance coverage,

leaving families one medical crisis away from bankruptcy and

foreclosure.

Wall Street received the helping hand it needed, but the

American people are still waiting. It is time to require Wall

Street to do its fair share to rescue, restore and rebuild

our cities and neighborhoods. Main Street is hurting, and the

banks and the federal government must do their part to help

turn the economy around in ways that all families can see and

feel.

The House has passed a jobs bill that is awaiting action in

the Senate. In his State of the Union address, President

Obama urged the Senate to act quickly on it. We join the

President's call to Congress, and strongly urge the House and

Senate to enact bold legislation that provides immediate

relief to people who are out of work and employers that are

unable to maintain their workforces. As included in the House

legislation, it is critical that substantial fiscal relief be

made available to help stabilize State and local governments,

and to preserve essential services and safety net programs in

our communities and the jobs of tens of thousands of workers

around the country. Similarly, and again as included in the

House legislation, the extension and improvements to our

Unemployment Insurance program and help with COBRA premiums

as enacted in the ARRA must be extended at least through the

end of 2010.

Of equal importance, and as urged by the Congressional

Black Caucus, among others, the final legislation must

provide tools for ensuring that stimulus funds go to the

places and people most in need, especially those regions

where homeowners were targeted by unscrupulous mortgage

lenders and where job loss has been higher than average.

Accordingly, we urge Congress to adopt legislation that

provides for:

(1) Fast track creation of jobs in the public sector that serve

community-level needs

Appropriate $40 billion a year for two years to create

employment opportunities for unemployed and underemployed

residents of distressed communities. Under this proposal, the

Department of Labor would administer grants to states, local

governments, and Indian tribes. Five percent of funds would

be reserved for Indian tribes and discretionary grants, 30

percent would be allocated to states to be re-granted to

small localities, and the remaining funds allocated to

metropolitan cities and counties under the Community Block

Grant formula. Implementation would occur in two phases. The

first phase would fast-track job creation for nine months in

public service-oriented work projects. The second would

provide job creation on projects that serve areas with the

greatest economic need, integrate education and job training,

coordinate with apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship

programs, and provide job opportunities in sectors that offer

high growth and the prospect of long term employment. These

initiatives must be designed so that they maintain existing

wage and benefit standards and do not displace existing jobs

or simply exchange one group of unemployed workers for

another. A number of models for public employment have been

proposed, including H.R. 4268, the Put America to Work Act of

2009, sponsored by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN).

Invest $1 billion to hire workers to maintain and

rehabilitate abandoned and foreclosed properties in

neighborhoods by appropriating a second round of funds for

the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Under this

proposal, at least 30 percent of new NSP jobs would be

required to go to economically disadvantaged job-seekers,

prioritizing hiring workers with low-income and low levels of

education, and those not currently receiving UI. At least 30

percent of hires would be required to be low-income residents

from the areas in which projects are funded.

Provide a work sharing tax credit, as proposed by Rep. John

Conyers (D-MI) in H.R. 4179, the ``Shortening Hours and

Retaining Employees (SHARE) Credit Act of 2009,'' which would

minimize layoffs and incentivize new hiring. The tax credits

would be used to pay firms to shorten the typical workweek or

work year, while keeping pay constant. This would lead

employers to hire additional workers to make up for the fewer

hours worked by their incumbent work force. A rough estimate

is that this tax credit would create a net total of 1.3 to

2.7 million jobs. Funding work sharing would be cost-

effective and efficient, and would very quickly make a big

dent in the unemployment rate.

Extend through FY2011 the time during which states and

localities are allowed to use existing TANF Emergency

Contingency Funds, which can be used to create subsidized

jobs, as well as to improve access to cash assistance and

other one-time assistance for low-income families. These

funds were authorized in the ARRA, and under current law,

all funds must be spent by the end of FY2010. In addition,

as proposed in the President's budget, additional funds,

at least $2.5 billion, should be made available in FY2011.

(2) Immediate investment in the infrastructure of schools and public

transit

Provide $20 billion for school maintenance and repair, with

funds allocated in accordance with the ESEA Title I formulas.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, this could

generate 250,000 skilled maintenance and repair jobs. In

addition, provide $50 billion in capital funds for the

lowest-income school districts.

Prioritize investments in public transportation, including

regional systems that connect housing, jobs, and local

services to improve access to healthy foods, medical care,

and other basic services. Create clear guidelines to ensure

that communities with high unemployment and poverty rates are

served, and expand on language in the ARRA by creating strong

accountability and enforcement measures tied to achieving

equitable economic benefits.

Both programs should include safeguards to ensure that job

creation results in widespread impact for all workers. For

example, contractors receiving federal dollars should ensure

that at least 15-30 percent of project work-hours are worked

by local residents who are lower income, people of color,

women, or who are otherwise underrepresented in the

construction industry. Where joint apprenticeship programs

are located near a project, contractors should have to

maximize the use of registered apprentices who receive

quality training. One percent of all dollars for

infrastructure investment should be dedicated to creating a

pipeline of workers ready to step into apprenticeship

programs and construction careers. The Secretary of Labor

should be authorized to ensure that public agencies and

contractors receiving federal funds utilize Community

Workforce Agreements.

(3) Prevention of foreclosures

Allocate $10 billion of appropriated TARP funds to HUD to

provide fixed-rate, low-interest loans to unemployed people

facing foreclosure who don't qualify for other a assistance.

This program would be modeled on a successful effort by the

Pennsylvania-based Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance

Program (HEMAP). If a homeowner provided verification of

their unemployment compensation to his loan servicer, he

would be automatically approved for a loan that would pay any

mortgage above 31 percent of family income. Loans would be

repayable with interest, but interest would not accrue and

repayments would not begin until the homeowner's income was

sufficient to allow payment.

Allow homeowners to rent back their homes at market rates

for up to ten years following foreclosure. The program would

be modeled after the Fannie Mae ``Deed for Lease'' program

that gives former owners the option to lease their recently-

foreclosed properties and that targets neighborhoods with

above-average foreclosure rates.

Support ``cram down'' provisions to allow bankruptcy court

judges to approve changes to mortgage contracts for

homeowners in bankruptcy, such as extending repayment

periods, reducing interest rates and fees, and adjusting the

principal balance of mortgages.

Implementing our proposals would swiftly stabilize

neighborhoods and stem the human suffering in the most

distressed parts of the country. While these are temporary

investments, all would leave the kind of lasting benefits for

homeowners, workers, and students, which would generate long

term benefits to the economy and nation. By ensuring

that recovery and reinvestment programs reach all Americans,

we ensure strong economic growth for the nation overall. We

stand ready to support you and our President in efforts to

build an economy based on shared prosperity for all

Americans.

Sincerely,

AFL-CIO; American Federation of State, County and Municipal

Employees; Asian American Justice Center; American

Association of People with Disabilities; Campaign for

Community Change; Center for Responsible Lending; Coalition

on Human Needs; Communications Workers of America; Demos;

Economic Policy Institute; Half in Ten; Japanese American

Citizens League; Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under

Law; National Association for the Advancement of Colored

People; National Congress of American Indians; National

Council of La Raza; National Partnership for Women and

Families; Policy Link; Service Employees International Union;

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; United

Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society; United

Methodist Episcopal Churches; United States Student

Association; United Steelworkers; USAction.

Mr. Speaker, civil rights' leaders and economists from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, from the AFL-CIO, from the Center for Community Change, from the Economic Policy Institute, from the NAACP, and from the National Council of La Raza called for us to develop legislation to mitigate the job crisis facing millions of Americans. They outline what we believe is a very robust jobs program and bill:

First, the fast-track creation of jobs in the public sector that serve community-level needs.

Second, immediate investment in the infrastructure of schools and public transit.

Third, the prevention of the foreclosure crisis.

It is very important to recognize and understand what these leaders are saying with regard to the entire country in this economic recession. The diversity of American communities clearly dictates that one size does not fit all, according to Ben Jealous of the NAACP.

We have to rebuild Main Street and rescue Back Street. We just can't go back to the economy of 3 to 4 years ago when African Americans suffered perennial unemployment rates.

Madam Speaker, let me first thank Chairman Skelton for his leadership, for bringing this resolution to the floor today, and for his support and his love for the men and women in uniform.

I rise in support today of this resolution, which recognizes the honorable efforts of our United States Armed Forces and our local first responders to meet the needs of Haitians following the tragic earthquake of January 12, 2010. We thank them for their service, we thank them for making us very proud, and we thank them for their compassion and their professionalism as they conducted their work.

As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I would like to extend our thanks also to Congressman Meek for his work on this bipartisan resolution as well as for his leadership on issues related to Haiti, which he has demonstrated for so many years, long before this devastating earthquake struck. I actually spoke with Congressman Meek when he was in Haiti recently, and I will tell you that his work and his insights and his commitment to help those suffering was deep and real.

The CBC has a long history of working with the Haitian and Haitian American communities, and during the current crisis, we have and will continue to work closely with the Obama administration to provide whatever assistance it can to the relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts.

I would also like to take a moment and thank Congressman McMahon and Congressman Tim Murphy for their work on two more Haiti-related resolutions coming to the floor today. H. Res. 1059, honoring the heroism of the USAID urban search and rescue teams, one of which is from my home State of California; and H. Res. 1048, commending the work of the men and women of the USNS Comfort and the United States Navy.

As our President recently said, America has no greater resource than the strength and the compassion of the American people. During the current crisis, we have seen the strength and compassion firsthand. Our Armed Forces, our urban rescue teams, our first responders have certainly shown us this firsthand and, as I said earlier, they have made us extremely proud.

While all of our eyes are on Haiti, we must determine the best way to help Haiti move forward, to empower Haitians to rebuild in a much more sustainable manner, one that can withstand natural disasters and economic recessions alike. What an even greater tragedy it would be if just a few years down the line another disaster strikes and again we look to ourselves to ask the same questions: What went wrong? What do we do now?

So now is the time to garner the support of the international community. Now is the time to develop a strategy to promote the long- term reconstruction and development of one of the poorest countries in the world yet one we call our neighbor, one whose people are strong and resilient. We have not only the resources; we have the compassion of the American people.

So I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure and to express our deep appreciation to our Armed Forces, to our first responders, to the urban rescue teams.

I just want to make sure that we recognize and understand that this resolution is so important today, because we don't have many opportunities to thank our Armed Forces and our first responders and the urban rescue teams who were the face of America, who are the face of America, as they rose to the occasion to help the people of Haiti in the wake of this ongoing tragedy.

Madam Speaker, every year in February, America pauses to honor the rich heritage and tremendous contributions of African Americans past and present. Black History Month is a time to recognize and pay tribute to the many trials and triumphs of African Americans, which are intricately woven into the fabric of our nation. Simply put, Black history is American history.

The theme of Black History Month this year, ``The History of Black Economic Employment,'' could not be more fitting as our nation continues on the road to full economic recovery. The current economic crisis has impacted all Americans, but communities of color, particularly African Americans, have been among the hardest hit. The evidence is clear--glaring disparities between African Americans and others can be found in every economic indicator and they must not be ignored.

The Congressional Black Caucus has long championed the elimination of disparities wherever they exist. Where there is a major disparity between rich and poor or between one race or gender and another, there is a moral gap. The job of the Congressional Black Caucus is to help fill in the moral gaps. For 40 years, the Congressional Black Caucus has sought moral equality, for Black Americans and ultimately all Americans.

As we take this time to acknowledge Black History month we must all recommit ourselves to fulfilling the bedrock principles of our nation: liberty, equality, and opportunity for all. To fill in these gaps for African Americans is to fill them in for all Americans.

Tonight, in particular we pay tribute to unsung heroes who contribute greatly to make our communities better and stronger.

In my district, the Ninth Congressional District of California I'd like to honor some individuals who don't always receive the recognition they deserve.

I will start with Nicole Taylor.

Ms. Taylor is president and CEO of the East Bay Community Foundation and she has been a trailblazer for this philanthropic organization since joining the foundation in 2007.

The East Bay Community Foundation is a leading resource for mobilizing financial resources and community leadership to transform the lives of people in the East Bay. Ms. Taylor and the East Bay Community Foundation have identified two interrelated issues that they believe can lead to this transformation: Support for young children to succeed with a focus on the critical period of birth to third grade, and enhancing economic opportunities for adults and families, particularly those with significant barriers to achieving employment and financial stability. Ms. Taylor has also worked with my district office to develop a Website that was designed to make it easier for non-profits and faith-based organizations to gain access to Recovery funds.

Under her watch, the East Bay Community Foundation managed about $285 million in charitable funds and made grants over $34 million in the most recent fiscal year.

Art Shanks, the executive director of the Cypress Mandela Training Center. For the past 17 years, Mr. Shanks has been pioneer in using the development of green jobs to not only to address environment and create green jobs that can serve as a pathway out of poverty.

The Cypress Mandela Training Center is the community resource committed to enhancing the viability of the construction trades industry through quality life skills and technical training in directed pre-apprentice programs. These programs promote positive life change and teach multi-trade expertise that serve as a bridge for empowering a diverse socio-economic community at large

Mr. Shanks joined the Cypress Mandela Training Center in Oakland, CA since its inception in 1993. Two years later, Mr. Shanks was elevated to Project Director responsible for the overall operation of the training center, including its economic stability and the development of the curriculum.

As a result of Mr. Shanks' efforts, the Cypress Mandela Training Center has evolved into a nationally acclaimed pre-apprenticeship program. Mr. Shanks has been recognized by the Building Trades for placing well over 1,700 disenfranchised, and under-represented men and women of color into union apprenticeship programs.

Margaret Gordon, commissioner for the Port of Oakland.

Over the last decade, Margaret Gordon has been respected locally as a strong voice of reason and intellect not only in her West Oakland community, but regionally as well. The longtime health and environmental advocate has earned statewide respect on Port issues.

A recipient of the 2007 Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame award, Ms. Gordon is one of the founding members of both the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project and the Alameda County Stakeholder Project for the Environmental Health Tracking Project. In 2006, Ms. Gordon was a presenter at a Port-related conference concerned with trucking, shipping and logistics sponsored by the Intermodal Maritime Association, while also contributing to the development of two community-based participatory research reports and the publications, ``Neighborhood Knowledge for Change'' and ``Reducing Diesel Pollution in West Oakland''. Moreover, during this period she was instrumental in the design of the 7th St/McClymonds Corridor Neighborhood Improvement Initiative and was co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee, the group assembled to oversee replacement of the Cypress freeway following the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

In 2001, Ms. Gordon and the Pacific Institute, an environmental research and policy group based in the city of Oakland, launched the West Oakland Environmental Indicators project. The study concluded that diesel emissions in West Oakland were five times higher than the rest of the city. That study promoted the several local efforts to remediate contamination at the Port of Oakland and to increase efforts to reduce diesel emissions.

Most recently, Ms. Gordon co-wrote ``Healthy Home Indoor Air Quality Project,'' a report proposing ways to reduce diesel emissions in the community. The document has been submitted to local and federal environmental health agencies for review.

I will conclude with my good friend Keith Carson, Alameda County Supervisor.

Keith Carson was elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Fifth District in 1992 on a platform dedicated to inclusive and accessible government.

As a native of Berkeley California, Keith has longstanding roots in the progressive community, yet clearly understands the role business

must play in the development of thriving communities. Supervisor Carson has been the Chair of the Alameda County Budget Workgroup for over 10 years and in that time the County has been forced to cut over $2 Billion out of their budget. Supervisor Carson has brought together County Department Heads, unions, civic leaders to devise yearly formulas for balancing the ever declining budget. The County is the safety net for residents and through this process will continue to struggle to provide much needed life supporting services.

Years before California beget a process of dumping state prisoners in local government through their early release program, Supervisor Carson had been attempting to reconnect those who are returning from jail or prison in a way that would allow them to become productive citizens.

Supervisor Carson and I have worked closely with other local elected officials to organize a yearly event allowing people to have their records cleared when appropriate, and provide information about other key services hoping to curb the rate of recidivism. While his work speaks volumes, it is his compassion for people that drives his success. Alameda County is a microcosm of America's ethnic and business diversity. He uses Alameda County's diversity to its fullest in attempting to bring all voices to the decisionmaking process. As he often says ``the only way one of us survives is if we all work together''.

These are just a few examples of African-American in my district who go to work everyday determined to improve the lives of those who reside in their communities. And today, I salute them.

Thank you very much.

Let me thank the gentlelady for yielding and for that very powerful presentation, and for your leadership and commitment to especially the children of Haiti.

Good evening. It has been just over three weeks since a devastating earthquake rocked the nation of Haiti, devastating its capital city Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area. The damage seems unfathomable, yet it is real. The loss of life is staggering and the destruction of homes and infrastructure is tremendous.

As Chair of the 42-member Congressional Black Caucus, I want to reiterate that our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of Haiti during this difficult time.

Since the earthquake of January 12 many members of the Congressional Black Caucus have stood on the floor of this House to talk about and bring attention to the needs of the people of Haiti and the Haitian American community. We will continue to speak out and speak up on their behalf because the needs are urgent and they are real.

The Congressional Black Caucus has a long history of working with Haiti, and many of us have traveled to the country multiple times. Beyond our personal involvement with Haiti, the United States and Haiti share a long and historical relationship that began with the trans- Atlantic slave trade, which placed millions of people of African descent in human bondage throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Our brothers and sisters who found themselves in Haiti led the way to freedom and independence for the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and the Americas when they established the world's first ``Black-led Republic,'' established by former slaves. It was also one of the first nations in the world to break the bonds of colonialism, providing inspiration to millions of oppressed peoples around the globe.

Haitians fought for their independence--and literally paid for their freedom by paying substantial tributes to their former colonizers, creating a financial hardship that has endured for generations and directly contributes to Haiti's underdevelopment today. The world has a historic and moral obligation to help the people of Haiti in their time of need.

During the current crisis, the CBC has worked closely with the Obama administration and nongovernmental organizations to provide whatever assistance we can to the humanitarian relief efforts underway. Just today, we met with USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah to voice our concerns and offer our continued partnership as the administration continues its ongoing emergency relief and begins to formulate a longer-term agenda for reconstruction.

And a week ago, members of the CBC met with Raymond Joseph, Ambassador of Haiti to the United States. During this meeting we communicated two overarching messages.

First, we reaffirmed our continued, ongoing commitment and solidarity with the Haitian people.

Second, we emphasized that the CBC would like to coordinate our work with that of President Obama's administration, the Government of Haiti, and the Haitian people to develop an overarching relief, reconstruction, and development agenda.

Given the CBC's long history with Haiti, our members have many ideas and initiatives--legislative or otherwise--that we believe can assist the government and the people of Haiti in relief and recovery and reconstruction efforts.

These include efforts to promote debt relief and to coordinate aid distribution on the ground.

But most importantly, we must establish a comprehensive assistance framework in partnership with the Government of Haiti and in coordination with other donors to promote the long-term development of Haiti. In short, we need a Marshall Plan for Haiti, with Haitian nongovernmental organizations and the Haitian Diaspora playing a vital role in its formulation and implementation.

To offer just one example, last year I introduced H.R. 417, the Next Steps for Haiti Act. This legislation would create a professional exchange program to assign U.S. professionals, particularly in the Haitian Diaspora, to provide technical assistance to Haiti in critical development-related fields--such as healthcare, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness.

Initiatives such as these could go a long way towards empowering the Haitian people to rebuild and work towards the betterment of their country.

Moving forward, we are committed to working with the Haitian government and organizations on the ground--who know their country oh so well--to meet their short-, medium-, and long-term needs of their country. Once the cameras are gone, and Haiti is off the front pages and the 24-hour news cycle, we will continue to be there. We, the CBC, are in it for the long haul.

I would like to yield now to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Waters), a Member of Congress who is not only a legislator, but also a great humanitarian. We saw her very recently in Haiti, as she went to Katrina to help those during the search and rescue phase, and is back now to join us tonight on the floor to talk about not only her recent experiences, but her long-standing commitment to Haiti and her work on Haiti. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I want to thank the gentlelady from California again for her leadership, and also for once again leading

the effort on debt relief. Because Haiti certainly should not have to repay any loans given the devastation that it has faced not only during this recent disaster, but in the past.

Congressman Ed Towns, chair of the Government Reform Committee from the great State of New York, with a large Haitian American population, large Caribbean American population, also a minister, who has been a strong voice on behalf of the Haitian people throughout his life. Congressman Ed Towns.

Thank you very much. And let me again thank you for your leadership, Congressman Towns.

I want to just close this evening by first saying that as chair of the 42-member Congressional Black Caucus, I want to reiterate tonight that our thoughts and our prayers continue to be with the people of Haiti during this very difficult period. We know the Haitian people are resilient people and that they will move forward in rebuilding their country.

But we want to make sure that the people of Haiti understand that the Congressional Black Caucus stands with the people of Haiti as they move forward during this next phase of recovery and reconstruction. And we will be doing everything in our power to make sure that once, unfortunately, Haiti does not make the front page of the news, or the 24-hour news cycle ends with Haiti as the lead story, we will continue to be there. This Congress will continue to be there working as we move forward to develop a Haiti Marshall Plan. Thank you again.

I yield back the balance of my time.