Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend Bob Perkins, an outstanding Philadelphian who has devoted more than four decades as a radio host and commentator to the advancement and enjoyment of Jazz.

``B.P. with the G.M.'' has been the radio signature for Bob Perkins bringing the Good Music of Jazz to grateful Philadelphia listeners for the past ten years from WRTI-FM, the Temple University flagship station.

Bob Perkins has entertained and informed listeners for 42 years as a radio newscaster, commentator and jazz host, 37 of those years in Philadelphia, while writing opinion pieces and jazz commentary for numerous local publications.

Bob was born and raised in South Philadelphia, where he listened night and day to the radio that was on constantly in the Perkins household. His career took him briefly to Detroit, but by 1969 he was back in Philadelphia at WDAS as newscaster, news director and editorial director. Meanwhile he was hosting a popular Saturday night Jazz program on public radio's WHYY-FM.

Ten years ago Bob moved to WRTI-FM, where he shares his encyclopedic knowledge of Jazz, and the men and women who perform it, with his devoted audience. It is programming that brings prestige and listeners to WRTI-FM while keeping alive this unique and indigenous American art form.

Bob Perkins has been the deserving recipient of more than three dozen awards for journalistic, broadcast and community excellence. He is the recipient of a Mellon Jazz Community Service Award and the Kal Rudman Milestone in Radio Award. In 2003, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Broadcast Hall of Fame. He and his wife Sheila live in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane section.

At age 73, Bob continues his weeknight and Sunday broadcasts, offering his insights, his stories, and his love on ``the G.M.'' And so I rise in recognition for a lifetime of achievement. On behalf of all your grateful fans, thank you Bob Perkins, native son and Philadelphia civic treasure.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present for the vote on H.R. 1592 I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, had I been present for the vote on H.R. 1905. I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House to a great Philadelphian on the occasion of his 95th birthday, March 19, 2007. The Reverend Canon Thomas Wilson Stearly Logan, Sr., a 1935 Lincoln University graduate, is Rector Emeritus of the Calvary Church in North Philadelphia. In 1938, Father Logan began his now 60- year tenure of service to the diocese of Pennsylvania with his ordination as a deacon. One year later, he was ordained a priest at St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia. During his long and distinguished career, Father Logan served in numerous parishes including: St. Philips Church in New York City, St. Augustine's Chapel in Yonkers, St. Michael and All Angels and the Calvary Church both located in Philadelphia.

Father Logan's service to the children of God has extended beyond the church walls. He has been a member of numerous religious, fraternal, social and civic organizations including the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, the Restitution Fund Commission, the homeless fund, the Philadelphia Police Department, the National Conference of Black Episcopalians and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. As a delegate to the Anglican Conference in Cape Town, Father Logan brought his spirit, energy and steadfast commitment to social justice across the Atlantic ocean.

Father Logan is committed not only to his church but also to his lovely wife, Mrs. Hermione Hill Logan who on March 16 will achieve the modest age of 96. Father and Mrs. Logan have been happily married since 1938. It is my great pleasure to offer congratulations to Father Logan on his birthday. I wish him years of health and happiness and appreciate his decades of service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the career of Ed Guthman, a dedicated public servant and master of his

craft, who is being honored tonight at the University of Southern California. From his days with Bobby Kennedy to his time at the Philadelphia Inquirer and, most recently, shaping the minds of a new generation of journalists at USC, Ed has remained steadfastly committed to the principles of open government and honest journalism. As editorial page editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, he wrote with insight on the major issues of the day; nuclear safety, education reform and corruption in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania's court systems. His clear prose and cogent ideas brought honor to his newspaper and true enlightenment to us, the readers.

Ed's career did not begin with his decade at the Inquirer. Before coming to Philadelphia, he served as the national editor at the Los Angeles Times. It was during his work in Los Angeles that Ed was listed as number three on Nixon's infamous enemies list. The list, and Guthman's inclusion, offer enduring evidence of the danger of an unchecked executive and a reminder of the need for an eternally vigilant free and independent press. Prior to the LA Times, he was a reporter at the Seattle Times where he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his investigation into the Washington State Un-American Activities Committee.

I consider it a privilege to call Ed my friend. He is a brilliant man and has contributed greatly to the field of journalism and the quest for a fair and democratic United States. While I am pleased that he has the opportunity to share what he knows with the students of USC, we will always miss him in Philadelphia.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

My colleague from Pennsylvania is concerned about victory for our enemies. Well, the victory for our enemies is made possible by our pursuing a failed policy.

We are creating an inevitable situation in which our country continues to lose prestige and support around the world. But, much more importantly, we are losing the precious lives of our young people; and tens of thousands have been injured.

I was over at Walter Reed. I met and visited with some of the wounded soldiers. And I will never forget the day I met Cassandra Bryant, 20 years old, who lost both her legs to an improvised explosive device in Iraq. She was in a mechanical unit that was supposedly nowhere near the front line, but, nonetheless, for the rest of her life, she will have to go without her legs. Her sacrifice on behalf of our country, if in the face of a national security threat, would be understandable, and she was prepared to even give more. But to sacrifice so much. Our young people have done it in a place in a war that we should have never fought, we should have never been in.

There was ample information and evidence that Saddam possessed no weapons of mass destruction. The international inspectors were forced out of the country when, first of all, they found none and they wanted to continue their work.

This administration rushed to judgment into a war in which we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars and in which over 3,000 young people have lost their lives. And in Philadelphia, for Mrs. Zappala and for Mrs. Jeff Coat and for other mothers and fathers who have lost their sons and daughters in Iraq, this war and this effort in Iraq, which some suggest if we would just prosecute it more vigorously would somehow overnight become a success, we need to look at the conduct of this war on behalf of our Armed Forces.

This administration has failed our troops on the ground on so many occasions. On one occasion, there was a shortage of bullets. On others, we have seen reports that they were not having access to enough long rifles. We know that they have never had, in the 4 years now, enough up-armored vehicles to be able to do their patrols. We have failed to provide the body armor and Kevlar vests that are necessary and in the quantities that are needed.

The embarrassment of the conduct of this war is only equal to the stupidity that took us to Iraq in the first place. And what we need to do is not just vote in support of this resolution but this Congress would do better if we would understand that our young men and women don't wear Democrat or Republican dog tags. They are sons and daughters of our country. They are precious. Their willingness to sacrifice on behalf of our Nation should not be taken for granted.

We should move to redeploy. Forget the question of an additional surge. Why would we want to have our young people in a situation where the only time the Sunnis and the Shiites stop killing each other is when they both are willing to turn their weapons against our young people?

We are in the middle of a civil war. Clearly, in the case of a civil war, the definition suggests that we are unwelcome visitors. We should redeploy.

And if there are needs, and I think there are, for peacekeeping and stabilization forces, we should ask some of our friendly Arab countries in the region to provide some of their troops. We provide over $1 billion a year to the Egyptian military, one of the largest in the world and the largest in the Arab world. They do joint training with our troops and have done so for decades. If there is a need for troops, let us get our young people out of the way. And since the President said we went there in part to stabilize the region for our friendly Arab neighbors, let them step forward now and secure the region.

Our young people have done the hard work. They have done the heavy lifting. They have died on the fields of battle in Iraq, and it is time for this Congress to act responsibly. Let us rise on this day and speak not just in symbol but in substance on behalf of the fighting men and women of the American military.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 150th Anniversary of the grand opening of Philadelphia's Academy of Music-- our ``Grand Old Lady of Locust Street.'' Since January 26, 1857, the Academy has hosted more than one billion attendees at almost half a million performances. Generations of the region's children have sat in her elegant auditorium and caught their breath as the curtain rose on their first experience of an opera or ballet performance. Millions of them have sat up in wonder as they heard The Philadelphia Orchestra's rousing sounds for the first time. Hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians have walked proudly across the Academy's stage to accept their commencement certificate. Audiences and artists alike have flocked to Philadelphia from around the world because of the Academy of Music.-

What a remarkable legacy for one building--a legacy that has a deeply personal meaning for many generations of the region's families who share memories of attending special events within her walls; a legacy that laid the foundation on which the city created the Avenue of the Arts, built the shining new Kimmel Center, and made Philadelphia one of the most vibrant cultural destinations in the world; a legacy of which all Philadelphia--area residents can be proud.

The Academy of Music 150th Anniversary Concert and Ball, held on January 27, 2007, reflected many facets of the Academy's rich history. World--renowned artists host Tom Brokaw, soprano Deborah Voigt, tenor Ben Heppner and vocalists John Lithgow, with Music Director Christoph Eschenbach and our own celebrated Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Singers, presented an outstanding program of grand opera, theater, Broadway, classical and popular music.

The concert was attended by over 2,400 of the region's political, civic and corporate leaders as well as special guests Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Even the Prince's visit has a historical precedent in the Academy's rich past: his great, great grandfather, Edward VII, was one of the early visiting dignitaries to grace the Academy at a gala performance by the popular soprano Adelina Patti in 1860. The Prince of Wales will sit in the same box, dubbed ``the Prince of Wales Box'' since the 1860 visit that his ancestor occupied before him.

I congratulate the Academy on its sesquicentennial and look forward to many more years of important cultural contributions to our city.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Radio One in Philadelphia and E. Steven Collins, National Sales Manager, for their extraordinary civic-minded efforts in support of the ``Groceries for Guns Initiative'' during the 2007 Martin Luther King's birthday celebration.

Creative and determined promotion by Radio One through its three FM outlets in the Philadelphia market, under the direction of Mr. Collins, led directly to a successful outcome beyond anyone's expectations.

The initiative, spearheaded by Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown in cooperation with my Congressional office and Business Manager John Dougherty of Local 98, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, produced the surrender of 252 weapons to the Philadelphia Police Department, including 177 handguns and several sawed off shotguns.

What better way to pay tribute to Dr. King's message and legacy of non-violence than to remove these potential instruments of crime from our streets?

And it occurred shortly after the city experienced one of its deadliest years in recent history. In 2006, the toll of homicide victims in Philadelphia was 406. Eighty five percent of these victims were killed by firearms.

This extraordinary outpouring by the citizens of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley would not have reached such dramatic numbers without the efforts of Radio One and its stations--100.3 The Beat, 103.9 Praise, and 107.9 R&B. Radio One and its personalities promoted an ongoing anti-violence, anti-gun, anti-drug campaign of personal responsibility on the theme, ``It Starts With Me, It Starts With You.''

For a week in advance of the ``no questions asked'' gun surrender, Radio One air personalities promoted ``Groceries for Guns'' through public service announcements, interviews with Councilwoman Reynolds Brown and myself and numerous appeals. Mr. Collins, a longtime respected voice in Philadelphia radio, conducted some of these interviews on his own show.

On the day of the initiative, January 15, 2007, Pooch and Laiya and other Radio One personalities provided live interviews from outside the Columbia YMCA in North Philadelphia as hundreds of Philadelphians, young and old, lined up to exchange weapons for certificates worth $200 in groceries at The Fresh Grocer outlets.

Police officials expressed gratitude--and surprise--at the large number of weapons that were taken off the streets of Philadelphia and hauled away in the department's mobile mini-station in a single day's effort.

I thank all the participants and especially Radio One and E. Steven Collins for their efforts to bring about a ``Gun Safe Philadelphia.''

Madam Speaker, had I been present for the votes on H. Res. 24 or H. Con. Res. 20, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, had I been present for the vote on H. Res. 78, I would have voted ``yea.''

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize renowned composer Nkeiru Okoye. On Monday, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, Ms. Okoye's composition, ``Voices Shouting Out'' will be performed by the esteemed Philadelphia Orchestra. This concert is, in fact, the 25th performance of her masterpiece. She deserves recognition for her musical accomplishments and her many efforts to bring a symphony of harmony to a world filled with discord.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of prescription drug coverage for our nation's seniors. While I believe that the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was flawed in many ways, I am glad that we have recognized the need for prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients. Too many families have been unable to afford life sustaining medications, and it is encouraging that the Congress has seen fit to begin to address this grave problem.

While there have been many legitimate concerns about the implementation of the MMA, I am encouraged that in this Congress, we will have the opportunity to improve on that original legislation. It is extremely important that seniors receive affordable prescription coverage. In addition to problems of affordability, we have heard many seniors report that the enrollment process is needlessly difficult to navigate. Along with the problems negotiating the paperwork, many seniors are faced with penalties for failing to meet specified deadlines. We must work to ensure that this process is as ``user friendly'' as possible, and that all eligible seniors are receiving the coverage they need.

Madam Speaker, I call for the enrollment process to be streamlined so that it is easier for beneficiaries to enroll without the confusion seniors experienced in 2006. The Bush Administration should do a better job informing seniors in clear terms about which plans are available to which enrollees.

I urge my colleagues to eliminate the current penalty for not signing up for a Part D plan the first time a person is eligible. Due to the confusion during the 2006 sign up process, some seniors were not able to enroll in a Part D plan and now will face this penalty.

Pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline dedicate extensive resources to discovering lifesaving cures for devastating illnesses. I look forward to work with them, patient advocacy organizations, healthcare professionals and my fellow Members of Congress to ensure that every senior has access

to the medications they need to stay healthy. It is my hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will work with me to make changes to Part D that improve and strengthen it for our seniors and help forge a prescription drug benefit that is meaningful, affordable and straightforward. The new leadership in Congress cares a great deal about our seniors, and it is time that we fulfill our promise to ensure that Part D serves seniors in the best way possible.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present for the vote on H. Res. 1088 and H. Res. 1091, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, had I been present for the vote on H. Res. 1088 and H. Res. 1091, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Patricia Bass, one of Philadelphia's and the Nation's leaders in our collective efforts to provide high quality, accessible care and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Ms. Bass played a central role in building Philadelphia's response to HIV/AIDS as the co-director of the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office. Today, I rise to salute Ms. Bass's tenure as Chair of the Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief Coalition. CAEAR Coalition is a leading voice for the treatment and care needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. Ms. Bass has served as Chair of CAEAR Coalition for 6 years, leading the organization in its annual efforts to secure increased appropriations for the Ryan White CARE Act. She has also guided CAEAR Coalition's collaborative and evidence-based efforts over the past 3 years to reauthorize a strengthened Ryan White CARE Act that responds effectively to the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Consistently mobilizing its members across the county to advocate with their elected officials on behalf of the care and treatment needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, CAEAR Coalition epitomizes the important role that our constituents play in helping us to understand the needs of those in the communities we represent.

Ms. Bass's experiences and perspective as a nurse and African American woman who has worked on the frontlines of the epidemic inform her understanding of HIV/AIDS and its impact on communities of color, and her voice has been critically important in policymaking discussions and dialogue with Congressional leaders and staff.

I know that when the Ryan White CARE Act is reauthorized, the provisions in the final law will undoubtedly be better because of Ms. Bass's vision, leadership and long-term commitment to a coalition compromised of those giving and receiving care and committed to carrying those experiences directly to their elected representatives.

Today, I rise to thank Ms. Bass for her leadership and wish her much success in her continued efforts to ensure that people living with HIV/ AIDS at home and abroad have the care and treatment they need.