Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Damu Smith, who died May 5, 2006, and to enter into the record an article by Makani Themba-Nixon entitled Damu Smith, popular activist, dies at 54 which appeared on May 13, 2006 as a special to The Washington AFRO American.

Damu Smith was a people's activist who put his heart and energy into more than one cause. He was a St. Louis native and long-time Washington, D.C. resident, but he was renowned internationally as a great organizer and a man of ideas. He was a co-founder with Donelle Wilkins of the National Black Environmental Justice Network, NBEJN, in 1999.

As the first coordinator for Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice, Smith revealed the practice of some corporations that targeted poor African American Communities. He organized Toxic Tours in the South to help bring national attention to this very serious problem. The story of this successful campaign to force a PVC plant out of Norco, La., was made into Lifetime cable movie, Fenceline: A Company Town Divided.

Smith was a leader and co-founder of several social justice initiatives including Artists for a Free South Africa and Black Voices for Peace. For over 30 years, Smith worked to bring justice to all.

When Smith first became ill, his many friends and followers from many peace, environmental and social justice movements rallied around him to give him their full support as a way of showing their love and gratitude for everything he had done to promote peace, justice and preservation of our mutually shared planet.

Among the many projects Smith was involved in was promoting a national Martin Luther King Jr., Holiday. In the 1990s he joined Greenpeace USA and monitored corporate pollution on the Gulf Coast. He coordinated the first National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991, helping to link the civil rights movement to the environmental movement for the first time, colleagues said.

Born LeRoy Wesley Smith, he came to Washington in 1973. He later took the name Damu, which the Associated Press of May 8, 2006 reported means blood, leadership and strength in Swahili.

Damu Smith was a leader of great strength and passion. His causes were many and varied but all of them were about social justice

and civil rights. Smith was an activist for 30 years. During this time, he was a co-founder of Artists for a Free South Africa and Black voice for Peace. His efforts ranged from a stint as executive director of the Washington Office on Africa during the anti-apartheid movement to work on gun violence and police brutality with the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice.

According to the Afro American article, Ron Daniels founder and president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century, reflected that Smith was an incredible organizer, an incredible leader and teacher. He was also an incredible human being. I certainly second that assessment.

Journalist George E. Curry wrote that Damu Smith who died at age 54, crammed more into his 54 years on earth than people who live twice as long. Yet, the feeling lingers that he left us too soon. Curry wrote that Smith was a man of integrity and he was a visionary. Those are words of high praise and they are true in describing Damu Smith. I want to add, he was a man with a great heart who spent his life working for those who most needed him.

Damu Smith loved his one child very much. His many friends knew how much and how deeply he loved Asha Hadia Vemice Moore Smith, his 14- year-old daughter. They have set up a trust fund so she will have the opportunity for the education he wanted for her.

I believe if Asha has inherited his heart and his character Damu Smith's daughter will be a light in the world just like her father.

[From the AFRO American News, May 10, 2006]

Damu Smith, Popular Activist, Dies at 54

(By Makani Themba-Nixon)

Damu Smith, internationally renowned activist and a founder

of the environmental justice movement, passed away early on

May 5 at George Washington Hospital. Surrounded by a crowd of

friends and family that spilled down hospital corridors,

Smith, 54, succumbed after a year long bout with colorectal

cancer. Smith was a dedicated organizer who even at the

height of his health challenges found time to support social

justice work. In recent months, Smith addressed the Millions

More March and a capacity crowd for a TransAfrica forum,

despite his ailing health. ``He loved his people,'' says

Donelle Wilkins, co-chair of the National Black Environmental

Justice Network (NBEJN) an organization she and Smith founded

in 1999. ``You may have seen him at the big podiums and the

big meetings but he was also in the country corners, the

small towns, the little places. He rolled up his sleeves. He

got his hands dirty.''

A St. Louis native and long time Washington, D.C. resident,

Smith was a leader and co-founder of several social justice

initiatives including Artists for a Free South Africa and

Black Voices for Peace. A consummate organizer and bridge

builder, Smith's work extended over 30 years and several

issues. ``He was about bringing justice wherever it was

needed,'' said Wilkens.

Smith's efforts ranged from a stint as executive director

of the Washington Office on Africa during the anti-apartheid

movement to work on gun violence and police brutality with

the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice,

the National Wilmington 10 Defense Committee and the National

Black Independent Political Party. An outspoken activist

on peace and disarmament, Smith served as associate

director of the Washington Office of the American Friends

Service Committee and traveled internationally to support

movements for peace and justice around the world. ``He was

undoubtedly one of the most important activists of our

time,'' reflected Ron Daniels, founder and president of

the Institute of the Black World 21st Century. ``He was an

incredible organizer, an incredible leader and teacher. He

was also just an incredible human being.'' Perhaps Smith

is best known for his groundbreaking work to establish the

environmental justice movement. As national associate

director and national toxics campaigner for Greenpeace

USA, he helped carve out the racial justice analysis that

helped distinguish environmental justice from the ``green

space'' focus that typified environmental work of the day.

As the first coordinator for environmental justice for the

Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social

Justice, Smith gained firsthand experience of the corporate

pollution practices that target poor and African American

communities. He organized Toxic Tours in the South to help

bring national attention to the issue, taking celebrities

Alice Walker, Haki Madhubuti and others to the infamous area

in Louisiana dubbed Cancer Alley. ``The work in Cancer Alley

was his heart. He didn't think anything about his well being.

He stood in the face of the threats, of the violence, of the

toxics. He set an example for what was possible. It gave his

community a sense of strength, a sense that together they can

make a difference. And they did. It was profound,'' said

Wilkens.

The campaign to force a PVC plant out of Norco, La. was

eventually the subject of a Lifetime cable channel movie,

{Fenceline: A Company Town Divided}. Smith's efforts helped

draw attention to the disproportionate toxic dumping in

African-American communities nationwide, which led him to

help found the National Black Environmental Justice Network.

``It was his vision to bring Black people together from all

over the country to unite us around this issue,'' Wilkins

said. ``He single-handedly brought together folk from more

than 30 states--welfare moms to PhDs--to give birth to this

network. Damu's leadership and commitment was relentless.''

Although Smith remained executive director of the network

until his death, his primary campaign over the last year was

his own survival. Friends launched the Spirit of Hope

campaign to support Smith with living and healthcare expenses

as years of organizing work left him with little resources

and without health insurance. His wide network responded with

an outpouring of support including a star studded gala last

July that brought together artist activists Danny Glover,

Bernice Reagon and Sonia Sanchez.

``These resources went to support Damu in acquiring the

care he needed,'' said Sandra Rattley, Spirit of Hope

coordinator. ``Damu was so grateful. The doctors were saying

he only had three months last year but the community came

together and literally extended his life. And every month he

had, he continued to give back.''

Survivors include his daughter Asha Hadia Vernice Moore

Smith, 13. He is also survived by a sister Sylnice Williams;

two brothers Richard Anthony Smith and Leslie Dudley Smith; a

significant other Adeleke Foster, two nephews, six nieces and

thousands of friends and fellow soldiers in the battle for

peace and justice.

Rattley said the community is rallying to ensure that Asha

is provided for. Smith often referred to his daughter as the

crown jewel of his life and once boasted had started a Black

Kids for Peace organization. Friends and colleagues often

remarked on what a devoted and caring father Smith was. ``I

know that Damu wanted to make sure that Asha is alright,''

says Rattley. A memorial service is scheduled for 5 p.m. May

20 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 5301 North Capitol St.,

N.W. in Washington, D.C. In lieu of floral arrangements, the

family requests all donations be made to the Asha Moore Smith

Trust, 1750 Columbia Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 or

online at www.damusmith.org.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Florence Ricketts Gaynor, my constituent, who will celebrate her birthday on May 18, 2006. She will be 105 years of age. I offer my congratulations to her on this special day, and my hearty wishes that she celebrate many more.

Born on May 18, 1901, Mrs. Gaynor was one of eight children of Frances Drake and James Ricketts who resided in Crooked River, Clarendon, Jamaica, West Indies. In the 1920's, she married Gilbert Gaynor in May Pen, Clarendon, where they had six children.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Gaynor remained active in the church, especially the Mother's Union. She worked as a sales clerk and a seamstress. She was also employed in the laundry at the U.S. Air Base at Vernon Field, Jamaica. Her husband, Gilbert Gaynor, died in 1978.

Mrs. Gaynor immigrated to New York City in May 2001, shortly after her 100th birthday, to live with two of her daughters--Violet Morgan and Enid Gaynor. They reside on Riverside Drive in the Washington Heights neighborhood of my congressional district.

Mrs. Gaynor has 14 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and one great, great granddaughter.

Mrs. Gaynor attributes her long life to her faith in God and uses white rum as part of her final hair rinse to prevent colds. As a proud resident of the United States, she is very happy to have a permanent resident card even though she has no plans to work.

It is my great privilege to represent Mrs. Gaynor in the Congress of the United States, and I call upon my colleagues to join with me in wishing her a happy birthday and joyous reunion with her family to celebrate the occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significance of the Mother Hale Learning Center by entering into the record an article from the New York CaribNews that celebrates the official opening of the MHLC in Harlem, New York.

Clara Hale, best known as ``Mother Hale,'' was a prominent philanthropist, social activist and child care worker who founded Hale House in New York City and created a sanctuary for drug-addicted and AIDS-infected infants and their mothers.

As a foster care parent in 1940, Mother Hale provided a home to over 40 children of all ethnic and religious backgrounds over the next 25 years. As problems associated with drug abuse exploded in Harlem, Mother Hale expanded her home for infants addicted before birth. It was the first--and only known program--in the U.S. designed to deal with infants born addicted to illegal drugs.

Clara Hale was a rare individual who devoted her life to caring for over 800 unwanted children. She left her loving imprint on the lives of thousands. When Mother Hale passed away in December, 1992, her daughter, Lorraine Hale carried on her mother's mission.

The Mother Hale Learning Center is an expansion of the work Hale House does through its residential programs. It also allows for affordable childcare to the Harlem community.

This dedication of the Mother Hale Learning Center, as detailed in the attached article, is recognized as the perfect present to honor the legacy of Mother Clara Hale.

Mr. Speaker: I congratulate everyone associated with this notable community resource

expansion known as the Mother Hale Learning Center. This center is truly a testament to the life work of Clara Hale.

Deputy Mayor & Children's Character Clifford The Big Red Dog Join In

Opening Mother Hale Learning Center

New York, NY.--Dennis Walcott, Deputy Mayor for Education

and Community Development and beloved children's character

Clifford The Big Red Dog, recently joined Zachary Carter,

Hale House Chairman of the Board, and Randolph McLaughlin,

Executive Director of Hale House, civic leaders, parents and

children to officially open the Mother Hale Learning Center

(MHLC), located at 300 Manhattan Avenue in Harlem.

``The opening of the Mother Hale Learning Center is a

natural expansion of the work Hale House does through its

residential programs and gives us the opportunity to provide

educational and affordable childcare to the community-at-

Iarge,'' said Mr. McLaughlin. ``It also is the perfect

present to honor the legacy of Mother Hale, who would have

been 101 on April 1st.''

Following the opening ceremony, attendees were led on a

tour of the facilities and Deputy Mayor Walcott and Clifford

The Big Red Dog greeted the excited children.

MHLC offers high-quality, yet affordable educational

childcare for infants, toddlers and preschoolers of families

in the community. Classes are led by the Center's experienced

and highly trained childcare staff, who create an atmosphere

that is caring, nurturing and supportive to each child's

educational needs. Adhering to the standards of excellence

set forth by the National Association for the Education of

Young Children, the curriculum is designed to foster the

growth of each child by focusing on social, emotional,

physical and cognitive development.

There are classrooms for each age group, each with a daily

curriculum and activities specifically designed for that

particular group, including: Infants (6 weeks to 1 year old)

curriculum which utilizes tactile toys and stimulating

activities to help infants gain awareness of their senses;

Young Toddlers (1 to 2 years old) and Older Toddlers (2 to 3

years old) curriculum which focuses on building language,

creativity, motor skills and social interaction to help

children process the new and exciting things they discover

each day; and Preschoolers (3 years old to their 5th

birthday) curriculum which provides hands-on learning

experiences that foster independent thinking and self-

expression, and daily group activities that help enhance

cognitive and social skills to prepare children for

kindergarten.

As one of the few educational programs in Harlem that works

with both infants and toddlers, the fully secured facility

can accommodate up to 38 children and is open Monday through

Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It also features a computer

room with three child-friendly computer stations--donated by

I.B.M. and United Way--a sleep room for the infants, as well

as an outdoor recreation courtyard. The Center will also

provide parent workshops, a resource library and referrals to

other appropriate services.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of Asian/Pacific Americans and their innumerable contributions to our Nation. The fabric of American society has benefited from the talent, dedication and enthusiasm of Asian/Pacific Americans. The month of May is designated as a time when we all can appreciate and observe diversity in America by highlighting the contributions of Asian/Pacific Americans.

In June 1977, Representative Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y. Mineta of California introduced a House Resolution that called upon the President to designate the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. Subsequently, Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both House and Senate Bills

were passed. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history. The arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843 and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed on May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded the observance for the entirety of May.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for students. This year's theme is ``Freedom for All--A Nation We Call Our Own.''

Mr. Speaker, Asian/Pacific Americans are leaders in public service, business, government, science, law, education, athletics, the arts, and many other areas. Their love of family, community, and hard work has helped to uphold our Nation for many generations. Asian/Pacific American entrepreneurs are helping to strengthen our economy and our communities through their hard work and ingenuity, and they inspire a new generation of American innovation through their example. More than 14 million Americans of Asian or Pacific Island Heritage contribute to the vitality, success, and prosperity of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of a bold moral voice in Harlem, the Rev. Frederick B. Williams. He gave his life to the cause of righteousness and justice. He ministered and worked in my Congressional district on behalf of the destitute and poor. He also spoke courageously concerning national and international social- political issues which captured the attention of the world.

Canon Williams served as Pastor Emeritus of the Episcopal Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York. As the IXth Vicar and XIVth Rector he launched the first religious center in the United States addressing the HIV-AIDS crisis. This program provided crucial care and advocated for those inflicted with the disease through a concrete programmatic approach. He led the way in opening up dialogue to discuss and grapple with HIV-AIDS at a time when it was not popular. In 1993 Canon Williams was able to galvanize black clergy to step up to the challenge. He said, ``What has changed is that all of us know, or will know in the next 12 months, someone who has died of AIDS.'' He helped to raise broad awareness of HIV-AIDS and initiated a movement to educate and respond decisively to the crisis.

Canon Williams was founder and chairman of Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement which developed over 2,000 units of new and rehabilitated housing in Harlem, which still stands as the largest in the history of New York City. His community efforts as chair also included 40 commercial spaces and Harlem's first large supermarket. He also opened the doors of Intercession Church to the Boys Choir of Harlem which gave them their first home. Additionally, he led the renovation of Jackie Robinson Park at 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue.

He was widely known for his passion for the arts. Since 1973 he served as chairman of trustee of numerous major African-American performing arts group in New York City. Among other committees, he served on the Rockefeller Foundation; member of Board of Advisors, New York City Landmarks Conservancy; Black Alumni of Pratt Institute advisory council; Trustee of the African Activists' Archive Project, Inc. and served as chair of the National Clergy Advisory Committee of Harlem Week of Prayer. He was also an advisor to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

Mr. Speaker, I am forever indebted to Rev. Canon Frederick B. Williams for his dedication and commitment to public service through ministry in my Congressional district.

Celebrating the Life of Canon Frederick B. Williams

Canon Williams is the Pastor Emeritus of the Episcopal

Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York, where he has

served 1972--2005 as the IXth Vicar and XIVth Rector. This

institution is one of the first religious centers in the

United States to initiate a programmatic response to the HIV-

AIDS crisis.

He serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Interfaith,

Ecumenical, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement,

Inc. (HCCI) and is a key member of the leadership team that

has developed over 2,000 units of new and rehabilitated

housing in Harlem, the largest such undertaking in the

history of New York City.

Recognized as a true ``Patron of the Arts,'' Canon Williams

served, since 1973, as chairman of trustee of almost every

major African-American performing arts group in New York

City. He is a Trustee of The Rockefeller Foundation; member

of the Board of Advisors, New York City Landmarks

Conservancy; Black Alumni of Pratt Institute advisory

council; Trustee of the African Activists' Archive Project,

Inc. and served for 10 years as Chair of the National Clergy

Advisory Committee of the renowned Harlem Week of Prayer (the

Balm in Gilead, Inc.). He is an advisor to Archbishop

Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa whom he represents on

the board of Directors of PEACEJAM, Inc. an international

peace education program for youth headquartered in Denver,

Colo., and sponsored by 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates. has

been a visiting professor at the Episcopal Divinity School,

Cambridge Massachusetts, the General Theological Seminary,

New York City; and guest lecturer at several American and

international institutions of higher learning. He has

preached on six of the earths' seven continents and is the

founder of the International Conference on Afro-Anglicanism.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor General Anthony Zinni for his courage and for his vision for Peace and to insert into the Congressional Record an article published in the Washington Post on April 10, 2006, entitled ``A General with an Alternative Vision.'' His recently published book with Tony Koltz is entitled The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose. I am pleased General Zinni is now an author of his third book. I am especially pleased that this third book is available now at this time in our country's history when General Zinni's ideas and leadership are so sorely needed.

The Washington Post calls General Zinni a ``General with an Alternative Vision.'' It is that alternative vision which I want to celebrate in this Record. Because General Zinni has a vision for America he is able to set out specific strategic goals he believes would achieve his vision for America. According to General Zinni, this Nation's purpose and most important strategic goal is to bring stability wherever there is instability. It is his belief that stability should be the centerpiece of the Nation's national security policy and the most important purpose of the U.S. government. As Michael Abramowitz, National Editor of the Washington Post put it in this article, Zinni's view of ``job number one'' for the U.S. government as ``Wresting order out of a chaotic world.'' The remarkable part of this vision and purpose for American and its part in the battle for peace is that it is a combat hardened veteran and diplomat who has had the vision. War and a near-death experience in Vietnam; listening to the rationale for the loss of 60,000 Americans in Vietnam and hearing similarities in the rationales given for going to war in Iraq and a promise he made himself as he lay dying in Vietnam to always speak the General Zinni has envisioned it, is who General Zinni is and the events that have shaped his life.

Upon graduating from Villanova University in 1965, Anthony Zinni was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Sent to Vietnam in 1967 as a Infantry Battalion Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corp, he returned as a company commander where he suffered life threatening wounds, taking three rounds from an AK-47 in the chest and back.

From 1997 to 2000, he was Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central Command, in charge of all American troops in the Middle East. That was the same job held by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf before him, and Gen. Tommy Franks after him. Following his retirement, he was selected by the President Bush to one of the highest diplomatic posts in the administration, special envoy to the Middle East. General Zinni has 40 years serving his country as a marine and as a diplomat. He is widely respected. He is known for his candor.

General Zinni supported the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2000 but broke with the administration on the issue of going to war in Iraq. He spoke out in print and on television against an invasion of Iraq. In his first book, Battle Ready written with co-author Torn Clancy, Gen. Zinni wrote that he saw true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility in the lead up to the war as well as lying, incompetence and corruption. He was especially critical of the insufficient number of forces and lack of planning for the invasion. He voiced his criticism on the CBS program 60 Minutes. He blamed the war on the civilian leadership at the Pentagon. General Zinni characterized the Iraq war as one the generals did not want but the civilians at the pentagon wanted.

In his new book, The Battle for Peace: A Frontline Vision of American's Power and Purpose General Zinni has in fact become a visionary. I have long searched for a visionary for our beleaguered military. Our forces are stretched dangerously thin in Iraq, a war based on lies from President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rice and others in the Administration who deliberately sold the war as a ``product'' to the Congress and the American people. I have looked back on General Zinni's statements on 60 Minutes and as quoted in The Washington Post. In an article by Thomas E. Ricks in the December 23 2003, issue of The Washington Post General Zinni was quoted stating: ``Iraq is in serious danger of coming apart because of lack of planning, underestimating the task and buying into a flawed strategy,'' he says. ``The longer we stubbornly resist admitting the mistakes and not altering our approach, the harder it will be to pull this chestnut out of the fire.'' Ricks wrote: ``Zinni long has worried that there are worse outcomes possible in Iraq than having Saddam Hussein in power-- such as eliminating him in such a way that Iraq will become a new haven for terrorism in the Middle East.'' Again, Zinni was quoted:

``I think a weakened, fragmented, chaotic Iraq, which could happen if this isn't done carefully, is more dangerous in the long run than a contained Saddam is now,'' he told reporters in 1998. ``I don't think these questions have been thought through or answered.''

We know now Gen. Zinni's words were prescient. That is why it is so important we listen to him now when he talks about the use of our military in the future and the goal of our national security policy. Although General Zinni remains a strong critic of the Bush Administration, this book The Battle for Peace is not a screed against the administration, but it is a condemnation of its war policies and its use of the military. But what is best about the book

is that it contains a positive plan for real national security. He remains a strong critic of the Bush Administration. In fact, in The Battle for Peace, General Zinni offers a vision of national security policy and national purpose that is the complete opposite of those stated by President Bush. In doing so, General Zinni offers the harshest and truest criticism of President Bush's most recent rationale for his misbegotten Iraq war. There is no talk in Zinni's book of bringing ``freedom to the people of the world because all men and women deserve to be free.'' There is no talk of making democracies so they will become our allies.'' Instead Gen. Zinni gives pragmatic and realistic ideas and plans for stabilizing any nation-state or country that is about to destabilize.

In his book Zinni writes: ``The real threats do not come from military forces or violent attacks; they do not come from a nation- state or hostile non-state entity. They do not derive from an ideology (not even from a radical, West-hating, violent brand of lslam). The real new threats come from Instability. Instability and the chaos it generates can spark large and dangerous changes anywhere in the land.''

General Zinni believes that the most urgent problem facing the country is the problem posed by dysfunctional countries or those in danger of becoming dysfunctional. These countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, are the breeding grounds for the radicals and terrorists who hate the United States and want to attack us.

But, General Zinni believes we cannot rely only on the military to solve the problems we face from these countries. He believes we use the military in ways that alienate other countries. Most importantly, General Zinni, a military veteran and retired General believes we should better organize U.S. agencies to respond to droughts, famines and civil wars and other sources of instability before they metastasize into situations that require military force. He advocates for an interdepartmental team drawn from relevant agencies to watch for tensions and other signs of instability and a deployable force of civilians to handle recovery and reconstruction in war zones.

I view General Zinni's statement of what he believes should be this nation's purpose and plan for national security to be a direct refutation of President Bush's often stated depiction of our ``enemy'' the one driven by an evil ideology who ``lurks'' everywhere and must be fought ``over there,'' as well as General Zinni's strong statement that it is the business of the U.S. to bring stability where there is chaos is a reality based statement of what our national purpose should be.

General Zinni was one of the generals who endorsed President Bush in 2000. It is clear now that he would take the country in an entirely different direction on national security than the path the President is on. That is in sync with the American people who also believe the President is taking the country in the wrong direction.

[From the Washington Post, Apr. 10, 2006]

A General With an Alternative Vision

(By Michael Abramowitz)

Well into his new book, Gen. Tony Zinni lists what he

thinks ought to be the nation's strategic goals. They

include, among other things, keeping regions and countries

stable; making unstable countries stable; and working with

regional partners to address unstable conditions. For Zinni,

stability is the lodestar of modem national security policy.

Wresting order out of a chaotic world is the mission he sees

as job number one for the U.S. government.

``The real threats do not come from military forces or

violent attacks; they do not come from a nation-state or

hostile non-state entity. They do not derive from an ideology

(not even from a radical, West-hating, violent brand of

Islam),'' Zinni writes. ``The real new threats come from

Instability. Instability and the chaos it generates can spark

large and dangerous changes anywhere in the land.''

Notably absent from Zinni's list is any mention of

spreading democracy and freedom, among the goals articulated

recently by the White House in its National Security

Strategy, often with soaring, idealistic rhetoric. The

document states: ``The United States possesses

unprecedented--and unequaled--strength and influence in the

world. Sustained by faith in the principles of liberty, and

the value of a free society, this position comes with

unparalleled responsibilities, obligations, and opportunity.

The great strength of this nation must be used to promote a

balance of power that favors freedom.''

Zinni's contrast in tone and emphasis seems purposeful.

With ``The Battle for Peace,'' the retired Marine general has

set out to present an alternative vision of the national

interest to the one espoused by President Bush. It is a less

ambitious, more incrementalist vision. If adopted by the

Democrats, his dry, bureaucratic approach may lack for

popular appeal. Yet might it bring about a more rational

alignment of our national purpose with our fiscal and

military resources? That is the implicit question raised in

this slender volume by one of the nation's most prominent

military voices.

Zinni is a combat veteran whose experience in Vietnam

brought him three rounds from an AK-47 and a near-death

experience. Before retiring, Zinni served as chief of the

military's Central Command, which oversees operations in the

Middle East and South Asia, a post that brought him into

direct contact with many of the region's leading political

and military figures and a firsthand experience in the

most challenging foreign policy questions facing the

United States. He was one of a raft of former generals who

endorsed Bush for president in 2000, but he has since

broken with the administration over what he sees as its

ill-thought-out adventurism in Iraq. Zinni was against the

war before it was popular to be so.

Those hoping for an intemperate screed against Bush's

policies, however, will be disappointed. Zinni writes soberly

and, largely, without invective. Although he disapproves of

what he considers Bush's excessive faith in military power

and the imprudence of the Iraq invasion, he does not

frontally attack the administration. But by the end of this

book, it is clear Zinni would have us move into a radically

different direction on national security matters.

Zinni believes far too little thought and attention are

being paid to the management of what, as he describes it, is

the most urgent issue facing the country--how to manage the

problems posed by dysfunctional countries or those that are

in danger of becoming dysfunctional. Those countries, such as

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, are the breeding grounds for the

radicals and terrorists who hate the United States and want

to attack us.

Yet as Zinni tells it, we have expertise in only one tool--

military force--for dealing with these countries, and we too

often use our power in ways that alienate other societies. He

offers a variety of proposals to better organize U.S.

agencies to respond to droughts, famines, civil wars and

other sources of instability before they metastasize into

situations that require military force. He wants an

interdepartmental team drawn from relevant agencies to watch

for tensions and other signs of instability and a deployable

force of civilians to handle recovery and reconstruction in

war zones.

This is not an easy book to read. Even with the help of a

professional writer, there is a fair amount of jargon in

here, and the structure of the book is a bit mysterious.

Zinni veers between interesting accounts of his involvement

in various crises--such as the effort to aid the Iraqi Kurds

after the Persian Gulf War--and his analysis of the

shortcomings in U.S. grand strategy and how we are organized

to deal with the threats of the 21st century. It is hard to

judge whether his proposals would amount to more than a

reshuffling of the bureaucratic deck.

Still, Zinni is an interesting man, and he has a lot of

interesting things to say about the dangers of pursuing our

current course in foreign policy. He is a distinctly non-

ideological man in an era when ideology is running rampant

both home and abroad. He seems to be saying that the world is

full of problems that can be better managed if only we had

more competent U.S. leadership, different bureaucracies and

less idealism from our leaders. The premise is debatable, but

the next president may decide to give it a go.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of the life and work of Ana Peiera. Ana Peiera championed the cause of the poor and disadvantaged of New York City. She courageously led the cause of housing for the neediest and most vulnerable and dedicated her life to virtues that are admirable and noble. She certainly exemplified Jesus' admonition stated in Matthew 25:40 to devote one's life to serve ``the least of these.'' She indeed has left an indelible print on the landscape of New York City.

Her advocacy work led her to found the Heritage Health & Housing and Community Services organization which serviced many of New York City's poor. She was loved in a variety of circles, especially within social action and social service professional networks. Jorge Abreui, the acting executive director of the Heritage Health & Housing, stated ``She was a multifaceted social worker, who greatly influenced the construction of a safety net to care for this City's neediest-- especially in the Harlem, Washington Heights and South Bronx districts of New York.''

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for all of the hard work Ana engaged in during her life in my Congressional district. However, her legacy stretches beyond borders to the hearts of those persons who need homes and who are challenged by the likes of poverty, mental illness, Aids and drug addiction. Ana became a voice for the voiceless in New York City; those who live at the margins of society had a platform through Ana to voice their needs.

She implemented and fought for comprehensive programs to adequately address the needs of the underserved. She was never known to dodge even the most difficult cases and prided in the opportunity to conquer the giants of poverty and homelessness. She believed that her life could reach even the most destitute who found themselves in the grips of calamity and deprivation. Through 24-hour/7 days a week comprehensive programs she managed to wrestle those individuals away from the strong grips of poverty and lack.

Before starting Heritage Housing she worked in New York City Housing authority. From 1972 to 1978 she was the District Supervisor for Community Services. From 1969 to 1972, she was Director of the Senior Advocacy Services in the Bronx. She provided leadership in a host of other capacities that all centered on addressing the needs of the poor.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter into the Congressional Record an article titled, ``Memorial Tribute to Ana Peiera'' featured in CARIBNEWS on May 2, 2006, highlighting the achievements of Ana Peiera.

Memorial Tribute To Ana Pereira

Tireless Founder Dedicated Life Work to New York City's Neediest

On Thursday, April 27, 2006, elected officials; health,

housing and social service professionals; family and friends

will join Heritage Health and Housing to celebrate the life

of one if its founders, Ana Pereira. The former Executive

Director, who championed housing for New York City's

neediest, will be memorialized at a special ceremony at Aaron

Davis Hall from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. The ceremony, hosted by WHCR-FM

radio personality, Jeanne Parnell Habersham, will conclude

with a special reception.

``Ana Pereira was a beloved figure in New York City's

social action circles'', stated Jorge Abreui, Heritage Health

& Housing acting Executive Director. ``She was a multifaceted

social worker, who greatly influenced the construction of a

safety net to care for this City's neediest--especially in

the Harlem, Washington Heights and South Bronx districts of

New York. Her legacy lies in the care of persons who needed

homes, and suffered from mental illness, addiction, AIDS,

poverty, and the accompanying deprivation typically evident

in the lives of many of her consumers of service. I knew her

for 21 years, and worked with her for 18 of those years,

crafting programs, fighting for, and winning services for the

underserved''.

Under Ms. Pereira's supervision, Heritage Housing and

Community Services developed a reputation as an agency

willing to take on the most difficult cases and help

individuals transform their lives through programs providing

a full continuum of care, from 24-hour/7-days-a-week

supervision to semi-independent living. Working with the

mentally ill, substance abusers, individuals with HIV/AIDS,

the homeless and ex-offenders, the Agency, through Ms.

Pereira's strong, personal leadership, helped its clients

achieve independence and become contributing members of their

communities.

Prior to starting Heritage Housing and Community Services,

Ms. Pereira worked in various capacities for the New York

City Housing Authority.

From 1972 to 1978, she was a District Supervisor for

Community Services and managed a District office responsible

for community services in 35 different housing developments.

At the time, she was responsible for agency budgets totaling

$25 million. From 1969 to 1972, she was Director of the

Senior Advocacy Services in the Bronx, responsible for

training and supervising case workers who provided services

for homebound elderly.

In effort to keep her legacy alive, the Board of Directors

and staff of Heritage

Health and Housing established The Ana Pereira Memorial

Endowment Fund 416 West 127th Street, New York New York

10027. From deep in the heart of Harlem to the Banks of the

South Bronx, Ana will be missed but never forgotten.

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

Mr. Speaker, well, the Republicans are coming. The Republicans are coming. The Republicans are coming with relief for the alternative minimum tax. It is the same way they were coming to give our older people prescription

drugs. Work through the maze, and at the end of it we will give you a penalty. The Republicans are coming in order to balance the budget, but we just have to borrow more money from China and around the world.

Just how gullible do you think that the American people can be? I can imagine now in November my colleagues, Republicans, running around with a sign, ``I am from the Republican Congress. I am here to help you.''

You cannot believe it. If you want the alternative minimum tax the way they are offering it, wherever the conference was, you have to swallow with that a tax bill, a tax cut bill that costs over $40 billion. And this only would help a fraction of 1 percent of the wealthiest Americans in the world.

So if you want equity and fair play, which they refuse to give in the House for the alternative minimum tax, all you have to do is hold your nose and let them continue to give the tax cut to their rich friends and then tell you this is the last chance that the train of equity is coming through your neighborhood.

Well, it is not the last time, because we have a motion to recommit to tell the conferees to take care of those 81 million people that are caught up in this tax hookup which they should not be and to drop the rest of it and to let you try to do something with the deficit.

So let's focus not on the fact that this is the last train in town to help, but Democrats are on the way to really help by knocking off the tax cuts that no one is asking for except the administration and K Street, and concentrate on what we are here for.

And so it just seems to me that you should not frighten people to join some HMO and hold back their drugs and you should not frighten people that you are not going to get relief from the alternative minimum tax unless you buy the whole package, which is an additional $50 billion of unfair, undeserved tax cuts for the wealthy.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark), a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee and a hardworking member.

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

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman said the Wall Street Journal says we are doing well. The Main Street Journal says people are going into bankruptcy. They are losing their pensions; they are losing their health insurance. It depends on what paper you read.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), an outstanding member of the Ways and Means Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), a senior member, hardworking member, in the Ways and Means Committee.

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

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

I do not know what kind of water they drink on the other side of the aisle, but back where I come from, you get a check that tells you how much you have earned and how much is deducted, and what is deducted is a tax and what you take home is net. So you can call it payroll, you can call it income tax, but a tax is a tax is a tax.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the State of Washington (Mr. McDermott), an outstanding member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the conscience of the Congress, from the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), an outstanding member of the Ways and Means Committee.

(Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our outstanding minority whip.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a hardworking member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Yeah, that next bill will probably be $100 billion.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy), an outstanding member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones), who makes outstanding contributions to the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel), an outstanding, valued member of our Ways and Means Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, for those who say that we will not have an opportunity to vote for a fair alternative minimum tax, I would like to share with you that on the motion to recommit that we give instructions that we will have an opportunity to do that. Why are the Republicans so excited about enacting the cuts and interest rates and capital gains taxes for something that does not expire when 17 million, 18 million people need help? I don't know, but they want to give this $50 billion tax cut to people who are not screaming for it.

Where are they going to get the money? They are going to borrow the money in order to give the tax cuts, so that on our motion to recommit we set aside these tax cuts for the rich and concentrate on the middle class. This is really where your vote should be counted. Do you want to deal where 50 percent of this tax cut is going to the top 1 percent of the country, or are you really concerned with the alternative minimum tax that we Democrats have been advocating for the last few years that these people were not supposed to be caught up in this, and so we don't want them caught up in this. We don't pay for it, we borrow money to do it. It is paid for.

It just seems to me that as we talk about the economy booming, that as we go home, I hope we talk with the people that worked in the factory. The increase that we have had in job creation, 50 percent of it has been an expansion in government jobs. I am certain that this is not what the other side is so proud of. But as you walk the street and ask the people that work every day that are concerned about their pensions, concerned about their health care, the Delta pilots on strike, our automobile industry in jeopardy, why don't you ask these people about this great economic boom that you are talking about, and now you got to promise them more.

I am glad that we have come to this time in this session that we can distinguish between Republicans and Democrats and we can see the difference between us. I think what you are saying if you give these enormous tax cuts to the richest people, sooner or later it will leak down to the people who are working on the jobs.

I can understand how some people do not believe that a Medicare tax or that a Social Security tax is a tax. You may call it a fish, you may call it a fishing pole. But when people work every day and they know what their salary really is and they see what they take home, they think what is taken out is a tax.

Maybe in November we will see who is right and who is wrong. Meanwhile, this is an opportunity for America to distinguish do we borrow money for tax cuts and do we cut those people off that are relying on Medicaid and Medicare and reduce their services that we are supposed to give them. I think this is a classic case as we see more and more poor people becoming poor statistically and more of the rich people getting rich and more of the middle class people losing that status, and the people know who they are.

If the old folks really think that they have gotten a fair shake by the other side, well, then, they can be heard. They have an opportunity to be heard. But right now what we are talking about is fairness, we are talking about equity, we are talking about services. Clearly, we are talking about $70 billion or at least $50 billion of that going to the richest people that we have in this country.

The AMT should have been handled separately, and we hope that the motion to recommit will carry, and therefore we would see what honest Americans really believe as to where the relief is going to be.

The biggest fault that we have probably on our side is that we don't rub shoulders with the billionaires and millionaires that you are doing this for. But we do work for the American people. We do know what they want, and I have not received one letter from people asking me to give more relief in that upper income tax bracket. I, for one, refuse to wait for this to leak down and be able to help the middle class people that made this great republic the great country that it is.

People who work hard every day, not just cutting coupons to make this country great, people who volunteer to fight this great war, which we are paying $500 billion a month, these are the people we should be supporting and not the richest of the rich that make no sacrifice at all.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.

Yes, in its present form.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, again I rise to offer yet another much deserved tribute to the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, Inc. (HCCI) and to also enter into the Record the wording directly from a New York State Assembly Citation proudly bestowed upon the HCCI in recognition of the HCCI's exemplary contributions to the citizens of Harlem.

The HCCI, founded in 1986, is a diverse inter-faith consortium of more than 90 congregations established to revitalize the Central Harlem community. Needless to say, the HCCI continues to make a substantial impact in Harlem. To sing the praises of this dynamic organization I will reiterate some of the initiatives they have successfully launched and maintained over the last twenty years. The HCCI is responsible for developing low and moderate income housing, creating supportive health and human services facilities and programs, providing commercial development opportunities for local businesses, expanding cultural programs, and providing assistance to families and individuals living with disabilities by providing housing and support facilities.

On April 27, 2006 during the HCCI's 20th anniversary gala dinner celebration held at the Rockefeller Center's Rainbow Room in New York City, HCCI honored the Bank of New York with their ``Community Development Award'' recognizing the bank's support of HCCI's comprehensive community development initiatives in Harlem, in particular, the bank's operating support for the organization and mortgage financing to HCCI clients. The Bank of New York offers affordable mortgage loan products for first time homebuyers, homeowners seeking refinancing, home renovation, reverse mortgages and also provides construction loans to both not-for-profit and for-profit housing developers. The bank, through its program support, has been instrumental in contributing to the remarkable revitalization initiatives in Harlem.

As Lloyd Brown, executive vice president of the Bank of New York stated during the award acceptance speech . . . ``We congratulate HCCI on its 20th year of community service in Harlem . . . (HCCI) is an organization that is successful in building affordable housing, creating commercial and job opportunities and providing health and social services to the people of Harlem.'' I join Mr. Brown to add my heartfelt congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, lastly, I would like to acknowledge and enter into the Record the wording from the prestigious citation bestowed upon the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, Inc. by the New York State Assembly.

New York State Assembly Citation

Whereas, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement

(HCCI) was founded in 1986 as a consortium of 16 Harlem

Churches, whose first president was the late Bishop Preston

R. Washington, Sr. and today has a membership of over 90

Churches, Mosques and a Synagogue;

Whereas, HCCI began as a grassroots planning and organizing

initiative, that has raised millions of dollars through

ecclesiastical, entrepreneurial, and educational partnerships

throughout the years. HCCl's interminable drive to improve

the quality of life of all Harlemites, and dedication to

community service is evidenced in the reversal of urban

blight and deterioration concurrently, block by block;

Whereas, quality affordable housing has been the

centerpiece of HCCl's services to the community from the

beginning and to date has over 2,000 units of truly

affordable housing built through innovative cross sector

collaborations including elected officials, housing

departments and banking institutions;

Whereas, HCCI has enhanced the livelihoods of many through

adult education programs, welfare to work training literacy,

trades and construction and computer technology and

programming with proven success in job readiness and

placement;

Whereas, HCCI has taken the leadership in addressing health

issues affecting the community, most notably is the pilot

program Community Organizations and Congregations for Health

that offers technical assistance to faith based institutions

to start non-profits that sustain HIV/AIDS prevention

services;

Whereas, a Great State is only as great as those persons

who give exemplary service to their community, whether

through participation in voluntary programs, through unique

personal achievement in their professional or other endeavors

or simply through a lifetime of good citizenry; and

Whereas, such services, which is truly the lifeblood of the

community and state, so often goes unrecognized and

unrewarded; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that as a duly elected Member of the State

Assembly of New York, I recognize that in Harlem

Congregations for Community Improvement we have outstanding

citizens, ones who are worthy of the esteem of both the

Community and the great State of New York.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Earl Woods, a gentleman who was more determined to raise a good son than a great golfer. As a testament to his legacy I submit that he achieved both goals. Sadly, Earl Woods passed away today at the age of 74.

Earl Woods was born March 5, 1932, in Manhattan, Kansas, the youngest of six children. His parents died by the time he was 13. His father wanted him to play for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues, and his mother stressed education. He eventually attended Kansas State, graduating in 1953 with a degree in sociology and he also fulfilled his obligation to play baseball.

More than a dedicated father, Earl was a true mentor, a dedicated soldier, an author and a coach extraordinaire. During his lifetime, Earl Woods played catcher for Kansas State; the first black to play baseball in the Big Eight Conference. He was also a Green Beret in the U.S. Army Special Forces. He served for two tours in Vietnam rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. His second tour shaped the latter part of his life.

He met his soon-to-be second wife Kultida Punsawad, a receptionist in Thailand and they wed in 1969. He fought alongside a Vietnamese friend who he nicknamed because of his courage and bravery. Earl promised Tiger Phong that he would name a son after him.

Eldrick ``Tiger'' Woods was born December 30, 1975.

Earl Woods was instrumental in helping his son establish the Tiger Woods Foundation and he also wrote a book, ``Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life'' to share his experiences of guiding and nurturing his son.

Most people identify with Earl Woods as Tiger Woods' father. Yes it is true that Earl Woods had done a remarkable job raising a son who was empowered to chose his direction, accept responsibility, and stay committed, focused and honest as he journeyed into becoming a role model with great character. Earl Woods made sure that Tiger had tools essential to his development as he grew into a good person first and a championship golfer second.

Earl Woods was extremely proud of his youngest son. I know he can rest assured that his legacy will live on. He devoted countless hours to shaping and molding his son's character and making sure that Tiger was ``mentally strong.'' He told Tiger, when he was a young man, ``You'll never run into another person as mentally tough as you.'' Tiger believes his dad. In a statement made by Tiger today he admits, ``I wouldn't be where I am today without (my father), and I'm honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring.'' This statement is a true testament to how the love and dedication of Earl Woods was the reason for Tiger Woods' success.

Mr. Speaker: I send heartfelt condolences to Kultida, Tiger, and the rest of the Woods family as they mourn the passing of their loved one. I pay tribute to an extraordinary man who left an indelible impression in his own right.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for taking the initiative of bringing the issue of gun violence to the forefront. This is truly an important topic for discussion. Mayor Bloomberg is aware of the many problems caused by gun violence and he knows first hand the commitment needed to adequately address it.

Mayor Bloomberg knows just how serious this issue has become in major cities across America. As a result, just this past week, he called for a conference in New York City of a few big city mayors in what was labeled ``national leadership in the war on gun violence''. Gun violence in many of our nation's cities is on the rise, and will continue to be if no serious action is taken. Mayor Bloomberg feels that since neither the White House nor Congress has taken any real steps toward addressing the issue, it must fall to state and local governments to handle.

I want to stress the fact that this responsibility should not fall solely on state and local governments, but equally on us in the Congress. Congress needs to see what can be done to assist those in our home districts dealing with gun violence. Have we forgotten about them? We should be able to provide our cities with any type of assistance that they need, especially on an issue so vital.

Congress needs to reinstate the assault weapons ban act of 1994 which sadly expired in September of 2004. Allowing this law to expire does not show our resolve on gun trafficking and I believe that it renders us irrelevant. Mayor Bloomberg is a Republican and has teamed up with Democratic mayors in particular Mayor Menino of Boston and has in essence left the partisanship at the door for the sake of the people they were elected to serve.

Mayor Bloomberg and Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston have made the case that this is in no way an attack on the culture of hunting, a sport practiced by many in this country. However, they realize that ``it's a difference in how guns are used''. In rural areas, guns are used for collection and hunting, but in inner cities, guns are ``used almost entirely to threatened or kill other human beings''.

I enter into the Record the opinion editorial by E.J. Dionne, Jr. published by the Washington Post for the new insight it presented and acknowledgment of various big city mayors for the efforts to control guns. The mayors are leading the way toward stronger gun control and we must find ways to support this growing movement.

[From the Washington Post, Apr. 28, 2006]

A New Gun Argument--Mayors Turn the Political Issue to Saving Lives

(By E.J. Dionne, Jr.)

New York.--Have you noticed that Washington politicians

have given up on thinking about new solutions to gun

violence? New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has noticed, and

he's angry. Good for him.

Bloomberg is a Republican, if hardly a partisan sort, and

it may take a Republican to restart a debate that many

Democrats have fled after a careful examination of the

electoral map--and years of exhaustion from demagoguery on

the issue.

Teaming up with Boston's Democratic mayor, Thomas Menino,

Bloomberg brought 13 other big-city mayors together here on

Tuesday to call for ``national leadership in the war on gun

violence.''

``If the leadership won't come from Congress or come from

the White House, then it has to come from us,'' said

Bloomberg.

The mayors, Menino said, do not want to meddle with the

rights of hunters. They are concerned about the trafficking

of illegal guns and the powerlessness of individual cities to

enforce their own weapons laws because of loopholes in

federal rules and because criminals can easily obtain weapons

in jurisdictions with looser regulations.

Our dysfunctional political system has become especially

dysfunctional on gun violence. The National Rifle Association

regularly says that we don't need new laws and should simply

enforce the regulations on the books. But if many of the

existing laws are unenforceable, that statement is

meaningless.

Opponents of even modest gun regulation win the upper hand

rhetorically by invoking two words: freedom and elitism. None

of us is really free, the argument goes, unless all of us

have essentially unfettered access to weapons, and any new

gun laws are seen as leading down a slippery slope to a total

ban on gun ownership. Supporters of gun regulations are

always cast as metropolitan highbrows lacking in respect for

the way of life of law-abiding country folks.

At a structural level, Congress has a deep bias in favor of

the rural point of view because the Senate is stacked in

favor of rural states. Idaho, Wyoming and Montana have two

senators each, and so do California, New York and Illinois.

According to the latest Census Bureau estimates, the six

senators from those three rural states represent 2,874,060

people. The six from the three states that include big urban

and suburban populations represent 68,150,148 people. By

these figures, you might calculate the rough odds against gun

regulations at 24 to 1.

Changing the political argument is easier than changing the

Senate. Mayors--joined soon, Menino hopes, by suburban county

executives--are the right people to start the work.

Yes, there is a cultural difference between big cities and

rural areas, but it's a difference in how guns are used.

Rural people treasure their guns mostly for hunting and

recreation, and as collectors. In inner cities, guns--

especially handguns--are used almost entirely to threaten or

kill other human beings.

``There are neighborhoods where if you say `duck,' people

get out of the way because they're worried they'll be shot,''

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said in an interview. ``But there

are other parts of the country where if you say `duck,'

people will grab their rifles to go duck hunting.''

We desperately need a new politics of gun regulation in

which law-abiding gun owners see the fight for tougher laws

not as a form of disrespect for their culture but as an

acknowledgment that if our gun rules are an unenforceable

hodgepodge, illegal guns will inevitably get into the hands

of kids and criminals in the cities and suburbs.

``I'm fighting for freedom, too,'' said Barrett. ``I'm

fighting for the freedom of a grandma to sit on her front

porch and not get hit when there's a drive-by shooting. I'm

fighting for the freedom of kids to play in the park without

being caught in a crossfire.''

The mayors have to act for another reason: Democrats have

lost their nerve on the gun issue. Barrett traces this to the

passage of the assault weapons ban in 1994. (Congress let it

expire in September 2004.) Many Democrats who supported the

ban were defeated in that fall's election.

``So Democrats who might be inclined to do something are

now inclined to stay away from the issue,'' said Barrett, a

Democratic member of Congress at the time. ``And most

Republicans aren't inclined to do anything at all.''

Railing against this state of affairs is useless. Better

that a savvy group of mayors takes the lead in the difficult

struggle to change the underlying politics by reminding

Americans that this issue is about saving the lives of

innocent kids--and of grandmas in their rocking chairs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in acknowledgment of a recent opinion editorial in the Washington Post and an editorial in the New York Times which called for comprehensive immigration reform and the fair treatment of undocumented immigrants in this country. It is clear to me that this is only the beginning and that much more is coming.

On May 1st there was a Latino national strike in which tens of thousands of people did not show up for work in support of their cause. Strikes took place in cities such as New York, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Millions are taking to the streets to make sure that their voices are heard.

They want to make Americans nationwide understand that they are not here to harm anyone, but to work and support their families alike. These are people with values like our own and who also share our ethics of working hard to support oneself. Many in this country are not willing to take the necessary time to assess the struggle that immigrant families go through. Why is it that their contributions to our society are often ignored while their exploitation goes unnoticed? These are the people that make our meals, trim our hedges and construct our buildings, yet will we continue to regard them forever as second- class citizens? We must no longer continue on this dangerous path.

The op ed in the Washington Post noted that, ``something important is happening--something that goes beyond the debate on Capitol Hill about immigration reform'', and that statement has never been more valid than now. There is a serious desire of immigrants to become members of our community, through hard work and patriotism, fundamental principles we all hold close to our hearts. The goal of this government should not be to erect barriers that hinder people from contributing

and achieving the American Dream, but to help those who seek our assistance so that they can become productive members of our society.

We must take decisive action to ensure a fair and equitable immigration policy. We must make it so that no one in this country feels like a second-class citizen. We must make it so that everyone has a equal footing for advance and prosper. This movement should be a way to bring our minority communities together, especially the African American community. We should see this as an opportunity to help others who have experienced something we all have in common, discrimination.

I enter into the Record, these opinion editorials by Eugene Robinson and the New York Times editorial for their different perspectives on such a controversial topic. This is truly an issue that has started to divide our country instead of unite it. We must come to this issue of immigration with a clearer view, one that does not include our cultural biases and hatred for those different than ourselves. The editorial asks if the message has sunken in yet with the American people. We are hearing their message and I hope that it starts to sink in.

[From the New York Times, May 2, 2006]

A Wave's First Strike

(By Eugene Robinson)

The construction sites I drove past on my way to work

yesterday were abnormally quiet, almost tranquil, without the

usual bustle of organized chaos, Every once in a while, a

crane indolently traced its arc; every once in a while, a

truck arrived or departed. But the basic activity involved in

putting up an office building--picking stuff up and carrying

it from here, where the crane or the trucks left it, to

there, where it's needed--went largely undone.

In Washington's Mount Pleasant neighborhood, long a magnet

for Latino immigrants, it felt almost like a Sunday morning.

Few people were out and about, and only about half the local

businesses were open. On the padlocked doors of a pharmacy, a

dental clinic, a barbershop, a wire transfer office where

immigrants send money home to their families, and other

offices were taped identical fliers, with a notice in Spanish

and English: ``We will be closed on Monday May 1st in support

of the Latino national strike.''

Two middle-aged women who identified themselves as Maria

and Sonia (neither would give a last name) strolled past,

pointing out all the closed businesses. ``This action is a

good idea, a very good idea, because we have to support all

the people who are here without papers,'' said Maria, who,

like her friend, is from El Salvador. ``We came here to work

hard, not to harm anyone. Salvadorans are hard workers. We're

not criminals.''

All morning local Spanish-language radio hummed with urgent

news and advice. There would be a demonstration in the

afternoon at Malcolm X Park. This was to be a day of peaceful

solidarity. No one should jeopardize his or her job; if you

have to go to work, join the demonstration later.

It's too early to judge the impact of yesterday's

nationwide ``Day Without Immigrants'' protest, but it's past

time to recognize that something important is happening--

something that goes beyond the debate on Capitol Hill about

immigration reform. At this point it's harder to say just

what this nascent Latino movement is than to point out what

it is not. It's certainly not a monolith. There has been

spirited internal debate, for example, over ``Nuestro

Himno,'' the Spanish-language version of ``The Star-Spangled

Banner'' that was released by an all-star chorus of Latino

recording artists last week. Some heard a genuine expression

of patriotism; others heard an unnecessary and unwise

provocation.

Maybe it was neither. Maybe ``Nuestro Himno'' was a step in

forging and tempering a stronger pan-Latino identity and

political consciousness. Black people have skin color as a

factor to unite us; Latinos, who can be of any race, have

Spanish.

But let me be clear: We can also say that the movement

whose birth we are witnessing is not a clone or even a

descendant of the civil rights movement that won for African

Americans our place in this society. There's just no way to

compare a group of people whose ancestors were brought here

in chains, forced to work as slaves and then systematically

classified as second-class citizens for more than a century

with another group of people, however hard-working or well-

meaning, who came to the United States voluntarily.

That said, I am convinced that the nation's two biggest

minorities are natural allies, not rivals, and that a crucial

task over the coming months and years will be to find ways

for African Americans and Latinos to work together. Our

histories may be different, but we have at least one big

thing--discrimination--in common.

For the two groups to fight over low-skilled, low-wage jobs

would be a tragic waste of time and effort. The issue is how

both African Americans and Latinos can claim a fair share of

this nation's vast wealth and opportunity, not how we can

wrestle the scraps from one another. The issue is who gets to

occupy the corner office during working hours, not who gets

to clean it at night.

Congress may do something reasonable on immigration, giving

the estimated 12 million people already here without papers a

chance to become citizens or legal residents, but there's no

guarantee. It may be that there's no common ground among the

president, the House and the Senate--at least not in an

election year. But if you take the long view, I'm not sure

that Capitol Hill is where the real news is happening.

Yesterday the news was happening at construction sites,

where it was demonstrated that steel, lumber and glass will

not move from here to there on their own.

[From the Washington Post, May 2, 2006]

They Are America

Warnings of a crippling immigrant boycott did not come true

yesterday. The economy survived. But what may not survive--we

hope--is people's willful misunderstanding of the nature of

the immigrant-rights movement.

The worst among our citizens and politicians are eager to

depict illegal immigrants as criminals, potential terrorists

and alien invaders. But what we saw yesterday, in huge,

peaceful rallies in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Denver,

New York, Atlanta and other cities, were regular people: the

same types of assimilation-minded moms, dads and children we

wistfully romanticize on holidays devoted to, say, St.

Patrick and Columbus.

If these extraordinarily positive events were a protest of

anything, it was the idea of the immigrant as temporary and

unwelcome guest worker. The marches flew in the face of

theories that undocumented workers want nothing but to labor

unnoticed and separate from the nation that employs them to

make its meals, trim its hedges and slaughter its beef.

These immigrants, weary of silent servitude, are speaking

up and asking for something simple: a chance to work to

become citizens, with all the obligations and opportunities

that go with it.

Our lawmakers, to their discredit, have erected barriers

within barriers, created legal hurdles and bureaucratic

hoops, and dangled the opportunity for lowly guest-worker

status without the citizenship to go with it. It is an

invitation to create a society with a permanent underclass

deprived of any ladder to something better. It is a path to

creating a different, and lower, vision of our country and

ourselves.

It is not only the border-obsessed Minutemen who should be

shamed by yesterday's joyous outpouring. Lawmakers who have

stymied comprehensive immigration reform with stalemated

name-calling and cold electoral calculation should listen up.

A silent, shadow population is speaking with one voice. The

message, aimed at Washington but something the whole country

should hear, is clear: We are America. We want to join you.

It's a simple message. It should be sinking in by now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an article submitted by the Congressional Black Caucus entitled ``Christensen Urges Managed Health Care Execs to Help Close Disparity Gap'' which addresses the disparities in health care as experienced by minorities in this country.

On April 20, 2006, during the Capitol Summit: Politics in Healthcare event, Congresswoman Donna Christensen, in her role as the chairperson for the Congressional Black Caucus's Health Braintrust, addressed a group of managed health care executives to discuss the challenges facing health care organizations. Congresswoman Christensen focused on the disparities in care for all ethnic minorities in this country.

As you will see as you read the submission, there are many challenges to overcome to ensure quality health care for all Americans. Ms. Christensen's statements are not all inclusive; they actually touch on the tip of the iceberg. We need to engage in much more dialog to keep this issue in the forefront and to make sure these messages reach not only corporate executives but everyone, particularly those who can directly affect a more positive outcome.

To quote member Christensen: ``Lack of insurance and the resulting poor health undermines everyone else's health care''. I strongly agree that progress can be made through reinforcement of prevention and comprehensive care initiatives. We must all do our part to ensure that ``wellness is within the reach of everyone living in this country.''

Christensen Urges Managed Health Care Execs To Help Close Disparities

Gap

(April 20, 2006--Washington, D.C.)--Joining the efforts to

reduce disparities in health care should be the business of

all businesses big and small, according to Congresswoman

Donna M. Christensen, who chairs the Congressional Black

Caucus's Health Braintrust. Christensen addressed a gathering

of managed health care executives on Thursday afternoon at

the Capitol Summit: Politics in Healthcare event where

executives examined and discussed the challenges facing

healthcare organizations today including persistent

disparities in the care that ethnic minorities receive in

this country. ``Businesses can help to reduce their costs if

they launch efforts to reduce and eliminate racial and ethnic

health disparities,'' Christensen said. ``When employees

receive inadequate or lower quality health care, costs are

assumed by companies and businesses in increased rates of

absenteeism or being sick at work, which results in lower

rates of productivity, as well as in increased health care

costs. ``

Christensen applauded the group for including the issue of

health disparities on their agenda. ``I am hopeful that your

interest and the pressures that you are under regarding the

provision of health care and its increasing costs will be the

impetus for the change we need not just to heal our minority

populations but the entire country,'' she said. ``Industry is

coming to realize ahead of policy makers that early detection

and management of some chronic and acute conditions may

reduce the amount of health care needed and improve quality

of life and improve outcomes.'' Christensen commended some

businesses that have ``looked at health disparities among

your own employees and the costs of care and are beginning to

institute programs to improve both their health and your

costs.''

Christensen said that it should be a matter of conscience

that ``in the richest, most technologically advanced and

supposed humanitarian country in the world . . . there are an

estimated 100,000 annual preventable, premature, excess

deaths in African Americans.'' Similar statistics exist in

the Hispanic, Native American and Asian and Pacific Islander

communities. ``For years politicians, community activists,

advocates and organizations have been calling for an

appropriate response to such devastating but preventable

disease, disability and death in communities of color,'' she

said. ``We have argued on the humanity of it, on the right

and God-fearing thing to do.''

Christensen pointed to the role that un-insurance and

underinsurance play in the persistence of health disparities

and the effect that it has had on the wider community. She

pointed to the fact that many communities, including her

district of the U.S. Virgin Islands have struggled to

determine the fairest way to provide coverage for employees

in businesses large and small. ``Lack of insurance and (the)

resulting poor health undermines everyone else's

healthcare,'' she said, emphasizing that it is only through

``prevention and comprehensive care for which providers are

adequately compensated that the rising cost of health care

will be controlled and reduced.'' She urged the executives to

``use their corporate influence'' to ensure that ``wellness

is within the reach of everyone living in this country.''

Other speakers on the Summit's agenda included former

Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Senator John Breaux,

author Glenn Hubbard and members of the McGlaughlin Group.

(For more information contact Monique C. Watson at 202-226-

7973 or Britt Weinstock at 202-226-7974)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of an article published in the New York Carib News urging passage of the ``American Dream Act''. This act has bipartisan support in Congress and it needs much more support so that it can be passed in the House. The act enables U.S.-raised immigrant students to go to college which will put them on the correct path toward citizenship.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., has expressed a great amount of support for this very important piece of legislation. There are many students in the country who have little to look forward to after high school. The article points out that every year 65,000 young people who are brought to the U.S. by their parents cannot seek higher education after high school due to their status as immigrants. That fact of life hinders them from further enjoying the wealth and opportunity of our Nation.

I fully support the passage of this bill in the House. Passage of this bill will allow for talented students to have access to higher education, something they otherwise would not have. This will show our strong-willed commitment to offering the best opportunities for those that work hard. Everyone deserves an equal chance for an education.

We cannot delay any longer the passage of this bill since graduation is just around the comer for many students. We need to further encourage our young people to achieve more and to better their lives and the lives of their families. Americans must understand that the power of the American Dream is that it is extended to all those who seek it. It shall be available today just as it was for their forbearers' centuries ago.

I enter into the Record this article for highlighting the importance of an effective and comprehensive immigration reform policy. This country is about allowing all those who wish to work hard to advance their status the opportunity to do so. It should be in the best interest of our nation and the people to provide education to the children of immigrant families and to extend the same assistance that we would want extended to us in time of need.

NCLR Supports ``The American Dream Act'' and Urges New Legislation To

Improve Access to College

Washington, DC--The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the

largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy

organization in the U.S., expressed strong support to ``The

American Dream Act'' recently introduced in the U.S. House of

Representatives by Representatives Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-

FL), Howard Berman (D-CA), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) .

. . This bipartisan legislation will enable U.S.-raised

immigrant students to go to college and start on the path to

citizenship.

``This bill will give thousands of young people who have

worked hard in school and have demonstrated a willingness to

contribute to this country the chance to follow their dreams

to college,'' stated Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO.

``We are pleased that Republicans and Democrats on the Senate

Judiciary Committee came together to include the language of

the `DREAM Act' (S. 2075), which also broadens access to

college, as part of the immigration legislation now under

debate. We urge the House to follow the Senate's lead and

approve `The American Dream Act' as soon as possible.''

Every year, 65,000 young people whose parents brought them

to the U.S. as babies or toddlers graduate from American high

schools. While they have the academic credentials to pursue a

higher education, their immigration status bars them from

opportunities that make a college education affordable--in-

state tuition rates, loans and grants, most private

scholarships, and the ability to work legally to earn their

way through college. ``The American Dream Act'' and its

companion legislation in the Senate will significantly

increase access to college for talented young people who

otherwise would not be able to seek higher education.

``With graduation around the corner, Congress cannot delay

in passing this bill. Otherwise, high school will be the end

of the road for thousands of students who have worked hard in

school and aspire to contribute to our society as productive,

tax-paying workers. These young people are certain to add to

the great abundance and economic vitality of this country.

Congress must not fail these students and their families by

continuing to keep the doors to college and the American

Dream closed to them,'' concluded Murguia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in acknowledgment of a recent article in the New York Times which detailed the declining health of Hurricane Katrina survivors. The piece reiterated that we must act now to aid the many sufferers in Louisiana. Eight months since the disaster and many are still without prescription drugs, adequate housing, food, and security. This is not the type of problem that will heal itself in the matter of a few weeks or months, but of a timetable unknown to us.

It is a glaring contradiction to say that we as members of the federal government have served the people of New Orleans to the best of our ability. Not when the rates of mental disorders, and many chronic conditions such as asthma are on a steady rise as the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and the Children's Health Fund concluded in their study of the health impacts upon the Katrina survivors. Because of the lack of prescription medications and health insurance, people are not able to get the medical treatment that they need.

Among the findings in the study, 34% of displaced children suffer from disorders such as asthma, anxiety and behavioral problems, compared with 25% in urban areas of Louisiana before the storm. 14% of those children have gone without prescription medication at least 3 months before this study which was conducted in February, compared to 2% before the storm and the numbers do not lie.

We have children in Louisiana who have missed huge blocks of class time because families are moving so much to provide better lives for them, with an average of 3.5 times since the storm. There is no reason why a woman caring for seven school-age grandchildren, none who were in school during the time of the survey, was battling high blood pressure, diabetes and leukemia without any medical treatment. She was later admitted to the hospital for pains that she has had since January. She said that it had become ``unbearable'', and nothing is making it easier for people just like her.

We must make it easier for people to receive the necessary care that they need. The study highlighted the fact that both Congress and the State of Louisiana eased eligibility requirements for Medicaid after the storm, and because each state sets its own guidelines, some families who got food stamps and assistance in other states were no longer eligible when they returned home and that is just unacceptable

Trauma related disorders caused by Hurricane Katrina will have lasting impact on the lives of these children. Future American generations will have to shoulder the burden left behind from the previous. Dr. Irwin Redlener, the director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Mailman and co-founder of the Children's Health Fund made it clear that ``children do not have the ability to absorb six or nine months of high levels of stress and undiagnosed or untreated medical problems'' without long-term consequences. Our mental health system is not prepared to handle the amount of care it now faces unless more treatment dollars are funneled into the system.

I enter into the Record this article from the New York Times published on April 18, 2006 for its insightful look at the real problems in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The longer we wait to enforce legislation the more suffering these Americans will have to endure. I think it is safe to say that the study told us in conclusive numerical evidence what we already knew in story form according to Erin Brewer, the medical director of the Office of Public Health at the Louisiana Department of Health. The facts are clearly laid out and we no longer can afford to ignore them.

[From the New York Times, Apr. 18, 2006]

Evacuee Study Finds Declining Health

(By Shaila Dewan)

Families displaced by Hurricane Katrina are suffering from

mental disorders and chronic conditions like asthma and from

a lack of prescription medication and health insurance at

rates that are much higher than average, a new study has

found.

The study, conducted by the Mailman School of Public Health

at Columbia University and the Children's Health Fund, is the

first to examine the health issues of those living in housing

provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Based on

face-to-face interviews with more than 650 families living in

trailers or hotels, it provides a grim portrait of the

hurricane's effects on some of the poorest victims, showing

gaps in the tattered safety net pieced together from

government and private efforts.

Among the study's findings: 34 percent of displaced

children suffer from conditions like asthma, anxiety and

behavioral problems, compared with 25 percent of children in

urban Louisiana before the storm. Fourteen percent of them

went without prescribed medication at some point during the

three months before the survey, which was conducted in

February, compared with 2 percent before the hurricane.

Nearly a quarter of school-age children were either not

enrolled in school at the time of the survey or had missed at

least 10 days of school in the previous month. Their families

had moved an average of 3.5 times since the storm.

Their parents and guardians were doing no better. Forty-

four percent said they had no health insurance, many because

they lost their jobs after the storm, and nearly half were

managing at least one chronic condition like diabetes, high

blood pressure or cancer. Thirty-seven percent described

their health as ``fair'' or ``poor,'' compared with 10

percent before the hurricane.

More than half of the mothers and other female caregivers

scored ``very low'' on a commonly used mental health

screening exam, which is consistent with clinical disorders

like depression or anxiety. Those women were more than twice

as likely to report that at least one of their children had

developed an emotional or behavioral problem since the storm.

Instead of being given a chance to recover, the study says,

``Children and families who have been displaced by the

hurricanes are being pushed further toward the edge.''

Officials at the Louisiana Department of Health and

Hospitals said the study's findings were consistent with what

they had seen in the field.

``I think it told us in number form what we knew in story

form,'' said Erin Brewer, the medical director of the Office

of Public Health at the department. ``We're talking about a

state that had the lowest access to primary care in the

country before the storm. And a population within that

context who were really, really medically underserved and

terribly socially vulnerable.''

Ms. Brewer said that some of the trailer sites were

regularly visited by mobile health clinics, but acknowledged

that such programs were not universally available. Neither

Congress nor the State of Louisiana eased eligibility

requirements for Medicaid after the storm, and because each

state sets its own guidelines, some families who received

insurance and food stamps in other states were no longer

eligible when they returned home.

While state officials said $100 million in federal block

grants was in the pipeline for primary care and mental health

treatment, the study's authors said the need was urgent.

``Children do not have the ability to absorb six or nine

months of high levels of stress and undiagnosed or untreated

medical problems'' without long-term consequences, said

Dr. Irwin Redlener, the director of the National Center for

Disaster Preparedness at Mailman and co-founder of the

Children's Health Fund.

The households included in the study were randomly selected

from lists provided by FEMA. They included families living in

Louisiana in hotels, trailer parks managed by the disaster

agency and regular trailer parks with some FEMA units. A

random sample of children in the surveyed households was

selected for more in-depth questioning.

For comparison, the study used a 2003 survey of urban

Louisiana families conducted by the National Survey of

Children's Health.

David Abramson, the study's principal investigator, said it

was designed to measure the social and environmental factors

that help children stay healthy: consistent access to health

care and mental health treatment, engagement in school, and

strong family support.

In the Gulf Coast region, where child health indicators

like infant mortality and poverty rates were already among

the highest in the country, Dr. Abramson said, ``all of their

safety net systems seem to have either been stretched or

completely dissipated.''

The study's authors raise the prospect of irreversible

damage if children miss out now on normal development

fostered by stable schools and neighborhoods.

One couple told interviewers their three children had been

enrolled in five schools since the hurricane, in which one

child's nebulizer and breathing machine were lost. The

equipment has not been replaced because the family lost its

insurance when the mother lost her job, they said, and the

child has since been hospitalized with asthma.

In another household, a woman caring for seven school-age

grandchildren, none of whom were enrolled in school at the

time of the survey, said she was battling high blood

pressure, diabetes and leukemia.

That woman, Elouise Kensey, agreed to be interviewed by a

reporter, but at the appointed hour was on her way to the

hospital, where she was later admitted, ``I've been in pain

since January, and I'm going to see what's wrong,'' she said.

``It's become unbearable.''

One woman who participated in the survey, Danielle Taylor,

said in an interview that she had not been able to find

psychiatric care for herself--she is bipolar--or her 6-year-

old daughter, who not only went through the hurricane but had

also, two years before, been alone with Ms. Taylor's fiance

when he died.

The public clinic Ms. Taylor used to visit has closed since

the storm, she said, and the last person to prescribe her

medication was a psychiatrist who visited the shelter she was

in four months ago. No doctors visit the trailer park in

Slidell, La., where she has been staying, she said.

Ms. Taylor said that her daughter, Ariana Rose, needed a

referral to see a psychiatrist, but that her primary care

physician had moved to Puerto Rico. ``She has horrible rages

over nothing,'' Ms. Taylor said. ``She needs help, she needs

to talk to somebody.''

The survey found that of the children who had primary

doctors before the storm, about half no longer did, the

parents reported. Of those who said their children still had

doctors, many said they had not yet tried to contact them.

The study's authors recommended expanding Medicaid to

provide universal disaster relief and emergency mental health

services, as well as sending doctors and counselors from the

federal Public Health Service to the region.

The Children's Health Fund, a health care provider and

advocacy group, is not the only organization to raise the

alarm about mental health care for traumatized children after

Hurricane Katrina. A report issued earlier this month by the

Children's Defense Fund said youngsters were being ``denied

the chance to share their bad memories and clear their

psyches battered by loss of family members, friends,

homes, schools and neighborhoods.''

Anthony Speier, the director of disaster mental health for

Louisiana, said that while there were 500 crisis counselors

in the field, the federal money that paid for them could not

be used for treatment of mental or behavioral disorders like

depression or substance abuse. Instead, he said, much of

their effort goes into short one-on-one sessions and teaching

self-help strategies in group settings.

``The struggle for our mental health system is that our

resources are designed for people with serious mental

illnesses and behavior disorders,'' Dr. Speier said. ``But

now the vast population needs these forms of assistance.''

Dr. Speier continued, ``What we really, from my vantage

point, could benefit from is a source of treatment dollars.''

According to the study's authors, the post-storm

environment differs significantly from other crises because

of its uncertain resolution.

``This circumstance is being widely misinterpreted as an

acute crisis, somehow implying that it will be over in the

near term, which is categorically wrong,'' Dr. Redlener said.

``This is an acute crisis on top of a pre-existing condition.

It's now a persistent crisis with an uncertain outcome, over

an uncertain timetable.''