Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support of H. Res. 1176, Supporting the goals and ideals of National Train Day, as a Member who appreciates and recognizes the vital role of trains in our economy and as a passenger who commutes between New York and Washington, DC, on the Amtrak Acela. I find my commute by train a convenient, efficient and relaxing way to travel that enables me to read and work in comfort and arrive refreshed, usually on time, and downtown, closer to my destination. I praise the efforts of visionary leaders who over the years have advocated the preservation and modernization of passenger rail service.

Trains have played a vital and historic role in this country, transporting cargo and passengers since the early 19th century, when the first steam locomotive was built by engineer George Stephenson. Without the creation of the steam engine, the Industrial Revolution would not have occurred and our great country would not have been able to prosper as much as it has. In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was completed. Known as the `golden pike,' it connected both the east and west coast of the United States, linking our Nation and bridging the geographical divide like never before.

Although there are a greater number of modes of transportation-- planes, cars, buses--than there were in the early 1800s, trains are still relied on to transport large amounts of freight and millions of people everyday. They have reduced congestion in major cities, helping to reduce pollution connecting people in rural areas to urban centers.

The history of trains has come a long way, from burning coal and going only 130 km/h to high-speed trains that can go from 200 km/h to 350 km/h and are electrically driven by overhead cables. Trains are constantly changing and improving. Due to global warming and greenhouse effects, trains now run more fuel efficiently, emitting only 0.2 percent of the travel industry's total greenhouse gases.

I support National Train Day because the train industry has been an important part of America's story and its economic development, as well as a large part of Americans' day-to-day lives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to note--with alarm--that organ donations are not keeping pace with need in this country, resulting in the deaths of 18 patients per day as they wait idly by for lifelines. The shortage proves particularly detrimental to minority patients, who together make up a staggering 50 percent of people on the transplant waiting list. Because of a paucity of minority donors, and the bruising effect of disparate and unequal access to health care, minority patients find themselves most vulnerable to a deepening crisis that should rally all Americans to the cause.

The health of our citizens should remain foremost on our minds. As the leading power

and example in the world, this country should strive to carve out a premier health care system that works for everyone, not just the politically connected, not just the moneyed. For every American, we have safeguarded the promise of life, liberty, and happiness--and we ought to make good on that. We can have none of the three without adequate health care. This should be our national pride: to continually develop and improve upon our remarkable successes in medicine, to shape and mold a health care system that is the envy of the world.

An April 22 New York CARIB News piece, titled ``Organ Donation A Crisis Among Minorities'' and written by Dr. Jennifer Wider, denotes these concerns and offers solutions.

Organ Donation a Crisis Among Minorities

The number of people needing organ transplants is rising

faster than the number of donors, according to statistics

from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Roughly 77 people receive organ transplants per day in the

United States, but 18 people die each day waiting for

transplants that will never happen due to the shortage of

available organs.

Organ transplantation involves putting organs or tissues

from one person into the body of another person, whose organs

or tissues have been damaged or are no longer working.

``The recipient has to be immunologically matched to the

donor well enough that the organ won't be immediately

rejected,'' says Mark Schnitzler, Ph.D., assistant professor

of health administration at Washington University School of

Medicine in St. Louis. ``Blood type match has to be

acceptable and the recipient can't be already sensitized to

the donor's tissue types.''

The need for transplants is particularly high among

minorities, especially among African-Americans. Of the 83,000

people on the national transplant waiting list, approximately

fifty percent are minorities, according to United Network for

Organ Sharing.

According to a recent study in the American Journal for

Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, David J. Lederer, M.D.,

and colleagues at Columbia University College of Physicians

and Surgeons in New York found that, ``After listing for lung

transplantation, African-American patients with chronic

obstructive pulmonary disease were less likely to undergo

transplantation and more likely to die or be removed from the

list compared with Caucasian patients.'' Unequal access to

care is among the likely reasons Lederer and his team cited

for this disparity.

Organ donation recipients are more likely to match up to

others of their own race and ethnicity. ``Both blood type and

tissue types have racial and ethnic patterns,'' Schnitzler

said. That is why it is important to look into ways to

increase minority organ donations.

The need for more donor organs among minority women is

especially great because minority women suffer

disproportionately from certain diseases of the kidney,

heart, lung, pancreas, and liver that can lead to organ

failure.

``Minority women are well represented as a share of the

total population that donates organs, but their need for

transplants is greater,'' said Sherry Marts, Ph.D., vice

president of scientific affairs for the Society for Women's

Health Research, a Washington, D.C., based advocacy

organization. ``Because of a shortage of appropriate donor

organs, minority women often have to wait longer for doctors

to find a match. Sadly, many die waiting. With more donated

organs from minority women, finding a match will be quicker,

waiting times will be cut and more lives will be saved.''

Further complicating matters are studies that show the

biological sex of the organ donor and recipient can affect

transplant success. At least one study has found that the

combinations least likely to result in organ rejection are

female recipient-male donor, followed by male recipient-male

donor.

``These findings have not yet affected clinical practice

because of the organ shortage,'' Marts said. ``Doctors can't

afford to wait for the most optimal donor-recipient

combination where the sex of the patients is concerned. They

have to make the best decisions possible with the limited

organs available. As organ preservation techniques improve,

however, this could become a factor.''

Health promotion and disease prevention programs are needed

to shed light on the diseases and negative lifestyle choices

that may increase the need for organ transplants. Diseases

such as diabetes and hypertension and behaviors including

alcohol and substance abuse, poor nutrition and lack of

exercise are all risk factors for diseases that can cause

permanent or irreversible damage to organs and tissues.

The Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program is

working to increase awareness for minority organ donation.

This program also provides information that is vital to good

health and can delay or prevent the need for organ

transplants. Here are some of the program's key tips:

Have your blood pressure checked at least twice per year

after age 12; Diabetics should have blood pressure checked

regularly and follow diet and exercise instructions; Avoid

alcoholic beverages to help prevent liver disease; Avoid use

of illegal drugs such as marijuana, heroin and cocaine which

cause liver disease and kidney failure; Avoid smoking

cigarettes which can lead to heart and lung disease; Avoid

foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats such as fried

foods which can clog the arteries; Establish a regular

exercise routine which should be performed at least three

times per week; Visit your doctor at least once per year for

a check-up.

April is National Donate Life Month. Information about

organ and tissue donation is available on a special Web site

from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http:/

/www.organdonor.gov/.

I know that some of you may wonder why an old man like me from Harlem would have an interest in the ag bill, but when I hear my distinguished colleague from New York talk about muck farming, it's very important to us as a farm State that we be involved in those type of things. But the truth of the matter is that, while I recognize there are times to be quiet and to listen and look intelligent, I had Earl Pomeroy right there at my side asking, what are they talking about?

I've learned a lot about trust funds that I didn't even know existed--and some of you didn't know. But the truth of the matter is that, while I recognize that Mr. Kind was looking for a bill that, as a person that concerned themselves in agriculture, that at the end of the day we have to play the cards that have been given to us. And so I do know the good that has come out of this bill and the pride that I got as a Member of this Congress and seeing the work that Mr. Peterson has been able to do, working with the Republicans on the other side, in all parts of the bill, in all parts of the leadership on the House and on the Senate side and with them. And I'm telling you, if all of us could have the optimism that he has displayed in the last few years about the salvation of our country, we would have no problems.

It was like a big jigsaw puzzle, and each time he told me we got the last piece there, and when he plugged it in, something even bigger dropped out. We buried this bill so many times, but I'm glad to see that, through the bipartisanship, the friendship, and the cooperation, we will be able to give this country and the world a product that we're proud of, a product that our farmers have worked on to be able to be the food basket not only of the world, with special provisions, but of the many people in our great country that are so in need of food. I'm proud to be a Member and proud to be a part of this.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud the incredible efforts our nurses pour into their grueling workdays, carrying out their duties to the great benefit of this country's health and medical care system. Together, nurses represent the largest share of health care professionals in the field, boasting numbers eclipsing 2,500,000-- but that's becoming increasingly not enough. Facing a shortage that demands a million new nurses by 2016, the current crop of professionals have shouldered, and will continue to shoulder, the extra work and hours of properly caring for our elderly and infirmed. For this, and so much more, nurses deserve a generous helping of our gratitude and the highest of reverence, not just this next week dubbed ``National Nurses Week,'' but all year round.

We can show them that we care by paying tribute to those nurses serving in Iraq and Afghanistan--by bringing them and our heroic troops home after a job well done. We can show them that we care by outfitting them with a health care system that is affordable, universal, and driven less by profits and more by compassion and humanitarianism. We can show them that we care by investing in the research, techniques, and technologies that promise to one day cure age-old, debilitating diseases that plague millions--and not play politics when our citizens' livelihoods are at stake.

The Harlem Hospital Center serves my district as a powerful force for social progress, catering to the community's health needs and training the next generation's minority and female physicians. The nurses there fight the good fight, day in and day out, not often enough rewarded with the credit that they deserve. I am honored to praise their achievements--and those of their colleagues all across America--this week.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York on its' newly announced initiative to implement two new bachelor degree programs.

Medgar Evers College has long possessed an unparalleled reputation in the field of adult education. The college provides its students with a unique experience, which combines academic excellence in nearly 100 areas of study with real-world experience. This unique combination has lead to the continued success of its students. As a result, the State Board of Regents and the City University of New York accreditation committee approved the allocation of money to fund two new bachelor degree programs: the Bachelor of Arts in

Religion Studies and the Bachelor of Science in Social Work. The new programs are expected to attract a record number of new students to the college for the next academic year and ensure a steady stream of students for the foreseeable future. Medgar Evans College provides students with the flexibility to select their course of study and schedule their classes around commitments such as a job, thereby providing those adults who might not otherwise have the opportunity with the chance to return to school. Education is the key to escaping the grasp of poverty that plagues so many Americans. Medgar Evers College is taking profound steps to ensure that those in need have access to higher education.

It is my sincere hope that other Colleges and Universities across the nation will join Medgar Evers College in providing opportunity for the working poor to enhance their education and qualify for better paid employment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate American University of Antigua & Barbuda on its newly announced initiative establishing a school that will address the nursing shortage occurring in the United States and abroad.

The American University of Antigua & Barbuda aims to create a nursing school that provides Caribbean nationals with a place to pursue higher education in the healthcare industry as well as an alternative location of study for international students. Through its' historic affiliation with CUNY's Lehman College, AUA hopes to improve the medical standards of care throughout the Caribbean. The program allows AUA students who have completed their Associates Degree in Nursing with the option to transition directly into the baccalaureate program at the Lehman college for a mere 2 years. In a time when there is a 6 year wait list to attend nursing college, the creation of this program serves a model to produce more qualified nurses in an attempt to alleviate the nursing shortage. AUA also hopes to provide students with scholarships, in order to allow those people from lower-income families to pursue higher education.

It is my sincere hope that other Colleges and Universities around the world will join the American University of Antigua & Barbuda in providing feasible alternatives to the nursing shortage, while simultaneously allowing minorities and people from lower income families to further their education.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 981, recognizing March 6, 2008, as the first-ever World Glaucoma Day, established to increase awareness of glaucoma, a leading cause of preventable blindness. I want to congratulate my colleagues Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin for introducing this important resolution and together with Congressman Pete Sessions for bringing this measure forward. As a cosponsor of this resolution, I am proud to speak out in favor of adequate Federal funding, legislation when indicated, greater support for glaucoma education and awareness, screenings, regular eye examinations, follow-up, treatment and research. Raising the level of awareness about the effects of this devastating eye disease, and drawing attention toward taking the necessary steps to preserve sight has been of great importance to me, and a special mission for many years.

The resolution expands awareness by calling attention to this dreadful disease that can rob individuals of the priceless gift of sight. Glaucoma, an eye disorder that damages the optic nerve, is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, and affects more than 3 million people. It is often referred to as the ``sneak thief of sight,'' as many are not aware that they have the disease because it has no noticeable early warning signs, symptoms or

pain. It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans are losing their sight because they do not know that they have the disease and are not getting the treatment they need.

The resolution also supports early detection of glaucoma for those at risk, enhanced treatment for those affected, and expanded research. Those groups at highest risk for glaucoma include African Americans, Hispanics, people with a family history of glaucoma, as well as individuals with diabetes and/or hypertension. Senior citizens, in general, are also at high risk for glaucoma. Compelling studies and data show that glaucoma is 6 to 8 times more common in African Americans than in Caucasians, and that African Americans between 45 and 65 are 14 to 17 times more likely to go blind from glaucoma than Caucasians in the same age group. Glaucoma is also the most common cause of blindness in Hispanics, the fastest growing ethnic minority in the country, and they too are at particular risk of being blinded by the disease.

I am proud to support the resolution and underscore the use of legislation as a vehicle when necessary, support adequate Federal funding for early detection, treatment, research, annual screenings and comprehensive eye examinations for individuals over 40, and those at highest risk for glaucoma.

I applaud and support the mission and service of those agencies and organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute, Glaucoma Research Foundation, glaucoma specialists at teaching hospitals, clinics, colleges and universities across the country who demonstrate on a daily basis, their dedication and commitment toward combating this devastating disease.

I am particularly proud of the work of the Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus Foundation, a non-profit organization and the affiliation that I share with my colleague and friend Congressman Ed Towns, as founding members of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus, a non-partisan body of more than 90 congressional members in the House and Senate. I urge my colleagues who are not members of the caucus to join to promote free glaucoma screenings, education and awareness within your districts.

Finally, I join in with my colleague Congressman Ed Towns of New York and urge the Energy and Commerce Committee to hold a speedy hearing on H.R. 3005, the Glaucoma Screening Act of 2007, a worthy and important bill introduced by our colleagues, Representatives Serrano and Boozman.

Madam Speaker, I rise with great sadness as I pay tribute to Dr. Thelma Evelyn Goodrich-Hill an outstanding daughter of Harlem who recently passed away at the age of 85. As I speak with profound sorrow, I ascend to celebrate a life well lived and to remember with fondness the accomplishments of a remarkable woman who, over her many years and under much adversary, was a leader in the sphere of business.

Thelma was born on April 19, 1923, in the City of New York. She was one of four daughters born to James E. Daniel Goodrich. Thelma was a life-long resident of Harlem and was a product of New York City's public school system, graduating from Wadleigh High School. She received her professional training at the Harlem Academy of Business, City University of New York's Baruch School of Business, and the College of Insurance.

As a daughter of a real estate entrepreneur, Thelma inherited her father's interest in the world of business becoming one of the first women in Harlem to own and operate her own brokerage firm, Thelma E. Goodrich Real Estate & Insurance Inc.

In January 1960, she united with Lawrence Dudley Hill in holy matrimony. Their marriage was a loving and committed union, lasting 45 years until his passing in September 2005.

Over the years, Thelma emerged as a stabilizing force in the Harlem community in addition to blazing many new trails as a female entrepreneur. In 1982, after many years of the company's growth, Thelma E. Goodrich Inc., merged with the firm of Ernest E. Johnson Insurance Inc., forming Goodrich Johnson Brokerage. This company, a full service insurance brokerage business, continues to effectively handle the needs of businesses and churches throughout the State of New York.

Throughout her busy and involved career, Thelma shared her knowledge of the insurance business by serving on corporate boards and in corporate leadership positions. In 1988 she was elected chair of the board of directors of the United Mutual Life Insurance Company, the first African-American woman to hold that position. She was also the first woman to serve as president, of the Council of Insurance Brokers of Greater New York, Inc.

Thelma was also involved with many different organizations. She was an active member of the Iota Phi Lambda Sorority and a life long member and past president of the New York Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs Inc., a former chair of the board of the Greater Harlem Real Estate Board, and a founding member and past president of the Harlem Business Alliance. In April 1986 she was elected to the board of trustees at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and in 1998, she was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters by Shaw University.

Over the years, Thelma was recognized by the business and religious communities for her professional achievements and volunteer work to improve the quality of life for others, including the NAACP, United Insurance Brokers of Greater New York, Harlem Commonwealth Council, Shaw University School of Divinity, The YWCA, and most recently, the Council of Insurance Brokers of Greater New York, Inc.

Thelma leaves behind a wealth of family and friends to honor her memory. She will be greatly missed by her. sister, Irene McKenzie; 2 nephews, 1 niece, and a blessed abundance of cousins, friends and colleagues.

Madam Speaker, rather than mourn her passing, I hope that my colleagues will join me in celebrating the life of Dr. Thelma Goodrich- Hill by remembering that she exemplified greatness in every way.

Madam Speaker, in the interest of our national security, competitive standing in the world, and criminal justice system--I rise today to rouse dialogue on an issue that implicates all three: education. Recent numbers report that as few as 1 out of every 2 youngsters are not earning high school diplomas in our Nation's biggest cities. For those of us from districts where the need is great, these numbers are far from new, let alone startling. But even as they inspired alarm in the wake of the report's release, they have failed to ignite a national conversation on an issue that demands action, not just today, but yesterday. That alarm has already, regrettably, been snuffed out. We remain, still, oddly hush-hush and complacent.

Many will make an argument of the heart, that to fail to equip these kids with the skills and knowledge they need to eschew poverty and criminality demonstrates an abominable lack of compassion. This is true. But allow me to also make an argument of the mind. These children cannot afford failure--and neither can we. As a nation, we drastically shrink our talent pool and our ability to compete on the global stage when we trade bodies in our college classrooms for bodies on the streets, in jails, even underground. We give way to the rise in influence of China and India and saddle the next generation with a workforce unfit for competition, perennially unemployed and underemployed. That is an explicit and direct threat to our national security.

A New York Times editorial--written by Bob Herbert, published on April 22, and titled ``Clueless in America''--makes the case for an America that rises to this challenge, that takes note of our lack of progress, and moves with purpose and innovation towards correcting it.

Clueless in America

We don't hear a great deal about education in the

presidential campaign. It's much too serious a topic to

compete with such fun stuff as Hillary tossing back a shot of

whiskey, or Barack rolling a gutter ball.

The nation's future may depend on how well we educate the

current and future generations, but (like the renovation of

the nation's infrastructure, or a serious search for better

sources of energy) that can wait. At the moment, no one seems

to have the will to engage any of the most serious challenges

facing the U.S.

An American kid drops out of high school every 26 seconds.

That's more than a million every year, a sign of big trouble

for these largely clueless youngsters in an era in which a

college education is crucial to maintaining a middle-class

quality of life--and for the country as a whole in a world

that is becoming more hotly competitive every day.

Ignorance in the United States is not just bliss, it's

widespread. A recent survey of teenagers by the education

advocacy group Common Core found that a quarter could not

identify Adolf Hitler, a third did not know that the Bill of

Rights guaranteed freedom of speech and religion, and fewer

than half knew that the Civil War took place between 1850 and

1900.

``We have one of the highest dropout rates in the

industrialized world,'' said Allan Golston, the president of

U.S. programs for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In a

discussion over lunch recently he described the situation as

``actually pretty scary, alarming.''

Roughly a third of all American high school students drop

out. Another third graduate but are not prepared for the next

stage of life--either productive work or some form of post-

secondary education.

When two-thirds of all teenagers old enough to graduate

from high school are incapable of mastering college-level

work, the nation is doing something awfully wrong.

Mr. Golston noted that the performance of American

students, when compared with their peers in other countries,

tends to grow increasingly dismal as they move through the

higher grades:

``In math and science, for example, our fourth graders are

among the top students globally. By roughly eighth grade,

they're in the middle of the pack. And by the 12th grade,

U.S. students are scoring generally near the bottom of all

industrialized countries.''

Many students get a first-rate education in the public

schools, but they represent too small a fraction of the

whole.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, offered a brutal

critique of the nation's high schools a few years ago,

describing them as ``obsolete'' and saying, ``When I compare

our high schools with what I see when I'm traveling abroad, I

am terrified for our work force of tomorrow.''

Said Mr. Gates: ``By obsolete, I don't just mean that they

are broken, flawed or underfunded, though a case could be

made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our

high schools--even when they're working as designed--cannot

teach all our students what they need to know today.''

The Educational Testing Service, in a report titled

``America's Perfect Storm,'' cited three powerful forces that

are affecting the quality of life for millions of Americans

and already shaping the nation's future. They are:

1. The wide disparity in the literacy and math skills of

both the school-age and adult populations. These skills,

which play such a tremendous role in the lives of individuals

and families, vary widely across racial, ethnic and

socioeconomic groups.

2. The ``seismic changes'' in the U.S. economy that have

resulted from globalization, technological advances, shifts

in the relationship of labor and capital, and other

developments.

3. Sweeping demographic changes. By 2030, the U.S.

population is expected to reach 360 million. That population

will be older and substantially more diverse, with

immigration having a big impact on both the population as a

whole and the work force.

These and so many other issues of crucial national

importance require an educated populace if they are to be

dealt with effectively. At the moment we are not even coming

close to equipping the population with the intellectual tools

that are needed.

While we're effectively standing in place, other nations

are catching up and passing us when it comes to educational

achievement. You have to be pretty dopey not to see the

implications of that.

But, then, some of us are pretty dopey. In the Common Core

survey, nearly 20 percent of respondents did not know who the

U.S. fought in World War II. Eleven percent thought that

Dwight Eisenhower was the president forced from office by the

Watergate scandal. Another 11 percent thought it was Harry

Truman.

We've got work to do.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 865 which urges the United States Government to consider fully and carefully the recommendations in the UNODC and World Bank Report entitled ``Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean.''

Although using Caribbean nations as major transit points for illegal drugs is not a new problem, it does shed light on a longstanding issue--the U.S. policy on providing assistance to the Caribbean nations in combating illegal drug activity. A major contributing factor to illegal drug activity remains the lack of resources Caribbean nations possess to combat this growing and menacing problem.

This problem will not resolve itself. Some steps the United States should take to assist the member states of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic include, but are not limited to: coordinating policy development and implementation, providing counter-narcotics assistance, and a continuance of policy initiatives that are working, such as the bilateral cooperation between the United States and the Government of Jamaica. Under this initiative, the U.S. provides training and material support to sections of Jamaican law enforcement agencies to strengthen their counter-narcotics capabilities. This is an excellent example that should be modeled throughout the Caribbean.

It is imperative for the United States to work with CARICOM member states and the Dominican Republic to establish effective programs to mitigate and ultimately, eradicate illegal drug activity. This will take a coordinated and aggressive collaboration by CARICOM member states, the Dominican Republic and the United States to have an impact on drugs being transported through the Caribbean and into the U.S. Even though this is a very daunting problem, working together and fully and carefully considering the recommendations in the UNODC and World Bank report is certainly a major step in the right direction.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize World Malaria Day.

Every 30 seconds, a child dies from malaria. More than 1 million people die of malaria every year, mostly infants, young children and pregnant women and most of them in Africa. Approximately 40 percent of the world's population, mostly those living in the world's poorest countries, is at risk of malaria. Every year, more than 500 million people become severely ill with malaria. Since the 1970s, significant investments have demonstrated that malaria control is working, and given hope for preventing the 1 million deaths caused by malaria each year. With the advent of new tactics, elimination and, ultimately, eradication of malaria may be possible. Because malaria is a massive global scourge and a medically complex disease, the pathway to eradication is a long one. Achieving eradication will depend on carefully coordinated, balanced efforts to build upon malaria control and elimination programs. Building a pathway to eradication will take time, but it is possible if all stakeholders collaborate today to prevent malaria deaths in Africa and elsewhere. Now is the time to begin charting the course.

Organizations like Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, reach across borders to fight a disease that has no borders. Jhpiego is working to combat the devastating effects of malaria by bringing innovative approaches and putting research to practice to improve the health of women and families throughout the world. For example, in Nigeria, it is preparing community volunteers in remote areas to extend malaria services to pregnant women who are not in contact with a formal healthcare system. The volunteers are trained to educate pregnant women on the steps necessary to prevent malaria. Additionally, the workers also distribute preventative medicine and insecticide-treated bednets. Once rolled out to full scale, this community based intervention will help break down some of the barriers to high-quality healthcare for the world's most vulnerable populations.

Jhpiego is a leader in developing innovations that break down the barriers and build more sustainable local health care systems globally. Jhpiego works in 12 African countries to support program implementation for malaria in pregnancy (MIP) prevention and case management.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the editorial, ``Black Achievers in Industry'' which appeared in this week's edition of the New York Carib News.

The editorial praised the Harlem YMCA's 38th National Salute to Black Achievers in Industry (BAI) Awards dinner. The Black Achievers in Industry Awards dinner serves as the organization's premier fundraiser to raise the money necessary to fund countless youth programs. The Black Achievers in Industry Awards serves a vital purpose in the community, as the cooperative has partnered with more than 100 corporations to provide much needed scholarships to New York City high school seniors and college students. The Black Achievers Program recognizes the importance of education and its ability to give children a future filled with possibilities.

It is my sincere hope that other corporations across the Nation will join the Black Achievers Program in providing disadvantaged students from lower- and middle-income families with the financial means required to attend a college or university.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Congresswoman Maxine Waters on receiving the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo Silver Award.

Since 1980, Congresswoman Waters has worked tirelessly to improve the situation of the South African people. During the long reign of the apartheid regime, Representative Waters organized marches, participated in rallies and welcomed countless antiapartheid leaders to the United States. Spearheading the national divestment movement, Congresswoman Waters persuaded countless American corporations to withhold investing money in South Africa until apartheid ceased to exist. When South Africa held its first free elections 1994, Representative Waters was asked to be a member of the official U.S. delegation that attended the inauguration of the country's first black president, Nelson Mandela. Clearly, Congresswoman Maxine Waters played a vital role in ending apartheid.

In my opinion, there is no one more deserving of one of South Africa's most prestigious awards. Congresswoman Maxine Waters devoted her career to ensuring that all people no matter their origin, race or culture, have the chance to experience freedom.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support fair pay for women.

Women are an integral and vital part of the United States workforce. However, there exists a wage gap between men and women. Forty-one percent of women are the sole breadwinners in their families. April 22, 2008 is Equal Pay Day, which highlights the need for equal pay for American women. Equal Pay Day began in 1996 as a public awareness event by the Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE). The purpose of this day is to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. Equal Pay Day is observed on a Tuesday in April to represent how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year.

It is preposterous that, in 2008, women earn less money than men for doing the same work. This wage gap is even greater for women of color. In this age of rising fuel costs,

which impact what we pay for food, clothing, utilities, etc., women should receive the same pay as their male counterparts for doing the same job. In 2006, women earned 77 cents to the dollar. However, when women shop at the supermarket, they do not receive a 23-percent discount on food nor do they receive a discount on their utilities, medical care copayments or any other of life's necessities.

Something must be done to close this gap. I support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 and hope my Senate colleagues will support equal pay for all American women.