Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Credit unions have been good stewards of our money. I say our money, because while they have not been eligible for any of the TARP funds, they have not been involved in the subprime loan situation many have blamed as causing this economic crisis. When the stimulus went into effect, Credit Unions were the only ones trying to lend money.

I have been hearing a lot from the credit unions and community banks in my district regarding the debit interchange provision. I am very concerned that the interchange provision

may have the unintended consequence of adversely affecting these small financial institutions. I know they are intended to be carved-out of this provision and I hope that my colleagues will join me in encouraging the Federal Reserve and the card payment networks to make sure that the carve-out envisioned under this provision is meaningful and effective.

I was pleased to read the statement from Chairman Frank restating his views of the interchange amendment included in the conference report. I urge him to work with the Credit Union National Association as it works with the Fed to ensure that credit unions with under $10 billion in assets were held exempt from the Fed interchange changes. Chairman Frank's statement gives the Fed strong guidance to follow when this bill becomes law.

In conclusion, the Interchange language exempts all community banks and credit unions with under $10 billion in assets. To achieve this, we: included language that explicitly prohibits intra-brand discrimination. Thus, if a merchant takes a Visa debit card, it must take all Visa debit cards. Also exempted credit cards. As Chairman Frank has noted, ``for good measure . . . merchants and retailers cannot discriminate against small banks for the credit cards they issue.'' Furthermore, when the Federal Reserve issues rules regulating interchange fees, it is directed, in Chairman Frank's words, ``to ensure that community banks and credit unions remain exempt from the requirements and are able to continue to issue their debit cards without any market penalty.''

This exempts all but three credit unions nationwide.

Beyond this, here are additional measures in the Interchange amendment that more broadly benefit working families: fixed states' concerns by removing government-administered pay programs from interchange fee regulation. Fixed concerns of pre-paid folks who offer services to the under-banked by removing them from interchange fee regulation. With respect to this, we also added pro-consumer language that Sander Levin has in a bill to prohibit overdraft fees and fees on the first monthly ATM withdrawal using one of these cards. Ensured that USDA's SNAP, food stamp, program is not affected.

I look forward to passage of this bill and the fair treatment of Credit Unions by the Federal Reserve.

Madam Speaker, I rise at this time to honor the life of Charles Legrand Lewis. He was the father of a former Military Fellow in my office and current Army Lieutenant Colonel, Patrick Lewis. His father, Charles Legrand Lewis, at age 69, of Oceanside, California, died peacefully, Sunday, May 2, 2010, at Tri- City Medical Center, Oceanside, California, surrounded by his family.

He was born in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, on March 9, 1941, to the late Charlie Roundtree and Ada Mervell Lewis. Also preceding him in death was his brother, Harold Lewis.

Legrand, as he was known, graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, Maryland class of 1959, where he was an avid trumpet player in the school band. After graduation he attended a printing apprenticeship program at Westinghouse in Baltimore, where he began his 45-year commercial photographer career in the printing industry.

Legrand's career lead him to New York where he met his wife of over 40 years Bernice Lewis, of Wilson, North Carolina. They later moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then Willingboro, New Jersey, where they raised two children until they moved to Oceanside, California, where they prepared for retirement.

After retirement Legrand enjoyed wearing baseball caps and driving his convertible top down, no matter how cold or hot it was. He enjoyed his family and friends and was affectionately known as ``Pop Pop'' by his grandchildren. He also enjoyed meeting and sharing life stories with everyone he met. He always told a good story and was a kind and gentle man. He will be missed greatly by his family and everyone who knew him.

Legrand is survived by his wife, Bernice Lewis; brother, Frank Lewis, Baltimore, MD; sister Candy Woingust, Baltimore, MD; four children (two children from previous marriage), son, Andre Whitt, Los Angeles, CA; daughter, Lavern Whitt, Los Angeles, CA; son Patrick Lewis, Lorton, VA; daughter Stephanie Lewis, Philadelphia, PA; seven grandchildren; Jasmine Lewis, Dominque Lewis, Jade Lewis, Taj Whitt, Tyler Whitt, Freedom Lewis, Victorie Lewis; one great grandchild, J'leigh Lewis, and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of my dear, lifelong. friend, Dr. Edna Saffy. We were students at the University of Florida in the 1970s and we worked together for 16 years at Florida Community College of Jacksonville. Everyone knew her as one of the great women leaders of our generation and she often led merely by example. For instance, she was one of the first women I know who did not take her husband's last name.

Dr. Saffy was a human rights activist, college professor and founder of NOW chapters in Jacksonville and Gainesville. Her public service to the Third District included mayoral appointments to the Duval County Hospital Authority, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, advisory committee on LaVilla Cultural Heritage District and the Jacksonville Area Planning Board. She was active with numerous groups including Planned Parenthood, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society, Hubbard House, Karpeles Manuscript Museum and the American Association of University Women.

Dr. Saffy's influence spread far beyond Jacksonville, however. She was appointed by President Clinton to the Advisory Committee on the Arts of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts from 1995-2001, and by President Gerald Ford in 1976 as a delegate to the International Women's Conference. Active in Mideast peace groups and a member of the American Arab Institute, President Clinton invited her to witness the signing of the Mid-East Peace Accord in 1993.

Finally, she worked hard for the Democratic Party. Dr. Saffy was a member of the Duval County Democratic Executive Committee for 35 years, was a Florida State delegate to all the Democratic National Conventions from 2000 and served as president of the Florida Women's Political Caucus.

Like the Apostle Paul, she fought the good fight, she finished the course, and she kept the faith. Now, it us up to us to carry on her work.

My thoughts and prayers are with her husband of 41 years, Grady E. Johnson Jr.. God has blessed us by allowing us to have Dr. Saffy in our lives.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1301) supporting the goals and ideals of National Train Day, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 1301.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Rail in America is experiencing a renaissance we haven't seen in 50 years. All forms of passenger rail, including Amtrak, are seeing increased ridership numbers. In fact, in 2009 Amtrak welcomed aboard over 27.1 million passengers, the second-largest annual total in Amtrak's history, an average of more than 74,000 passenger rides and more than 300 Amtrak trains per day.

For me, as chair of the Rail Subcommittee, the eventual goal is to have high-speed intercity passenger, and commuter rail lines connecting nationwide to serve as an enhancement to our current systems of transportation.

Moreover, if a nationwide high-speed and intercity passenger rail system is realized, it will not only serve as a tremendous benefit to our Nation's transportation needs but will also be a superb asset toward getting people back to work by creating quality jobs in our economy's manufacturing sector. In some areas, like where the Sunset Limited used to operate, it is a homeland security issue. If the United States was hit by a natural or manmade disaster, we need a functional system that will move citizens out of harm's way.

There is no doubt that increasing the use of passenger and freight rail is the best way for our Nation to address the environmental and energy-related challenges we face today. Freight railroads, for example, have made major gains in fuel efficiency through training and improved locomotive technology. Indeed, a single intermodal train can take up to 280 trucks off of our highways. And one gallon of diesel fuel can move a ton of freight an average of 414 miles, a 76-percent improvement since 1980, while General Electric has recently unveiled the world's first hybrid locomotive.

In addition, passenger rail's ability to reduce congestion is well- known, and their ridership numbers are increasing steadily each year. One full passenger train in fact can take 250 to 300 cars off the road. Passenger rail also consumes much less energy than automobiles and commercial airlines. As we have seen with the horrible oil spills on our Gulf Coast, with estimates of 5,000 barrels floating into the sea every day, it is clear we need a new way of doing things in the transportation arena.

Our committee has hit the rails, having a national dialogue with America about the future of the U.S. transportation system. Just two weeks ago, I led a Whistle Stop Rail Tour to promote high-speed and intercity passenger rail in the United States. We started in Washington, traveled to upstate New York, and ended up in Chicago where we conducted a major hearing on rail issues. We are planning additional events in Texas, California, Oregon, and throughout the United States.

All along the way, we saw stimulus dollars going toward improving our transportation infrastructure and creating jobs for the local workforce. In that particular region in upstate New York, rail manufacturing could very well replace the good jobs in those towns that were sent overseas.

Just Saturday, I rode with Amtrak as they tested the current Florida East Coast Railroad line from Jacksonville to Miami for passenger service. And on Monday, we held the latest in a series of high-speed rail hearings in Miami, Florida. Everywhere we have gone, we have gotten very strong support for Amtrak service and high-speed rail. The only complaint I have heard is that there wasn't enough money and it wasn't coming fast enough.

Over the past 50 years, the Federal Government has invested nearly $1.3 trillion in our Nation's highways and more than $484 billion in aviation. Unfortunately, since 1970 when Congress created Amtrak, we have just invested $67 billion in intercity passenger rail, including Amtrak.

Now, I have always assured everyone that the $8 billion in the Recovery Act was just a down payment and there would be more planning and construction dollars coming in the near future. But we need to get serious about funding high-speed rail. With just $1 billion budgeted for fiscal year 2011, we need to find a dedicated revenue source so that States, operators, stakeholders, and manufacturers aren't afraid to make investments in infrastructure and manpower.

In fact, I feel so passionate about it that I spearheaded a letter that over 100 Members signed to President Obama requesting that he include a dedicated source of revenue for high-speed rail in the transportation reauthorization policy objective that the administration is developing.

We still have a lot of work to do before the first passengers board high-speed trains in the United States, but we are off to a great start with the investment made in the Recovery Act.

I encourage all of my colleagues to show their support for this resolution and the new age of rail in America. This is a giant step in the right direction.

Let's roll, baby, roll. Toot toot. That's it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the chair of the committee and our transportation guru.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 263) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include additional material on House Concurrent Resolution 263.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to support House Concurrent Resolution 263, which authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 25th Annual District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Capitol Police, along with the D.C. Special Olympics, will participate in the Torch Run to be held on June 4, 2010. Law enforcement officers, who are part of the extended volunteer network that supports the Special Olympics, carry the Olympic torch across the Capitol Grounds throughout the District of Columbia.

The D.C. Special Olympics expect over 1,500 law enforcement officers to participate in the Torch Run, which will be a 2.3 mile course from the Capitol Grounds to Fort McNair. These events, along with others throughout the year, are designed to raise funds to support year-round activities for the D.C. Special Olympics. The D.C. Special Olympics allows area residents with intellectual disabilities to participate in competitive sport activities in order to test their abilities against their peers, develop confidence, and improve their health.

The D.C. Special Olympics will work closely with the Capitol Police and the Architect of the Capitol to make sure that the event is in full compliance with the rules and regulations governing the use of the Capitol Grounds. The event will be free and open to the public.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

Will the gentleman yield for a question?

I just want to thank the gentleman from Rhode Island, Mr. Patrick Kennedy, for your leadership throughout the years in support of the Special Olympics. And how many years have you supported it?

Well, I want to once again thank you for your leadership, not just for America, but for the world in this area.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 247) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include additional material on House Concurrent Resolution 247.

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

I am delighted to support House Concurrent Resolution 247, which authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Mr. Hoyer, who has been such a great and consistent champion for his constituents for this event.

Consistent with all events using the Capitol Grounds, this event is open to the public and free of charge. The organizers will work with the Capitol Police and the Architect of the Capitol.

I support Concurrent Resolution 247 and urge passage of the resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the Soap Box Derby, of which Mr. Hoyer has been the sponsor for a number of years, is an event that has been put on for a number of years, and the purpose is to prepare young people from age 8 to 17.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time we have remaining?

I yield as much time as the leader may consume.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1278) in support and recognition of National Safe Digging Month, April, 2010, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 1278.

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

I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1278, a resolution to designate the month of April as National Safe Digging Month. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, PHMSA, along with many States and stakeholders across the Nation, have come together to support this designation. If approved, it will also mark the 3-year anniversary of 811 as the national ``Call Before You Dig'' telephone number.

This year, throughout the entire month of April, PHMSA is encouraging all homeowners and contractors to call 811 before they dig to prevent fatalities, injuries, environmental dangers, and other possible loss of critical infrastructure and services. According to PHMSA, excavation damage continues to be a leading cause of serious pipeline incidents. In fact, each year there are hundreds of thousands of underground utility lines damaged through excavation in the United States, 35 percent of which occur as a direct result of people not calling before digging.

According to PHMSA, the one-call notification system has helped reduce the percentage of excavation damages caused by failure to locate underground utilities prior to digging, from 57 percent in 2004 to 35 percent in 2009. Clearly, these numbers speak for themselves. Indeed, it is extremely important to call 811, the Call Before You Dig line, and it is such an easy way for individuals and companies to save lives, the environment, our Nation's infrastructure, and even save money and investments. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for your leadership and hard work on defense acquisition and making sure that our defense industrial base is working for the national defense and not for profits.

However, there is a serious problem that minority, women and veteran companies are not well represented in the contracting of defense systems and these groups need to be made more of a priority.

The Department of Defense spends billions of taxpayer dollars each year, but minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses are not getting to participate. I often use my grandma's sweet potato pie as an example. We all pay for the ingredients and we should all get a slice. But they can't even get a sliver. These same big companies keep getting all the contracts and make little effort to include smaller companies. This is completely unacceptable.

The Defense Department doesn't need to look any further than the Department of Transportation in seeking a model for including minority participation. The DOT has a strong program for inclusion and I would encourage the Department of Defense to ensure that they develop a system that included minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses. These are their tax dollars we are spending and they deserve to be at the table.

I am pleased to see that Section 401 of the bill expands the industrial base by identifying non-traditional suppliers and using tools and resources available within the Federal Government and in the private sector.

This legislation is a good vehicle to make sure that Congress and the Department of Defense work to minimize discrimination and include all companies in the defense of our nation.

Small and minority businesses are the backbone of our economy. We need to make sure all companies have an opportunity to contribute to our national defense.

Madam Speaker, I was saddened to hear of the loss of one of the foremost leaders of the civil rights movement and a true national treasure, Dr. Dorothy Height. I always say, when you're born you get a birth certificate, and when you die you get a death certificate--but it's what you do with the dash in between that really matters. And that saying really encapsulates the essence of Dorothy Height's life.

As an African-American woman and longtime Member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am particularly grateful for the courage, wisdom and determination she employed to create opportunities for women and for African Americans in our country.

Dorothy Height began her career in 1937 by serving those in dire need as a welfare caseworker and had the ear of every President since Eisenhower. Most recently, she was an honored guest and seated dignitaries at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Along the way, Dr. Height was behind every major civil rights movement and progressive effort for social change throughout the century.

As president of the National Council of Negro Women for four decades, she tackled issues that affected all women, including child care for working mothers, health and nutrition, as well as providing housing for families in need. As a civil rights activist, Dr. Height participated in protests in Harlem during the 1930s, and went on to be instrumental in lobbying first lady Eleanor Roosevelt on behalf of civil rights causes a few years later. Dr. Height was also a key player in advocating for President Dwight D. Eisenhower to move more aggressively on school desegregation issues. Dr. Height is one of two people to earn all three of our nation's highest civilian honors: the Presidential Citizens Award (1989), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1994) and the Congressional Gold Medal (2004).

My thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and loved ones of Dr. Dorothy Height. The nation will never forget her, the mother of the civil rights movement, especially those of us who have followed her lead in working for social justice.

Thank you. Before I begin, I just want to thank you for your leadership on this matter and thank you for night after night coming to the floor. After we do our day work, we can always count on you doing the night work, coming here, educating the American people. And I just want to personally thank you for your leadership.

And all of the women that have come out tonight.

Let me just make a few remarks, and then I have a series of questions that I want to ask you. But first of all, this is a fight that--I came here in 1992, and we started with Clinton, and just because we didn't pass health care does not mean it wasn't a serious problem. And we got a piece of the loaf. We were able to get programs that covered children. So that was step one.

But here we are on this historical event where we're going to have the opportunity to go to step two. And let me just say that this bill is not the perfect bill, but I have been elected 27 years, and I've been in this House for 18 years, and I've never seen the perfect bill. But this is the perfect beginning. I mean, there is so much that I would have included in this bill.

A public option, to me, is very important. I've been on VA for 18 years. VA is a public option. TRICARE is a public option, and that keeps the cost down. We made the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense negotiate the price of the drugs to keep the costs down. We want to do that for all Americans. When we passed that hideous bill that helped people with the doughnut hole, one of the things in the bill that was against the law was that the Secretary did not have the option of negotiating the prices of drugs for all of us.

So I would like to discuss, when the President signs the bill, what are some of the things that would immediately come into effect? And one of them that I think is so important to families, particularly mothers who have kids in college, is that age for family coverage would go up to 26. Is that correct?

You know, that is so important. As a mother who had a kid in school, I mean, when they got to a certain age, the plan--even our plan dumped them. So with this, you will be able to keep the kids on the family coverage while they're in college. I think that is extremely important.

One other area, one lady came to one of

my town hall meetings, and she was a black female. She mentioned that she was educated, and she was concerned about the deficit. But I said, Concerned about the deficit? Well, President Obama said that--you know, I look at it like when you've got your head in the lion's mouth; you've got to ease it out. We were under the Bush administration for 8 years. What was it? Tax breaks, tax breaks. I used to call it a reverse Robin Hood--robbing from the poor and working people to give tax breaks to the rich. Our effort toward health care will bring down that cost.

Now, this young lady had a degree but could not get a job because she had a preexisting condition, epilepsy. So I told her, You are the poster child. The only reason she could not get a job is because she had a preexisting condition. Now, how would this work under this bill?

I want to share a couple of quick stories.

In one of my town hall meetings, a person came in and was telling a story that they had been in an abusive marriage for a number of years but stayed in that marriage because she needed the health care for her children. This should not exist in the United States. And in another case, a woman quit her job so she could take care of her mother. Her mother had insurance; she had not. For 6 years, she didn't go to the doctor. She had an emergency, had to go to the emergency room. Her bill was $10,000, and they think she's got cancer.

So if there is a better way to provide service--and of course women are always the ones that are--you know, they have the children, and because of a divorce or because they're working in minimum-wage jobs, they can't afford health care. So these bills will go a long way to help women that are single or divorced or married and their husband died or got a divorce.

So, I mean, this is so important for women in the Third Congressional District of Florida, women in this country and women in Florida. This is a step forward. It's not a perfect bill, but it's a perfect beginning.

Let me just say that we compete with companies all over the world, and the reason why we are losing the bids is because health care is a part of the bid. So when we compete with other countries--you know, 16 percent of our income goes toward health care.

You know, I had dinner with the French Ambassador a couple of nights ago. They spend 9 percent. So basically we're losing out as far as jobs for American workers because we don't have health care.

Yes, 9 percent.

That's right.

Let me give you a scenario. At one of my town hall meetings recently, a person came to me and said that they went to the hospital, and their bill was $77,000. They negotiated it down to $18,000, so, therefore, they didn't need health care. I said, Let me explain something to you. The hospital did not write that off out of the goodness of their hearts. They are charging it to us, a disproportionate share. We are paying the cost. There is a better way to provide services in this country, and it's not through the emergency room.

What did I say? I said it when I started. I have never seen the perfect bill. It's a perfect beginning, and we're going to refine and massage this bill as we go on.

Like I said, in 1992, we went after health care under President Clinton. We didn't get it, but we came out with the children's portion. And, of course, that's where we are now, and this is the second step. I want more. But the point is, in this body where you're not going to have one Republican vote under any circumstances--and let me tell you something. As far as health care, it's not Democrat; it's not Republican. Everybody needs it. And people who say they don't need it need the mental health portion. Everybody needs health care, period.

Under the last administration, what they did in many areas is they would come in, they would farm out the jobs, and you could be in that same job paying maybe the same amount of money but no benefits.

And that's what so many companies are doing.

That's correct.

Let me just share one other--because you sound like you're closing and I've just got----

I'm sorry. It's the story of someone I know that worked with the Duval County school system for 25 years as a teacher. They quit the job. They had a breakdown, female. Had to go into the hospital, blood sugar went up 700. I mean, intensive care for a week. No health care. I mean, and these stories are over and over again throughout our country and throughout our district. And we can make a difference this week. And this is a giant step for mankind.

I mean, people are concerned, you know, what is going to happen if I vote for this bill? I mean, why are you here? You're here to provide service. You're here to make a difference. The Bible says, to whom God has given much, much is expected. It's a privilege to serve here, but we're not just here to vote on suspension bills.

And post offices. No, this is why we're here. And like you said, this bill will go down like Social Security, Medicaid, this will be one of the biggest bills ever passed by the United States House of Representatives and this Congress.

And certainly, I said it over again. The House bill is so much better than the other body's bill. However, we've got to work with what we've got. And I don't think either one of us is going to stop working to improve health care because we pass a bill. It will be just one more step, and it will give us more to work with.

And that's why I did not vote for that bad bill, that doughnut, when I know so many people needed the coverage, but that was a bone that was thrown to the pharmaceuticals by the past administration, the Bush administration. That was a terrible indictment that was put on the seniors that needed the prescription drug coverage.

And I have a similar incident. I went to the drug store to pick up my mother's prescription. Well, they said it was $200. I said, okay, look again. She came back. Because I knew my mother had TRICARE. She came back, and I think it was $12 or $15. But can you imagine a senior going there, not knowing where in the world they're going to get the $200.

This is something that we are going to fix starting with this bill. This will make a difference for the seniors in this country.

Formulary.

I want to thank you all. And as I take my seat, remember, there's no such thing as a perfect bill, but this is a perfect beginning.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and pay tribute to a fine American, John Maudlin, on an occasion when he and his business have received a prestigious honor: the International Circle of Excellence Award for 2009.

The Circle of Excellence, which is awarded by the International dealer organization of Navistar, Inc., honors International truck dealerships that achieve the highest level of dealer performance with respect to operating and financial standards, market representation, and most importantly, customer satisfaction. It is the highest honor a dealer principal can receive from the company. Under John's leadership, Maudlin International Trucks has grown into one of the preeminent truck dealerships in the Southeast and the entire nation, with 153 employees and five dealer locations in Orlando, Ocala, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach and Palm Bay. In 2007, the dealership also opened two parts and service locations. With this most recent award, Maudlin International has now received the Circle of Excellence Award a total of nine times.

John has achieved this level of accomplishment and recognition through many years of hard work and service to his industry and community. He serves the International dealer network as a member of its Sales, Marketing and Finance Dealer Advisory Board. He is a strong supporter of the Metro Orlando economy through not only his International dealership, but also his successful truck leasing business, Ideal Lease of Orlando. That leasing business is a multi-year winner of the Ideal Gold Award for Excellence. Maudlin International Trucks is also very active in service to the community, staging the holiday party for the kids at the Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital, and engaging in annual adopt-a-family programs with the Orlando Rescue Mission and the Seminole Party Fire Department. John is also a strong supporter of the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando--as well as a diehard University of Alabama football fan.

Through his commitment to hard work and outstanding customer service, he has built an economically vital business of which he can be justly proud. Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join with me in congratulating John Maudlin for his record of accomplishment and for his many contributions to his community, State and Nation.

Madam Speaker, I stand in strong support of the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act introduced by my dear friend and colleague, Representative Maxine Waters.

Like so many of my colleagues here in the Congress, and particularly in the CBC, we have been working to improve the lives of the people of Haiti for many, many years.

I was in Haiti last October with Chairman Oberstar and Congressman Gregory Meeks, and we met with President Preval and members of the Haitian Cabinet to discuss ways to improve the nation's infrastructure system, which is absolutely vital to Haiti's future economic development.

Haiti is an island filled with good-willed, hardworking people, yet their lives are extraordinarily difficult because their country has been in great turmoil for decades, long before the terrible earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince.

Being from Florida, Haiti has always been very, very near and dear to my heart. In my congressional district of Florida, we worked with numerous area churches, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to make about 60 donations of tractor-trailers filled with supplies for the Haitian people.

We worked with nonprofit organizations and with Food For The Poor, and it was transported by the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line--all at no cost to the people of Haiti. You know, because Haiti is not on the front pages of the paper, their needs are very important, and we need to continue to work to help the people of Haiti.

I want to thank all of my colleagues for doing it. This is a really wonderful first step.

Madam Speaker, to whom God has given much, much is expected. We are truly blessed that we have had the opportunity to work and serve with Mr. Murtha.

Now, I have my Mr. Murtha story. I was able to get Mr. Murtha to come to my district, Jacksonville, Florida, the Third Congressional District, which is a military district, but I knew that when he came that I would only have one shot. So I wanted to make sure I covered everything he needed to see in my district.

We started out at the marine base, we went to the port, we went to Cecil Field, we went to Shands Hospital where we had the proton beam. Well, they had tried to get a proton beam in his area. I took the doctor in my area, so he was very shocked when he came to Jacksonville and found out that not only did I have the proton beam in Jacksonville, I had his doctor from his area.

Then I had a reception scheduled for him, and, of course, he said, I don't work this hard. You have shown me everything that you want to develop in your district. Of course, the point is, he came, he saw, and we were able to get the services that the military people needed in my area.

I will never forget, when I went to Normandy, and we had a visitors center, and they had just opened the visitors center there. It was a tribute to all of the people that had served and died in Normandy. And they had no place to go, it was all the crosses, but it was a center that Mr. Murtha and the chairman of Appropriations had gotten funded. Yes, it was an earmark, it was an earmark and a tribute to the people that had served this country. I will never forget how proud I was to go to that visitors center. That should be Mr. Murtha's name on that visitors center in Normandy because he did so much.

In closing, I want to say we always sing the song ``God Bless America,'' and, yes, God blessed America because of Mr. Murtha. In closing, the scripture, Paul, he has fought a good fight and he has finished the course, but it is left up to us now to continue to work, to continue to work for our veterans, to continue to work for the military. This is the kind of tribute that we should pay to Mr. Murtha. The work is not finished.

God did bless America with giving us the example of Mr. Murtha.

I was extremely saddened to hear about the passing of my close colleague and dear friend, Congressman John Murtha, Chairman of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1974, Rep. Murtha dedicated his life to serving his country, both in the military and in Congress. A former Marine, he was the first Vietnam combat Veteran elected to Congress.

Ever since I came to Washington, Congressman Murtha and I had always had a very close relationship; in part, because my district, Florida's third, has a strong military presence, and because of our joint efforts in the arena of veterans affairs. Considered by most to be one of the most influential Democrats in the House, he was an expert and a leader on issues concerning Defense, the military, and our nation's veterans. Deeply respected by Republicans and Democrats alike, Congressman Murtha's leadership and institutional knowledge of all aspects of our nation's security policy will be greatly missed, as will his charm and leadership within the Democratic party. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Congressman's wife, Joyce, and the entire Murtha family.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1085) honoring and celebrating the contributions of African-Americans to the transportation and infrastructure of the United States.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include additional materials on House Resolution 1085.

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

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to offer this resolution during Black History Month honoring African Americans' contributions to transportation and infrastructure in America.

African Americans have played an instrumental role in developing and improving the transportation and infrastructure of the United States. African Americans have had significant and far-reaching influence on all modes of transportation, leading to major improvements in operations, safety, and security on our railways, airways, and highways.

Because of the contributions of these pioneering African Americans, thousands of young people have been inspired to a higher calling. Without their contributions, we wouldn't have the bicycle, safety gates on bridges, turning signals, automatic traffic signals, air-conditioned trucks and rail cars, automatic transmissions, and hundreds of other inventions that make transportation safer and more efficient for everyone.

Transportation also has a storied history in the civil rights movement. Everyone knows that Rosa Park's refusal to move to the back of the bus was one of the defining moments in the fight for equal rights for people of color.

When I was elected to Congress in 1992, I, along with Congressman Alcee Hastings and Congresswoman Carrie Meek, were the first African Americans to serve in the House of Representatives from Florida since Reconstruction. From the moment I was elected, I fought for a seat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and I am honored to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

Serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has allowed me to provide good jobs and expand economic development and new transportation options for the people of my district, my State, and throughout the United States.

Today on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, African Americans serve four Chairs in six subcommittees, and along with Chairman Oberstar and other Members, we are working to restore fairness for minorities and women in all aspects of our Nation's transportation system. We all do our part to support the Nation's transportation system, and we all deserve a seat at the table so we can build and design the systems of the future. I often compare it to my grandmother's delicious sweet potato pie: We all pay for the ingredients, and we all deserve a slice of the pie. I believe it is our duty to ensure that minorities and women-owned businesses are able to compete for contracts as we spend billions of Federal dollars on transportation projects.

The tragedies in Haiti and the Gulf Coast show just how critical our transportation systems are to protecting our citizens; without it, we are often helpless. Too often we take our infrastructure for granted, but it is truly what separates a superpower from a Third World country.

Lastly, I would like to talk about the importance of transportation to our economy. Transportation projects put people to work, create economic development, and provide a better community. Nothing creates jobs better than infrastructure projects. In fact, the $34.3 billion in the Recovery Act for transportation projects created 250,000 direct jobs and 760,000 indirect jobs.

Today we are standing on the shoulders of those pioneering giants that came before us. As we make bigger strides each day to improve transportation, we must not forget the ``never give up'' attitude that made these inventions and milestones possible. I would encourage all Members to vote ``yes'' on this resolution and show their support for the brave men and women who against all odds made America a better place to live.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

It is an honor to be here today with our distinguished guest chaplain, Rev. Bertrain Bailey, who is Pastor of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson's constituent. Rev. Bailey is well known for his strong faith and the work he is doing in the Dallas, Texas, community. He has impacted the lives of thousands of congregation members, and I am pleased that he could be with us today in the House of Representatives to share his prayers and wisdom.

For over 130 years, the Missionary Baptist Church has been known for its tradition of serving the church family and community. During his time at St. John's, Rev. Bailey has proven an energetic and dynamic leader. His spirit and initiative have endeared him to current members and attracted new members. I am pleased to be able to share his faith and inspiration with my colleagues. I thank Rev. Bailey for his presence and his blessing.