Floor Statements

Social Security has nothing to do with the debt

problems that we are facing now, and seniors and the disabled should not be held hostage by the Republicans, whose only priority in this debate is to protect America's wealthiest citizens.

Under former President Bush, our Nation financed two wars on our credit card, and senior citizens should not be collateral damage. We lost trillions of dollars through irresponsible tax cuts. So let's be clear that tax cuts are the same as spending when it comes to the deficit. Now the Republican Party's proposed solution is to make up the difference by taking money from seniors. That is unacceptable.

I am from Florida, the home of Claude Pepper. If he were here today, he would be furious that a program developed to keep seniors out of poverty has been jeopardized by tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.

I'm Corrine Brown from Florida, and I'm from the home of Claude Pepper. He was a House Member and a Senator, but he was Mr. Social Security. He was here during the time of Ronald Reagan, and he made sure that Social Security, which was enacted under the Democrats, and I will never forget, Newt Gingrich said that he wanted it to ``wither on the vine.'' That's been their philosophy.

Now, I feel that Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security is the difference between us and many of the Third World countries. In fact, it has been the bedrock of American politics as far as helping to raise the standards.

You know, many of my colleagues often talk about the Bible. Well, the Bible says--I've never heard them say let's help the rich--the Bible always talks about the poor and what we need to do to help raise the standards. That's what we're supposed to be doing in the people's House. During the campaign, they constantly confused the American people, talking about the $715 billion that was in both proposals that was savings, that we put back into the system that helped people that were receiving their prescription drugs. We were helping to lower the cost. In fact, we were plugging the doughnut hole. So that argument is over. And the fact is that it will be 434-1. I will never vote to do anything with Social Security as we speak.

And when you talk about Medicaid and Medicare, many of those people are in nursing homes that cannot speak for themselves. They only have us as their voices. And as we negotiate and discuss, let's look at one group, African American men. Most of them don't live long enough to benefit, and everything is not equal. When we look at jobs and professions, many of you have these nice cushiony jobs, and so we don't even have to worry about raising the age. But when we look at people who actually work for a living, whether we're talking about bridges or whether we're talking about driving trains or trucks, you want to raise the limit for them? So there are many issues that need to be discussed as we move forward.

But when President Clinton was in office, he left this country in the black. The people have weighed in. They've indicated that we want to move forward, put people to work; but we want to do it through a fair method of doing it, and that is not cutting programs that impact the working poor in this country.

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

I rise today to offer my support of H.R. 6374, a bill to name a facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Carrollton, Georgia, as the Trinka Davis Veterans Village.

Ms. Davis served with great distinction as a businesswoman, but one of her greatest contributions to our Nation can be seen in her commitment to the care and well-being of the servicemen and -women of our country.

As a teenager, Ms. Davis paid a visit to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and was touched by the sacrifice of American servicemembers. Her brother, Poncet Davis, Jr., then went on to serve in the United States Army. Later, after her successful career in the textile and rubber industry, Ms. Davis continued her work helping wounded veterans and their families. In 2004, she founded the Trinka Davis Foundation to honor service veterans, particularly in the State of Georgia.

I commend the foundation and the Atlanta VA for working closely together to build this facility, which will serve as a community living center and a medical office to provide primary health care and other important services to over 3,000 veterans.

While Ms. Davis is no longer with us, her longstanding commitments to our Nation's heroes live on and make her a perfect candidate for the naming of the Veterans Village in Carrollton.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge support for H.R. 6374, and I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5954--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 320 7th Street in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, as the ``Sergeant Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. Post Office Building.''

On 10 May 1970, Sp4c. Leslie H. Sabo Jr. distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman against hostile forces in the Se San area during the Cambodian Operation west of Pleiku. Specialist Sabo was in the rear element of a reconnaissance patrol when it was ambushed by a large enemy force. While firing his automatic weapon from his defensive position, Sp4c. Sabo saw that his comrades were being assaulted by a flanking enemy force. He immediately turned his fire in the direction of the attacking enemy and with automatic weapons fire and grenades he was able to halt the insurgents from moving forward even though he was wounded while doing so. Then from his defensive position, Sp4c. Sabo saw a wounded comrade about 10 meters to his right and disregarding his own wound he rushed to help the fallen soldier. A grenade was thrown into the friendly area from a nearby enemy ditch and Sp4c. Sabo threw himself on top of the wounded soldier to protect him from the blast. He was again wounded in the back from the grenade. He then took one of his own grenades and assaulted the ditch, threw his grenade into the ditch and killed two enemy soldiers. Now seriously wounded, Sp4c Sabo retrieved three bandoleers of ammo and was able to make it back to his original defensive position. As he threw extra ammo to another comrade he was again shot in the leg area and fell behind a small tree. As two wounded soldiers were trying to get to a tree line to be evacuated out of the combat area, enemy fire was pointed in their direction preventing them from getting to the helicopter. Sp4c. Sabo with multiple wounds stood up from behind his only cover, a small tree, and opened fire on the enemy that was preventing the evacuation. While their fire was now diverted toward Sp4c. Sabo, the two wounded soldiers were able to get to the helicopter safe. Sp4c. Sabo was hit with automatic weapons fire multiple times and died from his wounds. Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his own safety and profound concern for his fellow soldiers, he averted loss of life and injury to the members of his patrol.

Leslie Sabo first came to my attention when a constituent, Alton Mabb, Jr. asked me to recommend his friend Leslie Sabo for the Medal of Honor. This was in 2002. After many years and the White House and Pentagon losing and finding the paperwork that I sent they finally were ready to recommend a yes to the medal, but the award was too late and we needed a special amendment in the Defense Authorization bill to allow this to happen. I worked with Chairman Ike Skelton to get it into the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

I was pleased when President Obama finally awarded the Medal of Honor to Sergeant Sabo earlier this year, and believe that naming this Post Office after him is a fitting tribute. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his leadership on this bill and thank all those men and women who defend this Nation every day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and work of Captain Ansil Saunders, a fifth generation native of Bimini, Bahamas, in recognition of his outstanding contributions in keeping Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy alive in the Bahamas.

Captain Saunders first met Dr. King in 1964 when he traveled to Bimini in search of a peaceful and serene writing environment. Captain Saunders knew the perfect place and took Dr. King deep into the mangroves to a spot called ``Bonefish Hole'' where Dr. King wrote portions of his famous Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Dr. King returned to Bimini in 1968 where he wrote portions of his Sanitation Workers speech while on Captain Saunders' boat. Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, just days after his visit to the Bahamas.

Since Dr. King's death, Captain Saunders has shared his conversations with the civil rights leader with visitors to Bimini as well as with local and international media outlets, including National Public Radio. Plaques marking local sites visited by Dr. King are found throughout Alice Town, Bimini, including the location of a barbershop frequented by Dr. King and the cottage where he stayed during his visits. The local museum also has Dr. King's disembarkation card with his original signature proudly on display.

Captain Saunders' acclaim extends beyond his connection to Dr. King. He is also a bone-fishing world record holder, a 2003 Cacique Award (Minister's Award) recipient and an artistic boat builder, creating custom-crafted vessels out of fiberglass, bronze, and wood indigenous to the Bahamas. Each of his made-to-order boats take about six months to complete and are used by top sports fishermen to ply the flats in search of the elusive ``gray ghost.''

It is clear that although Captain Saunders' hard work has led to success, his time in the mangroves with the civil rights leader left an indelible mark, which is why Captain Saunders has made it his life's work to honor Dr. King's legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support and congratulations for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bimini Plaque Project.

The project is an effort to bring attention and awareness to the connection Dr. King had with The Bahamas, particularly Bimini. A special celebration and ceremony scheduled for October 5-7, 2012 will include the unveiling and placement of a commemorative plaque and bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the mangroves where Dr. King is said to have

spent peaceful moments with boat maker and bone fisherman Captain Ansil Saunders in 1964 and 1968. The bust, in the image of Dr. King will be designed and sculpted by renowned sculptor Erik Blome. The activities will also incorporate the launching of a scholarship award program for deserving Bahamian students to attend the historic Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida.

Ansil Saunders, the bonefish man, tells the story of how he took Dr. King out into the mangroves of Bimini to think and meditate. Dr. King wrote his acceptance speech in the mangroves for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He also wrote the notes for his speech to the Sanitation Workers in Memphis in those mangroves three days before his death.

The project is supported by the Frisch family of Jacksonville, Florida, one of whom Ben, runs Bahamas Food Services in Nassau. The project will be unveiled in Bimini in honor of the 50th anniversary of the ``I Have A Dream'' speech delivered at the monument in Washington,

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this long overdue legislation. Among many worthy projects included in this legislation, this bill authorizes the uncompleted construction on the operating rooms at the Miami VA Medical Center.

Every month this construction is delayed, the VA has to pay an additional $500,000 for a portable operating room. Since this was first brought to our attention in May, that will be over $2.5 million as of the end of this month. That is $2,500,000 that could better be spent on the veterans of Florida for their care and comfort.

This project is over 95 percent completed. This bill needs to be passed now.

I want to thank the Chairman of the Veterans' Committee, Mr. Miller for his help in getting the issue included in a vehicle that could pass both the House and the Senate. There is a dire need for this Medical Center to be whole, with veterans from all over the State of Florida traveling there for treatment.

The original plan for this project was to divide the operating room in half and renovate it in stages. When I visited the Medical Center in June, I heard directly from the administrators of the facility about the project. The planners on the ground realized soon after the construction began that patients could have been put at risk due to contamination of the operating room by the construction on the other side of the room.

Veterans health was being put at risk, and rather than let that happen, it was decided, by those who know veterans health the best, those at the health facilities, to combine the projects into one and rent the portable operating rooms.

It is time for Congress to pass this bill and finish the construction in Miami that our veterans deserve through their service protecting the freedoms this nation hold so dear.

Mr. Speaker, I rise toddy to honor a great statesman, a great chairman, and a man who always put his district first. When Congressman Costello retires after a long and distinguished career of service, he will be missed not only be his colleagues, but by the institution of Congress itself.

I am proud to have worked with Jerry Costello as we fought for critical transportation infrastructure funding to prepare our county for the future. His leadership as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittees made the world's aviation system more efficient and safer, while facing some of the most challenging times for the industry.

I enjoyed traveling with Jerry and his lovely wife Georgia, who offered great support both personally and professionally for her husband. Together, we went on various congressional delegation fact finding missions to further our understanding of comparative transportation systems around the world, and to augment U.S. relations abroad, particularly with respect to cooperation in the transportation and infrastructure sector.

During his many years of serving in the House, Congressman Costello has always been regarded as a Member who can get things done because of his results-oriented focus, and bipartisan approach to issues. As a senior Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the second ranking Democrat on the Science, Space and Technology Committee, he has played a major role in writing several major pieces of legislation while focusing on improving the nation's transportation- infrastructure system.

Examples of his effectiveness include helping to write two national highway bills, securing $150 million for a new Mississippi River Bridge in the last highway bill--one of the largest single earmarks in the legislation--and the passage of the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009. This legislation, the strongest aviation safety bill in over 50 years, enhances airline safety by significantly increasing the flight hours required for commercial first officers and strengthening pilot training.

Additionally, Congressman Costello served four years as Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee and now serves as the subcommittee's senior Democrat. In 2007, he wrote and helped pass a $68 billion bill in the House to reauthorize the programs of the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that our aviation system remains the best and safest in the world. Two years later, he reintroduced the legislation and it passed the House once again.

In closing, Congressman Costello will be missed in Washington not only for his legislative accomplishments but for his good natured way of interacting with his colleagues and staff. A beloved family man, and a Member who is very well liked on both sides of the political aisle, Jerry contributed a great deal both to the Committee on Transportation and to a general feeling of political collegiality on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Speaker, on this day of remembrance of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Amtrak and its employees for its efforts in the minutes, days and weeks following the attacks.

On this very day 11 years ago, Amtrak and its employees worked around the clock to provide one of the only travel options in many parts of this country. Within minutes of the incident, Amtrak jumped into action. It mobilized and established a command center; evacuated a number of stations for inspections of trains and infrastructure; and dispatched police officers and staff throughout Amtrak facilities to patrol and conduct ongoing inspections.

On the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak added about 30 percent more seating capacity to fill the travel gap. Over 1,600 daily seats were added to long-distance trains and another 300 seats to West Coast trains.

Amtrak also provided transportation to New York City for families and friends of victims, firefighters, police, medical teams, military and other public officials, and even airline crew members. In partnership with the American Red Cross, Amtrak transported thousands of emergency relief kits to New York City. In fact, with the airlines grounded, the U.S. Postal Service turned to Amtrak to carry mail.

Mr. Speaker, on the anniversary of September 11, it is important we reflect on the important role of Amtrak and its employees and it is essential that we maintain our vigilance of the security of all modes of transportation.

On behalf of the constituents of the Third Congressional District of Florida, I rise now to offer heartfelt condolences and pay tribute to the life of an extraordinary accomplished woman, Mrs. Mercerdese Clark, a humanitarian, healer, life activist, and friend.

We are moved and encouraged when recalling the life achievements and service of Mrs. Clark as a nurse, community leader, and social activist. She has been an advocate for social service, health awareness and a role model and mentor to youth and entrepreneurs in the Central Florida community for many years. An Orlando native who received her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from Hampton University in Virginia, Mrs. Clark served as a nurse at Orange Memorial Hospital and Winter Park Memorial Hospital. Shortly after, she became the first African-American female to be the Director of the Orange County Health Department in Orlando, Florida. At the time of her retirement, she worked as a Nursing Care Coordinator at Orlando Veteran Administration Outpatient Clinic.

As a community activist, she gave of herself and her talents to benefit both the individuals and the many organizations she served. Mrs. Clark became chairwoman of the Parramore Heritage Renovation project which was responsible for assessing the needs and defining solutions for existing conditions within this historic neighborhood. She worked tirelessly to maintain the goal of the agency to preserve, develop and improve the economics of the area; improve the educational level of the residents; and preserve the cultural heritage of the community. She took special pride in the area because she had close ties to the community having grown up there as well as her own personal and historical connection her family had to the neighborhood. Mrs. Clark's parents, Leroy E. Richardson and Rosa James Richardson, her paternal grandmother, Adeline Richardson, and other family members were among Orlando's earliest residents in Central Florida. Mrs. Clark could recall the early days of the founding Orlando community where needs of families were often provided from the surplus of another. It was those memories that inspired and motivated her to become president of the Parramore Heritage Foundation, president of the Carter Street Neighborhood Association, and Board Director for the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation. She also became a business owner in the area to contribute to the economic development of the vicinity by opening a women's boutique, Clarks' Ladies Fashion. Mrs. Clark had a very successful career and received numerous awards through her continuous involvement of various community, social and civic groups in Central Florida including the Orlando Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated where she was recognized for 15 years of outstanding service and commitment.

A virtuous woman and mother of two, we embrace her children and her family. She was a loving and caring mother who nurtured not only her children, but the community. We honor Mrs. Clark for the many contributions and the impact she had on the lives of many. She was truly an invaluable member of our community and an outstanding servant. The life of Mercerdese Clark was one of accomplishment, excellence and service. In her passing, we pay tribute to a consummate professional woman for her life of service and we pray that by her example each of us become the bearers of her spirit and humanitarian legacy of passion for service and excellence. We come now to join in prayer for, son, Kenneth Clark and daughter Kim G. Clark and a host of loving relatives, Sorority Sisters, and friends whose lives have been forever changed by this woman of God. We thank Our Heavenly Father for allowing us to be blessed with the time spent with Mrs. Mercerdese Clark.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and memory of my friend, actor Sherman Hemsley. This man was best known as the iconic and central figure, George Jefferson, in the sitcom, ``The Jeffersons'' who became one of the most enduring, beloved characters in television history.

Much of that credit belongs to Mr. Hemsley, the gifted character actor who gave life to the blustering black Harlem businessman on ``The Jeffersons'', one of the longest-running sitcoms with a primarily black cast in television history.

With the gospel-style theme song of ``Movin' On Up,'' the hit show depicted the wealthy former neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker in Queens as they made their way on New York's Upper East Side. The show often dealt with contemporary issues of racism, but more frequently reveled in the sitcom archetype of a short-tempered, opinionated patriarch trying, often unsuccessfully, to control his family.

Despite the character's many faults Hemsley managed to make the character endearing, part of the reason it stayed on the air for so long. Hemsley's Jefferson loved his family, his friends (even the ones he relentlessly teased) and had a good heart. His performance was Emmy and Golden Globe nominated. The show's producer Norman Lear said that when Hemsley read for the part ``the minute he opened his mouth he was George Jefferson.''

This man, the son of a printing press-working father and a factory- working mother, served in the Air Force and worked for eight years as a clerk for the Postal Service.

Having studied acting as a teen at the Philadelphia Academy of Dramatic Arts, he began acting in New York workshops and theater companies, including the Negro Ensemble Company. For years, he kept his job at the post office while acting at night, before transitioning to acting full-time. Sherman embodied the American dream, to ``move on up''.

He had many other production credits other than playing George Jefferson. He made his Broadway debut in 1970's ``Purlie,'' a musical adaptation of Ossie Davis' Jim Crow-era play ``Purlie Victorious.'' (He would later star in a 1981 made-for-TV version of ``Purlie,'' as well.) It was while touring the show that he was approached by Lear about playing a character on the sitcom that would become ``All in the Family.''

In an interview Hemsley said his show business career actually began in childhood. ``Making people laugh was automatic,'' he said. ``I was in a play in elementary school and had to jump up and run away. I was nervous and tripped and fell down and everyone laughed. Their laughter made me relax, so I pretended it was part of the show.''

When we visited with each other, I was truly impressed with his good- spirited personality and optimism that could brighten the mood of any room he entered. He was a fun man with a good heart. He once said, ``I always told my mother I wanted a job where I could have a lot of fun and have a lot of time off. She asked me where I was going to find that, and I said, 'I don't know, but it's out there.' ''

Sherman Hemsley will forever be remembered as the loud and boisterous yet goodhearted family man whom he played for almost 10 years. The world is a little less funny today, and we should all celebrate the memory of Sherman Hemsley.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Republican do-nothing congress. With all the problems we're having in our Nation's transportation and infrastructure, we had a full committee meeting today on Amtrak food and beverage service. We could have been talking about critical rail issues that we left out of the surface transportation bill, like positive train control, the railroad rehabilitation improvement financing program, or the freight congestion plans. Or we could have been talking about real debt restructuring of Amtrak. We could even have gotten crazy and talked about how we were going to finance future transportation bills or hold a markup on a Water Resource Development Act. And if we really want to talk about food, we could have had a hearing on the repeated instances of needles being placed in airplane sandwiches. Most importantly, we could have had a hearing on the near fatal plane collision that happened just 2 days ago at Washington National Airport.

Once again, the Republican House fiddles while America is burning.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 125th Anniversary of the Historic Town of Eatonville, the Oldest Incorporated African American Municipality in America. Eatonville is a source of pride for the entire State of Florida and it gives me great pleasure to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Eatonville is a town rich in black history, tucked away just north of the city of Orlando and home to more than 2,000 people.

Eatonville is known as one of the first incorporated black towns and was formed after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Eatonville is named for Union Army Captain Josiah Eaton. He owned the land and sold it to a group of African-American men who wanted to start their own city.

On August 15, 1887, twenty-seven registered voters--all African- American men--met and voted to incorporate their parcels of land, creating the first African-American town in America.

The city thrived in music and arts and in 1897, the Robert Hungerford Normal and Industrial School was founded. For years, the school was the most important school for blacks in the state of Florida. Boys and girls from all over the state came to Eatonville to learn about great poets, writers, painters, and composers.

It stayed a private school until 1950 when the courts gave it to Orange County as a public trust, and is now known as Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School--Orange County's first all-magnet high school.

Eatonville hosts the annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival. Indeed, the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of Arts and Humanities in Eatonville, Florida is simply a prize for Eatonville and for the State of Florida.

People come from throughout the country and from around the world to visit and to participate in this great annual event, to celebrate not only the legacy of Zora, but of the cultural contributions made by African Americans around the globe. There have been twenty-three annual festivals and I have yet to miss one!

Please join me in honoring the Town of Eatonville, and I look forward to celebrating this town and its rich history for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Dr. John Evans Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana. I was saddened to hear about the untimely death of President Mills. My thoughts, prayers and condolences go to his wife, family and the people of Ghana. The World has lost a leader, visionary and champion for democracy.

President Mills pledged his life to education and the betterment of his beloved Ghana. He

was born in July 1944 in the Western Region of Ghana. He was a master student who began his schooling at the revered Achimota Secondary School in Accra. He later went on to earn his bachelors and law degrees from the University of Ghana at Legon in 1967. Upon the completion of his PhD in African and Oriental Studies from the University of London, President Mills was selected as a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University School of Law.

After setting a strong foundation he returned home to educate and impart his lessons on the youth. President Mills dedicated nearly twenty five years to higher academia as a professor in numerous areas such as law, tax and African studies. He was passionate about teaching and politics. First serving in the capacity of Vice President from 1997 through 2001, Dr. Mills was sworn in as President and Commander in Chief of the Republic of Ghana in January of 2009.

I join with President Obama and various world leaders as we remember President Mills, who was often referred to as a calm politician and gentle giant. In 2009, President Obama and the First Family traveled to Ghana in his first presidential visit to Sub-Saharan Africa. President Obama praised President Mills for making Ghana a ``good news story'' that had good democratic credentials. Under the leadership of President Mills, the United States and Ghana deepened our partnership in the promotion of good governance and economic development.

President John Evan Atta Mills is credited with leading Ghana through a period of stability and economic growth in the midst of unforeseen global circumstances. He is quoted in saying ``Every Leader has a period of service''. Though his service has come to an unexpected end, as we reflect upon his life and legacy, we can appreciate his tireless efforts that have come to fruition. A shining star in West Africa, Ghana was and still remains a trailblazing nation for the region and continent, with its strong tradition of democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Dr. John Evans Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana. I was saddened to hear about the untimely death of President Mills. My thoughts, prayers and condolences go to his wife, Ernestina Naadu, son, Samuel Kofi Atta Mills and the people of Ghana. The world has lost a leader, visionary and champion for democracy.

President Mills pledged his life to education and the betterment of his beloved Ghana. He was born in July 1944 in the Western Region of Ghana. He was a master student who began his schooling at the revered Achimota Secondary School in Accra. He later went on to earn his bachelors and law degrees from the University of Ghana at Legon in 1967. Upon the completion of his PhD in African and Oriental Studies from the University of London, President Mills was selected as a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University School of Law.

After setting a strong foundation he returned home to educate and impart his lessons on the youth. President Mills dedicated nearly 25 years to higher academia as a professor in numerous areas such as law, tax and African studies. He was passionate about teaching and politics. First serving in the capacity of Vice President from 1997 through 2001, Dr. Mills was sworn in as President and Commander in Chief of the Republic of Ghana in January of 2009.

I join with President Obama and various world leaders as we remember President Mills, who was often referred to as a calm politician and gentle giant. In 2009, President Obama and the First Family traveled to Ghana in his first presidential visit to Sub-Saharan Africa. President Obama praised President Mills for making Ghana a ``good news story'' that had good democratic credentials. Under the leadership of President Mills, the United States and Ghana deepened our partnership in the promotion of good governance and economic development.

President John Evan Atta Mills is credited with leading Ghana through a period of stability and economic growth in the midst of unforeseen global circumstances. He is quoted as saying ``Every leader has a period of service''. Though his service has come to an unexpected end, as we reflect upon his life and legacy, we can appreciate his tireless efforts that have come to fruition. A shining star in West Africa, Ghana was and still remains a trailblazing nation for the region and continent, with its strong tradition of democracy. Epitomizing humility in leadership, President Mills was a calming and stabilizing force for not only his people but the continent as a whole.