Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today again speaking on our need to ``Build a Sound Economy''. Taxation is a financial burden that must be equally shared by all Americans, blessed with the ability to earn an income. Thomas Paine, an American Free-thinker once reminded us that; ``War involves in its progress such a train of unforeseen and unsupposed circumstances that no human wisdom can calculate the end. It has but one thing certain, and that is to increase taxes.'' And yet, at the end of our War efforts in Iraq, we are at this time considering the reduction of taxes.

Through Taxation, we as Americans are afforded the opportunity to ensure the prosperity of our nation, and our citizens. Whether our citizens are from the Farms of Iowa, the Factories of Tennessee, or the Financial Districts of New York City or my home District of Chicago, their earning power and its fruits are what make America Great. Many Americans have worked all their lives, and are now in retirement. Others are still working in the various industries which breathe the life blood into our Great Nation. And yet, still others, whether due to underage, infirmity, or other unique circumstances are unable to impart into the American Economy, but their contributions in their communities are cherished by those who know them.

When the President took office, the government was projected to save every dollar of the Social Security surplus. But under the GOP tax plan, Republicans in the House would borrow and spend all of the money from the Social Security Trust Fund over the next 10 years, just as the Baby Boomers are about to retire. The single issue which we must not forget when we consider the Stability of our Economy is that it is closely tied to the Equality of our Tax System, and our governance over the Social Security Trust Funds. Our Tax System is a means to ensure an equitable distribution of the responsibility of paying taxes. Plato, the noted Philosopher once said, ``When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.'' This is our opportunity to learn from Plato. In the President's Tax Plan, the two provisions making up more than half of the tax package, (cutting the tax on stock dividends by more than a half and the capital gains tax cut), primarily benefit the wealthy and in fact are the only permanent tax cuts in the plan.

Voltaire, the famed writer stated, ``In the matter of taxation, every privilege is an injustice''. We must work diligently to root out the injustices currently being considered for inclusion in our Tax System. The citizens of my home state of Illinois are waiting for us, their elected officials to come together to ensure that we protect them, and guard their earnings against any and all unfair concessions.

Mr. Speaker, Gentlemen and Ladies of the House let us not fail our citizens in our efforts to place us finally on the Road to Economic Growth. We must remain steadfast in our efforts to accomplish that heavy task, to clearly and evenly mete out portions of the tax burden amongst our citizens.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 1261. However, I want to first thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner) and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), for accepting one of my amendments in committee that would include ex-offenders as part of the hard-to-serve population who are seeking employment.

However, I am disappointed that the amendment that my colleague, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), and I submitted to the Committee on Rules was not accepted. This amendment would strike sections 402 and 403, which would change the current status of the Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services Administration. Currently the commissioner is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. This bill would change the current structure of the position from a Presidential appointee to a director appointed by the Secretary of Education. The disability community is opposed to this change because it puts additional distance between the President and the commissioner.

We are still talking about cuts; and we all know that when there are cuts, there are serious social consequences that occur when young people are not in school and not employed. We will see crime rates increase, arrests increase, drug abuse increase and gang activity increase. Young people, if they are not employed, will find something to do with their time; and I am afraid that it is not going to be productive, and, perhaps in some instances, even illegal.

One of the shocking provisions, though, of this resolution is that H.R. 1261 allows employers to discriminate based on religion when hiring for government-funded positions in job training. Our country cannot go backwards. Children learn in school about NINA laws, that is ``No Irish Need Apply,'' and now we are going back to another period. Perhaps soon we will see ``No Jews Need Apply,'' ``No Christians Need Apply,'' ``No Blacks Need Apply.'' Well, I think that that is shameful. And, yes, faith-based organizations should be allowed to do their work, but they should not be promoted to discriminate at the same time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), the chairman, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking member, for not only cosponsoring this resolution but also for expediting its movement to the floor. I also want to thank the Speaker, Speaker's office, and I want to thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) for the work that she does on the Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Reorganization but also in helping to make sure that this legislation reached the floor in time for its presentation today. I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Pennsylvania and I appreciate his remarks.

Public Service Recognition Week, which has been celebrated the first Monday through Sunday in May since 1985, is an opportunity for us to honor and celebrate the commitment of government employees. Public Service Recognition Week offers all Americans, especially young people, the opportunity to learn and get excited about a career in public service. It also provides the opportunity to thank those who serve us daily for their efforts.

I believe that public service should be valued and respected by all Americans. When we think of public service, we think of people in the Armed Services who protect us, people in law enforcement, people who help the Nation recover from natural disasters, who fight fires and crime, deliver the mail, teach and work in our public schools, deliver Social Security and Medicare benefits, fight disease and promote better health, protect the environment and our national parks, defend and secure critical infrastructure, improve and secure transportation and the quality of safety of our food and water, build and maintain our roads and bridges, provide vital strategic and support functions to our military personnel, keep the Nation's economy stable, defend the freedom and advance the Nation's interests around the world.

There has been some conversation lately about interests in public service declining, and I would hope that as young people decide upon their careers, as they decide what it is that they would like to do that they would take a good look at the opportunity to serve not only themselves but to also serve their fellow citizens. So I would encourage them to look at public careers as a way of leading meaningful and productive lives. It is a great opportunity to be of service.

I belong to an organization that says he who would be first of all would be servant of all, and when we serve the public we are at the peak of service.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she might consume to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), who herself has a tremendous record of public service in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), the former ranking member of the Subcommittee on Civil Service.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank all Members who have spoken, and I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. In closing, let me just suggest that we have heard some of the issues surrounding continuation of the civil service. We have heard some of the problems and complexities of working for government. We have heard about some things that we must do if we are to retain the type of workforce that we desire to have.

I want to thank all of those who continue to work, who continue to make our civil service the very best in the country, who each and every day give of themselves for the benefit of others. Again, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).

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

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

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

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

I simply join with the gentleman from New Jersey in promoting passage of this resolution. I think he has eloquently spoken of the tremendous value of Mr. Hammer to the community where he lived and worked. I simply join with him and urge swift passage of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1625, which names a facility of the U.S. Postal Service, located at 1114 Main Avenue in Clifton, New Jersey, after Robert P. Hammer, was introduced by Representative Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) on April 3, 2003.

Mr. Robert Hammer served as the Clifton City Manager for seven years before he passed away on December 20, 2002. Long heralded as a distinguished public servant, Mr. Hammer held a number of important positions in city government.

A native of Stanhope, New Jersey, Mr. Hammer had a bachelor's degree in Commerce from Rider College and a master's degree in public administration from Farleigh Dickinson University. In addition, he was a certified municipal finance officer and a registered municipal clerk. He served on numerous State associations and was known throughout the State for his leadership ability and for being inclusive and promoting unity.

Madam Speaker, the Mayor and City Council of Clifton, New Jersey, support this bill. As I understand it, the postal facility to be named after Mr. Hammer, is being built in Clifton and should be operational this month.

I support this measure and urge its swift passage.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I might note that the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) is returning from the Persian Gulf and is unable to be here at the moment with us. I would read her statement into the Record:

H.R. 1740, Legislation to Designate the Caesar A.W. Clark, Sr. Post Office. The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas in the House of Representatives.

``Madam Speaker, H.R. 1740 designates a post office located at 1502 East Kiest Boulevard in Dallas, Texas, as H.R. 1740 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire Texas delegation.

``Madam Speaker, during his 50-year tenure of the Good Street Baptist Church, Reverend Caesar A.W. Clark has provided a wealth of services to thousands of Dallas residents. Leading by example is how Reverend Clark became a pillar of the Dallas community. As an early pioneer in the civil rights movement, Reverend Clark was responsible for the first visit to Dallas by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Following that 1958 visit, Reverend Clark continued to work to end segregation in Dallas.

``We honor Reverend Clark, a nationally renowned member of the clergy, humanitarian and respected leader that Ebony magazine has twice named one of the 15 ``Outstanding Black Preachers in America.'' Under his leadership at Good Street Baptist Church, the church has progressively grown by establishing two day care centers, a free legal clinic, and a federally assisted complex for the elderly. Of particular note in the 1950s, a time when credit was expensive and loan sharks took advantage of people, Reverend Clark organized to create a church credit union. Today, the Good Street Baptist Church has more than $1.2 million in assets and serves nearly 1,500 members and their families. Indeed, this is an honor for Reverend Clark who has served as a vice president of the National Baptist Convention and president of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas. He has been a source of spiritual inspiration for some of Dallas' oldest African American families and many of our political and civic leaders. While sharing knowledge with residents and cultivating their humility, he is still dedicated to his congregation and to his daily work at Good Street Baptist.

``The designation of this post office acknowledges Reverend Clark's outstanding contributions as pastor at Good Street Baptist Church for more than 5 decades.

``Born in 1914 in Louisiana, Reverend Clark was subjected to a `Jim Crow' South, a time when nearly all African Americans were not allowed an equal opportunity to receive a quality education. Determined to not let adversity remain a barrier, Reverend Clark studied independently and gained admission to Bishop College. Reverend Clark graduated from there in 1946.

``Reverend Clark is known throughout the State of Texas as a remarkable pastor and dedicated leader who views the community as extended family. I can think of no one more deserving of this honor.

``Madam Speaker, we wish to congratulate Reverend Clark on the designation of this post office and for his many years of service and dedication to the Good Street Baptist Church and citizens of Dallas. His achievements are an inspiration to all of us.''

I commend the gentlewoman from Texas for extending to the good reverend this honor.

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

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

H.R. 1609, which names a postal facility located at 201 West Boston Street in Brookfield, Missouri, after the late Admiral Donald Davis, was introduced by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) on April 3, 2003.

Admiral Davis had a very active and distinguished military career which spanned three wars: World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Admiral Davis flew with the Navy's first jet squadron, trained fighter pilots, and served as a commanding officer of the carrier Kitty Hawk.

During his career, which lasted almost 40 years, Admiral Davis received a number of distinguished and meritorious military declarations: two Distinguished Service Medals, four Legion of Merit, and an Air Medal with a gold star.

As a true hero and patriot, Admiral Donald Cooke Davis served his Nation and community with great honor. I commend my colleague for seeking to recognize the admiral's contributions in this manner. I urge swift adoption of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 3, 2003, the Chicago ``DODO'' Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated, in concert with Black Pilots of America will honor three of aviation's pioneer women of color, Bessie Coleman, Willa Beatrice Brown and Janet Harmon;

Bessie Coleman journeyed to France in 1920 to enter the field of aviation, planning to return to America to open an aviation program for African Americans; and

Bessie Coleman died on April 30, 1926, while preparing for an air show to benefit the Negro Welfare League of Jacksonville, Florida;

In 1939, Willa B. Brown held a limited commercial pilot's license issued by the United States Commerce Department; and

Managed the Coffey School of Aeronautics, which was awarded a government contract to train the first group of African-American aviators, and was the first African-American woman to hold a United States Civil Air Patrol Commission;

Janet Harmon was one of the first African-American women to purchase an airplane, which she then made available to the Challenger Air Pilots Association for training purposes; and

Served as surrogate advisor to the first group of African-American aviation cadets for the United States Army Air Force:

Now, therefore be it resolved that I, Danny K. Davis, duly elected by the people of the Illinois 7th Congressional District, do hereby join with the ``DODO'' Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated, in concert with Black Pilots of America hereby proclaim;

Saturday, May 3, 2003, to be the day we celebrate as Aviation Pioneer Women of Color Day in Chicago and all over America; and urge all people to take note of the pioneering contributions to aviation made by these women of color;

Done, this 3rd day of May, 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), the chairman of our subcommittee, for the gentleman's recognition and leading the committee toward an understanding of the disproportionately high number of African American males being placed in special education.

I raised the issue in subcommittee in the form of an amendment, and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), to his credit, led us through a discussion of that which led to what I am sure is a real adjustment and a way to handle that issue by dealing with this disproportionately high number of individuals in a special group.

With that having been said, since we did not get to the point, though, of dealing with full funding for the legislation and without the resources needed, I am afraid that we cannot take care of the problems. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I cannot support the rule. I think we have had an opportunity and could have had an excellent piece of legislation, but I am afraid that it falls short because it short- changes those in our society who need the help the most, children with disabilities.

Mr. Chairman, I commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) for the spirited hearings and debate and discussions that we have had on this legislation.

While it is not supportable to me, I do believe we made some progress, and I thank the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), chairman of the subcommittee for his sensitivity to an issue which I raised through proposed amendment and which we subsequently worked out for inclusion in the base bill.

The issue related to the disproportionately high number of African American males being placed in special education. The new language states in the case of a determination of significant disproportionality with respect to the identification of children as children with disabilities or the placement in particular educational settings of such children in accordance with paragraph (1), the State or the secretary, as the case may be, shall provide for the review and, if appropriate, revision of the policies, procedures and practices used in such identification or placement to ensure that such policies, procedures and practices comply with the requirements of this Act, and shall require any local educational agency identified under paragraph (1) to reserve the maximum amount of funds under section 613(f) to provide comprehensive coordinated prereferral support services to serve children in the local educational agency, particularly children in those groups that were significantly overidentified under paragraph (1).

Even though I am pleased with this section, the inability to provide full funding and some onerous discipline provisions makes this Act unacceptable to me. I urge a no vote.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 3, 2003, the Chicago ``DODO'' Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Incorporated, in concert with Black Pilots of America will honor three of Aviation's Pioneer African American Women of Color, Bessie Coleman, Willa Beatrice Brown and Janet Harmon, at a ceremony to be held on Saturday, May 3, at the Lincoln Cemetery, 123rd and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago.

I shall be pleased to join Mr. Rufus Hunt, aviation historian, and this group of aviation enthusiasts, flyers, former flyers, mechanics and others who love to fly and have dedicated themselves to keeping the legacy of these three women alive.

Bessie Coleman was the first African American female pilot. She grew up in poverty and discrimination, came to Chicago from Texas, decided that she wanted to fly, and, with encouragement from Robert Abbott, who was the owner of the Chicago Daily Defender newspaper, she was able to put together resources, go to Paris, go to France and learn to fly, which she did.

She returned to America as a heroine, flew many exhibitions, and ultimately though was unfortunately killed in an accident when a wrench got caught in the gears of her plane and she did not have her seat belt on and she was thrown out of the plane, and, unfortunately, died.

There is a Bessie Coleman Drive at O'Hare Airport in Chicago that has been dedicated in her memory, and, of course, she has been placed on a stamp by the United States Post Office.

Janet Harmon Bragg was born in Griffin, Georgia, grew up with her siblings, decided that she wanted to fly and ultimately was the first African American woman to get a commercial pilot's license.

Willa Brown, an African American woman, ended up purchasing her own airplane, as well as organizing groups and clubs and organizations promoting flying.

Mr. Speaker, all three of these women made tremendous contributions to the field of aviation, and every year people from the Tuskegee Airmen and other pilots groups fly over Bessie Coleman's grave. They have done this since 1931, and it is a way of paying tribute to women of color and the contributions that they have made to aviation. I commend them for this effort, for keeping these legacies alive.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 3, 2003, the Chicago ``DODO'' Chapter of Tuskegee Airman Incorporated, in concert with Black Pilots of America will honor three of Aviation's Pioneer Women of Color, Bessie Coleman, Willa Beatrice Brown and Janet Harmon at a ceremony to be held on Saturday May 3, at the Lincoln Cemetry, 123rd and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. I shall be pleased to join Mr. Rufus Hunt, Aviation Historian and this group of aviation enthusiasts, flyers, former flyers, mechanics and others who love to fly and have dedicated themselves to keeping the legacy of these three great women alive.

Bessie Coleman (1892-1926). Bessie Coleman, the first African American female pilot, grew up in poverty and discrimination. The year after her birth in Atlanta, Texas, an African American man was tortured and burned to

death in nearby Paris for allegedly raping a five year old girl. The incident was not unusual: lynchings were common throughout the South. African Americans were essentially barred from voting by literacy tests. They could not ride in railway cars with white people, or use a wide range of public facilities set aside for whites. When young Bessie first went to school at the age of six, it was to a one-room wooden shack, a four-mile walk from her home. Often there was not paper to write on or pencils to write with.

When Coleman turned 23 she moved to Chicago to live with two of her older brothers. When she decided that she wanted to learn to fly, the double stigma of race and gender meant that she would have to go to France in order to realize her dreams. It was soldiers returning from World War I with wild tales of flying exploits which first interested Coleman in aviation. It was also her brothers who taunted her with claims that French women were superior to African American women because they could fly. In fact, very few American women of any race had a pilots license in 1918. Those who did were predominantly white and wealthy. Every flying school that Coleman approached refused to admit her because she was both black and a woman. On the advice of Robert Abbott, the owner of the Chicago Defender Newspaper, one of the first African American millionaires, Coleman decided to learn to fly in France. She learned French at the Berlitz School in the Chicago Loop, withdrew the savings she had accumulated from her work as a manicurist and manger of a chili parlor, and with financial support from Robert Abbott and another African American business person she set off from New York for Paris on November 20, 1920. The only non-Caucasian in her class, it took her seven months to learn to fly. When she returned to the United States in 1921, she was greeted by great crowds and for more than five years performed at countless air shows. However, she refused to perform anyplace where Blacks were not permitted. In 1926, on her last flight in Jacksonville, Florida, an unsecured wrench got caught in the gas controls. The plane with a young mechanic, William Willis in the pilots seat, went out of control, and Bessie who was not wearing a seatbelt was thrown to her death. Ten thousand people turned out for her funeral. She has not been forgotten, beginning in 1931, a group of Black pilots instituted a annual fly over her grave, a postage stamp exists in her honor, Bessie Coleman Drive exists at Chicago's O'Hare airport and she continues to help others to know that they too can fly.

Willa B. Brown (1906-1992). The first African American woman to get a commercial pilots license. Willa B. Brown was born January 21, 1906 in Glasgow, Kentucky U.S.A. She received her bachelor's degree in 1927 at Indiana State Teacher's College. For a while, she taught school in Gary, Indiana and then, in 1932, after having divorced her husband, she moved to Chicago, Illinois. Influenced by Bessie Coleman, Willa started taking flying lessons in 1934. Soon she became a member of the flying club, the Challenger Air Pilot's Association, and the Chicago Girls Flight Club. She also purchased her own airplane. In 1937, she received her pilot's license and that same year, she received a master's degree from Northwestern University. Also in 1937, she co-founded the National Airmen's Association of America with her flight instructor, Cornelius R. Coffey. The association's goal was to promote African American aviation. In 1938, they started the Coffey School of Aeronautics, where approximately 200 pilots were trained in the next seven years. Some of those pilots later became part of the 99th Pursuit Squadron at Tuskegee Institute, also know as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Brown lobbied Washington for inclusion of African Americans in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and in the Army Air Corps, and in 1941, she became a training coordinator for the Civil Aeronautics Administration and a teacher in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. The following year, she became the first African American member of the Civil-Air-Patrol. She also promoted aviation on the radio and taught it in high schools. In 1972, Brown became a member of the Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation in the Federal Aviation Agency. Willa B. Brown died July 18, 1992.

Janet Harmon Bragg. Janet Harmon Bragg was born in Griffin, Georgia in 1912. She grew up with her mother, father and siblings, the youngest of seven children. After graduation from high school in Fort Valley, Georgia, she enrolled in the all girls, all Black Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her degree in nursing from Mac Bicar Hospital which was on Spelman's campus. She moved to Rockford, Illinois and later on to Chicago where she began a career in nursing. Although Mrs. Bragg started out in the field of nursing and made her living from it, her interest in flying started when she was a little girl. She put it this way, ``As a child I always wanted to fly. . . . I used to watch the birds . . . . how they would take off and land. . . . It was interesting to see how they would drop this tail down when they would run and take off.'' One day in 1933, in Chicago as she was coming out of a house, she saw on a billboard across the street a drawing of a bird building a nest with chicks in the nest. A caption read, ``Birds learn to fly. Why can't you? She said to herself, They do have to learn to fly.'' That incident cinched it, according to Mrs. Bragg. The owners of a Black Insurance Company in Chicago where she worked encouraged her to pursue her educational and other goals. She enrolled in the Aeronautical School of Engineering to begin here groundwork. Black and white students were segregated. She was the first Black female student to enter the class. Here she learned to fly and to take care of planes. She was able to tale a few lessons at a private airport but the rate of $15 per hour in 1933 proved too costly. Therefore, she took $600 and bought her own plane. With the purchase of the plane, Mrs. Bragg and a few other Black pioneer aviators started their own airport in Robbins, Illinois, about 20 miles Southwest of Chicago. This group also formed the Challenger Aero Club. This group went on to establish the Coffy School of Aviation in 1939. This school and five other Black colleges participated in the civilian pilot training program and later fed students into the Army Air Corps training program at Tuskegee, Alabama. In short, Mrs. Bragg was at the heart of Black aviation in Chicago from its inception.

Mrs. Bragg, retired from flying in 1965 and from nursing in 1972. Since moving to Tucson, Arizona, she has been active with the Urban League and Habitat for Humanity. She has participated in the Adopt a Scholar Program at Pima College, as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, lectures locally and nationally on such topics as aviation and women in science and aerospace. She was proclaimed outstanding citizen of Tucson in 1982.

Mr. Speaker, all three of these women have made outstanding contributions to the field of aviation and Chicago is indeed proud that we can lay claim to some part of their legacies.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Students in Free Enterprise for their dedication and outstanding work. SIFE provides leadership training, regional competitions, and opportunity fairs for thousands of college students.

Established in 1975, Students in Free Enterprise has rapidly grown to include more than 790 campuses nationwide, and now includes participants from 35 countries. Throughout the years and as the number of students grew, the mission of SIFE has remained the same: to provide college

and university students the best opportunity to make a difference and to develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills through learning, practicing, and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

With the number of corporate scandals and the high levels of distrust that is emanating from the business world today, SIFE gives a light of hope that our business leaders of tomorrow will have a solid understanding of principles and values and bring them into the business world.

SIFE also encourages and demonstrates to college students the importance of community outreach. College students across the Nation participate in such programs that encourage the understanding of the responsible use of debit and credit cards and events that go into the local schools like Teach A Child About Business Week.

The Students in Free Enterprise teams are learning important lessons that will help them in their adult lives, but it is more important that these students and the SIFE teams are extending their knowledge to their families, classmates, and neighbors.

Madam Speaker, there are 25 colleges and universities in Illinois that participate and have SIFE teams. I am very proud and very pleased that two of the 25 are institutions with whom I have close and deep roots. One of them is Malcolm X College, where I have taught courses and where we hold many of our town hall meetings and other community outreach activities; and the other is Chicago State University where I was privileged to earn a master's degree and have been asked to give their commencement address this year on June 7. Both are outstanding institutions, one in my congressional district and one not.

So once again I would like to congratulate Students in Free Enterprise for providing young people with the opportunity to make a difference and providing leadership training and inspiring young people to do what is right in both their personal and business lives. This is an excellent program. I commend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) for its introduction.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform's Special Panel on Postal Reform and Oversight, I join my colleague in the consideration of H. Con. Res. 149, legislation introduced by my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), on April 10, 2003.

H. Con. Res. 149 is a concurrent resolution expressing support for the celebration of Patriots' Day and honoring

the Nation's first patriots. The measure expresses support for the annual celebration of Patriots' Day and recognizes the extraordinary dedication to freedom demonstrated by the Nation's first patriots during the early days of the Battle for Independence in April of 1775. Finally, it honors those first patriots who lost their lives in defense of liberty and freedom. H. Con. Res. 149 has the support and cosponsorship of the entire Massachusetts delegation.

The dictionary defines patriot as ``a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it.'' It is only fitting and proper that we join with the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and the Massachusetts congressional delegation and the Senate in honoring the men who allowed the Minutemen to assemble and confront the advancing British troops. The actions of those men, Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, were the first great acts of patriotism of our Nation.

Who could ever forget the midnight ride of Paul Revere when he rode through the streets warning, ``The British are coming.'' His famous ride through the countryside was duly and forever celebrated by the American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in his poem entitled Paul Revere's Ride. I remember even as a small child learning that poem:

``Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, on the 18th of April in '75; hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year.''

The passage of H. Con. Res. 149 will ensure that we will continue to honor and recognize the first patriots. We will also long remember and never forget the lists of patriots who have given their lives in the defense of our country. Every day, Mr. Speaker, men and women honor the definition of a patriot by bravely answering the call to support and defend the United States of America. We owe them a great deal of gratitude and, like the resolution before us, we owe it to their actions to forever preserve and protect the historic sites so that others will never forget the struggle for freedom.

I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) for introducing this measure, and I urge its swift adoption.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), a place far from Massachusetts, which is an indication of how much this country has grown, expanded, and developed.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend again the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) for providing the opportunity for this moment. I believe that it is moments like this on the floor of this House that speak to the greatness of this Nation and how connected we are and how similar are our experiences. It does not matter whether one grew up in South Dakota, in Massachusetts, in American Samoa, or even in a little town in Arkansas, as I did, but there was a level of connectedness.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the most effective child advocacy organization in the United States of America, or any place else in the world--the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). Founded in 1973 by the creative, dedicated and far-sighted Marian Wright Edelman, the CDF has played a key role in keeping the needs, hopes and aspirations of our children in the eyes and minds of policy makers and the general public.

Through its research and education efforts the CDF has educated, motivated, and stimulated millions of parents to become more aware of the needs of their children and how they too can become advocates for them. The CDF has provided health support, informed parents on how to use the Children's Health Insurance Program, put together the Student Health Outreach Project and through its Child Welfare and Mental Health Division works to support and protect children and their families who have been abused, neglected, suffered serious emotional problems and in some instances have even been left homeless.

Education is indeed the key that unlocks the door to success and in this arena the CDF has been unwavering in trying to make head start available to every child, supporting educational programs like the 21st Century Community Learning Center, after-school programs, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the Infants and Toddlers Program, the Campus Based Childcare, and early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program, as well as countless others.

Mr. Speaker, our children are indeed the future, and as the songwriter said: ``teach them well and let them lead the way,'' well for thirty years the CDF has been leading the way and pointing out to America that they need our support, financially, morally, spiritually, educationally, and emotionally if they are to become the leaders that we need for tomorrow. Yes, the CDF for thirty years has fought the good fight, you have paved the way, you are leading us into the light, and we simply pause to take note and say thank you--Marian Wright Edelman, and thank you Children's Defense Fund.

Mr. Speaker, let me commend the chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), for bringing this legislation to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the economic engine that drive America because they create three-fourths of all new jobs, employ half our workers, account for half of our gross domestic product, and contribute more than 55 percent of innovations. Small businesses have and will continue to pull the U.S. economy out of recession. They anchor our neighborhoods, employ and train our workers, and take care of our families. They are the reason that the U.S. economy is the strongest in the world.

Despite all their contributions, small businesses face many obstacles. One of

these obstacles is the expanding volumes of regulations where small businesses are mandated to learn and comply with government guidelines. The number of Federal regulations has nearly doubled over the past 20 years. The Federal Register, the resource book of Federal regulatory initiatives and changes, has increased to nearly 80,000 pages. With these kinds of rules and regulations, small businesses are finding themselves confused and often lost in piles of regulatory paperwork. It is difficult in this economy for small businesses to grow and prosper. The excess Federal Government paperwork requirements cost the economy about $100 billion a year. Much of this cost is paid by small business owners.

Mr. Speaker, this is the reason why I support the passage of H.R. 205, the National Small Business Regulatory Act of 2003. This bill requires the Small Business Administration to enter into an agreement with participating small business development centers to provide small businesses with the information necessary to improve their rate of compliance with Federal and State regulations. Businesses would receive confidential, free, one-on-one, in-depth counseling regarding compliance with Federal and State regulations and would indeed receive referrals to experts and other providers of compliance assistance.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I commend the chairman (Mr. Manzullo) and the ranking member. I think that this is probably one of the most bipartisan committees in the House. It is a committee that does indeed work well together and it is indeed a committee that turns out legislation like this bill that I am pleased to support.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, as the ranking minority member of the Committee on Government Reform's Special Panel on Postal Reform and Oversight, I rise in support of S. 380, the Postal Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003. As an original cosponsor of the House version, H.R. 735, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of S. 380, legislation which will correct the way payments are made to the Civil Service Retirement System.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank especially the chairman of this committee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for their ability to come together in a unified, bipartisan way, to reach agreement and bring to the floor this legislation in a very timely manner.

I also want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), who has provided leadership on postal issues for a number of years, and all of their staffs, as well as my staff, for the enormous time and effort spent in crafting H.R. 735.

I am particularly proud of the fact that we have worked together in a productive, constructive, and bipartisan manner. We have begun the 108th Congress on a very positive note, and we look forward to the continuation of that in our committee.

I would also like to thank the Senate for striking their language and substituting the language from our bill, H.R. 735, and including the military study language of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis).

Since the introduction of the House postal pension bill and throughout the committee's markup process, I received hundreds of letters from members of the business mailing community expressing support of the legislation and urging quick action. I was pleased to have been contacted by so many businesses in the Chicago area and within the State of Illinois.

In the face of a depressing economy and a swift and steady decline in mail volume, businesses and consumers are in no mood for postage rate increases. To that end, I am pleased that the bill before us not only corrects the calculation of the postal service's contributions to the CSRS fund, it will also allow the postal service to hold off on rate increases for at least 2 years, while allowing the postal service to reduce its $11.9 billion debt.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to express my support for this important legislation. Although this is a good bill, it is not a perfect bill. At the appropriate time, I certainly expect to express support for the military amendment of the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), an amendment which would retain current law with respect to Treasury paying the costs related to the military service of employees in the Civil Service Retirement System.

Practically all of the postal service's stakeholders are in support of this legislation: printers, mailers, the unions, and the consuming public. It is a good bill. I urge its passage.

Again, I commend the chairman and ranking member for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I simply rise in support of the Waxman amendment. But I also rise in support of the agreement that the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) have been able to arrive at.

I think once again this is an indication of the manner in which the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform have been able to provide leadership that moves us from the discussion point to

the position of being able to actually do something. And so I commend both of the gentlemen for their diplomacy, for their leadership, and for their legislative skill.

Mr. Speaker, democracy is the cornerstone of our government. True democracy allows room for dissent, discussion, and demonstration.

Last week, students from around the country arrived in our Nation's capital to demonstrate in support of affirmative action in higher education. They actively participated in a peaceful way in our democracy. And I am sure that the founders of this Nation must have been as proud of them as I am of the students who participated.

Students marched, sang songs, prayed, and urged the Supreme Court to allow schools like the University of Michigan to continue the practice of allowing diversity in higher education. The students realize that in spite of the progress made over the last 40 years, minorities, women and people with disabilities, still face major barriers in education, business, and employment. They also realize that the prerequisite for change is struggle, and that without struggle there is indeed no progress.

Many people dismiss students because they are generally perceived as not actively engaged in the political process. In addition, others suggest that they are unwilling to sacrifice and do the things necessary for group liberation. The enlightened students I encountered at the Supreme Court represented America at its best. They represented America and its great diversity.

Their message was clear, strong, and compelling. It was a message that affirmative action is a powerful, proven, and effective tool for removing the remnants of prejudice and bias. It was a message that affirmative action capitalizes on the strength of our diversity and opens the doors for opportunities. I am proud of the students who sacrificed their sleep, their classroom work, to brave the cold weather and proclaim that affirmative action is relevant and needed in higher education. They realized that education is the great equalizer. It is the ladder to success.

The thousands of students who demonstrated came by train, car, bus and many on foot. The impressive gathering of college and high school students was reminiscent of some of the activities done to achieve fairness and equalities throughout the 1960's. Of course, the challenge for all of us now is to keep the momentum and the pressure on.

Again, I commend the students for standing for something as important as equal opportunity to higher education. I commend them for their efforts and remind them that the struggle must continue.