Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I have long supported the tax incentive for businesses to deduct charitable contributions of food inventory. Indeed, I have a bill to expand the deduction for non-C corps, as does the bill under consideration.

The food inventory deduction allows us to help stock America's food banks and feed the hungry. Importantly, we need to address the food inventory deduction because, unlike other business tax extenders, the food deduction provision cannot be useful if extended retroactively. If it expires, our hunger relief organizations miss out on potential donations of food.

In Chicago, where I live, one in six people, including children, do not know where their next meal is coming from.

In addition to advancing charitable and S corps tax provisions, this committee should be prioritizing the permanent extension of the earned income tax credit to help the working poor afford food and other basic needs for their families.

We should be prioritizing the new market tax credits to help distressed communities so that the hungry can have jobs so that they can purchase their own food and not rely on food banks.

Although I strongly support incentivizing charitable donations of food inventory, I do not support passing unpaid for, permanent, and piecemeal tax breaks while the needs of other vulnerable citizens go unmet.

We should be considering the EITC, AOTC, new market tax credit, work opportunity tax credit, tuition and fees deduction, teacher tax benefits, Promise Zones, and hundreds of other tax provisions that help our communities and our people.

One of the things that I have learned--if I know nothing else--is something that Frederick Douglass was known for saying, that in this world, you may not get everything that you pay for, but you most certainly will pay for everything that you get, and if you don't pay one way, then you will definitely pay another way.

The price of increasing the deficit, not providing a broad, comprehensive tax reform effort, is something that we ought not be paying for. The principles and concepts in many of the provisions, obviously, we agree, but we do not agree that you can go on paying for what it is that you need.

Mr. Speaker, I will vote ``no'' on these provisions.

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate African American History Month, I rise to acknowledge and pay tribute to one of the most outstanding athletes in the history of baseball but also one of the most congenial personalities in public life, Ernie Banks, also known as Mr. Cub, Mr. Chicago, and Mr. Ambassador for Baseball.

Ernie Banks was indeed a superior athlete, playing 19 years for the Chicago Cubs, named MVP in 1958 and 1959, named to the All-Star team 12 times, hit .274 with 512 home runs, voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility. But it was actually his cheerful attitude and his love of the game that made him such a popular player.

Ernie was always the absolute optimist. You could always count on him to express a most positive attitude:

Everyday was a good day; let's play two.

No matter what the Cubs' record, this was the year that they could win the pennant and become World Series champions.

After his playing days were over, Ernie became a coach and was active in the community. He founded a charitable organization, became the first Black Ford Motor Company dealer in the United States, and even ran unsuccessfully for the Chicago City Council.

A few years ago, Ernie approached me about an effort he had underway to get young athletes who grew up in the inner city and depressed communities to pool some of their resources and reinvest in the rebuilding and redevelopment of these neighborhoods. He was an inspiration to stars like Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, and others who are doing just that.

In 1997, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; in 1999, he was named to the Major League Baseball All Century Team; and in 2013, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

Ernie Banks, we salute you, Mr. Cub, Mr. Chicago, Mr. Ambassador for Baseball, but most importantly, Mr. Cheerleader for Life and Positive Living.

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to Ms. Laura L. Hampton on the celebration of her Tremendous Community Service and Attainment of her 80th Birthday.

Being publicly involved provides one and has provided me with the opportunity to meet and interact with some of the most wonderful and most delightful people. One such person has been, and continues to be Mrs. Laura L. Hampton, whom I met during the 1980s while serving as Alderman of the 29th ward, which was more than twenty years ago. Mrs. Hampton was a community leader and her family lived in the West Garfield Park community on West Wilcox Street. She has played every role that one can play in a community; a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an organizer, a leader, a treasurer, a President and whatever it takes to make a community function.

Mrs. Hampton has been and continues to be what is called a ``Community Activist'', that is, one who is actively involved in the affairs of community life, block, neighborhood, church, school, electoral process, and all that takes place in a community.

I congratulate Mrs. Hampton on the occasion of her 80th birthday Wish her well and thank her for all that she has done for the community including helping to elect me to Congress and President Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, I join with women's rights advocates, health care stakeholders, and religious groups in opposing H.R. 7, the Unprecedented, Radical Assault on Women's Health Care Act. This piece of legislation is another attempt by politicians to control women's private health care choices.

As we emerge from one of the worst economic crises in our nation's history, Congressional leaders should focus on bills to increase Americans' paychecks, create jobs, improve education, and incentivize investment in America rather than jeopardize the health of American women and undermine longstanding Supreme Court precedence regarding women's reproductive health.

Politicians are not medical experts, yet this bill today allows politicians to control women's private health care decisions. Politics should not drive medical decisions.

I firmly believe that the American people wish to see their representatives focus on proactive policies that strengthen our economy and address their health care needs, such as by increasing access to affordable health care and reducing health disparities. Rather than imposing national restrictions on private medical decisions, policymakers should focus on keeping Americans healthy via comprehensive health care, healthy pregnancies, and healthy children. Rather than allowing the federal government to violate the basic constitutional

rights of women, we should increase our investment in research and development, help students afford and succeed in college, raise the minimum wage, strengthen our roads and bridges, and invest in our communities.

America needs policymakers who support our citizens, not who subordinate them. I cannot support this bill that allows politics to control women's medical choices, and I urge my colleagues to oppose.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support of the bipartisan H.R. 203, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. The bill will reiterate our commitment towards our courageous veterans who have fought to defend this country. Statistics of the Department of Veteran Affairs say an average of 22 veterans commit suicide every day, meaning that this tragic news occurs every 65 minutes. The cases account for 20 percent of suicides in the U.S. These brave men and women suffer with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and other types of mental injuries. Mental illness can also lead to other issues, including homelessness and substance abuse. The issue is of national importance, and more needs to be done. Their well-being deserves our highest priority and we have to ensure that their illness is adequately addressed. With this legislation, Congress can prevent further tragedies and ensure our veterans have the mental health services they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 30, the so-labeled Save American Workers Act, which I call the ``Sabotage the Affordable Health Care Act,'' and that is because the bill before us will help to do just that--sabotage affordable health care for millions of Americans.

It would make it easier for employers to not participate in providing health care assistance to their employees. It would drive low- and moderate-income workers back to the emergency rooms of public hospitals and clinics.

The CBO has said that passage of this measure would raise the deficit by $53 billion over a 10-year period and put a million people in government-sponsored health insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, and the exchanges. It would promote episodic care and take us back to yesteryears in health care delivery.

The Affordable Care Act is already working--and working well. On a daily basis, it is taking people off the uninsured rolls.

H.R. 30 is a step backwards. It is not good for workers; it is not good for health care delivery; and it is not good for America.

I would urge a ``no'' vote for H.R. 30.

Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the life of Mr. Salvatore Ferrara II, former CEO of Chicago's Ferrara Pan Candy Company; Mr. Ferrara II passed away on November 27, 2014.

Named after his grandfather, Salvatore Ferrara, Mr. Ferrara lived a life surrounded by all the sweetness that candy could ever provide. His grandfather started the family business in 1908 on Chicago's famous Taylor Street in the Little Italy neighborhood. It was not long before Mr. Ferrara's father, Nello Ferrara, joined the business and continued the hard work that had been started before him. Under Nello Ferrara's guidance the creation of the Atomic Fireball and Lemonheads candy became reality, one inspired from his service in World War II and the other on the birth of his son.

Salvatore Ferrara II, or ``Sal'' to his friends, attended high school in the Chicago area and attended Loyola University New Orleans. He followed the path of his father and grandfather and joined the family business in the 1970s; under his leadership, the company went into a growth phase that raised the number of annual earnings and hardworking employees. He would stay in the family business until March of this year but even after stepping down, Sal would continue to work until the end. Chicagoland has lost an outstanding citizen, businessman, father and husband; he will truly be missed. He will be missed not only by his family and friends, but also by all of us who have enjoyed his specialty candies distributed at parties, picnics, weddings, birthdays and special gatherings.

All of us say thanks to you Mr. Salvatore Ferrara II. Sweet dreams as you rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding.

Let me be clear, I yield to no one in terms of my support for programs and activities to help those who are in need. I ardently support Federal tax policies that support charities.

I have hundreds of charities and foundations in my congressional district, and even more throughout the State of Illinois. They all provide tremendous support to individuals in great need. But I don't believe that this bill is necessary at this moment in order to provide those services.

I am disappointed and cannot support this irresponsible bill that adds to the deficit. The Republican leadership talks a great deal about fiscal prudence and even requires in their budget resolution that any tax extender made permanent be offset with other revenue measures.

Republican leadership easily could have paid for this bill by closing a tax loophole or two. Republican leadership easily could have brought up this bill under a rule that allowed an offset to be added. Instead, they have chosen to add to the deficit in a political ploy.

So I say again, Mr. Speaker, and I pledge to my constituents and to the charitable organizations to work in a bipartisan way to advance charitable benefits. However, I cannot support this irresponsible bill. The President has issued a veto threat, and I support the President.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply dismayed and concerned by the decision of the grand jury not to indict Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown. Based on my interaction with constituents I expect that many thousands of others share that response and will express their concerns in peaceful public protests. I call upon law enforcement in Missouri, and all across our nation, to show all possible restraint and sensitivity and allow the American people to exercise their First Amendment right and responsibility in expressing their opinions over this event and similar recent events.

The events leading to the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed African American teenager, mirror a horrifying string of similar deaths and shootings of African American men at the hands of law enforcement all across the country which seem to have escalated in recent weeks: Eric Garner (43), Staten Island, New York--July 17; John Crawford (22), Beavercreek, Ohio--August 5; Ezell Ford (25), Los Angeles, California-- August 11; Dante Parker, Victorville, California--August 12; Levar Jones (35), Columbia, South Carolina--September 4 and most recently Tamir E. Rice (12) in Cleveland, Ohio--November 23. According to the Chicago Tribune (8/26/2014) ``Chicago police shot 36 people last year, 26 of them African American males, and have shot 34 people so far this year.'' The circumstances surrounding many of those shootings remain unclear or unknown. The emerging pattern of these events raise significant, troubling questions about the protection of the civil rights of Americans, especially young African American males, in encounters with law enforcement.

The sense of frustration and anger felt by so many African Americans, especially young African Americans, is understandable. There remain great inequities in the functioning of our criminal justice system, inequities which are also still found in housing, finance, employment, and electoral politics. History suggests that the reduction of these inequities come only after sustained, unremitting public protest, unified community resistance and economic, legal and political action. The progress we have made as a nation in securing equality and social justice has been uneven and intermittent. There have been periods of backlash and backsliding but over the years the end result has been slow, but relentless progress in repealing and reversing legal, social and economic injustices.

The question before us now is how best to protect our youth, how to end violence, including police violence in our community. Times like this bring to the surface powerful emotions and the temptation to lose faith in our still too often imperfect democratic process. Peoples of nations around the world which either have never established democratic institutions and processes or have given up on perfecting them have paid a horrible, and unnecessary, price. Now is a time to make our laws and law enforcement work for our community, not against our community. Now is the time for us to redouble our determination to reform and strengthen our system of laws and law enforcement, not to abandon it for a brief moment of street rage.

Thank you, my friend and colleague, Congressman Rush for calling this Special Order. I have thought that I wouldn't be able to be here, but I actually changed my schedule. I want to commend you for calling this Special Order and especially for the subject which you have addressed.

As I listened to you, I thought about the fact that the day of the assassination, my friend, Frank Lipscomb, and I went through the apartment. We saw the blood on the sheets, we saw the bullet holes, and we saw the tape. We were young schoolteachers, becoming activist- oriented, caught up in what was taking place in our country. I am so grateful that you were not there because had you been, in all probability, not only would we be talking about Fred and Mark, but we would also be talking about Bobby Rush. But I do believe that the good Lord spared you and somehow or another took you in another direction at that moment so that 45 years later we could look at and appreciate the many public contributions that you have made in efforts to try and make this world a better place, a more just place, a place where all life could be considered sacred.

The location is in my congressional district, the district that I represent, the district that I serve, less than a mile away. The building that I inhabit as a district office has a mural on the wall on the side of the building of Chairman Fred. His son, Fred, Jr., Fred's mother, and members of their organization come with regularity to pay homage and tribute. Of course, Fred's mother, brother, and sister live in my district in Maywood, Illinois. Never does a year go by when they don't have some event, some activity, some groupings of progressive- thinking people who come and spend time at their home talking about progressive causes and progressive issues.

It is kind of interesting that here we are 45 years later when law enforcement misconduct and police brutality are all at the forefront of issues plaguing our society today. I think the one thing that Fred's life and legacy has taught us is that freedom is a hard-won thing. Each generation has to win it and win it again. So when we look at what is taking place in St. Louis, in Chicago, in Ferguson, in Cleveland, in New York, and in Florida, all across the country, it tells us what Frederick Douglass taught, and that is that struggle, struggle, strife, and pain are the prerequisites for change. If there is no struggle, then there is no progress. Fred taught us that struggle must continue even to the last breath of injustice.

So we commend you, just as we commend your friends, Fred and Mark, for the leadership that you have provided in trying to help make America the America that has never been but all of us know must and will be.

I thank you for calling this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, this 1-year retroactive extension is not ideal. It is not the best that we should or could do. It does little to provide certainty to individuals and businesses for 2015. My constituent, Mary Joe, still will not know whether she can give money from her IRA to a Chicago charity without tax liability in 2015, nor does my constituent, Henry, know if he can receive enhanced tax benefits for donating food to the Chicago Food Depository.

Further, I am deeply disappointed that this bill fails to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance for health care workers laid off through no fault of their own. However, I believe that this bill may be our only option for this year to provide these tax benefits for 2014 and to ensure the taxpayers can begin filing their taxes and receiving their refunds early next year. There are many provisions included that are critical to Chicago and Illinois, and that must be covered in 2014.

This is not the best bill, but it is a necessary bill. I look forward to working in a bipartisan way to ensure comprehensive permanent reforms to the Tax Code that help all Americans, including provisions that help the lowest income workers, such as the earned income tax credit and enhanced child tax credit.

I end, Mr. Speaker, by commending Chairman Camp.

Mr. Camp, I commend you on your efforts to bring comprehensive tax reform to the forefront, and I wish you well as you finish out a very distinguished career in the people's House. Sir, I salute you.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to a wonderful Chicagoan, Geraldine Blue, who passed from this world on November 22, 2014.

Affectionately known as ``Jewel'' to her friends and family, she was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on March 8, 1940 to Blanche and Willie Johnson, Sr. Jewel's passion for music and dance started early. As a young child and teenager, Jewel competed in multiple talent competitions with her sisters and cousins. Indeed, the multiple invitations to perform locally that they received serve as testimony to the skill she and her family possessed. Her family used to say that Jewel would ``sing her way to heaven and dance right out of her shoes''. This description makes me smile because it captures her zeal for music and life. As a young woman, Jewel decided to move to Chicago where she met the love of her life, L.C. Blue, with whom she celebrated 30 years of marriage. Her friends emphasize her devotion to her family and commitment to ensuring their well-being. Jewel was a wonderful stay-at-home mother to four lovely children, Norris Timothy, Regina Pierre, Vonda Yvette and Levelle Christopher. Her nurturing nature and talent with children led her husband to encourage her to start a home day care. Her 30 years of service to her Chicago community as a local child care provider gave hundreds of children and families the strong foundation and support needed to thrive in life.

Jewel's enthusiasm for life and dedication to others also showed in her work with the church. She served God via multiple ministries; she used her glorious voice in the music ministry and her passion for helping others as a member of the Adult Usher Board, Junior Missionary Board, and Alter Workers. I understand that her church family appreciated the unconditional love she gave to so many without judgment or shame. She was genuine and loving. What a beautiful combination.

Jewel was preceded in death by: her husband L. C. Blue; son Norris Timothy; parents Blanche and Willie Johnson, Sr.; and siblings Credale Johnson, Emma Jean Brown, Robert Johnson, Sr., and Willie Johnson, Jr. Jewel leaves many family members and loved ones to cherish her lasting memories, including: her children Regina Pierre, Vonda Yvette, and Levelle Christopher; her sisters Rosetta Williams, Lula Phillips, and Mary Walton (Raymond); her grandchildren Monique D. Johnson-Smith (Rodney), Chanel E. Moore, Jarrett L. Moore, Brandon D. Brazziel, Maya A. Moore; her great-grandchild Myles X. Smith; and her 38th Street Church family We are grateful to Geraldine ``Jewel'' Blue for her tremendous contribution to so many in Chicago and our nation; her nurture and love strengthened individuals and communities.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with my colleagues in paying tribute to former Congressman Lane Evans, to convey condolences to his family and friends, and to urge the naming of a VA outpatient clinic in Galesburg, Illinois, in his name and in his honor.

I had come to know and revere Representative Lane Evans long before I became a Member of Congress. As a matter of fact, he was known not only in the area that he represented, but throughout Illinois and especially among individuals who considered themselves to be political progressives.

As a matter of fact, I had the good fortune to travel with Lane and a group to El Salvador under his leadership and under the sponsorship of a group at the time known as People to People.

As a matter of fact, in that same group was Representative Jan Schakowsky, and that is where I felt that I really got to know Jan and her husband, Bob.

Lane Evans spent most of his adult life in public service except for the time he was in college or law school. Not only did he enlist in the Marines during the Vietnam era and comported himself extremely well during his tenure, but Lane also was a legal aid attorney. That is an attorney who works specifically to represent those who otherwise would not have had any legal representation. After being elected to Congress in 1982, he established himself as a strong voice for veterans and championed other progressive causes. During his entire time in Congress, he served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and rose to the commission of ranking member.

Lane gave us his physical and mental capabilities until he could actually give no more. That is, he would often come to work barely able to sit, sometimes barely able to walk in, at the time when others would have just given up and said, ``I can't do this anymore.''

Lane did us proud. Therefore, I am proud to join in this tribute, and I am proud to support the naming of the VA medical facility in Galesburg, Illinois, as the Lane A. Evans Community-Based Outpatient Clinic. Lane is absolutely deserving of this honor. I have never, ever known anyone who worked as long and as hard as Lane did with his illness, and he simply worked, as they sometimes say in Christian churches, until his days were done.

Lane, I am proud to have known you, proud to have served with you, and proud to call you my friend.

Mr. Speaker, we are now half way through September, and young people in Chicago and throughout the nation have started a new school year. As they advance in age and begin to realize their potential, many teens from junior high through the first years of college are confronted with peer pressure and normal curiosity to engage in illegal underage drinking. In spite of great progress in reducing underage drinking, the statistics remain unacceptably high.

For many years, the dedicated staff of the Federal Trade Commission has promoted a consumer education program known as We Don't Serve Teens. It is an effort to inform parents and other adults of the ways in which teens acquire alcohol and the risks they face. The FTC initiative is reinforced by members of the alcohol beverage industry who publicize the information in the media and at retail outlets throughout the nation.

According to survey data compiled for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, many young teens have easy access to alcohol. A study funded by that agency showed that 93.4 percent of adolescents ages 12-14 who drank alcohol in the past month got it for free.

In most cases, adolescents have access to alcohol through family members, from their own homes or homes of friends. The same survey indicates that more than 500,000 youngsters in that 12-14 age group consumed alcohol within the last month. Alcohol consumption at that age can be the indication of other problems. If ignored, it can lead to patterns of abusive drinking and other risky behavior that adversely affect the teenager for a lifetime.

In addition to monitoring the activities and behavior of young teens, illegal alcohol consumption poses a serious risk to high school and younger college students. This past August, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism published guidance titled, Fall Semester: A Time for Parents to Revisit Discussions About College Drinking. As our young people enter their later teenage years, the challenge for parents and the broader community increase. High school and college students have older friends who can purchase alcohol for them. They also have smart phones, cars, and other means to communicate and travel.

We often hear the message, ``If you see something, say something,'' from our homeland security agencies. Parents, friends, neighbors, pastors, and teachers all have different experiences and interactions with teens. We need to enlist all people of good will to say something if they see a teen that they know engaged in underage drinking.

Last year, alcohol was a factor in over 190,000 emergency room visits by persons under the age of 21. Some of those teens died and some suffered traumatic injuries that will permanently change their lives and diminish their potential. Those numbers are every bit as troubling as the national security issues we face. The We Don't Serve Teens web site and materials provide many common sense approaches to limit teen access to alcohol and to recognize the signs that a young person you know may be consuming alcohol illegally.

In addition to supporting the We Don't Serve Teens message, I urge my colleagues to support the H.R. 498, the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act, better known as the STOP Act. It was introduced by Rep. Roybal-Allard again in this Congress. Thanks to her efforts and those of our Republican colleague Frank Wolf, portions of this

legislation have been included in continuing resolutions and appropriations bills since 2006.

The STOP Act strengthened our response to the challenge of underage drinking. Seventeen federal agencies now worked through an interagency committee to better coordinate activities to further reduce underage drinking. A number of valuable studies and recommendations have been shared with government officials and civic-minded citizens throughout the nation. I commend our colleagues for their work.

To the men and women in agencies responsible for administering STOP Act research and grants, I ask you to persevere. Your work has saved many lives, and with sustained effort at the federal, state, and community level, we can further reduce underage drinking and its terrible consequences for our families and communities.

To the Commissioners and staff of the Federal Trade Commission, I commend the We Don't Serve Teens initiative and encourage you to sustain it in the future. I would also like to express appreciation for a company in the district I represent, Constellation Brands Beer Division, which promotes the We Don't Serve Teens message in the media and at alcohol beverage retail outlets throughout the greater Chicago area.

Underage drinking is a problem we can all work together to solve. I urge my colleagues and all Americans to utilize the tools prepared by the FTC and other agencies and help further reduce underage drinking and its consequences for our younger citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from New York for yielding.

I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4 because it adds over $500 billion in permanent corporate tax giveaways that could end up causing 1 million hardworking Americans to lose their employer-provided health coverage and do nothing to help the tens of thousands of my constituents and tens of millions of Americans who are experiencing deep poverty, unemployment, and economic distress.

I cannot support adding over $500 billion to our deficit for permanent handouts to big corporations while 3.3 million long-term unemployed go unaided, while repairs and renovations to our Nation's infrastructure are threatened, while the Medicare doctors' fix goes unresolved, and while irrational budget cuts strangle education, health, research, and innovation.

This bill marks the height of Republican irresponsibility on both fiscal and policy grounds. I ask, how many millions of low-income students could complete college using Pell grants with just a fraction of the cost of this bill? How many long-term unemployed could pay their rent or provide food for their families with even a tiny amount of the cost of this bill? How many more small businesses could receive investment grants or critical low-cost loans?

Our government, yes, has the responsibility to advance policies that create jobs, strengthen our citizens, and grow our economy, not ones that undermine the health and well-being of Americans and advance the wealthiest among us at the expense of the struggling.

I will vote ``no'' on this sham jobs-creating bill.