Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I cannot support H.R. 3541, the Republican bill that rolls back critical protections for a women's right to choose under the guise of preventing prenatal discrimination. While the bill's title includes the names of anti-discrimination activists Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas, its anti- discrimination premise is disingenuous--the bill actually reverses the rights that these leaders fought so hard for centuries ago. Rather than protecting women, this bill is just another thinly-veiled attack on women's rights.

H.R. 3541 is legislation for a fictional problem. Statistics demonstrate that sex selection does not happen with regularity in our nation. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 91.4% of abortions in 2008 occurred prior to the 13th week of pregnancy, whereas gender identification by the most-common method of ultrasound is not available until between weeks 16 to 20. Further, gender ratios within the U.S. reflect a gender balance consistent with what one would expect it to be. The CIA's World Factbook indicates that the gender ratio at birth 1.05 males to females, which the Guttmacher Institute indicates is ``squarely within biologically normal parameters.'' The United States simply does not have a gender imbalance that would indicate that sex-selection occurs with any regularity. So, if gender selection is not a problem in the United States, one must wonder why the Republican leadership purports it to be one. The answer is that the bill before us simply is a deceptive effort to limit women's choice.

Gender inequity should concern all of us. That we still live in a society that provides preferential treatment to men is deeply disturbing, and Congress should feel compelled to act to correct these inequities. Unfortunately, rather than promoting equal pay for women, advancing protections for all women from domestic violence, increasing access to affordable health care for all women, or addressing racial disparities in health care among women, the Republican leadership offers H.R. 3541 that would undermine the constitutional rights of women under a false cry of gender discrimination. This bill would encourage racial profiling, create additional barriers for women to access comprehensive health care, allow the government to interfere with confidential communications between doctors and their patients, and threaten physicians with criminal penalties for open, honest communication with their patients.

So, I stand with dozens of diverse organizations--including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Public Health Association, Presbyterian Voices for Justice, and the National Women's Law Center--to strongly oppose House Republican bill H.R. 3541. As twenty-first-century policymakers, we should advance the rights of women and minorities, not weaken them. I vehemently oppose this dangerous and discriminatory bill that would limit women's health care options.

It is my pleasure to rise today to note the third anniversary of the ending of the civil war in Sri Lanka. On May 19, 2009, a new era--an era of peace--began in this country; an era of hope, an era of possibility, and an era of justice with movement towards reconnection and reconciliation. Unfortunately, implementation of this new era of hope seems to be slow in coming, it seems to many Tamils in the country and throughout the diaspora who have lingering fears that governance of the country will remain closed and not as democratically

operated as they would like to see and that justice demands.

The President of Sri Lanka started talks with the Tamil National Alliance, the party that has won all elections in the northeast since the end of the war more than a year ago. Unfortunately, these talks seem to have bogged down and are not progressing as was anticipated. Sri Lanka is a highly centralized state. The lack of control over areas that we take for granted, such as the police, the use of land, and the education system, are often cited as being one of the causes of the civil war. It is reported that even areas not affected by the war suffer from neglect by Colombo and distant government officials who make arbitrary decisions, as is frequently noted by the World Bank and others. Tensions continue to exist between the Sinhalese, who control the government, and the Tamils, who consider the north and east as their traditional homeland. It is unfortunate that after hostilities ended on the battlefield, they still seem to exist in many of the same ways that occurred before the war actually broke out.

It is my hope that Sri Lanka will be able to work through its difficulties so that this beautiful country can experience the peace and stability its citizens rightly deserve.

Madam Speaker, I cannot support the H.R. 4970, the Republican bill that rolls back critical protections for domestic violence victims. Until now, reauthorization of the Violence against Women Act has involved a strong, bipartisan effort. In sharp contrast to this bipartisan history, the Republican Leadership aggressively is pushing a bill that weakens current law, shifts power into the hands of abusers, delays or denies protection to battered spouses and victims of heinous crimes such as rape and sexual assault, prevents law enforcement from gaining the cooperation of many immigrant victims of serious crimes, and leaves more dangerous criminals on the streets to strike again. This is unacceptable and undermines the intent of the bill to protect all victims of domestic and sexual violence.

In April 2012, the Senate passed by a vote of 68 to 31 a bipartisan bill that advanced the Federal government's commitment to protecting all victims--a bill that strengthens current law. In sharp contrast to the bipartisan Senate bill, the Republican bill fails to include key protections for Native American, immigrant, and LGBT victims of domestic violence. Even with the Manager's Amendment, the Republican bill undermines key protects for many domestic violence victims, making them less safe and tarnishing our American value of protecting the vulnerable. It is no wonder that over 100 organizations oppose the House Republican bill.

So, I stand with the diverse group of organizations--including the NAACP, the National Women's Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors to strongly oppose the House Republican bill and to support the bipartisan Senate bill. As policymakers, we should be protecting our citizens, not decreasing their safety.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the pleasure to recognize a hometown hero, Ms. Danielle Green-Byrd as she has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Red Cross, Tiffany Circle Distinguished Woman Warrior Award for her outstanding service to our country.

Ms. Green-Byrd is a 1999 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Psychology as a full scholarship athlete, excelling in varsity basketball. Once a standout left-handed shooter, she scored 1,106 points, averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the women's basketball team.

Upon graduating from college, Danielle chose to serve her country by enlisting in the Army and subsequently sent to Iraq, serving with the 571st Military Police Company from Fort Lewis, Washington during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She explained that she wanted to gain life lessons as an enlisted soldier before one day receiving a commission.

One of the first women injured during the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, Danielle had been at her post for only a few minutes when two rocket propelled grenades hit a barrier on the ground and exploded. A third hit her arm and damaged her thigh and face. She lost her left hand and arm and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Presently, Danielle is the assistant sports coordinator in the Chicago Board of Education's Department of Sports Administration and Facility Management and spends time with military veterans in the Chicagoland area. She enjoys time playing golf, a sport that she has said has taught her patience and brought enjoyment.

I am so proud to acknowledge a ``she-ro'' who is still living among us and I encourage her to continue to live her dreams, give back to the community and continue to make the greater Chicagoland community a better place.

Congratulations and may God continue to bless you in every field of human endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, I resolutely oppose H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Act of 2012. As our nation struggles to emerge from one of its worst economic crises, I am profoundly disappointed with the Republican Leadership for offering legislation that would harm tens of millions of Americans to deliver a windfall of additional wealth to already-privileged individuals and companies. Such overt protection for the wealthiest and most secure at the expense of the most vulnerable represents an affront to American values and blatant disregard of a policymaker's responsibility to protect our nation's citizens. Robbing the poor, children, elderly, and ill to further balloon the wealth of the most affluent in our country is deplorable.

The Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 clearly demonstrates the fundamental disagreement between parties at present. The Democratic lawmakers believe that the federal government has the responsibility to help it citizens during times of struggle and economic hardship. To achieve this support and revitalize our nation, the Democrats maintain that shared responsibility among the wealthy and the middle class, defense and non-defense initiatives, and spending cuts and revenues are necessary. Strengthening our national and individual economic well- being requires balance. In contrast, the Republican Leadership asserts that the responsibility for helping the poor or vulnerable falls to individual charity and the path to economic revitalization is to eviscerate federal services that support the poor, elderly, children, and ill to deliver billions of dollars in financial assistance to the wealthiest individuals, oil companies, and businesses that ship jobs overseas.

There are multiple provisions within the Republican Sequestration bill that exemplify the approach of giving massive tax breaks to the wealthiest while slashing vital services to the vulnerable.

Take the elimination of the Social Services Block Grant, which provides critical support for child care, child welfare, and elderly services. Nearly all SSBG funds serve the needs of vulnerable adults, children and disabled. Terminating the program will affect approximately 23 million people, half of them children. Cutting

SSBG means the 1.7 million seniors would lose ``Meals on Wheels'' and other home-based services. Eliminating SSBG means that 1.7 million children likely lose access to protective services, 451,000 children would be denied foster care, and 640,000 children likely lose child abuse prevention services. Stopping SSBG means that 4.4 million children would lose child care and related assistance--a loss that is especially egregious when 22 states reported considerable wait-lists for child care assistance in 2011.

Slashing $36 billion to the food assistance program for the poor would reduce aid to 47 million Americans, terminate benefits for approximately 2 million low-income individuals, and revoke the automatic eligibility for free school meals for nearly 300,000 low- income children. In my Congressional District alone, there are 40,784 households receiving benefits--with 49.2% of these families having children under 18 and 30.9% having one or more people over the age of 60. These families already are bearing the brunt of our economic hardship. They cannot sustain further cuts to their food aid.

Repealing the Medicaid and CHIP maintenance-of-effort requirements directly threatens the health coverage of millions of pregnant women, infants and children. Medicaid finances about 41% of births each year, serving as THE source of health care for 1 out of 4 children in our country--especially children with special healthcare needs. Removing the maintenance-of-effort protections of coverage would increase the number of uninsured children by at least 300,000 in 2015, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office.

Eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund further jeopardizes the health and well-being of women and children. Specifically, loss of the Prevention Fund means about 2.2 million fewer childhood vaccinations to prevent childhood diseases, 326,000 fewer breast cancer screenings, and 284,000 fewer cervical cancer screenings. Cutting the Prevention Fund means stopping tobacco cessation and obesity prevention programs. I have been a strong proponent of prevention my entire adult life given its proven ability to improve the quality of life for citizens with minimal financial investment. Indeed, proven community- based prevention programs yield an estimated return of $5.60 for every dollar invested. Since 2010, the state of Illinois has received $31 million from the Prevention Fund. I cannot support the loss of these funds.

Dramatically reducing the Child Tax Credit by $7.6 billion means that more than 3 million children would lose the pro-family support that their low-income families need to put food on the tables and roofs over their heads.

The Republican reconciliation bill offers an unacceptable vision for our nation that calls on the most vulnerable of our citizens to support a privileged lifestyle for the most secure. At a time in our history where more than one in five children currently lives in poverty and tens of millions of citizens struggle with unemployment, underemployment, and foreclosure, I cannot support such a vision that would undermine the well-being of millions of Americans. We must pursue a balanced approach to strengthening our nation's and our citizens' economic well-being, asking all to share in the sacrifice.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to raise the awareness of a gradual but persistent scaling back of the Second Chance Act funding and urge my colleagues to support my amendment calling for a $10 million increase in 2013 funding.

As all of us know, States are facing historic fiscal challenges and are being forced to make difficult budget choices. These choices are only made more difficult when prisons are packed to capacity and communities lack effective resources for dealing with offenders who return.

The number of individuals in prisons and jails remain unacceptable. As a matter of fact, our country, the United States of America, is the most incarcerated nation on the face of the Earth, not only in actual numbers, but also in proportion of population. If current projections continue, State and Federal prisons will grow another 13 percent in the next year, which will add an additional 192,000 prisoners at a cost of $27.5 billion. In light of these challenges, the need for the Second Chance Act is greater now than ever before.

The Second Chance Act is a commonsense response to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people released from prisons, jails, juvenile facilities and returning to their communities. Research confirms that comprehensive coordinated services can help formerly incarcerated individuals find stable employment and housing, thereby reducing recidivism.

Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued updated enforcement guidance on employers' use of arrest and conviction records when making employment decisions. In its guidance, the EEOC cited that hiring policies that include blanket exclusions of people with criminal records have a disparate ratio impact and therefore violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The new rules call for employers to assess applicants on an individual basis, rather than excluding everyone with a criminal record through a blanket policy. The new policy also encourages employers to give applicants a chance to explain their criminal record before they are rejected outright and marks a momentous advancement in the employment arena for individuals who have been incarcerated.

In addition, the Second Chance Act grants are working in improving public safety. The Moms and Babies program in Illinois' Decatur Correctional Center, a Second Chance grantee, has served 34 women. To date, no program participants have returned to prison. That's a 0 percent recidivism rate. In San Mateo, California, of the 224 participants in their Second Chance program, 61 have been returned to jail. That's a recidivism rate of 28 percent, well below the statewide average of 58 percent.

At the Federal level, reentry has become a high priority for many of the Cabinet agencies in President Obama's administration.

The Federal Interagency Reentry Council, established by Attorney General Holder in January of 2011, represents a significant executive branch commitment to coordinating reentry efforts and advancing reentry policies.

If we don't know anything else, we do know one thing: We know that when individuals return home from jail and prison, if they don't get any help, chances are that 67 percent, or two-thirds of them, will have done what we call ``re-offend'' within a 3-year period of time. Those who get help oftentimes do not re-offend. And the more help they get, the less they will re-offend, thereby proving that the funds work. I urge passage of this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Davis of Illinois

Amendment No. 2: Page 44, line 7, after the dollar amount,

insert ``(decreased by $10,000,000)''.

Page 47, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $10,000,000)''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to robbing health and education to pay for oil.

Baron Henry Brougham once said, ``Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave.'' Education is at the cornerstone of our democracy, and college access and success are fundamental stepping stones toward economic security and global competitiveness. As policymakers, it is imperative that we support students in making college affordable so that our citizens can prosper. We face an immediate crisis in college costs. Without congressional action, interest rates will get out of the box pushing students and families in deeper debt.

Yet, rather than setting forth a bipartisan solution to address the impending interest rate hike, the Republican leadership insists on waging a partisan war on the health of our nation by cutting six billion dollars from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The Prevention and Public Health Fund invests in state and local public health entities to address critical public health problems effectively from the front end, lowering health costs and benefitting over one hundred million Americans. I have been a strong proponent of prevention my entire adult life given its proven ability to improve the quality of life for citizens with minimal financial investment. Indeed, proven community-based prevention programs yield an estimated return of $5.60 for every dollar invested. Since 2010, the state of Illinois has received $31 million from the Prevention Fund. I cannot support the loss of these funds.

I do not understand the Republican position that decreasing access to women's health exams, children's immunizations, obesity programs, smoking cessation, and other proven health promotion programs by slashing prevention funding is better public policy than stopping billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies for oil companies with record profits. One policy approach benefits our society; the other benefits a handful of privileged corporations. Why should Republicans demand that the wealthiest oil companies that make tens of billions of dollars in profit receive billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies? With the price of a barrel of oil so high, there is no need to incentivize oil companies to produce oil. The billions of dollars of profit are incentive enough. Further, leading Senate Republicans have acknowledge that Big Oil doesn't need this incentive.

I stand with the nearly 800 public health, prevention and other health and wellness advocates that strongly oppose repeal of this fund. Helping our nation's low and middle-income-students avoid deeper debt should not be contingent on eliminating funding for childhood immunizations and screening programs for breast and cervical cancer and birth defects. I support the extension of the interest rate reduction for student loans, but not at the expense of the health of our nation.

Thank you very much, Representative Courtney. I want to not only thank you, but I want to commend you for the tremendous leadership that you've displayed on so many issues as I've watched you since you've become a Member of this House. I also want to thank you for taking on this issue--the issue of trying to ensure that young people especially in our country, a country that has been dubbed the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth--and it got to be that way because of its emphasis on education and providing opportunity for individuals to begin in life anywhere in this country and move as a result of education to the highest ranks, to the highest levels, to the ability to make valuable contributions not only to the development of their own lives, but to the lives of others.

I often think of things that people have said about education and something that I'm told that Abraham Lincoln once said: Education makes a man easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.

College access and success are fundamental stepping stones towards economic security and global competitiveness. As policymakers, it is imperative that we support students in making college affordable so that our citizens can prosper. We face an immediate crisis in college costs. Without congressional action, interest rates will get out of the box.

I'm very fortunate to represent a congressional district that has what we call an education mecca in terms of the numbers of institutions that we have in what we call the South Loop area of Chicago, which is only a few blocks long and a few blocks wide. We have more than a hundred thousand students just in that area at colleges and universities like Loyola, DePaul, Spertus College, East-West University. As a matter of fact, I was at the board meeting of East- West last evening, where we were reviewing our accreditation standards and making sure that everything was in order so that the thousands of students who attend that university could get the very best.

But unless we make sure that students can acquire the money, I have organized a little scholarship fund in honor of my parents, because they believed so much in education--two of the smartest people I've ever known. My father finished fourth grade when he was 19 years old. We saw his report card. But he was a great reader and he read everything that he could get his hands on. My mother was a little more fortunate than that. She finished eighth grade and was considered to be one of the more educated people in our community. But they pushed for education. They knew that if their children were going to have opportunities that they did not have that they had to get as much education as they possibly could.

So, when interest rates bar and prevent people, I just know so many students and so many families who are wondering if they're going to be able to make it. Last year, I had one family who called to ask if we could help them find the money just to get to school. They had done all of the other things that their daughter needed to do, but they came up short with transportation resources, and they were trying to keep from borrowing any additional money. And then once they get out of school, if your debt is so high when you go to try and find a job that it staggers you and pushes you back and works against your will, then it becomes even more difficult. So we're trying to make education affordable, just trying to give people the chance, the opportunity.

Something I remember that the fellow named Wolfe said:

To every man his chance, his golden opportunity to become

whatever his manhood, talent, ambitions, and hard work

combine to make him, that is the promise of America.

Of course, if he were saying that today, he wouldn't have just said ``every man.'' He would have said, every person, every woman, everybody, every citizen, everybody who wants to should have that opportunity.

So, again, I commend you for your leadership, I commend you for your tenacity, and I just like the way you work. I like what you do. I like the issues that you raise. And you mentioned the Pell grants. Senator Pell, from the same area of the country that you come from, his daughter was in my office not very long ago, saying that she and a group of her friends were going to get very active on the whole issue of trying to make sure that individuals who were incarcerated had an opportunity to pursue the Pell grant in honor of her father and remembering the great work that he did. So I remember you for the great work that you're doing. I thank you, and I'm pleased to join with you this evening.

You are absolutely right, and I thank you again because I went to one of those land grant colleges--I, along with seven of my brothers and sisters--and I can tell you that, had they not existed, none of us ever probably would have gone to a college or university. So, thank you, again, as I take my leave.

Mr Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Brenda V. Triplett on her retirement from the Social Security Administration after thirty-four years of service to our government. As a member of the Federal Workforce Subcommittee in the House, we have had the honor of hosting many fellows from SSA that have advised us on the many complex issues of the agency.

Brenda has worked at various SSA offices in Illinois and Indiana. Her first position for SSA was at the Harvey, IL field office as a clerk and also as a clerk in the Markham, IL field office. Brenda's next position with SSA was at the Agency's Chicago Regional Office as a personnel staffing assistant in addition to the Gary, IN field office where she worked as an administrative aide; and later promoted to the service representative position there. Brenda was then promoted again to the Title 16 claims representative position located at the Back of the Yards field office in Chicago, IL. Finally, in August 2008, she was promoted to the Chicago Teleservice Center, Chicago, IL as a supervisor where she remained until present.

During Brenda's retirement, she anticipates joining a bowling league. As an avid skater, there will be more opportunities for her to roller skate. In addition, she plans to act as primary caregiver for her parents and attend Bible study on regular basis.

I congratulate Brenda on all of her achievements and wish all best in her future endeavors. In the words of an old Irish saying, ``May the sun always shine on your windowpane, May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain, May the hand of a friend always be near you, May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you!''

Mr. Speaker, I consider Ms. Bernie Wong to be among the very best of Social Workers in the United States of America or any place else in the world today. Bernie is being cited by President Obama for her outstanding leadership and development of the Chinese American Service League in Chicago. The Champion of the ``Change Award,'' recognizes a small select group of Americans who embody, innovate, educate and build. The Award ceremony is held at the White House to honor those who exemplify Cesar Chavez's core values including service to other, knowledge, innovation, acceptance of all people, and respect for life and the environment. Bernie Wong is being recognized for her tireless efforts on behalf of Chinese Chicagoans. Ms. Wong is one of ten individuals nationwide to receive this prestigious honor.

Bernie Wong was the youngest of seven children and grew up poor, but never realized it. A product of a catholic school upbringing, Bernie learned early in life the meaning of generosity and compassion for others. Bernie's mother was always available to help others in need and would take Bernie and her siblings to visit the sick every week and provide food for people. Experiences in Bernie early years set the stage for her mission driven approach to serving others with dignity and respect. At eighteen, Bernie left Hong Kong for Sioux City, Iowa where she earned a four year scholarship to pursue a Bachelors' Degree in Sociology from Briar Cliff College. She went on to earn a Masters' Degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Bernie truly understand what poor new immigrants face when confronted by completely different culture and language. This realization gave her the courage to gather a few friends and begin the task of building the Chinese American Service League from the ground up.

Founded in 1978, with a desk and chairs, the Chinese American Service League is now the largest and most comprehensive social service agency in the Midwest dedicated to the needs of Asian Americans. Housed in the award winning Kam L. Liu Building, and supported by an annual budget of $12 million, CASL's program reach over 17,000 clients each year. CASL services everyone in need, but primarily focuses on serving Chinese American immigrants in the metropolitan Chicago area. CASL's clients are low-income and a significant portion served is newly arrived immigrants. These individuals often have little formal education and possess a few transferable skills. Since 90% of CASL's clients speak little to no English, they find themselves unable to access needed social services. CASL provides a critical safety-net by employing over 400 multilingual professionals and support staff. CASL serves a vital niche in the community, often taking referrals from other social service agencies, neighborhood organizations, and government institutions in order to serve clients with specific language or other special needs. Bernie is a true she-roe and leader in her community. She is indeed a champion of change and I salute President Obama for recognizing it. She deserves every accolade that we can shower upon her.

First of all, I want to thank the gentlelady from the Virgin Islands for her leadership in convening and anchoring these sessions that we hold each week. I also want to commend and pay tribute to Representative Bobby Scott for the tremendous leadership and work that he provides each year in helping the Congressional Black Caucus analyze, synthesize, and look seriously at how we move forward as we prepare a budget.

As has already been indicated, budgets are indications of priorities--what is it that you're really hoping to do; what do you really hope to accomplish. And so this budget I view as a tremendously positive alternative to any of our budgets that I have seen at this time. So I rise in strong support of the Congressional Black Caucus' FY 2013 alternative budget.

February's job report reveals 3 months of strong jobs growth in America. And while there is a sigh of relief for millions of consumers and the unemployed moving from the sidelines in search of work with hopes that their prospects will improve, there is little change for the 5.4 million long-term unemployed, 8.1 million involuntary part-time workers, and marginally attached individuals no longer in the labor force who wanted and were available for work and who looked for a job at some point during the last 12 months.

And so it becomes obvious that any budget should have at its core job-creation opportunities so that people can experience this opportunity, or this commodity, that we call work.

Appearances of an economy poised for growth does little for underserved minorities residing in disinvested communities blighted with high rates of joblessness, poor-performing schools, poverty, and crime. Indeed, the promise of a new day and new hopes are few and far between for poor and low-income workers, generally, and returning citizens with barriers to employment in particular.

Indeed, over the past decade, the poor in America have gotten poorer. And, of course, the wealthy have gotten wealthier. Those called ``middle class'' have been squeezed to the point where they're teetering and certainly could go in either direction, that is, up with the right kinds of opportunities and down with the wrong kinds of opportunities.

I don't believe that we can afford in good conscience to continue to turn a blind eye to census figures and monthly data reports of the economic injustices and suffering being imposed upon a growing number of people. Moreover, we cannot continue to hold a great Nation hostage for the sake of a few while millions suffer. If we're truly going to address the crisis in America and put all Americans back to work and reduce poverty, we must create a mixture of universal and targeted programs capable of weathering political obstacles.

The Congressional Black Caucus alternative budget is a means to this end. Indeed, the CBC budget safeguards investment in public education, Pell Grants, and transportation vital to equipping minority youth and adults with skill sets so that they can obtain and maintain access to gainful sustainable employment in our ever-changing global economy; and also by renovating and building new schools and investing an additional $50 billion in transportation and infrastructure in 2013 and $155 billion above the President's budget over the next decade, repairing and building bridges across lakes, rivers, and streams, but also bridges to opportunity.

The Congressional Black Caucus budget protects the health care safety net programs that have been developed. It also protects Second Chance funding while restoring funding to Department of Justice programs for citizens who are returning home from jail and prison with serious barriers to employment.

We hold these truths to be self-evident that if America is to become the America that it has never been but the America that all of us hope for and know that it can be, then we would take the principles encased in the Congressional Black Caucus budget and comply those to whatever budgets are ultimately passed.

So, again, I want to commend Mr. Scott, and I want to thank Delegate Christensen.

I thank the lady for yielding.

We've heard a great deal about Representative Payne this evening. Some of the fondest memories that I have of Donald was talking. He was a philosopher and a poet. All of the things that people have said that he did, he has done those. The last conversation we had was sort of a philosophical conversation. I believe that Tennyson framed Donald Payne long before he was born, and he wrote this poem that said:

Sunset and evening star

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crossed the bar.

Donald crossed, but he left a great deal behind.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize one of my constituents from Chicago, James Bell, as he retires from The Boeing Company after 40 years of service to Boeing and its heritage companies. James is retiring as corporate president and chief financial officer of Chicago-based Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company and America's biggest manufacturing exporter. He is the highest-ranking African-American employee in the company's nearly 100 years of history. His legacy at Boeing transcends race and reflects a record of accomplishment, service, and leadership that came during a time of significant change. During Bell's career, Boeing expanded from being primarily a commercial airplane manufacturer to a company with a diverse portfolio of commercial, military, and civil products and businesses. Boeing's workforce, which includes over 170,000 employees, also has become more diverse, and James helped to make it so. James played a critical role in shaping this diverse workforce, sharing his life experiences, modeling outstanding leadership and mentoring others to become the leaders of tomorrow.

James Bell grew up in south central Los Angeles, the youngest of four children of Clyde

Bell, a postman, and Mamie, a county government clerk. During Bell's junior year at Jefferson High School in 1965, the Watts neighborhood erupted in rioting. Though sympathetic to the frustration and despair that sparked the rioting, James reacted to the sad destruction by committing himself to self improvement. He realized that education was the path to future success. In his senior year at Jefferson, Bell was elected student body president in part due to his interest in helping the school retain students and convincing them of the value of education. James studied hard and earned a partial scholarship to California State University at Los Angeles, where he majored in accounting.

James has come a long way since his childhood, but he has stayed close to his roots and to his extended, close-knit family. In his first management job, he learned that he would be supervising several women, all of whom were older than him, so he reached out to his mother for advice. ``Always respect them as you would me, and you'll be all right,'' she counseled him. Following that advice served him well. Bell began his career as a staff accountant with Rockwell in 1972, after earning his bachelor's degree in accounting. He rose steadily, serving in positions of increasing responsibility including manager of accounting and, later, director of business management of the Space Station Electric Power System before becoming vice president in 1996, when Boeing acquired Rockwell's aerospace business. As vice president of contracts and pricing for Boeing Space and Communications, Bell oversaw policy direction, acquisition reform, new business opportunities and program performance, and he also served in business management roles for the International Space Station program.

James was named chief financial officer of Boeing in 2003, a position he held until his retirement. In addition to his CFO duties, he served as chief executive officer of the company for several months in 2005 following the resignation of Boeing's top leader. As the chief financial officer, James was responsible for overall financial management of the company, including oversight of business performance, financial reporting and transparency, and multiple corporate functions including for example Controller, Treasury, Investor Relations, Planning and Contracts and Pricing. Under James' watchful eye and steady hand, Boeing's annual revenues have grown to nearly $70 billion. While his leadership will be missed, James will remain active in Chicago, serving on the board of directors of J. P. Morgan, Dow Chemical Company, and The Chicago Urban League.

I am honored to celebrate the achievements of Mr. Bell and am hopeful for a prosperous and active retirement.

I thank the chairman very much for yielding.

As I listen to the debate and the discussion and as I listen to my colleague from Wisconsin talk about universal access, I am reminded of something that I read relative to the period of not just dissent but a takeover of Germany. I remember something that a rabbi said: They came for the Communists. I was not a Communist. They came for the Socialists. I was not a Socialist. Then they came for me, and nobody was left.

It seems to me that, when we go after those individuals who are the most vulnerable people in our society and when we categorize and stereotype and make believe that if they get a card that they're going to be at the casino and that they're going to be at the strip joint, well, I can tell you that the people I know who get cards as TANF recipients are not usually found at a casino, and they're not found at a strip joint. As a matter of fact, if I thought that this legislation would provide one iota--one scintilla--of help for TANF recipients, I would be the first in line to support it. The reality is I don't believe it provides any help and that it does not provide any assistance, and I will certainly not be voting for it.

All lawmakers agree that we should limit waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. We all agree that government assistance should be used for basic necessities, such as shelter and food. Unfortunately, the Republican bill is not a good faith effort to limit waste, fraud and abuse; in contrast, it fans the flames of prejudice with stereotypes portraying our Nation's poor as abusing government support. Simply put, this bill is a stereotype to rally the cry of the right wing that the poor in our country do not deserve government help.

Rather than proposing programs to spur the economy or get Americans working, this Republican leadership simply takes cheap political shots. There is no evidence of rampant abuse of federal assistance to fuel lewd and lascivious lifestyles. In the state of California that represents one third of the Nation's TANF caseload, over a 3 year period, only .04 percent of Electronic Benefit Transactions occurred at gaming establishments and only .001 percent at adult entertainment establishments. In Florida, over a two year period, only .03 percent of Electronic Benefit Transactions occurred at stores with liquor licenses and .06 percent at casinos or pari-mutuel betting locations. This is not widespread fraud and abuse, as the Republican bill will have you believe.

This bill is a false solution in search of a non-existent problem that serves to portray the poor as undeserving and fraudulent. The TANF extension is under consideration within the Payroll Tax Extension Conference. So, why is this provision on the Floor of the House this week moving separately? Solely to denigrate the poor and impugn their character to make the poor appear undeserving of government assistance.

If the Republican Leadership was serious about trying to address any potential fraud, they would have addressed this issue systematically in the context of reauthorization.

If the Republican Leadership was truly serious about addressing misuse of TANF dollars, they could have required States to detail how they are protecting against abuse while simultaneously ensuring that the state's response does not deny TANF recipients access to adequate access points and while ensuring that TANF recipients have Electronic Benefit access with minimal fees and surcharges.

If the Republican Leadership was truly serious about addressing possible misuse of TANF dollars effectively, they would have addressed the States' concerns about inability to regulate these transactions and the costly burden such government over-regulation would inflict. Indeed, the American Public Human Services Association and the National Association of State TANF Administrators have raised concern about whether there is truly a need for such legislation and about the costs of such policies.

If the Republican Leadership was truly serious about the use of TANF cards at certain establishments, they would have considered why low- income people may need to use ATMs located in these venues--mainly lack of access to a financial institution. In Illinois, an estimated 304,000 households have access to no bank, with an additional 773,000 households having only limited access to financial institutions. This is true in rural and urban areas. So, rather than trying to understand why a small percentage of low-income people use TANF cards in adult locations, the Republican Leadership declares, asserts, and decries these citizens are de-frauding the government.

I--along with all my colleagues--staunchly oppose waste, fraud and abuse of government dollars. However, the purpose of this bill is not to curb abuse; simply put, H.R. 3567 seeks to discredit the poor. Rather than suggesting ways to help the unemployed access well-paying jobs, rather than advancing ways to cut taxes for the middle-class, rather than proposing ways to help our elderly maintain affordable health care, and rather than identifying ways to stop using taxpayer dollars to subsidize billions of dollars in profits of the oil industry or the private airplanes and tax shelters of the ultra-wealthy, the Republican Leadership again targets the poor--characterizing them as cheats and frauds.

Unfortunately, I know that this smear campaign against Americans who are struggling will continue. I am sure we will soon see bills denigrating the unemployed, those needing food stamps, the homeless, people who have historically struggled with substance abuse, and people who have gone to jail and are trying to get their lives back on track.