Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I want to take this moment to recognize the tenth anniversary of a monumental United States Supreme Court decision that represented a great advance in our contemporary civil rights struggle. On June 22, 1999, the United States Supreme Court asserted the right of individuals with disabilities to reside in their community via a 6-3 ruling. The Olmstead v. L.C. decision stated that making services for disabled individuals available only in institutions, thereby forcing them out of their homes, went against the Americans with Disabilities Act. Essentially, the Olmstead decision clarified the fact that the Americans with Disabilities Act gives individuals with disabilities the right to choose to receive their care in the community rather than in an institutional setting. Provision of care within one's community via personal care assistants is cost- effective and improves the quality of life of persons with disabilities. Studies show the cost of providing services in the community is much lower than in institutionalized settings, thereby allowing more individuals to receive services for the same cost. In addition, the ability to receive community based services and supports improves the ability of persons with disabilities to lead independent lives, work, and participate in their communities.

The federal government bears the responsibility of restructuring our current health care system. The inequities that exist in our health care system are profoundly disturbing. It is essential that we take the steps necessary to create an overhaul of the health care system that is both moral and practical. As Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said: ``Of all the forms of inequality injustice, health care is the most shocking and inhumane.'' In this spirit, I urge concerned citizens to mobilize to help us create a system that best serves those in our society who have limited resources.

As a policymaker who is adamant about improving health care for persons with disabilities, I believe it is imperative that the health care reform legislation that Congress intends to enact this year take a substantial step forward in requiring that all Medicaid-eligible individuals with disabilities have a choice between receiving care at home or in an institution. The option to receive care in one's community is critical to conforming to the goal of the Americans with Disabilities Act and with the Olmstead decision.

The Olmstead decision was a great step forward in allowing persons with disabilities the option to receive care in their own community. The tenth anniversary of the Olmstead decision symbolizes the struggle to create more options in our current health care system. We must strive to include the tenets of the Olmstead decision in our health care reform plans. Including provisions that provide choice in location of care to Medicaid-eligible persons with disabilities in comprehensive health care reform legislation would be a wonderful way to mark the tenth anniversary of the Olmstead decision.

Madam Speaker, I wish to take a moment this week to recognize the thirty-seventh anniversary of Title IX. When I think of this historic legislation that champions equal rights for women, I am reminded of something Betty Friedan said in her book, the Feminine Mystique. She said, ``The problem that has no name--which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities--is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease.'' Ms. Friedan--a leader of the women's rights movement and a founding member of the National Organization for Women--described an ongoing battle; a battle that has plagued our country for far too long.

Title IX was enacted with the purpose of removing the barriers that could negatively constrict the potential of over 50% of our population. This monumental advance in equal rights for women was passed on June 23, 1972, with the goal of prohibiting gender discrimination in education programs, especially concerning athletic opportunities for young men and women. I have time and time again

commended this milestone in U.S. legislation for empowering women to engage and contribute positively to society as well as for encouraging women to make responsible decisions.

Upon celebrating the thirty-seventh anniversary of Title IX, it is only right to recognize what has thus far been accomplished since the enactment of Title IX in 1972. In the arena of athletics, we have seen tremendous increases in the participation of women in sports. In 1972, there were merely 294,000 female high school athletic participants, in contrast to the 3.6 million male participants; now, looking at 2006, there has been a 904% increase with just under 3 million female high school athletes. In 1972, only about 30,000 women continued on to collegiate athletic participation, compared to 170,000 male participants. But in 2006, that number also increased exponentially, by 456%, to 167,000 female collegiate participants. In the world of business, the percentage of women general counsels in Fortune 500 companies rose from 4% to 15% between 1994 and 2002. Within the legal profession, the percentage of women in tenured positions at law schools increased from 5.9% in 1994 to 25.1% in 2006. In addition, I am certain that Title IX laid the foundation for other advancements in equal rights for women, such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 that President Obama signed into law this January and that I proudly co- sponsored.

Even with this progress, the United States still has quite a journey ahead toward the goal of equality for women. There still exists resistance to efforts to treat women and men equally. Even now there is still a remarkably large gap between the number of female and male high school and collegiate sports participants. Beyond athletics, there still exists gender inequality in the work force on multiple fronts, including: the ratio of male to female professionals; the difference in the earnings of male and female employees; and the ratio of male to female leadership positions in the workforce. It is true that in 2003 female professional earnings had risen to 76% of what their male counterparts were making; nevertheless, 76% is still far less than 100%.

So, I celebrate the advances made during the thirty-seven years since Title IX was enacted, and I promise to continue to dedicate my time and efforts to champion equal rights for women.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2454.

I want to commend Chairman Waxman, Chairman Rangel, Mr. Barton, Chairman Peterson, Chairman Markey, Mr. Dingell, and all of those who have worked so hard to reach compromises which help to make this legislation possible. Especially do I want to commend Representative Bobby Rush for his hard work to protect low-income consumers, Representative Butterfield for making sure that Historically Black Colleges and Universities and predominantly black institutions had an opportunity to be involved in the research and job creation.

And I also want to thank Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Donna Christensen for their hard work on environmental issues to help reduce health disparities. It's a good bill, Mr. Speaker, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of it.

Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge Roberta Rakove, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, of Sinai Health System for her outstanding leadership in creating grassroots and community activity in support of her hospital's mission. Roberta Rakove was first nominated by the Illinois Hospital Association (IHA), and later awarded by both the IHA and the American Hospital Association (AHA) the Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award on April 28, 2009.

The Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award was established to recognize hospital leaders who most efficiently inform elected officials of the affect major issues have on a hospital's fundamental role in the community; to recognize hospital leaders who have done an exemplary job in broadening the base of community support for the hospital; and to recognize hospital leaders who continue to advocate on behalf of the hospital and its patients.

Roberta Rakove's commitment to advocating for the hospital community extends to her 15 years of devotion on IHA's Advocacy

Council, DSH Steering Committee, and other membership groups.

For 90 years the hospitals and caregivers of Sinai Health System have provided medical care and social services to Chicago's neediest communities in west and south Chicago. Sinai Community Institute provides social service outreach for the lifestyle issues that contribute to health while the Sinai Urban Health institute researches the prevalence of chronic disease in Chicago neighborhoods. Collectively, the Sinai Health System provides a full continuum of care for acute, primary, specialty and rehabilitation to meet the needs of the communities and patients it serves.

Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge Roberta Rakove, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, of Sinai Health System for her outstanding leadership in creating grassroots and community activity in support of her hospital's mission. Roberta Rakove was first nominated by the Illinois Hospital Association (IHA), and later awarded by both the IHA and the American Hospital Association (AHA) the Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award on April 28, 2009.

The Partnership for Action Grassroots Champion Award was established to recognize hospital leaders who most efficiently inform elected officials of the affect major issues have on a hospital's fundamental role in the community; to recognize hospital leaders who have done an exemplary job in broadening the base of community support for the hospital; and to recognize hospital leaders who continue to advocate on behalf of the hospital and its patients.

Roberta Rakove's commitment to advocating for the hospital community extends to her 15 years of devotion on IHA's Advocacy Council, DSH Steering Committee, and other membership groups.

For 90 years the hospitals and caregivers of Sinai Health System have provided medical care and social services to communities in west and south Chicago. Sinai Community Institute provides social service outreach for the lifestyle issues that contribute to health while the Sinai Urban Health institute researches the prevalence of chronic disease in Chicago neighborhoods. Collectively, the Sinai Health System provides a full continuum of care for acute, primary, specialty and rehabilitation to meet the needs of the community.

First of all, I want to commend Representative Marcia Fudge for the tremendous leadership that she continues to display each and every week by hosting, organizing, convening, and giving all of us the opportunity to discuss issues that are pertinent to all of America, but especially to the African American community.

I also want to commend Representative Donna Christensen for the outstanding leadership that she has displayed for a number of years as chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Brain Trust, and all of the members who consistently try and protect, promote, and project the health care needs and opportunities that should exist for all of us in America.

We are poised right now to do serious health reform. I want to commend President Obama for having the courage to tackle one of the most pernicious issues of our day, and that is the issue of trying to make sure that each and every American, that each and every one of our citizens have the opportunity to receive cost-effective, as comprehensively as we can provide it, quality health care that is culturally competent, provided by individuals who understand their needs and individuals that they can understand instructions and what is being given.

We are about to do something that has been needed, and that is we're going to expand--and I'm confident that we will do it. No matter which option people look at, no matter what kind of coverage they suggest, that when we finish, we're going to have the best health care delivery system that this country has ever seen.

In many instances, I don't think that we have to reinvent the wheel. Yes, there are large numbers of uninsured individuals in our country, probably about 50 million of them, and some of those individuals, no matter what plan we come up with, are going to be covered. But just as important as coverage--just as important are the delivery mechanisms and systems which are provided.

I often say to people that as far as health care improvement, I don't think anything has done much more than Medicare, Medicaid, and the development of community health centers and community mental health centers. And so any plan or system that we come up with, I hope that we will expand community health centers, because as deliverers of primary care, I don't think that there's anything in America that has done a more effective job for low-income people than what these institutions have done.

In addition to that, I would hope that we take a hard look at nursing home care. What happens to people once they begin to reach the ``golden'' ages? What happens to them as they have given every measure of devotion that they could possibly provide for their country? We need to make sure that they don't languish in some place.

One of the proudest things in my family is the fact that we decided, for example, that neither one of our parents would have to experience that kind of care. My mother was an invalid for about the last 10 or 12 years of her life. But, of course, we decided that she would stay at somebody's house, in somebody's home, and that we could be assured. I think that every senior citizen should have the assurance of knowing that they're going to be cared for.

I don't want us to forget those individuals with disabilities, those individuals who are sometimes shunned aside, who are not perceived as being a part of the mainstream population. And so in order to be effective, health care reform must be quite comprehensive.

I know that our committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education, all of these committees are working jointly together to come up with the kind of plan that the President is going to be proud of.

So, again, Representative Fudge, I want to commend and thank you for the opportunity to be here, and I want to thank, again, my classmate who has led the charge, and that's Representative Donna Christensen, who, for so many years, has been the caucus' point person on health care. And we're going to make health care in this country a right so people will understand that it does not have to be a privilege. I thank you all so much.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in recognizing May as ``National Foster Care Month''. This occasion provides an opportunity to examine key issues affecting foster children. I am very pleased that Congress recently improved our child welfare laws greatly, extending coverage till the age of 21 and promoting kinship care. The Recovery Act also included additional funds for child welfare to support states in caring for vulnerable children during hard economic times.

As unemployment rates continue to rise, it is critical that we continue to invest in safety net programs that ensure our children are protected and are able to develop into healthy adults. Most children in the child welfare system are from low-income families. As policymakers, we must stand ready to provide the aid needed to help families so that child welfare supports are not needed. We must continue to promote all permanency options so that children do not remain in the foster care system longer than necessary. And, we must ensure to integrate the needs of foster care children in relevant policy areas. For example, there currently are federal protections for homeless youth to ensure that they have stability in their educational environments during elementary and high school. We should expand these protections to cover all foster children.

In the areas of health care reform, job training, and higher education, we must consider the needs of foster care children.

National Foster Care Month is a time for us to remember that it is crucial that we support foster care families and children by making a national investment in our children. Our children are entitled to stable, caring homes; if we deny them what they truly deserve, we can anticipate a colder, more uncertain future for our nation.

I want to thank Chairman Brady for yielding.

I was not here when Jack Kemp was here. But of course I recall his football career. I recall his legislative career. But I knew him when he was Secretary of HUD. I represent a large area with low-income people and public housing.

Then when I did come here when J.C. Watts and Jim Talent and I introduced the American Community Renewal Act and New Market Initiatives, Jack Kemp was there. One of the most pleasant calls that I have had from anyone was when we were working on the Second Chance Act to provide opportunity for individuals who had been incarcerated to get assistance when they returned home, to try and successfully reintegrate themselves back into normal society, I got a call from Jack Kemp simply saying: I want you to know that I support this legislation. Anything that I can do to help make sure that it gets passed, give us a call.

And so I agree that Jack Kemp was not only a quarterback on the football field, but he was indeed a quarterback for justice, quarterback for equality, and a quarterback for trying to make sure that each and every individual has the greatest opportunity to live a high quality of life.

I salute you, Jack Kemp.

Madam Speaker, I wish to take a moment to recognize that February 21, 2009, as the 44th anniversary of the assassination of EL-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X. I find it only fitting that we take this time to reflect and celebrate the life of this courageous advocate for the civil rights of African Americans.

Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 19, 1925, the early portion of young Malcolm's life was filled turmoil and change. By the age of 13, his father had passed away and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. He spent a great portion of his formative years in foster homes. He then became involved in the criminal underworld in both Boston and New York. Little was arrested and sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. It was during his incarceration that Little become a member of the Nation of Islam, changing his name to Malcolm X. Following his parole, he quickly became the Nation's chief spokesman and served as its public face for almost 12 years. After his departure from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X went on to found Muslim Mosque, Inc. and continued championing the cause of Black America. Tragically, the life of Malcolm X was cut short by gunfire on February 21, 1965 in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom. The most poignant description of Malcolm was during his eulogy by Actor Ossie Davis who called him, ``our shining black prince''.

Malcolm X once said, ``The future belongs to those who prepare for it today''. We must heed these words and be evermore dutiful in our commitment to ensure that our children and their children are able to enjoy those three noble principals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Malcolm X remains an inspiration to millions of people around the world, inspiring others to build on his vision of a nation that recognizes the strengths of all peoples.

Madam Speaker, I wish to take a moment to recognize March 20 as the 44th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches. These historic marches had a profound affect on the voting rights of African Americans throughout the Nation. It is only fitting that the brave individuals who endured brutal physical violence, mental anguish, and often public humiliation in order to secure their voting rights be recognized by this body.

From the pulpit of Brown Chapel, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., issued a call to action after numerous attempts to enfranchise the black citizens of Selma came to a halt. Over the next several weeks, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Coalition and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference expanded their operations to register black voters in Selma and the surrounding area. At a voting rights protest on February 18th, Jimmie Lee Jackson was shot while attempting to protect his mother and grandfather. Jackson's death prompted Mr. James Bevels of the SCLC to call for a march from Selma to Montgomery. This demonstration of character and faith took place on March 7, 1965. As the peaceful protestors approached the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were greeted by the Sheriff Department and their clubs, tear gas and bull whips. We remember this day as Bloody Sunday.

Local photographers and television crews captured the brutality of Bloody Sunday, casting the issue into the national spotlight. Their images of cruelty rallied popular support for the cause of the protestors and set the stage for the second march, which was to occur on March 9th. However, protesters hit a stumbling block, when a restraining order was issued preventing the march. Dr. King led a group of 2500 protesters to the Edmond Pettus Bridge where he held a short prayer; before turning the crowd back, so as to respect the rule of law. It is on March 21, 1965 that we see a successful unimpeded march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama. Under the protection of Federal and State soldiers, FBI agents, and U.S. Marshals, a group of near 8,000 protesters set out from Selma to march for 5 days and 4 nights down Jefferson Davis Highway until they reached the Alabama state capitol. Upon their arrival, the number of protestors swelled to 25,000. This march had a profound impact on public opinion and just 5 months after its conclusion, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

I am confident that there will always be those who boldly defy oppression and rebuke tyranny at all costs. One March day, Dr. Martin Luther King asked, ``How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding and, drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?'' Dr. King answered his question, saying, ``. . . Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but is bends toward justice.'' It is this spirit that we must cherish. Those who decided to command their own destiny in Selma, Alabama in March of 1965 embody this spirit, and it is my great honor to commemorate their efforts.

Madam Speaker, I wish to take a moment to recognize the month of March as Women's History Month. In our not-so- distant past, women could not vote, own property or maintain wages. Women were not expected to think independently of their husbands, and their work was limited to the household. But even when considered second class citizens, it was our mothers, daughters and sisters who prepared the next generation of Americans for the challenges that lay ahead. As Kofi Annan famously said, ``When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life.''

Without the American woman's devotion to society, our nation would not be the same. Countless women disguised themselves as men during the Revolutionary War to join the fight for independence. While their husbands, brothers and fathers fought the war abroad, women answered the call by working in factories, sending the allied forces to victory in WWII. Today, American women of every color and background protect our nation at home and abroad by serving in our Armed Forces. Parents tell their children that women can be anything they dream of--soldiers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, and mothers--without doubt or hesitation.

Chicago's own women have contributed to their communities in significant ways. Carol Moseley-Braun, the first black female senator, attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago Law School. Ms. Moseley-Braun was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992 where she introduced several bills that influenced education policy. Prior to becoming senator, she served as a member of the House of Representatives for ten years. Carol Moseley-Braun is recognized for her efforts in education reform and the years she dedicated to serving the state of Illinois. She is truly an example for our young women.

Michelle Obama, our first black First Lady, has contributed greatly to the city of Chicago and to her country. Mrs. Obama, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law, is an extraordinary example of grace and success for all women. She proves that women can do it all-- have a high-powered career, be a devoted mother and wife, contribute to her community, and even campaign. As an advocate for national service and helping working women balance family and career, the First Lady continues to show that there is no limit to what a woman can do.

I salute the women who have sacrificed so much to serve our country. Each woman benefits our society in her own way, and whether an artist or a doctor, a teacher or a lawyer, a mother or a soldier every woman's success encourages future generations of young girls and women to follow their dreams. I am proud to recognize March as Women's History Month in our great nation.

Madam Speaker, I Wish to take a moment to honor Abraham Lincoln's legacy as we commemorate the bicentennial of his birth this year. President Lincoln had a tremendous impact on the progression of our nation. The 16th President of the United States successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. As a young man, Abraham Lincoln feared not achieving anything that would make men remember him. With hard work, dedication, and determination, today, Abraham Lincoln tops the list, for many, as one of the most influential--and most revered--Americans.

The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC: ``With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds . . .'' Indeed, Lincoln's legacy is most alive in our continuous search for freedom, equality, and opportunity. I feel that it is only right for my fellow colleagues and I to pay homage to a great leader who helped pave the way for so many and who continues to inspire people today, two hundred years later.

As our newly elected 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, also from Illinois, begins his first term in office, the wounds of the nation and the world will begin to heal as he is guided and inspired by the former President Lincoln. Illinois is the state where Lincoln spent more than a quarter century of his life, serving as a lawyer and politician, leaving his mark in many towns and cities throughout the state. Long before being elected president in 1860, he served four terms in the state legislature and one in Congress. The state of Illinois honors Lincoln's legacy in a variety of ways including: The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Lincoln

Memorial Garden, Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance, The Lincoln Home National Historic site, and the city of Lincoln. In addition, The U.S. Mint will introduce four newly-designed Lincoln pennies throughout 2009, the first being released on his birthday. A Lincoln commemorative silver dollar will also be released later this year.

We have come a long way since the Lincoln days, but we still have a long way to go. The bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln is a great time to honor his legacy, as well as re-examine the American Dream and what it means to be an American today. It is a time of opportunity to bring together a divided nation in order to work together to fulfill Lincoln's goal of finding unity in our diversity. With a newly-elected President who shares many of the same ideals as Lincoln, there is not a better time to start this transformation, create change, and finish the work that we started so long ago. President Obama, similar to Lincoln, faces many great challenges ahead, but with hard work, dedication and determination these challenges we shall too, overcome.

Madam Speaker, on February 5, 2009 the City of Chicago and the nation lost an inspirational leader in community health, Dr. Padmanabhan ``Dan'' Mukundan. Dr. Mukundan, or ``Dr. Dan'' as he was warmly known, was a pioneering force in community medicine in Chicago for nearly 40 years. Dr. Dan held a lifelong commitment to caring for the medically underserved and he believed passionately in providing the highest quality of medical care to all persons regardless of health status or ability to pay.

Dr. Dan opened his first practice on Chicago's South Side in the 1970s, and in the early 1990s he joined ACCESS Community Health Network where he served as the Medical Director. His drive and enthusiasm for quality community health care attracted other dedicated medical providers into the field and into ACCESS, which is now the largest community health center organization in the nation. With Dr. Dan's support, ACCESS has grown to operating over 50 health centers serving over 215,000 patients annually in the greater Chicago area. Today, ACCESS is regarded as a national leader in providing quality primary and preventive medicine to uninsured and underinsured patients. Dr. Dan's work was essential to enabling ACCESS to build a unique community health infrastructure in the Chicagoland area, an infrastructure leveraged through partnerships to provide patients access to the specialty, diagnostic and inpatient services they require. In addition, he expanded the scope of ACCESS's program to include mental health and social services.

On Saturday, April 25, family, friends, colleagues and patients of Dr. Dan will gather to remember his life and his accomplishments. I extend my heartfelt condolences to Dr. Mukundan's family and to those who will gather in his memory, including Donna Thompson, Linda Shapiro and other members of the ACCESS leadership team.

Dr. Mukundan's work had an indelible impact on the fabric of health care in Chicago's underserved communities and today I rise to recognize, and to direct my colleague's attention to, this great Chicagoan.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dr. Larice Cowan, a fellow alumnus from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff who has distinguished herself as an outstanding academician and practitioner in the field of human relations and affirmative action. Dr. Cowan graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology in 1971; she subsequently earned a Masters Degree in Social Work at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a PhD in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Champaign.

Dr. Cowan began her career in civil rights and human rights as Director of the Community Relations Department for the City of Champaign, where she pioneered cooperative relationships between Champaign Police Department and the community. She partnered with a Lieutenant in the police department and two university professors to produce a research document titled ``Police-community Relations: A Process, not a Product'', this research actively is credited with helping to change police and citizens interaction within the City of Champaign.

After coming to the University of Illinois, Dr. Cowan devoted her life to a career in affirmative action and diversity. As Assistant Vice Chancellor for Administration and Director of Affirmative Action for staff, she led the campus in establishing policies and procedures to advance campus affirmative action for faculty and staff. As Assistant Chancellor and Director of OEOA, she introduced the first major campus- wide diversity program which was attended by Deans, Directors, and department heads and instrumental in the development of the first video produced on sexual harassment prevention and the presentation of a series of campus programs on sexual harassment prevention. Currently, Dr. Cowan oversees the university's affirmative action policies and procedures, including companies such as The Americans with Disabilities Act: the investigation of internal and external complaints of alleged discrimination filed with federal and state civil rights agencies, the development and implementation of educational programs on diversity inclusion, sexual harassment prevention, disability issues and related topics for faculty and staff to improve campus climate and to facilitate campus and community outreach and interaction. Dr. Cowan is active in her local community where she serves on several boards dealing with education, substance abuse, women's issues and civil rights. She has received numerous awards and citations for her outstanding work. I am pleased to commend and congratulate Dr. Cowan on an outstanding career and wish her well in all of her future endeavors.

Madam Chair, I do believe that it matters whether the President is a Democrat or a Republican. I do believe it matters whether we give huge tax breaks to the wealthiest 1 percent of the population or whether we rescind them.

I want to commend Representatives Lee, Scott, and Moore for their strong leadership on the development of this budget, and I rise in strong support of it. Especially do I want to commend them for looking after the criminal justice needs that exist in our country, and putting in resources for programs to assist those who are in need of help, in need of reentry, in need of trying to get their lives back together so that they, too, can share in the American dream.

So this budget is about the future development of America, and I support it strongly and urge its adoption.