Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the CBC budget and feel extremely proud to do so. This budget raises revenue by rescinding the tax cuts for the top two income tax rates. It rescinds the capital gains and divided tax cuts, eliminates the phase out and repeal of PEP (personal exemption phase out) and PEASE, (which makes more wealthy income subject to taxation). It eliminates corporate tax incentives for offshoring jobs, closes corporate tax loopholes, abusive tax shelters and methods of tax avoidance and closes the tax gap. The CBC budget is balanced in FY12 and in fact creates a surplus of $141 billion dollars.

The CBC Budget provides adequate resources to deal with the shortage of nurses in this country by providing training resources, it protects Hospital Graduate Medical Education and increases funding for the National Family Caregivers Support Services Program by $8 million dollars. The CBC budget shifts some of the resource allocation from the military industrial complex, to domestic spending to deal more appropriately and realistically with domestic needs. It is a rational, logical common-sense budget which prioritizes peace and economic development rather than war and military action.

Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Progressive Caucus budget and I do so for a number of good reasons.

First off, all budgets are a way of assessing need and determining priorities and when one takes a serious look at the Progressive Caucus budget it:

(1) Projects complete U.S. military redeployment out of Iraq during 2007, saving at least $187 billion dollars over the next 2 years.

(2) You should not spend money if you do not have it, therefore the Progressive Caucus budget repeals the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of taxpayers due to expire in 2010 saving at least $348 billion dollars.

(3) It fully funds NCLB and IDEA and improves teacher corp and job training.

(4) It adequately funds Medicare and Medicaid so that more Americans can have access to affordable quality healthcare.

(5) This budget helps to rebuild America's communities by substantially increasing funding for community development block grants, community policing, and clean up of underground storage tanks.

Madam Chairman, this is a budget I can take home to any constituent and they will say, right on.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1401, the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007, and I commend the Committees on Homeland Security and Transportation for such an outstanding piece of work. But I also want to just take this opportunity to pay serious appreciation to the chairman of Homeland Security, to the chairman of Transportation, Representative Oberstar, and to the chairman of Judiciary, Representative John Conyers.

I was involved in a situation with an issue that we brought to them, and, as a result of their humaneness, their serious understanding and their recognition of the need to protect the rights of individuals throughout America, I think we ended up with a bill that I am strongly in support of, urge its passage and, again, commend all of these gentleman for their tremendous sensitivity and hard work.

Madam Speaker, first of all, let me thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for yielding me this time. I also want to commend the chairman of oversight, the Honorable Henry Waxman, and the ranking member, Tom Davis, for their leadership on this tremendous legislation. But I also want to add accolades for the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia who has put her heart, mind and soul into this legislation; and without her leadership, we obviously would not be here this afternoon.

I have heard many people talk from both sides. I have heard individuals say that the Constitution denies the opportunity, and I am thinking of the Constitution as a living document. I don't want to keep the Constitution where it might have been. Representative Al Green made the most eloquent statement a few moments ago when he suggested there are always individuals on different sides of the Constitution. You can be on the right side, or you can be on the wrong side. You can be on the old side, or you can be on the new side; and the side that we are on this afternoon is the side that gives the residents of the District of Columbia the opportunity to help make more perfect this Union that we are a part of.

I stand firmly in support of this legislation. Again, I commend my colleagues on Oversight and Government Reform and urge all of the Members to vote in favor of giving the District of Columbia residents the right to vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1433, the ``District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007.'' I want to extend a thank you to Representatives Tom Davis and Henry Waxman, and especially to Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton for their hard work and dedication in introducing and moving this legislation forward to provide the District of Columbia the right to vote with full representation in the House of Representatives.

The legislation before us today will give voting representation to over 500,000 District's residents and increase the size of the House from 435 to 437 voting members. The right to vote is the most basic act of citizenship. Voting representation for District residents who pay Federal taxes, defend our country during war, and contribute to the economic viability of other states, should not be disfranchised because they chose to live in the District of Columbia.

The Constitution, ratified in 1789, provided for the creation and government of a permanent home for the national government. Article I, Section 8, Clause 17, called for the creation of a Federal district to serve as the permanent seat of the national government and granted Congress the power, ``to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of government of the United States. . . .'' The Constitution grants Congress plenary power to govern the District of Columbia's affairs. This includes granting voting representation in the House of Representatives for the District of Columbia.

On March 13, 2007, H.R. 1433 was passed by a decisive vote of 24 yeas to 5 nays in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and reflects bipartisan support for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, Congress is attempting to correct a longstanding inequity for residents in the Nation's Capital--taxation without representation. We in this body must up hold the Constitution by not denying a large mass of people their fundamental right to voting representation. Congress has the power to correct the wrongs of the past for District residents and it lies in our power to grant the people of DC the right to voting representation.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the main responsibility of leadership is to lead, and that is exactly what Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Obey, Chairman Murtha and other members of the Democratic leadership team are doing, and they are doing it with a plan.

My constituents who want this war ended as quickly as possible can take heart in the fact that this supplemental sets a time certain to begin to pull our troops out of Iraq and bring them to a peace-loving home, a home where we value peace, a home where the will of the people is listened to and heard, a home where we will continue to protect and promote democracy.

I support our troops, I support leadership, I support peace, and I support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with the great privilege of honoring the Chicago Academy for the Arts. In September of 2006, the Chicago Academy for the Arts received the Creative Ticket National Schools of Distinction Award from the Kennedy Center's Alliance for the Arts Education Network. In addition to this notable award, on Saturday, March 24, at 6 p.m., the students from this institution will have the rare honor and distinction of performing on the Millennium stage in the Kennedy Center. This is a great moment in these students' young lives, where all of their hard work has paid off so rewardingly.

This award represents the culmination of 25 years of practical and academic training in the fine arts. The academy is the only independent secondary school in Illinois that offers specialized training in dance, music, theatre, musical theatre, and visual arts. Their mission is to prepare young artists for life through rigorous academic education and professional arts training. To anyone from Chicago, it comes as no surprise that this high school was among only two high schools in the Nation to receive the honor. The school was also named the State's top arts school in March 2006 by the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education, which is in the Kennedy Center Alliance. This prestigious institution has consistently produced outstanding students with an immense talent and commitment to the arts. Daily, the 160 students complete a rigorous, 5-hour academic day in English, mathematics, foreign language, history, science, and social studies. They then move on to 3 hours of learning about the theory, history, and technique of the student's chosen art discipline, taught through intensive classroom and studio work under the direction of exemplary arts professionals. The

academy supports a diverse population, with 46 percent of students coming from outside the city of Chicago and 5 percent from outside the State. Nearly half of the students rely on financial aid and scholarships to attend this marvelous institution. The Chicago Academy for the Arts demonstrates an incredible commitment to higher education, with 97 percent of students continuing onto top colleges and conservatories.

The Chicago Academy for the Arts shines as a beacon for students pursuing both strong academic and artistic training so that they can become the future leaders in their disciplines. I congratulate them on their impressive accomplishments, and I hope they break a proverbial leg on Saturday.

Madam Speaker, a National Children and Families Day will encourage families to embrace the qualities needed to raise happy and healthy citizens. For example, families teach children the lessons they must learn to live productive and prosperous lives. They care for children by giving them love, warmth, and encouragement while providing food, shelter, and financial support. Strong families build trusting relationships by demonstrating commitment to all the members of the family. This includes following through with promises, working as a team, open and honest communication about important decisions and reflections on the passing day. All families experience crisis, but strong and committed families use these experiences to learn and to grow. Family members should spend time together talking, reading, playing games, and participating in outdoor activities. They should always encourage each other and be involved in their neighborhoods and community, where the strength of our Nation starts. A National Children and Families Day will highlight these important activities in which families engage and their positive effects on our nation.

A National Children and Families Day also would focus our attention on the need for citizens and Congress to work toward ensuring that every child has a loving family. It is so unfortunate that there are millions of children in our country who do not have the ability to experience on a daily basis, a regular basis, or even an occasional basis the love and care of a stable family relationship. These include children who are involved in the child welfare system.

A National Children and Families Day will help members of Congress focus on ways to enhance and improve the quality of life for all children and families via the programs under our jurisdictions, whether by supporting family-friendly business policies, quality health care, or quality child care. Strong families help make a strong Nation.

While we honor the 4th Saturday of June this year in recognition of the importance of children and their families, it must not stop on one day. Every day families must work at keeping each other strong and loved. And we as a Nation and Congress as a body must never cease our support for the American family and the children that are the future.

Madam Speaker, since 1885, long before Major League Baseball was inaugurated in 1903, African Americans were organizing into their own professional leagues. Unfortunately, racial prejudice and lack of adequate financial backing undermined the success of these initial leagues. However, this changed dramatically with the inception of the first successful Negro league. On May 20, 1920, the Negro National League played its first game. Its creation was the result of the efforts of an African American player and manager named Andrew ``Rube''' Foster. Mr. Foster's success inspired the formation of other leagues as well as thousands of children nationwide.

Six separate leagues that emerged between 1920 and 1960 are collectively known as the Negro Leagues: the Negro National League, Eastern Colored League, American Negro League, East-West League, Negro Southern League, and Negro American League. The lasting legacy of the Negro Leagues includes inspiring events and the tremendous baseball players. They produced what baseball aficionado doesn't know about the first Negro World Series? On October 3, 1924, the first game was played between the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League and Hilldale of Philadelphia of the Eastern Colored League. This historic and exhaustive first series lasted ten games, covered a span of almost three weeks, and was played in four different cities. In the end, Kansas City claimed the championship. Clearly, this was a remarkable and inspiring event.

What baseball aficionado doesn't know Jackie Robinson, the first African American to break the baseball color barrier? Leroy ``Satchel' '' Paige, who was considered one of the greatest pitchers of all time? Josh Gibson, who was a prolific home-run hitter; or Larry Doby, the first African American to play in the American League in July 1947; or John Jordan ``Buck'' O'Neil, who was the first African American coach in the Major Leagues, played a major role in establishing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and was posthumously honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom December 6, 2006?

Madam Speaker, Black history in Major League Baseball has been filled with many successes and a struggle for equity. Therefore, it is important that we remember and honor these players. In breaking down the baseball color barrier, these pioneers dealt a blow to hatred and prejudice across America. I encourage all Americans to recognize the achievements, dedication, and sacrifice that these Black players made to baseball and the Nation.

Madam Speaker, throughout his tenure as President and during his life in general, President Lyndon Baines Johnson held firm to his belief that education was an essential part of the American dream. In particular, he championed the right to quality education for minorities in public schools that were challenged by merit, limited funding, and poor resources. It is fitting that this building bear his name given his central role in passing landmark education legislation.

During his term as President, LBJ signed into law the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. For the first time, this act allocated large amounts of Federal money to public schools, targeting assistance to disadvantaged children in rural and urban areas. In addition, this bill allowed for the first time, private schools, mostly Catholic schools in urban areas, to receive funding and support.

Johnson's second major education achievement was the Higher Education Act of 1965. Again, this bill incorporated the needs of low-income students via grants, the work-study program, and government loans. These are just a small sample of the great accomplishments of President Johnson, a leader who took the steps necessary to make education a top priority for the country, a goal to which we continue to strive today. I salute his great contribution to education. I am proud to see that the headquarters of the Department of Education in Washington, DC, will be commemorated as the Lyndon Baines Johnson Federal Building in honor of our 37th President.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures on March 19. If I had been present for rollcall votes on the following bills; I would have voted ``yea'' on each.

Rollcall No. 157: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to the Resolution H. Res.138--Recognizing the importance of Hot Springs National Park on its 175th anniversary.

Rollcall No. 158: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 658-- Natural Resource Protection Cooperative Agreement Act.

Rollcall No. 159: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 839-- Arthur V. Watkins Dam Enlargement Act.

Madam Chair, I want to thank Chairman Waxman for yielding.

I have always been told that one of the basic responsibilities of management is to effectively manage and account for the resources of the corporation, of the country, of the business. And, of course, in this instance we are talking about the United States Government; and all of us are shareholders, are stakeholders.

And I must confess that when I look at the record of our chief management team, we have come up woefully short. We have seen raw examples of waste, fraud, and abuse: no paper trails, no real rationale for why a contract or contracts were let.

And I want to commend Chairman Waxman for effectively laying out a bill of particulars against these current practices. The hearings that were held on contracting accountability were so revealing. As a matter of fact, much of the information that we saw, we just couldn't believe in terms of contracts that were let and nobody could tell what had happened as a result of the contract, what was the work that was done, who did it.

This legislation will limit the length of noncompetitive contracts, minimize no-bid contracts, maximize fixed-price contracts, require public disclosure of justification of no-bid contracts, disclose contractor overcharges, and promote ethics in procurement which is so important.

Every dollar spent by this Government should get maximum return for the shareholders. We have not seen that in our contracting policies and practices. And I commend the chairman not only for the oversight but also for the corrective action which we are about to take today by passing this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 985, and I do so for a number of reasons. We all know that there are individuals who would love to simply be forthcoming with information. All of us have been places, all of us have worked places, all of us have known things, and we have all wanted to operate free and uninhibited. But unless individuals have the absolute protection, in many instances, of knowing that whatever it is that they would reveal that when they come forth that nobody can use that against them, because they also have concerns of their own relative to being able to maintain the job that they have got to take care of the security needs of their family.

Whistleblower protection could have been used more effectively even as we debated the issue of Iraq, as we made decisions based upon intelligence that supposedly we had but intelligence that obviously we did not have.

Whistleblower protection becomes very effective in helping to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Some of the hearings that I have sat in on where we have discussed how we made use of our contracting resources in Iraq, for example, makes one wonder if we were just giving away the valuable resources of the American people.

So this legislation not only protects the taxpayers' money, but it also protects our troops, our soldiers, those who are in danger oftentimes because accurate information has not been deployed. Mr. Chairman, I urge passage of 985.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to have joined Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis in sponsoring the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007.

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 2007 strengthens current law to protect whistleblowers in Federal agencies. Since 1994, the Whistleblower Protection Act has been gutted by judicial activism. The legislation would grant whistleblowers the right to challenge reprisals in Federal district court and clarifies that ``any'' protected disclosure applies to all lawful communication of misconduct. It would extend whistleblower protection rights to whistleblowers in the intelligence community and would extend these rights to federally funded contractors.

Extending whistleblower protection to the intelligence community is a critical aspect of this legislation. Most national security whistleblowers are not protected from retaliation by law. The National Security Whistleblower Coalition reports that the median number of years of government service for national security whistleblowers is 22 years. These employees are experienced and dedicated and their careers should not be put at risk when they report waste, fraud, and abuse. Protecting national security whistleblowers from retaliation is in the best interest of our national security.

I do have concerns about one group of workers that do not have whistleblower protection--postal workers. The Postal Service is not, by law, subject to the Whistleblower Protection Act--WPA. The Service's Employee and Labor Relations Manual--ELM--contains provisions adopted by the service that replicate the more significant protections found in the WPA for victims of unlawful reprisal. The ELM provisions, however, only concern ``corrective actions''; they do not mandate discipline for managers who retaliate against whistleblowers.

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, I will hold a hearing to examine the need to extend full whistleblower protections to postal employees.

Chairman Waxman, thank you for your advocacy in this area.

Mr. Speaker, the scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center has placed a spotlight on our entire military and veteran health care system. That is a good thing because the system is in need of a thorough reorganization. As a result of cuts in VA health care, more than a quarter of a million vets were refused enrollment in 2005 alone because they ``didn't qualify''. How many of these men and women were told when they reported for duty that they may or may not ``qualify'' for veteran's care after separation?

Mr. Speaker, I do not accept the notion that America's promise to its veterans is subject to later, arbitrary qualifications, but that quarter of a million veterans is the number we know of. Perhaps even more insidious are those vets who because of their PTSD or other injuries were discharged with less than honorable discharges most of the time with no hearing, no review. These men and women now reside in a kind of abyss between earth and hell. They have served their nation but their nation has turned its collective backs on them.

Mr. Speaker, we need to recall Vietnam Vet Jim Hopkins who finally drove his Jeep into the lobby of the Wadsworth VA Hospital out of frustration and protest in 1981. Jim Hopkins didn't get the treatment he needed and couldn't get anyone in the VA or the administration to listen to him. His subsequent tragic death led to a fifty-three day hunger strike by vets and finally shed some national light on our refusal to acknowledge the reality of PTSD and the impact of dioxin on the human nervous system. Now, a quarter of a century later there are many more frustrated vets, men and women who responded when their nation called, men and women who we have promised lifetime medical care in return who are shut out of the VA system. Men and women have been kicked to the curb, unseen and unserved. Mr. Speaker, the hour and day have come: it is time for this Congress, in turn, to kick open the doors of the VA system--to ensure that every veteran, every veteran, has received his or her due for their service.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 136) commending the Girl Scouts of the United States of America on the occasion of their 95th anniversary, for providing quality age-appropriate experiences that prepare girls to become the leaders of tomorrow and for raising issues important to girls.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, it was a brisk March morning when Juliette Gordon Low placed a historic phone call to her cousin in Savannah, Georgia. Juliette said, ``Come right over. I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and the world, and we're going to start it tonight.''

That phone call proved to be a historic one. On the evening of March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low gathered 18 girls to register the first troop of Girl Scouts in the United States of America. With one phone call a movement was born.

An organization founded upon the principles of strength, empowerment, responsibility, and community, the Girl Scouts have continued to change the lives of many girls for generations. While other organizations have struggled to deal with factors such as race and socioeconomic status, the Girl Scouts have always been looked at as an organization of inclusion, having desegregated councils as early as 1917.

The Girl Scouts also offer programs for girls in unusual situations that make it difficult for them to participate in the standard program. The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars programs helps daughters of incarcerated mothers to connect with their mothers and to have the mothers participate in Girl Scout activities.

Another program, Girl Scouting in Detention Centers, allows girls who are themselves in detention centers to participate in scouting. Other initiatives try to help girls in rural areas or in public housing. There are also programs for American girls living overseas.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not comment on one of my favorite Girl Scout traditions, which is the annual cookie sale. For many years, I was overjoyed when I would see the little girls selling cookies door to door. I personally like the shortbread cookies.

It is because of the long-standing history and commitment of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America that I commend them and ask my colleagues for their support in the passage of this commendation without delay.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for his eloquent remarks, and it is my pleasure to yield such time as she might consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barrow).

Mr. Speaker, it is just good to know that in addition to the great scenic beauty and southern charm that Savannah is so well-noted for, that other good things have come from there, and certainly the Girl Scouts of America. I would urge all Members to vote in favor of this legislation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 89) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a day should be established as Dutch-American Friendship Day to celebrate the historic ties of the United States and the Netherlands.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, every year we and the Dutch-American community in the Netherlands celebrate the bilateral relations between the Netherlands and the United States. On April 19, 1782, John Adams, the second President of the United States, was received by the State's General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America.

Also, this was the day that Mr. Adams purchased a house at Fluwelen Burgwal 18 in The Hague, which became the first American embassy in the world. This day is known by many people as the Dutch-American Friendship Day that reminds us how the Dutch played a role in America's history and traditions.

Prior to 1782, America had always had a long-standing relationship with the Dutch going back as far as 1609 when Henry Hudson, an explorer hired by a Dutch-based United East India Company, traveled up a river that now bears his name and made a land claim for his employer in the area known as New York.

His exploration helped the Dutch to continue to be the foremost traders and merchant mariners in the world and expanded their influence in setting up a trading post on the southern end of Manhattan Island. In 1625, the Dutch used beads to purchase Manhattan from the Indians for 60 guilders, about $24, and renamed it New Amsterdam.

It became the center for trade and commerce that attracted the best and brightest people from different walks of life, culture, and creeds. New Amsterdam received an official charter and officially became a city in 1653, making it to the first city in North America where citizens freely elected their city council. This was one of the first acts to help establish a platform for democracy in the United States.

In 1776, the Dutch played a major role in financing the Revolutionary War, and it was repaid by the U.S. Government with stock certificates, an action that eventually led to the establishment of the New York Stock Exchange in 1791. Many prominent Americans from Dutch ancestry have made significant contributions to our country, like Presidents Martin van Buren, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. All were great Americans who dedicated their lives to help shape America to be the land of the free and home of the brave.

The Dutch contributions to America are part of our customs and traditions that have enriched our lives for over 200 years. So it is very easy to support H. Res. 89. I do so and urge all of my colleagues to give their support.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure now to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. Speaker, I support and strongly urge the passage of H. Res. 89, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 198) recognizing the significance of Black History Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, every February Americans celebrate African American Black History Month. This tribute dates back to 1926, and it is credited to a Harvard scholar, Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson, the son of former slaves, dedicated his life to ensuring that black history was accurately documented and disseminated.

In an effort to bring national attention to the contributions of African Americans, Dr. Woodson organized the first annual Negro History Week in 1926. He selected the second week of February, during which Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass had celebrated their birthdays.

Later, Woodson's contributions helped emerge during the civil rights campaign of the 1950s and 1960s, where the black studies movement began to spawn African American history, theory courses, programs and departments on the Nation's college and university campuses. During the early 1970s, Negro History Week was renamed Black History Week; and in 1976, it officially became Black History Month, designating all of February for the recognition of African American history.

In 1926, during the time for the first organized tribute to black history, the sociopolitical landscape in this country for African Americans was demonstrably different than it is today. At that time, ``separate but equal,'' a doctrine that afforded African Americans second-class citizenship, was the law of the land, although it was an immoral one.

Through many historic efforts of many Americans of all races, legalized discrimination became a thing of the past. This body passed landmark legislation, most notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This was just 43 and 42 years ago when President Lyndon Johnson signed these legislative measures into law, laws that prevented Jim Crow laws from subjugating and denying African Americans the right to vote in certain southern States, the imposition of poll taxes, the segregation of schools, housing, bus and train transportation, restrooms and other public accommodations.

Moreover, Black History Month is also promoting public awareness of the struggles and achievements of African Americans. We must continue to build

on the existence of the past and look forward to the future.

African Americans, over the years, have made great strides, but, yet, we still have a long way to go. For instance, in 2005, there were 37 million poor people in America. The poverty rate is about 24.9 percent for blacks, compared to 8.3 percent for whites.

The homeownership rate among white households is about 74.2 percent, compared to 47.1 percent for African Americans. This huge gap between white and black homeowners will continue to be a primary factor that will undermine the growth of African Americans and their family structure to obtain wealth, capital assets and better neighborhoods.

While 5 percent of the world's population lives in the United States, we have 25 percent of the world's prison population in United States jails and prisons. Nationally, the Bureau of Justice statistics reports that the United States incarcerates 2 million people. Whites are about 36 percent, compared to 46 percent for blacks in prison.

As some of us know, the majority of people in prison are attributed to drug convictions. The law is not equally applied when it comes to drug offenses involving crack and powder cocaine. Five grams of crack cocaine brings a mandatory sentence of 5 years, compared to 5 grams of powder cocaine, which has no sentencing requirements, and the possessor of powder may get probation. Of course, a disproportionate number of the individuals who use crack cocaine are African Americans.

These are just a few barriers that many African Americans confront every day. And so when we honor Black History Month, we are recognizing the struggles and achievements of African Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I know that Representative Al Green, who is the sponsor of this legislation, had intended to be here today to speak on it. Unfortunately, he had to be away in Texas taking care of some activities in his district, and I would ask that he be allowed to submit his statement for the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I support H. Res. 198, and urge all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) for his statement. And I also want to thank him for the opportunity to work with him today during this process. It has indeed been a pleasure.

I also want to commend Representative Green from Texas for his introduction of this legislation.

In closing, let me also indicate that it is important that we look at the contributions that all racial ethnic groups have made to the development of this great country that we call the United States of America.

There is no group who didn't come here looking for something different than what they had. And fortunately, for many of them, they have been able to find that America is, indeed, a country where every person can have the opportunity to grow and develop to be a part of.

I have been pleasured, I guess, to represent many high profile individuals, African Americans like Oprah Winfrey, who is in my congressional district, like Michael Jordan, who played basketball out at the stadium in my district.

But I often tell young people that I grew up in an environment where we were taught to read by unlocking words. And to us, history sort of meant, at that time, his story. And so I encourage them to think of what I call mystery, which becomes my story. And so each one of us have an opportunity to contribute to the further development of this great Nation.

I commend the gentleman for introducing H. Res. 198. I urge its passage.

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