Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding.

I know all of the folks out in the Bay Area of California are indeed pleased and proud to see you in the Chair. They are as proud as the people in the neighborhood where I live are of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian who lived a few blocks from where I currently live.

Born the son of a railroad clerk and a school teacher, the grandson of a slave, young Percy Julian, early in his life, got ahold of Donald Adams' poem, ``Seven Fold,'' and its charge to ``Go Farther On'' reigned in his spirit.

In academia, racial prejudice followed him like a shadow. He was class valedictorian in 1920 from DePauw University, but still discouraged from seeking admission into graduate school because of potential racial sentiment on the part of future coworkers.

He got straight A's at Harvard University, graduated in 1923. But even with his success, Julian was unable to get a teaching job at any major university because of the perception that white students would refuse to learn under a black instructor.

After he received a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry at the University of Vienna in 1931, he took a position at DePauw, his alma mater, where he collaborated with Dr. Josef Pikl and successfully created a drug which was used as a treatment for glaucoma. Although internationally recognized for his achievement, however, the color of his skin prevented him from being appointed chair of DePauw's chemistry department.

He became the chief chemist and the director of research at the Glidden Company in Chicago, where he created a flame retardant that saved countless sailors of the United States Navy during World War II.

I might add that my brother worked at Glidden Durkee as a quality control director, because he somehow or another also became a chemist and followed in the footsteps of Dr. Julian.

He discovered that soy sterol could be used to manufacture male and female hormones, progesterone and testosterone. Yet his achievements were not properly appreciated. He created synthetic cortisone, and his products led directly to the development of chemical birth control and medicines to suppress the immune system, crucial in performing organ transplants.

He was named Chicagoan of the Year in 1950. He became the first black to move into the prestigious Oak Park community, but his house was firebombed twice simply because some folk didn't want a black neighbor.

He parlayed his genius into countless awards, has over 100 patents to his credit, became a millionaire in 1961, was asked to serve on numerous commissions and advisory boards, and yet his story is not taught nearly as much as it needs to be.

Racial obstacles can be pernicious, but if we persist, like Dr. Julian, to ``Go Farther On,'' then we all become proud. I am proud of the folks in the community where I live because there are Percy Julian artifacts and memorabilia, schools named after him, streets named after him. He is an icon in the Oak Park community.

I commend again my colleague from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for introducing this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 90) congratulating Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts on becoming the first African-American head coaches of National Football League teams to qualify for the Super Bowl.

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

Madam Speaker, this Sunday, history will be made in the National Football League when two African American head coaches battle for a Super Bowl championship.

Not only is this the first time a black head coach has vied for the title, but two have done so in the same season. Lovie Smith, of the Chicago Bears, and Tony Dungy, of the Indianapolis Colts, are hailed as two of the most humble in the league.

In an era where professional sports is crowded with big egos and loud mouths, these two quietly push their players to be better athletes and better individuals.

Like myself, Coach Smith grew up in a small town in the South. Coach Smith talks about how growing up in the small town of Big Sandy, Texas, taught him the values of hard work, self-determination, self-discipline and teamwork. These are American values taught in a small town.

One thing that I admire about Lovie Smith is that he approaches coaching as a professor, as a mentor. He does not yell or swear at his players. He teaches them and motivates them. He builds his players up, reflecting a strength of character to be commended and imitated.

Coach Smith started his coaching career studying under Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, and the two developed a defense that relied on team speed and hard hitting. They also developed a close friendship that continues, even as opponents in the largest single sporting event in America.

Through their relationship, both have become brilliant defensive football minds and refined player managers. Their class and work ethic make them part of an elite group of coaches, and their contributions continue to have a great effect on league diversity in the coaching ranks. Their achievements stretch far beyond the football field, and their impact is felt throughout the entire African American, as well as the entire American, community.

I congratulate both of these coaches for their hard work and success. Of course I want them both to be successful on Sunday, but I must confess that I would rather that Lovie Smith be more successful than his mentor.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana. He is a distinguished Member of this body, and sometimes he is very prophetic, he can predict things. Of course I think today he is making an error. I certainly look forward to Tony Dungy and the Colts not giving up, but I've got a feeling that they might give out.

It is my pleasure right now to yield such time as she might consume to the chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus, the originator of this resolution and one who comes from a great sports town where basketball is the name of their game, Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick from the State of Michigan.

Madam Speaker, if I ever get an opportunity, I want to go and visit Big Sandy, Texas. So, Representative Gohmert, you can look forward to visitors coming time and time again.

It is now my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to my colleague from Chicago, unfortunately, the Bears are in my congressional district, right outside of his district, but we all share the Bears, Representative Bobby Rush.

Madam Speaker, I am going to continue to reserve for a minute. I am hoping that my good friend Julia Carson manages to make it over. I know that she is on her way. And so I would reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no speakers, but I will reserve for the purpose of closing.

Madam Speaker, to close, we have heard all of the richly and rightly deserved accolades, and I really can't think of any person in the profession of athletics that I admire more than I do Tony Dungy. He is indeed just a gentleman's gentleman, a man of impeccable character, a man who inspires you. Even if you are rooting for the other team, you still can feel his depth coming through. And so I wish him well. I certainly hope that he will have some reserves to share with my good friend Representative Burton so he can help him pay off the debt.

But I also want to say that I represent lots of different things in the district that I have. I represent the Bulls, I represent the Bears, Oprah Winfrey, the mayor of the city of Chicago, and we take great pride in all that our community is. Lovie Smith has brought the level of character to the Illinois area, the Chicago community, unmatched. We wish him and the Bears well. And I am going to leave all of the room that I can have for everything that my friends Dan Burton and Julia Carson will bring. Go Bears.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 58) to honor Muhammad Ali, global humanitarian, on the occasion of his 65th birthday and to extend best wishes to him and his family.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as she may consume to the author of H. Res. 58, the gentlewoman from the great State of Indiana (Ms. Carson).

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure now to yield such time as he might consume to the distinguished gentleman from Louisville, Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth), the home of Muhammad Ali.

Mr. Speaker, I do not believe we are going to have any additional speakers so I am going to yield myself such time as I might consume and close for our side.

Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the 65th birthday of Muhammad Ali. Ali's charisma, confidence and skills not only transformed boxing but the entire sporting world.

His unmistakable one-liners and his quick left jab enamored the public to the point that Ali said, ``I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.''

Born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, he started to train at the age of 12 and earned Amateur Athletic Union and Golden Gloves titles as an amateur. Then known by his birth name, Cassius Clay, Jr., he became an Olympic gold medalist and was renowned for his strong right hand and his dancing feet. He went on to fight professionally and revived boxing at an age when it was plagued by mob control.

The three-time heavyweight champion was part of many legendary fights, including opponents Sonny Liston, George Frazier, and George Foreman. Ali used an unorthodox style on which he relied on quickness to dodge punches and to fool challengers rather than holding his hands high to defend his face. Ali's mix of poetic movement and powerful blows in the ring carried over to the comments he made outside. His knack for creating rhymes on the fly and his powerful paradoxes quoted to reporters made him a magnet for the media. He once said, ``My way of joking is to tell the truth. That is the funniest joke in the world.'' Ali made no qualms about what he did or how good he was. He was backed up in his claims and holds wins over seven fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees.

In the early 1980s, Ali was diagnosed with pugilistic Parkinson's disease, which forced him into retirement. After his retirement and despite his ailment, Ali has been committed to many philanthropic efforts to reduce poverty and hunger, to promote adoption, and to encourage cultural awareness. Ali was named Sportsman of the Century in 1999 by Sports Illustrated and is considered to be a modern legend by many.

So, Mr. Speaker, Ali was indeed the greatest, but he did leave Louisville and eventually moved to Chicago, which is the greatest city, and so I was fortunate as an individual to get to know him and to get to know him well. As a matter of fact, you could always count on Ali to be present at community events, banquets, it didn't matter, local schools, playgrounds where kids were.

He was a real ambassador for the Nation of Islam and was very involved in his religious beliefs. A great man of integrity. As a matter of fact, people would often meet at his home for community meetings and gatherings and people would just stop by. He lived in what we call the Hyde Park community. And so he was indeed the greatest. He had no difficulty sharing himself with others.

So I commend Representative Carson for introducing this legislation and urge its passage.

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

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

Madam Speaker, as one who graduated from college with two of my elementary school teachers, because they did not have to have a college degree at that time and could not get one, I want to thank and commend Chairman Miller for bringing this legislation to the floor.

As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I am proud to cosponsor this historic legislation that will make college more affordable to students in Illinois and across the Nation.

A few minutes ago, I heard one of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle suggest that this was a sound bite of some kind, and I was thinking to myself, yeah, for those students in my district who live in and go to college at Columbia College, it is a savings bite of $2,430 over the years that they will be in school; at Chicago State University, $2,270; Concordia University, $2,430; DePaul University, $2,410; Dominican, $2,580; and on down the line.

Well, if it is a sound bite, I think the sound of this kind of saving sounds pretty good to the students who live in the city of Chicago, the State of Illinois and across the Nation. I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased that I got an opportunity to listen to the statement from the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), who just made what I would consider to be one of the most common sense, passionate and eloquent statements about where America ought to be and what its position should be vis-a-vis the rest of the world. And so I want to thank you so much, Mr. Kucinich, for having had the opportunity to just hear the statement that you have just made.

Mr. Speaker, like many others, I spent much of the weekend talking about the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King and what he meant to America. And earlier today, we had a resolution, bill on the floor, celebrating the birthday and public holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of the young staffers in Government Reform and Oversight had written a statement that I was supposed to have read at that time because I was supposed to have managed that bill, but I was not here. But I was so impressed by the statement that this young person had written that I decided that I would come and share it with the rest of America anyway.

And so he wrote, Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Nation celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the impact he made on our society. His nonviolent struggle for freedom, dignity and equality of all races broke down longstanding barriers which denied equal opportunity to all Americans. Although we still have a long march ahead toward Dr. King's dream of peace and impartiality, his work inspired many to work for a world that respects and celebrates diversity.

Born January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. King stood out as a student and entered into the Christian ministry. There he responded to racial prejudices and injustices that surrounded him when Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Dr. King was elected to the Montgomery Improvement Association and led the bus boycott that ensued. Later, King would organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which provided him a platform to become a more influential leader in the civil rights movement.

He continued to advocate civil disobedience, despite the fact that fire hoses and attack dogs were turned on him and fellow protesters in Birmingham. He spearheaded the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. The March on Washington brought more than 200,000 people to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and demanded the elimination of racial segregation in public schools, protection for demonstrators against police brutality and self-government for the District of Columbia. This march also included Dr. King's now famous, ``I Have a Dream'' speech, which became a profound turning point in the American conscience.

In 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and continued to lead the civil rights movement. His interests broadened from civil rights to include criticism of the Vietnam war and the plight of the impoverished.

His plan for another march to Washington meant for underprivileged Americans was cut short when he was shot and killed on April 4, 1968. As we commemorate his life and work, we should apply the lessons he demonstrated in the context of current world events. His nonviolent approach to constructive change and his firm stance of fairness are leadership qualities that Washington and the world must remember and emulate.

As we face issues of national importance day in and out in this Chamber, we must bear in mind the example that Dr. King set in the hope that one day, as he said, the leaders of the world will sit down at the conference table and realize that unless mankind puts an end to war, war would put an end to all of us.

I think that is exactly what Mr. Kucinich was saying a moment ago.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you again for the opportunity to have addressed the House this evening, and I thank my young colleague for having written such an eloquent statement.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend first of all Representative DeGette and Representative Castle for their strong and persistent leadership on this issue, and I rise in strong support of it.

I have five important research institutions in my Congressional district, and it is their position, it is my position, it is the position of a majority of my constituents, that we don't know all of the possibilities or potentialities of stem cell research, but we sure know that we have a responsibility to try and find out. Therefore, on their behalf, I express strong support for passage of this important legislation and look forward to unleashing the potential that it has.

Mr. Speaker, I first of all want to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for not only organizing this special order, but for her tremendous devotion over the years.

Many of us, long before we came to Washington, DC, long before we became Members of the House of Representatives, knew of the work of Eleanor Holmes Norton. As a matter of fact, I was talking to a gentleman the other day, Eleanor, who suggested that he went to elementary school with you, and that you were the smartest person in the class, and that he was always intimidated when he came to class because he knew that you were there.

And I don't know whether you intended to intimidate him or not, but I do know that the passion, the intellect, the energy that you display is something for all of America to be proud of; and I know that the people in the District of Columbia are indeed proud of the representation that you have given them.

The issue that we deal with, I take the position, is one of the most fundamental of all rights, one of the most fundamental of all desires, and that is the desire that people have to be represented; the notion that their thoughts, ideas, hopes, and aspirations will get the same consideration as those of anybody else. So when we look at voting rights in this country historically, it has been a privilege that people have had to fight and struggle to get.

Initially, of course, the only people who could vote were landowners, who were white in America. Those were the only individuals who had the right to vote. Then we went through this long period of time, and ultimately a Civil War, where thousands of people actually lost their lives, and finally African Americans, who had been slaves, were granted at least the right, although in many instances denied the opportunity, to vote. Women, who had to wage their own war, their own struggles, ultimately won their right to vote.

Only after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 did hundreds of thousands of citizens all over the country, especially African Americans and Latinos, actually have the right to vote. Yet now we still have thousands of people who are denied the right to vote because they live in States where if you have a felony conviction you can never, ever vote, unless you can obtain a waiver. So, yes, one can imagine how people in the District of Columbia have felt as we talk about expanding democracy, as we talk about guaranteeing democracy for people in Iraq, guaranteeing democracy there; and yet the people who live in our own District of Columbia have not been able to have that experience.

So, Eleanor, I know that we are going to make sure this happens before this session of Congress ends as a tribute to you and a tribute to the long-standing work that you have done. One of my pleasures is to serve with you on the Committee on Government Reform and to listen and to learn and to be motivated, to be inspired, and to see the kind of wisdom that you express on a regular and ongoing basis.

So I thank you for the opportunity to join you, I thank you for organizing this Special Order, and we will be standing right here with you when enough ``yeas'' are said that the people in the District of Columbia will have their right to vote.

Mr. Speaker, I want to extend a thank you to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton for this special order and her hard work and dedication to get the District of Columbia the right to vote with full representation. It is strange to me where our government by money and blood sought to assist Iraq to become a democratic state where each person will have one vote under their newly formed constitution to determine their nation's destiny. However, the residents in the District of Columbia for over 200 years have been denied by the United States government the right to vote with full representation. Moreover, DC presidents also are denied the right to full self-government--a fundamental right that should be possessed by all Americans.

In 1950 with just under a million, the District of Columbia had more residents than New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Alaska and Hawaii, respectively. All of these states from the beginning had U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives representing their interests in Congress. Today, the District of Columbia has a duly elected Delegate that is not allowed to vote for legislative measures on the house floor. This is ``taxation without representation.''

The government has a history of denying its citizens the right to vote. We have seen it before the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Since its passage and signing into law by President Johnson it gave way to an enormous and positive impact to our Nation. The importance and necessity of the Voting Rights Act cannot be overemphasized. We have learned through experience what a difference the vote makes to us.

The right to vote is the most basic constitutive act of citizenship. The right to vote should not be abridged by the United States or any State on account of race, color, gender, or previous condition of servitude. Fundamental fairness requires that all members of society who have reached voting age, including rehabilitated ex-felons, be given a right to the ballot in State and Federal elections.

The lack of a nationwide uniform standard regarding ex-felons and eligibility to vote has led to a crazy quilt of laws, where in some States ex-felons are barred from voting for life. Currently, it is estimated that 3.9 million United States citizens are disenfranchised, including over one million who have completed their sentences. State disenfranchisement laws have had an adverse affect on African Americans. Thirteen percent of African American men, or 1.4 million, are currently disenfranchised because of such laws. We need to expand the right to vote to all citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the District of Columbia Fair and Equal Housing Voting Rights Act of 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of increasing the minimum wage. I want to thank Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Caucus for deciding that this would be a priority for this Congress.

I come from the State of Illinois where, 2 weeks ago, the Governor signed into law a new bill raising the minimum wage to $7.50 an hour, moving toward a livable wage. So I am so pleased that we are on track to follow the great State of Illinois, and I look forward to the day when we will be talking about a livable wage for every American who works so he and she can earn enough money to take care of the basic needs of their family.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I attended the inauguration ceremonies for the constitutional offices of the State of Illinois. I want to congratulate the people of Illinois for the diversity in its selection of individuals to run their State.

Governor Rod Blagojevich was reelected; Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn, Irish American; Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a young Irish American; Secretary of State Jesse White, African American; Comptroller Dan Hynes is Irish American; and State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a Greek American who is 30 years old and is going to do an outstanding job.

I simply congratulate the people of the great State of Illinois on its selection of constitutional officers to run its State.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 15) mourning the passing of President Gerald Rudolph Ford and celebrating his leadership and service to the people of the United States, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the debate on the pending motion to suspend be extended to 1 hour.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 15.

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

Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford, the Nation's 38th President, and the only person to serve both as President and Vice President, although elected to neither office, led the Nation out of the dark days of the Watergate scandal. When Ford took office on August 9, 1974, he declared: ``I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.''

After playing football at the University of Michigan and serving on an aircraft carrier in the Navy during World War II, Ford was elected to the House of Representatives in 1948 as a Republican. The district he represented included his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ford's reputation for integrity and openness made him popular and well regarded among his peers during his 25 years in Congress.

In 1965, he was elected minority leader. In October of 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned from office after pleading no contest to tax evasion. President Nixon, ensnared in the rising Watergate scandal, asked the well-respected Ford to leave Congress in order to replace Agnew, and he accepted.

In September 1974, Ford granted President Nixon a pardon, an act that is credited for calming American anxieties about the Watergate controversy. ``It was a tough decision,'' Ford told USA Today in an interview in 2000. ``We needed to get the matter off my desk so I could concentrate on the problems of 260 million Americans and not have to worry about the problems of one man.''

Gerald Ford was a devoted public servant who led this country with grace and bipartisanship during challenging times. All of America is grateful to him for his leadership and dedication.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for his remarks and would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan, Representative Bart Stupak.

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

Mr. Speaker, during the last week we have heard many discussions about the impact of President Gerald Ford. We have heard people talk about the fact that he was never elected to either the Presidency nor the Vice Presidency of the United States. But yet his impact has been felt in such a way, as I listened to Representative Ehlers from Michigan talk, that people still refer to the district as his district.

I hear individuals who are sports fans who remember his days as an athlete when he played football and the fact that whatever the assignments were, that he could pick up the assignment and do exceptionally well with it, and that oftentimes he didn't veer too far from the center. He didn't always veer so far to the left or he didn't always veer so far to the right, but he was one of these kind of straight-down-the-middle people who protected the interests of his colleagues, who protected the well-being of his mates, who protected the interests of those on the team.

I think he saw America as a team and, when he was given the ball, decided that his greatest challenge was to protect the interests of America. And that is what he did, even though he probably knew that it would cause some difficulty with his reelection.

Even though he knew that in all likelihood and all probability there were individuals who would be concerned enough that they may not give him the kind of support that he would need to be reelected, he did it anyway. He did it because he could put the interests of the country above those of any personal feelings or personal need that he had. I think that that is really what puts him down in history as one who excelled to the point of greatness, because he served the country and served the interests of the country extremely well.

Mr. Speaker, when students study politics, when young people are trying to understand what it is that they need to be and what they ought to become if they really want to be a great public servant, they should study the life of President Gerald Ford, and they should understand that being a public servant is to put the public interest first. That is what he did, that is what he is noted for, and that is why all of America continues to revere him, especially those of us who are old enough to remember that period, who are old enough to kind of recall the mood of the people and what was taking place and what was going on at that time.

No matter how historians write the script, you can never take away what President Gerald Ford did for America. That is why we salute him, and that is why we raise him up; that is why we lift him to the American people, and that is why this resolution is so important.

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

Mr. Speaker, could I inquire as to how much time I have left.

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

Oftentimes when we talk about civil rights and the era of civil rights, and we talk of the individuals who were pushing perhaps the most, sometimes the name of Gerald Ford does not get included in that discussion, and he is not included in that discussion because he didn't always loom as high as some others might have. He was not necessarily one of these individuals that you would just simply know about. Oftentimes he did what he did somewhat quietly but, nevertheless, did it and it had the impact that it was designed to have.

Such were his positions relative to civil rights issues, even prior to ever seeking or getting involved in public office. I was told a story of how, as he captained the football team, that there were some controversies relative to an African American member of the team who was not going to get an opportunity to play. Of course, President Ford, as football team captain at that time, a sort of president-in-waiting, learning what leadership really meant and what leadership was all about, just sort of took the position that if this gentleman was not going to be able to play, then neither would he. And of course the team was concerned, because if you have a star and the star is not playing, then of course it decreases your chance of winning.

Think of what America would be if all of us stood up all of the time for stars, or for the individuals who had the potential to be stars, to make sure that they got their rightful chance, their rightful opportunity, got their acceptance because of what they could contribute and because of what they brought to the table. I guess that really was the understanding that Gerald Ford had even at that moment, and all of America continues to be grateful to him.

Mr. Speaker, at this time it would be my pleasure and my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from California, the Speaker of the House, such time as she might consume.

Mr. Speaker, in order to give additional Members an opportunity to speak on this resolution, and knowing that the morning has just begun and we are into early afternoon, I withdraw this resolution, with the objective of bringing it up at a later time so that additional Members would have an opportunity to speak.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 15) mourning the passing of President Gerald Rudolph Ford and celebrating his leadership and service to the people of the United States, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the debate on the pending motion to suspend the rules be extended to 1 hour.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in

which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 15.

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

Mr. Speaker, thrust by President Nixon's resignation into an office he had never sought, former President Gerald Ford occupied the White House for just 896 days. They were, however, 896 extraordinary days that President Ford used to guide the Nation through and out of the dark days of the Watergate scandal.

When Ford took office on August 9, 1974, he declared: ``I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.''

Ford got his first exposure to national politics at Yale University, working as a volunteer in Wendell Willkie's Republican campaign for President.

After World War II service with the Navy in the Pacific, he went back to practicing law in Grand Rapids and became active in Republican reform politics. The rest is history.

President Ford was elected to the House of Representatives in 1948 as a Republican. Ford's reputation for integrity and openness made him popular and well regarded among his peers during his 25 years in Congress.

In 1965, he was elected minority leader. Mr. Ford was a devoted public servant who led his country with grace and bipartisanship during challenging times. The country is grateful to him for his leadership and dedication.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure now to yield such time as he may consume to one who knew President Ford well, the Dean of the House of Representatives, the Honorable John Dingell from the State of Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), one who did know the President, but, as I observed a few minutes, not quite as long as Representative John Dingell.

Mr. Speaker, as I close, let me just first of all commend and thank Representative Ehlers for introducing this resolution. I also want to thank all of those who have come down and taken the time to speak.

In summing up the life of President Gerald Ford, I am reminded of something that my mother used to tell us all the time, and that is that if a task is once begun, never leave until it is done; be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.

President Gerald Ford, wherever he was, did his work well, whether it was on the football field, at the university, in the halls of Congress, as Vice President and ultimately as President of the United States of America, and our country is a better place because of it.

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

Mr. Speaker, as was noted during the December 8, 2006, debate on H.R. 6407, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, this landmark postal reform legislation reflects the final version of H.R. 22, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act as passed by the House and Senate.

H.R. 22 passed the House on July 26, 2005 by a vote of 410-20, and the Senate then passed H.R. 22 with an amendment by unanimous consent on February 9, 2006. H.R. 6407 represents the combination of the Senate and House versions of H.R. 22. As such, the Committee on Government Reform's Report on H.R. 22, 109-66, Part I, as reported on April 28, 2005 is relevant and necessary to understanding the provisions of H.R. 6407, particularly because many of the provisions of H.R. 6407 are unchanged from H.R. 22 as reported by the Government Reform Committee. For those looking for additional legislative history on H.R. 6407, the Government Reform Committee Report accompanying H.R. 22, 109-66, Part I, will provide useful explanations and information.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this landmark postal reform bill. Members of the House have worked for over a decade to reform this important part of our national communications system and our economy. I am indeed pleased to serve in the Congress that is making this reform a reality.

I want to commend and congratulate Chairman Tom Davis and Ranking Member Henry Waxman for their tremendous commitment and dedication to making this truly a bipartisan effort and for the tenacious way in which they have worked to bring us to this point this evening.

I also want to commend Representative McHugh who has been the point person for the Republican side of the aisle on this matter for more than 10 years, who has stayed with it, stuck with it, and one of the reasons that we are here today is because of his tenacious work.

I also want to thank all of the stakeholders, the unions, the mailers and others, who are greatly affected.

I want to thank the Board of Governors and the Postmaster General, Mr. Potter, for their willingness to work with us.

And I want to think the other body, the Members of the Senate who were willing to negotiate, to engage in the give-and-take that is so necessary to make bipartisan, bicameral legislation a reality.

This bill is a prime example of bipartisan negotiation and collaboration. It is a compromise that will modernize the postal system and help it remain healthy and affordable well into the 21st century.

I represent much of the city of Chicago, one of the primary postal hubs in the Midwest with over 12,000 postal employees who deliver mail daily to 1.2 million homes and businesses in the Chicago area. I also represent numerous printing and mailing companies that rely upon the movement of mail. Therefore, ensuring a healthy postal service is a key issue of great concern to me.

This bill has many highlights. It provides for ratemaking flexibility, rate stability, universal service, high quality standards, and collective bargaining.

In addition, I am pleased that the bill advances fair business practices related to employees who are women and/or racial minorities. For example, I am pleased that it includes a study on the representation of women and minority members in supervisory and management positions within the postal service. It is important to understand how well the postal service is doing in opening up its senior positions to groups who historically have not had that kind of access.

The bill goes even further by requiring measures to incorporate the affirmative action and equal opportunity criteria into the performance appraisals of senior supervisory or managerial employees. This change helps ensure that management will be held accountable for adhering to the organization's goals of equal opportunity. And I want to sincerely thank Mr. Waxman for his vigorous support for this diversity provision.

I am also pleased that the bill includes a study of the number of contracts with women, minorities and small businesses to ensure that all

groups have access to the postal service contracts.

Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the provisions that will go a long way towards helping the postal service to better serve its customers, compete fairly with the mailing industry, and contribute to our Nation.

I especially want to thank the committee staff, Phil Barnett, Denise Wilson, Naomi Seiler, and all of the staff persons who worked to make this a reality.

I want to thank Ellen Brown, Jack Callender, Robert Taub and my staff, Richard Boykin and Jill Hunter-Williams.

Mr. Speaker, it is obviously time for postal reform. We have gone through this now for several years, and all of us who have worked on it are indeed pleased with the fact that we were able to compromise, to come together, to massage egos, to make real the idea that we can have a solid piece of legislation. I am proud to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she might consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. Speaker, let me just again commend and congratulate Chairman Tom Davis, Ranking Member Henry Waxman, and Mr. McHugh. And just say that Tom Davis and Henry Waxman demonstrated the very best of leadership as they worked through this process. Tom was a great chairman; Mr. Waxman is going to become a great chairman in the next session, and he is what I call a Member's chairman. It has been a pleasure working with all of them. I urge passage.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Government Reform Committee, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of S. 4050, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 Thompson Street in Thomaston, Georgia as the Sergeant First Class Robert Lee ``Bobby'' Hollar, Jr, Post Office Building.

S. 4050, sponsored by Senator Johnny Isakson, passed the Senate by unanimous consent on December 6, 2006.

Robert Lee ``Bobby'' Hollar was born in Woodstock, Virginia. Hollar served in the Georgia National Guard's 108th Infantry Brigade Calvary Division based out of Griffin, Georgia, as a tank commander in Iraq. Prior to his service in the 108th Calvary Regiment, Hollar was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, and he was a military scout before that.

Mr. Hollar also was a dedicated public servant. He served as a devoted postal letter carrier for years before being deployed to Iraq.

Mr. Hollar was killed in Iraq on September 1, 2005, when a roadside improvised explosive device exploded along the Humvee in which he was riding. Mr. Hollar was 35 years old when he was killed in action. No greater service can one give to their country than to be killed in its defense. I urge passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, to work until one is 90 years old is unusual; and to work effectively is almost unbelievable. However, to do both for Rev. Shelvin Jerome Hall is nothing more than expectation. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to this extraordinary man. When a young Shelvin Jerome Hall came to Chicago from Texas, he brought with him intellect, wisdom, wit, good up-bringing, determination, a strong belief in God and a recognition that he was destined to follow in the footsteps of Moses and lead his people towards a promised land.

When Rev. Hall took over the pastorate of the Friendship Baptist Church in 1955, it is reported that the church had only 87 cents in its treasury. However, without a great deal of fanfare, he developed an institution whose membership were solid citizens who themselves were growing as the church did, and he and Friendship became anchors of the North Lawndale Community.

Always conscious of the social, political and economic plight of African Americans and other minorities, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came to Chicago in the 1960's, Rev. Hall opened the doors of Friendship to him and was not intimidated by City Hall and other factions opposed to the King movement.

During and after the riots in the '60's, Rev. Hall had a presence and played a significant role in fostering better police/community as well as Black-White relations in Chicago. Along the way Rev. Hall was married to an intelligent, professional, gracious and graceful woman, Mrs. Lucy Hall, who retired as one of Chicago's best public school teachers. They produced three children, Priscilla Hall who sits on the New York Supreme Court, Shelvin Louise Hall, an Appellate Court Justice in Cook County, Illinois and a son, Lewis J. Hall, Supervisor of Higher Education for the State of New York.

Rev. Hall has held every office on the Baptist Church's organizational chart. Pastor, Moderator, Dean at the Baptist Institute, President of the State Association and has provided leadership to many interfaith and interdenominational groups as well. Outside the religious arena, Rev. Hall has been chairman of many not-for-profit organizations and businesses . . . e.g. the Lawndale People's Planning and Action Conference, the Community Bank of Lawndale and a Blue Ribbon Commission to plan the re-opening of the Jackson Square Nursing Home across the street and in front of Friendship. Perhaps Rev. Hall's most pleasing achievement was the building of the new Friendship, commonly and fondly called the African Hut at 5200 W. Jackson Boulevard with wood imported from Mozambique. The church still sits in the heart of the Austin Community of Chicago which is more than 90% Black. It is a testament to the connection of African Roots to a large urban inner city community. It was also Rev. Hall, who along with some of his fellow clergy persons declared to Mayor Richard J. Daley and other Democratic Party leaders that it was time to elect a person of color to represent what is now the 7th Congressional District thereby, paving the way for Congressman George W. Collins to be elected, followed by his wife Congresswoman Cardiss Collins and finally, myself in 1996.

Rev. Hall, it is indeed a pleasure to salute you as you retire after having been pastor of Friendship Baptist Church for fifty one years. You've been effective and you've made a difference. We thank God for the Rev. Dr. Shelvin Jerome Hall.