Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the North Coast Health Ministry on the occasion of the dedication of their new home on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio.

In 1986, North Coast Health Ministries began seeing patients one night a week in Dr. Elmer's Office at St. John West Shore. Since that time, North Coast Health Ministries has been providing free medical services for low-income uninsured individuals in western Cuyahoga and eastern Lorain Counties. Last year, the Ministry provided for 5,170 patient visits through staff and volunteer physicians, nurses and clerical support teams.

In 1988 the Ministry moved to Lakewood and has since been occupying space donated by Lakewood Hospital. In July of 2003, North Coast Health Ministries received a three-year capital grant from the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation that allowed it to purchase a new home in Lakewood debt-free.

This new facility will allow staff and volunteers to serve their patients more efficiently in a warm and welcoming environment. It will also provide for increasing visibility in the community which will allow North Coast Health Ministry to reach more patients.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing North Coast Health Ministry's efforts to give back to the community. I encourage all citizens to support North Coast Health Ministry in its mission of serving the poor and uninsured in this time of growing need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to today in honor and remembrance of Mervyn Jones--devoted family man, respected businessman, and a friend to many in the community.

Mr. Jones and Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones were married in 1976 at Bethany Baptist Church. They have a son, Mervyn Jones II, who is now attending college at Hiram College. Mr. Jones worked renovating and rehabilitating homes in the community and had sold rental properties.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honor and remembrance of Mervyn Jones--a loving man, a dedicated and adoring husband to his wife, a wonderful and warm father to his son, and a generous and caring man to his family and friends.

I extend my deepest condolences to Mr. Jones's beloved wife, Stephanie, and his child, Mervyn Jones II, and his brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Mervyn Jones will forever be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate St. Innocent Orthodox Church on the 20th Anniversary of the founding of St. Innocent the Apostle to America Parish.

Twenty years ago, a coalition of dedicated Orthodox Christians from a variety of ethnic backgrounds came together to practice their faith in a common language. These early members began holding biweekly services in the Community Room of Great Northern Mall and established committees to determine the growth and direction of the new parish. St. Innocent was chosen as the patron saint because the zeal of the missionary, who taught the Orthodox Christian Faith across North America and Alaska, would be an inspiration to the members of the new church.

In 1984, the members of St. Innocent began holding services in a rented chapel in Westlake. Members established a church school program for children and adults and weekly bible studies. The church is also very active in outreach to the surrounding community. Each month, money from an extra collection is donated to charitable organizations or

to families in need. Each Christmas, the parish supports at least one family in the community with gifts, food, financial assistance, and love.

In 1997, St. Innocent Orthodox Church found a permanent home, and consecrated its new church structure in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.

St. Innocent welcomes the diversity of its parish and combines many ethnic traditions into its services. I am confident that the growing parish family will flourish, and that the many services and activities it sponsors will continue to multiply.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Father John Bryk, as he celebrates the 50th year of his Priestly Ordination. We also honor Father Bryk's celebration of thirty years of service to the St. Hedwig Parish Community of Lakewood, Ohio.

Father Bryk was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and attended Benedictine High School. After attending Our Lady of the Lake Major Seminary in Cleveland, Father Bryk was ordained at St. John's Cathedral on December 19, 1953.

His service to others brought him to parishes in Cleveland and Lorain. He served as Pastor of St. Casmir for two years, and in 1973 was named Pastor of St. Hedwig Church in Lakewood, where he has since served.

For the past thirty years, Father Bryk has transformed St. Hedwig's Church into a spiritual haven of support, faith and hope--a place where he continues to create lasting bonds with hundreds of individuals and families. Father Bryk's outreach into the Lakewood community serves as a beacon of hope and guidance for generations of individuals and families.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honor and recognition of Father John Bryk, celebrating fifty years of service to our community. Father Bryk's contributions throughout his ministry, especially to the people of St. Hedwig's parish, are significant and immeasurable--his leadership, expertise, guidance and concern for others serve to uplift our corner of the world and beyond. His gift of faith and compassion will forever light our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the 80th Anniversary of the observance of the Feast of St. Wenceslaus Day at St. Wenceslaus Parish. The celebration will begin with the Eucharist Liturgy at 11:00 a.m. on September 28, 2003.

St. Wenceslaus is the patron saint of Bohemia. He was born near Prague in 903 and his father was the Duke of Bohemia. As Wenceslaus was growing up, his grandmother, also a saint, taught him the values of Christianity. In the year 922, when an anti-Christian faction killed Wenceslaus's father and took over the government, Wenceslaus staged a coup and was named the new ruler. During his reign, Wenceslaus attempted to reduce the oppression of the peasants by the nobility and promoted Christianity.

His younger brother, Boleslaus, joined a group of dissenters after he lost succession to the throne as a result of the birth of Wenceslaus's son. Boleslaus invited his brother to a religious festival, and while Wenceslaus was on his way to mass on the morning of September 28, 929, Boleslaus and a group of followers ambushed him. Wenceslaus's last words were, ``May God forgive you, brother.'' Wenceslaus was immediately venerated as a martyr, and was celebrated as the nation's patron saint by the end of the century.

Today, St. Wenceslaus is remembered for his concern for the poor in a popular Christmas carol, where he leaves his castle with a page during a winter storm to deliver food and wood to a peasant. As the storm worsens, the page follows in Wenceslaus's footsteps, which miraculously warm his freezing feet. By following the path of righteousness, Wenceslaus was led into sainthood, and the page was led out of the storm. The worshippers at Saint Wenceslaus Parish also try to follow the path of righteousness and St. Wenceslaus's example. They are celebrating his feast day this weekend with a Eucharistic Liturgy, a traditional Czech Pork and Dumpling Dinner, and dancing to traditional Czech music.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Gerald W. Rau, upon the occasion of his retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked honorably and diligently on behalf of our United States Veterans for thirty years.

Mr. Rau's significant service to others began in 1970, when he became a member of the United States Air Force. After four years of service to his country, Mr. Rau embarked on his career with the Veterans Administration as a Veterans Benefits Counselor.

Throughout his significant tenure with the VA, Mr. Rau forged solid and effective bonds with community leaders and agencies. Besides his role as Benefits Counselor, Mr. Rau's many roles included that of Educational Liaison, Outreach Contact for our homeless veterans, and for the past nine years, Congressional Liaison. In that capacity, Mr. Rau worked with diligence, heart and dedication--enabling my Congressional Staff to assist our veterans and their families when needed.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honor, gratitude and recognition of Gerald W. Rau, for his exceptional work and advocacy on behalf of the veterans of our Cleveland Community. His compassion, integrity, expertise, and more importantly--his deep concern and compassion for helping others--has uplifted the lives of countless veterans and their families--and has fortified our entire community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and to celebrate the expanded and renovated space for veteran services at the McCafferty Building. For over four years the City of Cleveland and the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center have been partners in serving veterans on Cleveland's west side.

The Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center has had a long and distinguished history of serving the veterans community over the past twenty years. The Veterans Center has participated in the community Homeless Coalition, offers assistance to hunger and homeless shelters in the area, and routinely joins with other local veterans service organizations to provide assistance to needy veterans.

The Veterans Center also offers many services to veterans outside of its central purpose of providing medical care for those who have honorably served our country. The Veterans Center provides individual readjustment counseling, referrals for benefits assistance, group readjustment counseling, liaison with community agencies, marital and family counseling, substance abuse information and referral, job counseling and placement, and community education. The Veterans Center also provides group counseling for Vietnam Veterans, Homeless Veterans, veterans who have difficulties with substance abuse, and Korean War Veterans.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center on this special occasion and celebrating its dedication to serving the veterans of the Cleveland's west side, and the community of Northeast Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I remember the time that this administration came to the Congress and asked us to support the troops and then turned around and cut veterans benefits by $25 billion. Today, while we are being told to vote for $87 billion for Iraq to support the troops, we find that those who will benefit financially from the war are the armies of lobbyists who have ties to this administration.

In yesterday's Hill, a column by Josh Marshall points out, and this is a quote, ``The President's right-hand man quits his government job just before the bombs start falling. He sets up shop in the offices of one of the biggest GOP lobbyists in town. And he starts selling his services to clients who want a piece of the big Iraqi reconstruction contracts pie--the pie his old bosses are in charge of slicing up.''

From today's Washington Post:

``Getting the rights to distribute Procter & Gamble products would be a gold mine,'' said one of the partners at New Bridge who did not want to be named. ``One well-stocked 7-Eleven could knock out 30 Iraqi stores; a Wal-Mart could take over the country,'' he said.

Here we are with a hostile takeover led by our men and women whom we pride. Stop this administration from using troops to justify a war and war profiteering. Get out of Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, this administration now seems intent on picking the pockets of workers. First we saw an attempt to give workers a pay cut by giving them comp time instead of overtime. The real meaning of comp time, of course, is unpaid time off at the employer's discretion.

Now, through administrative action, and without the input of elected representatives, the administration seeks to enact the most significant change to overtime rules since the Fair Standards Labor Act was passed in 1938. The result of these changes is that at least 8 million workers will no longer be eligible for overtime. Among the unlucky 8 million are paramedics, firefighters, air traffic controllers, social workers, and architects.

In 2000, overtime pay accounted for about 25 percent of the income for these workers. Their families will now have much less money to pay the bills, while their employers will have a great incentive to make them work longer hours.

The Obey-Miller motion to instruct will stop the rollback of overtime pay. This motion will protect the wages of America's working people.

It is time for the United States to get out of Iraq. It is time to get the U.N. in and the U.S. out, to bring our troops home and to end this sorry exercise in preemption and unilateralism.

America can ill afford to spend $87 billion on top of $179 billion in support of a war which has no end, no exit, no logic and no sense. It is time to come up with a plan to get the U.N. in and the U.S. out. We must work with the world community on this.

Today the administration will tell Congress that it was deceived by Saddam Hussein into thinking that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Let this Congress not be deceived by an administration that took this Nation into a war we did not have to fight. Bring our troops home.

Vote against the $87 billion; U.N. in and U.S. out of Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Sports Illustrated, as they celebrate 50 years of being America's most respected and popular sports publication. I also stand to recognize America's Sports Illustrated. 50 Years, 50 States, 50 Sports, a yearlong, nationwide celebration building on the premise of sports being an enormous force for good and a major catalyst in giving Americans a sense of community.

Sports Illustrated is one of the most respected voices in sports media, a magazine that consistently sets the national agenda for debate and discussion. This magazine is an original American brand that each week tells us about ourselves through the prism of sports.

Time Inc. founder Henry Luce's dream that, ``America will have a great National Sports Weekly `` officially became a reality on August 16, 1954, with the launch of Sports Illustrated. In the years that have followed, Sports Illustrated has lived up to Luce's lofty notion. Americans turn to Sports Illustrated for a definitive word and the defining photographs, for the most in-depth analysis in sports.

Let us support Sports Illustrated as they launch their nationwide multi-media program: America's Sports Illustrated. 50 Years, 50 States, 50 Sports. This nationwide celebration consists of weekly state- specific sections in the magazine and four special 50th issues; a grassroots mobile marketing tour that will visit sporting events that are unique to the state being visited; a comprehensive and interactive web presence; and a community sports outreach program to enhance the quality of sports in America's communities through the YMCA of the USA and the National Recreation and Park Association. Let us commemorate America's most respected and popular Sports publication on their Golden Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Sports Illustrated as it turns 50 in 2004 and celebrates its anniversary with the most ambitious initiative in the history of the magazine.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that, having worked together in Cleveland in trying to save jobs in the steel industry, we understand what these trade bills do in undermining our jobs. Of course, we are both familiar with the fact that the unemployment rate nationally is currently at 6.4 percent and with this bill we are going to receive an aggravated trade deficit that is already at $492 billion. I think the gentlewoman would agree that this is a condition that is intolerable for the workers in that district.

We already see these agreements that have weak labor laws, and this particular bill with a country that has laws that were established by an anti-labor, anti-union dictator, how in the world can our country protect our workers when we are facilitating a race to the bottom when we are engaging in trade agreements with countries that do not have a history of protecting workers?

One of things that we fought for is to protect the rights of the public, and this bill opens the door to further privatization and deregulation of vital human services, including health and water; and what that means is higher profits for corporations, higher rates and diminished services and limited access for more people.

So I want to thank the gentlewoman for her leadership and how we have been able to work together in Cleveland to protect jobs. We know from our constituents that they need us here on the floor of the House making sure that we demand this these trade agreements not further cause loss of jobs and loss of power on the part of the people.

Mr. Speaker, this is about safety, who will safely protect the profits of the drug companies. The pharmaceutical industry wants to maintain the world's highest prices in America by telling consumers imported pharmaceuticals are unsafe, even though the drug companies import drugs as a normal business practice. They sold $15 billion in imported drugs in 2001. They save money buying from overseas. They do not want the captive customers in America to save money.

The Gutknecht bill is the pill which will cure the drug companies of their greed. It will also signal a moment in this House when the power of government of the people, by the people, and for the people rises to its glory.

Mr. Chairman, when H.R. 2210 was considered in the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Democrats offered a number of amendments to the bill, an amendment to disallow a provision that taxpayer dollars be used to support religious discrimination in hiring, an amendment to provide money to Head Start teachers to help them acquire bachelor's degrees and be better qualified to teach low-income children of this Nation, and an amendment to fully fund Head Start, ensuring that all eligible preschoolers would have access to the program.

Unfortunately, all of these amendments were rejected. As a result, low-income children in 42 States will suffer and the Head Start program will not have improved access or resources for teacher quality or protection from discrimination in hiring.

In eight States, the majority would dismantle, would dismantle, the program, dissolving Head Start into a block grant without requiring Federal Head Start performance standards. This means States then can eliminate health screenings, parenting education, dental exams, adult literacy services, parent classroom involvement and vision services. The block grant is the first step towards the end of Head Start.

Poverty is on the rise. We should not be dismantling Head Start. Our Democratic substitute will ensure that the program continues unharmed, eliminating the discrimination provision and eliminating the block grant.

Children deserve Head Start. They deserve a chance in life. They deserve our votes for the Democratic alternative and to reject the wrong-headed Republican proposal.

Mr. Speaker, night after night my Democratic colleagues come to this floor to characterize the Republican Party as being the party controlled by monied special interests. Well, this evening, my fellow Democrats, is a moment of truth for the Democratic Party and what we stand for and who we stand for and who we stand with: the people or the big drug corporations.

Seniors in my district are splitting their pills to make their prescriptions last. And if a big PhRMA splits our party over the issue of lowering drug prices, it is a prescription for disaster for the Democratic Party. It is time we stood up and showed America who we really are, with the people or with the corporations.