Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I am here to support the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) and his amendment to H.R. 1751. I would like to thank the chair for accepting that amendment.

What he is trying to do is to help that young person extricate him or herself and let the courts and law enforcement know aspects of gang crime that are key in convicting our most dangerous criminals on the streets.

In my district I think we have exported gang activities around the country and maybe even around the world, South Central Los Angeles. So as a result, I started a series of youth violence summits with intervention specialists, educators, counselors, and the youth themselves. And one clear message that has resonated amongst all of them is the dire need to promise our youth that if they are involved in gang activity and remove themselves, they will not be harmed or killed by the very gang that they wisely ostracize themselves from.

So this amendment clearly provides much-needed witness protection for our youth who are fearful of leaving a gang and who will come forward to testify about the inner workings of these gangs.

So I thank the gentleman very much for recognizing that we need to have options for the young people that are trying to be responsible in the process. And we are going to come back next year with a comprehensive bill because we have been studying this issue, working with it for the last 20 years; and I thank Mr. Filner and Mr. Sensenbrenner so much for recognizing the need to have these programs.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me this time, and I rise in support of H.R. 3057, the foreign operations appropriations legislation, and specifically I want to thank the conference committee for including language I authored which would authorize the appropriation of $5 million to the Department of State to combat piracy in countries that are not members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

According to recent figures from the International Intellectual Property Association, worldwide motion picture piracy losses each year are estimated to be between $3 billion and $4 billion. More than 52 million illegal optical disks of the Motion Picture Association of America's member companies were seized worldwide during 2004, a result of 41,000 raids and more than 65,000 investigations.

Our government continues to work to secure legal protections for American-produced intellectual property. The State Department works with numerous countries to improve their legal codes and law enforcement training and to enforce intellectual property protections. However, in order for such efforts to be more effective, we must provide adequate funding and tools to engage foreign governments and convince them of the needs to enforce these laws.

That is why I am especially pleased that the final conference report has specifically included authorization language for a new program to combat piracy in non-OECD countries. It would provide equipment and training for judges and prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and assist other governments in complying with international copyright and intellectual property treaties and agreements.

Although the bill earmarks $5 million for existing appropriations for international narcotics control and law enforcement, I am hopeful that the money will enable the International

Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau to strengthen its existing work. Furthermore, I hope the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs will be able to receive the funding under the newly authorized programs in future years.

In conclusion, I want to note that this sensible bipartisan language has been adopted in this House three times, and I thank the ranking member and the chair.

Madam Speaker, dentistry must stop hiding the large presence of mercury in dental fillings. The common name for dental fillings is ``silver.'' The term is deceptive because it contains more than 50 percent mercury.

Who can conclusively say dental mercury is safe when in our bodies? It is undisputed as a fact that mercury vapor is released during the entire life of a mercury filling.

Madam Speaker, mercury amalgam is considered dangerous when it is put in the mouth, and it is labeled a hazardous waste when it is coming out. Dental offices contribute approximately 54 tons of toxic mercury to the environment each year. Mercury hurts the body's immune system. Mercury also causes neural development problems. My bill will protect children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers immediately.

We have abandoned other remnants of pre-Civil War medicine, and we have abandoned all other uses of mercury in the body. Now is the time to ban mercury in dental fillings.

Mr. Speaker, Rosa Parks's life is a milestone in American history. I stand here because she sat there. Her simple defiance of refusing to relinquish her seat 50 years ago on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, ignited the civil rights movement that transformed these United States. Without Rosa Parks there may not have been a Martin Luther King or a civil rights movement.

Her death at the age of 92 reminds us all that one person can make a profound difference in the lives of others and in the course of history. She is the embodiment and exemplar of today's human rights movements around the world.

Part of Rosa Parks's legacy was her quiet dignity and disdain for injustice. She was truly a woman of peace. What she determined that fateful day on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, is that she could not compromise her essential humanity. Her grace and her strength exemplified a purity of spirit and commitment to truth.

The road less traveled by Rosa Parks was not always smooth or kind. She and her husband received numerous death threats and lost their jobs in the aftermath of the historic bus boycott. Her supporters' houses were fire-bombed.

Congress stood by and did nothing. Mrs. Parks finally moved north to Detroit where she had relatives and eventually ended up working for the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the esteemed Congressman.

We all grieve the loss of Rosa Parks, and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to her family, friends, as well as my friends and colleagues here on the floor today and particularly the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), my friend. We are a better Nation and people because of Rosa Parks.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to briefly acknowledge the passing of two other heroes in the struggle for civil and human rights, Dr. C. Delores Tucker, buried last Saturday, and the former Congressman, Ed Roybal.

C. Delores Tucker was a pioneer in the field of civil rights and politics. She counted Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and many others among the civil rights luminaries as close friends and allies.

In 1971, Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp appointed Dr. Tucker as the first Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Dr. Tucker had many firsts in her long public career. She was the first black woman to be named vice chair of Pennsylvania's State Democratic Party and the first African American to serve as president of the National Federation of Democratic Women. She was also founder and chairwoman of the National Congress of Black Women.

Dr. Tucker was always on the front lines in the struggle for civil rights and the rights of African American women. She led with strength and dignity, always stood tall, and was concerned about inequities and justice for all. Her spirit lives on.

Mr. Speaker, Congressman Ed Roybal was a true pioneer in the struggle for human and civil rights in California. He was an advocate his whole life for the poor, the disenfranchised, and for seniors.

Ed stood up not only for the rights of Latinos but all people who have been denied an equal opportunity. I looked to him as he served on the Los Angeles City Council and then in Congress as a voice that could be trusted to consistently respond on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves. During his long career and many accomplishments, he never lost sight of those in need.

My prayers and thoughts are with the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), his daughter, and his family during their period of grieving for the loss of a great American. Ed's strong and dedicated message will never be silenced. He leaves behind a spiritual, indelible legacy that will live on.

Mr. Speaker, we have lost a triumvirate.

Mr. Speaker, the American people want change here in Washington, DC. Over the last couple of months, they have seen the headlines of scandal in the ranks of the House and Senate Republican leadership. They have seen the continuing scandal at the White House that should lead to the firing of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. They have seen that the President's cronies are now entrenched in important government agencies and some of them are as unprepared for their jobs as Michael Brown was at FEMA.

The American people want to know when Republicans here in Washington are finally going to stop doing the bidding of the wealthiest elite and start focusing on issues more important to them. They are concerned about an economy where their paychecks are not rising as high or as fast as the cost of living. They are also wondering how they are going to continue to afford their health care premiums, gas for their cars, and heat for their homes in the winter.

They look to Washington and correctly see that House Republicans refuse to even consider their concerns. Republicans are simply too busy helping their friends. It is time for a change all right, and Democrats are ready to lead by providing creative solutions to our Nation's needs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of order.

Mr. Speaker, I stand to oppose the misguided budget amendments that are being presented to us. These amendments will not help a post-Katrina plan, but would only add to the deficit. It would require spending cuts and new tax cuts that would mount up to $70 billion, cuts that mostly benefit the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the poorest Americans.

If these spending cuts were approved, they would probably do what I would consider to be Draconian cutting. They would cut Medicaid, food stamps, child care support, the earned income tax credit, and supplemental security income.

I have a problem in my City of Los Angeles, and it is a homeless problem. There are over 80,000 homeless individuals that are on our streets, mostly in the evenings. They have problems with alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and mental illness. Over 33 percent of the homeless are mentally ill. And they are homeless. And why?

Because we have cut out the programs that address this population; and not only did we do that, but under the Reagan administration we closed mental health hospitals. Money was to follow the patients into the community, and it never did.

So if we are trying to be fiscally responsible, that means we are being irresponsible to the poorest of Americans. As Americans we cannot allow this to happen. If we are spreading democracy around the world, then we must live up to the principles and the tenets of its provisions. And its provisions say that every American has a right to be a recipient of the social services programs.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot accept the amendments to the budget that are being proposed. They will weaken our homeland, its people, and our security.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to address the health care crisis in America that relates to the presentation that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) is giving now.

The United States Census Bureau reports that in 2004, 45.8 million people were without health insurance coverage and several estimates double that amount to include the underinsured. Moreover, the percentage of people covered by employer-based insurance declined to 59.8 percent of the workforce. Shamefully, there are over 8 million uninsured children in this country who do not even have the opportunity for employer-based coverage.

On the other hand, health insurance premiums have increased astronomically since the beginning of the Bush administration. According to Families USA, workers' costs for health insurance have risen by 36 percent since the year 2000, far surpassing the miniscule 12.4 percent increase in earnings since the President took office. In 2005 it is unbelievable that over 50 percent of insured Americans spent more than 10 percent of their income on health care. Over 10 million insured Americans spent more than 25 percent of their income on health care. And embarrassingly, over 6 million Americans spent more than 33 percent of their income on health care.

According to the World Health Organization, the United States ranks 37th in the world in overall health care quality. Thirty-seventh. This administration and this Congress must pay attention to the health of our Nation in order to improve on the wealth of our Nation. And when we talk about homeland security, we are not talking about the land alone. We are talking about the people who live in this land. Rising health care costs are forcing American businesses to lose their competitive edge and to consider relocating overseas. It is time for Congress to pass universal health care legislation now.

American humanitarian outreach dictates that we consider health care programs around the world. According to the Institute of Medicine, 18,000 Americans die each year because of being uninsured. America is the only country among developed nations that still does not have universal health care.

In a related matter, minority groups often encounter major obstacles in obtaining health care. Minority groups are less likely to have health insurance and are less likely to receive appropriate health care services. In the year 2004, the uninsured rate was 19.7 percent for African Americans, 32.7 percent for Hispanics, and 11.3 percent for non-Hispanic whites.

The ``Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act of 2005'' would go far in lifting the shadow of health disparities that fall not only on minority communities but on all Americans. H.R. 3561, sponsored by the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), would make quality health care more affordable, providing coverage for parents and young adults who are currently uninsured.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to act in a responsible way, to look seriously at health care reform, and we must, for our own prosperity, insure all Americans and ensure quality health care for all of us.

Madam Speaker, today our troops abroad have very few choices when they turn on their radios. If they are looking for political talk on the Armed Forces Network, all they get is the conservative spin machine from Rush Limbaugh. That was all supposed to change on Monday when liberal radio talk show host Ed Schultz's show was set to debut.

However, 15 minutes before our soldiers could finally hear a differing opinion, the Pentagon abruptly cancelled the show. Ed Schultz's producer received a call from a Pentagon official informing him that the show would not be debuting on AFN.

Why exactly is the Pentagon keeping our troops from hearing differing opinions? Could it be that the Pentagon is a little embarrassed by the staging of a Presidential teleconference last week? We see the same staffer that informed Schultz of his cancellation was the same woman seen coaching American troops last week in what was supposed to be an unscripted conversation with our troops in Iraq. Schultz was critical of that stage show.

President Bush says our troops are fighting to bring democracy to Iraq. It would be nice if our own troops could exercise some of that freedom.

Mr. Speaker, for 2 years now, the White House has not leveled with the American people about its involvement in the leaking of a covert CIA operative's name to the press. As a former Ambassador, you have covert agents operating within your authority. To let those names become public could destroy the whole mission.

On October 1, 2003, White House press secretary Scott McClellan was asked about both Karl Rove and Scooter Libby's possible involvement in the leaking of Valerie Plame's identity. Mr. McClellan told reporters that they assured him they were not involved. One month earlier, McClellan told reporters, ``If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration.''

Well, Mr. Speaker, it is clear that both Rove and Libby were involved and yet they both remain in the administration. Does the President forget how serious this issue is? Remember, it was his own father, a former CIA director, who said in 1999 that he had ``nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors.''

Mr. Speaker, it is time the President addresses these negative matters that are infecting all areas of the Republican Party here in Washington.

Mr. Speaker:

Whereas, It was with great sadness and a deep sense of loss that word was received of the death in Los Angeles of Brock Peters on August 23, 2005, one of America's most distinguished actors of stage and screen, whose deeds in life merit the respectful acknowledgement of his community and nation; and

Whereas, he was born George Fisher on July 2, 1927 in New York City, the child of Sonny and Alma A. Fisher, following a year at the University of Chicago in 1944 and undergraduate study at the City College of New

York from 1945 to 1947, he worked as a YMCA and Parks Department instructor, hospital orderly and shipping clerk in New York while studying for the acting and singing career which was the object of his life-long dreams; and

Whereas, Brock first took the stage at the age of 15 in the 1943 Broadway production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, sang bass with the DePaur Infantry Chorus, joined a traveling cabaret act that played in American and Canadian clubs, and was among the first African Americans to break through in television when he sang on The Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts in 1953; and

Whereas, Brock's film career flowered when he breathed life into some of the most memorable roles in American cinema, playing ``Sergeant Brown'' in Otto Preminger's Carmen Brown in 1954 and ``Crown'' in the 1959 film version of Porgy and Bess, yet these villainous portrayals nearly stalled Brock's career until he garnered his most famous role in 1962, that of the innocent but falsely accused ``Tom Robinson'' vindicated by Gregory Peck's Oscar-award winning performance in To Kill A Mockingbird, henceforth Brock's film characters varied between the noble and the notorious, including ``Johnny'' in 1962's The L-Shaped Room and ``Rodriguez'' in 1965's The Pawnbroker, and more than a dozen other films including The Incident (1967), Soylent Green (1972), Lost in the Stars (1974), Two-Minute Warning (1976), Star Trek IV (1986) and Star Trek VI (1991), in between which Brock had a significant television career, playing featured or recurring roles in Roots: The Next Generation (1979), Battlestar Galactica (1979) and the musical Polly! (1989) as well as scores of guest show appearances and film voice-overs, yet Brock never abandoned live theater, where he starred in such hits as Othello (1963), My Children, My Africa (1990), and the stage versions of The Great White Hope (1971), Driving Miss Daisy (1989) and Lost in the Stars; and

Whereas, having married Delores ``DiDi'' Daniels in 1961, the couple sustained a tireless parallel career as advocates for African American drama and craftsmanship, together founding Delbro Enterprises which produced Five on the Black-Hand Side (1973), and the PBS documentary This Far by Faith (1975), and directing an actors studio specializing in African and African American theater, Brock also became a co-founder of the Dance Theater of Harlem; such artistic leadership garnered numerous honors for Brock Peters including Presidency of the California Arts Commission, induction in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, the Best Actor in a Musical Award from the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, nomination for a Tony Award, and receipt of awards from the National Film Society and the Screen Actors Guild, and;

Whereas, Brock Peters, preceded in death by his beloved wife DiDi in 1990, leaves to cherish his memory his beloved daughter Lisa Jo Peters and a host of family, friends, colleagues and fans; Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by U.S. Representative Diane E. Watson, that the outstanding artistic achievements and exemplary civic contributions of Brock Peters be Saluted and Memorialized in the Annals of the Congress of these United States of America, with most sincere condolences to his bereaved family and prayers that his soul may now rest in eternal peace.

Attested this 27th Day of August in the Year 2005.

Madam Speaker, during a recent radio broadcast, conservative critic William Bennett said the following: ``If you wanted to reduce crime, you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down.''

But Mr. Bennett's hypothesis, as absurd and racist as it is, does not tell the real story.

According to the Department of Justice national crime statistics of men and women behind bars, approximately 43 percent are black, 38 percent are white, and 19 percent are Hispanic. Whites, however, make up 70 percent of all persons arrested, and 60 percent of those are arrested for violent crime.

So why the disparity between whites arrested and whites convicted? Could it have to do with the fact that poorer defendants, often people of color, are more likely to receive substandard legal representation and harsher sentences?

Madam Speaker, getting justice in America seems to have a lot more to do with the color of your skin and the color of the green in your pocket. Now, that is not virtuous.

Madam Speaker, I want to come and join with hundreds of people who yesterday had the exciting experience of being in Hollywood on the Walk of Fame for a famous jazz and blues singer, Linda Hopkins, who received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Linda Hopkins was honored with the 2,292nd star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday, October 6, at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Pantages Theatre. Johnny Grant, Honorary Mayor of Hollywood and Chairman of the Walk of Fame Committee, presided over the event.

Hopkins made her singing debut at the age of 3 in her hometown church in New Orleans and grew up to become an internationally acclaimed vocalist and actress. Hopkins was inspired by blues legend Bessie Smith and began to sing her songs and conceived, wrote, and starred in the one-woman musical, ``Me and Bessie.'' The musical was the longest running show in the history of Broadway and the only one written by an African American woman. It also won the coveted Drama Desk Award.

In 1972, she won the Tony Award for best supporting actress for her performance in ``Inner City.'' Hopkins toured with such artists as Sammy Davis, Jr. and Bradford Marsalis. From 1985 through 1997, Hopkins co-starred in the play ``Black and Blue'' on Broadway and in Paris.

She also holds the record for the most guest performances on Johnny Carson's ``Tonight Show'' with more than 148 appearances. She recently returned from working on ``Wild Women Blues'' which she created and toured throughout Europe. She will return to the show in December. Hopkins continues her work in the community by helping the homeless, presenting and assisting new and young artists in the performing arts community, and doing outreach to local communities to promote economic development.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say congratulations to Linda once again, and we are so very pleased to be the ones to nominate Linda. It took us a few years, but she got that star on the Walk of Fame.

Linda Hopkins to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Today

Singer Linda Hopkins will be honored with the 2,292nd star

on the world famous Hollywood Walk of Fame on Oct. 6, 11:30

a.m., in front of Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd.

Johnny Grant, Honorary Mayor of Hollywood and Chairman of the

Walk of Fame Committee, will preside over the event.

Hopkins made her singing debut at the age of three in her

hometown church in New Orleans and grew up to become an

internationally acclaimed vocalist and actress. Hopkins was

inspired by blues legend Bessie Smith and began to sing her

songs and conceived, wrote and starred in the one-woman

musical, ``Me and Bessie.'' The musical was the longest

running show in the history of Broadway and the only one

written by an African American woman. It also won the coveted

Drama Desk Award.

In 1972, she won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress

for her performance in ``Inner City.'' Hopkins toured with

such artists as Sammy Davis Jr. and Branford Marsalis. From

1985 through 1997, Hopkins co-starred in the play ``Black and

Blue'' on Broadway and in Paris. She also holds the record

for most guest performances on Johnny Carson's ``Tonight

Show,'' with more than 148 appearances. She recently returned

from working on ``Wild Women Blues,'' which she created and

toured with throughout Europe. She will return to the show in

December.

Hopkins continues her work in the community by helping the

homeless, presenting and assisting new and young artists in

the performing arts community and doing outreach to local

communities to promote economic development.

Mr. Chairman, we must protect what we can never get back. We are not only protecting wildlife, but we are defending our citizens as well.

The stringent regulations in the Endangered Species Act have benefited many species in our great country. Our national symbol, the bald eagle, is one of the most profound stories of recovery in progress. The American alligator, the Peregrine falcon, and the California condor are but a few examples of species that have benefited by the provisions in the bill. According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly half of the species that had been on the list more than 7 years were stable or improving, and those are the facts.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 3824 is full of giveaways to large development companies and other special interests. The Pombo legislation includes provisions that require the government to use taxpayer dollars to pay developers and other special interests not to violate the Endangered Species Act, instead of creating commonsense incentive programs that would foster greater involvement in conservation efforts.

Congress should choose to send a national message regarding the mindful stewardship of our country. If not, further abuses will occur as evidenced by Governor Schwarzenegger in my own home State of California. Tuesday, the Governor fired all six members of the State Reclamation Board, an agency that oversees flood control. The board had recently become aggressive about slowing development on the flood plains.

Is the Governor's protection of developers and big landowners worth the devastation that oversight can avoid? Congress would be wise to take notice, in light of the no-bid contracts, pleas to exempt all environmental regulations in the gulf States after Katrina, and the same old companies slurping up Federal funds in egregious excess.

Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from California's bill is not the legislation we need. It would also allow the unlimited use of dangerous pesticides at the expense of the people, plants, and wildlife. This bill would repeal all Endangered Species Act provisions that regulate the use of pesticides like DDT, which nearly resulted in the extinction of the American bald eagle in the mid-20th century and decimated the California brown pelican population in my own State.

We must protect what we can never get back.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge my colleagues to defeat this bill.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday House Republicans convened their partisan investigation into what went wrong in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It is clear Republicans want to fix all blame on the back of former FEMA director Michael Brown.

Republicans were willing to ask tough questions yesterday, but that is simply not enough. For 5 years now, House Republicans have ignored their oversight responsibilities of the Bush administration. Are we now supposed to believe that House Republicans will conduct an investigation that will not only determine what exactly went wrong but also how we can prevent such a slow response from ever happening again?

The New York Times said that Washington is faking a Katrina inquiry. The paper determined that a government dominated by one party should be disqualified from investigating itself. Democrats here in the House strongly agree.

We simply will not be a part of a sham investigation. The American people want real answers, not a cover-up. An overwhelming 87 percent of Americans are demanding an independent commission similar to the 9/11 Commission.