Floor Statements

Madam Chairman, the Chair of our Congressional Black Caucus who has done such an outstanding job, it is really a great loss. We have this untimely loss of our wonderful friend and colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. A void has been left in the lives of all of those of us who had the privilege of knowing this remarkable, vibrant and accomplished woman. It is a loss shared by her family, her many friends, her Ohio constituents, and all of those around our great Nation who looked to her as a champion of justice, a person who was an advocate for the everyday people.

A former county prosecutor, a judge on the municipal court, she went to break glass ceiling after glass ceiling, with her election as the first African American woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio. She tore down barriers here in the House of Representatives when she successfully sought a seat on the Ways and Means Committee, and those walls came down. She was like at Jericho. When she blew that trumpet, the walls just came tumbling down. She was just so full of energy.

In the little time that she was on the Ways and Means Committee, her reputation for fairness was so great that she was selected as Chair of the Ethics Committee. To chair the House Ethics Committee, you have to be the fairest person among that body. It is a tough, tough position. So, once again she was called to duty. It is really not an office you seek, it is just something that is bestowed upon you, and when you are asked, you have to take it.

She was a pioneer who forged ahead, not just for herself, because she knew that she was opening doors for others. As Cochair of the Caribbean Caucus, I had the pleasure of traveling with Stephanie. We would go to the Caribbean, and she was a great traveling companion. She had a lot of interest in global issues. She was interested in understanding other cultures. She was interested in those people in nations less fortunate than ours.

She was enthusiastic about promoting international trade. She wanted to have economic development to address the problems of poverty and hunger around the world. She wanted to bring more educational opportunities to regions in the Caribbean and other places that we traveled.

Even though she was a diligent public servant, Stephanie always found time to laugh and enjoy life. A terrific sports fan, she was unrivaled in her enthusiasm for her hometown teams, the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and she even cheered the Cleveland Indians, even though they had not won a World Series since 1948 and she would complain about that.

She was just so proud of Mervyn II. She loved to sail. My brother is a sailor, and they would talk about just getting out. The only water I like is when I take my shower every day, and that is about it. But she loved to sail, and she just knew all about it, and her sister Barbara right there paid attention.

I remember her proud father. He was elderly and he was so dignified. One time we were staying on the same floor at the CBC's hotel where we were, and his tie came loose. He was walking so proud, and I said, could I just fix it for you? I just felt good just trying to do something. And he was just so proud. I know how my grandfather was, the dignified black men who had to endure so much. But when they walked, they walked proud and they walked straight as an arrow, and that is how he was.

She was just great. She was my pal. She was my traveling companion. It just hard to find words for Stephanie, full of life, full of energy. I didn't smoke, but I used to tell her she needed to slow down on that smoking. But we did have some times together. I won't get into that. We don't want to get into too many details.

But she was good at everything. She did a great job with that tennis and golf tournament every Wednesday at the Congressional Black Caucus lunch. She would say, you have got to come. You have got to support it, scholarships for children.

It is hard to be in Congress without Stephanie there, but we are going to have to remember her. She was my pal.

With the untimely loss of our wonderful friend and colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a void has been left in the lives of all those who had the privilege of knowing this remarkable, vibrant, and accomplished woman. It is a loss shared by her family, her many friends, her Ohio constituents, and all those around our great nation who looked to her as a champion of justice and also an advocate for their everyday concerns.

A former county prosecutor and judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court, she went on to break another glass ceiling with her election as the first African American woman elected to Congress from Ohio. She tore down a barrier here in the House of Representatives when she successfully sought a seat on the Ways and Means Committee, which had no African American woman member at the time. It was a measure of her reputation for fairness that she was selected to serve as Chair of the House Ethics Committee.

She was a pioneer who forged ahead not just for herself, but because she knew that she was opening doors for others who would benefit from her groundbreaking steps.

As Co-Chair of the Caribbean Caucus, I had the pleasure of traveling with Stephanie

Tubbs Jones, and what a great traveling companion she was. She had a strong interest in global issues, in understanding other cultures, and in improving the lives of those in nations less fortunate than ours. She was enthusiastic about promoting international trade and economic development; in addressing the problems of poverty and hunger; and she wanted to bring more educational opportunities to regions where such opportunities were severely lacking.

Even though she was a diligent public servant, Stephanie always found time to laugh and to enjoy life. A terrific sports fan, she was unrivaled in her enthusiasm for her teams, the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and she even cheered on the Cleveland Indians, even though they had not won the World Series since 1948--a year before she was born.

She was also very proud of her son, Mervyn II, and she loved spending time with her sister, Barbara Walker. I recall the care and attention she paid to her elderly father; it was touching to see the bond between them when they were together.

Stephanie lived life out loud. Her dazzling smile, her passion for causes, and her devotion to her family made her a remarkable person to know.

Her home town newspaper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, summed it up well when they wrote that she was ``tough, exuberant, passionate . . . a woman from modest means who rose to national prominence.''

Our thoughts and prayers remain with her family as we mourn the loss of Stephanie Tubbs Jones and celebrate her amazing life and legacy.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this Concurrent Resolution recognizing the importance of our Nation's Caribbean heritage and urge its adoption. I would like to take this opportunity, in part, to focus attention on the provisions of H. Con. Res. 364 that highlight the continuing importance of the Caribbean region to our Nation. I believe it is important that the United States work harder to foster our relationships with Caribbean nations and support their efforts to enhance the financial and geopolitical stability of the region. I recently had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Emsley D. Tromp, President of the Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen, the Central Bank for the Netherlands Antilles. During that meeting, we had the opportunity to discuss the growing importance of our relationship with the Netherlands Antilles, which has grown closer, as this country has approached independent status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands Antilles has endeavored to improve its security through a more diversified economy and favorable environment for additional foreign direct investment, particularly from the United States. The Netherlands Antilles made substantial changes to their tax laws, bringing them into compliance with international norms. In addition, they entered into a tax information exchange agreement (TIEA) with the United States and have actively cooperated on tax enforcement matters. It is an important strategic partner of the United States in the Caribbean Basin with shared interests in countering transnational terrorism and crime and illegal narcotics production. A Forward Operating Location (FOL) on Curacao provides support for our drug interdiction efforts in the region. Madam Speaker, the United States should recognize and support efforts such as these in the Caribbean region, and actively work to forge closer ties with the Caribbean nations.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And let me begin by thanking you for your strong leadership in bringing this legislation through the House and advocating it through the Senate and our ranking member, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for her support, and as you mentioned before, Representative Barbara Lee and Donna Christensen.

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, this bill, the Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, is very timely.

This bill is important. In the 5 years since I have been in Congress, the original legislation authorized by the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, or PEPFAR, as it is known, has become a historical program.

The road toward serious consideration regarding HIV and AIDS was a long journey. The Congressional Black Caucus began advocating for a sound domestic and international effort during the late 1980s with little success. Pressure continued through the executive branch, and in the Clinton years, an office was established headed by Ms. Thurman on the President's initiative on HIV and AIDS. However, adequate funding was still lacking, especially on the international focus.

And so I must say that PEPFAR is destined, in my view, to be remembered as the single most significant achievement of the Bush administration's two terms in office because it was there that we catapulted the funding of this legislation.

Over 800,000 people who would otherwise have no access to treatment are receiving anti-retroviral medication in PEPFAR's 15 focus countries. Twelve of those countries are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Such progress is remarkable. However, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Despite our best efforts, only 28 percent of Africans needing anti-retrovirals are receiving them.

A mere 11 percent of HIV-positive women on the continent who need drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission is getting it. Shockingly, over 85 percent of Africa's children who need ARVs are going without it.

This is why Congress is taking such an extraordinary step of authorizing close to $50 billion to transform PEPFAR from an emergency response to a sustainable program. It represents the best efforts to turn those statistics around.

The new bill transforms PEPFAR by expanding the program beyond a series of medical interventions. For example, the lack of food and nutrition support for people on ARVs have been, up to now, a major impediment to the adherence to AIDS treatment regimens. The lack of adherence limits PEPFAR's effectiveness.

Fortunately, the new component will help ease the nutrition problem. The Senate bill has incorporated elements of the provision which I authored that were in the original House bill related to addressing the nutrition needs of HIV patients, their families, and communities. When I introduced the nutrition component a year ago, no one could have accurately predicted the tremendous food security problem which besets us today worldwide.

The Senate bill also contains a provision to build and strengthen health systems in developing countries.

Like the House bill, it eliminates cumbersome earmarks that the Government Accountability Office and the Institute of Medicine have said limits program efficacy.

Just as important as the money and programs for HIV and AIDS, the bill we are voting on today also authorizes $9 billion to fight two other diseases that have wrought havoc in the developing world: malaria and tuberculosis.

Malaria kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds. It contributes to the death of an estimated 10,000 pregnant women and up to 200,000 infants each year on the continent. And what is astonishing is that malaria is preventable. With education, providing bed nets and spraying, malaria can be eliminated.

TB is just as deadly. Nearly 20 percent of the people who develop full-blown TB die of the disease. They cannot get a simple, low-cost cure which is available.

And those with HIV and AIDS are very vulnerable to TB infections due to lowered immunity factors. In fact, TB is the number one killer of people with AIDS. With the new cases of MDR and XDR TB, a more radical strain that is much more difficult to treat, the new emphasis on TB is very important. In South Africa in a village, 52 of 53 people who had contracted MDR TB died within a 2-week period.

Mr. Speaker, given the aforementioned toll that AIDS, TB and malaria has taken around the globe, and how much we still need to do to fight all three deadly diseases, it is imperative that we redouble our efforts.

As I conclude, we must do so for the obvious reason: U.S.- funded programs save lives. We have a

moral obligation to continue them. We should also do so for a less obvious reason: to counter a growing perception in the world that the United States does not care about anything but counterterrorism.

Fairly or not, I think that this bill will go far to continue to uplift the image of the United States. It's saving lives, and it's doing the right thing.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California, a member of the Africa Subcommittee, Congresswoman Woolsey.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the State of Washington, the father of the AGOA legislation and a health provider for USAID for many years, Mr. McDermott.

(Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), chairman of the Western Hemisphere Committee, for 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman 20 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the State of Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, we cannot drill our way to either energy independence or to lower prices at the pump. The Bush administration's own Energy Information Administration says that opening up new areas for drilling would not affect production or prices for nearly 20 years, and even then it concludes that ``any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.'' So much for the Republican energy plan.

In stark contrast, House Democrats have taken action and passed legislation that will make America more energy independent and help provide relief to Americans struggling with high gas prices. For the first time in 32 years, we passed a landmark law that will require more fuel efficient vehicles, which will produce nearly $1,000 in savings for the average American family at the gas pump. This is the kind of relief that my constituents in New Jersey want.

Democrats also forced the President to stop sending oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and now we are standing and urging him to start releasing oil from the reserve.

Mr. Speaker, for 7 years now, President Bush and Republicans have catered to the excesses of the wealthiest few while ignoring real needs of working Americans. Over the past 6 years, the median household income has fallen over $1,000 per year while prices for health care, education, food, and gas have increased well above inflation. How can we expect working men and women to continue to meet the financial needs of their families when they bring home smaller paychecks as prices rise?

The Democratic Congress has been working hard to ensure that working Americans are not ignored. We passed an economic stimulus package that puts money into the wallets of working families. We've also passed legislation addressing the concerns of millions of Americans, including many of those from my home State of New Jersey, who are afraid of losing their jobs or are afraid they might lose their homes.

Senator McCain's chief economic adviser claims that Americans are whining, that the economic downturn is all in their heads. House Democrats realize that we need to turn the Bush economy around.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1090) honoring the esteemed former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela on the occasion of his 90th birthday, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me first thank our chairman, Mr. Berman, for moving this resolution swiftly to the floor in light of the time sensitivity of this resolution. Let me also recognize Mr. Jefferson for introducing this resolution and for inviting me to join him in that endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, this Friday a living icon of freedom will turn 90 years old. His birthday already has been celebrated at more than 20 different charity events around the world. Now it's time for the United States Congress to rise in its voice of praise of Mr. Nelson Mandela in recognition of his remarkable life and the contributions that he has made to humankind.

His struggle on behalf of black South Africans confronted with the horrific system of racial hatred is legendary. It landed him in prison under harsh conditions for 27 years. Mr. Mandela will be remembered for many things, but perhaps the words he spoke at his trial sums up his effort best. He said:

``During my lifetime, I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against

white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideals of a democratic and free society in which all people live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal which I am prepared to die for.''

Mr. Speaker, death did not claim Nelson Mandela that day or in the decades of dismal imprisonment to follow. Instead, he grew to become a figure almost larger than life, an international symbol of an oppressed people's thirst for justice. He joined the pantheon of inspirational figures whose legacy belongs to all humankind: Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And as a measure of what he meant to us, Nelson Mandela's liberation and subsequent rise to become President of a free and democratic South Africa were greeted with joy and near disbelief around the world when it occurred.

Mr. Speaker, Nelson Mandela was born in a small village in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. His family belonged to the Thembo Dynasty, a Xhosa noble bloodline in South Africa. He was well educated, earned a law degree, set up a law practice with his long-time friend who spent 27 years with him on Robben Island, Walter Sisulu.

As a young man, Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress, which was established in 1912 to fight for justice and equality for Africans against discrimination and unjust laws prescribed by the minority European settlers. For decades leaders of the ANC challenged the segregation system imposed on them and demanded, through petition to the courts and to the British Royalty and government, the freedoms and opportunities afforded the whites who dominated South Africa at that time.

In 1944 Nelson Mandela, along with other young educated Africans, formed the African National Congress Youth League, in large measure to shift the traditional ANC role from an elite organization to a mass- based, African nationalist movement. After the 1948 election of the Afrikaner National Party, racial segregation laws that had been adopted incoherently were codified into a comprehensive segregation policy called ``apartheid,'' creating major challenges for Mandela, the African National Congress, and its allies.

Apartheid institutionalized racism through physical and social segregation of all ethnic groups. It codified race classifications, prohibited interracial marriage, and reserved certain jobs for whites. While black Africans comprised 75 percent of the population, under apartheid they were allowed to live on only 13 percent of the worst land in the country. All public facilities were segregated by race. Black Africans were forced to carry identification cards and forbidden to be in towns preserved for whites, unless they had explicit permission to go there.

In 1964 when many fellow leaders of the ANC and its armed wing were arrested, Mandela was brought to trial with other comrades who were plotting to overthrow the government by violent means. He and his seven comrades were imprisoned for life for their leadership in opposing apartheid.

In 1989, on the strength of South Africa's own definition of the African National Congress, the United States Government listed the ANC as one of fifty-two organizations around the world as ``the more notorious terrorist groups.''

I am pleased to say that 2 weeks ago, President Bush signed into law a bill introduced by Chairman Berman of our committee that several of our House colleagues joined in cosponsoring to erase this injustice. Particularly, Representative Barbara Lee was instrumental in ensuring the bill's passage in the Senate. Now Nelson Mandela and others who supported the effort of the ANC will no longer face additional security measures based solely on their association with the ANC while traveling to this country. Long overdue.

In 1993 Nelson Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with former South African President F.W. de Klerk.

He also has received the Order of Merit and the order of St. John from Queen Elizabeth II and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush.

Today President Mandela is revered around the world and continues to represent the values of freedom, justice and liberation for all people. He has become the champion in the fight against HIV and AIDS through his foundation. He continues to work on behalf of everyday men, women and children so that they can enjoy lives of freedom from injustice, sickness and want.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues in the House to support the measure recognizing Nelson Mandela's unique contributions to humankind.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield to the gentlelady from California, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms. Lee, for 3 minutes.

I yield 1 additional minute to the gentlelady.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana, the sponsor of the resolution, Mr. Jefferson.

Let me once again thank Chairman Berman for moving this legislation and all of those who cosponsored it. I thank Mr. Royce for his continued interest in the continent of Africa and justice in general.

And with that, I yield as much time as he may consume to the chairman of the committee.

In keeping with what the chairman said, in addition to what Mr. Mandela did with the person who really codified apartheid, he invited his jailer, the one who locked and unlocked his cell door, to attend his inauguration as president because he felt that the prison guard treated him with a modicum of respect and he invited him to also attend the inauguration. This was certainly a unique person.

With that, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Thank you very much for yielding.

Let me commend the sponsor of this great resolution and also let me just commend Representative Skelton for the outstanding work that he has done for so many years in the Armed Services Committee.

I stand in support of this resolution, H. Con. Res. 297, because as we all know, there were many, many African Americans who have fought valiantly through many of the wars. I'm very proud to have an uncle who just passed away 2 years ago, 3 years ago, who was in the invasion of Normandy. I used to recall as a young boy receiving the letters that he would send that were photocopied and made about the size of your hand where anything they felt was strategic was blacked out. And my Uncle John was a staff sergeant. As I mentioned, he was in the invasion of Normandy. And his wife, Ruth Garrett, who is still alive, worked in Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey for the war effort making weapons for our armed services. He was very proud when the World War II monument was opened, and he proudly sat with his uniform and his cap and his medals and made us very, very proud of his service. Even today, one of my employees, Richard Turner, is serving in Iraq.

But there have been African Americans who have served for so many years. It took Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt to fly with the Tuskegee Airmen for them to finally allow the Tuskegee Airmen to fly in combat because there was resistance to that. And as we know, the first person, as a matter of fact, to die in the Revolutionary War was Crispus Attucks back in 1770 on March 5 when he and four other patriots were taken down by the British to start the Revolutionary War in the Battle of Bunker Hill where we had Crispus, and where we had Salem Poor who fought at the battle of Bunker Hill. And we can go on and on.

A neighbor of mine, Needham Roberts and Sergeant Henry Johnson, captured 30 German soldiers in World War I and kept them captive for over a month. And people wondered how two soldiers could have kept so many enemy soldiers at bay. And so I am so proud to have this recognition and certainly pay tribute to Harry S. Truman. He was a person who had said ``the buck stops here.'' He was from Missouri. He said that he'll take the heat, and he did.

And so I would just like to once again commend so many of the men and women who continue even today to show their appreciation and strength for our Nation as they serve valiantly in the United States Armed Services.

Let me begin by thanking my fellow colleagues, Mr. Sherman included, who joined me in the cosponsorship of this commemorative resolution, which honors Justice Thurgood Marshall's legacy and his dedication to civil rights and public service.

Thurgood Marshall was born the grandson of a slave back in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 2, 1908. Marshall's mother, Norma Marshall, was one of the first black persons to graduate from Columbia Teacher's College in New York City. His father, William Canfield Marshall, worked as a railroad porter and as head steward at an exclusive white club. Mr. Marshall was the first black person to serve on a grand jury in Baltimore in the 20th century.

Thurgood Marshall grew up in Baltimore and graduated from an all- black high school at the age of 16. During his childhood, his parents taught him to argue by making him prove every statement he made and by challenging every point he made. At school, as it was mentioned earlier, when Thurgood Marshall got into trouble, the principal would make him sit in the basement and read the U.S. Constitution.

Students couldn't return to class until a section of the Constitution was memorized. Evidently Thurgood Marshall had an opportunity, because he memorized a great deal of the Constitution, but that moved him into the interest of being a lawyer rather than a dentist, which his mother wanted him to be.

After graduating from high school, Justice Marshall attended Lincoln University, a historically black university in Chester, Pennsylvania, a school that many outstanding blacks from the United States and abroad went to, including the first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah.

However, education was such a priority for the Marshall family that Mrs. Marshall sold her engagement ring in order to send Thurgood Marshall to school. After his graduation with honors at Lincoln University, Justice Marshall applied to the University of Maryland Law School. He was not accepted because he was black, and that set in motion the events of his future.

That same year, Marshall was accepted at Howard Law School, and he went on to graduate in the class of 1933. Upon graduating, Justice Marshall started his own practice in Baltimore. The next year he discovered the NAACP and became an active member.

As a matter of fact, Justice Marshall then sued the University of Maryland's law school, where he was not admitted, and won the case about discrimination. So he did get justice in the end.

From 1940 to 1961, Thurgood Marshall served as legal director of the NAACP, which allowed him to travel throughout the United States representing numerous court cases. Most of the clients had disputes involving questions of racial justice, which ranged from common crimes to appellate advocacy, raising the most intricate matters of constitutional law.

I had the privilege to follow his work very closely, because I was then president in the middle 1950s of the NAACP youth councils in college chapters and attended the NAACP convention in Detroit in 1957 when Dr. Martin Luther King received the Spingarn Award.

Of course, Thurgood Marshall was still a person that we all admired. As we heard, out of the 32 cases, he won 29 of them, earning more Supreme Court victories than any other individual before the Supreme Court and as chief counsel of the NAACP, the landmark Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson of 1897, saying that ``separate but equal'' was constitutional.

In 1961, John F. Kennedy appointed Thurgood Marshall to the United States Court of Appeals in the Second Circuit, despite heavy opposition from many southern Senators. Thurgood Marshall served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1961 to 1965. As we heard, he wrote 112 opinions, none of which was overturned on appeal.

In 1965, President Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall to the position of solicitor general, which he held from 1965 to 1967. Then in 1967, President Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall as the first African American Justice to serve on the Supreme Court.

During his 24 years of service in the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall promoted affirmative action and sought protection for the rights of all Americans.

In 1992, he was honored with the Liberty Medal recognizing his long history of protecting individual rights of women, children, prisoners, and homeless.

Justice Marshall once said, ``Sometimes history takes things into its own hands.'' His commitment to civil rights and public service resonate still today. I ask you to listen to the words of Justice Marshall and strongly support this resolution by recognizing his contributions to humanity, acknowledged July 2, 2008, the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Mr. Speaker, every month this year the Bush economy has lost more jobs than it has created. In June, 62,000 jobs were lost bringing the total number this year to 428,000 jobs lost. Yet President Bush and some Washington Republicans continue to contend that our economy is not in a recession. These job numbers were particularly devastating to the 3.8 million workers who have lost their jobs and continue to struggle to find new work. It's difficult to find a job when the economy is simply not producing them.

That's why the Democrats fought hard to pass legislation to extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks to more than 1.6 million Americans who have been hurt by President Bush's economic policies. This money will allow workers in my home State of New Jersey and throughout the Nation to pay their bills and put food on the table while they continue to look for a job.

Extending unemployment insurance is just another example of how Democrats are changing the way business is done in Washington. No longer are the needs of working families forgotten in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, with the Bush economy losing 325 jobs so far this year, it is important for the House to extend a financial lifeline to millions of unemployed workers, many in my home State of New Jersey and across the Nation, who are having trouble finding jobs. Today, 1.6 million Americans have exhausted all of their unemployment benefits. The numbers are expected to grow to more than 3 million Americans by the end of this year.

Last week, with strong support from both Democrats and Republicans, this House passed legislation giving workers and their families an extended 13 weeks of benefits so that they don't have to worry about losing their homes and their cars while they're looking for work.

For weeks, despite continued bad economic news and huge job losses in the airline and auto industries, the White House actually threatened to veto the legislation. Fortunately, they have reconsidered, and they are now supporting that the unemployment insurance will continue.

Mr. Speaker, let me join in with my colleagues in expressing support for the designation of September 2008 for Gospel Music Heritage Month. And let me commend the sponsor, Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee, for her initiative to make the gospel music national art form as we've seen with jazz in the past.

And let me thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for his support of this legislation.

Let me say that this resolution certainly recognizes gospel music's contribution in American culture by celebrating its rich heritage and artists for the entire month of September. It is very important that we recognize and celebrate the vital role gospel music has played in music history and also in contemporary times.

Gospel music has been woven into the fabric of American history spanning generations from rock and roll, country, to blues, R&B, and even hip hop. Gospel music roots can be many musical genres, and we love that today. Not only has gospel music entertained the masses, but its spiritual roots have spread the hope to many souls around the world.

As you know, the history of gospel can be traced back to the African American spirituals that blended diverse elements from traditional music, folk songs, and hymns and ultimately borrowed from other American musical styles including ragtime, jazz, and the blues.

The first Negro spirituals were inspired by the hardship of slavery yet enlightened by the hope and faith of God. They were used to send messages to express personal feelings and uplift broken spirits. They told a story of a generation, and each era's sense of belief, hence the word ``gospel.''

As traditional Negro spirituals continued to be sung, new spiritual songs were created. The lyrics of these songs were sung and they dealt with the praise of the Lord with personal improvement and with brotherly community life. Many of them were inspired by social problems, segregation, lack of love, and the list goes on and on.

Words from traditional spirituals were slightly changed and adapted to special events. For example, the words of ``Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho (and the walls came tumbling down)'' was changed into ``marching around Selma.''

Instruments would later be infused in the culture influencing some of the most memorable voices, and we heard them, in particular Mahalia Jackson and Roberta Martin, and many, many others. Later we heard Marvin Gaye and Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin.

But in our local town of Norton, we had people at New Hope Baptist Church where Sissy Houston is still the head of music there, and Sissy Houston came out of our New Hope Baptist Church and Dionne Warwick preceded them, all in the same choir at New Hope Baptist Church.

So therefore without doubt, gospel music deserves national recognition, and that is why I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 370, designating September as National Gospel Music Heritage Month.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to recognize and honor a great institution of higher learning, Rutgers University-Newark as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. A gala being held on June 19, 2008 at the Paul Robeson Campus Center in honor of this important milestone will feature a variety of distinguished alumni, supporters, faculty, staff and students. The theme of the centennial, ``A Century of Reaching Higher,'' celebrates the transformation of two law schools, a business college and two colleges of arts and science into one of the Nation's leading urban research universities.

Rutgers University-Newark has a rich and illustrious history. Founded in 1908 as a law school by New York attorney Richard Currier, the university has a rich tradition of diversity. The law school, the Seth Boyden School of Business and the Dana College merged in 1936 and became the University of Newark. In the 1940s, the University of Newark and Rutgers University joined together to form a geographically diverse public State university with programs in a broad variety of undergraduate and graduate disciplines. In the 1960s the university acquired a large parcel of land in what is now known as the University Heights District and construction began on the modern campus. Today, Rutgers University-Newark is a modern urban research university of 38 acres where 10,500 students pursue degrees in business, law, the arts and sciences, nursing, criminal justice, public administration, and global affairs. During its 100 years of existence, Rutgers University- Newark has been inclusive in its recruitment which has in turn created a mosaic of student diversity.

The gala will celebrate the university's legacy in the State's largest city, particularly in the areas of educational opportunity, urban engagement, diversity and research. Proceeds from the gala will support scholarship funds, including scholarships for students in the State's first undergraduate major in public service, to be offered by the Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration beginning in the fall of 2008.

Madam Speaker, I am sure my colleagues agree that Rutgers University- Newark deserves to be feted at the gala in honor of its 100th anniversary. I am proud to have this fine university in my Congressional district and wish everyone associated with Rutgers University-Newark continued success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the American people are rightfully concerned about the high cost of gas, and they are looking for solutions that will provide some immediate relief. We don't need more of the stale rhetoric of the past 7 years that we have heard from the Bush administration and their so-called energy policy.

President Bush and congressional Republicans continue to argue that opening one of America's treasures, the Arctic refuge, to oil drilling will lower gas prices. That's simply not true.

Ask the experts. That is the conclusion of the Bush administration's own Energy Information Administration, which estimates that opening the Arctic refuge to drilling today will save only a few pennies a gallon 20 years from now. Sadly, this is the Republican solution to addressing the high prices that they created.

The American people are looking for action. That's exactly what this Democratic House has been doing over the past couple of months. Unfortunately, we need help from our friends across the aisle because President Bush remains committed to failed policies.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1230) condemning postelection violence in Zimbabwe and calling for a peaceful resolution to the current political crisis, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, let me begin by expressing my appreciation to the unanimous support of the Congressional Black Caucus, all 21 other Members, who have joined as original cosponsors to this resolution condemning post-election violence in Zimbabwe and calling for a peaceful resolution to the current political crisis.

Madam Speaker, assertive U.S. diplomatic engagement has contributed to conflict resolution in many African countries, especially over the past decade. Zimbabwe is one of the few exceptions, unfortunately. While many African countries moved to embrace democracy and rule of law, the dictatorship in Zimbabwe has taken the once promising country to a state of anarchy and haplessness.

President Robert Mugabe has been in power in the country since it got its independence in 1980, along with Joshua Nkomo, one of the great freedom fighters. The two joined in building Zimbabwe in its early days. Great strides were made, especially in education, and Zimbabwe became a leader in that area throughout Africa.

The country began to progress during those early days; however, when multiparty elections were introduced, the Mugabe regime began to lose its prominence. The Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, became an alternative to ZANU-PF.

In reaction to the winds of democracy, the Mugabe regime cracked down on the opposition party and thwarted democracy. The people of Zimbabwe have suffered since that time under the brutal dictatorship of the Mugabe regime.

The recent elections in Zimbabwe in March were a clear signal by the people of Zimbabwe that they wanted real change. Yet, Mr. Mugabe once again is in the process of crushing the democratic aspiration of the people of that country.

Instead of stepping aside, his regime has been engaged in a brutal crackdown against opposition elements. Dozens of people have been killed, and leaders of the opposition have been imprisoned.

The international community has done very little to help bring about change in Zimbabwe. We should not allow one dictator to ruin the way of life for millions of innocent civilians. Enough is enough.

The 1990s saw the spread of democracy across the continent of Africa, once dominated by military dictators and authoritarian leaders. The ghastly civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia have finally come to an end. Cote d'Ivoire now is moving in the right direction.

The DRC crisis, which erupted in 1998 and threatened to disintegrate the entire subcontinent, actually ended after a long and dedicated effort by African leaders that came up with a solution to that war of many countries in the DRC. In 2006, the Democratic Republic of Congo held its first democratic elections in years. Yet Zimbabwe still suffers from a brutal dictatorship.

The African Union, despite limited resources and capacity to deploy peacekeepers to a number of countries, have done so in several instances without delay. The African Union deployed an African mission to Burundi back in May of 2003 after an agreement was signed in order to support a cease-fire accord and to ensure implementation of the agreement. Troops have been deployed to Sudan in the north-south dispute and even to the Darfur region. Actually, in Somalia, Ugandan peacekeepers are there under the auspices of the A.U., even though there is a controversial intrusion of Ethiopian troops. Yet the A.U. has not been as vocal as many believe it should have been in the support of the suffering people of Zimbabwe. African leaders must speak out.

Prime Minister Odinga of Kenya, a long-time democracy advocate, said it right. He recently stated, ``It is sad that many African heads of state have remained quiet when disaster is looming in Zimbabwe.'' We must act now to end the suffering. We must do what we can to protect and support the people of Zimbabwe.

My resolution, H. Res. 1230, calls for an immediate end to the violence, harassment and destruction that is ongoing in Zimbabwe at the expense of a once vibrant population.

It calls on the government of Zimbabwe to create an environment conducive to a peaceful transition.

It encourages the political parties to commit to forming a government that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people and promotes national unity, the restoration of the rule of law, and genuine democracy.

It advocates a mechanism such as a Truth and Reconciliation Commission through which to ensure accountability of all groups and individuals who are found to have orchestrated or committed a human rights violation in the context of the election.

It urges the United Nations, A.U. and SADC to dispatch special envoys to Zimbabwe without delay, with a mandate to monitor the run-off elections and to come up with a peaceful resolution to the problem.

It urges the international community, under the leadership of the U.N., A.U., SADC and the SADC Parliamentary Forum to deploy teams of credible persons to serve as monitors to ensure that the outcome of the presidential run-off elections reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people.

We conclude by commending the people of Zimbabwe for their continued courage in the face of systematic prosecution and intimidation and abuse, and commit to providing continued humanitarian assistance until the economic crisis is resolved.

It commends the actions being taken by activists, civil society, churches, people who are in support of human rights and the rule of law in Zimbabwe, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe.

I urge my colleagues to support the resolution and support this peaceful reconciliation, national healing, and let's restore democracy to Zimbabwe and lead this country back to the greatness that it once had.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve my time.

Madam Speaker, let me express my appreciation to the ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, Mr. Smith from New Jersey, for all the good work that he continues to do in the human rights area, and to the former Chair of the Africa subcommittee, Mr. Royce, who continues to maintain a very strong interest in the continent.

We owe it to the people of Zimbabwe. The inflation rate is over 165,000 percent, worst in the world, almost impossible to calculate. Several weeks ago, Mr. Mugabe expelled the remaining international humanitarian aid groups from his country, therefore making it even worse for his people. And so we must see a change.

With that, Madam Speaker, I urge passage of H. Res. 1230 and urge my colleagues to support it.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1270) commending the efforts of those who sought to block an international arms transfer destined for Zimbabwe, where the government has unleashed a campaign of violence and intimidation against members of the political opposition, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, let me begin by thanking the ranking member of the full committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for introducing this very important resolution.

Since the March 29, 2008 presidential and parliamentarian elections in Zimbabwe and the 5-week delay in announcing the presidential victory, President Robert Mugabe of ZANU-PF has carried out a reign of terror on opposition supporters, opposition leaders, and civil society. Mr. Mugabe's effort to coerce and intimidate the people of Zimbabwe before the June 27 runoff have included the torture and beating of over 900 people and the loss of dozens of lives.

I strongly support H. Res. 1270, commending the efforts of the southern African governments who sought to block an international arms transfer destined for Zimbabwe.

The resolution specifically, one, recognizes and commends the efforts of southern African trade unions, religious leaders and advocacy groups to raise awareness about the possibility of weapons transfers to Zimbabwe as part of the campaign to address the worsening political, economic and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe; recognizes and commends the effort of those southern African governments which denied access through their national territories for a weapons shipment destined to be received by a regime that continues to perpetuate gross human rights violations against its own citizens; urges the United States to continue to work with African governments and multilateral institutions to compel Mr. Robert Mugabe's regime to respect the will of its citizens and find a peaceful and timely solution to the current political standoff; and urges the Permanent Representative to the United States at the United Nations to advocate for an international moratorium on all shipments of arms, weapons, and related goods and services to Zimbabwe until the current political crisis has been resolved and democracy, human rights and the rule of law are respected by the Government of Zimbabwe.

The successful transportation of arms into Zimbabwe may have increased the political violence that already exists. It is critically important that the international community work together with regional leaders at the Africa Union and sub-regional organizations to foster a peaceful resolution towards the human rights violations facing the Zimbabwean people.

Madam Speaker, with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Let me conclude by once again thanking the sponsor of this very important resolution. I think it's been said very clearly that when people stand up, we can defeat tyranny.

I compliment the dock workers who refused to unload the ship. As has been mentioned, the solidarity movement in Poland led to democracy there. And actually, back in the sixties, there was an incident during the height of the Cold War where the dock workers of Newark refused to unload a ship of furs from the Soviet Union.

At that time, Krushchev said they were going to bury the U.S., and the ILA and the dock workers refused to unload that ship, once again showing solidarity. As a person who worked on the docks of Newark for 4 years during my early career, I certainly appreciate the strength of the dock workers and the labor unions and ILA from around the world.

I think we have to work on proliferation of conventional weapons that we see throughout the world. I think we have to really monitor and rein in the People's Republic of China that continues to support the brutal regime in Sudan with the atrocities in Darfur. We have to say that if we are going to be a country living in the community of world nations, then there is a responsibility to act responsibly in this new millennium.

And so with that, I urge the passage of House Resolution 1270.

I yield back the balance of my time.