Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1175) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to increase the ceiling on the Federal share of the costs of phase I of the Orange County, California, Regional Water Reclamation Project.

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

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend my friend and our colleague from California, Representative Loretta Sanchez, for her dedicated and hard work on this legislation over several Congresses.

The purpose of H.R. 1175, as introduced by Ms. Sanchez, is to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to increase the Federal cost share of phase one of the Orange County, California Regional Water Reclamation Project.

The project authorized by H.R. 1175 will supplement existing water supplies by providing a new, reliable, high quality source of water to recharge the Orange County Groundwater Basin and protect it from further degradation due to seawater intrusion.

I thank Ms. Sanchez for her efforts on this legislation and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1175.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 361) to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that Act, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first commend our colleague from Texas, and my classmate, Representative Hinojosa, for his dedication to and hard work on this legislation.

The purpose of H.R. 361 is to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and related activities.

H.R. 361, when enacted, would authorize limited Federal assistance for 19 projects aimed at conserving water or improving water supply. This would include the replacement of irrigation canals and lateral canals, the lining of channels and the installation of water level, flow measurement, pump control, and remote control systems.

This legislation would help to accomplish a more sustainable water supply by enhancing existing water distribution systems and monitoring water resources.

I thank Mr. Hinojosa for his efforts on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask unanimous consent to have his remarks inserted into the Record, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 361.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, last week Democrats and Republicans came together in a strong bipartisan fashion to approve a defense authorization that prioritizes the immediate needs of our military personnel.

While the President believed that a 3 percent pay raise was suitable for our troops in combat, Democrats and Republicans in this House said our military personnel deserved more, and approved a bill that gives them a 3.5 percent raise. The President's response, a threatened veto.

How exactly is the President supporting our troops when he threatens to veto a bill that he says gives our troops too large a pay raise? Has the President forgotten how much he's asked them to sacrifice over the last 4 years? Troops were initially told that their stays in Iraq would last a year, only to be informed at the end of that year that those stays were being extended by several months as a result of the President's troop escalation plan.

Mr. Speaker, if President Bush really wants to support our troops, he would reconsider his veto threat and help us give our troops a much deserved pay raise.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1684, the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2008. I would like to commend Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King for their diligent leadership in bringing this bill to the floor today. I would also like to acknowledge the work of my colleagues on the committee and commend our leadership for the improved dialogue with Secretary Chertoff and other DHS officials.

The Department of Homeland Security's primary mission is to help prevent, protect against and respond to acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. On March 1, 2003, it united 22 agencies with more than 87,000 different governmental jurisdictions at the Federal, State and local levels having homeland security responsibilities. The agency has been in existence for 4 years and, although it has responded to an unprecedented number of terrorist threats and national emergencies, there remain many managerial, technical, and policy issues that prevent the agency from optimally functioning--and the whole world has witnessed some of these deficiencies.

H.R. 1684 addresses the department's current shortfalls by, among other things, providing for policy, management and integration improvements, oversight improvements, much needed integrity and enhanced accountability in the contracting process, workforce and training improvements, and grants and training to improve emergency response among other provisions. As a physician and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I am especially supportive of the provisions that will authorize the Chief Medical Office to serve as the Department's lead authority on matters relating to all aspects of health and creating an Office of Health Affairs to be headed by the CMO. This would give the CMO more autonomy in having oversight and regulating the agency's role in Bioshield--a program that itself has not functioned as envisioned or needed.

I am also very glad to see the increased funding in Customs and Border Protection. Our Nation's borders, including those in my district--the U.S. Virgin Islands, are major points of illegal entry to the United States and renders it vulnerable to terrorist attack. I am pleased to say that U.S. Border Patrol's Ramey Sector has begun detailing Border Patrol Agents to St. Thomas and also plan on detailing Agents to St. Croix. But our goal is to have a border patrol unit and we will work to see that this provision enables us to do that.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1684 is the product of numerous hours of oversight hearings to address the many issues that plague DHS. Not only does the bill address management issues but it will restore funding for vital first responder programs and provide resources for a number of critical homeland security activities. Today, we have the opportunity to show our Nation that its security is our priority. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, today's headline in Guam reads, ``Island in state of mourning.'' This is because Guam has lost its 10th son to the war in Iraq. The headline could read the same after yesterday's call for a recorded vote by the Republican leadership on H.R. 1595, the Guam World War II Loyalty Act, a bipartisan bill giving parity to Guam after 63 years of inequity and injustice.

The question we must ask ourselves before this vote today is, will we ignore history? Will we be deaf to the testimonials of Guam's liberators, our U.S. servicemen, who spoke about Guam's patriotism in the face of enemy occupation? Will we vote against inequity for people who aided our military to take Guam back from the enemy, who greeted our military with tattered rags made into American flags?

A vote against H.R. 1595 is one against patriotic Americans. I urge my colleagues to support the Guam World War II Loyalty Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1595, the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act and urge my colleagues to support its passage. I want to begin by commending my colleague and friend from Guam, the Honorable Madeleine Bordallo, for her steadfast and dedicated efforts towards enactment of this bill. Congresswoman Bordallo has been singularly focused--since arriving in the House--on the enactment of legislation to provide compensation for those of her constituents who suffered unspeakable acts of horror during World War

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1592, the Local law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and to oppose attempts to weaken the bill by removing certain groups from its protection.

Mr. Speaker, no one knows better than a member of the African- American community in this country that hate crimes exist and have been an ugly part of this country's history. And we also know that in the face of all of the apologies offered and passed for slavery and lynching, if we cannot pass this bill today they are but empty words on a piece of worthless paper.

It is time for us to demand through this vote that this country draw the line with a zero-tolerance policy for crimes based on any characteristic of the victim.

This critically needed legislation will provide local police and sheriff's departments with vital Federal resources to address hate crimes; which are crimes against either persons or property where the offender intentionally selects the victim because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

I fail to understand why anyone, including members of the clergy would oppose this legislation. This form of hate for one human-being to another should be repugnant to all of us and not be tolerated.

While current Federal law covers hate crimes it is very narrow in scope and does not reach many cases where individuals motivated by hate kill or injure others. H.R. 1592, would strengthen the Federal response to hate crimes by giving the U.S. Justice Department power to investigate and prosecute violence motivated by the victims race color, religion national origin gender or sexual orientation, gender identity of disability.

Sadly, the need for H.R., 1592 is underscored because this problem of violence based on hate for a person of another race, ethnicity, gender or persuasion is getting worse not better. Since 1991, the FBI has received reports of more than 113,000 hate crimes. For the year 2005 (for which the most current data are available), the FBI received reports from law enforcement agencies identifying 7,163 bias-motivated criminal incidents.

It is time that this Congress send a message to the American people that we will not tolerate hate crimes, that they must strengthen the Federal response and prosecution of those who perpetrate them, that we uphold the principles of equality and justice for all upon which this country was founded and that we intend to practice what many of us preach; which is brotherly love.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1592.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have a vote in the full House, but if I did, I would have voted for the supplemental and for the override of the President's veto. So I am proud that a bipartisan majority voted on my behalf and on behalf of the American public, who do not support the war in Iraq, do not support the surge, and want to see a clear effort to extricate this country from an internal civil war and to bring our troops home.

It is clear to me that, despite the glossed over reports, the surge has done nothing but to cause one of the highest casualty rates in the month that just ended. Although there is no good option, the problems will continue for some time whether we go or leave. It is clear that the Iraqis want us out. It is clear that we lose or disable our own soldiers every day, and that innocent Iraqis are also injured every day that we stay. So the only moral choice is the one embodied in the supplemental and the two votes that have been taken.

I reject the way this supplemental has been characterized. If you listen to the news media, you would think that the nonIraq war items in the supplemental were nothing but pork, used to induce Members to vote on this bill. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In addition to giving the President what he asked for, we have made sure that a number of emergency domestic issues are also addressed. That is what supplementals are for. But let's start with the war, because in addition to fully funding the needs of troops, this bill contains $450 million for a very important and very much needed post- traumatic stress disorder counseling for our men and women when they come home to help them transition and to help them resume normal lives after being immersed in the caldron of war. We owe it to our soldiers and their families, having borne the bankrupt of this war, to have the help they need when they return.

Traumatic brain injury has been called the signature wound of this war, especially if so many of our soldiers suffer from it after exposure to bomb blast and IEDs. This supplemental includes $450 million for research into the best treatment and care for those who have to be hospitalized and rehabilitated because of these injuries.

We were all horrified when the problems at the Walter Reed Medical Center and other veterans facilities across the country were exposed; $20 million is included in the supplemental to address this time- honored facility that is the forefront of care for our war-wounded veterans. There is another $100 million to ensure that our military, National Guard and Reserve members get timely health care, including mental health care. Once again, we owe it to them to respond with the best possible care that we can give.

This bill also addresses the shamefully long lingering needs from one of the biggest and most tragic domestic crises of our time, when Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf in 2005, much was promised to those who were left homeless and uprooted in its wake. But, unfortunately, until this bill, not enough has been done. Included in the supplemental is $1.3 billion for levee protection and coastal system restoration to make them structurally and environmentally safer so that New Orleaneans and other gulf residents can resume their lives.

After Katrina schools were devastated. Teachers left. In order for people to move back home, they need to be assured that there will be renewed and revitalized schools for their children's education. The supplemental provides $30 million for K-12 education to bring those schools back and for recruitment to bring back teachers and other educational professionals back to the city. Some of our universities, like Southern and Dillard, were also damaged by the

storm of the century. There is $30 million requested in that supplemental to assist them.

The health, housing, small business and community development needs of the gulf are also finally heard and responded to this in measure, with a provision for community disaster loan forgiveness to assist local governments in meeting the needs of their displaced and devastated people.

There is also $4.3 billion of FEMA disaster recovery grants and a social services block grant extension; $25 million for small business disaster loans, and $80 billion for HUD tenant-based rental assistance.

In the area of health care, two great needs are addressed in this bill with $1 billion to purchase vaccines, emergency vaccines, that would be needed to protect this country in the case of a global flu pandemic; and another $750 million to make sure that the children's health insurance programs, which cover millions of children in 14 States and some of the territories, will continue uninterrupted.

These are just some of the important areas funded in this bill, and it's why it must go forward. If we don't do it in this supplemental, a measure that is reserved for critical issues like these, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to get them done at all.

The American people are looking at us and wondering if their priorities are our priorities. This legislation demonstrates that we not only know what the priorities are, but that we are ready to stand with them and act on the issues they have told us are important to them.

Madam Speaker, today I am once again introducing legislation that I sponsored in the previous two Congresses to provide for a Chief Financial Officer for the Virgin Islands. Having witnessed the example and record of what having such a position has meant to the financial management and fiscal health of the District of Columbia, I continue to believe that my district, the U.S. Virgin Islands, would also benefit from having a CFO.

When I first introduced the idea of a CFO for the Virgin Islands in 2005, I did so in response to the uncertainties and distrust of government voiced by my constituents and as a measure to prevent the territory, which was experiencing a serious financial crisis, from falling into the abyss of fiscal insolvency.

I believed then, as I do now, that having someone in our government free of political pressures and with the statutory responsibility and authority to certify revenue projections and prevent deficit spending could assist our government to establish sound financial practices which would put the Islands on the path to improved financial management going forward. Because of our long history of poor financial management and practices, an office such as this would also help to immediately restore the confidence of the Federal Government and others in our ability to be fiscally transparent and accountable.

There are those, Madam Speaker, who will ask why I am doing this at this time, particularly because the islands just inaugurated a new governor whose background is in financial management and who has been a good friend and political ally.

They will suggest that my introduction of this bill signals a lack of confidence in the governor to effectively steer the Virgin Islands' fiscal ship into calm financial waters. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have every confidence in Governor John de Jongh and his administration and believe that they will do a first rate job of managing the territory's finances. He has already begun to do so, but I also believe that every good manager, no matter how talented or committed he or she might be, can always do a better job if they had better tools with which to work.

When I first introduced this bill the territory's long-term debt totaled $1 billion. Recently the Governor in an address before the League of Women Voters stated that ``the government's financial structure is ``a house of cards'' that has left the territory about $3 billion in debt.''

As has frequently been the case, the legislature questioned the governor's numbers. A CFO would take the uncertainty out of the equation and allow a legislature and governor to work better together because they would both get their numbers from the same independent source. Further, the departments of government, semi-autonomous agencies and labor unions would be better able to plan, and the people of the Virgin Islands in general would have reliable information on how the

millions of federal dollars coming to the Virgin Islands are being spent.

This bill was first introduced under the administration of Governor Turnbull and it is revised with respect to the financial management system because, to his credit, its implementation began under his tenure.

In recognition of and deference to the upcoming constitution to be drafted, approved by the Congress and then ratified by the people of the Virgin Islands, the prior bill is further amended in that the term of the Chief Financial Officer will expire at the implementation of the Constitution or in five years, whichever comes sooner.

Proposing this bill as a tool to help my islands better manage its finances has not been an easy journey for me. It has however, become very clear that the people of the Virgin Islands are behind me in this effort because they have long recognized the need for more accountability, transparency, and efficiency in the management of federal and local funds. The implementation of an independent CFO, while not the only way to achieve this, is the only viable proposal that has come forward over the last 10 years or more of increasing deficits and narrowly averted fiscal crises, crises which have only been delayed through repeated borrowing.

Such borrowing and debt creation is what has led to the $3 billion debt reported by Governor Dejongh last month--a practice he has already stated he will not continue. This office is offered as a way to assist our governor in his stated goal of paying our obligations and bringing the territory's finances into balance, to give apolitical, reliable and trusted information on the financial state of our government, as well as a way to bridge any divisions between the administration and the legislature in the interests of expediting a positive and sustainable agenda for the people of the Virgin Islands.

I thank the Speaker for her support of this important legislation in prior Congresses and ask for her continued support to bring this legislation to passage once again.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start Act of 2007.

Mr. Chairman, for the last two Congresses we have successfully fought back the attempts by the then Republican leadership to cut funding, and to drastically change Head Start in ways that would prevent them from providing the services that our communities have come to depend on them for.

Every week I meet with outstanding high school and college students who began their educational journey in Head Start. This bill provides additional funding so that more children would have the opportunities provided by this important program.

H.R. 1429 also provides greater monitoring and accountability and increases funds for salaries and professional development.

As amended it also provides loan forgiveness for Head Start teachers as a means to attract and retain some of the best teachers for this very vulnerable group of children.

One thing this bill does not do is allow centers run by religious organizations to discriminate in their hiring.

Mr. Chairman, this bill, together with H.R. 1867 is an important step forward in realizing the ``competitiveness agenda'' that you have laid out for us in the 110th Congress.

I urge the passage of both bills.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1332, the Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007.

As we celebrate Small Business Week, it is only appropriate that we recognize the enormous contribution of small businesses to our economy by passing legislation that would facilitate access to capital. Without ready access to capital, small businesses are often forced to turn to more costly lending alternatives, including credit cards, which carry high interest rates and fees. Without access to financing, companies are unable to target new markets, grow, or hire new workers.

Currently, the SBA's 7(a) and 504 programs are the only federal lending programs available to small businesses and there are no federal grants for starting and/or financing small businesses. The SBA 7(a) and 504 programs were created to help small businesses gain access to affordable financing. However, these programs are in dire need to be modernized and strengthened if they are to continue to meet their important goals.

H.R. 1332 would make these necessary changes by updating and streamlining the 7(a) loan programs by reducing fees, make the Community Express Program permanent and reduce the paperwork generated by these loans. As a physician and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I am pleased that this bill also includes a provision to adapt the 7(a) program to improve access to the program for medical professionals in health professional shortage areas. Physicians are viewed first and foremost as health care providers but they are also small businesses and in today's economic environment many are struggling to stay afloat.

Mr. Chairman, I join the many organizations that support the passage this bill and urge my colleagues to support the bill as well. I would like to commend Chairwoman Velazquez for her continued leadership and congratulate her and Ranking Member Chabot for bringing this bill to the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, I came to the floor to speak on another issue, but let me say a few words about health disparities before I do.

Health disparities is one of the remaining issues and causes of our civil rights struggle. And because our country does not recognize health care as a right, African Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan natives, and other people of color, poor and rural people, do not receive the same kind of health care, prevention, or health maintenance. And because of that, you will find that in this country more than half of the uninsured are people of color.

We have two times more diabetes than the white population, and all people of color suffer from more complications.

African Americans have higher rates of death from heart disease and several cancers, prostate, colon, lung, and breast. We are over 50 percent of all new HIV cases and over 50 percent of new AIDS cases. African American and Latino women are 70 to 80 percent of all AIDS cases among women. Hypertension we find is becoming a worldwide epidemic, and African American women are the most impacted by hypertension; however, more African American men die from hypertension.

Our infant mortality is twice as much as our white counterparts, and the New York Times yesterday reported that it is growing in the southeast region of our country. So we really have an obligation in this Congress to address the health care disparities and the health disparities and the lack of coverage in this country to ensure that health care is provided equally to every American.

And so, Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to a woman who was a champion of health for minorities and other people of color. The extremely sad news of Congresswoman Millender-McDonald's death came as a shock to all of us, and it is with a deep sense of loss that I join my colleagues who were here earlier in mourning her passing. Not only have I lost a colleague, but also a mentor, a sister, and a friend.

I am honored to work alongside Congresswoman Millender-McDonald as members of the Congressional Black Caucus together, and the Small Business Community. Juanita was a true champion for minority and women- owned small businesses, and played a pivotal role in proposing and passing legislation to expand financing and contracting opportunities for our Nation's small businesses. Her dedication to helping women- owned businesses was evident in her dedication to increasing funding to expand women's business centers throughout our Nation.

Her commitment to improving the lives of minorities is reflected in her lifelong work in affiliations with organizations such as the NAACP, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and a number of other organizations devoted to the advancement of minorities. She will also be remembered for her outstanding stewardship in the areas of transportation, education, health, and FEMA legislation.

We are grateful for the leadership and the innovation that she brought to the Committee on House Administration, which led to her historic achievement as the first African American woman to chair a committee in Congress.

I know that the House staff and all of the Members appreciate her role in establishing the House Fitness Center and creating an outlet for mental and physical activity. She has truly left a legacy for all of us through her distinguished service on this important committee.

Juanita will also be remembered for her passion for education, which was evident in her many eloquent speeches on the floor. She was truly a gifted and skilled orator. Juanita had the distinct ability to captivate and engage her audiences. Although she possessed strong and determined qualities, she personified grace, compassion, and beauty both inside and out.

On a more personal note, it was through Juanita, a minister's daughter, that I began attending Thursday morning prayer breakfast when I first

came to Congress. Her godliness was seen in all that she did.

Juanita championed the cause of AIDS long before it was fashionable to do so. Every year she held a race in her district. And while I could never get away to attend, she always had all of our support, and we never missed a t-shirt or any of the other paraphernalia that she gave out each year.

Juanita always spoke of her district with great affection and dedication. She frequently remarked that she had the most diverse district in the country, that she was able to bring them together. And to be reelected over and over is a testament to her leadership and her abiding belief that we are all children of God, equal in His sight and made in His image. Her mission was one of justice, fairness, and opportunity for all.

One cannot speak of Juanita Millender-McDonald without remarking on her exquisite taste and her unequaled sense of style. She was always dressed to the nines and was always the epitome of elegance and grace.

Mr. Speaker, although her passing leaves a void in the halls of Congress, her spirit and legacy will forever be with us. Words are not enough to express our profound sorrow. On behalf of my family, staff, and the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, my deepest sympathy goes out to her husband, James McDonald, their children, grandchildren, extended family, and dedicated staff. May God bless and comfort them at this time in grief as we know He is welcoming our sister home.

Mr. Speaker, I once again rise in strong support of H.R. 1905, legislation which will enable the residents of the District of Columbia to secure full voting rights in the House of Representatives. I applaud my friend and colleague, the gentle lady from the District for her strong and persistent advocacy and leadership on this issue which is so important to her constituents.

Mr. Speaker, we Democrats have long been committed to providing full voting rights to the residents of the District, and I am proud to stand here as a Democrat speaking out for this right as well. But, I would also like to acknowledge that on this issue there has been strong support across the aisle.

Our colleague, former Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, worked with Congresswoman Norton to develop bipartisan agreement on legislation to give one voting representative to the mainly Democratic District of Columbia, and another to the largely Republican State of Utah. This effort led to the introduction of the District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act, last year and the reintroduction of this bill in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, as a Delegate in the House also without a vote, I must acknowledge the fact that my constituents, and indeed the constituents of our colleagues from Guam, American Samoa and Puerto Rico, also would want their representative to have a full vote in the House as well. We recognize and acknowledge, as do the constitutional scholars who testified in support of the DC Voting Rights Act, that the Framers of the Constitution never intended to deny voting representation to citizens of the Nation's Capital. Similar, we also know that just as it is wrong to disenfranchise the residents of the District it is equally wrong to disenfranchise my constituents and the residents of the other territories.

However, our time for this has not yet come. But the time for the citizens of the District of Columbia has come and is very long overdue. The residents of the District have labored under this undemocratic status and have been silenced for more than 200 years. That is 200 years of justice delayed and justice denied.

Presidents as far back as Andrew Jackson have advocated for full representation in Congress for the District, and much later, President Richard Nixon in a special message to the Congress on the District of Columbia in 1969 said, ``It should offend the democratic sense of the Nation that the 850,000 residents of its capital, comprising a population larger than 11 of its States, have no voice in Congress.'' As such, the District expends billions of dollars annually to support not only its own residents but the hundreds of thousands of daily commuters who work in District of Columbia but live in the bordering states. The District of Columbia's resources and infrastructure are burdened on a daily basis with no financial assistance from the bordering states that benefit from these services. For all intent and purposes, the District of Columbia is treated as a state.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the day when all citizens under the American flag will enjoy the democratic right of full representation in their national assembly as well as vote for our President and Commander-in-Chief. Until that day, I look forward to soon witnessing the day when residents of the District of Columbia, residents of the capital of our Nation, finally receive fair and equal voting rights in the House, the day that they will finally have justice.

I urge my colleagues to support the District of Columbia Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2007 and end taxation without representation for our fellow citizens in the District of Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in shock and dismay over the events that unfolded on the campus of Virginia Technical Institute on Monday this week.

My community is fortunate that none of our students there were injured or killed, but our grief remains at the loss of the 31 students and teachers who were killed, and the obviously disturbed young man who orchestrated this horrible tragedy.

When we send our children off to College, we do so with anxiety just because they are leaving the ``nest''. They are growing up and the relationship between us is changing. Never in our wildest imagination or fears do we think that we are sending them into harms way. All of that changed on Monday!

And so I sadly join my colleagues in support of H. Res. 306 to offer the heartfelt condolences on behalf of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the victims, their families, their fellow students and faculty.

In doing so I take this opportunity to also remember the losses suffered at Kent state, I have a dear friend, Corinne Forbes Plaskett who was a student there at the time. She has never forgotten the horror of that experience and I am sure the events of Monday have reawakened memories for her and others who were there at that time in Ohio.

May God bless all who were affected by both events, and may He bless us all!

Madam Chairman, unlike the Ryan budget, which cuts just about every important health program and would hurt working families, we have a good budget in the Democratic base budget. But because it does not restore funding drained from this country's needs to provide tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, it can't go far enough to meet the needs of the poor, rural families, African Americans and other people of color which have been neglected for far too long.

After the war and tax cuts have created huge deficits and unprecedented debt, after corporations and the rich have gotten theirs, the neediest in this country are being told to wait. We are not willing to wait any more for a decent education for our children, for quality health care, for adequate housing, for communities with clean air and housing, or for jobs.

That is why the CBC budget is so important. With the additional funding, it creates the environment for healthier families, for healthier communities and for a healthier nation. We invest significantly more in health care for children and pregnant women, for mental care and substance abuse, for the training of minority and other professionals, to end the AIDS epidemic in our own country and abroad and for research and community health centers. We help our sickest communities to help themselves with health empowerment zones and provide a health equity fund that would close the deficits that would allow over 100,000 people of color to die, who should not, every year in this, the richest country in the world. It still balances the budget by 2012 and creates a $141 billion surplus.

Vote for a stronger, a better America. Vote for the CBC budget.