Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, due to illness, I regrettably missed votes on May 29, 2014 and May 30, 2014. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall 269 and ``aye'' on rollcall 271.

Mr. Speaker, before you is a picture, a contemporary picture of the World War I monument in Kansas City, Missouri, the tallest and most majestic of the World War I monuments. Today, we are here in an unprecedented show of bipartisanship on this amendment, the World War I Memorial Act. This is the product of both sides of the aisle working together to do what is right to honor the memory of veterans who served long ago.

I especially want to thank Congressman Ted Poe, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, the National Park Service, and the entire Missouri delegation for their work on this amendment.

As you know, this summer marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I. The United States formally joined the war in April of 1917. During that time, more than 4.7 million Americans served, and of those brave men and women, more than 116,000 soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice. It is our job as Members of Congress to honor their memory and show our appreciation to the veterans of that Great War.

This amendment would honor that service by redesignating Pershing Park here in Washington, D.C., as the National World War I Memorial and will designate the Liberty Memorial as America's National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, due to an oversight, I missed the vote on Conference Report on H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act on May 20th, 2014. I had intended to vote ``aye'' on rollcall vote 220, Agreeing to the Conference Report on H.R. 3080.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Dr. Jane Chu, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, located in Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which I am proud to represent. The promotion of creativity through artistic endeavor that leads to innovation and exposure to the arts has been Jane Chu's personal and professional persona. In Kansas City, this self-proclaimed workaholic has earned the reputation for stimulating change through a multitude of artistic disciplines, philanthropy and professional management skills. She helped to reinvigorate our historic Union Station as the Vice President of External Relations. Additionally, she served as Vice President of Community Investment for the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and as Trustee for William Jewell College.

Her professional imprint and legacy on Kansas City can best be found through her work since 2006 as President and CEO of the prestigious Kauffman Center. The $413 million center was designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie. The magnificent structure houses two state of the art theaters, the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Theatre and Helzberg Hall. Since its grand opening in September 2011, more than 1 million people have attended events at the Kauffman Center. The center has elevated Kansas City's stature due in large part to Dr. Chu's ability to work internationally, nationally and locally to bring programing and funding to our community.

With programing for every genre of music, opera, theater and dance, the Kauffman Center is truly a place for artistic discovery. Audiences soon become absorbed in performances that can impact the spirit, elevate the imagination, entertain and stimulate thought. She has engaged the community and stressed the educational rewards that stem from exposure to art. And it is all happening in the heartland, in Kansas City.

Dr. Chu was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, but was raised in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Learning both English and Mandarin at home, she used music as an outlet and means to cultural assimilation. No doubt reflective of growing up in academia, her father, Dr. Finley Chu, Chairman of Ouachita Baptist University Economics and Business Departments, encouraged her to always keep learning. Her mother, Rosemary ``Mom'' Chu, demonstrated amazing strength through her own perilous journey as a teenager to escape communist China. Serving as an inspiration, Rosemary has the honor of having the Mom Chu House in Gosser Hall at Ouachita bear her name.

In 1979, Dr. Chu received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Bachelor in Music Education from Ouachita Baptist University. She would augment her education with Masters Degrees in Music and Piano Pedagogy from Southern Methodist University, a MBA from Rockhurst University and a Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University. In addition, she can proudly boast of an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in expressing our appreciation to Dr. Jane Chu for her continued contributions to our country's artistic culture. As she continues her work to bring communities together through music and art, she inspires the next generation of artists. Dr. Chu has enriched the lives of many in Kansas City and around our

country, making her truly deserving of our recognition and gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Don Reimal, Mayor of Independence, Missouri. Mayor Reimal will be retiring from office leaving a rich legacy of quiet determination that slowly and methodically lifted his

city from stagnation to restoration. He has the ability to solicit assistance from his constituents while working in tandem with his fellow mayors, county executive, state and federal officials, bringing an era of cooperation to Eastern Jackson County. His style of leadership is embedded in civility, compassion and understanding, rare characteristics in today's political climate. His departure will leave his city in a far better place after his twenty years of public service, twelve years on the City Council and eight years as Mayor.

As Mayor Reimal fondly gave his final state of the City address at the Independence Chamber luncheon, he shared how he witnessed the evolution of his city with personal memories as he and his city grew, evolved and matured. In 1948, during Don's formative years, he grew up in an Independence that encompassed only 3.3 square miles; but by 1975, he had witnessed the city's expansion to 78 square miles. During those years, Don met and fell in love with his wife, Jo, and together they committed themselves to each other, their family and their city. Don, more serious in nature, and Jo, with her outgoing bubbly personality, would serve as the first family of Independence with a deep appreciation for the city's rich heritage and a profound sense of responsibility.

As Independence evolved, there came a slow shift to the city's center of commerce and activity causing the older historic parts of the city to fall into slow decay. Since 1994, in his capacity as Councilman and later as Mayor, he helped to lead the effort to revitalize the area that President Harry S. Truman called home. Under his influence, the Independence Historic Square has had a rebirth due to the restoration of old historic buildings into new and vital centers for its citizens due in great part to Don Reimal working in cooperation with his constituents.

Today, as you visit the old square, you will find the Chicago Alton Depot that opened in 1870 saved, in great part, due to Don and Jo's efforts. The Truman Memorial Building stands tall, restored while Don was City Councilman. Don had worked with State Representative Franklin to obtain funds for the then-named Soldier and Sailor Memorial Building, built after World War I, with the support of local veteran, Harry S. Truman. The building was renamed the Truman Memorial Building, where today's soldiers have been welcomed home and an area in the building has been designated the Veterans Hall, designed for the Veterans' Video Project with recordings housed in conjunction with the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.

In addition, the Palmer Junior High was converted into the highly recognized Palmer Center for those over 50. These renovations, along with the Roger T. Sermon Community Center, were the cornerstone to the beginning of the Independence Square revitalization. The final piece was added when the Jackson County Historic Truman Courthouse was renovated and rededicated on September 7, 2013, eighty years after Harry S. Truman dedicated the same building. Don had worked for years to find a way to save this wonderful building where Judge Harry S. Truman served Jackson County.

Don's personal touch has had lasting impacts, as he respectfully listened to his constituents, providing support and encouragement to projects that would serve as stepping stones for further neighborhood stabilization. He was rarely deterred, but would just try another way to accomplish his goals for the city. In 2007, the voters approved a school district change that would expand the Independence school boundary on the western side of the city and annex seven schools. Don and the city knew that they could provide a better opportunity for the students and bring families back to that part of the city. The Mayor worked with a prominent group of local citizens to upgrade an area known as the Norledge Place Redevelopment site, also in the newly expanded school area. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan visited the site in 2011, praising the work of the community and city for using NSP funds and working with private and local funds to transform a depressed area into a site of remodeled and rebuilt homes. With much needed improvements for transportation, a new transit center was built and the IndeBus lines were developed to provide better access for the citizens of Independence.

During his time in office, Mayor Reimal helped to shepherd the continued economic growth along the I-70 corridor and the Little Blue Parkway. With the closing of older outdated hospitals, Center Point Hospital opened in 2007, and in 2012, Children's Mercy East opened in the expanding eastern part of the city. Don has never been deterred from criticism if he believed in what he was doing. He supported new shopping areas, the Greater Independence Business Incubator, fought to have the new Genealogy Library built in Independence, and an Independence Event Center that is the home of the Mavericks hockey team and the Comets soccer team. Mayor Reimal has brought excitement to Independence as both teams are of championship caliber.

His accomplishments are far too many to list, but we can all learn from Don's amazing ability to work with people of all political persuasions and interests. He is deeply admired, well respected and will be sorely missed because he truly cares for his city and the constituents that he was elected to serve. I will remember him as a quiet man whose heart and mind is always in the right place.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in saluting the Mayor of Independence, Don Reimal, for a lifetime of dedicated service, and wishing him and his Jo a wonderful retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding small business headquartered in the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri, which I have the honor and privilege of serving. Awards & T-Shirts Specialists, Inc. is celebrating thirty years of successful business. Their founder and owner, Debbi O'Donohue, is the driving force behind this nationally recognized company.

As elected leaders, it is important for us to salute successful businesses such as Awards & T-Shirts Specialists, Inc. The entrepreneurial spirit of Debbi and her company is truly what makes our country great.

Their founder and owner, Debbi O'Donohue, started Awards & T-Shirts on March 3, 1984 as a trophy business in her parents' basement. It rapidly expanded three months later to offer screen-printed apparel and custom-made awards. Today, this company is the premier provider of American-made and union-decorated promotional products in the United States, having customers in all fifty states and Canada.

Debbi was a trailblazer in 1986 when Awards & T-Shirts Specialists signed their first union contract. She became the first female owned and operated contractor in the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council. Specializing in serving the unions' niche and related companies and organizations, Awards & T-Shirts has continued to expand and enhance its high- quality American and union made products, outstanding service, and creative image designs over the past thirty years.

Awards & T-Shirts' impressive record of delivering proven results has elevated their company to become a national leader in the promotional marketing industry that is highly sought after for conferences, special events, golf tournaments, and workforce motivational programs.

The amazing thirty years of success of Awards & T-Shirts Specialists can be directly attributed to Debbi and her boundless energy and captivating personality. She leads by example, inspiring dedication and determination in her staff.

It is one thing for a business to be successful; it is another milestone to achieve thirty years of success. Probably the greatest good is demonstrated by what a person gives back to the community. Debbi and Awards & T-Shirts have always demonstrated a commitment to supporting our community through sponsorship of youth sports teams, donations to community organizations, and a dedication to charitable giving by being the lead sponsor for the Annual Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Labor Day Softball Tournament and Bowl-A-Thon.

Awards & T-Shirts' 30th Anniversary Celebration on April 26th continued this dedication to giving back through a benefit for the Autism Society--The Heartland. It was my pleasure and honor to join Debbi, her family, and team along with customers from around the country for this worthy endeavor.

If the Speaker and my colleagues will indulge me, I would like to highlight one of my personal experiences with Debbi and her team. She and her dedicated staff came to the rescue of our Congressional Art Competition by producing the awards ribbons for the event at a moment's notice. As a woman owned business and a union signatory contractor that provides a full benefit package to their employees, Awards & T-Shirts Specialist, Inc. is a model for all small businesses in our country. The company's legacy is reflected in their customers, and I am proud to have benefitted from their outstanding craftsmanship, innovative and creative designs, and extraordinary dedication to the highest quality products.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me, as I am honored and proud to be saluting and applauding Debbi O'Donohue and Awards & T- Shirts Specialists, Inc. for thirty years of successful business.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the extraordinary accomplishments of the Grandview C-4 School District located in Missouri's Fifth Congressional District. The contributions this institution has made to the community are beyond measure. And more importantly, to celebrate the positive differences made by the talented, dedicated, and hard-working people who are now, and have been in years past, a part of this school system.

In an April 9, 1914, election, Grandview, High Grove, Maple Ridge, and Mastin school districts were consolidated into the Grandview School District. In the early 1950s, two more school districts, including Martin City, became part of Consolidated School District No. 4 or Grandview C14 School District.

Through the years, district enrollment has grown from 523 students in 1948, to its current enrollment of more than 4,200 students. In 2013- 2014, the district had the highest percentage increase in enrollment of any school on the Missouri side of the Kansas City area. The district has one high school, one middle school, one K-8 school, four elementary schools, an early childhood center and an alternative school.

I. 2013, the Grandview C-4 School District was recognized as one of the top performing districts in the state, according to final Annual Performance Report (APR) data released by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Grandview C-4 School District earned ``Accredited with Distinction'' status based on the current fifth cycle Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 5) scoring guide, with a district-wide score of 93.6 percent.

On April 9th the district will recognize its 100th anniversary. Historic photos spanning the district's 100 year history will be displayed at several public places throughout the Grandview and South Kansas City area. More celebrations are planned throughout the year-- all of them richly deserved.

For 100 years, the Grandview C-4 School District has been the fabric of the community. Considering the challenges many of our families face, many parents take pride in the education their children get from the C- 4. Many of these same parents, who now send their children to C-4, were themselves students at C-4 in the past, as their parents were as well. They demonstrate this pride not just year after year, but generation after generation.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the Grandview C-4 School District today. Grandview is a top-tier school district, comparable to the most elite of districts. We have a glorious past and look forward to an exciting future.

Mr. 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 subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, my Special Order deals with the very difficult and even painful subject of Rwanda.

Mr. Speaker, there is an ancient story about Rwanda. It is one from which a number of meanings can be extracted.

We are here today because we remember the victims of the horrific events in our world's history. We honor survivors and recognize the steps that have been taken to remedy the atrocities that have occurred.

Over and over, you will hear people on this floor, Mr. Speaker, say that things that have happened in our history that were horrific and inhuman shall never happen again. Things like American slavery and the European extermination, mainly by Germany, of Jews throughout Europe should never happen again.

So we must continue to fight for justice as the international issues come to our consciousness. And we know that, as time moves on, there will be additional tragedies around the globe.

Rwanda has certainly experienced its share, if not more than its share, of tragedy. This ancient parable in Rwandan is, God spends the day elsewhere, but he sleeps in Rwanda--Imana yirirwa ahandi igataha I Rwanda. For those of us who are familiar with the creation story, we know that God worked for 6 days and then rested. The Rwandan people believe that God, on the seventh day, came to Rwanda to rest from his work the previous 6 days.

Rwanda is 1 mile above sea level, about what Denver, Colorado is. And because of its elevation, Rwanda is paradisiacal, in the sense that the climate is cooler in Rwanda than it is in many of the other parts of Africa, certainly sub-Saharan Africa, and the greenery is like that of no other place in Africa, and it will rival even some of the beautiful spots in the Caribbean.

It is also a fabulous place, the Rwandans thought, for God to come to rest.

Well, in a country of seven million, at least in 1994--who knows what the population is today, after many of the atrocities, but the people believed that God could rest there in this beautiful, this lush, very, very receiving and welcoming land, without being interrupted.

Now, all cultures, all religions choose to elevate its land or its people. For example, the Jewish people, understandably, refer to the Sea of Galilee as a sea. For those who know geography, you know that the Sea of Galilee is actually a lake.

The Jordan River--before I went there for the first time, back in 1994, I envisioned the Jordan River as something comparable to the Mississippi River or something comparable to the Missouri River, which is about 2,000 miles across the country.

The truth of the matter is, there were certain points of the Jordan River that I actually jumped over. And it flows down into the Dead Sea, which is, again, not a sea, but another lake.

So it is understandable that people will declare something to be a little more than it really is. So the Rwandan people, believing that God came to their country, this paradise, 1 mile above sea level, was something that, I think, many of us would have done had we been Rwandans.

I also know that there were people who would question how could God sleep in a place with all of the genocide that has taken place there, with all of the violence against the men and women and children, and even violence based on tribal ethnicity. But the Rwandan people still believe that God sleeps in their country.

I believe that God sleeps in Rwanda, but I also believe that He is awakened because of what has happened. God can neither sleep nor slumber where there is injustice, where there is wrong, where there is murder, and so God has had an unrestful amount of time, unrestful nights in Rwanda since the beginning of the great genocide.

800,000 people, Mr. Speaker, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, died at the hand of Hutu extremists during a 100-day period; a 100-day period.

That would be killing all the people of my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, the largest city in our State, and all the people 221 miles away in St. Louis. Both cities would be completely exterminated if they lost 800,000 people.

But the Rwandan people lost 800,000 people in 100 days. That is seven individuals, seven human beings created by God, murdered every 7 minutes.

Ten thousand victims were killed each day. Just think about it: 10,000 human beings created with the hands of the alms-giving God. And then someone stole their lives for something as petty as ethnicity, something as petty as a different language.

So when you think about hundreds of thousands of victims who were murdered, there are hundreds of other thousands of victims who were infected with HIV, as the Hutu extremists raped, as a tool of violence, women and young girls.

The killing ended once Tutsi rebel forces attacked and retook the country.

When I think about what we have done and what we have spent in lands around the world, to tragedies no less repulsive, I have to raise the question, why has the United States been asleep, lo, these many years?

I think that our children and our children's children will look back on the nineties, in particular, and wonder, where were the Americans?

Where was the United States while this happened?

Now, 20 years after all of the genocide, Rwanda has moved stunningly in a new and positive direction. I am very pleased that they have, and all Americans should be pleased. But there still is much work to be done.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Thank you to Mr. Welch, who is a very conscientious Member of this body. We appreciate his sensitivity, as well as that of many others who probably will not be here on the floor.

I will state again, because Congressman Welch has mentioned it, that is 800,000 people, 800,000 people killed, murdered in 100 days. 10,000 human beings killed every 24 hours in this world during our lifetime.

So the Rwandans' ancient parable about God sleeping at night in Rwanda is only partially true. God could not sleep nor slumber with this kind of tragedy taking place anywhere in a world that He created for freedom and justice and peace and harmony.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from the Fifth District of Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the whip of the Democratic Caucus.

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

I thank the distinguished whip for his comments and for, frankly, requesting that we have the opportunity this evening to remember those horrific events in world history.

As the whip said, we must declare ``never again,'' and it must be real and serious; and, if necessary, we must redouble our efforts against evil anywhere it presents its ugly head.

The pain that I am still feeling here tonight is because, since 1995, the international tribunal has indicted 95 individuals. Let me go back and remind you, 800,000--it could be many more--died, 95 individuals have been indicted, and there have been 49 convictions.

Now, if there is a person with a heart anywhere on the planet, that heart should be broken right now, knowing what happened to the Rwandan people, what happened to women, little girls, children. The world shall not tolerate this again.

I would like to now yield to the distinguished Congressman from the Ninth District of Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Steve Cohen.

Thank you, Mr. Cohen.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire about the remaining time?

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

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in recognition of the 95th birthday of Mr. Fred Curls, a pioneer for civil and political rights and a resident of the Fifth District of Missouri, which I am honored to represent. On March 31, 2014, Mr. Curls turned 95 years young. Last weekend on March 29th, he was honored in Kansas City, Missouri, by family, friends, and acquaintances.

Mr. Curls is one of the original founders of Freedom Incorporated, an African-American political organization which at one time could generate nearly 70,000 votes. Freedom Inc. was and has been a very influential political action group. The organization has been at the forefront in serving as a catalyst for change in civil rights, public accommodations, and the election of candidates at all levels of government. Freedom Inc.'s office has been visited by City Councilpersons, Jackson County Executives, Mayors, Missouri State Senators and Representatives, Governors, Congresspersons, Senators, Presidents, and those who have Presidential aspirations.

For more than fifty years, Mr. Curls has dedicated his life to the Greater Kansas City community, promoting and improving political empowerment and the civil rights of people of color. His children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have followed in his footsteps in acknowledging their responsibility of giving back to the community. His son, State Senator Phil B. Curls, Sr. was the President of Freedom Inc. during a period when it was recognized as one of the most potent political organizations in the United States and brought about the election of the first African-American Congressman from the Fifth District of Missouri, U.S. Representative Alan Wheat.

Since the mid-1950s, Mr. Curls has been involved in real estate sales and appraisals, most notably in the African-American community of Kansas City. He fought against ``restrictive covenants'' whereby residential homes could not be sold in certain areas to minorities. He was part of a class action lawsuit which resulted in the United States Supreme Court outlawing such covenants.

In all of his activities, Mr. Curls demonstrates his dedication and commitment to the greater good of others. He is actively involved with his high school graduating class, the Class of 1937, which has been very close to this day. He was honored by Jackson County, Missouri, as one of its ``Legacy Awardees'' for its 175th anniversary as a political subdivision. He also has been honored by fellow Missourian U.S. Representative William Lacy Clay of St. Louis and myself as an awardee of the ``Missouri Walk of Fame'' designation, as one of the pioneers of Kansas City's African-American political struggle.

Throughout his life, he has believed in the saying ``make it happen.'' He has put his principles into practice, and the results of his efforts have ``made it happen'' throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.

For those reasons and more, it is indeed an honor and a privilege to recognize Mr. Fred Curls on his 95th birthday celebration. Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing our appreciation to Mr. Fred Curls and his endless commitment to serving the residents of Kansas City and the State of Missouri. Whatever we, as African-Americans, may attain in the political arena, Fred Curls and those who labored to act on our behalf as political pioneers have helped to change the course of history. He is a true role model not just to the African-American community in Missouri, but to the entire community at large.

Mr. Speaker, sometimes you just have to say enough is enough. I stand before you today in the hopes that we can come together and understand that today is that day. Enough is enough.

Federal unemployment insurance must be extended--and extended quickly. It is time. In fact, it is past time. There are now more than 2 million Americans struggling to get some kind of existence in place each day after having this critical lifeline cut off this past December. The number climbs each day.

I could talk to you about the human toll of this disgraceful play of putrid and petty partisan politics, like the 57-year-old woman preparing to live in her car, the 34-year-old mother wondering how she will pay rent and feed the kids at the same time, and the 47-year-old man who made himself a career in manufacturing but lost his job due to layoffs a year ago and now describes himself as ``in a panic.''

These and millions of other Americans, including almost 35,000 in my home State of Missouri alone, are hardworking people who have played by the rules and found themselves out of work through no fault of their own. And now new data shows that some 200,000 of those who have been brushed aside are veterans. They have gone to Iraq. They have gone to Afghanistan. These are men and women we should not throw aside.

Let's stop the harmful and fact-free rhetoric that paints these fellow Americans--our neighbors, our friends, and our veterans--as people trying to game the system, people trying to get something for nothing, people who just ``don't want to work.'' Phooey. Rats. Sheesh. Yecch. It is time for us to act.

The contrary is true. Recipients of unemployment insurance are a very diverse group, with almost half having completed at least some college and almost 5 million of them holding bachelor's degrees or higher. The stereotypes don't work here; and when we stereotype, we move our constituents to corroborate.

These are people for whom the stakes could not be higher. These are people who have worked all or most of their lives and gotten hit--and hit hard--in the recession that ominously hit in 2008. These are people who want to work, spend their days trying to find work, and now are slowly sinking into a financial abyss while we here in Washington play games.

Sometimes you just have to say enough is enough. There are times when we must just put politics aside and act on what is in the best interests of the country.

It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that this Congress will act--and act quickly.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the memory of Leroy ``Pop'' Miller who recently passed away after living a life of courage, dedication, and bravery. He left behind a legacy of honor, a family who will forever remember him, and a community of friends who say goodbye with gratitude in their hearts.

Leroy Miller--known simply as Pop--left us at the rich age of 94 years old. He was a longtime member of my church, St. James United Methodist, where he found a spiritual home after moving to Kansas City from Charlotte in the early 2000s. He came to Kansas City after his wife, Sadie, passed away. His loving son, William Miller, urged his Dad to make the move so he could be closer to his family, in particular his two grandsons--William, Jr, and Jordan.

Before joining our community, Pop was nothing short of an historical figure in his home state of North Carolina. He was a member of our Greatest Generation and one of the few surviving African-Americans who fought in World War II. Just days after graduating from North Carolina A&T University in 1942, he was drafted into the United States Army where he was stationed in Europe and became a member of the famous Red Ball Express.

Red Ball drivers, mostly African American men, were drawn from the Army's Quartermaster Corps and fought both the enemy and the hazards of the road and weather to successfully deliver their loads. Pop's unit drove trucks from the Cherbourg Peninsula all the way to the North Sea, and throughout France, Germany, and Holland.

Despite his continued display of bravery, Pop and other African American soldiers also had to battle the racist forces that existed among their fellow Americans. When he returned home after serving--and sacrificing--for our country, he found what so many others discovered as well. African Americans were still not treated as equals. Even with his college education, he found his own job choices were very limited. But Pop was a fighter, on and off the battlefield, and became an educational pioneer, helping to break down the barriers of segregation in Charlotte, North Carolina, and throughout the United States.

Pop is remembered as a strong leader who enforced discipline at a time when fights and riots accompanied integration in schools. He is remembered as a strict educator who valued academics as much as sports, and worked to see straight A students recognized as publicly as star athletes. And Leroy ``Pop'' Miller is remembered as a man who wanted to be known not as a successful African American principal, but simply as a successful principal.

I am honored to have had Leroy ``Pop'' Miller as a member of the St. James congregation and as a constituent of the Fifth District of Missouri. He touched the lives of many and will remain in our hearts, and in our memories, for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of our own. On Friday, March 7, 2014, Mr. Darwin Lenard Curls is retiring from my office after serving the past nine years for the Fifth Congressional District as the Director of Community Affairs and dedicating nearly half-a-century of public service to our community.

Born on October 17, 1943, to a family of public servants, Darwin learned at an early age the importance of giving back to his community. His parents, Fred and Velma Curls raised Darwin and his five siblings to help those less fortunate. His father was a pioneer for civil and political rights in our community and was one of the original founders of Freedom Incorporated, an African-American political organization, based in Kansas City, Missouri. Darwin observed his father's efforts to better the community, such as with his fight against restrictive covenants in residential neighborhoods in our community. His brother, Phil Curls, went on to become a State Senator and President of Freedom Inc. Along with Darwin's help, Freedom rose to be known as one of the most potent political organizations in the United States. Darwin remembers well his father's saying ``make it happen'', and took to heart those words by dedicating his life to making things happen. Make- no-mistake, through his career of action and advocacy in our great state of Missouri, Darwin has been the embodiment of the ``Show me State''.

As a young man, Darwin attended De La Salle Military Academy, before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Park College. He eventually found his calling when he landed a position with the Blue Hills Homes Corporation--a community development corporation focused on improving neighborhoods in the urban core thru creating quality housing opportunities. Darwin spent nearly 23 years with Blue Hills.

In 1994, Darwin chose to run for public office and was elected overwhelmingly for the Kansas City Missouri School Board. During a challenging time for the School District, Darwin brought much-needed, common sense approaches to ensure children were given the best opportunities to succeed. After retiring from the School Board, he accepted a Trustee position with the Kansas City Public School Retirement System where he served for 16 years to ensure the employees of the Kansas City School District were treated fairly thru their retirement.

In 1999, Darwin joined the Congressional staff of my predecessor, Representative Karen McCarthy. He served for five years, handling casework and outreach. After a brief stint with Swope Community Builders, I asked Darwin to join me shortly after my election. He started on February 1, 2005 as my Director of Community Affairs. In that capacity, Darwin has overseen the office's casework, helping constituents with issues dealing with the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, Housing and Urban Development, and much more. He has helped hundreds of individuals traverse the challenges of the federal bureaucracy, helping people to receive back payments, or keep their housing. He was always available to constituents, sometimes just lending a shoulder during their time in need. Equally valuable, he has been an integral part of our outreach efforts, regularly providing remarks at meetings and events on behalf of the office. Over the years, I have relied heavily on his insights and feedback about our community and their concerns, as he has always had his fingers on the pulse of our District.

Darwin has been married for forty-five years to his wife, Sandra, and they are blessed to have three amazing children and seven grandchildren. Their daughter, Shalonn ``Kiki'' Curls, is continuing the family tradition of public service as a State Senator.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing and honoring Mr. Darwin Curls for a lifetime of dedicated service to our community. While he embraces this next phase of life in retirement, I wish to thank him for his guiding counsel over the years. He has served as a role model to many in our office and in the African-American community. The lives of hundreds of constituents he has helped, our neighbors, community, and Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, have been enhanced because he chose to ``make it happen.''

Mr. Speaker, due to a medical procedure, I was unable to vote the week of January 13, 2014. On Monday, January 13, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote 12 (H.R. 1513), and ``yes'' on rollcall vote 13 (S. 230).

On January 14, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote 14 (H.R. 2274), ``yes'' on rollcall vote 15 (H.R. 801), ``yes'' on rollcall vote 16 (Journal), ``yes'' on rollcall vote 17 (H.R. 2860), and ``yes'' on rollcall vote 18 (H.R. 1233).

On January 15, had I been present, I would voted ``no'' on rollcall vote 19 (Previous Question on H.R. 1233), ``no'' on rollcall vote 20 (H. Res. 458), and ``yes'' on rollcall vote 21 (H.R. 3547).

On January 16, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote 22 (Motion to Recommit H.R. 3362) and ``no'' on rollcall vote 23 (H.R. 3362).

Personal Explanation

Mr. Speaker, due to a medical procedure, I was unable to vote the week of January 7th. On Tuesday, January 7, I would have voted ``present'' on rollcall vote No. 1 (Quorum).

On January 8, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 2 (H.R. 721), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 3 (H.R. 3527), and ``yes,'' on rollcall vote No. 4 (H.R. 3628).

On January 9, I was also unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 5 (Ordering the Previous Question), ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 6 (H. Res. 455), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 7 (Sinema Amendment No. 1), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 8 (Tonko Amendment No. 2), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 9 (Motion To Recommit with Instructions), and ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 10 (Final Passage of H.R. 2279).

On January 10, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 11 (Final Passage of H.R. 3811).

Mr. Speaker, recently someone said to new EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy that she was not living in the read world with regard to climate change.

My question today is if those who are questioning whether she lives in the real world would say the same thing to the survivors of the typhoon of Biblical proportions that just devastated the Philippines where 4,000 people have been impacted. This was the strongest land- falling typhoon on record.

And I am wondering if they would tell people whose homes were hit by the unusually late Mid-Western tornados this past weekend that they are not living in reality. Sixty tornados were reported, eight people were killed, and the damages are estimated to be at least $1 billion.

Weather-related losses and damages have risen from $50 billion to almost $200 billion annually over the last decade.

Putting our heads in the sand will not stop the reality that our climate is changing and that human beings are a part of the reason.