Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in recognition of the 90th birthday of Mr. Bert Berkley, Chairman of the Board, and former President of the Tension Envelope Corporation. Tension is a prestigious family-owned business in Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which I am honored to represent. Bert and his late wife, Joan, have three children and seven grandchildren.

Mr. Berkley was born May 8, 1923, son of E.B. Berkowitz and grandson of William Berkowitz, who founded the forerunner of Tension Envelope in Kansas City, Missouri in 1886, Berkowitz and Company. The company specialized in popular advertising novelties and business stationery. In 1894, the company put into operation the first envelope machine west of the Mississippi River.

In 1937, the company acquired another pioneer in the U.S. envelope industry, the Tension Envelope Company of Brooklyn, New York, with all sales operations consolidated under the widely recognized name of Tension Envelope Corporation. In 1962, Bert Berkley, took over his grandfather's company as President and CEO of Tension. In 1967, Bert was named Chairman of the Board.

During his time as President and CEO, the Tension Envelope Company opened a plant and established a sales organization in Los Angeles, California. In addition, a satellite of their Kansas City plant was opened in Marysville, Kansas, furthering their production and manufacturing capabilities. In 1981, Bill Berkley, Bert's son, joined the company and helped his father open yet another manufacturing facility in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, creating a satellite location for the already established South Hackensack plant and a nationwide presence for the Tension Envelope Company. In 1988, Bill Berkley went on to become President and CEO of the company, while Bert remained in his role as Chairman of the Board, overseeing international expansion of the company to Australia, Taiwan, and China.

Today, Tension Envelope Corporation is one of the nation's leading manufacturers of envelope products, selling directly to companies and organizations across the United States. With its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, the heart of Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, Tension produces over eleven billion envelopes a year with plants, distribution, and service offices stretching from coast to coast.

Not only has Mr. Berkley revolutionized an industry with his ingenuity, he is also a dedicated philanthropist. He has a long history of participation in local, regional, and national civic and advisory councils. He even co-authored a book, Giving Back, on the subject of volunteering, sharing with the community, and involvement with charitable endeavors.

Considering the tremendous contributions of Tension Envelope Corporation to Missouri's Fifth Congressional District and surrounding areas, it is an honor and a privilege to recognize Mr. Bert Berkley in celebration of his ninetieth birthday. My wife, Dianne, and I have had the pleasure of knowing the Berkley family for many years and we are better people

for it. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating Mr. Bert Berkley and expressing our gratitude to his incredible dedication to both the industry and our community.

Mr. Speaker, I say congratulations to Ms. Sewell and Mr. Bachus.

I had returned home from a movie. If we went to church, we had the opportunity to do other things; and I went on to church, and so my parents allowed me to go to the movies.

When my sisters and I walked back into the house, our mother was in the living room with some friends and they were crying. We didn't know what happened, and she said that they had killed some little black girls down in Birmingham.

I had no idea that I would eventually become deeply involved in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and I realized later that the reason for the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is that it had been the headquarters, the meeting place of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference led by Martin Luther King, Jr.; the vice president, Ralph David Abernathy, and my father in the ministry, who wrote to me, ``I am your Paul; you are my solace.'' And there was also Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, who says he taught me how to preach.

They met there, and that was reason enough to blow up that building and kill these little girls, innocent little girls.

I was pleased in 1979 when Richard Arrington was elected mayor of Birmingham. And I remember thinking Fred Shutterworth had coined the term ``Bombingham'' because his own home was blown to bits; and on the day Richard Arrington, a Black man, was elected mayor, I said, ``It is no longer Bombingham; it is now Birmingham.''

Ms. Sewell, congratulations to you. This should be done, it is being done, and it furthers the way of that name from ``Bombingham'' to ``Birmingham.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jim Leedy, a renowned artist who

envisioned and fostered the beginning of a thriving arts community and culture in downtown Kansas City. He did this by transforming an undesirable section of Kansas City, Missouri into what is now known as the Crossroads Art District. As an established artist whose work has been exhibited around the world, in over 1,000 one-man shows, he understands the importance of a culture where artists have an integrated community to live, work and showcase their work. Considering those basic necessities, he purchased a building in 1985 and remodeled it to accommodate live/work artist studios and multiple gallery spaces, known as the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center. Today, the Crossroads Art District is home to more than 400 local artists, 100 independent studios, and over 30 galleries. It is one of the most concentrated gallery districts in the nation. On the first Friday of each month, known as ``First Friday's'', you will find thousands of people visiting the galleries, listening to music and eating at their favorite establishment. It is a uniquely Kansas City environment.

So who is this man that made such a dramatic difference, not only in our community but throughout his artistic career? Born in 1930, Jim Leedy grew up in the clay soils of Virginia and Kentucky. Working with this medium came naturally to him. During the formative time of his career, while attending Columbia University for his art history post- graduate studies, he had the opportunity to meet and listen to the dialogue of established artists in New York City. In 1966 he joined the staff of the Kansas City Art Institute, sharing his artistic skills and working with the administration and faculty to take the Kansas City Art Institute in a new direction. He taught there for over 40 years and mentored thousands of students throughout his career.

As an artist he has been influenced by his life experiences, colleagues, students, friends and family. His daughter, Stephanie Leedy and his granddaughter, Erin Woodworth, now run the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center and continue to showcase both local and international artists. He is an artist in the truest sense, whether he is painting or working with clay. His original artistic renderings with clay can be classified as one of the first Abstract Expressionism ceramic pieces. It was about the material, it was about the clay and creating a non utilitarian piece that would evolve by using the Raku firing technique. A method he learned about in Japan while on leave from the Korean War. His art is about instilling the essence of nature, color, and the continuous experiment and evolution of creativity.

As a Korean Veteran, who served as a military photographer, he had to deal with his war memories and did so through his art. Every war veteran can tell you that war alters and changes your view of life and death. Jim Leedy began experiencing flash backs during the mid 80's and through most of the 90's. Many times through his art he relived the haunting memory of a day in Korea when he jumped into a stream only to see underneath him the rotting corpses and skeletons of the dead. During this time his art focused on the images of that day. It was not until 2000 with his work ``The Earth Lies Screaming,'' that his art conveyed the recurring reality of war through his wall of skeletons and skulls. He reminds us that war brings death. This work was the last of its kind because it put to rest his personal conflict.

Since this period in his life, he continues to experiment with his art. A painting need not be flat, clay need not go through a long firing process. He encourages today's artists and remains a friend to anyone that has an open mind and loves creating.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing our appreciation to Mr. Jim Leedy and his endless commitment to our artistic community. He is a true role model not only for our artists, but he serves as an example of how we can all live our lives. He comprehended the essential, and with the purchase of his first building, began a slow sprawl that has become the cultural center of Kansas City. Mr. Speaker, his action made a dynamic difference for all of us to enjoy.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to welcome and acknowledge our national and international visitors to the International Centennial Planning Conference. The conference is being hosted by the National World War I Museum, located in Missouri's Fifth District, on March 22-24, 2013. With the recent enactment of Public Law 112-272 to establish a World War I Centennial Commission, it is vital that the exchange with our historical counterparts begin.

This was the first global war, declared on July 28, 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The United States entered the war in 1917 and concluded with the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918. The world would never be the same as the ramifications changed nations, warfare and technology. The reality of war comes with the understanding of its effects, not only geographically but on the military and all of the people who endured the suffering of war.

Representatives and scholars from the allied nations of Australia, France, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, and Belgium will join representatives from the United States to exchange ideas on international planning for the Centennial. This workshop will foster coordination of commemorating these historical events and rediscovery of our combined involvement in World War I. The lessons of war will be discussed and viewed through an international prism to obtain a better understanding of how the ``War to End All Wars'' impacted and changed the course of history.

In Kansas City, we have progressed as a city under the flame of the Liberty Memorial. The Liberty Memorial stands as a testimonial to the past and a quest for our world living in peace. Since my time as Mayor of Kansas City, I have considered the Liberty Memorial and now the National World War I Museum a treasure worth fighting to protect and preserve.

As the World War I Centennial Commission's twelve members meet to plan for the commemorative events across our nation, it will do so under the flame of the Liberty Memorial and benefit from the work garnered from this planning conference.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues in the House join me in wishing the participants of the International Centennial Planning Conference success in their collaboration. There is a lot of work to do in honoring and commemorating the history from our first global war.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of March as American Red Cross Month. For over 130 years the American Red

Cross has been helping people in need. Now is an excellent time to recognize not only the Red Cross, but each member of the community who contributes to this great organization through volunteering, giving blood, taking life saving classes or providing financial support.

The local Red Cross in Kansas City, Missouri, in my district, serves a population of more than 2.6 million people. Last year they financially assisted more than 1,000 families with local disasters such as home fires. The Kansas City Red Cross served the U.S. Military by providing 2,350 Services to the Armed Forces cases. More than 23,000 attended Red Cross community presentations, most of them being on how to prepare for disasters. Within the region, 38,372 people took Red Cross courses. Most of those were for CPR and first aid.

There are 70,000 disasters that the American Red Cross responds to each year in this country alone, ranging from home fires affecting one family to hurricanes affecting tens of thousands. This past year the Red Cross played a vital role in disaster relief during super storm Sandy, the Colorado Wildfires and Hurricane Isaac. It also released a series of free apps to aid in disaster preparedness, ranging from addressing tornado and hurricane threats to providing first aid advice and assistance in locating Red Cross Shelters.

An average of 150,000 military families and veterans receive assistance from the Red Cross annually. Support for wounded soldiers, resiliency training, linking military families during an emergency and connecting families with local community resources are a few of the ways the Red Cross assists the U.S. Military and its veterans.

Nearly 4 million people donate blood each year, providing more than 40% of America's blood supply, making the American Red Cross the single largest supplier of blood in the U.S. It is also the nation's leader in providing health and safety classes such as CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard training that more than 9 million American's participate in. Such education is vital in preparing citizens to help others in an emergency.

The American Red Cross provides a plethora of supportive programs for not only citizens of my district, and districts around this country, but also for people all over the world. International services provided by the Red Cross reach out to communities in over 80 developing countries. More than one billion children have been vaccinated thanks to the Measles and Rubella Initiative that was launched in 2001. Countless families torn apart by war or disaster from as far back as World War II have been reunited through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Mr. Speaker, it is essential that this Congress pay tribute to the Red Cross and the millions of Americans who lend their efforts to its success. I urge my colleagues to stand with me in support of American Red Cross Month and honor all that this organization has done for our great country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help our communities deal with changing climate. In the last 2 years alone, our country has dealt with destructive wildfires in the West, flooding on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, a devastating hurricane in the Northeast, and the worst drought since the Dust Bowl. Climate change preparation and adaptation is about risk management. As Ben Franklin said: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Spending a small amount now saves us much suffering; and we understand, this is going to happen again and again. Because climate change is real, we are going to address this over and over and over again on this floor. Some people might say there is no such thing as climate change. Well, you can say that water is not wet, but it doesn't make it so.

Mr. Speaker, I don't particularly like the bill that is going to come to the floor, but I am going to vote for it. And the reason is, stumbling through one of those Dollar General stores looking for some last minute gifts, I stumbled across a section that had Gorilla Glue and Magic Stick'em Glue, and I thought, Boy, if I can get some of this stuff, first I would glue the top of the kitchen trash can so my wife's puppy won't continue to go in it. And then I thought, well, I'll use some of this glue to impress people that I can actually fix things. Then I thought, maybe I can do it when I'm performing marriages: instead of saying ``until death do us part,'' say ``until the glue wears out.''

Then I thought, wouldn't it be great if we could glue ourselves to each other across the aisle. I mean, after all, it is only if we are sticking together that we're going to be able to address the problems that face this country.

The truth of the matter is we already have some glue. One Nation under God--patriotic glue. We're supposed to work together, to stick together. Without us coming to the point where we really understand ``E pluribus unum''--out of many, one--this body, for the lack of glue, will not do the business of this country.

We are here today in an unprecedented show of bipartisanship with this piece of legislation. H.R. 6364 is the product of both sides of the aisle working together to do what is right to honor the memory of our veterans.

I especially want to thank Representative Ted Poe for his efforts in bringing this bill to the floor today as well as to thank Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton for her work on the legislation. Of course, I'd also like to thank Majority Leader Cantor for his support along the way.

Frank Buckles, who was on the stage of the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City just 4 years ago during the Veterans Day program, was the last surviving veteran from World War I, and he was from the State of Missouri. Unfortunately, he passed away during the drafting of this very bill. However, even with Mr. Buckles' passing, our commitment remains strong as it is never too late to demonstrate our appreciation to the veterans of the Great War for their service and sacrifices.

This bill will honor that service by establishing a centennial commission that would see to it that the 100th anniversary of the Great War did not slip away, as many things slip away in this place where there is sometimes more partisan bickering than is necessary. Not only does this bill serve to honor the memory of our great veterans; but it stands, I think, as a symbol that bipartisanship and cooperation are, indeed, possible.

The United States formally joined the war in April of 1917; and during that time, more than 4.7 million Americans served. Now it's our job to serve their memory.

The Fifth District of Missouri, which I proudly serve, includes Kansas City, the home of the Liberty Memorial. This is the Liberty Memorial. I think it is always important for people to see it because I think when people hear Liberty Memorial, if they are not from the area, if they are not visiting Kansas City, they may think it's just some little something. You can see it in terms of the Kansas City skyline, and I would also take this opportunity to remind people that this is the largest city in the State of Missouri.

This Liberty Memorial is one of the great treasures of our community and our State. It sits atop the World War I Museum. In 1919, the people of Kansas City raised $2.5 million, mainly through children, in 10 days to create the Liberty Memorial. The dedication ceremony was the only time in history that the Supreme Allied Commanders were together in one place. The dedication of this memorial was held on November 1, 1921.

In 1994, during my first term as mayor of Kansas City, the museum added greater majesty to the site with the construction of a municipally funded restoration project. The Liberty Memorial operates the only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the objects, history, and personal experiences of a war whose impact still echoes today. This bill would also redesignate this facility as the National World War I Memorial and Museum and give it the distinction it richly deserves.

Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons I rarely come to the floor to make such comments is that it is so troublesome to me that we will have fact-free debates. One of the problems is that we are talking in a parallel universe. There are small businesses that will pay more taxes, but I think it is important to say to you that the top hedge fund managers last year earned $22 billion and then paid a 15 percent tax rate as small businesses. So I am troubled when we are not being accurate and factual with the American public.

Mr. Speaker, my concern today--and I believe it is the concern of many Americans--is the situation in which we find ourselves. The American people have elected a government wherein only cooperation can bring progress. We have a House of Representatives that is predominantly Republican, and we have a Democratically controlled Senate. It would not take a 3-year-old a great deal of time to figure out that the only way we can do the work of the American people is if we stop this ridiculous partisanship--this poisonous partisanship--that is damaging the country and creating a level of anger. There are State legislators in at least 13 States who have introduced legislation for secession from the Union based on the fact that they didn't particularly like the President who was elected. One of the reasons, I think, is that we are exporting hate. If it's not hate, it's certainly anger, and ``anger'' is just one letter short of ``danger.''

The American people gave us a mandate to do the simple things, and that is to lead. We understand that the challenge before Congress in the coming weeks is no simple task. I would be wrong if I said that what we need to do is simple. We have some major challenges:

The Postal Service is losing $25 million a week, and we are running around here acting as if the most important thing in the world is remaining faithful to our ideology. Ideology, tragically, has trumped logic in this place, and that cannot continue. Right now, we are facing hundreds of billions of dollars in expiring tax cuts. It might be important, Mr. Speaker, for all of us to keep in mind that, if we fail to deal with the sequestration issue, 90 percent of the people in this country will have their taxes raised.

But there is another problem.

We have three major credit rating agencies in this country--actually, for the world, essentially--Standard & Poor's, Moody's and then Fitch. We have been warned as a Congress and as a Nation that if we walk up to this precipice again as we did two Augusts ago that we will suffer another downgrading of our credit rating. The

United States of America--the most technologically powerful and economically powerful Nation on the planet--will have a credit downgrading.

This should cause every American to be angry enough to put aside petty partisanship and understand that this body will not function and that our government will not function unless we work together. We've got to come to the conclusion that compromise does not equal capitulation.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to acknowledge the achievements of former Eastern Jackson County Judge, Missouri State Representative, United States Marine Corps Veteran and Sugar Creek resident, Alex M. Petrovic.

Alex M. Petrovic was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 23, 1922, the son of Mildred and Michael Petrovic, and has dedicated his life to serving his country, state, and community. He attended school at Henry Clay School in Kansas City, Missouri, Independence Junior High and William Chrisman High School in the city of Independence, Missouri, and Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri.

The proud father of six, grandfather of twelve, and great-grandfather of two, Mr. Petrovic was married to the late Frances Diesko Petrovic for fifty-seven years before she passed away in 2001. He served as a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps from the year 1942 to 1945, working as a landfall technician, making maps for the 2nd Marine Air Wing, and receiving an honorable discharge following his service in the Pacific theatre, in Guadalcanal and Auckland, New Zealand, and Russell Island.

In addition to his military service, he also worked as a railroad clerk for the Union Pacific Railroad, machine operator, foreman, and sales manager for the Injection Molding Company, as a salesman for Busboom Brothers, as a laborer and engineer at the Standard Oil Plant, and a divisional manager at Waddell & Reed.

Alex M. Petrovic served as a Missouri State Legislator from the year 1962 until the year 1966, as a Democrat, representing the area bounded by the Missouri River up until 23rd Street, Blue Ridge, Kansas City, and 71 Highway. During his terms, he promoted the Little Blue Valley Flood Control program, fought to keep open the Central Missouri State University in the face of closure, and helped develop the Truman Sports Complex. Mr. Petrovic played an active and accomplished role in local Missouri politics, serving in the Independence Sertoma Club, to which he was elected President in the year 1964.

As a State Representative, Mr. Petrovic discovered piles of state records abandoned in the basement of the State Building, and in response, sponsored and passed legislation to create a system for managing Missouri's records, establishing the Missouri State Archives. After his terms in the Missouri Legislature, he was elected to serve as Eastern District Judge for Jackson County, the same seat which President Harry S Truman occupied before his presidency, from the year 1966 up until the year 1970. As the ``Old Judge,'' he oversaw seven bond issues in building the world's largest sports complex in the history of sports at the time, for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals.

On September 21, 2005, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, the Archives, and fellow members of the Missouri Legislature created the Alex M. Petrovic Reading Room to maintain the historic records of our Great State of Missouri throughout the years. Today, the Missouri State Archives stores document collections dating from 1770 and is visited by 4,500 hundred people every year.

Mr. Petrovic will celebrate his ninetieth birthday on September 23, 2012, and has given a lifetime of service to his community, and should hereby be honored as such. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues in the House join me in honoring Mr. Petrovic for his lifetime of service and accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in recognition of the achievements of Reverend Doctor Wallace S. Hartsfield, Sr. a minister, dedicated community activist, veteran, civil servant, compassionate role model, and a member of the Fifth District of Missouri, which I am deeply honored to represent. Doctor Hartsfield was born in Atlanta, GA and at an early age the family moved to Jacksonville, FL, where he received his element. and secondary education, graduating from Stanton High School.

After a three-year tour of duty in the United States Armed Services, he entered Clark College in Atlanta, GA and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education with minors in Religion and Psychology. He was listed in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities in his Junior and Senior Years. In September 1954 he entered Gammon Theological Seminary from which he graduated with Degrees of Bachelor and Masters of Divinity.

Dr. Hartsfield has held pastorates in Pickens, SC; Brunswick, GA Bartow, FL; Kansas City, MO; and Wichita, KS. Upon the request of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church of Kansas City, MO, Dr. Hartsfield returned to assume the pastorate for the second time in 1972 and served until December of 2007 as Senior Pastor, He retired having served 41 years as Pastor of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church. Doctor Hartsfield now holds the title of Pastor Emeritus, and his son, Wallace II, was appointed Senior Pastor.

This week, Dr. Hartsfield is to be inducted into the Missouri Walk of Fame during a reception as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference, an event held to honor the achievements of African-Americans who have made significant contributions to Missouri and the nation. Because of his sage understanding of the ills and gifts of the people in the urban core, he is frequently called the ``Godfather'' of the African-Ameitan community.

He is the Vice President-at-Large of the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., Past President of the General Baptist State Convention of MO/KS/NE; Past Chairman of the Congress of National Black Churches and current Board Member of the Congress of National Black Churches. He has served as a Commissioner of Highway and Transportation for the State of Missouri and to the Municipal Judicial Commission for Jackson County. He also serves as an Executive Board member of the Jazz District Redevelopment Corporation.

Dr. Hartsfield is highly sought after by national, state, and local public servants as an advisor because of the fellowship he has among black leaders and clergy. He also is in much demand as a guest speaker in many areas nationally. He has served as adjunct Professor and guest lecturer at numerous colleges and universities across the nation. Dr. Hartsfield has served and currently serves on several Boards of Directors for various colleges and organizations. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. In January 2008, I was proud to introduce a bill in Congress to rename the Parkway Post Office in my Kansas City district to the Wallace S. Hartsfield, Sr. Post Office.

He is married to the former Matilda Hopkins of Brunswick, GA. He and Mrs. Hartsfield are the parents of four children, Pamela Faith, Danise Hope, Ruby Love, and Wallace S. Hartsfield, II. They are the proud grandparents of seven and great-grand parents of five.

For those reasons and more, it is indeed an honor and privilege to welcome and congratulate Rev. Dr. Wallace Hartsfield, Sr. on his induction into the 2012 Missouri Walk of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing our appreciation to Reverend Doctor Wallace Hartsfield, Sr. and his endless commitment to serving the residents of the State of Missouri and the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. He is a true role model, not just to the African-American community in Missouri, but to the entire community and the nation. May his success serve as a stepping stone for many other African-Americans eager to be just as successful in their endeavors. While it is but a small acknowledgement for all of the work he has done, it is a heartfelt gesture, taking strength from the many lives he has touched in our hometown.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in recognition of the achievements of Pastor Emeritus Charles J. Briscoe, a graduate of Western Bible College, a studious teacher of the Holy Bible, and a member of the Fifth District of Missouri, which I am deeply honored to represent. Pastor Briscoe is a native of Kansas City. He attended elementary school and graduated from the R.T. Coles Vocational High School with music as his major.

Pastor Briscoe was honored by the National Center for Fathering with the 2004 ``City Father'' award. Offered to recipients who demonstrate community and family leadership and influence, the award was a fitting testament to the father of nine children and a man who has served Kansas City in various capacities for over 50 years.

Rev. Briscoe, a native Kansas Citian, has been involved with community services most of his life, including Goodwill Industries, the Neighborhood Alliance, and the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). From 1970 to 1974, he worked as President and then Chairman on the Kansas City, Missouri School Board. ``This was shortly after Martin Luther King was assassinated'' he says of the experience, ``and so there was a lot of turmoil here in Kansas City.'' He remembers letting students vent their frustrations, rather than ``giving it back to them. It helped diffuse some of the volatile situations.''

Retired since February, 2003, Rev. Briscoe was senior pastor of the historic Paseo Baptist Church for 35 years. He has made mission trips with the church all over the world, including Africa, Israel, and Jamaica. While on a work and witness trip in South Africa, he, his wife Georgia Mae, and six other Paseo Baptist members helped start up their sister church in Johannesburg and conducted Vacation Bible School for the youths.

Pastor Briscoe, although retired, remains a much respected and admired religious leader. He continues his involvement with Paseo Baptist Church and serves on the Board of Directors of Salvation Army and as Secretary for the Carver Foreign Missions Board. He has served as a Co-Chair of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association's Heart of America Campaign.

Rev. Briscoe has been committed, throughout his ministry with building strong families with the church and the community. One of his greatest joys is building bridges of understanding between various peoples and helping families become wholesome influences to this community. He is considered Kansas City's supreme pastor and for that and numerous other roles of service, he is now inducted into the Missouri Walk of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing our appreciation to Pastor Charles Briscoe and his endless commitment to serving the residents of the State of Missouri and the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. He is a true role model, not just to the African-American community in Missouri, but to the entire community and the nation. May his success serve as a stepping stone for many other African-Americans eager to be just as successful in their endeavors. While it is but a small acknowledgement for all of the work he has done, this recognition is a heartfelt gesture, taking strength from the many lives he has touched in our hometown.

Mr. Speaker, the committee has examined the case and reached a conclusion. The subject of the investigation has agreed to accept responsibility and, in fact, has affixed her name to the findings as a confirmation of such.

As a supporter and colleague of the subject of the investigation, I know that she regrets the violations and hopes that the reprimand by the House will allow both her and the House to move on to address the great issues facing the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, funding the military is imperative, and supporting our troops at home and abroad is fundamental. But overfunding it at the expense of vital domestic programs is irresponsible.

The Defense appropriations bill is $8 billion more than the agreed- upon level set by the Budget Control Act. This means that real programs in our home districts, which many of our constituents rely on, will be cut or go unfunded.

Every family in this Nation knows what it is to make a budget and the reasons behind needing it. This bill blatantly ignores the need and purpose of a budget. Certain aspects of this bill are hundreds of millions of dollars above requested levels. If a family tried to live like that, they would be in dire straits.

Designating money when it is above and beyond what is needed is nothing more than a gratuitous earmark. Now, I am in favor of earmarks; I'm just not in favor of trying to trick the public. I believe that earmarks are right. It is our constitutional responsibility as Members of the House. But tricking the public by adding $8 billion more is obscene.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to pay tribute to Ben Kynard, the great jazz saxophonist, whose musical performances, jazz compositions, and great legacy continues to enrich the lives of so many jazz enthusiasts.

Kansas City jazz has become a worldwide staple. It was born in a town where, as the great Monarch manager, Buck O'Neal, said, ``Everything was wide open.'' No one knows how many nightclubs and cabarets were in operation during the 1930s. The clubs were packed and the great musicians were working--and playing. In those ``hot'' clubs, Mary Lou Williams, the jazz pianist, said that Kansas City was, ``A heavenly city . . . musicians everywhere.'' Indeed, they were. Among them was the soft spoken saxophonist Ben Kynard, who as a teenager, migrated to Kansas City from Arkansas.

Ben Douglas Kynard was born in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on February 28, 1920, to Bennett and Amelia Kynard. When he was just seven years old, his mother passed away. Three years later, his father remarried, moving the family to Kansas City. He learned first to play the horn, and later the saxophone, from his older brother B.C. Kynard began to play professionally in 1938 at the age of eighteen, performing in night clubs in Kansas and in country clubs with his companion, Celester White and later Oliver Todd's band, known as the Hottentots.

Kynard later joined the U.S. Army, where he played in a military band, one that frequently played at officers' clubs and funerals. After returning to Kansas City, he joined Lionel Hampton's band and traveled the country with the group from 1946 until 1953. He wrote ``Red Top,'' which is still a jazz favorite, while on tour in Newark, New Jersey. He named it after his wife Joyce, whom he married in 1953 and had red hair at the time. After seven years with the band, Kynard left and returned to Kansas City, where he worked for the United States Postal Service for thirty-two years, still playing jazz in the evenings. He also maintained his career as a jazz composer, writing music for himself and other local musicians.

One of the highlights of my life was the evening my father-in-law, who lived directly across the street from Mr. Kynard, introduced

me to the jazz great himself. Later, he played in my in-laws' living room the song that gave him fame, ``Red Top.'' Sadly, on July 5, 2012, Mr. Kynard passed away at the age of 92. He was survived by his wife Joyce, of fifty-nine years, their two children, Brett and Carmen, and their two grandchildren. I am proud to have known Mr. Kynard and have heard him--on a number of occasions--blow that sax.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending Mr. Kynard for his contribution to the world of jazz and honoring his musical accomplishments as a jazz great. Mr. Kynard was an accomplished musician who left behind a rich legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come. His loss will be felt by many, not just in the Kansas City community, but also by those throughout the jazz world who miss this exceptional jazz talent. We wish his family the very best during this time of bereavement. We would also remind them that no one is dead who is remembered. To be sure, Mr. Kynard will, indeed, be remembered.