Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to share a letter that I received from an attorney in my district. The attorney, Sidney Willens, wrote me this letter, and it is, in essence, a letter that supports this rule.

He says, ``Dear Congressman Cleaver, let me tell you a story of Mrs. Sherrita Richardson, a 37-year-old African American mother of four, a bus driver for 9 years. Four years ago, Mrs. Richardson acquired a house in your district at 3413 East 60th Street with an inflated appraisal of $93,000, requiring a 10 percent down payment she didn't have. Yet, virtually penniless, Mrs. Richardson acquired title to a house for $93,000. A mortgage broker purchased a $9,300 cashier's check payable to the seller, made a copy to show the 10 percent down payment was made, then redeemed the $9,300 check 24 hours later.''

He goes on to say, ``The need for bankruptcy judges to reduce mortgage balances consistent with current fair market values is absolutely essential if we're to get out of this economic mess.''

For those who give hope to ``mortgage modification,'' let me say one thing; mortgages have been modified by crooks using the adjustable rate mortgage--they modified mortgages, they did it as hoodlums. And there is no reason for the Congress of the United States of America not to step in and try to help people who've been ripped off in the name of good business.

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

Madame Speaker, on January 20, this Nation will lay witness to a Presidential Inauguration like no other in our country's history. As my fellow Americans travel to the District of Columbia, in some cases without a place to stay, just to be part of this historic occasion, we must bear in mind that this event stands as a symbol of democracy, and that tickets should not be bought and sold to the highest bidder. It is egregious that tickets that are given out freely would then be sold for thousands of dollars. Even worse, are false promises of tickets that are made to individuals and families, who are then left with empty pockets and tales of disillusion.

For these reasons, I have introduced a bill that will make it a crime to knowingly sell tickets to the Presidential Inaugural ceremony. This bill will also make it a criminal act to produce counterfeit tickets for the Inaugural ceremony. I am hopeful that this bill will work to stop the unscrupulous, yet devastating actions of the few, and preserve the dignity of this historic and celebratory occasion for the many.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 1 minute p.m.), the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, December 10, 2008, at 10 a.m.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor one of Jackson County's finest political leaders, Joe Bolger, Jr. who died on November 18, 2008. He grew up proud of his Eastern Jackson County roots. He attended the University of Missouri and graduated with a bachelor of science in 1955. By the age of 36 he was happily married to Joanne Kobe Bolger and had three children, Kathleen, Brian and Craig. By this time in his life, he had garnered the respect of his community as he served as president of the Jackson County Chamber and had been appointed to the State Water Pollution Board by Missouri Governor Warren E. Hearnes. With the support of friends and family he entered the political arena running for the Democratic nomination for Jackson County Eastern District Judge, a seat that had been held by President Harry S. Truman. He filed his papers at the Jackson County Clerk's office in the Independence Courthouse, which he insisted was the real county seat, a debate that continues today.

In 1970 Joe Bolger, Jr. was elected Eastern Judge of Jackson County, joining Presiding Judge George W. Lehr and Western Judge Harry Wiggins. All three judges were in their 30's with Joe Bolger, Jr. being the youngest of the judges. They were a dynamic combination and set Jackson County on a path of prosperity and growth. He was a strong advocate and defender for Eastern Jackson County. He believed in listening and learning from his constituents. While fighting for the rights of Eastern Jackson County, Joe Bolger, Jr. stated in The Kansas City Star article, ``We would like to look upon you as our big brother. . . . not be seen as stepchildren. The eastern and western districts are two different worlds, and I'm not pleased with your attitude toward the balance of the county.'' He spoke of the future and warned that the population would soon shift outside Kansas City. He fought for the sports complex, infrastructure improvements, economic opportunities, and better schools.

He served for two years, 1971 and 1972. History will record that he was the last Eastern Jackson County Judge. In his last year, 1972, the Truman Sports Complex opened in Eastern Jackson County. We were the talk of the sports nation as we cut the ribbon on the top designed major league facilities.

By 1973, Jackson County had adopted a charter form of government, consisting of a County Executive and 15 legislators. Joe Bolger Jr. was voted to continue his service as a member of the original 15 legislators, representing northeast Jackson County. He was a powerful voice as he served with three Jackson County Executives. After the second County Executive, Mike White, decided not to run for another term, many asked Joe Bolger, Jr. to run but he declined. He served on the Jackson County Legislature for ten years, leaving all of Jackson County a better place to live. He brought industry and commerce to Eastern Jackson County and watched as the population grew. He was instrumental in the Little Blue Valley Sewer District and the continued development of Eastern Jackson County. He believed in a Truman style of government of plain speaking and respect for his community. He will always be remembered as highly intelligent, a caring father, and advocate for his constituency.

Madam Speaker, please join me in expressing our appreciation to the life and accomplishments of Joe Bolger, Jr. His legacy lives on in Jackson County as his work and dedication lead to the betterment of our community. I urge my colleagues of the 110th Congress to join me in remembering a great man from Eastern Jackson County.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor my friend and colleague the late Reverend Earl Abel of Kansas City, MO. In life, Reverend Earl Abel labored tirelessly for nearly 50 years as a minister, a community leader and mentor to countless members of the Kansas City community. When Reverend Abel founded the Palestine Missionary Baptist Church of Jesus Christ he only had 11 members. Today, his church has grown into one of the larger ministries in the Kansas City community. Under his leadership the church has built two senior citizens residences, a Senior Activity Center and a church camp for both youths and adults in the larger Kansas City community.

The Kansas City community was so central to Rev. Abel's heart, that in addition to the good works his church was engaged in. He personally took on many other important roles to serve the community that he loved including Chaplain for the Kansas City Police Department, President of the Baptist Ministers Union, and member of the Kansas City Council on Crime Prevention. In 1999, he was appointed to the Appellate Judicial Commission by Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan. Rev. Abel spent his life building good will and love and now it is my privilege to ask for your help to honor this man by naming a post office in the heart of Kansas City in his name.

My fellow members of Congress, I urge you to support H.R. 6198 which will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1700 Cleveland Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, as the ``Reverend Earl Abel Post Office Building.

Mr. Speaker, this credit card bill is extremely important, and I would like to just express appreciation to my colleague for having the vision to bring it forth.

People all over the country, the majority of the people around this country, are concerned about what is happening to them with regard to credit cards. I think that this is a week in which we need to all be concerned about what the consumers are feeling. In particular, I'm interested in the fact that we were not, at least in terms of statute, prohibiting what could happen to underage consumers.

In our committee, I produced a letter received by a 15-year-old boy offering him a credit card. The father of that boy works here on the Hill and brought the letter to the committee.

This bill, if approved, would provide that no credit card may be knowingly issued to or open-end credit plan established on behalf of a consumer who has not attained the age of 18 unless the consumer is emancipated under applicable State law.

Mr. Speaker, we have, in this country, right now over a billion credit cards. We have young people going to

college receiving credit cards. We had testimony before our committee that in colleges, the administration will quite often allow credit card companies to come in on enrollment day. They offer the students a sandwich at one of the local fast food restaurants in exchange for them applying for a credit card. This has got to stop.

China has almost a 22 percent savings rate. The United States is negative .6. We are training our kids to go off to college where that is becoming increasingly expensive and then go out and get a credit card without having any source of income.

This has to stop, and I would like to commend my colleague for introducing this legislation and for doing things that I think the public expects us to do as elected officials.

Madam Speaker, I proudly rise today in recognition of the achievements of Mr. Randall C. Ferguson, Jr., an important resident of the Fifth District of Missouri, which I am honored to represent. This week, Mr. Ferguson 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. Randall is a retired executive from the IBM Corporation. He spent 29 years with IBM in various sales, management, and executive positions. His last position at IBM was senior location executive for the Kansas City region and senior state executive for Kansas and Missouri with responsibility for programs and policy implementation essential to IBM's interests, reputation and involvement relating to both the internal IBM community of 900 employees, and to the outside community. His responsibilities also included government relations, community relations, and all IBM philanthropic grants.

After IBM, he was recruited to be the senior vice president for business growth and member connections for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. His responsibilities included membership, technology, small business activities, aviation, minority business alliances, the economic advisory board, and the world trade center.

Randall holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration with honors from Walton School of Business, University of Arkansas. Throughout his life, Mr. Ferguson has exercised a tireless belief in the principle of putting ``others'' before ``self.'' He has put his principles to practice, and the effects of his efforts can be felt throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. Recognizing his business acumen, Great Planes Energy, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Shelter Insurance voted him on to their corporate boards.

Civically, Randall serves on 12 boards in the greater Kansas City area with varied interests such as energy, healthcare, education, economic development and technology, employment, and diversity in such areas as race, sex, and religion. In all of his activities, he demonstrates his dedication and commitment to the greater good of others. His high energy pace translates directly to the results he is able to obtain for the benefit of all in the greater Kansas City area. Regardless of whether he is in the trenches or the boardroom, his poise and thoughtfulness is ever present. For those reasons and more, it is indeed an honor and a privilege to recognize Randall Ferguson, Jr. at the Missouri Walk of Fame reception, hosted by myself and fellow Missourian, U.S. Representative Wm. Lacy Clay of St. Louis.

Madam Speaker, please join me in expressing our appreciation to Mr. Randall Ferguson, Jr. and his endless commitment to serving the residents of the State of Missouri. He is a true role model not just to the African-American community in Missouri, but to the entire African- American community-at-large. 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 to a heartfelt friend, taking strength from the lives he has touched in our hometown.

Mr. Speaker, it really troubles me that the United States is borrowing money from China to buy oil from Saudi Arabia to put in cars from Japan.

We have been working hard to pass legislation that will bring down prices at the pump and help America end its dependence on foreign oil.

We signed into law the first vehicle fuel efficiency standards in three decades which will save drivers approximately $1,000 a year. We passed an historic commitment to American biofuels which are keeping gas prices 15 percent lower than they would be otherwise. And House Democrats pressured Mr. Bush to stop sending oil to the government reserve, which put more oil on the market to fight rising gas prices.

This Democratic-led Congress has also passed legislation to curb excess speculation to prevent price gouging and to expand tax incentives for renewable energy.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to stop being partisan and try to move toward progress.

Mr. Speaker, when Congresswoman Tubbs discovered that I had three sons who had gone to college on basketball scholarships, she asked if I would bring them here for the annual fund-raising basketball game with the Georgetown Law School faculty. None of them could come this year; so I was drafted by Stephanie Tubbs Jones in language that I would normally not use during a sermon. But I did show up and immediately became angry because she pulled me out of the game just because I could not make it down the court in a minute in the transition game. So I cheered for the remainder of the evening for our team that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee mentioned did win in overtime.

But the most significant moment for me came when we all saw the signs that the pages had made for us. They were cheering us on. And the pages sent me a statement that they asked if I would read on their behalf. And I quote:

``Ask any one of the pages from the spring 2008 class to list their favorite memories from the 5 months we spent working on the hill, an anecdote about Ms. Stephanie Tubbs Jones will likely be included. For some of us it is the unwavering charisma shown when she was the Speaker pro tempore. For others it is the simple act of coming to say good-bye to us at our departure ceremony. For most of us, it is the night of the 2008 home court charity basketball game, where our chants cheering on the Hill's Angels team and the Coach Tubbs Jones rang 10 times louder than the formidable Georgetown students cheering section and led our team to a surprising victory.

That night and for the rest of the time we knew Ms. Tubbs Jones, we weren't just pages sitting in the back of the House. We experienced that night the true strength, pride, and enthusiasm of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a strength rooted in her devotion to making things better, a pride in her job as a public servant evident every single day, and an unmatched enthusiasm for our service as pages. She was the type of woman you only dream of meeting at some point in your life and the friend we never expected to find in the halls of Congress last spring.

``Just as we will never forget our time as pages, we will never forget Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

``The spring 2008 page class.''

Mr. Speaker, Stephanie Tubbs Jones was my friend. We had the opportunity to spend time together, and I don't want to reminisce and say things that others have already said. Let me just say that I hate death. I hate it. And if I had an opportunity to erase it or kill it, I would. But death, unfortunately, is a part of life and we will all experience it. The issue is not death so much as it is life, and we are granted an unspecified period of time, and many of us deal with those moments with a kind of carelessness that certainly was not planned when we were given our time on this Earth.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones was exuberant. She lived her life. She lived it out to the fullest. And I can say that if you understand that life is not a time to just waste and then look at the time of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, you know she understood that. And I would say that death is not a cul-de-sac for some. It's not an end. Death is a beginning. And for Stephanie Tubbs Jones, it was a comma for a new beginning. She lived her life and she lived it with zest and zeal.

She pulled me in Kansas City on the dance floor in front of hundreds of people and made me dance. I have a photograph of that that I had been hiding that I am now going to bring out with pride because I think when she did that, she was also saying live your life and live it to the fullest. Never ever allow cobwebs to cover you. If you rest, you rust. Stephanie Tubbs Jones never rusted.

Madam Speaker, our economy has now lost 430,000 jobs this year. The latest employment numbers show 62,000 jobs lost last month alone. This only adds to the growing financial insecurity among America's middle income families.

For the past 7 years, this administration has been supporting the same old policies that got us into this recession. The 3.8 million Americans who continue to struggle to find work in this sluggish economy can no longer afford the poisonous policies of the past. They can't afford to drive their kids to school because of over $4 a gallon in gasoline.

A Teamster told me at home last weekend that it cost him $1,000 to fill his rig. He can't afford to stay in the business. No one can afford to buy groceries because the price of milk and bread has soared past inflation.

And while Senator John McCain's chief economic adviser says Americans are simply whining about the economy, Democrats believe that we need to actually do something.

Madam Speaker, this new law that we passed 13 weeks ago to help 1.6 million Americans will help middle class families.

Mr. Speaker, in 1940 the U.S. population was about 131 million, 12.6 million of which was African American, or about 10 percent of the total population.

During World War II, the Army had become the Nation's largest minority employer. Of the 2.5 million African Americans males who registered for the draft more than one million were inducted into the armed forces. African Americans, who constituted approximately 11 per cent of all draftees Along with thousands of black women, these inductees served with distinction in all branches of service and in all Theaters of Operations during World War II.

I have a proud personal connection to one of those who risked their lives in the segregated service. Over 966 Black military aviators were trained at the Tuskegee Airfield. One of these men, I am proud to say, was my uncle, the Reverend LeRoy Cleaver, Jr.

The Tuskegee Airmen carried a heavy burden. Every single mission, every success, every failure was viewed in relation to the color of their skin. They could fly the skies valiantly and return to the tarmac only to have their white peers refuse to return their salutes.

Even the Nazis asked why African American men would fight for a country that treated them so unfairly. Yet the Tuskegee Airmen were eager to fly and die for a Nation that had done little for them.

These men, like over a million others who fought in World War II, fought two wars: One was in Europe, and the other in the hearts and minds of Americans.

As a poignant example, the white commander of the Tuskegee airfield was once asked--with all seriousness--how do African Americans fly? He said, ``Oh, they fly just like everybody else flies--stick and rudder.'' Little by little, every victory at war was translated to a victory here in the United States.

On February 2, 1948, President Truman, in no small part due to the bravery of the men of Tuskegee, announced in a special message to Congress that he had, ``instructed the Secretary of Defense to take steps to have the remaining instances of discrimination in the armed services eliminated as rapidly as possible.''

President Truman's former colleagues and drinking partners, the Senators from the Southern States immediately threatened a filibuster. The typically bull-headed man from Missouri forced the issue by using his executive powers. Among other things, Truman bolstered the civil rights division, appointed the first African American judge to the Federal bench, named several other African Americans to high-ranking administration positions, and most important, 60 years ago on July 26, 1948, he issued an executive order abolishing segregation in the armed forces and ordering full integration of all the services.

Executive Order 9981 declared that ``there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.'' By the end of the Korean conflict, almost all the military was integrated.

The men and women I am proud to represent in Missouri's Fifth District have contributed a great deal to this Nation we love. They have fought wars, supplied the expansion the West, founded religions, painted masterpieces, composed symphonies--but perhaps none have done more to shape the face of the earth than President Truman. May history always remember Executive Order 9981 as quintessential Truman. In classic Truman style, the order was an example of making a decision not because it was easy, but because it was the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1271) recognizing National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.

The month of June is National Homeownership Month, and at a time of growing concern about the foreclosure crisis affecting the lives of too many Americans, Congress has responded with a bipartisan effort to revitalize the housing market.

This year, the President, in one of the proclamations that actually I think spoke for most Members of this body, as well as for most Americans, said, ``For many Americans, owning a home represents freedom, independence and the American dream.''

During National Homeownership Month, we highlight the benefits of owning a home and encourage our fellow citizens to be responsible homeowners. It is difficult to be a responsible homeowner at this time because foreclosure filings last month went up nearly 50 percent compared with a year earlier. Nationwide, this is unbelievable. 261,255 homeowners received at least one foreclosure-related filing in May. That is up 48 percent from the same month last year, and up 7 percent from April. Last week, the Mortgage

Bankers Association reported that about 2.5 percent of home mortgages were in foreclosure during the first quarter of this year, almost double the rate of a year earlier.

I was reading an article in the June 19 Washington Post which suggests that 6.5 million loans will fall into foreclosure within the next 5 years; 6.5 million loans. That means that 8 percent of all homeowners in the United States will be impacted directly. That does not count the people who live on the block where a home is foreclosed, and in the urban core, anywhere around the country, that spells disaster, because you will have a rundown property in an area that is already undervalued by those who make declarations about the value of property.

Nearly 74,000 properties were repossessed by lenders nationwide just in May, while more than 58,000 received default notices. That is according to the New York Times, June 14 of this year.

As a person who did not live in a real home until he was 14, I can speak I think very clearly about the value of homeownership. I lived in a house in Waxahachie, Texas, from the time I was born until I was eight that had no running water, no electricity, no indoor plumbing. My mother, father, three sisters and I lived in this shanty, which at one time served as slave quarters.

We were able to move out of that when I was eight. We moved into public housing. We lived in public housing until my father, working about three jobs, sometimes four at the same time, could buy his own home. He bought a home in a white neighborhood, and so he had to have it moved to the black neighborhood.

That home meant everything to the six Cleavers who lived in it. It meant so much that my father had converted this home into a palace that we considered having been blessed to live in. His lawn can be compared with the lawn of anybody in the country, and some of the neighbors even make fun of him because if you drop a cigarette butt or a piece of paper on the street anywhere near his home, it gets picked up.

Homeownership is valuable, and it does grant us a piece of the American dream. But for many Americans, the American dream has become a nightmare. The subprime lending crisis has devastated communities, but let us not forget it has devastated individuals. 705,446 homes will suffer price declines due to foreclosures nearby.

Mr. Speaker, tonight we lift up the value of homeownership, but we do so with a commitment to do everything that we can possibly do to impact the climate so that we can turn things around from the destructive way in which this Nation is suffering.

The month of June is National Homeownership Month. At a time of growing concern about the foreclosure crisis affecting the lives of too many Americans, Congress has responded with a bipartisan effort to revitalize the housing market. This year the President proclaimed, ``For many Americans, owning a home represents freedom, independence, and the American dream. During National Homeownership Month, we highlight the benefits of owning a home and encourage our fellow citizens to be responsible homeowners.''

``Foreclosure filings last month were up nearly 50 percent compared with a year earlier, according to one company's count released yesterday.'' [Washington Post, June 19, 2008].

``Nationwide, 261,255 homeowners received at least one foreclosure- related filing in May, up 48 percent from the same month last year, and up 7 percent from April, foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac said.'' [Washington Post, June 19, 2008].

``Last week the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that about 2.47 percent of home mortgages were in foreclosure during the first quarter of the year, almost double the 1.28 percent rate of a year earlier, and the highest point since the group began compiling such figures in 1979.'' [Washington Post, June 19, 2008].

``A Credit Suisse report this spring predicted that 6.5 million loans will fall into foreclosure over the next five years, reaching more than 8 percent of all U.S. homes.'' [Washington Post, June 19, 2008].

``According to the RealtyTrac report, one in every 483 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing in May, the highest number since RealtyTrac started the report in 2005 and the second straight monthly record.'' [Washington Post, June 19, 2008].

``Nearly 74,000 properties were repossessed by lenders nationwide in May, while more than 58,000 received default notices, the company said.'' [New York Times, June 14, 2008].

At the end of the first quarter of 2008, there were an estimated 1.27 million properties in foreclosure in the United States. In addition, there were approximately 350,000 subprime mortgages more than 90 days delinquent where foreclosure proceedings had not yet begun.

The Center for Responsible Lending offers the following statistics for Missouri: 42,727 foreclosures predicted for 2008-2009; 705,446 homes will suffer price declines due to foreclosures nearby; a $1.8 billion in home values/tax base; and $2,540 average decrease in home value per unit affected.

``The Federal Housing Administration expects to lose $4.6 billion because of unexpectedly high default rates on home loans.'' [New York Times, June 10, 2008].

``One study estimates that in just 10 states (AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY), lost tax revenue in 2008 will total $6.6 billion due to foreclosures.'' [Global Insight, The Mortgage Crisis: Economic and Fiscal Implications for Metro Areas, November, 2007].

``Further, an estimated 524,000 fewer jobs are projected to be created this year because of the foreclosure crisis.'' [Global Insight, The Mortgage Crisis: Economic and Fiscal Implications for Metro Areas, November, 2007].

Initiatives to help responsible homeowners keep their homes have been launched. The Federal Housing Administration has created the FHASecure program so that flexibility in refinancing mortgages for homeowners who have good credit histories but cannot afford their current payments is just one solution. Furthermore, the HOPE NOW Alliance connects struggling homeowners with lenders, loan servicers, and mortgage counselors to help families stay in their homes.

67.8 percent of Americans own their own homes [Census Bureau].

72.0 percent of Midwesterners own their own homes (the highest percentage in the nation) [Census Bureau].

With an increase in age, comes an increase in homeownership. Americans view homeownership as a mark of success, and as proof that they have at least begun to realize the American dream. The purchase of a first home is a symbol of stability, and often acts as a monument to family life, which is the cornerstone of our culture.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for speakers. If the gentleman from Georgia cares to bring another speaker at this time, I would reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and so I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri and in my career as a Methodist minister, I had the distinct honor of getting to know many of the dedicated community leaders whose sole purpose for being involved was to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. One of the best and most beloved of these leaders was the Reverend Earl Abel.

Reverend Abel was born on September 12, 1930. He attended the University of Kansas and went on to receive his Doctor of Divinity Degree from Western Baptist Bible College. Reverend Abel worked as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier until he organized the Palestine Missionary Baptist Church in 1959.

Under Reverend Abel's leadership, what started out as a modest church of 11 members grew into a thriving ministry, touching the lives of thousands of community members across Kansas City, Missouri. While he was pastor, Palestine Church built two senior citizens residences, a Senior Activity Center, and a church camp for both youth and adults. Even as he worked tirelessly to reach out through these programs, Reverend Abel's involvement in the community did not end with his efforts at Palestine Church. Reverend Abel served as Chaplain for the Kansas City Police Department, President of the Baptist Ministers Union, member of the Kansas City Council on Crime Prevention, and authored a book entitled If a Church is to Grow. In 1999, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan appointed Reverend Abel to the Appellate Judicial Commission.

On May 17, 2005, Reverend Abel passed away after 46 years of service at Palestine Missionary Baptist Church of Jesus Christ and more than 48 years as a minister of God.

Today I rise to offer a bill to honor this man by naming a post office facility in Kansas City after him. Given his early career as a mail carrier, it is only fitting for the location at 1700 Cleveland Avenue, in the heart of Kansas City, to carry his name. It is my hope that this small gesture helps ensure that the legacy of Reverend Abel lives on. A companion bill in the Senate will be filed today by Senator Claire McCaskill, herself a tireless public servant and a friend of Reverend Abel.

I hope my fellow colleagues will join me in recognizing Reverend Earl Abel for his loving ministry and limitless dedication to serving the Kansas City, Missouri community. I thank the Chair and ask that the full text of the bill, and these remarks, be inserted into the Record at the appropriate place.

Madam Speaker, I rise out of a deep respect for our Nation's sons and daughters whom we honor each year on Memorial Day. On May 26, 2008, the people of our United States will observe the memory of our men and women in uniform, who, throughout our history, made the ultimate sacrifice out of service to our great Nation.

In Kansas City, Missouri, we will gather at Liberty Memorial, the National World War I Museum, to reflect and honor our dead. Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles, from Missouri, is the last known surviving American World War I veteran and will be present for the ceremony. Mr. Buckles witnessed the evolution of our country from isolation, depression, immigration, to liberation. He was part of a generation who saw all Americans receive the right to vote. He experienced the technological transformation and globalization of our country. He also saw the heartache and ugliness of war.

Ninety-one years ago, our doughboys left home to engage in the War to End All Wars.

Like Harry S. Truman, another Missourian, Mr. Buckles had to manipulate the rules to enlist during World War I. Truman had to memorize an eye chart; at age 16, Mr. Buckles had to exaggerate his age. Private Buckles joined the Army and was detailed to the 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment. He soon arrived in theater where he saw duty as an ambulance driver in England, France and Germany. During part of the conflict he was assigned the responsibility of guarding German prisoners and returned home with the rank of Corporal.

Nearly 4,744,000 Americans defended their country abroad during World War I, and 116,000 made the ultimate sacrifice. After the war, the compassionate people of Greater Kansas City raised enough money in 11 days to build the Liberty Memorial. At the dedication of the Liberty Memorial, General of the Armies John J. Pershing, Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, stated: ``The memorial also symbolizes the obligation that rests upon present and future generations to preserve that for which those men and women offered their all, and from many of whom the supreme sacrifice was accepted. May their memory live on, and may every American who looks upon this noble edifice be inspired by their devotion.''

We were naive in those days to think that World War I would be the last World War. Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles saw the Second World War first hand as well. As a civilian he was employed by the White Star steamship line. While working in Manila in 1941, the Japanese forces attacked and took him prisoner. Three and a half years later he was freed by the 11th Airborne Division and returned to the United States.

Mr. Buckles' presence at the Liberty Memorial on Memorial Day is a reminder to all Americans that our country has been repatriated by the sacrifices of our veterans. Memorial Day is our national holiday of mourning intended to honor those who valiantly served our great Nation. As we gather in honor of generations of Americans who lost their lives in battle, we turn to our veterans to extend our gratitude, and bow our heads in memory of comrades lost.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to please join me in saluting Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles, a true American patriot, and all of our veterans who died In service, and those who survived to make America a better place to live.