Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Lester (Les) Williams for his recognition as ``Labor's Representative of the Year for 2006'' by Labor's Educational and Political Club Independent (LEPCI). He is President, Business Manager, and Member of the Executive Board of Construction and General Laborers' Local Union Number 264. As the eighth recipient of this prestigious award, Les joins an elite list of other dedicated and deserving individuals. His unwavering resolve to the betterment of the Kansas City community and its workers is the reason for this recognition and celebration.

Les is a political activist and humanitarian whose legacy continues to enrich the lives of all Kansas Citians. His dedication and commitment to the Labor Movement has spanned 38 years. In July 1985, Les was elected Vice President, Executive Board Member, and Field Representative of Construction & General Laborers Local Union No. 264. In May 1988, he was elected to his current positions of President, Executive Board Member, and Field Representative of Construction & General Laborers Local Union No. 264.

Les's reputation as a leader extends beyond the borders of the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri. He serves as President of Western Missouri & Kansas Laborers' District Council, Vice President of the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO, Chairman of the Greater Kansas City Laborers' Pension Fund, Secretary of the Greater Kansas City Laborers' Health & Welfare Fund, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Greater Kansas City Laborers' Training Fund, and as Secretary of the MO-KAN CISAP Fund. Mr. Williams is a member of the Executive Committee Board of the African American Caucus for the Midwest Region of the Laborers' International Union of America and also serves on the Executive Committee of the United Way and is Vice Chairman of Working Families Friend. He is also very active in Democratic politics, serving on the Executive Committee Board for the Missouri Democratic Party.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1948, Les completed his elementary and secondary education in the Kansas City, Missouri, school district, a graduate of Manual High & Technical Vocational High School. Les is a proud father and husband, having been married to his wife, Judy, for 39 years.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Les Williams for his relentless efforts in protecting and assisting the rights of others, while extending the labor movement, not only within the boundaries of the Fifth Congressional District, but within the United States and the entire global community. He represents the best in all of us. I urge my colleagues of the 109th Congress to please join me in congratulating Les on being honored as ``Labor's Representative of the Year for 2006.''

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to pay tribute to Mayor Ron Stewart, the arbitrator, peace maker and enthusiastic Mayor for the City of Independence, Missouri. After providing 12 years of planned economic advancement and growth for the city of Independence, Mayor Stewart has decided to retire.

For 45 years Ron Stewart has made Independence a safer and more productive city. He began his career at the City on the Independence Police Force where he served for 31 years. He cultivated an appreciation and understanding of the City and its problems. Upon retirement he was encouraged to run for the Independence City Council and won. Two years later he ran for Mayor. The citizens of Independence elected Ron Stewart every time he ran for office. The All American City appreciates and enjoys every positive objective initiated by Ron Stewart aimed at building a brilliant future while preserving a rich heritage.

During his three terms as Mayor he stimulated vibrant economic growth by working with public and private entities, and community organizations. He made it a priority to work closely with the Independence Chamber of Commerce, built partnerships with neighboring cities, championed relationships between state and federal elected officials, and strengthened international relationships with Sister City Higashimurayamam, Japan.

The Mayor persuaded the City of Independence to pass a sales tax to repair a debilitating infrastructure. As a result of his leadership, streets continue to be repaired and built, a critical Storm Water Control problem has been rectified through increased maintenance and repair, the City's water supply system has been upgraded, electrical supply increased, and a nonfunctioning Parks Department now serves the city with new facilities, programs and refreshed parks.

His honors and awards are numerous and include the United States Department of Transportation, Appreciation for Distinguished Leadership Award, 2000; The Jackson County Inter-Agency Council, Community Service Award, 1999; The Jackson County Historical Society Award for Service, 1998; Chamber of Commerce, Distinguished Citizen Award, 1996; Kentucky State Police, Division of Department of Public Safety Award, 1966. He is a member of the F.O.P Lodge 1; National FBI Academy, Masonic Blue Lodge 76, Ararat Shrine, South Independence Optimist Club; American Legion Post 21; Fraternal Order of Eagles; Moose Lodge Rotary and the Lions Club.

The citizens of Independence know Ron Stewart as a no-nonsense type of guy whose integrity has brought trust. He appreciates his life's treasures that include his family and his wife Marilyn who has been by his side for more than 46 years. He is a musician that enjoys singing and playing his steel guitar in his band, ``Country by Choice''. He rode into public service as a young Independence motor cycle patrol officer and continues to enjoy riding on his Harley-Davidson. His departing documentary was a video that followed the Mayor on his Harley-Davidson as he recounted his proudest accomplishments throughout the city.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues in the House join me in saluting the Mayor of Independence, Ron Stewart, for his leadership and many accomplishments for the City of Independence, Missouri. We wish him the very best as Mayor Stewart leaves public office with a song in his heart and time to explore on his Harley. Thank you, Ron Stewart for choosing to serve. You elevated Independence, Missouri to an All-American City.

Mr. Speaker, the CLEAR Act will position the U.S. House of Representatives as a body of serious advocates for a national consciousness of energy efficiency. As the House entertains a plethora of energy-related bills, the U.S. public will surely come to recognize the need to move toward purchasing automobiles that use renewable fuels and alternative sources of energy such as hydrogen and electricity.

This legislation would prohibit the use of funds from Members' Representational Allowances to provide for any vehicle which does not use alternative fuels. With the price of a gallon of gasoline skyrocketing past 3 dollars, the need to end America's dependency on foreign oil is essential to homeland security and a stable energy supply. New technologies using alternative resources like ethanol, hydrogen and electricity give us the opportunity to reach energy independence. The CLEAR Act will show Americans that their elected officials in Congress are serious about the use of alternate sources of energy and compatible vehicles.

The public would much rather see a sermon than hear one. Surely Congress cannot sell the American public on the need to abandon its gas guzzlers when they observe Members of Congress proudly driving them.

Congress has far more power and persuasion with the public than polls suggest. By approving a bill that essentially says, ``Look at us and do likewise,'' the public will certainly take notice and follow our example.

Mr. Speaker, how high do gas prices have to go before this administration is willing to break its ties with the oil and gas company CEOs? For 5 years now, the major oil companies have been bringing in record profits, while the pain at the pump has grown worse for average Americans.

Today, consumers are paying $3 a gallon. If you are making minimum wage, that means your first hour at work is used to buy 1\1/2\ gallons of gasoline for your car.

Major oil companies just reported $16 billion in profits for the first quarter alone, and the national response has been moral outrage. Yet last year they pushed through an energy bill that gave oil and gas companies an additional $20 billion in tax breaks and subsidies.

The problem is, those in charge here are not willing to have the courage to stand up and make things right.

It is good to be here. We were sworn in together to this Congress, and I have often been asked, what has surprised you the most?

In fact, today, a group of students from the Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri in Kansas City was here, the Bloch School named after Henry Bloch, the founder H&R Block, who is a Kansas Citian; and the question they asked was, what has surprised you the most?

Having served as mayor of Kansas City for two terms, I have seen a lot in the political environment. So they were obviously wanting me to describe what I saw here as opposed to and what was different from what I saw as mayor.

The number one issue I always report is the incivility. I don't think any of us who were sworn into the 109th Congress expected the incivility to be at the level that we have witnessed.

I have gone to some of the long-time Members of Congress from the Democrat side and asked, for example, when we were in the majority, did we do mean-spirited things? Did we leave the vote open for 3 hours? Did we lock the door to keep people out from the other side?

And they said, we did shamefully some things. We never left the vote open for 3 hours. We never locked out people from a markup. And I cannot tell you how upset I became to find out last year, that just before Christmas, many of us sat here all night for a vote on the defense bill, and the American public probably does not know that there is not a single human being on planet Earth who read the bill, because the bill actually was a compilation from a number of committees. And so while there may have been one group familiar with one part of the budget, there was nobody, no group familiar with the entire budget. And I sat on the front row, and I actually fell asleep about 6 a.m. and I got up and I said, I am not going to vote for this.

And then a number of my colleagues came over and said, yeah, this is wrong, they should not have done it. But you have to vote for it because if you do not vote for it, they will send e-mails throughout your district saying that you were opposed to the troops, you were against supporting the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

And I said, will they do things like that? And so I wondered if they were overstating it. I voted for it like most Members of Congress. And then 1 week later, e-mails were sent all over the State of Missouri, in fact I received a phone call from a constituent in Congressman Carnahan's district because I voted against a bill to protect the symbols of Christmas.

I could not believe that the Congress of the United States, the 109th Congress, with $4 billion being spent every month in Iraq, with No Child Left Behind not receiving full funding within my State, and in Congressman Carnahan's State there have been 97,000 people kicked off Medicaid. When you consider the fact that we do not have an energy policy in this country, at least not one that makes sense, I could not understand why the Congress of the United States needed to protect Christmas. As if, you know Christmas was in danger, and if we did not vote, if the people in here did not vote, Christmas was not going to occur.

And so I voted against it, because I thought it was ridiculous then, I think it is ridiculous now. I have a master's degree in theology and never read anything which would suggest that God needed the help of the 109th Congress.

But it gives you an idea about the civility or lack thereof. And so it causes me a great deal of pain to see many of the things that are occurring. I do not want to suggest that we do not have some people on our side who may also from time to time contribute to the vitriol that I see. The difference, of course, is our vitriol means very little because we do not have the power and the ability to bring legislation up.

And so when I go home and tell people, they say, well, why do you not introduce a bill to do such and such? And I said, you do not understand. I can introduce 1,000 bills. If I introduced a bill that would cure cancer, it would never get a hearing. And it is always a surprise for the public to hear that because they do not understand that you cannot introduce legislation no matter how great the merit, if you are not with the majority party.

May I inquire of the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania, Congressman Carnahan and I are from Missouri. We are in the middle of the country and we are not prone to extremes, so we believe you are supposed to balance the budget. Congressman Carnahan's father was the Governor twice in the State of Missouri; he balanced the budget. I had to do the same as Mayor of Kansas City.

In fact, there is a State law in Missouri that you must balance your budgets. There is no such thing as you did not do it this year. You must balance the budget.

Maybe as a member of the Budget Committee you can help me understand why the money for the gulf coast reconstruction and the money for Iraq was not budgeted. I mean, we do not have two of the most costly items in the U.S. budget factored in, and as a new Member that troubles me.

It would trouble the American public if they knew. You mean you do not put in the cost of the war in Iraq? You mean you do not add in the budget the rebuilding of the most devastated region in the history of the United States? Well, how are we going to do it?

So maybe you could address that.

As I raised the question earlier, my concern was and I knew we would eventually get to this point, was that the money that we do not budget we borrow. And most Americans are outraged over the U.S. debt which is rising even as we speak here tonight.

When we borrow the money for the rehabilitation of the gulf coast and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq, we are borrowing those dollars. And right now we owe Japan $683 billion. And then next to them we owe China $249 billion.

We even owe OPEC $67 billion. And at a time when we are talking about reducing our dependence on foreign oil, it does not make sense to me, I am from the middle of the country so there are some things maybe I do not understand. It does not make sense to me that we are talking about reducing our dependence on foreign oil while at the same time borrowing more money from OPEC.

There is a scripture, Proverbs 22:7 which says that the borrower is always at the whim of the lender. And when we are talking about owing OPEC $67 billion, I am not sure that we are in any kind of position to be influential with folks to whom we owe billions of dollars.

And the debt continues to rise with even our neighbor to the north, Canada. And most Americans cannot understand that debt because we have to pay our bills each month. And with the gasoline prices reaching $3 a gallon it means that someone who is earning minimum wage, $5.15, works the first hour of their week to buy 1\7/10\ gallons of gasoline. That is obscene.

And so it means that the first day they work, the first day they work of a 5-day work week, 7 hours of that, of that first day goes to fill up that tank of gas at the minimum wage of $5.15, which means that wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. And so it continues to roll on when you look at the average price per gallon today which is just under $3; and of course in many cities on the East Coast it has already reached $3 a gallon, and people are hemorrhaging with this kind of gasoline cost.

I think it is absolutely obscene that the gasoline cost is rising at this level while, as my colleague, Congressman Carnahan mentioned earlier, the oil barons are reaping the largest profits in history. He said of the world; I think it is of the galaxy. No corporate institution has ever earned that kind of profit.

That becomes even more obscene when you add to that the fact that the CEO of one of the major companies has a retirement package that almost equals $400 million.

Mr. Speaker, the Ford plant in Kansas City is now in mass production of a hybrid, which they are placing on the market because there is hopefully going to be a great demand, and we think that in the middle of the country it makes perfect sense for us to manufacture hybrids because, after all, we produce the agricultural products that were mentioned earlier that can be used for E-85.

We probably are in a situation now where we need to look at the situation with oil as a security issue. It is an issue that digs deeply into the pocketbooks of most Americans, but in addition, it is a security issue, and it is a security issue because the people of the United States, I am sure, do not want to owe this kind of money to China or OPEC or any of the other countries, for that matter, and so we need to think about this issue.

Gasoline is an international commodity, and I think with the increased use of gasoline by China and India it is going to drive the demand up, and so the price of gasoline, in all probability, is going to rise.

However, the Congress of the United States ought to get serious about trying to address this problem in the long run. I introduced a bill today that would require all Members of Congress when their lease expires on an MRA, the Members Representation Account, the money we get to run our offices, that when the lease expires on their automobiles, that they would have to lease or could lease only automobiles that are energy efficient as defined by the GSA.

Now, the reason I have done this is because people are poking fun at Congress. The numbers in terms of our approval rating is always down, and one of the reasons is they think we are hypocrites. I mean, we talk about energy on the floor. We talk about it when we go home with press conferences, but then they look at us and see us driving big SUVs and it does not click. It is the thing that troubles us.

Mr. Speaker, I think that the whole energy issue is quite convoluted because we are never able to address the issues that we want the American public to benefit from because there are always little tricks.

For example, LIHEAP was placed in the energy bill last year, which is money for low-income individuals to get assistance in their heating costs, and so that is placed in there. So that, if you vote against it, it means that you are against poor people, and of course I voted against it because at some point I came to the conclusion that I had to be faithful to who I am. I am not voting for any of those things anymore, where they do what we call the ``got you'' legislation, and I am not voting for that anymore because the American public ends up suffering every time we do that.

But the question that I think is going to be raised here is will Congress make the decision to allow legislation to surface that would require that they give up gas guzzlers when they use government money to do the lease. Now, this is not private vehicles, but what the public may not know is many Members of Congress legitimately will lease automobiles. They can only lease them for 2 years because we are only here for 2 years, and then we must go up for reelection. So we are saying that when the lease expires, if you really believe in energy efficiency, then let us make sure that the public can see us as ones who are embracing what we are preaching. It is a horrible, horrible thing to advocate in a commercial that people should drink Coca-Cola and then people visit your home and you have Pepsi.

So I think one of the things Congress must do, it is a moral thing I believe to stand up and say we are going to drive energy efficient cars. It gives us the right then to begin to talk to the public about some legitimate sacrifices that all of us are going to have to make.

If the gentlewoman would yield, I found some money and I want to announce it right now to the world. If we rescind the tax cuts for individuals with an adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000, the revenue effect of that would be $24.5 billion in fiscal year 2007 and over 5 years it would be $137 billion. The tax cuts that this Congress gave in 2001 and 2003 disproportionately benefited the wealthiest people of the Nation. At the same time we have been unable to increase the minimum wage from $5.15. And we are giving tax cuts to the wealthiest people in the country. The tax cuts that were given would allow the wealthiest Americans with 46.8 percent of the tax benefits proposed in the President's fiscal 2007 budget and extended from 2001 and 2003, it would benefit 4.1 percent of the taxpayers of this country. People who are going to get up early in the morning to drive to their job and most of the money they earn that day is to buy gasoline are not going to be thinking kindly of what is happening to them.

There is a tsunami of frustration rolling across America. People are frustrated with what they see going on here. It is revealed in the polling data that is coming in from every polling source. It is bipartisan. Newspapers, whether they are the conservative Washington Post or the progressive New York Times are coming up with the same numbers, and that is the people of this country are frustrated. Incivility continues. We don't attack issues. We attack people. We don't try to come together and sit down and try to figure out ways in which we can help this country. We lock the doors. We lock people out of meetings. We won't allow a discussion or a debate on issues that are critically important to this Nation.

That is absolutely correct. The reason that I used ``we'' and it is a dangerous use of the word ``we,'' is that what many people see coming out of this body, they attribute to all of us when the truth of the matter is we don't have, we, those of us on this side, don't have the capacity because we are the minority, to effect the kinds of changes that I think we need to effect.

And so the tsunami of frustration continues to roll across America. Something needs to be done. If not, I think that we are headed dangerously toward a number of crises, some of which this Nation has never ever experienced before.

Mr. Speaker, on this past Friday evening, our colleague, Ike Skelton, joined an elite group of Americans as he was presented with the Harry S Truman Public Service Award. He joins Colin Powell, Madeline Albright, Henry Kissinger and Tom Eagleton, just to name a few; and so I stand before you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues of Ike Skelton, to say that we can stand proud of what he has done over his career and fact that he has now been recognized by the body that salutes Harry Truman.

Mr. Speaker, if this House does not act within the next 2 weeks, millions of American seniors will face the egregious and unfair prescription drug tax.

As this calendar shows, May 15 is the deadline President Bush and congressional Republicans created for seniors to sign up for a prescription drug plan. In town hall meetings I have held throughout my district, the seniors of Missouri District 5 are outraged by and confused over Medicare part D. If they do not sign up for a plan within the next 13 days, a penalty of at least a 7 percent premium tax will be forced on every single individual every single month for the rest of their lives simply because they did not sign up for this confusing and sometimes less beneficial Medicare part D program.

For over a month, Democrats have come to this floor almost daily urging Republicans to join us in preventing this grave injustice from taking place on May 15. Time is running out for Congress to do the right thing and support this extension. America seniors cannot afford a Bush prescription drug tax.

Mr. Speaker, the other side will once again try to spin their 2007 budget as fiscally responsible. The American people know better. For 5 years now, Republicans have controlled both the Congress and the White House, and for 5 years our budget deficit has been spiraling out of control. Two years ago, former House majority leader Dick Armey told the Wall Street Journal, and I am quoting, ``I am sitting here and I am upset about the deficit and I am upset about spending. There is no way I can pin that on the Democrats. Republicans own the town.''

That is a former Republican leader talking about their fiscal irresponsibilities.

For 5 years now those who own the town created the fourth largest budget deficit in American history. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the 2000 budget those who own the town plan to bring to the floor this week is the fourth most fiscally irresponsible budget in history, creating an additional $348 billion debt, and yet those who own the town try to claim their fiscal responsibility.

Members of their own party don't even believe that anymore.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Tony ``Fish'' Aguirre, a remarkable and compassionate leader whose legacy has touched so many Kansas Citians. Mr. Aguirre entered our world on February 8, 1929, and passed on March 19, 2006. His passing is a deep loss felt by his family, the Westside community, the greater Kansas City area, and most assuredly, the thousands of lives he touched through his 50-plus years of service to Kansas City's youth.

Tony was blessed with natural athletic ability and became a talented all-around athlete in his youth, almost being drafted to play professional baseball and being offered a college basketball scholarship. At the age of 17, his God-given talent led to his calling of coaching the boys and girls from his neighborhood, the Westside. Tony went on to graduate from Redemptorist High School in 1949 and later married his wife, Joan. Tony credited his wife with encouraging him to return to athletics at the Guadalupe Center after graduating from high school. From that point forward, Tony Aguirre and Guadalupe Center athletics would become synonymous and well-known throughout Kansas City.

From the age of 17 until his death, Tony coached kids year-round in basketball, baseball, softball, and football for the Guadalupe Center. Tony was more than just a coach to the Westside youth; he was a friend, mentor, father figure, and counselor to at least three generations of ball players. Tony was at the forefront of youth development, before youth development became a key program term. His cheers and support came hand in hand with the patience and kindness Tony shared with ``his kids.'' Tony went that extra mile, whether it was keeping the Sacred Heart gym open late for basketball practice, or marking the park fields for baseball, softball, or football, Tony did everything possible to help ``his kids'' be competitive and proud of themselves. Tony impacted the lives of many, and his influence was far reaching, both inside and outside the Latino community. Tony will long be remembered for his kind smile and words of encouragement he shared with everyone.

In 1988, the Guadalupe Center established the Tony Aguirre High School Scholarship Award to help deserving students from the Hispanic community attend private or parochial high school in Mr. Aguirre's honor. In 2000, the city of Kansas City, MO, honored Tony's contributions by naming the newly constructed Westside Community Center after him. Never seeking accolades, Tony received numerous awards throughout his life for his service, coaching, and dedication to youth.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing our heartfelt sympathy to his wife, Joan Aguirre, his children, Sandy, Steve, Arlynne, Kathy and Amy, his 19 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, and his many relatives and friends. I urge my colleagues to please join me in conveying our gratitude to his family for sharing this great man with us, and to accept our condolences for their tremendous loss. He was an inspiration to us all.

Madam Speaker, the Bush-Dubai ports contract was a bad deal for national security when it involved six American seaports. Now it turns out the company would operate 22 U.S. ports for far more than the President said were included in the deal.

My friends, America is not secure. The majority of the voters in my home district in Missouri are appalled. They don't understand why U.S. companies cannot operate all the ports.

Just yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff said that handing over American ports to a Dubai company would give the U.S. a better handle on security at U.S. terminal operations. I don't know the Secretary personally, so I don't know whether or not he was serious. I do know this: American security should not be outsourced.

The only way to increase port security at our docks is to actually screen every single container that comes into the U.S. Democrats support fully funding port security to make sure that terrorists are not allowed to smuggle dangerous chemicals into our Nation. Only 6 percent of the cargo that is coming into the ports is screened. America can do better.

Mr. Speaker, the United Arab Emirates port deal should never have been approved. Sure, the admission is now backpedaling, but despite this 45-day delay, the administration is still going to try to push this deal through.

It does not matter that the Coast Guard voiced concerns about the proposal before the administration initially approved the deal. It does not matter that large numbers of Democrats and Republicans have come out in opposition to the deal. It does not matter that the overwhelming majority of Americans do not support this deal and believe it to be dumb. Nor does it matter that the administration never checked with the affected communities before signing off on it. No, the Bush administration sees this 45-day period as an opportunity to steamroll Congress.

We simply cannot allow that to happen. Congress must play an active role in this decision. I hope, I really hope, that the House Republicans will join us in insisting that no deal move forward without a vote here on this floor. Democrats insist that in addition to the 45- day investigation there must also be a congressional vote. This is a national security decision, and it is simply too important for partisanship to take precedence over prudence.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first yield 1 minute to my colleague from Kansas (Mr. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, this week Kansas City and our entire metropolitan area celebrated our hometown hero, Buck O'Neil, a Hall of Famer in our hearts. It is clear that the baseball Hall of Fame has made a terrible, shameful error in not inducting Buck on this ballot. As one of the Hall's own officials said, ``The Hall of Fame is not complete without Buck O'Neil.''

Buck is the reason 17 members of the Negro Leagues will be inducted this summer. Without his national visibility as an ambassador of the Negro Leagues, they would not have this honor. Without his efforts, very few would know the intimate details of segregated baseball in the United States during the 1930s, 1940s, and even into the 1950s.

Buck, the classy man that he is, will never complain about not being elected to the Hall. In fact, when told by reporters that he had not made it, he smiled and said, ``That's the way the cookie crumbles.'' And so, on behalf of a community in tears, and a 94-year-old baseball legend, I will stand and complain.

The omission of Buck O'Neil was wrongheaded and an insult to Buck, the Negro Leagues, and baseball fans everywhere. Buck O'Neil is a man who has done more than anyone to popularize and keep alive the history of the Negro Leagues. The fact that he was not voted into baseball's Hall of Fame is a wrong that only Major League Baseball can make right, and I hope they will make it right next year.

This humble man, who is careful not to slight, has, in fact, been slighted, apparently by a single vote, by a group who looked shortsightedly at his batting average, but not at what he has done for the game of baseball. There is one thing for sure: Buck's exploits on the baseball diamond were not steroid-aided. At a time when the game of baseball is in search of credibility,

there is a need for a living symbol of all that is good and wholesome about the sport. Who better than Buck O'Neil?

Think about the few people who would come to a baseball stadium and get excited about the opportunity to be near Buck O'Neil. If given an opportunity, Buck O'Neil could be one of the greatest ambassadors in the history of Major League Baseball.

It is rare that an entire community rallies around a single person; but our community loves Buck, what he stands for and his indomitable spirit. Once again, Buck O'Neil is teaching us that disappointments are to be cremated, not embalmed.

Buck's baseball career spans seven decades and has helped make him a foremost authority on baseball history and one of the game's greatest advocates.

I have never met a man who loves baseball and his community more than Buck O'Neil; but more than that, Buck loves life. And for that inspired love, Buck is adored by all those who know him and all who have heard him.

Literally hundreds of thousands of people have been touched by Buck's kind smile. He has traveled the country teaching children and adults about the Negro Leagues, baseball and life in general. Many of you may know his voice as the one in Ken Burns's documentary on baseball. We know him as the man you can find sitting behind home plate at Kansas City Royals baseball games talking to everyone who stops by to say hello.

As Kansas City's mayor, I was inspired by O'Neil to revitalize 18th and Vine, the historical center for black culture and life in Kansas City from the late 1800s to the 1960s. It was the hub of activity for African American homeowners, businesses, jazz and baseball enthusiasts. One block from the district stands the Paseo YMCA building, which was built as a black YMCA in 1914. It served as a temporary home for baseball players, railroad workers, and others making the transition to big-city life.

Mr. Speaker, I intend to introduce a resolution calling for the commissioner of baseball to give a special recognition to Buck O'Neil at the All Star Game. I will nominate through a bill Buck O'Neil for the Congressional Gold Medal.

This week Kansas City and our entire community celebrates our hometown hero, Buck O'Neil--a Hall-of-Famer in our hearts. It is clear the Baseball Hall of Fame has made a terrible shameful error in not inducting Buck on this ballot. As one of the Hall's own officials said, ``The Hall of Fame is not complete without Buck O'Neil.''

Buck is the reason 17 members of the Negro League's will be inducted this summer. Without his national visibility as an ambassador of the Negro Leagues, they would not have this honor. Without his efforts, very few would know the intimate details of segregated baseball in the U.S. during the 1930's, 40's and even into the 1950's.

Buck, the classy man that he is, will never complain about not being elected to the Hall. In fact, when told he had not made it, he smiled and said, ``that's the way the cookie crumbles.'' And so, on behalf of a community in tears, and a 94 year old baseball legend, I will stand and complain. The omission of Buck O'Neil was wrong-headed and an insult to Buck and baseball fans everywhere. Buck O'Neil is a man who has done more than anyone to popularize and keep alive the history of the Negro Leagues. The fact that he was not voted into Baseball's Hall of Fame is a wrong that only Major League baseball can make right. and I hope they make it right next year.

This humble man who is careful not to slight anyone has been slighted--apparently by a single vote--by a group who looked shortsightedly at his batting average, but not at what he has done for the game of baseball. There is one thing for sure, Buck's exploits on the field were not steroid aided. At a time when the game has become an American past-time in search of credibility, there is a need for a living symbol of all that is good and wholesome about the sport. Who better than Buck O'Neil?

Think about the fan appeal of Buck O'Neil, a bitterless black baseball legend visiting each major league ballpark during the upcoming season. He could attract African American youngsters back to the game, and in doing so, keep the game going for another generation.

It is rare that an entire community rallies around a single person, but our City loves Buck, what he stands for, and his indomitable spirit. Once again, Buck O'Neil is teaching us that disappointments are to be cremated, not embalmed.

Buck's baseball career spans seven decades and has helped make him a foremost authority on baseball history and one of the game's greatest advocates.

Buck Joined the Kansas City Monarchs in 1938. He left the team to serve in the U.S. Navy in World War II. When he returned from the Philippines in 1943, Buck played and managed with the Monarchs until 1955. As a manager, Buck guided the team to five pennants and two Negro World Series titles. As the major leagues' first African-American coach, Buck signed Ernie Banks and Lou Brock to their first minor- league contracts with the Cubs.

I have never met a man who loves baseball and his community more than Buck O'Neil. But, more than that, Buck loves life. And for that inspired love, Buck is adored by all those who know him and all who have heard of him. Literally hundreds of thousands of people have been touched by Buck's kind smile.

He has traveled the country teaching children and adults about the Negro Leagues, baseball, and life. Many of you probably know him as the voice and face of Ken Burn's documentary on baseball. We know him as the man you can find sitting behind home plate at Kansas City Royals games talking to everyone who sops by to say hello.

As Kansas City's mayor, I was inspired by O'Neil to revitalize 18th & Vine--the historical center for black culture and life in Kansas City from the late 1800s-1960s. It was the hub of activity for African- American homeowners, business, jazz, and baseball enthusiasts. One block from the district stands the Paseo YMCA building, which was built as a black YMCA in 1914. It served as a temporary home for baseball players, railroad workers, and others making the transition to big city life in the Midwest. It was there that the Negro National League was founded in 1920.

The 18th and Vine Historic District is now home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where Buck O'Neil serves as Board Chairman. I have introduced House Concurrent Resolution 227, which would designate the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum as America's National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It is the least I can do for Buck and all those great players who played magnificently and in many cases incomparably on segregated fields where their peerless talents were hidden from the nation.

Buck, a long time member of the Bethel AME church in Kansas City, has never been bitter about what happened to him and all the other Negro Leagues players, about the exclusion they felt. He acted out the beliefs of his faith. He has preached a superb sermon with his life. The best sermons are lived and not preached. His reaction to the news that he had not made it into the Hall was a Sunday school lesson in humility and love.

Buck O'Neil represents some of our most noble values: determination, dignity, humility and excellence. He is a pioneer and a trailblazer throughout his life and illustrious career and demonstrates in his everyday actions that determination is the pathway to success.

Buck has said that all that matters to him is that he is in our Kansas City Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame of those who know and care for him. On behalf of the millions of people who live around Kansas City I can say with absolute certainty--you are a Hall-of-Famer to us, Buck.

Mr. Speaker, there was a statement made earlier that the New Testament spoke about individuals as opposed to government, and I would be glad to enter into a colloquy with anyone who would purport to demonstrate that. I can show you for the remainder of the night a litany of scripture that would suggest almost unquestionably that government has a responsibility. Jesus authenticated government, and then Paul asked that we pray for the government.

This issue that we are dealing with, if we are going to bring religion into it, I think we have some obligation to at least deal with the Holy Writ in the fashion that it was written.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Associated Students of the University of Missouri (ASUM) on their 30th anniversary. Throughout their 30 years, this group of dedicated students has been the primary advocates for fellow undergraduates in the State of Missouri. Known as the student voice in the Missouri State government, the organization has been essential to craft and advance legislation that has benefited higher education in Missouri. In addition, ASUM has been the training ground for students interested in entering public service, the political arena, and is responsible for producing some of today's top government employees serving the State of Missouri.

ASUM encourages students to become educated about the political process, and by doing so increases awareness, concern, and participation of young adults in democracy. ASUM's political action began on the campus of University of Missouri-Colombia in 1975. After successful participation by the students at the campus in Colombia, the student leaders expanded the organization to the other campuses within the University of Missouri System: Kansas City, St. Louis, and Rolla, where participation among the students exceeded expectations.

Serving as the student voice in the federal government, state government, and on the various campuses of the University of Missouri, ASUM is responsible for the creating a student representative position on the University of Missouri Board of Curators. The student representative affords the opportunity for the Board of Curators to truly hear and value the students' perspective on issues affecting the University System. Keeping the student views in the forefront of Universities' agenda, the Board of Curators passed a policy allowing the ASUM student representative to attend closed board meetings. The over-arching impact of the policy addition was to remind the Board of Curators that every institutional change had to be in the best interest of the students.

As the primary advocate of students in Missouri, the ASUM established though legislation the Bright Flight Scholarship, the most important source of financial aid for scholars from the State of Missouri. The annual $2,000 scholarship was created to encourage top ranked high school seniors to attend approved Missouri postsecondary schools. The program is geared to the top 3 percent of all Missouri high school students who have a minimum ACT score of 30 or a minimum SAT score of 780 math and 780 verbal. By requiring the student to maintain satisfactory academic progress and full time employment, this scholarship program helps the student to learn how to effectively manage their time and balance priorities. In addition to the Bright Flight Scholarship Program, the ASUM created Missouri State law to exempt sales taxes on textbooks, which has saved students in Missouri $6 million dollars every year since its enactment in 1999. Finally, the student political activists created a loan forgivingness program for teachers, medical doctors, and veterinarians who serve in high need areas of Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for the dedication of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri and their relentless efforts in extending their voices to represent all of the students of Missouri. It is essential for the members of the ASUM and other student organizations to be celebrated for their good works, for the students of today are truly our leaders of tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the brave survivors of this disease. The statistics for breast cancer are staggering. One out of every eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and 1 out of every 229 women in their 30s will be affected by the disease at some point in their lives. The unfortunate truth behind these numbers is that there is a limited amount of information available on women under 35 with breast cancer. The general sentiment is that women in their 20s and 30s are too young to contract the illness, but the reality is that women of this age are not immune.

Four young women have shared their stories of survival with each other as part of a support group called Nordie's at Noon, and they recently published a book of the same name documenting their stories. These women were in the first stages of their lives when they were diagnosed with breast cancer, and their stories, although different, are bound together by a common challenge. These courageous women are Patti Balwanz, Kim Carlos, Jennifer Johnson, and Jana Peters.

Patti Balwanz fought a long and brave battle against breast cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 24, while working as an IT consultant. Her cancer metastasized to her bones, lungs and liver, but she used her experience to educate women about the disease. Patti stayed active in breast cancer awareness outlets during her treatment by serving as a Board Officer of the Ribbons of Pink Foundation and being honored with the foundation's ``You Are an Inspiration'' award. Patti also continued her education by receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree trom Southwest Missouri State University and remaining active in the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. Until her death in 2003, Patti continued to educate women about breast cancer while bravely facing her own fight.

Kim Carlos was diagnosed with breast cancer during the planning of her son's second birthday party. After three years of extensive treatment including eight rounds of chemotherapy, a mastectomy with breast reconstruction, and treatments for lymphedema, Kim is now cancer-free. Currently Kim serves as President of the Board for the Greater Kansas City Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and she was recently selected to serve on the Komen National Public Policy Council. Kim is also a member of the American Cancer Society State Advocacy Committee. She has been honored by Lifetime Television and SELF Magazine for her efforts in educating women about breast cancer. Kim now focuses on advocacy full-time with her business, K.C. Consulting, where her focus is governmental and public relations and grassroots avocacy.

While five months pregnant with her first child, Jennifer Johnson was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 27. Her treatment involved chemotherapy and a mastectomy during her pregnancy. Jennifer completed her final chemotherapy treatment in 2000, and the next day delivered a healthy baby boy, Parker Matthew. Three years later, Jennifer had a daughter, Emma Grace, and she has been cancer-free for six years. Jennifer is active in several breast cancer advocacy groups including the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen Association, the Ribbons of Pink Foundation, and the Pregnant with Cancer organization.

Jana Peters was 27 and engaged to be married when she received her breast cancer diagnosis. She has undergone several treatments since then including a mastectomy and chemotherapy. In 1999 Jana founded the Ribbons of Pink Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of promoting breast health and serving as a support for young breast cancer survivors. She is a member of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, and she is a volunteer for several breast cancer organizations and events. Jana continues her career in the clinical research industry in San Francisco, where she resides with her husband Chris.

We celebrate these courageous women who have battled breast cancer and those who continue their fight against this illness. Breast cancer survivors and supporters gather to raise awareness and encourage the access of information for breast cancer in young women. Thank you to Patti, Kim, Jennifer and Jana for sharing their stories of bravery and determination.