Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. This began as a bipartisan effort, but, predictably, this has devolved into nothing but another attempt by House Republicans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Here we go again. Over 4.2 million people have signed up for affordable insurance so far, and the numbers are growing.

We all support a permanent repeal of the sustainable growth rate because the SGR in current law is anything but sustainable. We are demanding more out of our doctors and health care professionals. We are asking that they operate with maximum efficiency to play their part in reining in health care spending, and they deserve the same from Congress.

Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues don't share that view. That is why they have offered a pay-for that they know will be completely unacceptable to most Democrats and certainly stands no chance of passage in the Senate. The President has even said he would veto this bill, and rightfully so.

The American Medical Association, which represents most of the doctors throughout the country, and I am disappointed that the Texas Medical Association is at variance with their national association, but the AMA and the AARP and a dozen other organizations representing health care providers and hospitals and seniors have decried Republican partisan tactics. They don't like this.

We have 5 legislative days before the last SGR extension runs out on March 31. Five days. Should Republicans not come to their senses in time, I want doctors to know that a nearly 30 percent cut to their reimbursement should be laid squarely at the feet of my Republican friends here in the House. Doctors need predictability and certainty so they can best serve their patients. If a permanent solution to the SGR is not reached soon, doctors will be forced to make tough decisions about which patients they will see and those which they can no longer afford to see.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to honor the life and work of a remarkable community leader, Ferdinand Vincent ``Pete'' Allison, Jr., who passed on Monday, March 3, at the age of 91. Pete Allison was a pillar in the Durham, North Carolina, community. He was a personable, kind, and effective banking leader who took great pride in his work, but even greater pride in his family. He fought for justice; he fought for equality when and where he could.

Pete Allison successfully used his banking career to enrich the lives of countless individuals through his involvement in many organizations and charities. The sympathies of the House of Representatives are with Pete's entire family during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I last visited Mr. Allison and his family less than 48 hours before his passing. He sat in the family's living room and participated in our very serious conversation. As I departed the home, he told me that he had been so sick, and my response to him was that I knew he had had some difficult days, but that he must know that he was blessed. He was blessed to be surrounded by a loving and supportive wife and family, and he responded that he was aware of that fact.

Mr. Allison was on schedule to have been inducted into the North Carolina Banking Hall of Fame. Only 24 other individuals, Mr. Speaker, have been awarded this great honor in our State.

Pete Allison was a graduate of Hampton Institute--now known as Hampton University--an institution that he loved and revered. Following graduation, he earned a master's of business administration from New York University.

Highly educated, but not sure which career path he would take, Mr. Allison, upon graduation, made a trip to Durham to visit his family, who lived in this historic community.

His father worked at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Allison was awed on that visit. He was awed by Durham and its thriving environment for African American business.

On that visit, Pete became acquainted with a gentleman named John ``Shag'' Stewart, who I remember so well, the president of Mutual Savings and Loan Association there in Durham, and he was offered a job as a teller; but he would become more than a teller. He became chief executive officer in less than 25 years, which was remarkable.

During his tenure at the Savings and Loan Association, he continued to build on the groundbreaking work of other men, like John Merrick, C.C. Spaulding, Aaron McDuffie Moore, Richard Fitzgerald, James E. Shepard, W.J. Kennedy, John Hervey Wheeler, Asa Spaulding, Sr., W.G. Pearson, and many, many others in helping to grow what was known nationally as the ``Black Wall Street.''

Pete Allison served at the helm of Mutual Savings and Loan during the institution's most successful years. He spearheaded the transition from a mutual savings and loan association to a mutual savings bank and also led the acquisitions of American Federal Savings and Loan and Greensboro National Bank.

Mr. Allison was a pillar of the Durham community for more than 60 long years. As one who led by example, his friends and former colleagues praise Mr. Allison for having been a strong and effective leader. Most recently, in 2010, Mr. Allison received the Mechanics and Farmers Bank Founders Award, which recognized his commitment to promoting personal and community development.

Mr. Allison is survived by his lovely wife, Dr. E. Lavonia (Ingram) Allison, and we always like to include the Ingram part because that family also has a rich history. Many of our CBC members know Dr. Allison so very well for her community advocacy.

Like her husband, Dr. Allison received her undergraduate degree from Hampton and her graduate and doctoral degrees from New York University. She was a long-time member and head of the influential Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, which I believe is the oldest and most effective political committee in the United States.

Mr. Allison was a faithful member of White Rock Baptist Church in Durham.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, Pete Allison is also survived by two children, Dr. F. Vincent Allison III, his namesake; and Michele Allison-Davis; and his four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and work of F.V. ``Pete'' Allison, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge and pay tribute to the life and contributions of Mr. William Henry Manson, Jr. For 88 years William Manson was a vital part of communities across North Carolina. On February 27, 2014, he passed away in Williamston, NC after a long and courageous fight with cancer.

Mr. Manson was born in Martin County, North Carolina to Mrs. Artimissie Tyner Manson and Mr. William Henry Manson on May 3, 1925. He was raised on his grandfather's farm which undoubtedly helped to develop his work ethic and guide him throughout his life and career. William joined the Back Swamp Church of Christ when he was eight years old, and went on to serve as a Sunday school teacher and as Church Treasurer for many years.

Much of Mr. Manson's success and contributions can be attributed to his passion for education, which seemed to grow with each year. He graduated from Williamston Colored High School in 1944 and went on to graduate from North Carolina College at Durham, now known as North Carolina Central University, in 1948 with a Bachelor's Degree in Science. William also studied at New York University, the University of California at Los Angeles, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. His love for education enabled him to give back to students as a teacher, attendance counselor, and sports official in Martin County.

Beyond the classroom, William Manson left an indelible mark on many eastern North Carolinians. He served on the Martin County Board of Commissioners for more than 20 years, where he was a strong advocate for community residents. He was also the founder and owner of Manson Mortuary, helping grieving families through some of their most difficult times. In addition, Mr. Manson was active in his community, holding memberships to Martin County Red Cross, Martin County United Way, and by serving as a Trustee of Martin Community College.

Perhaps his most important accomplishment was William's devotion to family. He married his late wife Emeline in 1952, and raised two daughters--the late Ms. Jacqueline Manson and Ms. Keisha Manson. William Manson is survived by his daughter Keisha, and his two grandchildren Mr. Isaac J. Veale and Ms. Sarina F. Veale.

There is no question that William's legacy of hard work and determination will live on not only through his family, but in each of the lives he influenced and touched. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Mr. William Henry Manson, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, on February 8, more than 80,000 North Carolinians rallied outside the State capitol building in Raleigh to protest the extreme policies of North California Republican Governor Pat McCrory and the Republican-led legislature.

North Carolina Republicans have cut education funding to the bone, denied a half-million people access to health care by refusing to expand Medicaid, and are trying to silence North Carolina citizens by making it harder to vote.

Mr. Speaker, these policies are making life difficult, and North Carolinians have had enough. North Carolina Republican leaders must not continue to sacrifice the common good of millions to benefit an elite few.

We need to increase funding for education and job training, expand health care access, and guarantee the right to vote.

I applaud the Moral Monday protests and all those who support a better way to govern.

Let me thank you, Mr. Jeffries, for yielding time, and thank you for your passion and your willingness to come to this floor

each week to raise issues that are very important to the Congressional Black Caucus and should be important to every American. Thank you for your energy and the way you represent your district in Brooklyn. Thank you to Mr. Horsford for your tireless efforts as well.

Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to the State of the Union message tomorrow night. I have seen probably nine or 10 since I have been in Congress, and each one is unique in its own way. But I am really looking forward to the State of the Union message tomorrow night from President Barack Obama.

If press reports are correct, it seems to me that the President is ready to pull off the Band-Aid and expose the disease of income inequality in this country; and, hopefully, the President will lay out a plan tomorrow night to address poverty and to address the huge income disparity that we see in our country.

These are the facts: there are 46.5 million Americans that live below the poverty level. Mr. Jeffries, there are 308 million people in America, and one out of six of those lives in poverty. That is unacceptable. In my district in North Carolina, one of four lives in poverty. That includes some 73,000 children, and my congressional district is among the bottom 10 of all of the congressional districts in the country.

American workers are working very hard, but their purchasing power in my district and your district, Mr. Jeffries, and all across America, is getting less. Why is that? It is because wages are flat. Workers are not experiencing pay raises and raises in their income as other Americans are. Wages are flat. Ten percent of wage earners today earn 50 percent of the Nation's income. Each year, the top 1 percent makes 26 times what a minimum wage worker makes, on average.

These are the facts. These are the statistics. We have not concocted this theory of people living in poverty. It is real. Nearly 50 million Americans are living in poverty, and so we must get serious. We must get serious about enabling the American Dream for millions of low- income Americans and millions of middle-income Americans.

A few moments ago, I heard the gentlelady from Texas, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, talk about the minimum wage. And she is absolutely correct. It is time for the minimum wage to be raised.

Raising the wage to $10.10 per hour would immediately lift 4.6 million Americans out of poverty. And many of those who are in poverty are the working poor.

It is time for corporate America to use their record profits. They are experiencing record profits, and good for them, but they must use their record profits to provide higher wages and better benefits. The fact is that corporate profits are enhanced when workers and their families are secure.

So, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the State of the Union message tomorrow evening and urge the President to demonstrate his resolve to give equal opportunity to every American.

Finally, the Congressional Black Caucus has constantly made the point that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of communities across America represented by Republicans and Democrats that have poverty rates in excess of 20 percent. Some of those communities have had those rates for more than 30 years.

The Congressional Black Caucus has asked President Obama to use his executive authority to target at least 10 percent more resources to these communities. The Congressional Black Caucus has framed this as the 10-20-30 plan. I ask our President to target more resources to low- income communities.

I thank you, Mr. Jeffries, for yielding time.

Thank you, Mr. Pallone, for yielding time, and especially thank you for your leadership on our committee. It has been nothing less than extraordinary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Exchange Information Disclosure Act. This bill would cost millions of dollars of limited Federal resources but doesn't include any mechanism for paying for it. It is an unnecessary piece of legislation that will have no impact or benefit to the American people. It is just the latest attempt by the Republican majority to incite fear and distrust of the Federal health insurance marketplace and discredit President Obama and the Affordable Care Act.

Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent wrote that the Exchange Information Disclosure Act is ``a political attack coming from a party that wants to see the law fail.'' The House has voted 47 times, Mr. Speaker, on bills that would repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act, but not one of them has become law.

My friend Mr. Terry's bill that we are considering today marks the 48th attempt, and it is another nail in the coffin of haphazard Republican efforts to disenfranchise the American people by chipping away at the Affordable Care Act, with the ultimate goal of taking away Americans' access to affordable health care.

Make no mistake, this bill is not about transparency and open government. Its true purpose is to pile on more and more unnecessary, cumbersome, and unprecedented requirements so that HHS will be forced to focus time and attention away from managing the Federal health insurance marketplace and redirect it to completing worthless weekly reports.

I am particularly disappointed in the committee process--or more accurately, the lack of committee process--with regard to this bill. I sit on Energy and Commerce's Health Subcommittee, and at no point did the chairman of the subcommittee nor the full committee hold a legislative hearing or markup on this bill. I don't recall one. Surely, adding mountains of onerous reporting requirements that will cost the government millions in order to comply would have warranted an opportunity for members to weigh in before it was brought to the floor. Apparently, the

chairman of the committee felt differently.

This bill is now the 48th example of House Republicans pandering to their base by ramming through partisan policies that attack the President. The bill would require HHS to supply Congress weekly reports detailing the number of unique Web site visitors to healthcare.gov, the number of chat logins, the number of enrollees by ZIP Code, their level of coverage, and other data sets. What exactly my friends hope to accomplish with this weekly data dump still escapes me.

Perhaps House Republicans weren't aware of the extensive disclosure of data on health insurance enrollments that is already being provided on a monthly basis. The administration releases enrollment data monthly, Mr. Speaker, just like they do with Medicare, CHIP, and other Federal programs.

The monthly HHS enrollment reports are excellent, detailed reports. Weekly reports will shed no more light on enrollment in the health exchange than would monthly reports.

The bill also demands that HHS make publicly available a list of navigator grantees. Were my colleagues unaware that the Department released the entire list of navigator grantees back in October? I have those here for your inspection.

I will say it again: this bill is completely unnecessary, and it is Republican fear mongering. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. I ask my colleagues to embrace it. It is benefiting millions of Americans in my district and in your district as well.

Thank you for the time, Mr. Pallone.

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I rise to remind my colleagues that the war on poverty, begun 50 years ago by President Johnson, is still relevant today. As we debate the great issues, we must not forget that nearly 50 million Americans in 2012 were below the poverty level, and that includes 13 million children. Most startling, Mr. Speaker, 16 million of those live below half of the poverty line. Were it not for the safety net that some want to dismantle, 41 million more would live in poverty.

It is undeniable that the poverty rate has decreased, but the fact remains that the face of poverty continues to be low-income Whites and racial minorities and females and children. The omnibus bill will continue to dismantle nondefense discretionary spending to a level that will reverse the gains made over the past 50 years.

I plead with my colleagues to be vigilant in our fight to end poverty in America. Our oath requires us to provide for the common defense, but it also requires that we provide for the common good and enable every American to achieve the American Dream.

Let me thank you, Mr. Horsford, for yielding to me this evening. Let me also thank you for your passion and your tireless work not only on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus but on behalf of the people of Clark County, Nevada, and all of the other people that you represent in your great State.

Thank you very much for your tireless energy. I have watched you from the first day that you have come to the House floor, and you are, no doubt, one of the hardest working Members of this House, and I thank you so very much.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to urge my Republican colleagues to pass an extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and to do it now. This program is a crucial safety net for those who are most in need. My colleagues know that I represent North Carolina, but what many of you may not know is that my State, the State of North Carolina, already lost its Federal unemployment insurance last year. Republican Governor Pat McCrory turned away $780 million in Federal funding to assist the long-term unemployed. Now, on December 28, a few days ago, 1.3 million Americans joined tens of thousands of my constituents in losing out on the support that they deserve.

This program, Mr. Speaker, is a response to the greatest recession since the Great Depression. In the last 5 years, President Obama has led our Nation back from the brink of economic collapse, but there is still work to be done. Now is not the time to abandon this program. 1.3 million Americans have been searching for work for more than 26 weeks, often after being laid off from jobs they have worked at for years.

The need for emergency unemployment insurance is especially high in communities like those that I represent in North Carolina. Double-digit unemployment still persists in many counties that I represent. In my congressional district, one in four people, including 36 percent of our children, live below the poverty level. Families in transition depend on emergency unemployment insurance to put basic food on the table, to care for their children and to search for new employment.

Last year, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory dealt a devastating blow to the long-term unemployed by reducing State unemployment benefits. That reduction caused the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program to literally dissolve in our State. Governor McCrory made this decision knowing its harmful impacts and that it would make North Carolina the only State in the country to end emergency jobless benefits for its citizens.

The Governor's decision is a disgrace. That decision forfeited-- forfeited--$780 million in urgently needed Federal benefits for long- term unemployed North Carolinians and cost our State $1.5 billion in economic activity. The elimination of the EUC program nationwide now could cost an additional

200,000 jobs due to reduced economic activity. This is according to the Congressional Budget Office.

At the beginning of this year, Americans from all 49 other States lost out on their emergency unemployment benefits, just like my State did last year. Now 1 million families will struggle to pay their bills and provide for their families during their search for employment. North Carolinians have already seen firsthand how devastating these cuts can be. My constituents are outraged. They are outraged with Governor McCrory and Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly who chose to abandon this program.

We must extend this program to give families a chance to get back on their feet. Democratic proposals to extend the program would give my constituents a chance--a fair chance--to receive Federal unemployment benefits held hostage by our Governor. Two times in the last 2 months House Republicans on this floor have nearly unanimously defeated Democratic motions to hold votes on extending this program.

Therefore, we must stand up against those like Governor McCrory who seek to disenfranchise hardworking people who are down on their luck by extending emergency unemployment insurance and other critical programs, a program which they have paid into as insurance payments for many, many years.

We cannot, Mr. Speaker, we must not afford to turn a blind eye and to leave those behind who are most in need.

I want to thank you, Mr. Horsford, for bringing this to the attention of the American people. I hope my colleagues are listening tonight because this is a sense of urgency.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize my constituent, Mrs. Rosetta Skinner, who turned 105 years old on Wednesday, November 27, 2013.

``Miss Rosetta'' as she is affectionately called, was one of eight children born to James Edward and Ella Cartwright Poole on November 27, 1908 in the Pitts Chapel area of Pasquotank County. She was educated in my congressional district in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

For years, Miss Rosetta was a domestic worker for families in Elizabeth City. She was very well respected by everyone with whom she worked because of her determination, hard work, and dependability.

The most important thing to Miss Rosetta has always been her family. Many years ago, Miss Rosetta was married and gave birth to one child-- Mrs. Queenie V. McMurren. From there, her family has blossomed to now include five generations including 12 grandchildren, 26 great- grandchildren, 20 great-great-grandchildren, and 104 great-great-great- grandchildren. Her greatest joys have been seeing her family grow and having the opportunity to impart valuable wisdom that only someone who has lived as full a life as she has can do.

Miss Rosetta has been a member of Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church for more than 60 years. She still attends when she is able. Over her more than six decades with the Church, Miss Rosetta became fond of the choir, church outings, and church picnics where her famous banana pudding was always in high demand.

Now 105 years old, Miss Rosetta has never been on an airplane and has only left her home town a few times in her life. But Miss Rosetta's life demonstrates that we need not be world travelers to have a full and complete life. Over the last century, Miss Rosetta has seen and lived through the evolution of our country. From segregation and the era of Jim Crow to witnessing Barack Obama be sworn in as President, Miss Rosetta has experienced more than many could dream.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues join me in wishing Miss Rosetta best wishes for her 105th year and the many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate Lieutenant General William ``Bill'' E. Ingram, Jr., who has faithfully and valiantly served the American people for 44 years in the United States Army. General Ingram has had a truly remarkable career and it is on behalf of a grateful nation that I congratulate him on his retirement as Director of the Army National Guard.

In his 44 years of service, Lieutenant General Ingram has commanded at all levels from platoon to battalion. He has commanded United States, United Nations, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Croatia, Macedonia, and Kosovo, and was especially effective as the General of the North Carolina National Guard for over nine years--a position his father held from 1977 to 1983. Over the past two years he has served as the Director of the Army National Guard where he oversaw the entirety of the Army National Guard's programs, policies, civilian employees, and over 350,000 Guardsmen in all 50 states.

Throughout his stellar career, Lieutenant General Ingram's dedication to service has been recognized with numerous awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Kosovo Campaign Medal among many others.

I am proud to say that Lieutenant General Ingram is a product of the First Congressional District of North Carolina. He was born and raised in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and was a resident of Williamston, North Carolina. He and his wonderful wife, Lil, have been tremendous assets to National Guard families in North Carolina and across the United States helping them cope with the deployment of family members through several children's programs and family readiness initiatives.

I have had the good fortune to know Lieutenant General Ingram for many years and have watched the progression of his career with admiration. I am honored to call him my friend. He is an inspiration to eastern North Carolina and to all who know him.

I offer my sincere appreciation for his service to the United States of America and the great state of North Carolina. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Lieutenant General William E. Ingram, Jr., on his retirement and wish him many years of enjoyment with his family.

I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for yielding and also for her passion and her extraordinary work on the issue of poverty and related causes.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson made a very bold pronouncement. He declared a national war on poverty. President Johnson helped pave the way for so many low-income families, and I am proud today to recognize his immeasurable contributions to the battle against poverty.

I understand that President Johnson's daughter is still on Capitol Hill. She visited with the Congressional Black Caucus today, and I just wanted to publicly thank her and thank the Johnson family for their contributions to America.

Just last year, we commemorated the 50th anniversaries of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King's historic speech, imploring all Americans to aspire towards a society of equality and acceptance. Dr. King's speech illustrated the racial realities faced by people of color since before even the Civil War.

In 1964, President Johnson delivered a historic State of the Union Address right in this Chamber that exposed the tough racial inequalities present in the 1960s. He gave voice to the poor by contrasting the stark economic differences between the wealthy and the poor, and inspired a series of transformative laws, including the Civil Rights Act and the Economic Opportunity Act. Those laws, Mr. Speaker, established the first Federal framework to combat the racial and economic and educational and even employment inequities that were pervasive in our society. The landmark legislation enacted during the Johnson administration built upon the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, the New Deal, and the civil rights movement.

The work began by President Johnson more than a half a century ago continues today with no less urgency. While national poverty metrics have improved since the war on poverty began, income inequality is still a major problem today, and pockets of persistent poverty remain all across our country. In my congressional district, one in four people that I represent, including 36 percent of our children, live at or below the poverty level.

Income inequality in America is getting worse. I want to say that again for emphasis: income inequality in America is getting worse, not better. And the gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen. The poverty rate now is the highest it has been since 1994; and in some parts of my district, median household incomes have dropped-- have dropped since the year 2000.

This is a fitting week to recognize the anniversary of the war on poverty, as the Senate considers extending the emergency unemployment insurance for 3 months or more. More than 170,000 unemployed North Carolinians are considered long-term unemployed and have been searching for work for more than 26 weeks.

Last year, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory dealt a devastating blow to the long-term unemployed by reducing State unemployment benefits, which caused the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program to dissolve in our State. The Governor made this decision knowing its harmful impacts, making North Carolina the only State in the country to end emergency jobless benefits for its citizens. That decision forfeited $780 million in urgently needed Federal benefits for long-term unemployed North Carolinians and cost our State $1.5 billion in economic activity.

We must stand up against those like Governor McCrory who seek to disenfranchise the less fortunate by continuing President Johnson's work, by extending the emergency unemployment insurance and other critical programs that help families through difficult times. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to those who are most in need. We are not that type of country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a great American who has spent his career working to help the underserved in our country--especially migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Richard A. Joanis spent 33 years as Executive Director of Telamon Corporation, one of the nation's most successful nonprofit organizations operating federal programs. He retires on February 14, 2014 after 44 years of service to farmworkers, elderly and other disadvantaged populations including major program efforts in Head Start, adult and youth training and employment, home ownership, housing rehabilitation, and homeless services.

Mr. Joanis' more than three decade career at Telamon allowed him the opportunity to serve in many capacities on behalf of those to whom he gave voice.

He served on the U.S. Department of Labor's National Advisory Committee on services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers and also was a member of the Agricultural Employment Work Group set up by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Labor. Mr. Joanis was former president of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, a national federation of farmworker services organizations, now in its 42nd year.

At Telemon Corporation, Mr. Joanis built the organization from a one- state operation into a nationally recognized multi-disciplinary non- profit organization serving America's migrant and seasonal farmworkers, children, youth and the rural poor in eleven states.

In 2004, in recognition of his accomplishments, Mr. Joanis was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in my great state of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Joanis has spent his career building hope, helping others see their inherent potential, and positively impacting countless lives by creating an upward trajectory for people around the nation. Mr. Joanis answered the nation's calling to assist its citizens when they are most in need.

Through his efforts on behalf of disadvantaged Americans, Mr. Joanis demonstrated that as citizens we are at our best when we are engaged in service to others, especially when that service leads to the empowerment of our fellow citizens and the improvement of our communities.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and thanking Mr. Joanis for his tireless work on behalf of those who are less fortunate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Dr. Bernice Duffy Johnson on her 34 remarkable years of service to the students, faculty, and staff of North Carolina Central University, NCCU, located in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Johnson was raised on a sharecropper farm along with a large family that never benefited from a formal education. Her ascent to become one of the preeminent educators of our time serves as an inspiration to us all and is a testament to her lifelong commitment to bettering the lives of others through education.

Dr. Johnson's meteoric career trajectory is even more impressive as an African-American who made her way during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. As a 1963 graduate of what is now known as University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a subsequent graduate of a Pennsylvania State University graduate school, Dr. Johnson began her career in education teaching junior high school in Indianapolis.

In 1979, Dr. Johnson returned to the south as an adjunct professor at my alma mater, NCCU. Her exemplary career at NCCU embodies the best qualities of the Civil Rights Movement and shows the immeasurably positive influence a single individual can have when committed to helping others. While teaching at NCCU, Dr. Johnson earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and served in various capacities before being named NCCU's Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

The importance of Dr. Johnson's many accomplishments during her 34- year tenure at NCCU are beyond the pale. A small sample of Dr. Johnson's many contributions include helping design a $36 million state-of-the-art science complex, helping six degree programs reach accreditation, and co-authoring a renowned textbook that received $6 million in research funding from the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Dr. Bernice Duffy Johnson for her exceptional leadership and dedication to educating future generations of leaders. Of the many accomplishments in her career, I know her greatest pride is positively impacting the lives of more than three decades of NCCU students.

Dr. Johnson's legacy is built on hard work and determination and she is an example to which the next generation of educators should aspire. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Dr. Bernice Duffy Johnson's many achievements in her 34 years of service to NCCU.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Duke University Head Football Coach David Cutcliffe for being recognized by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Incorporated as Coach of the Year for the all Division I-A football teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA. Coach Cutcliffe is the only Duke football coach to win the award since its inception in 1967.

After being hired as head coach on December 15, 2007, Coach Cutcliffe led Duke this season to a 10-2 regular season record, which is the best record in the institution's history. This season, Duke football defeated two opponents that were both ranked in the top 25 of all Division I-A football teams--the first victories for Duke football over ranked opponents since 1994. Coach Cutcliffe also guided his team to victories over rivals from the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in 2013. Last season Coach Cutcliffe led Duke football to its first post season bowl game since 1994 and set a school record by scoring a season total of 410 points.

Coach Cutcliffe has also led the Duke football program to success off the field. Students on the Duke football team had a graduation rate of 92 percent in 2013, compared to the average NCAA rate of 82 percent. Under Coach Cutcliffe's leadership, the Duke football team has strengthened the school's relationship with the community through service opportunities with the Duke Children's Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Oxford Housing Authority Partnership. Prior to joining the coaching staff at Duke University, Coach Cutcliffe served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee and a head coach at Ole Miss. Coach Cutcliffe is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and a graduate of the University of Alabama.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation was created in 1967 and is based in New Haven Connecticut. The foundation is named for Walter Camp, a former athlete and coach at Yale University who is known as the ``Father of American Football.'' He is credited with inventing the line of scrimmage, the game's system of downs, the game's scoring system, and the restriction of play to eleven players per team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation is part of the National College Football Awards Association, which is a coalition of the major collegiate football awards.

Mr. Speaker, I commend David Cutcliffe and the entire Duke University football program for their commitment to excellence. This award is a testament to the outstanding leadership demonstrated by Coach Cutcliffe and tremendous performance on and off the playing field from the Duke University football program's student-athletes. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Coach David Cutcliffe's great achievement in being recognized as the Walter Camp 2013 Coach of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Weyerhaeuser Company on being recognized as one of the most community-minded companies in the Nation. Weyerhaeuser was among 50 companies to be awarded this honor by Points of Light and the National Conference on Citizenship's Civic 50 rankings.

Since 1957, Weyerhaeuser has been an integral part of eastern North Carolina. In the First Congressional District that I represent, Weyerhaeuser operates the Softwood Lumber Mill in Plymouth and the Carolina Timberlands Area and GHW Operations Center in Washington. Weyerhaeuser also owns or leases more than 545,000 acres of timberland across the state. The company employs 1,051 North Carolinians and helps support families and businesses in many rural communities.

Weyerhaeuser has been an important contributor to North Carolina's economy and has served as an environmental steward and strong corporate citizen. Since 2008, Weyerhaeuser has donated more than $2.5 million to philanthropic causes throughout North Carolina. Since 1903, the company has provided more than $215 million to support affordable housing and shelter, education and youth development, environmental stewardship, human services, and civic and cultural growth.

The second annual Civic 50 was selected through a stringent survey of S&P 500 companies and measured corporate commitment to improving communities, corporate investment in philanthropy, and civic culture.

Mr. Speaker, I commend employees of Weyerhaeuser Company in North Carolina and throughout the country for their commitment to improving their communities for future generations. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating their efforts to make North Carolina a better place to live and work.