Floor Statements

Let me thank the chairman, my good friend Mr. Conyers, for yielding me the time.

Mr. Conyers, I didn't want our female colleagues to have a monopoly on the floor today. Plus, I wanted to come down and say a few words about Dr. Dorothy Height.

Madam Speaker, I had the privilege of knowing Dr. Height for at least 50 years. She and my mother, as well as Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, were very good friends. They were all active participants in the National Council of Negro Women.

In the early 1950s, I would come to Washington, D.C., with my mother to attend those meetings. It was Dorothy Height and Mary McLeod Bethune who opened up the Willard Hotel for the women to have their convention. At that time, hotels in D.C. were segregated, and it was Dr. Height who helped open up the Willard Hotel for that purpose. At that time, she was helping to build the organization on behalf of Dr. Bethune, who was beginning to fail.

When I came to Congress 6 years ago, I brought with me a picture of the organization that was taken in 1942. I went over and presented it to Dorothy Height. She immediately recognized the picture and told me that it was taken in front of the Department of Labor in 1942. When I asked her where she was in the picture, Dr. Height told me, Well, honey, I was inside, doing the work of the organization while the members were outside, taking the picture.

Thank you for the time, Mr. Conyers. This was a lifetime of service to the American people and to African American women. I want to thank her for her service to equality, fairness, and inclusion.

Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman for yielding time and thank him for his leadership on the committee and subcommittee, as well as the leadership of the ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 3125, the bipartisan Radio Spectrum Inventory Act, introduced by our chairman, Mr. Waxman, who just spoke a moment ago.

Mr. Speaker, last year, 2009, a Pew study found that while African Americans are less likely than others to use a desktop computer to access the Internet, they are more likely to access the Internet over a wireless device. And so it is incredibly important to know the available spectrum and how to use it in the most efficient way so that wireless broadband service is as ubiquitous and robust as possible.

We can help facilitate that goal by ensuring that additional spectrum will be available when it is needed. And given the long lead times that often are associated with efforts to bring spectrum to market, the time to start is now. The Radio Spectrum Inventory Act will help ensure that we know where future allocations of spectrum can be drawn from so that our constituents can have the services they need when they need them.

This is a good bill, Mr. Speaker. I support it. I ask my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of DuPont L. Davis who served the people of Hertford County, North Carolina for many years as County Commissioner and civic leader. Well known for his passion, deep caring and unapologetically speaking his mind, DuPont Davis helped make a difference in the lives of countless citizens.

Commissioner Davis was first elected to the Hertford County Board of Commissioners in November of 1988. Since that time he has often served as Chairman of the Board, been recognized as North Carolina Commissioner of the Year and served as President of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

Commissioner Davis was a person of faith. He was an active member of Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church of Aulander, North Carolina. He was also a member of Jerusalem Lodge No. 96 of Prince Hall Masons, Ahoskie, North Carolina and was past Master of the Lodge.

Commissioner Davis was my dear friend of many years and I am saddened by his loss. Without question, he was a devoted public servant with an unsurpassed drive and passion to improve the lives of people in his community. He was an irreplaceable asset to Hertford County and to the state of North Carolina.

Commissioner Davis is survived by his wife Earline Powell Davis, and sons Derrick Davis and Dexter Davis, and daughters, Donica Davis Thompson and Dedria Davis King.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing remorse at the passing of one of North Carolina's finest public servants, a man who was one of the State's most admired and respected elected officials. His passion, perseverance and dedication should serve as an inspiration to us all.

Madam Speaker, on April 10, 2010, friends and family will gather to celebrate the birthday of Mrs. Alice Jones Nickens, a retired teacher who has had a tremendous impact on North Carolina's First Congressional District. Born on April 14, 1904 in Winton, North Carolina, Mrs. Nickens will be celebrating her 106th birthday.

Affectionately known as ``Miss Alice,'' she earned a Bachelor's degree from Hampton Institute--now known as Hampton University--and a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Miss Alice taught second grade at C.S. Brown School in Winton, North Carolina for 47 years. And, after retiring, she served as a substitute teacher for 10 years.

She has been active in preserving the rich history of C.S. Brown School, formerly known as Chowan Academy and then Waters Training School. It was the State's first secondary school for children of color, and Miss Alice's mother, Annie Walden Jones, was the school's first graduate. She has also played a key role in documenting and preserving the history of Winton, North Carolina and the surrounding communities.

Mrs. Nickens was a charter member of the C.S. Brown Cultural Arts Center. Along with her sister, Sally, Mrs. Nickens was instrumental in securing $200,000 from the State to help restore the building.

She has long been a devoted member of Pleasant Plains Baptist Church, and served as a member of its trustee board.

Mrs. Nickens has also served as Vice President of the Democratic Women's Club of Hertford County, and as a volunteer of the Auxiliary of Roanoke Chowan Hospital.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mrs. Alice Jones Nickens. She is truly a remarkable woman deserving of our deepest gratitude for the enormous contributions that she made in the lives of children in eastern North Carolina and to the entire community.

Madam Speaker, on Saturday, March 20, 2010, friends and family will gather to honor Helen Parker Gay, a retired public servant who has had a tremendous impact on North Carolina's First Congressional District. I have great respect and admiration for Helen Gay, and I wish I could be there to pay tribute to this extraordinary woman.

A lifetime resident of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Helen Gay will be celebrating her 90th birthday. She has tirelessly dedicated herself to the community. She worked at the North Carolina Employment Security Commission for 37 years, and served as mayor pro term three times during her 20 years as a member of Rocky Mount's City Council.

In 1962, she was among the people who gathered at Rocky Mount's Booker T. Washington High School to hear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speak. That day Dr. King delivered his famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech for the first time. As many people know, she not only met Dr. King that day but also cooked his dinner.

She was a board member of the Carolinas Gateway Partnership, a member of the N.C. Energy Policy Council, past president of the N.C. Black Elected Municipal Officials and a former board member of the N.C. League of Municipalities.

She also has served as elder of Mt. Pisgah Presbyterian Church, and has received numerous awards for her efforts, including the State's highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

As one of the most respected elected officials this region has ever known, she was well known for her honest nature and a strong desire to provide a voice for the people she represented so well.

While the pending historic vote to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance will keep me from attending the birthday celebration, my thoughts and prayers will be with Helen Parker Gay.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Helen Parker Gay. She is truly a remarkable person deserving of our deepest well wishes for the enormous contributions that she made in the lives of so many people living in eastern North Carolina.

Let me thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and thank her for all of her good work on the legislation. For the past 12 to 14 months, I have watched you as you have worked tirelessly to get a finished product that we can all be proud of. And so I want to thank you on behalf of the 600,000 people that I represent in the First Congressional District of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, every President in this country for the past 50 years or more has tried to reform health care. Unfortunately, all of them have failed, both Democrat and Republican. We have a health care system in this country that is in serious need of reforming. And President Barack Obama, during the Presidential campaign of 2008, campaigned on the platform that if elected, he would bring health care reform to the American people and for the American people. It was a hotly contested campaign, as we can all remember, but he was victorious because the American people had confidence that President Obama had the ability and the vision to bring people together to enact this worthwhile legislation and to do other great things for our country.

Well, we started the 111th Congress, and President Obama told us from day one that he was ready to deliver on the promise that he made to the American people. And so we in the Energy and Commerce Committee and Congresswoman Christensen and many of us worked very hard to put together a good, strong piece of legislation. But I can tell you that we would not have enacted this bill last night without the courageous, visionary leadership of President Barack Obama.

In the Energy and Commerce Committee, we worked very hard to craft legislation that we were very proud of. At the same time as we were doing our work, the United States Senate was also crafting a piece of legislation and they completed their work on Christmas Eve, as we all remember. Well, what the American people may not fully understand is that in this body, before we can have a piece of legislation delivered to the President's desk, both the House and the Senate must agree. And so during the Christmas holidays, the Democratic leadership from both Chambers worked very hard to try to reconcile the differences between these two bills.

The unfortunate thing, Mr. Speaker, and Mrs. Christensen, is we had no participation, no help whatsoever from our Republican friends on the other side of the aisle. When I say we had no help at all, we actually had none. The fact of the matter is that out of the 178 Republicans who serve in the House of Representatives, not a single one worked with us on this legislation. We tried unsuccessfully on many occasions to try to include Republicans in our deliberations, but there was apparently a strategic decision, a political decision on their part to not participate.

Over on the other side of the Capitol, the same thing happened in the United States Senate. Out of the 40 Republicans who serve in the Senate, not a single one worked with us. And so it was Democrats who had to try to get this legislation shaped and to get it ready for passage. And so during the Christmas holidays, the Democratic leadership worked very hard. They worked through Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and all through the holidays to try to reconcile their differences. And finally toward the end of the holiday season, there was a compromise between the Chambers and we reached a decision on this legislation.

The problem was that we lost a seat in the United States Senate. Due to the unfortunate passing of our hero, Senator Edward Kennedy from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we lost a Democratic seat in the United States Senate. Senator Kennedy's replacement was not from the Democratic Party. We found ourselves with less than the supermajority that is required in the United States Senate.

So President Obama called the leadership together many times, and we decided that we would go forward, notwithstanding the fact that we had a setback, that we would go forward and that this House of Representatives would take up and pass the Senate-passed bill, and that is important. That is a point that I want to make tonight. The bill that we passed last night was parliamentarily correct. It conformed with all of the rules of the House and the Senate. The bill that we passed last night was the identical bill that the United States Senate passed on Christmas Eve with 60 votes. We passed that bill last night in the House with 219 votes in favor of passage. We only needed 216 votes to get it done. Today the bill is on the President's desk, and we will go down to the White House tomorrow morning for the signing of the Senate bill that was passed by the House of Representatives.

Now here is the problem that we have. The Senate bill that we passed has some shortcomings. It has some areas that need improving, and so the President has worked with the leadership here in the Congress and we have come up with some fixes, if you will, with some amendments, with some changes to the Senate bill that will make it better. We all know about the provision in the Senate bill that was put in by a single Senator, that is going to be removed, and there are going to be other provisions of the Senate bill that will be removed.

Last night, not only did we pass the Senate bill but we also passed the fixes that the President asked us to pass, and those fixes are now pending in the Senate for consideration this week.

Senator Reid, the majority leader in the United States Senate, has told us that the Senate will begin working on the fixes tomorrow after the President signs the bill. But, Mrs. Christensen and Mr. Speaker, we have made monumental progress. No President has ever been able to do this, but because of the vision and the masterful leadership of the President and the Speaker of this House and the majority leader and the majority whip all working together, we have been able to finally pass this legislation.

This legislation does not go into effect immediately. There will be a phase-in. As you can imagine, we cannot reform the health care system in America and the health insurance system in America overnight. It is going to take time. But I can tell you, and I can tell the American people, that by the year 2019, 95 percent of the American people will have health insurance and access to quality health care. That is what we promised the American people. That is what we are going to deliver. There will be a phase-in starting within the first 6 months of this year.

We are going to help our seniors with their prescription drugs. Those who fall into the doughnut hole, they will be given a stipend to help them purchase. We will allow families to maintain their children on their insurance policy up to age 26. So there will be a gradual phase- in.

Finally, let me conclude by saying that I represent a low-income district. The First Congressional District of North Carolina that I represent is the fourth-poorest district in the United States of America. We have a lot of low-income people, and I am happy to report to my constituents and to people all across America that for the first time in our history, individuals will be able to qualify for Medicaid. Low-income individuals will be able to get Medicaid. Right now families can qualify for Medicaid, but not individuals. An individual who makes less than $14,400 a year will get Medicaid. A family of four that makes less than $29,000 a year will be able to qualify for Medicaid, which is free. For an individual who is between the incomes of $14,400 a year and $43,000 a year, you will be able to get assistance. You will be able to get a subsidy in purchasing insurance. If you are at the low end of $14,400 a year, you will pay $36 a month in order to get a quality insurance policy. If you are at the high end of $43,000 a year, you will pay $342 in order to get a high quality insurance policy.

Now for a family of four, it is a little bit more but it is very affordable. For a family of four that makes $29,300 a year, your premiums will be $73 to insure four people in your family. At the high end, if you make $55,000 a year, you will pay $369 a month. We have made tremendous progress with the passage of this bill. We are very proud of the progress that we have made, and I just want to publicly thank the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, the majority leader, Steny Hoyer, and the majority whip, Mr. Clyburn. I want to thank all of the leadership and the chairmen of each one of the relevant committees who participated in this bill: the Energy and Commerce Committee under the leadership of Henry Waxman and formerly John Dingell; the Ways and Means Committee under the leadership of Mr. Levin from Michigan, formerly under the leadership of Mr. Rangel; and the Education and Labor Committee under the leadership of George Miller from California. All of these committees, working together with the Budget Committee led by John Spratt of South Carolina and Louise Slaughter from New York leading the Rules Committee, all of these individuals working together to get us to the point where we were last night.

The passage of this bill is monumental. It is historic. Yesterday was not an ordinary day in the House of Representatives. I thank my colleagues who voted for this legislation. I look forward to the results that it will yield.

Mr. Davis, I want to thank you so much for the presentation you've made. And I just really enjoy the stories that you tell and the way you represent the people of your congressional district.

You know, all of us have unique congressional districts. We say that all of the time. No two Members of this House are identical. You have your district and I have my district, and each one is unique.

As I travel throughout my district in North Carolina, many people tell me that they have health insurance but it's not worth the paper that it's written on. They are counted as insured; but in reality, they are uninsured.

For example, a gentleman in my district told me that he has had insurance for more than 10 years on the job and he pays $200 a month out of his paycheck, but he's never used it. And when I asked him why he hadn't used it, he said because the deductible is $5,000 per year and as far as he was concerned, he is uninsured.

I went into another part of my district and went to a dialysis center, and a young man there told me that he had been insured by a very reputable insurance company and that he needed a kidney transplant and his sister donated a kidney to him. And it was a successful transplant and it worked very well. But after 2 years, his insurance company stopped paying for the anti-rejection medication that he needs for his kidney. And he lost the kidney, and now he is back on dialysis and the government is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to sustain him.

Those are the types of stories that I hear in my district, and they are so sad.

There's a minister in my district who was--he is a married man, and he and his wife had a family policy and they were paying $400 a month for insurance. And the minister was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and his wife was diagnosed with a neurological condition; and because of those two conditions, the insurance company raised the premiums for $400 a month to $3,500 a month, which was more than his income. Those are the types of stories that I am hearing in my district.

And I want to find out if the same thing exists in urban America. I'm in rural America. Do you hear those types of stories in urban Chicago?

I thank the gentleman for yielding the time and for the hard work of the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the well of the House today to support the rule and to commend President Obama and the Democratic leadership for their willingness to stand up for America's families and for their willingness to be strong and steadfast in the face of political opposition. My North Carolina district is the fourth poorest district in America: 100,000 uninsured, seniors unable to afford prescription drugs, rural hospitals in the red, insurance premiums increasing while insurance company profits are multiplying.

My constituents need health insurance reform, and they need it now. The time for debate is over. We are poised to deliver on the Democratic promise of health insurance reform.

I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that one day historians will write that the passage of this bill took America to a higher level, to a higher place, and restored confidence with the American people that Congress is responding to the needs of America's families.

Madam Speaker, every process must end. After dozens of hearings on health care, we have all of the information that we need to create strong legislation to provide much needed health insurance reform. The American people cannot wait. It is time to vote.

Rising health care costs are crushing families and businesses, forcing small business owners to choose between health care and jobs. This isn't about politics or poll numbers. This is about making good on the promise of providing every American access to high quality, affordable health care. This is about having the courage to do what is right.

By voting for health insurance reform now, we are supporting the millions of Americans who quietly struggle every day with a system that works better for the insurance companies than it does for them.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, to join us in helping the American people by voting for health insurance reform now.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 103--H. Res. 1031; Article 2, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for recognizing me and giving me this time to speak on a very important subject.

I want to associate myself with the comments of my friend from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) who spoke just a minute ago. He is absolutely correct, there is no more important discussion that we can have on this House floor than the subject of jobs, jobs, and jobs.

I was delighted yesterday to see the action of the United States Senate. The Senate passed, by a majority of 62 Senators voting, to invoke cloture and to begin discussing and debating the long-awaited jobs bill. I am very pleased that the Senate is taking this matter very seriously. We are working to stimulate job growth in this country. And we must ensure that the bill puts people back to work. That is what it is all about, putting people back to work. Our bill also assists the unemployed and struggling who are trying to make ends meet with their family. So the vote of the Senate yesterday was quite encouraging, and I want to commend our colleagues in the other body for doing so.

Mr. Speaker, one of the advantages that we had in being snowed out of Washington for the last 2\1/2\ weeks was that we had an opportunity to go back to our districts and to visit the various counties and to talk with people who are suffering from job loss. And it is profound. In December, the House passed a strong jobs bill that included provisions that extended unemployment insurance benefits. That is very important. We also voted to extend COBRA health benefits.

We must work in a bipartisan manner, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that this critical safety net stays in place. We can do it, Mr. Speaker. We can do it if we put our hands to the plow, work together as Democrats and Republicans. We can do it. The American people are expecting us to do it.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, I represent North Carolina, the eastern part of our State, 23 counties. Nineteen of the 23 counties that I represent are suffering unemployment rates above 10 percent, including Edgecombe County, which has the State's second highest unemployment rate, at 16.7 percent. That is one out of eight citizens who are unemployed. North Carolina is suffering its highest rate of unemployment, Mr. Speaker, in 34 years.

Thousands of North Carolinians are facing the prospect of losing their unemployment benefits over the next 60 days. Across our great country, about 2.7 million jobless people will lose their benefits by the end of April unless we act. We must act.

People are facing similar dim prospects with COBRA. North Carolina's already record high number of people without health insurance is expected to continue to surge when the subsidies for the Federal Government's COBRA coverage expires, putting yet another strain on our health care system.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for this time. I urge swift and strong action on a jobs bill that puts people back to work and helps those people who are most in need. Not only do we need tax cuts for small businesses. We say that all the time. Yes, we need tax cuts for small businesses. But we also need jobs for the chronically unemployed, and we need it now.

Mr. Speaker, while there continues to be signs of an improving economy, it is clear that Americans still need help. In my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina, unemployment rose to 12.5 percent in December. That's one out of eight, and 73 of my 100 counties are suffering unemployment rates of at least 10 percent.

President Obama's 2011 budget wisely provides for critical investments to spur job creation and strengthen long-term economic security. This budget includes $100 billion in small business tax cuts, infrastructure and clean energy. This includes a new $33 billion small business tax cut, an extension of the broadest tax cut in American history, the Making Work Pay tax credit. It also increases the child care tax break for middle-class families and eliminates the capital gains tax on investments by small businesses. I urge my colleagues to join me in working to ensure that we take the necessary and commonsense steps to solve these problems.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the recent passing of Jimmie Harris, a great local civic leader in Pasquotank County, North Carolina.

A county commissioner and former volunteer fire department chief, Mr. Harris will long be remembered for his leadership on issues related to fire services, agriculture, education and the local hospital. He was passionate about doing everything he could to improve the community, and even those people with opposing viewpoints had great respect for him.

This is an enormous loss, and there is a great deal of sadness throughout the community.

Mr. Harris was a retired farmer and served as Providence Volunteer Fire Department Chief for over 20 years. He was also a devoted member of Berea Baptist Church, and had served on many civic boards and organizations.

Along with his wife, Brenda Corbett Harris, Mr. Harris is survived by his mother, a daughter, a son, two sisters and three grandchildren. They gathered with friends, family and loved ones last week at the Berea Baptist Church Family Life Center for a memorial service.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues rise in recognition of Mr. Harris' passing and his lifetime of outstanding public service to his community. I also ask that we pass along our best wishes and prayers to his family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rev. Samuel Wesley Dixon, Jr., who died tragically last week while on a humanitarian mission in Haiti. Reverend Dixon was deeply dedicated to improving the lives of the people in the greatest need of assistance, and I am proud to honor his lifetime of commitment and service.

Reverend Dixon grew up in North Carolina, the son of Samuel Wesley Dixon, Sr., and Mildred Dixon. He graduated from Statesville High and attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a doctoral degree in ministry from the Chicago Theological Seminary.

He began his ministry in 1975, serving as pastor of rural, urban, and small town congregations, including churches in Sneads Ferry, Durham, Swepsonville and Swansboro. In 1996, Rev. Dixon became pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Roanoke Rapids.

In 1998, he joined the staff of United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), a prominent disaster relief and assistance agency which assists people around the globe. He assumed leadership of the organization in 2007.

Writing in New World Outlook, Global Ministries' mission magazine, he described UMCOR as serving ``God's creation on behalf of The United Methodist Church'' and ``providing help and hope to people in serious situations.'' The work, he said, ``hearts and hands with others in building a sustainable future for an amazing multitude of people.''

Reverend Dixon and two colleagues were at the Hotel Montana to work with other agencies in developing plans for improving health services in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The three were trapped in the rubble of the hotel following the earthquake. Reverend Clint Rabb and Reverend James Gulley were rescued, but Reverend Rabb later died from his injuries. Reverend Gulley survived and was able to return to his home in Denver.

Reverend Dixon and his wife, Cindy, are the parents of four grown children and grandparents of two children. His mother and three sisters also survive him.

Reverend Dixon was a gifted minister who was known for his selflessness and commitment to ensuring love and care for the sick, hungry and poor around the world. He died doing what he loved, and he will be greatly missed by many people.

Madam Speaker, Reverend Dixon was a tireless and inspirational servant of God, and I ask that you join me in offering our prayers and deepest condolences to the community and his wife and family during these difficult times.

Madam Speaker, the American people continue to struggle in this difficult economy. One of the counties in my North Carolina district is now suffering with the State's highest unemployment rate. Yes, people are hurting and need to be put back to work. The transformation of our Nation's health care system represents an enormous opportunity to create jobs and fuel economic growth.

Each year, our health care reform plan will create 250,000 to 400,000 jobs. These reforms will also allow small business to add an estimated 80,000 jobs. Without these reforms, the health care premiums paid by businesses in coming years will more than double. Money needlessly spent on health care premiums by small businesses is really needed to hire workers, increase salaries, and refuel the economy.

Madam Speaker, Americans cannot afford the status quo. Doing nothing is not an option. I urge my colleagues to join us in improving the health care delivery system.

To the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, my friend from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch), and to the minority member who is managing the bill--and I do not recall your name right now and I apologize for that--thank you very much for allowing us to have this time today.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize a friend, the late Elmer V. Wilkins, who was an outstanding educator, mayor, councilman, State board of education member, and a lifelong North Carolinian.

In North Carolina, we remember E.V. as one with a strong philosophy of tolerance and civic responsibility and educational achievement. Because of his public service, I introduced this bill to name the United States Post Office located in Roper, North Carolina, as the ``E.V. Wilkins Post Office.''

Thanks to the overwhelming support of the entire North Carolina delegation--and I understand that Mr. Etheridge, who is my colleague from North Carolina, may be on the floor in a few minutes, and they were, of course, friends--we are one step closer to this bill becoming a reality. The people of Roper, North Carolina, and throughout the county of Washington and even the surrounding counties deeply appreciate this naming opportunity.

Elmer Vanray, ``E.V.,'' Wilkins was born on Independence Day of 1911, and to many who knew him, this was no coincidence. He was a staunch defender of constitutional rights and would become a well-known voice for civil rights and voting rights for every citizen. E.V. was the second of 10 children born to Mr. T.L. and Mrs. Maggie Wilkins in Roper.

After graduating from my alma mater, North Carolina Central University, in the 1930s, E.V. returned to his hometown of Roper to teach mathematics at J.J. Clemmons High School. He soon became the school's principal, a position he held for more than 30 years.

In 1946, Madam Chair, E.V. led an effort to provide bus rides to and from school for African American children living in his community. Prior to his activism, white children were the only students having access to a bus, forcing African American students to walk, sometimes miles, to and from their school. He solicited small donations from fair-minded white citizens and from African American citizens, and even accepted bushels of potatoes from those who were unable to give money. Those potatoes were sold and the proceeds were used in what was called the ``bus fund.''

In the mid-1950s, frustrated with the inability of African American citizens to vote, E.V. Wilkins, along with the local branch of the NAACP, initiated a lawsuit to compel elections officials to allow African American citizens to register to vote. As a result, E.V.'s father, Mr. T.L. Wilkins, was able to vote for the first time in 1956.

It was clear to E.V. that political empowerment for the African American community could make a real difference in their lives, and so in 1967, 2 years after the Voting Rights Act, E.V. made history by becoming the first African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the town council.

Sensing an opportunity to better serve the town and its citizens, E.V. was then elected mayor of Roper in 1975, again making history as the first African American to hold that position. E.V. served as mayor for 20 years until his retirement.

E.V. was a well-known progressive voice in eastern North Carolina. In addition to serving as mayor, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1972, 1980, and 1984, helping to nominate George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, and Walter Mondale as nominees for his political party.

E.V. was a tireless and stalwart public servant throughout his life. In addition to his service as teacher, principal, councilman, and mayor, he served on numerous boards, including the State Board of Education for North Carolina, State Economic Development Commission, North Carolina Secondary Road Council, North Carolina Railroad Board of Directors, North Carolina State Ports Authority, Advisory Board for the Rural Education Institution at ECU, which is East Carolina University, and Elizabeth City State University Board of Trustees.

During his life, E.V. received many honors and awards, including the North Carolina Distinguished Citizen Award, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the Service Award by the North Carolina Leadership Caucus, the North Carolina Distinguished Service Award, and the North Carolina Human Relations Commission's Libby D. Koontz Award in recognition for his dedication and leadership in the areas of education, civil rights, and human rights.

He was also honored by Elizabeth City State University with the naming of the university's computer center as the E.V. Wilkins Academic Computer Center several years ago. Further, Elizabeth City State University established the E.V. Wilkins Endowed Chair in the university's School of Education and Psychology Department in 1996.

E.V. Wilkins passed away, Madam Speaker, on June 2, 2002, at the age of 90 years old. His commitment to enriching the lives and standing up for those less fortunate are qualities that I hope we all emulate. His integrity and the values for which he fought do great honor to the post office that will bear his name.

His greatest fortune is his two daughters, Bunny and Joy. Bunny was also called to public service, I might say, much like her father. She is currently the mayor of Roper, North Carolina, and is an outspoken advocate for her town and its citizens.

Again, I want to thank my friend Mr. Lynch and the ranking member and all of my colleagues for their support. I respectfully request an ``aye'' vote on H.R. 3892.

I yield back the balance of my time.