Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding citizen, community leader, and world traveler of the 4th Congressional District, Frances Swigart. Fran Swigart passed away on June 17, 2007.

Fran served in leadership roles on many non-profit boards: Interchange, UWM Board of Visitors, the Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee, League of Women Voters, MATA Community Media, Future Milwaukee, Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, and the City of Milwaukee Ethics Committee. She was the Executive Director of Future Milwaukee for 9 years, preparing community leaders. Fran was president of the MacMurray College (Jacksonville, IL) Alumni Board, serving two terms.

Fran was a member and leader in the League of Women Voters organization and believed strongly in people's right to exercise their franchise. She proudly served as an election site supervisor for 6 years. Fran facilitated numerous political candidate debates for the League of Women Voters throughout Milwaukee County. She also helped eliminate the bureaucratic barriers that prevented the League of Women Voters from registering new citizens to vote immediately following their swearing in ceremonies. Fran was a candidate for Wisconsin State Representative in the 22nd Assembly District, in 1992. Fran served as a panelist at my ``Citizenship Day'' events explaining why it was important to register and vote.

In her spare time, Fran loved traveling; in fact, she reached every continent but Australia. She was also a 30-year member of a gourmet cooking group. Fran devotedly served her church, Immanuel Presbyterian, as an elder, deacon, trustee, and mission worker.

Madam Speaker, Milwaukee has suffered a great loss with the passing of Fran Swigart, and we celebrate her life and her many contributions to the life of our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act.

Tactics that attempt to deceive or mislead voters regarding elections, candidates, or voting procedures chip away at the very cornerstone of our democracy: the right to vote. I strongly support this legislation because it will track and expose these tactics for what they are in order to continue to prove that we are not living up to the true meaning of democracy. Every vote is not being considered. Every vote is not being counted.

Before and during the last election, there were reports of mass disenfranchisement and voter intimidation across the country. My district was subject to all types of deceptive flyers and phone calls targeted to black voters with misinformation designed to discourage them from voting. Mr. Speaker, as you know such tactics designed to prevent citizens from exercising their right to vote are not new. I am pleased that this legislation will make these types of acts a federal crime and set a penalty of up to 5 years in prison for any type of voter intimidation.

I urge my colleagues to value and protect the right to vote by voting for this important legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

My amendment would repeal a section of U.S. law that requires a report to Congress 15 days before any U.S. assistance can be obligated for Liberia. The obligating agency, whether State or USAID, would be required to submit this paperwork in addition to information they may have already provided in their annual budget documents.

I should note that the only other countries that are currently subjected to this requirement are Sudan, Zimbabwe, Serbia, Pakistan and Cambodia.

Mr. Chairman, as you and many of my colleagues know, for over 20 years, the people of Liberia have been subjected to the ravages of poverty, conflict, coups, and corruption. As one observer put it, ``seldom has a country sunk as far as Liberia did under the leadership of Charles Taylor and his predecessors.'' I do think I need to recount the number of casualties from wars, including the last civil war which only a few years ago with the assistance of U.S. leadership, which killed a quarter of a million of the country's 3 million people and displaced most of the rest.

In 2005, the people of the Republic of Liberia had the opportunity to go to the polls, some lining up for many hours, and open a new chapter in that country's tortuous history. When it was all said and done, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected President, becoming the first female president of any African country. In recognition of this historic election and the tremendous opportunity presented by these elections, last March, the House welcomed President Johnson-Sirleaf on her visit to the U.S. during which she addressed Congress, the U.N. Security Council, and met with President Bush.

In the year and a half since then, President Johnson-Sirleaf has been busy trying to rebuild the nation's education and health system, devastated by years of war, oversee the deactivation and reintegration of the old security forces and ex-combatants, and accommodate the return of thousands who fled the country during the wars.

Today, I am offering a very small and simple amendment which I believe would help make a difference in helping President Johnson- Sirleaf succeed in the monumental task--and it is monumental--that lays before her.

My amendment would repeal a section of U.S. law that requires a report to Congress 15 days before any U.S. assistance can be obligated for Liberia for any purpose. The obligating agency (whether State or USAID) must submit paperwork for all obligated funds in addition to any information they may have already provided to Congress about these projects in the annual budget documents. I should note the only other countries that are currently subjected to this requirement are Sudan, Zimbabwe, Serbia, Pakistan, and Cambodia.

According to State Department and USAID officials, such requirements impose reporting, program review, and other requirements that, in some cases, substantially slow the disbursement of reconstruction assistance to Liberia. This requirement was placed on Liberia funds beginning in the early 1990's and were put in place to give Congress the ability to exercise additional oversight when the ruthless and corrupt Charles Taylor and his predecessors ran Liberia and when U.S. assistance was relatively small. From 1996-2003, U.S. assistance ranged from $3 to $6 million.

As you know, in light of the recent elections and optimism about the future of Liberia, Congress in the last few years has significantly increased U.S. assistance to Liberia. However, some have expressed concerns, including President Johnson Sirleaf, that the current laws notification requirements are delaying the receipt of these funds for important projects to help rebuild Liberia as it emerges from conflict. According to the State Department, these delays can be as long as 4 to 6 weeks and dependent on the Appropriations Committee being available to receive them--such as in the middle of the August recess. Given Liberia's 6-month rainy season (May to October) when much work cannot be done on many projects, these delays could push projects on the ground much farther behind schedule in reality.

My amendment would prevent U.S. assistance from Liberia from being subjected to these additional reporting requirements in FY 2008. The State Department supports removing Liberia, noting that it will speed up the obligation of U.S. funds to this important country. The State Department notes, as do I, that these reporting requirements have outlived their usefulness with respect to Liberia. In the past, when we were dealing with the regime of Charles Taylor, they were absolutely useful and necessary.

Today, as Congress continues to express its support to President Johnson-Sirleaf and the people of Liberia, including $100 million more in aid in the bill before the House, let us support efforts to speed up--and likewise remove obstacles that would hinder--the establishment in Liberia of social and economic conditions that foster reintegration, economic growth, and rebuilding of infrastructure--including access to basic education and health services.

In these crucial but surprisingly fast moving first few months of President Sirleaf Johnson's administration, it is critical that we not only support her with words of encouragement, but remove bureaucratic obstacles that help prevent needed aid from being timely delivered to implement reforms and show that a democratically elected government can meet the people's needs.

Removal of Liberia would not set a new precedent. Over the years. the following countries have been under and then removed from this reporting requirement: Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Nicaragua, Jordan, and Uganda, just to name a few. It can hardly be argued that Congress exercises less oversight

over assistance to those countries now than it did when they were subject to the obligation reporting requirement. Additionally, the FY 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that was passed by the House removed Liberia from this provision.

Why would we want to delay development assistance such as education funds to a country where more than half of the people today cannot read or write? Where male life expectancy at birth is slightly under 38 years and for females, slightly under 42 years. Infant mortality: 157 infants per 1,000 live births die before there first birthday.

I certainly appreciate the need for Congress to retain and exercise oversight over these funds to ensure that they are being properly used, just as we do with the other nations receiving under this bill. Indeed, most of the countries receiving funding in this bill are not subjected to this reporting requirement. Once removed from these requires, the same regular Congressional Notification process would apply to Liberia that applies to all other countries.

Let me be clear. Removing this requirement does not mean that Liberia is somehow a perfect country without problems or challenges. In fact, removing this requirement would recognize those challenges and serve to remove one more obstacle to ensure that this country and its new leaders have every opportunity to succeed.

As President Sirleaf-Johnson said in her address before Congress last March: ``They (the Liberian people) are counting on me and my administration to create the conditions that will guarantee the realization of their dreams. We must not betray their trust. All the children I meet, when I ask what they want most, say, ``I want to learn.'' ``I want to go to school.'' ``I want an education.'' We must not betray their trust.

I know that the gentlewoman from New York, the chairperson of the subcommittee, Ms. Lowey has been keenly aware of this issue. I certainly appreciate the efforts made by her, her staff, and Members of the Committee as they put together this very important bill and note the Committee's appropriate role in oversight and ensuring that funds are properly spent.

I would like to yield to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. David Price, for 2 minutes.

(Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Thank you so much, sir.

I just want to acknowledge that this administration has done a great deal for Liberia. Certainly Chairwoman Lowey has been exceptional. Liberia is a huge priority for her. I noted that my colleague, Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee, earlier, Mr. Chairman, added money to this bill, and as my colleague, Mr. Price, has said, this will make or break, I think, this administration that we are all so hopeful of the beautiful democracy that is budding in Liberia. This would be a precedent-setting form of assistance that will cost us no extra money.

Thank you so much.

I yield to the gentlewoman from New York.

Thank you so much.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an artistic leader and playwright from the Fourth Congressional District, Gerald Wallace. Mr. Wallace was instrumental in diversifying and enriching Milwaukee's artistic offerings by interjecting the voice of Milwaukee's African American artistic community. A prolific playwright, Mr. Wallace created works that reflected the full range of African American experience in this country.

Mr. Wallace fulfilled his childhood dream when he founded the People's Theater. He created a 20-seat theater in a building located in the heart of the African American community through funds raised by providing evening studio performances in private homes. He expanded understanding of and appreciation for African American theater by both the actors and the audience with performances by People's Theater throughout the city and the State of Wisconsin.

Mr. Wallace provided opportunities and mentored anyone interested in performing or learning other aspects of theater operation. He trained novices in speaking, projection, stage movement, and taught them to explore the depths of their characters in order to present a realistic portrayal on stage. Mr. Wallace exposed Milwaukee to the rich traditions of African American theater with the appearance of legendary actress Claudia McNeil, who performed with the People's Theater in James Baldwin's classic play, The Amen Corner. Many theater actors and actresses from Milwaukee began acting or honed their skills at the People's Theater. In fact, the founder of Milwaukee's African American Children's Theater had her genesis at the People's Theater.

Mr. Wallace introduced students in Milwaukee Public Schools to theater through performances that involved both music and student participation. After observing his work in the community, Adolph Suppan, the former Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Fine Arts, hired Mr. Wallace to provide community outreach through work with the People's Theater.

In later years, Mr. Wallace expanded his artistic interests by founding and operating a gallery showcasing the works by African American artists. Further, he provided classes to aspiring artists; for example Gullah basket weavers from South Carolina taught classes at his gallery. Mr. Wallace passed away on June 11, 2007; his influence and impact will be sorely missed in Milwaukee.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. Gerald Wallace and his contributions to the artistic culture in the Fourth Congressional District.

Offered By: Ms. Moore of Wisconsin

Amendment No. 3: In section 620 of the bill (relating to

special notification requirements), strike ``Liberia,''.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 440th Airlift Wing's long and distinguished history. It was formed in 1943 at Baer Field in Indiana, but has been based at General Mitchell International Airport--Air Reserve Station located in the Fourth Congressional District, since 1957. The airport and Air Reserve Station are both named in honor of Brig. Gen. William Mitchell, the Milwaukeean who is considered the ``father'' of the modern Air Force.

After moving to Milwaukee, the 440th Troop Carrier Group became the 440th Airlift Wing and in 1967, underwent another name change becoming the Reserve Tactical Airlift Wing. The 440th has received many honors including: the Air Force Association's Outstanding Reserve Unit during 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1968; the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, 1968: 14 Feb--11 Mar for airlift operations to the Vietnam Theater; the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period Oct 1985-- 30 Sep 1987; the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 2 Oct 1992--2 Oct 1993; the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period 1 Jun 1997--30 Sep 1998; and in 1998 received the highest score for a Reserve Unit in two years. In 1989, the 440th was equipped with eight new C-130s. The first C-130H was dubbed ``The Spirit of Wisconsin.''

The 440th has performed admirably in virtually every US combat theater and tactical operation including: the Cuban Missile Crisis; Vietnam Conflict; Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield in the Persian Gulf States; and was the first wing unit to deploy members on Anti-Terror Operations after the September 11, 2001 assault on America. In fact, ``The Flying Badgers'' have been constantly available to provide airlift support, superb aircraft maintenance and security training and support.

In 2006 the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) ordered the 440th to be reassigned to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Flight operations in Milwaukee will end in June, 2007 and will resume at the Wing's new location at Pope AFB.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to pay tribute to the 440th for their stellar performance, dedication and service to my district and to the nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a leader and volunteer from the Fourth Congressional District, Sam Carmen. Mr. Carmen is a recognized leader at the national and local level for his work in the area of educational innovation and reform. Mr. Carmen is retiring from the Milwaukee Teacher's Education Association (MTEA) after 28 years of faithful service.

Sam Carmen graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor's degree in Industrial and Labor Relations. Following graduation, he worked for both public sector and private sector unions in various capacities.

Mr. Carmen joined the staff of MTEA in 1979. In 1986, he became MTEA's chief spokesperson in contract negotiations with the Milwaukee Public School (MPS) Board. While he was serving as chief negotiator, MTEA developed a portfolio of educational reforms that were incorporated into the collective bargaining agreement and became national models. For example, Mr. Carmen negotiated an interview process for filling teacher vacancies replacing the traditional seniority model. MPS utilizes this process to select teachers who best fit their needs with the input of teachers, administration, and parent representatives.

In 1994, Sam Carmen was selected as the MTEA Executive Director while continuing as the chief negotiator. As Executive Director, he was a leader in the successful establishment of the MPS/MTEA Teacher Mentor Program, the Joint Teacher Evaluation and Mentoring Program, the Milwaukee Teacher Education Center (MTEC), and the Milwaukee Partnership Academy. Most recently, Mr. Carmen was instrumental in the development and implementation of a collaborative strategic planning process with MPS and the Greater Milwaukee Committee entitled ``Working Together, Achieving More.''

Sam Carmen has been active in organizations including: Citizen Action of Wisconsin; the Urban Directors' Association, a national network of urban union executives; the UWM School of Education Dean's Community Advisory Committee; and the Holmes Partnership, a network of professional organizations working to improve teaching and learning for all children.

During Mr. Carmen's tenure, the MTEA established annual community outreach activities including: an art show and awards program for MPS students; a scholarship program for MPS graduates, particularly those pursuing teaching careers; and the Food for Our Future partnership with Hunger Task Force, a food drive and advocacy program.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to rise and pay tribute today to Sam Carmen's contributions to educational reform in the Fourth Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mildred Leigh Gold, a compassionate leader, a breast cancer survivor, and an advocate from the Fourth Congressional District. Mrs. Leigh Gold is recognized at the national, regional and local level for her work and achievements in the area of breast cancer awareness and treatment.

Mrs. Leigh Gold came to Milwaukee in 1969. She was immediately hired by Catholic Social Services and worked there for 18 years. She provided counseling, guidance and other assistance to central city youth from 2 community sites: the House of Peace and the Inner City Development Project. In 1989, Mrs. Leigh Gold was diagnosed with breast cancer and this life altering event led to a significant change in her career. She became active with the Breast Cancer Awareness Task Force Board.

In 1990, she accepted the challenge to design and implement the community-focused, City of Milwaukee Breast Cancer Awareness Program. This trailblazing, first-of-its-kind program took breast cancer screening services into underserved neighborhoods with a mobile van. The program has provided breast cancer screening service to over 27,000 women and reached many more women through its education awareness component. Public Health

Nurses were utilized to have one-on-one visits with women presenting with abnormal breast exams; and a network of nurturing physicians and relationships with hospitals were developed to ensure follow-up care. In fact, the rate of follow-up visits in this program with physicians was an impressive 98% compared to the national average of 30%. The program she designed and implemented has been replicated throughout the United States because it has achieved such impressive outcomes. Mrs. Leigh Gold, who is retiring in June, 2007, has guided this nationally recognized program for 17 years.

Mrs. Leigh Gold holds a bachelors degree in Social Welfare from A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, a masters degree in Management from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as an LPN certificate. She has been married to Joe Gold for over 20 years.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I am honored to pay tribute to Mildred Leigh Gold. Mrs. Leigh Gold's dedication to women's health care and her work to promote awareness and provide access to breast cancer treatment has truly been a life saver for many women in my district.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life and work of Nick Topping, a highly respected, social justice activist, music impresario and business owner. Mr. Topping died on May 9, 2007, at the age of 89.

Mr. Topping earned a degree in history and communications from the University of Wisconsin--Madison. During World War II, he was drafted and served in Army intelligence. When he returned, he founded a store named Topping and Company International House that he ran for over 50 years. The store stocked Greek and Middle Eastern food, books, and records from all over the world.

Mr. Topping was one of nine children born to Greek immigrant parents who ran a grocery store at South 4th Street and West National Avenue. Mr. Topping was born Nick Topitzes and changed his name at the age of 18 because of the discrimination Greeks faced at that time.

Nick Topping spent much of his lifetime working for peace and social justice. He marched with Father James Groppi over the 16th Street Viaduct during Milwaukee's civil rights struggle and took his daughters along on the marches with him. He belonged to the NAACP and became an early local protestor against the Vietnam War. Mr. Topping was also active in the growing south side Latino community and in the Chicano rights movement.

Mr. Topping was a promoter of ethnic and folk music concerts in the 1950s and '60s including singers such as: Miriam Makeba, from South Africa; Pete Seeger; Josh White; Peter, Paul & Mary; Bob Dylan; and Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis, music composer for the movie Zorba the Greek. Nick Topping secured his place in modem Milwaukee history by securing the Beatles for their one and only Milwaukee concert on September 4, 1964. The concert quickly sold out with the most expensive ticket selling for $5.50.

Nick Topping is survived by his wife of 56 years, Harriet; two daughters, Adele Fatemi-Topping and Alexandra Topping; a brother, Agamemnon (Memo); and a sister, Sandra Topitzes Brown, all of Milwaukee.

Madam Speaker, Milwaukee has experienced a profound loss with the passing of Nick Topping. Today, I thank him and his family for their immeasurable achievements. I mourn his loss and I salute his legacy.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life and work of Mr. Andrew Reneau, a highly-respected and deeply principled Milwaukee attorney and Family Court Commissioner. Mr. Reneau died on May 6, 2007, at the age of 90.

Andrew R. Reneau was one of two African Americans to graduate from the University of Wisconsin in 1942. Upon graduation, the only work he could find was as a metal chipper at the Allis Chalmers foundry. After sustaining a serious eye injury, Mr. Reneau went back to school. A coin toss determined whether Mr. Reneau should become a mortician or go to law school. In 1946, Andrew Reneau earned a law degree and was the only African American in his Marquette University graduating class.

Mr. Reneau began a successful private law practice serving people from all over the city, conversing both in Polish and Italian with his clients. In 1976, Reneau became an Assistant Family Court Commissioner. He was named the first African American Family Court Commissioner in 1978, serving until his retirement in 1995. Andrew Reneau was a NAACP chapter president, the first editor of The Globe newspaper, and was active with the Boy Scouts of America Council and the YMCA. He was a founding member of St. James United Methodist Church and involved in the National Conference of Christians and Jews. A proud graduate of UW and Marquette, he lectured on family law at both law schools.

The grandson of slaves, he was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi in 1916, the youngest of eight children. The family moved to Beloit, WI, when he was 2 seeking better opportunities. Due to ill health, Mr. Reneau was unable to attend grade school for several years thus delaying graduation from high school until age 21.

Mr. Reneau met the former Phyllis Cabell at a church convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, and they were married after he graduated from UW. Phyllis Reneau supported the family by working at a foundry while he attended law school. Phyllis Reneau passed away in 1995. Reneau family survivors include sons David, Paul, Joseph, and Peter; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, in Andrew Reneau's death Milwaukee has experienced a profound loss. Today, I thank him and his family for their immeasurable achievements, I mourn his loss and I salute his legacy.

Madam Chairman, as we debate the FY 2008 Defense Authorization bill, I am pleased to note the effort by my colleagues in working to ensure that our national defense funding and policy are focused on programs that will make our country safer and provide our troops in harm's way with the resources they need today.

I support making sure that Congress wisely, as well as robustly, provide for our national defense, including ensuring dollars are spent on systems that will actually protect our Nation and our allies. One of those systems drawing new attention during this debate is missile defense. Our country has already spent over $100 billion over the last several decades to develop various missile defense systems. These Cold War efforts for which annual funding has increased from $3 billion in the late 1990s to nearly $10 billion have yet to bear fruit, even as our country faces the grave threat posed by terrorists smuggling nuclear weapons into our country across our borders or through our ports.

Supporters will point to successful tests recently of portions of this system. However, we all know the challenges of replicating limited success from carefully and highly scripted tests in real world conditions. Given that participants knew roughly when the test target would launch, what they would look like, how they would fly and what they would do, it may be even more concerning that these systems missed as often as they did.

I am troubled when I hear experts such as the Government Accountability Office report that while costs have grown, less work is being completed than planned. GAO found that ``too few tests have been completed to have confidence in the models and simulations used to predict performance.'' One year after establishing 2006 goals for the program, the Missile Defense agency informed Congress that it planned to field fewer assets, reduce performance goals, and increase the program's cost goal.

Our citizens and our allies and their citizens are not made safer by rushing to deploy technology that ``may'' protect them when called upon.

The solution to a flat tire is not to blow more air into it. We cannot afford to expend valuable national defense dollars to develop technologies that we know today will not work at a time when these funds can be spent to improve our homeland security, provide needed equipment for our troops in the field, or increase foreign aid to our allies.

I am sure there is no need to remind my colleagues that the $8.1 billion provided in the bill for the missile system is more than is currently authorized for port security grants or included in the recent House-passed COPS reauthorization bill to put more police officers on our streets.

Some have attempted to muddle this issue by inserting the nation of Israel into the missile defense issue. Our Nation recognizes the importance of our ally Israel and provides over $2 billion in foreign military aid to help that nation meet its unique security challenges. However, simply putting more unproven, insufficiently tested, and unreliable missile defense systems into the field does not make our country or our allies safer.

I certainly believe the purpose of this $645 billion Defense authorization bill is to help make our country safer including assisting our

allies. If we truly want to help protect important allies like Israel, let's develop and share with them defensive systems that will work effectively, reliably, and consistently. The history of this program has shown me that simply providing more funds will not accomplish that goal.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Teacher Day and in strong support of our Nation's teachers.

As the daughter of a teacher and now the mother of a teacher, I know firsthand the importance of quality education for all children and understand the dedication of these committed professionals to our children. Teachers are the driving force behind our Nation's responsibility to provide a high quality education to every child. I know from personal experience that education can be the key to a better life.

I commend our Nation's teachers and their dedication to our youth. Teachers are on the front lines of our education system, working tirelessly to ensure that our children have the skills to reach their maximum potential.

I want to give just one example of an extraordinary teacher from my district--the Fourth District of Wisconsin. Ms. Andrea Payan of Morgandale Elementary School in Milwaukee was recently awarded the nationally-recognized Milken Educator Award.

Ms. Payan has motivated and inspired her students, her colleagues, and her community. Not only has Ms. Payan dedicated herself to her students, but she also serves as a mentor to new teachers, providing support and advice to those who have chosen this challenging and rewarding profession.

On this day of National Teacher Appreciation, I encourage my colleagues to not just ``talk the talk,'' but to ``walk the walk'' and strengthen our investment in public education.

I thank and congratulate Ms. Payan, as well as the thousands of teachers in my district who may not have been nationally recognized, but who share that same commitment and dedication. I encourage everyone to remember and thank a teacher who has made a difference in their life.

Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, April 24, I missed the vote on rollcall No. 252. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 237, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Campbell of California

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of our nation's true pioneers, a man who has graced the United States with his bravery and service, both as a Tuskegee Airman and an outstanding citizen of Milwaukee where he resided for over 50 years. The man I am talking about, Mr. Hazelle ``Von'' Hickman died March 14, 2007. Mr. Hickman's death came just two weeks before the Tuskegee Airmen were belatedly honored in Washington, D.C. with the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest honor that can be conferred by Congress on March 29, 2007.

Mr. Hickman enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1940. He became one of the Tuskegee Airmen specializing in weapons maintenance and enemy aircraft plotting. The Tuskegee Airmen were a dedicated, determined group of young men who fought many obstacles and extreme prejudice to become America's first Black military airmen. Mr. Hickman was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines. He received a Philippines Liberation Ribbon, American Theater Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars, Good Conduct Medal and a Citation from President Truman before his Honorable Discharge.

Mr. Hickman received the JC Penney Golden Rule Award in recognition of outstanding volunteer service, was a leader in his neighborhood block watch, and was active in local politics. He was blessed with an outstanding singing voice and was a member of the Senior Choir at Shiloah Evangelical Lutheran Church and was the first African American member of the Pabst Choir.

Mr. Hickman was born in Inverness, Mississippi, on February 14, 1920. After completing military service, Mr. Hickman moved to Milwaukee in 1946. He worked for Pabst Brewery and retired after a 30 year tenure. Mr. Hickman met and married his wife of 60 years, Minnie (nee Prince) in Milwaukee. He is survived by his daughter, Gina Hickman, and sons Craig Hickman and Jop Blom and many relatives and friends. I am honored to have this opportunity to pay tribute to Mr. Hickman for his singular courage and unwavering commitment to our country and to Milwaukee.