Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Levin for yielding me this time, and for his leadership on this very important issue, and I rise in strong opposition to this legislation.

South Carolina, my home State, is home to many military installations--Fort Jackson in Columbia; Shaw Air Force Base and the 3rd Army Headquarters in Sumter; the Joint Air Base in Charleston; Parris Island; and the Marine Air Station in Beaufort. I proudly work to represent these military communities, and I oppose H.R. 8 because of the hurt it would visit upon middle-income and military families.

A new report out today by the Center for American Progress documents the harsh impact that H.R. 8 would have on many military families. For example, a private in the United States Army in his first year of service who is married with an infant child would have a $273 increase under H.R. 8. That's real money to a young soldier.

A marine corporal with 4 years of service who is married with two children would see a tax increase of $448 under H.R. 8. That family is already struggling to make ends meet.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, a military police sergeant in the Air Force with 8 years service, a spouse, and three young children would get a whopping tax increase of $1,118 under H.R. 8.

Mr. Speaker, these are just three examples of how the Republican bill would negatively impact our military families. The Senate has passed a middle class tax cut, and the President has told us he will sign it. The only thing standing between the middle income and their tax cut is the Republican leadership in this House.

Mr. Speaker, it is time that we come together and extend to the middle class in this society an income tax cut that is fair, that will create jobs, that will offer security to families and stability to communities. I urge a vote against this bill.

Mr. Larson, thank you for yielding me the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this partisan charade to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

This is the 31st time the majority has orchestrated a vote to repeal in whole or in part this very important and long-awaited law to increase accessibility and decrease the cost of quality health care.

Fortunately, the other body rejected this ill-fated effort the first 30 times, and this 31st time will be no different. Why, then, are we having this debate?

Do my Republican colleagues really believe that the majority of the other body is now ready to take from children born with diabetes the right to coverage under their parents' health care policies?

Do my Republican colleagues really believe that a majority of the other body is now ready to take from children who are seeking employment the right to remain on their parents' health care policies up to their 26th birthday?

Do my Republican colleagues really believe that a majority of the other body is now ready to take from a woman with breast cancer, or a man with prostate cancer, the right to keep their coverage once they get sick?

The American people are smarter than that. They know the deal. They do not wish to be taken down this primrose path for the 31st time. The American people want stability in their lives, security for their families, and safety in their communities.

Americans want us to stop jerking them around. They cannot have stability in their lives when we are shipping American jobs overseas. They cannot have security in their homes when they are fearful of getting sick. They cannot have safety in their communities when their teachers, policemen, and firefighters are being led off while we are engaged in symbolic episodes.

I ask my colleagues to reject this charade, and let's vote to restore the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a natural born leader, an entrepreneur, a trailblazer and a very dear friend. Michael R. Hollis departed this life on June 18, 2012, at the tender age of 58, but not before he achieved his goal to ``do something in life that would make a difference.''

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Michael was born in Grady Memorial Hospital, a beloved institution that later in life he would help save. From a young age he demonstrated he was extremely gifted. When he was only 15, he led the Atlanta Youth Congress and worked on Sam Massell's mayoral campaign, which earned him a spot on the Mayor's race relations commission. The following year, Michael's talents landed him a coveted job in the Atlanta Braves' public relations department. At 16, he also served as a Georgia delegate to the White House Conference on Youth and led the Young Atlantans for Maynard Jackson during Jackson's 1969 bid for the U.S. Senate. It was only after he accomplished these remarkable achievements that he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School.

Michael went on to graduate with honors from Dartmouth College and earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. While in law school, he continued to demonstrate extraordinary leadership by becoming the first African American to be elected national president of the American Bar Association's student organization.

Following law school, Michael returned home to Atlanta, but his political connections called him into service. President Jimmy Carter appointed him to serve as associate chief counsel to investigate the legal implications of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident in 1979. In that position, he helped lead the investigative committee to recommend nuclear safety protocols that are still in effect today.

In addition to his political acumen, Michael was an entrepreneur at heart. While serving as Vice President for Public Finance at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York, he incorporated Air Atlanta at the age of 27. He left the investment firm three years later in 1983 to lead his fledgling airline. It folded in 1987, but Michael was not deterred.

In the years that followed, he formed Hollis Communications and helped build a 50,000 watt radio station in Atlanta. He also launched Hanover Credit Company, Blue Sky Petroleum Company and Nevis Securities, LLC.

Michael served on the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority and the Grady Memorial Hospital board. He was founding trustee of Clark Atlanta University and served as a member of the Emory University Board of Visitors.

Michael is survived by his beloved wife, Deena Freeman Hollis; sisters Virginia Hollis and Joan Hollis Mitchell; and brothers, Flem Hollis and Julius Hollis.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in honoring Michael R. Hollis, a bright light that was dimmed too soon. He was a remarkable example of what one can accomplish if you hold fast to your dreams. In his own words he couldn't ``pass through this life and pass up on great opportunities.'' His many achievements stand as testaments to a life well lived, and will serve as his lasting legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable educator, civic leader and a dear friend. Dr. Caroline Whitson is retiring on June 30, 2012, after serving as the 17th President of Columbia College for 11 years. Her leadership of this great institution will be sorely missed.

Dr. Whitson is a native of Arkansas, who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and returned to her home state to earn a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Arkansas. She also earned a diploma in international relations from the London School of Economics.

She began her career as an English professor, and climbed the ranks of academia to become a vice president for advancement, and a provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Since coming to Columbia College, Dr. Whitson has embraced the college's original mission, a dedication to the education of women. She expanded the college's Women Leadership Institute and helped found the Alliance for Women, which is a partnership between Columbia College and the Governor's Commission on Women, to prevent the latter's closure in 2004. Dr. Whitson has also instituted on campus the 4C leadership model that develops in young women Courage, Commitment, Confidence, and Competence. All of these efforts combine to support and grow women leaders in South Carolina.

Her leadership of the college has also resulted in annual fundraising that has doubled during her tenure. The endowment has grown by 40 percent, and she has established the McNair Scholars program and the Reeves Endowed Chair in Leadership Studies.

A college cannot grow without providing the necessary facilities. So under Dr. Whitson's watch, the college has added a new student union, residential cottages, and an athletic complex. She has also led the renovations of the freshman center, the Goodall Art Gallery, Edens Library and the Cottingham Theatre. She has also made environmentally friendly updates to the campus, adding solar panels to reduce the carbon footprint, and revitalizing the landscape.

Dr. Whitson has also expanded academic opportunities on campus by signing agreements for research and for faculty and student exchanges with both the State University of Mongolia and the Hiroshima Jogakuin Women's University in Japan.

Under her guidance, Columbia College has received a number of recognitions for teaching and scholarly excellence from the Theodore Hesburgh Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Foundations of Excellence for the first College year, the NAIA Champions of Character, the National Communication Association, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Dr. Whitson has also lent her leadership skills to the community. She chaired the S.C. Independent Colleges and Universities President's Council and the Richland County Transportation Commission. She has also served as a member of the S.C. Tuition Grants Commission, Mayor Bob Coble's City of Columbia Arts Task Force, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and The Nurturing Center board.

Currently, Dr. Whitson chairs the S.C. ETV Endowment Board. She is a member of the Midlands Business Leaders, Eau Claire Development Corporation, and the United Way board. She is also a member of the regional technology council, EngenuitySC, and serves on the President's Circle of the National Council for Research on Women.

Her tremendous work has earned her the honor of a ``Woman of Distinction'' from the Girls Scouts of the Congaree Area, ``Outstanding Advocate for Women in Business'' from the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and the Martha Kime Piper award from the South Carolina Women in Higher Education.

Dr. Whitson is married to Turner Whitson, and the couple has one daughter, Dr. Heather Whitson. They have a son-in-law, Dr. Ben Maynor, and two grandsons, Jacob and Christopher.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Caroline Whitson for her years of service to higher education and to her community. Her work has improved Columbia College and the greater Columbia Metropolitan area. While her public role will be greatly missed, I look forward to her continued good work on behalf of women's education and improving the status of women worldwide.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 2072, the ``Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011'' which reauthorizes the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank for three years. Last year the Export-Import Bank supported nearly 300,000 American jobs; 300,000 American jobs. This reauthorization is a no brainer.

The Export-Import Bank provided $32 billion in financing last year-- all at no cost to the taxpayer. More than 80% of those transactions directly supported small businesses in 2011. The Ex-Im Bank provides support for small business owners who may be less familiar with the global economy, but want to grow their business, create jobs, support their community, and make it in America.

In my home state of South Carolina, the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner rolled out of the production facility at the Charleston Airport just two weeks ago. The Export-Import Bank fills an important financing gap for Boeing that helps level the global playing field and encourages foreign companies to buy American-made products like the Dreamliner. Reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank will protect jobs in South Carolina and all around the country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a good friend, who is being honored on May 12, 2012 by his church Rock Hill Baptist Church for his lifetime of service to the community. Mr. James Gibson, a youthful 89-year-old, is a stalwart of the community in Saluda, South Carolina, and is very deserving of this recognition.

James Gibson was the third of six children born to Eddie and Mae Bell Dozier Gibson. He attended the historic Cane Brake school, which was one of the first Rosenwald schools in South Carolina.

Upon graduation, Mr. Gibson joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in World War II. When he left the military, he continued to serve his country by joining the Civil Service. After 30 years, he retired from Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. In retirement, he has enjoyed watching the Bible Channel and reading his Bible. He gardens and enjoys walks as well.

Mr. Gibson is a dedicated member of the community. He was a Shriner for more than 40 years, and a member of the C.C. Johnson Consistory for over four decades. He is Past Worshipful Master (PWM) of Peerless Lodge #214 and PWP of Peerless Chapter #335 OES. Mr. Gibson is a 33rd degree Mason and a member of the United Supreme Council.

He is also extremely dedicated to Rock Hill Baptist Church. He has served as Adult Sunday School Teacher, Chairman of Trustees, and was Chairman of the Deacon Board for 25 years.

He married Annie Barnes Gibson in 1947. The couple have three children and two granddaughters.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating James Gibson on this great honor. He has served his country and Saluda County with distinction. It is fitting that his contributions are being recognized by his fellow citizens for all that he has done to give back to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a community leader and a good friend who is being honored for his service by Rock Hill Baptist Church in Saluda, South Carolina on May 12, 2012. Mr. John Gibson, who will be 92 years old later this month, has been an active member of the Saluda County community for most of his life. He is very deserving of this recognition.

John Gibson was born to the late Eddie and Mae Bell Dozier Gibson on May 26, 1920. He is the oldest of six children. He was educated in Florida public schools, and then graduated from one of the first Rosenwald Schools in South Carolina--Cane Brake in Saluda.

Following graduation, Mr. Gibson joined the Army. After entering civilian life, he worked at Fairfield Tractor Company in Columbia until his retirement. In retirement he has enjoyed his hobbies of fishing and gardening.

Throughout his life, Mr. Gibson has been dedicated to his community. He is life member of the NAACP. He has been a faithful member of the Friendship Union and the Ridge Hill Education Association. Mr. Gibson is a member of Peerless Lodge #214 and is a Master Mason.

He is also very dedicated to his church, Rock Hill Baptist Church. He served as Vacation Bible School Director and Sunday School Superintendent. He is also very involved in the church's Bible study groups, and currently serves as Deacon Emeritus.

In 1940, he married Lois Williams, and they were blessed with four children. He also has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating John Gibson on a life well lived. He is an important unsung hero that has selflessly served his country and his community. I applaud the community for recognizing his many contributions and honoring him in this wonderful way.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Terecia Wilson on the occasion of her retirement from the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Since 1984, Ms. Wilson has worked to improve highway safety in South Carolina, and as a result of her extraordinary service, all South Carolinians are safer on our state's roads. She has been an invaluable resource to me and my staff over the years, and we will miss working with her.

Most recently, Ms. Wilson has served as Training, Safety and Security Program Manager for the Office of Public Transit in the Division of Intermodal and Freight Programs for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, SCDOT, managing the statewide Rural Transit Assistance Program. From 1999 to 2007, Ms. Wilson served as Director of Safety at SCDOT. In this capacity, she developed, implemented, and administered roadway and occupational safety programs to improve safety for highway workers and drivers alike, as well as administering management, claims, and toll operations for the agency. Before joining SCDOT, she served at the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, where she, among other responsibilities, coordinated the 402 State and Community Highway Safety Program, managed numerous successful highway safety public information and education programs, and sought and secured millions of dollars in needed funding.

Ms. Wilson's many years of service have produced impressive results. South Carolina's mileage death rate plummeted from 3.7 per 100 million miles of travel in 1986 to its lowest recorded level of 1.65 in 2010. In 2005, Ms. Wilson worked closely with state legislators when they passed primary seat belt legislation; in 2008, South Carolina's safety belt usage rate climbed to 79 percent, the highest rate ever recorded. SCDOT's High Visibility Work Zone Safety Program had dramatic results during its three-year duration from 2002 to 2005, with a 39.2 percent reduction in work zone crashes, a 44.1 percent reduction in work zone injuries, and a 50 percent reduction in work zone fatalities. It is no exaggeration to say that Ms. Wilson's work has saved lives.

Throughout her career, Ms. Wilson has garnered national recognition for her able service. In 1991, she received a Special Recognition Award from the National Traffic Safety Administration, NTSA, for promoting and implementing a statewide education and enforcement campaign. In 1992 and 1999, she received the NTSA's National Award for Public Service. She received the Award of Merit from the National Sheriffs' Association in 1993 for promoting and implementing the Rural Sheriffs' Traffic Safety Initiative. In 2004, she was named the winner of the President's Transportation Award by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Three years later, the ``Let'em Work, Let'em Live'' campaign, which Ms. Wilson directed, was awarded the National Roadway Safety Award by the Federal Highway Administration and National Roadway Safety Foundation. South Carolinians are proud to see one of our own. so well regarded by her colleagues around the country, and we are fortunate that her exemplary service has been to our benefit.

Ms. Wilson is a proud wife and mother, and I know that she is looking forward to being able to spend more time with her family in retirement. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House join me in congratulating Ms. Terecia Wilson on this well-deserved retirement. I wish her good health and godspeed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a wonderful corporate and community leader upon his retirement. Robert Billingslea is retiring on March 31, 2012 as the Corporate Director of Urban Affairs for the Walt Disney Company. His professional efforts have enhanced the strength and diversity of the Disney Company, and his civic endeavors have made a tremendous impact on the city of Orlando.

Robert Lee Billingslea was born on December 20, 1937, to Faye and Robert Billingslea. He was raised by his grandparents on the south side of Youngstown, Ohio. Growing up he attended local public schools, and found his passion in music. He began playing the drums at age 12, and at 16 he was playing professionally. In 1956 he graduated from South High School, and was voted ``most musical'' in his class. His love of music spurred him to move to California following graduation to pursue a career as a musician. He studied music at Vallejo Junior College, while performing with several West Coast bands.

In 1958, he returned to his hometown and continued to tour the country playing drums for various musical groups. Two years later, he enrolled in Kent State University to study sociology. In his senior year, he worked in juvenile court, and upon graduation became a probation officer in Akron, Ohio's juvenile court system. Mr. Billingslea went on to serve as a community organizer for the Office of Economic Opportunity. In 1966, an opportunity to become a wage and salary compensation analyst at Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin) took his life on a new trajectory in Orlando, Florida.

He joined the Walt Disney Company in 1969, and went to work at Disneyland in California as a senior personnel representative. But he quickly returned to Orlando where he was involved in the opening of the new Disney World facility in 1971. He has remained with Disney since that time, climbing the ladder to his current position as Corporate Director of Urban Affairs.

In addition to his position at Disney, Mr. Billingslea has been just as active in his community. When he returned to Orlando, he became chair of the Orlando Human Relations Board. Four governors also appointed him to serve on the Florida State Commission on Human Relations. It was during this time that our paths crossed and we became fast friends.

In 1985, his work at Disney brought him together with the NAACP, which was reviewing the company's employment practices for African Americans. Mr. Billingslea served as Disney's liaison to the NAACP, and a lasting relationship formed. He began working with the NAACP's Youth initiative, Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT SO). Through this program, he helped African American youth enhance their academic, artistic and scientific abilities. He served on the ACT SO Industry Advisory Council, as a Special Contributions Fund Trustee, and on the NAACP Image Awards Committee.

His experiences working with youth in the juvenile court system ignited a lifelong passion. He serves as an ambassador to the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida, as a trustee for Bethune-Cookman University, and as an advisor to the Central Florida Urban League. He is also a member of the board for the League of Black Women and the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation.

Bob has been honored with numerous awards include the National Service to Youth Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for his 30 years of dedicated service and the Whitney M. Young Award from the Metropolitan Orlando Urban League in recognition of his help in founding and supporting the local Urban League chapter.

Mr. Billingslea and his wife Deidre (DeeDee) live in Orlando, and are the parents of one son. They are also the proud grandparents of two grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me today in celebrating the extraordinary contributions of Robert Billingslea. This a man who came from humble beginnings who started out hoping to change the world with his music, but ended up beating a different drum. He has helped shape the Walt Disney Company into the beloved entertainment empire it is today and still found time to help build a better community in Central Florida. I wish him well in his retirement, and know that he will continue to share his time and talents with others.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for yielding me this time.

I rise in opposition to this misguided Republican budget because it fails the moral test. The Federal budget should reflect the values of the American people, and this Republican proposal does damage to those values because it is fundamentally unfair to the middle-income, to the hardworking people of America, and the most vulnerable among us.

This Republican budget would end the Medicare guarantee that working people depend upon after a lifetime of hard work. The Republican budget creates new tax breaks of up to $394,000 for the wealthiest few. This Republican budget destroys 4.1 million jobs. The Republican budget breaks faith with the agreement their leaders made in last year's Budget Control Act to maintain funding for essential services. And this Republican budget protects all Pentagon funds while putting schools, roads, and job creation on the chopping block.

The American people have spoken loud and clear in opposition to these misguided priorities. I urge the House to pass fair and balanced legislation to reduce our deficits in a responsible and surgical manner and invest in important priorities to build a strong middle class.

Growing up in a church parsonage in South Carolina, I learned to put faith into action through firmly held values and high moral standards. This Republican budget fails the moral test, and I urge my colleagues to join me in defeating it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a tremendous public servant, a passionate educator, and a dear friend and relative. Beverly Clyburn is being honored on March 23, 2012 for her service on Aiken City Council. She retired in November 2011 after 22 years of dedicated service to the City of Aiken.

Beverly LaVerne Dozier was born in Georgetown, South Carolina to Maggie and William Dozier. She was the fifth of eight children and one of seven girls. From an early age, Beverly loved to learn and she graduated in 1961 as Salutatorian of Howard High School.

She went on to attend Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated with honors in 1965, with a degree in Chemistry and Mathematics. It was there that she met her husband, and my cousin, William ``Bill'' Clyburn. In 1978, Beverly earned a Masters Degree in Secondary Guidance from the University of South Carolina.

Beverly's first love is education, and she spent 42 years as an educator in both Aiken and Allendale counties. She served as a guidance counselor at Midland Valley High School and guidance director at South Aiken High School, a position she retired from in 1999. Following retirement she was drawn back into education to help improve the Allendale County schools after a State take-over. Today she continues to work in education at the Aiken Performing Arts Academy as a part- time assistant director and guidance counselor.

In 1988, Beverly was urged by members of the community to run for Aiken City Council. She took on the challenge, and won the District 1 seat. She is known for her thoroughness on council, diligently studying every issue and visiting the sites that would be impacted before she cast her vote.

During her tenure on council, she has participated in numerous development projects including the 10-year renewal plan for Aiken's Northside, the Crosland Park redevelopment project, the Center for African American History, Art and Culture, and the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum. She served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2002 2004, and has been honored for her work in chairing the first four NLC Diversity Breakfasts. She has also served as the chair of the Aiken County DSS Board.

In 2001, the South Carolina General Assembly honored Beverly for her work in Aiken and Allendale counties and the State of South Carolina. The Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce named her the 2009 Woman of the Year for her commitment to the Aiken area. She has also earned the honor of Woman of Distinction from her church, Cumberland African Methodist Episcopal.

Beverly and Bill have been married for 47 years, and are the parents of three adult children--William, Jr., Wilson, and Courtney. They also served as foster parents to daughter, Carmen. Today they have three grandchildren, and spending more time with her beloved family was the impetus for her retirement from Aiken City Council.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in congratulating Beverly Dozier Clyburn on a job well done. She has spent her entire career in public service whether as an educator or an elected official. Her efforts have made Aiken County a better place, and she has been a positive influence on countless lives along the way. I wish her all the best in this new chapter in her life, and knowing Beverly as I do, look forward to her continued work on behalf of others.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable man who has distinguished himself as a great South Carolinian and an outstanding scholar and advocate of the Gullah/Geechee culture. He has dedicated his life to preserving the culture and the community he loves, and has just ended his tenure as the first Chairman of the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. I commend him for his outstanding work and thank him for his long-time friendship. We could not have had a better person to get this Commission off on the right foot.

Emory Shaw Campbell was born on October 11, 1941, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which was at the time was an isolated Sea Island inhabited by the descendents of former slaves, not the high-end resort it has become today. He was the sixth of 12 children born to Sarah and Reginald Campbell.

While he attended elementary school on Hilton Head Island, he had to travel by boat to attend high school at Michael C. Riley High School in the mainland town of Bluffton. He graduated as valedictorian of his class in 1960. He went on to earn his bachelor's degree in biology from Savannah State College, and a master's in environmental engineering from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Following his academic training, Dr. Campbell returned home to his beloved Sea Islands. He served for ten years as the Director of Community Service Education at the Beaufort-Jasper Comprehensive Health Services in Ridgeland, South Carolina. This community health center provided quality, affordable health care to the underserved populations of the Sea Islands in the southernmost corner of the State. He also worked to protect Gullah communities that were threatened by the encroachment of resort development in the area.

In 1980, he became the Director of the Penn Community Center on St. Helena Island. This historic facility began as a school in the 1800s to educate freed slaves. It became a meeting place during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. As a student organizer at South Carolina State College, I attended meetings at Penn Center and subsequently served as a member of its Board of Trustees. Dr. Martin Luther King retreated there to plan protest strategies. Today, the center serves to protect and preserve the heritage of the island and its Gullah culture. Dr. Campbell was synonymous with these efforts, and he became a sought after expert on all things Gullah.

Most notably during his 22 years at the helm of Penn Center, Dr. Campbell led an effort to reconnect the Gullah community to its family roots in Sierra Leone, West Africa. This initiative resulted in Sierra Leone's President Joseph Momoh visiting Penn Center in 1988, and the following year Dr. Campbell was given the title of Honorary Paramount Chief when he took a group from the Gullah community to Sierra Leone for a reunion with their ancestral families. In 1990, South Carolina Educational Television produced a documentary Family Across the Sea, which chronicles these events.

Dr. Campbell has sought to preserve the heritage of his native culture through his book Gullah Cultural Legacies that includes Gullah traditions, beliefs, art and language. He also helped in the effort to translate the New Testament of the Bible into Gullah, which I used when I was sworn in as House Majority Whip in 2007. When Dr. Campbell retired from Penn Center in 2002, he began Gullah Heritage Consulting Services to continue his lifelong work and he manages the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours on Hilton Head Island.

In 2005, Dr. Campbell received the Carter F. Woodson Memorial Award from the National Education Association for his efforts to preserve the Gullah heritage and communities and to improve the quality of life for the Gullah people.

In 2008, I succeeded in getting the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor enacted into law. The legislation included the established of a Commission to manage the corridor, and Dr. Campbell was fittingly chosen to Chair the inaugural Commission.

Dr. Campbell lives on Hilton Head Island with his wife, Emma. They have two adult children.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Emory Campbell for his dedication to preserving, protecting and promoting the Gullah culture that is unique to the Sea Islands of the American South. He has made remarkable contributions throughout his career to bring recognition and support to Gullah communities, and he is one of their most distinguished members. His work has helped to save an entire culture that was rapidly disappearing due to encroachment and assimilation, and that is a tremendous legacy for any one individual.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an everyday hero, whose abiding faith led her to a remarkable life of Christian service. Deaconess Elizabeth McCants Ravenell passed from this life on February 12, 2012, but her legacy lives on in everyone she touched.

Elizabeth McCants Ravenell was born on November 25, 1922 in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. She attended the public schools of Charleston County, but her calling was a Christian education. She earned certificates from the House of God Academy and Bible College and a degree from the Moody Bible Institute.

Mrs. Ravenell was a devout Christian, and devoted her life to her family and her faith. She first joined the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in North Charleston in 1943. Two years later, she and her husband joined the House of God--Keith Dominion, when their oldest child, Mary Elizabeth was just one year old.

As a member of the House of God, Mrs. Ravenell served in many capacities. She was a part of the National Complex committee, Deacons Union, Chief Overseer's Anniversary Committee, and the International Missionary Outreach Society.

She sailed the Mediterranean Sea, ministering in Madrid, Spain as a guest of a community church her daughter, Margaret Catherine, organized. She represented the Piedmont Diocese of South Carolina in Mississippi. Mrs. Ravenell also took many visitors to the church's General Assembly in Nashville,. Tennessee, and provided food, clothes and shelter for many of them.

She met her husband, James L. Ravenell in Charleston, South Carolina. The couple had six children, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Mrs. Ravenell was also ``mother'' to all of the children of the church. Children gave her the greatest joy in life, and she doted on all of them. I met Ms. Ravenell soon after marrying into the McCants family over 50 years ago. We became fast friends and remained so until her death.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in celebrating an abundant life well lived. Elizabeth Ravenell was a dear friend of the family and light to all who knew her. She radiated her Christian faith and spent her life doing good works. While her presence will be missed, she has left the world a better place because of her devotion and service to others.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding me the time.

Madam Speaker, I often quote the poet Robert Frost, who once admonished us that two roads diverged in the wood, and I picked the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. I would not quarrel with Mr. Frost, but I would believe that it's the people that you meet as you travel the roads of life that really makes the difference with all of us.

Several years before I came to this body I met Donald Payne. I was a bit in awe of him because he struck out to attain a seat here, and in that race, right after I met him, things did not go as he had hoped--as many of us had hoped. But Don did not lose faith. He gathered himself, and he tried again. And of course, upon his success, all of us know what a successful Congressman he made.

I traveled with Don often. We went to Africa together. Traveling with him on the continent of Africa, going in and

out of country after country, sitting with him as he called heads of state by their names, and to see the respect that all of them had for him was just a joy to behold.

I learned a lot from Donald Payne. And I always, whenever I could, wanted to be around him. Just this past December, in my congressional district, Donald came to Charleston to help me participate in a congressional panel, talking about sustaining good, healthy communities. Don, that particular day, was sort of the star, as he usually was. I had no idea at that time that we would be in this place today.

I think I can say without any threat of contradiction that if anybody has left his or her mark of service in this body, it was Donald Payne. His record will never, in my estimation, be equaled. To know two continents as well as he did is something few people in this body will ever get to attain.

I want to join with my colleagues in wishing his family--his brother, Bill, who I got to know so well; his son, Donald, Jr.; and other family members--as much sympathy as I can muster. I hope that they will achieve real solace in the fact that their brother, their dad, their uncle gave so much and demanded so little in return.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I support this compromise because it ensures that we will be able to continue tax cuts for millions of American workers, and it preserves vital benefits for unemployed Americans that are essential for the overall economy and safeguards seniors' access to their doctors.

While I will vote ``yes,'' this agreement is not perfect. I have serious objections to the continuing demonization of public servants in the Federal Government. We should not keep cutting their pay and benefits while refusing to ask the top 1 percent to pay one penny more. Federal employees have sacrificed now, and they should be given time to share in the sacrifices. All of us should.

I'm also disappointed that this bill cuts money for prevention which is so important to the health of all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cheer.