Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note that there are many persons in the history of the African American community who have broken down important racial barriers, and that one of the most important of these was Harold Baron Jackson--better known as Hal Jackson--who helped to break down such barriers as a popular cross-over New York City radio broadcaster for over 50 years. He remained an active broadcaster on WBLS FM Radio until just a few weeks before his passing. He died last Wednesday at age 96.

Mr. Jackson's easy manner and multiple interests in music didn't make it any easier for him to break into the radio business in the 1930s-- before the 1954 Brown decision when Jim Crow de jure legal segregation was still the law of the land, while hangings of Blacks in the South were still a major concern in Black life and de facto segregation ruled the North.

The New York Times pointed out in its obituary, ``At a time when segregation was widespread, he was a familiar voice to black and white listeners alike. At one point in the 1950s, he was hosting three shows--one rhythm-and-blues, one jazz and one pop--on three different New York radio stations.

He was also a significant player, along with Percy Sutton, in the establishment of the African American wholly-owned Inner City Broadcasting Corporation in 1970 where he established an urban contemporary format rooted in African American music but which also appealed to a racially mixed audience. While getting his start in broadcasting in Washington, DC, he moved to New York in 1954 and helped to establish WBLS as the highest rated radio station in New York City. Mr. Jackson dominated the airwaves, eventually expanding his reach across the country.

In 1990 he became the first African American inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Mr. Speaker, and in 1995 was among the first five inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.

Hal Jackson's birth, as was true of many southern Blacks then, was not officially recorded but it's believed that he was born on November 3, 1915 in Charleston, SC. He was one of five children. His father, Eugene Baron Jackson, was a tailor, and his mother was the former Laura Rivers. Both of his parents died when he was a child, so he was raised by ``relatives in Charleston and New York before settling in Washington, where he graduated from Dunbar High School and attended classes at Howard University.'' (New York Times)

Mr. Jackson was also an avid sports fan who broadcast Howard University football and Negro league baseball games and organized an all-black basketball team known as the Washington Bears. He also raised money for civil rights causes, established Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International and was one of the first advocates of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. And, as they say, the rest is history.

He was married four times and divorced three. His current wife, the former Debi Bolling, survives him, along with two daughters, Jane and Jewell; his son, Hall Jackson, Jr., a former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, everyone is familiar with the saying that behind every good man is a good woman. I rise today to note that there is probably no person who exemplifies that homily more than Barbara Kydd Graves--the wife of Black Enterprise Magazine's founder, chairman, and publisher Earl G. Graves, Sr.--who died this week and will be laid to rest on Saturday, June 2.

Mrs. Graves was not only a good wife and the family matriarch, but she was also a major guiding light of Black Enterprise with her quiet strength, inspiration, and caring personality.

Mrs. Graves died at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC after a three-year battle with gall bladder cancer at the age of 75.

As Black Enterprise itself acknowledges, ``she played a vital role in the growth and development of the publication and media company, and its mission of economic empowerment and wealth building for African Americans.''

``Since the launching of the Black Enterprise Magazine in 1970, Barbara Graves, an alumna of Brooklyn College and a former elementary school teacher, held every major position, including editorial director, circulation director and chief financial officer, during the 40 plus-year history of this company. Along the way, she is credited with grooming and developing several generations of executive leadership, including sons Earl Jr., Johnny and Michael, all of whom have worked as executives at Black Enterprise. Mrs. Graves also co- founded and guided the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, the premier networking event and conference for women executives of color.''

Her son, Earl Graves, Jr., president and CEO of Black Enterprise, testified to how special his mother was: ``My mother was a steadfast and loving partner and counselor to my father; his quiet source of strength and inspiration. She served as mentor and guide to several generations of employees, managers and professionals. Above all, she genuinely cared for every member of the Black Enterprise family, and held a special passion for children and young people in particular.''

Mrs. Graves' funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., to be preceded by a public viewing from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, June 2, at Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, NY.

Mr. Speaker, the African Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Hamel Hartford Brookins--widely known as Bishop H.H. Brookins--went to be with his heavenly father on Tuesday, May 22. He died in Los Angeles at the age of 86.

I first became acquainted with Bishop H.H. Brookins as the Board Chairman of my father's organization, Operation PUSH. He was a great preacher with a commitment to civil rights and economic and political justice on a national and international scale. He served in a variety of AME church districts in the U.S. and Africa throughout his distinguished religious career, and was known as an activist, a visionary and a great church leader committed to justice for all. He was an early supporter and played an important role in mobilizing the religious community in my father's two presidential campaigns.

In 2002 former President Bill Clinton joined a host of religious luminaries, elected officials and celebrities in a tribute to Bishop Brookins, the son of Mississippi sharecroppers who rose to become a Los Angeles and international champion of black political empowerment. The former President praised Brookins for his civil rights legacy and reminisced about the days when the clergyman ministered in a country church in Arkansas while he was the Governor.

Bishop Brookins became active politically in the 1950s when, as a clergyman in Topeka, Kansas he helped to implement the 1954 Brown desegregation decision and plan ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1965 he worked to quell the Watts riots. He was an architect of Tom Bradley's campaigns for Los Angeles mayor and, while working in Africa, was ousted from Rhodesia because of his work on behalf of the Zimbabwe liberation movement. In 1981 Zimbabwe invited him back for its first presidential inauguration.

Bishop Brookins was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio's Wilberforce University and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Payne Seminary. Prior to his election as a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Brookins served as the pastor of the First AME Church of Los Angeles, California leading the congregation through the building of a multi-million dollar cathedral at its present location on Harvard Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Bishop Brookins is survived by his wife, the Rev. Rosalynn Kyle Brookins, pastor of the Walker Temple AME Church in Los Angeles and their son, Wellington Hartford Brookins and two stepchildren, Steven Hartford Brookins and the Rev. Francine A. Brookins. His family and numerous friends were at his bedside when he died.

Will the gentleman yield?

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I've enjoyed a great relationship with the gentleman during his tenure in the Congress.

You mentioned several times in your remarks that there might be an appropriate time. How do you objectively determine when there is an appropriate time for not extending Section 5 to the covered jurisdictions?

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, let me first associate myself with the remarks of the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), who paid the price for this Voting Right Acts of 1965 on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. He paid beyond measure. He sacrificed beyond measure to make this a reality for every American.

This near midnight attack is an unprecedented attack on the implementation legislation of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution, the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It took this Congress 95 years from the moment that the 15th Amendment was added to the Constitution of the United States for this Congress to wake up after Selma to Montgomery to pass legislation to implement the Voting Rights Act.

For me to stand here and listen to my distinguished colleague, the distinguished gentleman from Virginia, the chairman of the subcommittee, for him to argue that there may be a time and we may be approaching a time when the Voting Rights Act preclearance provision of Section 5 is no longer necessary couldn't be further from the truth.

Here's how the State legislative process works within most of the State legislatures. First, whoever is in the political majority, Democrat or Republican, usually draws legislative lines consistent with their political advantage, whether it's the Democratic Party or whether it is the Republican Party.

Such is the case in Illinois. Such is the case of every State in the Union.

Almost never before the 1965 Voting Rights Act had racial minorities or language minorities ever been considered as a factor in the ongoing partisan debate for the last 150 years between Democrats and Republicans. Only the Voting Rights Act of 1965 says that if a language minority or a racial minority in a protected jurisdiction can draw a congressional district or can draw a State Representative district or can draw a State Senatorial district to give a racial minority an opportunity to represent their own people in a legislative body, the State legislative body must take that into account.

For us to be standing here on the floor of the Congress arguing about the right to vote, we're not discussing at that level the right to vote. We're discussing whether or not legislators will be effective in representing their constituents by protecting Section 5, the preclearance provision, because most of us can't go to our Governors or our State legislatures to protect the franchise from minorities.

I know that the First Congressional District, the Second Congressional District, the Seventh Congressional District, the Fourth Congressional District of Illinois are all Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act congressional districts, from Virginia around to Texas, because we still cannot trust Democrats, because we still cannot trust Republicans in Virginia, all the way around to Texas, to consider racial minorities in the drawing of congressional districts. Sure, those States must implement their plans by submitting their plans to the Federal Government for preclearance.

Look at the language minorities. Look at what's taking place in Texas. Look at what's taking place in New Mexico. New Mexico, a State that is 25 percent Latino, and the State legislature played games with what constitutes an effective congressional district that might give a Latino an opportunity to represent a congressional district in Congress. It plays both sides against the middle.

Both Democrats and Republicans, through history, Mr. Chairman, have used race as a partisan advantage in trying to draw congressional districts and legislative districts.

I appeal to you, Mr. Chairman, to reject this amendment at midnight; reject this unconstitutional, unprecedented attack on the civil rights of every American; reject efforts to undermine the implementation legislation of the 15th Amendment earned through an American Civil War, along with No. 13, 14, and 15; reject this effort to roll back the civil rights gains of 1965 by undermining the funding in the Federal Government's capacity to ensure that minorities have a chance to represent themselves in the Congress of the United States; reject this effort on this evening. Both Democrats and Republicans should reject it in a bipartisan manner.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support of H.R. 4215--The Medicare Pharmacy Transparency and Fair Auditing Act. This bill, introduced by Ms. McMorris-Rodgers and Mr. Ross, has bipartisan support and will result in more competitive practices in the Pharmaceutical industry. H.R. 4215 will require increased regulation of Pharmacy Benefit Managers, also known as PBMs, to ensure that consumers are receiving the care they deserve at competitive and fair costs.

Mr. Speaker, within the pharmaceutical industry there is a pressing issue concerning the lack of transparency surrounding PBM business practices. We cannot afford to allow these businesses to continue as usual in the pharmaceutical industry. The recent Express Scripts and Medco merger means that ``the big three'' PBMs will now control benefits for 72% of all Americans. I believe this makes it much more important that we act decisively and pass this legislation.

PBMs have engaged in practices that include: negotiating with drug manufacturers at the same time as employers and health plans to ensure they secure prescription drug plans that will benefit themselves, switching customers to higher priced plans and benefitting from both the rebate and higher payment without any benefit to the health plan provider and

employer, and also repeatedly changing pharmacy audit rules which makes it more difficult to ensure compliance. Mr. Speaker, these are only a few of the issues that plague loosely regulated PBMs and the pharmaceutical industry. We must bring this to an end.

H.R. 4215 will provide a greater level of transparency in PBM business practices, interactions with Medicare Part D, and other pharmaceutical stakeholders. It will increase regulation on PBMs, which are currently regulated in only a handful of states, and make certain that our Nation's pharmaceutical consumers are adequately protected. This should not be seen as a partisan issue, but rather, a quality of life issue that affects every single American.

Mr. Speaker, let's act now to pass this legislation and put a stop to anti-competitive practices in the prescription drug market. Let's protect consumers from being forced to pay higher prices for their medication. Let's do our part to lower healthcare costs, and ensure the best care for our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in somber recognition of the lives lost through heinous acts of violence against Armenian civilians following World War I. April 24th marked the symbolic recognition of a period in history when over 1 million Armenian people were killed.

Mr. Speaker, the atrocities committed during this period must never be forgotten. We cannot allow events such as these to be swept under the rug or we face the sad outcome of denying ourselves the ability to learn from the mistakes of our past. We must shape a brighter future for the global community. It is an absolute injustice to the Armenian people, as well as the global community, to refer to this atrocity as anything other than what it was: genocide. And the unfortunate truth is that the Armenian people are not the only ethnic group to be subjected to such an experience.

Mr. Speaker, this week we saw Charles Taylor brought to justice for his unspeakable crimes against humanity. After nine years in the International Criminal Court Charles Taylor was found guilty on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity today, including terror, murder, and rape and conscription of child soldiers. Taylor gave soldiers of the Revolutionary United Front arms in exchange for blood diamonds, giving them means to slaughter approximately 50,000 people in Sierra Leone. Yet, again, this is not an isolated incident in history.

Mr. Speaker: In Nazi Germany and Nazi occupied Europe approximately 6 million Jewish citizens were killed during World War II. In 1975 and through 1979 over 1.5 million were slaughtered by the Khmer Rouge in Vietnam. In the Rwandan Spring/Summer of 1994 over 800,000 Rwandans were killed in a span of about 100 days.

And today, as we speak, civilians are being massacred in the Darfur region of Sudan, with estimates saying over 300,000 have been killed to date.

Mr. Speaker, I believe we have allowed too many heinous crimes against humanity to occur and this must stop. It's past time that we take a stand against all types of discrimination and expose the wrongs of the past so that we may grow from them. In remembering the victims, the families torn apart, the orphans left behind, and the generations lost, we learn from the past, and ensure a future free of such violence.

I commend President Obama for establishing the Atrocities Prevention Board (APB). Comprised of experts from Universities and government agencies, the APB will assess our current capabilities, while developing new strategies to prevent genocide and mass atrocities. This is the first step of many to ensure a safe future for every human being, regardless of origin, race, culture, language, appearance or any other trait that makes each of us a unique member of the global community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order.

In the future, when a Member is speaking and someone asks for order, does the clock stop or does the clock continue while they're asking for order in the House?

It is not charged against the speaker?

I thank the Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Greek Independence Day, the celebration of Greek freedom from the Ottoman Empire in May of 1832. March 25 is recognized as the official celebration day of this monumental occasion.

From early Greek architecture, theatre and art, to the great philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians of their time, it is impossible to overlook the influence and the impact of Greek history, culture and tradition on the entire world.

Here in the United States, we hold a special place of honor for Greek history. Serving as one of the oldest examples of a successful democratic government, our Nation's Founding Fathers looked to ancient Athenian democracy to lay the foundation for the Constitution of the United States, without which our great Nation would not be what it is today.

With a strong Greek-American community in the Chicago area, the people of the 2nd Congressional district continue to celebrate the historic and cultural heritage of Greek Americans in Chicagoland and across the Nation, in addition to the new, unique, and ever changing ways they contribute to America.

I am honored to recognize and congratulate Greece on 191 years of independence and thank the Greek people for the substantial impact they have made not only in America, but throughout the global community.

Happy Independence Day.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, March 19, Tuesday, March 20, Wednesday, March 21, and Thursday, March 22, 2012, I was unavoidably detained for personal reasons, and missed a series of recorded votes. The votes included, H.R. 3992, to allow otherwise eligible Israeli nationals to receive E 2 nonimmigrant visas if similarly situated United States nationals are eligible for similar nonimmigrant status in Israel; H.R. 2087, to remove restrictions from a parcel of land situated in the Atlantic District, Accomack County, Virginia; H.R. 5, to improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system, among others.

If present, I would have recorded my votes as follows: on March 19, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 111; on Tuesday, March 20, ``nay'' on rollcall vote 112, ``nay'' on rollcall vote 113, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 114, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 115, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 116, and ``nay'' on rollcall vote 117; on Wednesday, March 22, ``nay'' on rollcall vote 118, ``nay'' on rollcall vote 119, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 120, ``nay'' on rollcall vote 121; on Thursday, March 22, ``nay'' on rollcall vote 122, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 123, ``nay'' on rollcall vote 124, ``yea'' on roll vote 125, and ``nay'' on rollcall vote 126.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Peace Corps on its 51st anniversary and to recognize the anniversary and to recognize the outstanding work the organization has done in its years of service. Since 1961, the Peace Corps has placed over 200,000 volunteers in 139 countries. While abroad, volunteers make significant contributions in developing nations through assistance with agriculture, business development, information technology, education, health, HIV/AIDS, youth development, and the environment.

I am honored to congratulate the Peace Corps. Currently, the Corps has over 9,000 volunteers throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. As a member of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee I make a consistent effort to ensure the Peace Corps has adequate funding to fulfill its mission. Peace Corps volunteers have

long been instrumental in improving millions of lives, in addition to helping foster strong relationships between the United States and other countries around the world. The assistance the Peace Corps volunteers provide is an outstanding example of the United States' commitment to making the world a better place through not only compassion, but also development opportunities, like language training, youth skills development services, and much more.

One shining example of the success of the Peace Corps has been its tremendous leadership in the global fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In 2010, approximately 34 million people lived with HIV/AIDS, with 22 million of those cases located in sub-Saharan Africa. I firmly believe the work done by the Peace Corps has had a tremendous impact in areas that have been disproportionally exposed to this virus. The volunteers use their unique training to teach HIV/AIDS prevention in a way that is culturally sensitive to local customs allowing Peace Corps professionals to provide essential health services to HIV/AIDS patients.

Finally, I would like to take a moment and give special recognition to the members of my district that are currently serving in the Peace Corps:

Manuel A. Colon, serving in Paraguay from 09 Dec 2010 until 15 Dec 2012

Hannah Gdalman, serving in Guatemala from 16 Jul 2010 until 15 Jul 2012

Sarah A. Kopper, serving in Senegal from 15 Oct 2010 until 05 Oct 2012

Marjorie A. Larson, serving in Mali 03 Sep 2010 until 10 Sep 2012

Ryne G. Peterson, serving in Moldova 08 Aug 2009 until 08 Jun 2012

Phebe I. Philips-Adeyelu, serving in Macedonia 25 Nov 2010 until 24 Nov 2012

Glenise A. Rice, serving in Panama 01 Jul 2010 until 29 Jun 2012

Thank you Peace Corps for 51 years of global service and leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with more than 60 of my colleagues of the Congressional Kidney Caucus in support of the goals and ideals of National Kidney Month which begins tomorrow.

Each year, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases as well as leading kidney care organizations recognize and celebrate March as National Kidney Month to promote public awareness, education, screening and detection throughout the nation.

Currently, more than 31 million Americans are affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and millions more are at risk. Kidney Disease is the slow loss of kidney function over time and, if left untreated, gradually progresses to end-stage renal disease marked by the complete loss of kidney function. While there is no cure for CKD, proper lifelong treatment can slow the onset of kidney failure and help control the symptoms of this devastating disease.

Recently named the eighth leading cause of death in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 570,000 Americans currently rely on hemodialysis or a kidney transplant for their survival.

The Congressional Kidney Caucus, which was established in 2002, has partnered with a number of kidney organizations to promote policies that benefit patients with kidney disease and provide Members and their staff the most comprehensive, up-to-date information related to this disease.

Throughout the month of March, the Caucus supports the thousands of kidney advocates and groups that are expected to visit Capitol Hill to discuss their experiences and advocate for enhanced patient care, research and public education and prevention.

In the spirit of National Kidney Month, I encourage my fellow Members of Congress to participate in these events on Capitol Hill and events hosted in their districts and to consider joining the Congressional Kidney Caucus in support of these efforts. Please have your staff reach out to my office if you are interested in the schedule of events or if you are interested in joining the Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, February 27, and Tuesday, February 28, 2012, I was unavoidably detained for personal reasons, and missed the recorded vote for the Senate Amendment to H.R. 347, the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act, H. Res. 563, providing for consideration of H.R. 2117, the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act.

If present, I would have recorded my votes as the following: On Monday, February 27, ``yea,'' on rollcall vote 73; on Tuesday, February 28, ``nay,'' on rollcall vote 74, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 75, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 76, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 77, ``yea'' on rollcall vote 78, and ``nay'' on rollcall vote 79.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as cosponsor of H.R. 3764.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, December 8, I was unavoidably detained in Illinois attending to district/constituent matters and missed recorded votes for H. Res. 487, H.R. 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act, and H.R. 1254, the Synthetic Drug Control Act.

If I had been present, I would have recorded my vote as a nay for rollcall vote 902, nay for rollcall vote 903, nay for rollcall vote 904, and nay for rollcall vote 905.

As I have confirmed in a number of meetings and correspondence, I do not support efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate fine and coarse particulate matter or ``farm dust''. While the EPA exists to protect the health of Americans and the stability of our environment, I am concerned by overly burdensome regulations and the impact they have on our smaller businesses and family farms. With that said, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has explicitly stated that she has no intention of revising any regulations on ``farm dust''. H.R. 1633 is another waste of the House's time and energy, as the clock continues to tick down on much more important issues like Unemployment Insurance and the payroll tax holiday.

For that reason, had I been present I would have recorded my vote as yea for rollcall vote 906, yea for rollcall vote 907, yea for rollcall vote 908, yea for rollcall vote 909, yea for rollcall vote 910, yea for rollcall vote 911 and nay for rollcall vote 912.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.