Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I support this Disaster Tax Relief Act, and I want to thank my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Kind and Chairman Rangel, for working to bring this bill to the floor today.

The Disaster Tax Relief Act addresses deep concerns I had after tornadoes struck Atlanta. Tornadoes touched down right in the heart of Atlanta. They blew the windows out of my very own office. They destroyed sections of neighborhoods and damaged businesses in our city and across Georgia.

The damage caused by these tornadoes and storms was no different than the damage caused anywhere else in America this year. If you lose your home or business, a loss is a loss and damage is damage. Yes, some disasters are more severe than others. But when it comes to rebuilding homes and businesses, when it comes to recovery, the tax code should be fair.

Some think when floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes strike it means States deserve special treatment based on old politics. Some can overlook natural disasters that have occurred all over our country and try to provide specific disaster tax recovery assistance for just one State and just one tragedy. This is wrong. It is not right. It is not just.

This Disaster Tax Relief Act provides fair tax relief and recognizes all disasters, like those in Atlanta, Iowa, Wisconsin, Florida, Kansas, and other places. It also recognizes the role of volunteers performing charity work every day but often in the wake of a disaster.

On September 10th I introduced with my good friend and colleague, Jim Ramstad, H.R. 6854, the Fair Deal for Volunteers Act of 2008. Among other things, this bill will increase the standard mileage rate tax deduction from 14 cents a mile to an amount determined by the Secretary of Treasury that is not less than the standard rate used for medical purposes. It is currently 27 cents a mile.

With the cost of gas and the precious need for volunteers to keep delivering meals and blankets and supplies, this is the very least we can do. I am proud that so many members of the House and Senate have pushed for this kind of change. I hope we can push harder and pass the entire Fair Deal for Volunteers Act.

I thank the staff on the Ways and Means Committee and the Oversight Subcommittee for their good work on this measure.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of Atlanta's greatest icons. A humble man who loved his job and worked hard to be the best he could be, Erby Walker became one of downtown Atlanta's most beloved figures. Presidents, celebrities, athletes and Atlantans alike came to know Erby Walker as the heart and soul of the Varsity, Atlanta's most famous drive-in diner and a downtown landmark.

Erby Walker started his career at the Varsity in 1952 sweeping up after customers at the tender age of 15.

Back then the diner was segregated--whites worked the counter, blacks worked in the back--but in 1964 the diner was integrated and Erby Walker was promoted to the counter, the first black man to work there. And work he did. He worked so hard that the owners of the Varsity sent Erby and his family to Disney World, all expenses paid--twice. He received awards, honors and recognitions--he was even inducted into the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Hospitality Hall of Fame.

It was Erby who first asked, ``What'll ya have?''--a question still asked today when customers approach the counter and just one of the many phrases Erby coined as he shaped the Varsity into a place as famous for its unique vernacular as for its food.

Over the years, I have brought many friends to the Varsity. When I brought former President Clinton, Erby greeted him warmly, saying, ``What'll ya have, Mr. President?''

Erby Walker loved his job; he loved the Varsity and, most of all, he loved Atlanta and the thousands of customers she brought to his

counter every day. Madam Speaker, Erby Walker was an Atlanta icon and his service to his community must not be forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 6893, the Fostering Connections to Success Act and Increasing Adoptions Act.

I applaud the Gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) and the Gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) for working with our Senate colleagues in crafting this legislation. I am proud to serve on the Ways and Means Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee under their leadership.

Today, more than half a million children are living in foster care. H.R. 6893 addresses many of the key problems that plague the foster care system. This bill includes much needed educational stability requirements and new oversight for children's health care. H.R. 6893 also includes key adoption incentives that help create permanent, safe, loving families for all children. Of particular importance to my constituents in Georgia are the improvements to kinship guardian care and to services for youth aging out of foster care included in this bill.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation; it is an important step in the right direction. We must pass H.R. 6893 in both the House and Senate before the end of this Congress. Then we must collaborate on more comprehensive improvements to the child welfare system in the 111th Congress.

Madam Speaker, in my home state, there are thousands of young people in foster care. Young people in foster care have not chosen this life. For a variety of reasons beyond their control, foster care children are uprooted from all that they know and rely on us for help. We must answer their call. As Members of Congress, citizens, and as parents, we must open our hearts and offer our hands and resources to serve these young people.

I ask my colleagues to join me in doing so by supporting H.R. 6893. We would do no less for our own children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Civil Rights Oral History Project. I want to thank Congresswoman McCarthy for her leadership on this issue and for bringing this bill to the floor today.

Oral history is such an important way to capture and share our nation's story.

These are stories that need to be told, and preserved. These are the stories of the civil rights movement; eye witness accounts of the struggle for civil rights.

These are recollections of real people who marched, and even spilled a little blood in the cause of civil rights and civil liberties, and in the cause of voting rights.

These stories will be collected and preserved by the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress. Future generations will be able to hear the voices of people who were there during the civil rights movement, and hear them tell their stories in their own words.

We have lost too many of those voices in the last few years--Mrs. Coretta Scott King and Mrs. Rosa Parks, and we will continue to lose more courageous Civil Rights pioneers. We must begin this wonderful Oral History Project today, before we lose parts of the story. I strongly support this bill and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill and against the amendment.

Members of Congress, you are not the mayor of Washington, D.C., you do not sit on the City Council, you have not been ordained to stand in judgment. I dare you to act as judge and jury and sentence the people of the District of Columbia to unfettered access to guns.

Some of my friends have fought tooth and nail against too much government intervention. So how could you suggest tonight that Congress circumvent, disregard, and disrespect the rights and freedom of the citizens of this city?

D.C. residents have made it crystal clear they want to limit the proliferation of guns in Washington to protect all of its citizens, including Members of Congress, staffers, even the President of the United States, who all live and work in this city.

The amendment would nullify the will of hundreds of thousands of voting Americans like they don't even exist. They are citizens of America. They are human beings.

We all heard the news of a few weeks ago: 11 people were shot, wounded, some even died on the streets of Washington in one night. How many more people will die? How many more victims will be robbed when they stare down the barrel of a gun?

As Members of Congress, you may believe what you will. Maybe you truly think that when everyone bears arms, the city will really be safer. You have a right to your opinion, but we are here tonight to say the people of the District of Columbia do not agree. And they should not have your way of life, your viewpoint, your amendment forced down their throat. That is not right. That is not fair. That is not just.

And I think even you would agree that that is not the American way.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday next for morning hour debate.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the ordering of the yeas and nays be vacated with respect to the motions to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 6608 and H.R. 6832, respectively, to the end that the motions be considered as adopted in the form considered by the House on Tuesday, September 9, 2008.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that

the motion to suspend the rules relating to H.R. 6475 be considered as adopted in the form considered by the House on Tuesday, September 9, 2008.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 6532) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the Highway Trust Fund balance.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to give Members 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 6532.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, this bill passed the House on July 23, 2008, with bipartisan support by a vote of 387 yeas to 37 nays. The Department of Transportation has asked that this legislation be effective immediately. The Senate amended the House-passed bill to change the effective date and respond to the administration's request.

The trust fund is broke, out of money. Our State and local governments, drivers, construction workers and many others will suffer when highway projects are delayed. We took $8 billion out of the trust fund in 1998, and now is the time to put that $8 billion back.

I urge all of my colleagues again to support this important bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Kansas, Congresswoman Boyda.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he needs to the gentleman from Minnesota (Congressman Oberstar), the Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon, Congressman Blumenauer, a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire of Mr. Johnson whether he has any more speakers?

Madam Speaker, I fully support H.R. 6532, as amended. We must act and we must act responsibly and return $8 billion to the highway trust fund.

I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' for this important and needed bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 362.

Mr. Speaker, the untimely death of Republican Stephanie Tubbs Jones gives us pause. There was a great writer who once said that the death of one of us diminishes us all. As Stephanie's friends and colleagues in the U.S. Congress, we all feel a little lost and a little less because one of our most fearless champions is gone.

Those who are voiceless in America today, who have been left out and left behind, have lost a warrior, a fighter, a crusader who did what she could to defend the dignity of human kind. There was not anything shy about Stephanie.

She had the courage, the ability, and the desire to speak up and speak out, to fight for

what she believed was right, what was fair and just.

As a fellow member of the Ways and Means Committee, she was very concerned about using the tax code to help lift the burdens of the least among us. I always enjoyed it when she made a statement or questioned a witness. She was a brilliant judge and prosecutor, and that helped make her a gifted member of Congress.

Stephanie Tubbs Jones will be deeply missed by the Cleveland community, by the people of Ohio, by the citizens of America, by her family, friends, and all of her colleagues in the U.S. Congress. Peace be with you Stephanie, my friend. May God Almighty grant you eternal peace.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6532) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the Highway Trust Fund balance.

Madam Speaker, may I ask unanimous consent to give Members 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 6532.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, first let me thank my colleagues, Chairmen Rangel, Oberstar and DeFazio, for acting on this important issue.

Madam Speaker, our roads need repair. Our State and local governments are struggling to make ends meet. Our drivers suffer when highway projects are delayed.

This bill is a temporary fix for the estimated $4 billion shortfall in the highway trust fund.

This bill should fully fund the highway trust fund through 2009, but we still need a long-term bipartisan solution. I want to be clear, no money, but no money is spent under this bill. That process is left up to the appropriators. This legislation simply amends the Internal Revenue Code provision only.

Madam Speaker, transportation is the number one issue for many citizens in my district. Commuters sit in traffic for about 60 hours every year. Early this year, Forbes magazine declared the Atlanta metro area as the worst city for commuters in the country; the worst, Madam Speaker. If we fail to act today, our citizens, our States and our economy will suffer. We must act, and we must act today. We must act now.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in support of

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota, chairman of the Transportation Committee, Mr. Oberstar.

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Blumenauer.

Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Kansas (Mrs. Boyda).

I yield the gentlelady 1 additional minute.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to inquire of my friend and colleague, Mr. McCrery, does he have any more speakers.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

This is a good bill. This is a necessary bill. In the face of record budgetary shortfalls and high construction costs, State and local governments are struggling to pay for critical highway projects. I fully support H.R. 6532. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' for this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Education and Labor Committee and the Majority Leader and his staff for their help in bringing this bill to the floor.

Today I rise to honor and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Black Arts Festival. This wonderful festival is taking place right now in my district--the 5th Congressional District of Georgia.

Each year, Atlanta welcomes thousands of visitors, artists, and performers who come from across the country and all over the World to take part in the National Black Arts Festival.

The two week festival is an incredible showcase of the arts and cultures of the African Diaspora.

The National Black Arts Festival has become a leader in arts- education in Atlanta, and across the country organizing special art events for students, including the African American History Quiz Bowl, professional development courses for teachers, and international trips to experience foreign art first hand.

The year-long education programs of the National Black Arts Festival help open the eyes of our young people to sculpture, and painting, to music and writing. It opens windows to the world.

We must reach more students, and more teachers, from around the country and around the world.

I am proud of what the National Black Arts Festival has accomplished over the last 20 years. The sky is the limit for this wonderful organization, led by its talented Executive Producer Stephanie Hughley.

I ask my colleagues to join me today to celebrate the National Black Arts Festival, and the rich artistic history and diversity of the African Diaspora throughout the world.

I am so proud to have the National Black Arts Festival in my district and I look forward to its continued success.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is an honor for me to help celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. For the past 100 years, the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha have served as leaders in the United States and throughout the world. Since their founding in 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha has been one of the most successful historically Black sororities and continues its strong community work today.

In particular, I would like to recognize the South Atlantic Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha, which includes undergraduate and graduate chapters from the states of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. This Region's monumental history includes one of the sorority's original founders, Mrs. Marie Woolfolk Taylor, two former International Presidents, Dr. Mary Shy Scott and Dr. Norma Solomon White and the first honorary member, Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

Today through the leadership of Ms. Ella Springs Jones, current regional director, the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha continue to leave their mark in the community. Through programs such as B.R.A.T.S (Brilliant, Responsible, Alert, and Talented Scholars) Program, high school students are provided academic, health and economic support to make their dreams viable and support the growth of the African American community.

Madam Speaker, I extend my deepest gratitude to the women of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for their service to our communities, in the United States and across the world, on this historic day.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend Mr. Pomeroy for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, people are suffering, people are barely getting by. Some people are using their retirement savings today to pay their credit card bills or to avoid foreclosure on their home. This is a choice people should not have to make. Today, we offer just a little bit of help.

Mr. Speaker, after a lifetime of hard work, people need to know that they can retire and their pensions will be there for them. This bill will help thousands of Delta employees who live and work in my district, thousands of pilots and airline workers, whose retirement savings slipped away when the airline went bankrupt.

The payments they are receiving through the bankruptcy agreement are not going to make up for that loss. This bill will allow these workers to take their bankruptcy payment and put their money into a retirement account. Pilots and airline workers are asking for this help so they can help put their money back where it belongs, growing into a nest egg for retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Rangel and the great staff of the Ways and Means Committee and my own staff who worked with me to help pilots and airline workers in this bill today. We must do more to help people earn enough money and save enough money so they can live well when they retire. We must protect the hopes and dreams of America's workers.

Madam Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that will help people who have looked around their community and seen a great need. They have answered a call to national service. They are AmeriCorps volunteers.

Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards are offered to volunteers after they complete their service so they can pay for an education. The award is $4,725 for a year of full-time service. It is prorated for part- time. Unfortunately it is taxed as regular income. This legislation makes clear that the Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards are not income and should not be subject to income taxes. The AmeriCorps Education Award should be a source of inspiration to serve not a source of fear on tax day.

People trying to pay for college cannot afford to be hit by extra taxes on this education benefit, not while they are still in school, and not when they are struggling to make ends meet through working their first job. People cannot afford an unjust tax bill at the same time their student loans are coming due. People cannot afford to receive less financial aid because this award is counted as income and makes student loan applicants appear to have more ability to afford college than they actually do.

Now is the time to believe in people again. Now is the time to believe in the power of change. We must find every way to reinforce just how important it is that the American people engage in volunteer service to their country. We must make the future a better future. AmeriCorps volunteers are out there every day, leading the way, getting in the way and making good change. This bill invests in the power of change.