Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

As I understand this amendment, this brings us into an area that we have discussed before, and it is this whole issue of local law enforcement involved in immigration activities.

This is interesting. When we took this up before on different occasions, we were able through this amendment to unite law enforcement throughout the Nation because local police departments continue to tell us that it is in their best interest not to appear to the immigrant population to be involved in enforcing immigration law. In other words, what the police departments at a local level want more than anything else is to be able to speak to residents of that community, be they citizens, legal residents, or undocumented aliens, needing their information, needing their support, in dealing with crime in the community.

There are many things that are wrong with this amendment. But the one that I single out is that one because what that does is immediately create a wall between local law enforcement and the immigrant community, saying if I go to him to tell him I know who stole that car, if I go to him to tell him I know who robbed the local grocery store, I am then being faced by a local official who has to by law, in these cases, if these amendments are approved, has to turn me in on my immigration status. And that is totally unacceptable.

So if anything else, I would hope that we fully understand that this does not enjoy the support of local law enforcement and should not be a burden. It is, in fact, and I cannot believe I am actually going to say this in one of my conservative moments, it is, in fact, an unfunded mandate because we are telling them to engage in activities that we are not paying for.

For that reason, I rise in strong opposition and hope the amendment is defeated.

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

Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage the chairman in a colloquy on a proposal by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to establish a national contact center. Hopefully, we can address the concerns of those Members who have expressed misgivings about this proposal.

Recently, we observed the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the years since the enactment of that landmark legislation, the EEOC has had a pivotal role in fighting discrimination in the workplace and ensuring that all Americans are treated fairly. However, despite the important role of the EEOC, it has experienced the same budget constraints as most other agencies in this bill.

The EEOC sought the assistance of the National Academy of Public Administration in finding ways to streamline its organizational structure and use its personnel to continue meeting its missions in the 21st century.

Among the NAPA recommendations was a proposal to create a National Contact Center using contract employees. The EEOC has proposed to enter into a contract to establish a call center as a 2-year pilot project at an estimated cost of $2 million. Of this amount, $1 million is available through a reprogramming of current-year funding. This bill will provide $1 million in fiscal year 2005.

NAPA made a number of additional streamlining proposals, including possible office closures, which might result in personnel reductions. Although the administration requested funding for a reposition of EEOC resources, the bill does not provide any of the requested increased funding for repositioning because a spending plan has not been submitted to the committee.

Many EEOC employees across the country have heard of these proposals and are worried about losing their jobs as a result of office closures or outsourcing of the call center.

The commission's reorganization proposals, including specifically the National Contact Center, were discussed in detail at a subcommittee hearing earlier this year. At that time, both the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) and I expressed concerns about the possible cause of this proposal. Accordingly, we advised the Chair, Cari Dominguez, that the subcommittee expected her to come back to us prior to entry into a contract to establish the call center. Ms. Dominguez made a commitment to us that she would do so. Both the Chair and her staff have continued to reiterate that commitment.

Similarly, Ms. Dominguez has repeatedly reassured the subcommittee that EEOC is not planning to close any of its existing offices or cut jobs or current employees. This bill provides full funding for the commission's current base staffing level.

So I ask the chairman of the subcommittee, is it his understanding that expenditure of any funding in 2005 for the proposed National Contact Center is contingent on the EEOC notifying this subcommittee, consistent with the long-standing requirement of section 605, prior to taking any formal action to obligate the funding?

I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the chairman, as always, for his support.

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

First of all, let me go on the record, as I have before and will today and will tomorrow, and say that given an opportunity to have more dollars available to us, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) and I would have done more to provide for the COPS program. I know that. That is not a statement on my part; that is an understanding of his philosophy and what he believes in.

However, in spite of that problem, in spite of the fact that we do not have the dollars in this bill that we want to, because everyone could get up here and tell us what section of the bill should be increased and just about every section, except for a couple that I will mention in a second, could be increased.

In spite of that, it is interesting to know that local law enforcement is $885 million above the President's request in this bill. So there has been a serious effort to deal with this issue.

But here is my problem. My problem is that my colleague from New York (Mr. Weiner), whom I respect and admire, tells us that we can take the money from the census and he, in the process, will devastate not only the Census Bureau but the ability to conduct a census.

If I was to carry this to an extreme, which I never would do, this may be unconstitutional because if there is an issue that is in the Constitution, it is to conduct a census every 10 years. So we do not make those decisions around here.

The Census Bureau, those of us who understand the work, they do fully understand that this cut, which incidentally and we should know this, my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner), my understanding is will come up with yet a second amendment which cuts more money from the census, so when it is all over today, he will have cut the census by over $225 million.

Well, first of all, 1,000 people would have to be laid off. No one has made a decision in this Congress that those 1,000 people are no longer needed. No one in any of the two Houses has decided that those folks have to go. Yet, this amendment would immediately and arbitrarily decide that those folks have to go.

In addition, we are gearing up for the 2010 census. We are already in 2005, as we speak here today. That means that half the gearing up has been done. One could argue that instead of saving money, this would waste money because all the money that has been spent up to now will be for naught, because obviously the census is not going to be able to function or be conducted the way it should for the next 5 years.

There is a point, however, that is of great interest to me, and that is the census count in the inner cities and especially the census count in the minority communities.

For Hispanics and African Americans and other minorities in this country, there is at times nothing more important than a proper count; and I have been in the past a critic of undercounts, and I continue with the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) and the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) to work with the Census Bureau to get a better count. This would not discuss the issue of a better count. This would discuss the issue of no count at all.

When we speak in the minority community, in the poor community of what we need to do to grow to become part of the American society, we always cite census figures. We say we have grown by this much, and yet our educational level has fallen back by this much. We say we have grown by this much, and yet our per capita income has gone down.

Whatever the issue may be, we run to the Census Bureau to get the numbers to make our argument to build our case that we need help. I would carry this to a point where I say to destroy the Census Bureau, to destroy the next census is a frontal attack on the aspirations of people in my community who need an accurate count and hopefully a better count to make the arguments that we can make.

Now, a lot of what is happening here today, when we say COPS, the program stands for different things, but the short name is COPS, the people right away think of a police officer. Well, my staff just spoke to the City of New York, which always comes up in these discussions. The city folks tell us that because crime is down and the matching funds for any new hires are not in place or not available in New York City's current economy they are not hiring any new cops. So any dollars that supposedly would go to New York would not be available to them at this point. They could not use them.

On the other hand, they say that they look to the census, they look to the next count, they look to the American survey as the one chance that they have to really move ahead and be able to get the dollars necessary for the city in the future, because let us remember, and I will conclude with this, that the census also figures in what different localities get in Federal help based on the population they have.

So for those reasons, and a million more that maybe I will get a chance to elaborate on, I wholeheartedly oppose this amendment and ask for its defeat.

Mr. Chairman, let me make a few brief comments here. We keep talking about full funding and an adjustment to the census count. We have all been in support of that. But let us remember that perhaps the largest reason why the Census Bureau did not adjust the count was for the tremendous congressional pressure that fell upon it when it was discussing that issue.

Now, that is not going to satisfy the sponsor of the amendment. However, I would like just to alert the sponsor of the amendment that the biggest bump-up this year, or in years past, certainly since September 11 of 2001, has not been the Census Bureau. The Census Bureau is just an easy target because, supposedly, it does not have a constituency, except for poor minorities who want to get counted and do not get counted. The big bump-up has been the Department of Justice, the Department of State, and the FBI. But no one would dare take money from there to pay for cops in the city, because that has big congressional, Presidential, administration and local support.

So if we are going to talk about who to take money from, let us sometimes be courageous enough to take it from where it exists, in bundles, and not where we could cripple the future count in our communities.

Just one last point, Mr. Chairman. I am, for the record, and continue to be a strong supporter of the COPS program. I will be working with the chairman to see how we can get better in conference and will be working with the chairman next year, hopefully, or should I say that next year the chairman will be working with me to make sure that we can bump up the COPS program.

But just for the record, when President Clinton proposed to this Congress the COPS program, it was a temporary program to reach 100,000 new cops. We are at 119,000 cops. So while it is true that we want to do more, let us not paint it as a failure or a shortcoming. In fact, it has produced and accomplished quite a bit.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I also offer my strong support for an open, public rulemaking process that includes multiple public hearings, sufficient time for public comments, and any relevant independent studies.

The more than 2 million people who contacted the FCC to register their opposition to the rules offers clear evidence that we cannot rewrite media ownership rules without including the American public in the process. I will be monitoring the FCC's activities closely as it begins this process, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

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

Let me first say how I continue to be impressed by the gentleman's passion and ability to present this issue as he presents other issues. He speaks from the heart, and that is something that we always see. And he speaks for people who unfortunately in this society sometimes are totally forgotten. But he is speaking to the right two individuals.

First, no one, no one, does more for the concerns of those inmates than the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf). The gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) has through different approaches been careful to make sure that there is not a punishment but a rehabilitation of people, not a forgetting but perhaps a forgiving and a desire to have people be part of the society.

And, of course, as the gentleman knows, I represent an area of the Bronx that has always had an issue of crime and an issue of people wanting to come back into the community and at times being accepted and at times not being accepted.

So I assure the gentleman that we will continue to pay attention to this matter, continue to pay attention to the dollars allocated in the hope that some day this society fully understands the need to rehabilitate and welcome back people in a way that says they did what they did, they paid for that crime, now we want them to be a productive member of society. And I thank the gentleman for his work.

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

I have a lot of respect for the gentleman, but I guess today is beat- up-on-the-census day. But a very short point: it would seem to me in saving dollars, as he wishes to do, the net effect is that we cannot have a census. We cannot take away that much money from the preparation and then conduct the census.

So I am not going to repeat all of the comments I made about the importance of the census. Only one, and that is that the community that I represent in the Bronx, the only way that the poorer communities can get a piece of the pie, be counted properly, is to continue to improve the census in how it is conducted and not devastate it. And, again, I do not know and, in fact, I would venture to say that I do not think the gentleman's intent is to stop the census from taking place because that is a constitutional question; but the effect is that while there may be a census taking place, we do not know what kind of a census it would be because if we cut out all the moneys for the preparation and the setup, there is no way that we can conduct it properly.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, just very briefly, for instance, I just came across some information, just to give you an idea of what we are up against here.

The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center of New York Presbyterian Hospital plans to use the American Community Survey data to identify Bronx, that is my district, neighborhoods with demographic characteristics associated with the risk of Type II diabetes in children.

I bring that up because I have been making the argument you have all day long that this information gathered by the census goes beyond what people think. It is vital information needed to provide incredible services to the community. Once they use those numbers based on the census data, they can make their argument before us at a public hearing, or at any kind of institutional hearing, saying we need this kind of help.

Who would have thought that Type II diabetes would be an issue for the census to be helpful with? That is just one of the countless items that they cover. So I say that, and I thank the gentleman for granting me this time, in agreement and in support of the gentleman's comments and words.

Mr. Chairman, I join the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) in strong support. This is an issue that the chairman has been very strong on. We all are.

The whole situation, however, brings up a question, and I ask the gentleman not to take this as a sarcastic statement; I just need clarification. Does this include any ordering of torture used by a government near to us, like our own government, or is this just for foreign governments?

I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

But it would be any foreign government official? I know this sounds like some sort of a sarcastic comment, but I am really trying to get to the bottom of this. Are you only applying this to foreign governments, or could this, in fact, be a question of our own government if, in fact, somebody ordered torture on some people in recent times?

Reclaiming my time, the gentleman does open up an issue which is greater perhaps than what he intended to do, but the possibility exists that if the State Department did its job properly, and in this case it probably will not, we will never get to the bottom of the issue of who ordered torture on some people that we may be dealing with in this country. But, nevertheless, I think it is a great thought and a great idea, and I support it.

Mr. Chairman, let me first clarify something. Am I correct in that there has been a mix-up here and I am no longer allowed to strike the last word on a pro forma basis?

Mr. Chairman, I should have read the small print.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to thank the chairman for this amendment. This amendment is one that committee members and other Members had asked for, and it is important that we move ahead on it.

We had a long discussion before on the 7(a) loan, and we passed an amendment. We needed to take care of this one which we already had agreed on in order to really move ahead the support that we put forth for the SBA and for the various loans, and so I am a full supporter, and I thank the chairman for bringing it forward.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to tell the gentleman from California that he left out in blaming immigrants the Chicago fire and the San Francisco earthquake, which they probably were also responsible for.

It is amazing in 2004 we continue this immigrant-bashing situation. The fact of life is the gentleman read off a list of things that are falling apart in California somehow because people are not being reported or because local police departments are not engaging in activities that local police departments do not want to engage in.

We had 24 discussion before, and it is a simple issue. Local law enforcement does not want to be involved in this issue. Regardless of what we like to see here and how much we would like to bash these folks, local law enforcement does not want to do it. Let me try to say once more why, because no one seems to be paying attention to this issue.

Local law enforcement wants to be able to have a person, regardless of their immigration status, come to them and report a crime, come to them and participate in solving a crime. If they now feel that the local police officer, the local sheriff, has been deputized, if you will, as an immigration officer, we are never going to get any help from the local community.

Now, one issue is the fact that we may have people in this country who are not here with documents. That is one issue. But since they are here, what are we going to do, ignore them, ignore their ability to help us and solve a local crime, ignore their ability to help us be involved in the community?

My God, we talk so much here about how much we want to help local law enforcement and how we stand for them and how much money we want to give them, and now we want to burden them with a situation that they, I repeat for the last time, do not want to be involved with. This amendment should be defeated for what it is, a Latino outreach program that will fail miserably.

Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from California knows me well and knows I was not being funny when I mentioned the fact that the gentleman left out the Chicago fire and the San Francisco earthquake. My point was that the gentleman is blaming immigrants for everything that is wrong in this country. The fact of life is that that is what we do, and the fact of life is that sometimes we look at people who bash immigrants on a daily basis, and then when an amendment comes before us, we cannot believe that it is anything else. But more of the same, which is immigrant bashing, that is what it is. That is what it looks like, that is what it smells like, and that is how I see it.

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

Mr. Chairman, I am somewhat surprised at some of the supporters of this amendment and the way that they are supporting the amendment, as I will. They actually sound like this is on the level. They actually debate this like this is for real.

Let me refresh Members' memories, those who support my position in favor of the Flake amendment on how this happened. A group of Florida legislators wrote the White House and said, if you do not tighten up on Cuba, you are going to lose votes in Florida. That is what happened. That is the truth. So I am surprised that some of my colleagues would actually debate this as if this was real and on the level. This is not on the level.

If you arrived from the moon tomorrow and did not know this was an election year and Florida was in play, how would you have a hint that it was an election year and Florida was in play? Tighten up on Cuba to make Florida not in play, but fall into one column. That is why we bring up Elian Gonzalez, who is playing soccer in Cuba minding his own business. That is why we have decided that Castro stands at the gate and every single dollar and every single tampon and every single Kleenex that goes in Cuba he grabs for himself, and that is why he is the richest guy in the hemisphere, except there is no sign that he is going anywhere and he is nearing 80, so I do not know when he is going to spend all of this money he accumulated.

In 1950, my family came from Puerto Rico. We were not coming from a foreign country, but we felt like we were, and in some cases, we were treated like we were. What do I remember the most? I remember the cold of New York. That was new to me. I arrived in short pants. My father dressed us for Puerto Rico and not for New York.

And I remember my father made $40 a week, and every single Friday upon being paid, he ran to the post office and bought a green money order that he sent back to the folks that we left behind.

So I grew up not understanding a policy that says, to bring about political change, you bring pain to the people you left behind. I do not understand that. That is not right and not correct.

Now, I realize there are rules in the House about how one deals with other Members, and I am one of the most respectful Members when it comes to that, but it was nice to see the majority leader come to the floor and denounce this policy when he is always a leader on trade with China. So whenever he denounces policies like this towards Cuba, I try to see if he is crossing his fingers behind his back since he is such a strong supporter of trading with China.

What are we saying here, that to bring down a government you will deny a family member the ability to visit but once every 3 years. What are we saying, that you are so intent on bringing down a government that has lasted,

for whatever reason, for whatever reason, for over 40 years, because you will not allow a cousin toothpaste? Is that who we are as a people? Is that what we believe in?

The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is like a brother to me, one of the most humane Members in this Congress, and I know the role he has to play on this amendment, just like he understands the role I play on other amendments. But he cannot really believe we are hurting people in the Government of Cuba by denying toothpaste to people in Cuba. That is not what we are doing.

Mr. Chairman, what we are doing is looking for votes. And you know something? It might work. But there are hollow victories, and this may be one of those. This may be one of those victories where you say, Sure, I won, but the people lost, and I was supposed to be representing the people.

And so in memory of my father, remembering that $10, $5 check that he sent back every week to help those who stayed behind, in respect to the Dominicans and so many people in my district and Mexican Americans who send money back every day, in respect for all of those folks and for what they stand for, I cannot be part of this policy. The only change now is that I am no longer alone here. There was a time when the Ron Dellums and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) and I were totally alone. Now I am glad to say that all those ideas are now Republican ideas, and I welcome that. I love these Republican amendments that try to deal with Cuba in any way.

But, Mr. Chairman, we cannot continue down this route. We are not going anywhere. We are just making enemies of everybody that we can find in Cuba, and that is not the way to do it.

And one last point. Yes, I have seen TV, Spanish radio interviews with dissidents in Cuba who are saying if we want to help them do not do this, that we are just alienating them. And there is one good sign. And it is the hope; it is the future. A significant number in Florida of Cuban-Americans are saying this is wrong. This is not the way to win. This is not the way to help me. Let me talk to my cousin. Let me visit my grandmother. Let me close to the family I left behind because I am in this country, they are not, and I do not want them to miss out on some of the things I have.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to the students of Intermediate School 201 of the South Bronx. IS 201's Econ Bowl team took top prize at the 2004 Econ Bowl.

The Econ Bowl is a citywide contest sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Daily News to encourage middle school students to learn about economic policy. This year's competition had students consider the possible negative impact of revolutionary technologies. The students of Intermediate School 201 examined the possible effects that fuel cells would have once they come into widespread use.

Led by their teacher, Mr. Finkelstein, IS 201's seventh grade team worked diligently for four months to develop their award-winning presentation; researching and talking with experts such as Undersecretary of Energy David Gordon to get a greater understanding of the subject matter. Their hard work paid off as they were more than prepared to answer tough questions asked by the judges.

These impressive young people explained how fuel cells would help cut back on automobile pollution by generating electricity from hydrogen and having only water as an emission. They also examined the downsides of a fuel cell revolution such as the disruption it would cause in the shipping and auto industry by rendering crude oil obsolete and how it would negatively impact oil producing countries. However, in the end they concluded that the benefits of fuel cell technology far outweigh the negatives.

Mr. Speaker, one student told a Daily News reporter that he learned that fuel cell cars could reduce the pollution that causes his asthma. My congressional district has one of the highest childhood asthma rates in the country. Throughout my career I have worked to fight the environmental injustices in the realm of air quality that have caused this disease to be so prevalent in the South Bronx. To hear the youth of my district discuss ideas for eradicating this disease makes me proud and reassures me that the South Bronx will be left in good hands.

For earning first place in the 2004 Econ Bowl, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Intermediate School 201.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Ramon Velez, an extraordinary community leader who has played an important role in improving housing opportunities for the people of the Bronx.

Ramon was born in Colon, Panama but raised in Puerto Rico and the Bronx, NY. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico in 1978, a Masters in Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 1985 and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development and Finance from New York University in 1992. He is also a graduate of the Minorities Developers Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Today, Ramon serves as the President of the South Bronx Community Management Company, Inc., a property management company responsible for the management and operations of approximately 2,200 units of housing. Under his leadership, the company has been able to develop over 1,300 units in the South Bronx. Recently, they successfully completed a scattered site project consisting of 18 two and three family homes in the South Bronx for first time home buyers.

Mr. Speaker, I am truly appreciative of the work Ramon Velez has done for the people of my district. As a result of his strong leadership and vision many people have been able to achieve a higher standard of living in the Bronx. For his outstanding service to the people of my community, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this remarkable man.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Richard Carrion, who served as a National Grand Marshall for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on June 13, 2004 and has promoted the Puerto Rican Community in all of his life's work.

Richard was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in November of 1952. He received a Bachelors degree from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters degree in Management Information Systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1976 he began working for Banco Popular, the leading banking institution in Puerto Rico. In his early years, he oversaw the installation of the ATM system throughout the extensive branch network in Puerto Rico and the United States. Today, I am proud to say that Richard serves as president and CEO of the company.

Mr. Speaker, empowerment of the Puerto Rican people remains one of Richard's top priorities. He serves as president of the Committee for the Economic Development of Puerto Rico and actively participates on the boards of several other civic organizations committed to solving problems on the island.

In 1990 Richard was named a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has been named to several of its commissions including chairman of the Finance Commission and member of the TV and Internet Rights and Marketing Commissions. In addition, he has served as a member of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee, president of the Puerto Rico Olympic Trust and as a member of the 2004 Olympiad, a non- profit organization that sought to garner international support for Puerto Rico's efforts to stage the 2004 Olympic Games.

Mr. Speaker, what impresses me the most about this remarkable man is his willingness to put his knowledge to work for the benefit of Puerto Ricans. For his extraordinary achievements and his outstanding service to the people of Puerto Rico, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this outstanding man.

Mr. Speaker, as we approach Memorial Day, I want to pay special tribute to the thousands of men and women who gave their lives in defense of this nation even though they were never able to fully reap its vast benefits.

On January 29, 2004, the war on Iraq hit close to home as a young member of my constituency was killed. Private First Class Luis A. Moreno was a 19 year old Dominican-born immigrant who served in the Army's First Armored Division. He had been deployed in Iraq only three months before his untimely death.

What was most inspiring about this courageous young man was his willingness to fight for a country that had yet to grant him citizenship. Pfc. Moreno did not vote for the President who sent him into battle. So the question is why? Why did Pfc. Moreno and others like him, who could not enjoy the full benefits of this country, decide to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of it?

The fact that he took up arms may surprise some, but anyone who has a sense of America's past wars knows that this phenomenon has been ubiquitous throughout our history. During America's early wars, African Americans fought bravely for this nation even though they had not gained equal status in society. Many Japanese Americans courageously fought for this nation during World War II even as their families were placed into internment camps. I suspect that, much like the disenfranchised soldiers of those days, heroes like Pfc. Moreno continue to make these sacrifices because they believe in the promise of America; the promise of freedom and equality for all. It is this same promise that keeps immigrants coming to our shores from all parts of the world.

Mr. Speaker, as we honor the countless men and women who have given their lives for this country, let us not forget that many of them fought and died even though they were never able to enjoy what they fought to preserve. It is too late for us to give rights to the thousands of Black soldiers who fought and died on the battlefields of World War II, or to allow Luis Moreno to vote in the next presidential election. But it is not too late for us to ensure that America fulfills its promise to those who continue to come to our shores in search of a better life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the anniversary of one of the most important Supreme Court decisions handed down in our nation's history. On May 17, 1954 the United States Supreme Court ended federally sanctioned segregation in the case Brown v. Board of Education by unanimously ruling that ``separate but equal'' was unconstitutional. This landmark case, which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 Supreme Court Case in which the doctrine of ``separate but equal'' was declared constitutional, provided the legal foundation for the civil rights movement in this country.

In his decision which challenged the conscience of the nation, Chief Justice Earl Warren argued:

To separate [black children] from others of similar age and

qualifications solely because of their race generates a

feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community

that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever

to be undone . . . We conclude that in the field of public

education the doctrine of ``separate but equal'' has no

place. Separate educational facilities are inherently

unequal.

These powerful words began the slow process of integration and sparked the campaign for social justice in America.

Fifty years later, we have come a long way in realizing the promise of Brown but still have much work to do. While Brown broke down the barriers of segregation, many of our schools remain separate and unequal. This has occurred primarily because minority students are concentrated in urban settings where schools continue to fall short of providing adequate education. While many whites are able to leave the inner city for the suburbs where they can receive a better education, minorities remain trapped in failing urban schools simply because their parents lack the financial resources to secure a better education for their children. As a result, minority students continue to lag behind in reading, math, writing, geography and science and have a much higher dropout rate than whites, according to a recent Department of Education report.

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate the groundbreaking case of Brown v. Board of Education, it is imperative that we continue to work to fulfill its promise to provide equal education for all Americans regardless of their race, religion, sex or socio-economic status. Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court laid out its vision for our nation's schools. It is now time for Congress to ensure that that vision becomes reality.

In this year in which Congress will reauthorize the Higher Education Act, we as a body need to take bold steps to provide poor and minority students at the primary and secondary levels with adequate resources to ensure that the door to higher education is open to all. We must fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act, protect Head Start, provide adequate funding for after school programs and make college more affordable for everyone. Doing so will help fulfill the promise of Brown, a promise that we as a nation cannot afford to break.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to once again pay tribute to Sister Miriam Thomas S.C., a phenomenal individual who has devoted her life to enhancing the lives of others. On Saturday, May 15, 2004, the College of Mount Saint Vincent will award Sister Thomas with the Seton Medal. Named for Saint Elizabeth Seton, this rarely given medal celebrates the virtues of hard work and service and is the highest award the college confers.

Sister Thomas was born and received her early education in South Brooklyn. Upon graduation from high school, she answered the calling to devote her life to God. At age 18 she entered Sisters of Charity where she received an invaluable theological education as well as a degree from Mount Saint Vincent College in the Bronx. Once she professed her vows, Sister Thomas brought her newly-honed ministry skills to Ascension Grammar School in Manhattan, where she remained for 8 years. She then relocated to Ponce, Puerto Rico where her education was enriched at Catholic University. After years of study she was finally ready for the South Bronx. There, she was assigned to St. Athanasius Parish where she has shared her gift of easing souls and invoking smiles for the past 42 years.

In 1972, Sister Thomas, along with her neighbors, heard that a woman who served as the administrator of Simpson Street Development Association was murdered while on the job. Courage and an unfaltering sense of devotion allowed Sister Thomas to stand up and fill this important position. There, with a tireless and supportive staff, Sister Thomas works miracles daily by providing social services and emotional guidance to people in need. Beyond these commitments, Sister Thomas also sits on the South Bronx Community Board 2 as chairperson. Her involvements in other community-based organizations are too numerous too mention. She says that her ceaseless community involvement was inspired by Father Louis Gigante, a visionary and dear friend.

Mr. Speaker, throughout her many years of service Sister Thomas has helped countless people change their outlook on life using her remarkable gift of translating the gospel into terms that lay individuals can understand. She is truly an extraordinary woman who is very much deserving of this prestigious award.

For her many years of service, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring this incredible woman as the College of Mount Saint Vincent honors her with the Seton Medal.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Greater Universal Baptist Church on the occasion of their 50th anniversary.

The Greater Universal Baptist Church was established in the Bronx, New York, in 1954 and immediately became a cornerstone of the community. For fifty years this church has served not only as a place of worship but as a community institution where individuals could build relationships with neighbors and develop skills necessary for success in everyday life. Whether through after school programs, community festivals, clothing distributions or movie nights at the church, the Greater Universal Baptist Church has found ways to engage the people of the Bronx.

In 1998, the church founded the Community Development Corporation in an effort to develop the area surrounding the church. As a result of their efforts and those of the Atlantic Development Group, 204 units of housing and three community centers will be added to the community's landscape in the near future.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot say enough about the efforts of the Greater Union Baptist Church to uplift the people of the Bronx. Through various activities, including feeding the homeless and holding community based seminars for job development, health care and spiritual enrichment, they help the people of my district enjoy a higher standard of living.

For fifty years of service to people of the Bronx, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Greater Universal Baptist Church and in wishing them another prosperous fifty years.

Mr. Speaker, it is with joy that I rise today to once again pay tribute to

Bronx Community College, which will hold its 26th Anniversary Hall of Fame 10K Run on Saturday, May 1, 2004.

The Hall of Fame 10K Run was founded in 1978 by Bronx Community College's third president, Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, and today continues to be an event of great significance. Each year, amateur and professional runners alike from all five of New York's boroughs and the entire tri- state area come together to run in the Bronx. Participants include teams from municipal agencies along with faculty, staff and students of Bronx Community College and other nearby schools.

It is indeed one of the Bronx's most anticipated yearly events and has contributed to a strong sense of community within the Bronx. The race also places an emphasis on physical fitness and achieving athletic goals. Historically, its mission has been to highlight the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, a national institution dedicated to those who have helped make America great.

The 10K race tradition continues under the stewardship of Bronx Community College's current president, Dr. Carolyn G. Williams. Dr. Williams has endorsed the race since her inauguration and has not only continued the tradition started by Dr. Brown, to promote physical fitness and highlight higher education, but has added raising awareness of important community issues.

I can recall the high level of energy and community involvement each of the 20 plus years I ran in the Hall of Fame 10K race. The race has attracted well over 400 runners each year and I am sure this year will see an even larger number of participants.

Mr Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the individuals and participants who make the Bronx Community College's Annual Hall of Fame 10K Run possible.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Lincoln University, a fine institution of higher learning that will celebrate its 150th anniversary on May 6, 2004.

Lincoln University was established in Pennsylvania in 1854 as the nation's first Historically Black College and University (HBCU). During its first 100 years of existence, Lincoln graduated twenty percent of America's African American physicians and more than ten percent of the country's African American attorneys. Currently, Lincoln is one of the nation's largest producers of African Americans with baccalaureate degrees in the physical sciences, computer and information sciences, and biological and life sciences.

Lincoln University has produced top leaders who have gone on to make major contributions in the civil rights movement, the independence movements in Africa and the global information society. Among the more visible graduates of Lincoln are: Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall '30; poet and playwright Langston Hughes '29; the first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah '39; and the first African American female rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, Lillian Fishburne '71.

Lincoln University also has the unique distinction of having graduates who went on to found U.S or Foreign Universities. The list of universities include South Carolina State University; Livingston College (North Carolina); Albany State University (Georgia) and Texas Southern University.

Mr. Speaker, this remarkable institution of higher learning has helped develop some of the best minds in the world. Their commitment to excellence in education is to be commended. For this reason, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring this fine institution on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Elyse Leon, a remarkable woman who has dedicated the past three years of her life to the restoration of the Bronx River, which is vital to my congressional district.

Elyse began working for the restoration of the Bronx River on March 21, 2001, while a student at New York University. After graduating with a double major in Spanish and Psychology, she became a full time Bronx River Outreach Coordinator for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the Bronx River Alliance. Elyse has been an outstanding ambassador for the Bronx River. Working with residents, colleagues and more than 70 partner organizations of the Bronx River Alliance, as well as with the board, teams and staff of the Alliance, Elyse has found multiple ways to involve people in the Bronx River renaissance, whether by planting, cleaning, biking, paddling, walking, planning or dancing. In all of these activities and more, Elyse has a talent for making people feel welcome.

For three years Elyse has successfully organized two very important annual events; the Bronx River Flotilla and the Golden Ball Celebration. These two events, which I have attended, draw a large number of supporters to the river to celebrate its restoration. In addition, Elyse could be found at innumerable community meetings, outdoor events, and Bronx River Alliance gatherings, encouraging people to get involved with the Bronx River and its greenway. She also produced a biweekly e-mail newsletter and other publications, such as the recent Safety Guide to River Park, which reached thousands of people.

Mr. Speaker, the restoration of the Bronx River has been one my top priorities as a Member of both the New York Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives. Rejuvenating its greenway and corridor will provide recreational, educational and economic resources for the communities through which the river flows. Such an important project could not have been undertaken without the participation of dedicated and resourceful individuals like Elyse Leon.

I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Ms. Elyse Leon for her years of service as Outreach Coordinator for the Bronx River Alliance and in wishing her well in all her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition as they celebrate their 30th anniversary.

Formed in 1974, the NWBCCC is a 501(c)3 organization with the mission of uniting area residents to identify common problems and empowering them to work together to solve them. The NWBCCC unites nine neighborhood organizations and a youth organization, Sistas and Brothas United, in an effort to improve the neighborhoods of the Bronx. They seek to influence the most important decisions that are made within their community, such as private investment patterns, the delivery of government services and major land use considerations.

This important organization is engaged in several initiatives aimed at improving housing and education. The NWBCCC Housing Committee provides tenant organizing assistance to over 75 tenant associations, resulting in hundreds of repairs and reinvestments to buildings each year. NWBCCC has also worked extensively to reduce overcrowding in schools. In 1999 and 2000 the organization's efforts led to the construction of over six new schools and annexes.

Mr. Speaker, what impresses me the most about this organization is its commitment to youth. Sistas and Brothas United, the youth organization within NWBCCC, has made great strides to help develop the minds of the youth in my community. SBU organizes hundreds of neighborhood youth to build youth leadership in order to identify local problems and work to bring about solutions. SBU's work currently focuses on school reform, campaigns to renovate abandoned buildings to become schools and youth centers, and efforts to improve parks and traffic safety.

In an effort to raise the consciousness of people within their community, some of the members of SBU have begun to compose and perform thought provoking and insightful poetry. The following is a poem that was written by Jorman Nunez and Jacklyn Torres, active members of SBU.

JN: Jacky And I are going to tell ya something from our

prospective so listen to our lyrics

JT: Jorman got something to tell yall now, so Jorman let em

hear it

JN: Asthma rates have been going up and all I do is gasp and

pant

What are they doing to fix this? They're building another

filtration plant

And what amazes me is in the Bronx they want to do it

Using the excuse of in a couple of years our water's going to

be polluted

Trying to take the Bronx down well we don't want to destroy

her

Besides . . . the only reason it's going to get polluted is

cause they're constantly letting development be done

over our water

so they're basically polluting our water and trying to fix it

later as a solution

And build a plant to put smoke in there air and cause more

pollution

There's something else I want to say ladies and gents

Check this out look at this environmental statement

Planning to build it in our low class area cause the

statement say they should

And rejected putting it in another place just cause it was a

white upper class neighborhood

We have to do whatever in our power to stop this by all means

Cause I'm tired of seeing all this atrocious disappointing

scenes

JT: Attention every one, ladies and gentlemen gather round

The other night I'm writing a poem and my ceiling's fallin

down

Now yall must be wondering if my landlord is a clown

Well his name's * * * * *, so how does that sound

Since the landlord don't wanna help with the infestation of

rats

I guess the only solution is to buy 10,000 cats

And as the funds for us go up, the neighborhood's still in

strife

Unfortunately, because of this, a small child lost his life

Even after this, we remain on the same path

How many more casualties will we have, you do the math

So until these the problems are solved, don't even think of

us relaxin

Cuz I still can't understand why a slumlord lives in a

mansion

So I've said what yall need to know until we see better days

But my turn is over so Jorman say what you gotta say

JN: This has been keeping me up and I can't even rest

I just need to get a couple of things off my chest

the Governor is probably annoyed and thinks he's being

mistreated

Shouldn't we be angry whenever he says education is vital and

doesn't even mean it

Politicians get angry when we get so mad we shiver and

shudder

But don't we have a right to be angry when we have books

older than my grandmother

Governor I got something to tell you only once there won't be

a sequel

We never are going to stop bothering you until all education

is equal

Governor when I see you I'm going to be mean with my

salutation

You're going to hear all of the angry voices of the

minorities that you said only need an 8th grade

education

I think you and the position of governor should start doing

its separation

Cause the last time I checked governors aren't suppose to

gamble with our education

They're suppose to help with problems that come along until

they see no

But I guess he just rather be gambling with our future in one

of his casinos

But listen I'm done I don't want to waste more of your time

Jacky it's your turn give them a piece of your mind

JT: Soldiers of society trying to keep their eyes on me

In their hands is my education

And I blindly search for academic salvation

Though I have no books to read, no chairs to sit in, no room

to breathe

And yall say keep your head up

Well, to tell you the truth, I'm fed up

Even the Governor says we don't need college

All we need is an eight-grade education?

Yeah, that's enough knowledge

Though my sarcasm seems amusing,

It's dripping with the truth

Why does the government fail to realize the importance of our

youth?

Governor, I have some things I'd like to say

But they would be inappropriate

So Jorman, it's your turn to play

JN: Jacky ya kind of mad ya need to rest

At least both of us got that stress off our chest

So that's just a part of what we know I hope this wasn't a

loss

I just want to let ya see a couple of our points get across

JT: Yo Jorman look at their faces, don't they look kind of

stunned?

JN: And that was just us two imagine all of us as one

anniversary

JT: Man, if they only knew the power they hold in their

hearts and in their voices

JN: Together they have the power to move mountains its all up

to there choices

JT: So Jorman don't you think it's about time they get

involved?

JN: Yeah cause if all of us unite all out problems would be

solved

JT: Yeah, we should follow the examples of Rosa Parks,

Malcolm X, and Dr. King

JN: Cause they all fought for what they believed in and now

they're letting freedom ring

JN & JT: You have power in a lot of things, don't listen to

all their lies

Cuz no one can ever take away your right to organize

This powerful poem demonstrates the level of awareness these youth possess and their strong commitment to empowering their community.

Mr. Speaker, through housing and education initiatives as well as youth empowerment programs the NWBCCC continues to provide invaluable service to the people of the Bronx. For their 30 years of service, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring this remarkable organization.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to H. Con. Res. 393, the Republican budget resolution. There are so many things wrong with this budget resolution and the President's budget request that I would not know how to even begin listing all of them. But I am especially concerned about how this budget hurts our Nation's low-income minority communities.

Instead of providing adequate funding for job creation, healthcare, education, and housing, House Republicans have instead ignored or cut funding in these areas to finance the President's ill-conceived tax cuts to the wealthy.

At a time when well over 3 million African-Americans and Hispanics are out of work, the President's budget proposes cuts to the Small Business Administration by $78 million, despite SBA's proven effectiveness in helping minority-owned businesses grow.

On education, the President's budget is devastating to programs designed to help minority students gain an even footing. It freezes funding for bilingual education, cuts funding for Head Start, and eliminates Even Start and dropout prevention programs. Only 17 percent

of African-Americans and 11 percent of Latinos have their college degrees, but this administration has frozen funding for Pell grants and cut funding for Perkins loans by nearly $100 million.

The misled priorities do not stop there. According to top level officials of the administration, the President's budget underfunds the Department of Veterans Affairs by $1.2 billion and falls short on veterans' health benefits. Furthermore, for nonveterans, the budget does nothing to address skyrocketing healthcare costs of low-income individuals.

Recklessly slashing or neglecting non-Homeland Security domestic discretionary spending, which comprises a mere one-sixth of the total budget, will not make a dent in the astronomical budget deficit that Republicans have proposed. That is why I support the substitute offered by the Congressional Black Caucus, which will not only restore funding to veterans and other domestic priorities, but also including funding for essential priorities such as local law enforcement, schools and job training.

Mr. Chairman, we in this body have an obligation to represent all Americans, not just the wealthiest ones. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the Republican budget and supporting the CBC substitute, and if that fails, supporting the Democratic substitute, which is still vastly superior to the Republican resolution.