Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to warn our seniors, a tax for your health will soon be upon you. The tax will be placed on those of you who have not signed up for Medicare part D by the President's arbitrary deadline.

The changes to the system are confusing to lawyers, seniors, and Members of Congress. We are forcing seniors to navigate unnecessarily confusing new programs and telling them do not pick the right program, just pick any program to prevent yourself from being faced with large penalties for joining late.

We must step back and extend the deadline until the end of the year to ensure that seniors do not pay the price for a poorly laid out part D program through higher premiums for life.

I have had several town hall meetings in my district in Indianapolis dealing with this whole Medicare quagmire. Over 1,000 seniors participated; and, unfortunately, they left just as confused as when they came. These are not the questions that we should have had our seniors asking.

I would encourage all seniors not to get taxed further by failing to meet the May 15th deadline.

Mr. Speaker, thousands of seniors came to a series of town hall meetings in my district alone and their stories were almost always one in the same, what must I do, how can I get that done and how much will it cost my already taxed budget. These are not the questions we should have our seniors asking as they lie awake in bed at night. We must not add another tax onto the budgets of our seniors. We have to deal with this already failing system but we should not penalize the people for the failure of Congress to create an easy to understand and comprehensive system. Stop the tax and extend the open enrollment period. As I mark another day off of this calendar I warn all Seniors don't allow yourself to fall into this tax trap, be prepared to submit your paperwork by May 15th.

Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, due to increased traffic resulting from the 2006 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis, I was unavoidably detained in my home district and unable to record my vote for rollcall votes 82-84. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the life of Paul Dana. Paul Dana was a resident of my district, and he was down in Florida this past weekend and unfortunately met a very tragic, traumatic death in a race car exhibition in Miami.

Paul Dana was the one that brought me to supporting ethanol for cars, and

he also had worked successfully to get all of the race cars in the 500- mile race to use ethanol in 2008, a tremendous victory for the hard work of a young 30-year-old man.

I want to rise and give him a special salute because he was a friend of mine, a wonderful individual. And I was very pained to see how that car was traumatically destroyed in that race.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the Members of the House join me in extending condolences and support to his family and to pray for them, because I know this is a very traumatic experience for them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the life of Paul Dana. Paul was a man who saw life as goals, not obstacles. After graduating from Northwestern with a Journalism degree, he quickly determined that he would be happiest behind the wheel of a racecar and not in the stands writing about them. He actively pursued his goal and sought out possible sponsors who would provide him with the chance to achieve his dreams.

Paul Dana was passionate and dedicated to everything he committed himself to throughout his life. He worked on behalf of the cause of ethanol, an issue which we shared a deep interest in. He was dedicated to increasing the use of ethanol through his racing team sponsor. This new combination was the result of his hard work and successes on the track as well as his strong business and racing world skills.

He was proud to be racing on the same team with Danica Patrick and Buddy Rice. They created an amazing team along with team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman, and were all excited about the prospect of a great year. In the past Paul had finished 10th in his debut Indy car race at Miami-Homestead and had been looking forward to returning this season after suffering a broken back during a practice run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Paul Dana was an integral part of the community and served in many local organizations along side his wife Tonya Bergeson-Dana, a Researcher and Professor at IUPUI's Riley Hospital for Children. The relationship they had and the way they reached out to others have left imprints on many lives far beyond just racing.

A devoted husband, racer and American, Paul Dana should always be remembered for enjoying the challenges that were between him and his goals, never failing to live life to the fullest and always sharing in the happiness that we should all enjoy everyday. He met his fate prematurely on the racetrack last Saturday afternoon in Florida but he died while doing what he loved. We should all be as blessed.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and unable to record my vote for rollcall vote 12. Had I been present I would have voted ''yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and unable to record my vote for rollcall vote 13. Had I been present I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, today is Valentine's Day, representing our heart. I would like to extend my heart to all of the Members of the United States Congress.

The President's budget does not, in fact, reflect a warm heart, as it eliminates funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Each month, CSFP provides over 475,000 low-income individuals with nutritious food packages; 85 percent of the recipients are seniors, all with income levels below a meager $12,400 per year.

In Indiana, 4,979 seniors are currently enrolled in this program. Next year, they could go hungry if the program is eliminated.

The budget proposal enables participants to enroll in a food stamp program once the CSFP is eliminated. The food stamp program, while extremely important, does not offer the same benefit and convenience that CSFP does. The food packages that seniors receive from the CSFP go to veterans who are sleeping under a bridge and who are homeless.

I would ask the majority leadership of this Congress to redress those inequities in the President's budget.

Some seniors are also hesitant to participate in the food stamp program because they perceive it as a welfare program. Yet these same seniors participate in the CSFP in Indiana.

I was touched by the story of a senior who received her first CSFP box from Gleaners. She cried after discovering 12 pudding cups in her box. Her case manager explained, ``Pudding is a luxury she has not been able to afford in a very long time.'' Let's not forget that as we craft a budget resolution, something as simple as pudding cups are a great luxury for some Americans.

Our budget is a reflection of our values and priorities. Our seniors deserve the very best from us, and it is incumbent upon us to keep them in mind when determining our budget allocations.

Mr. Speaker, as I rise today to speak on the life of Coretta Scott King I can't help but be reminded of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, ``And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.'' The life of Coretta Scott King was one that was spent prepared to serve her Lord and fellow man and she has now joined her bridegroom.

The words and deeds of Coretta Scott King have made an indelible imprint not only on the lives of Americans but of all people across the world. From her work with Nelson Mandela and in the struggle for civil rights to her work on behalf of the gay and lesbian community she was always willing to stand with those who were defending their right to live a life of freedom. She served as a true moral compass for all people. We need more people to live like Kings.

She was a phenomenal person who was kind to all she met and worked tirelessly on behalf of those she had not. I want to express my deepest condolences to the King family on behalf of the people of the 7th Congressional District. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Tony Stewart, winner of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship.

On November 20, Mr. Stewart won his second NASCAR Championship, becoming only the second active driver to win multiple NASCAR championships.

Today we recognize this Hoosier who has placed himself among the greatest drivers in the storied history of American racing.

Tony Stewart's passion for the track began as a young boy racing go- karts in his hometown of Columbus, Indiana. His win at the national karting championship in 1987 was a springboard to the Indianapolis Racing League, and a sign of triumphs to come.

In 1999 Mr. Stewart joined the NASCAR circuit, where he has ranked in the top 10 every season since. 2005 marks his most successful year on tour, with a total of five first-place finishes.

In August, Mr. Stewart underscored his strong and deep roots in the Hoosier state by winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Today let us remember that Tony Stewart is respected by both fans and competitors not only for his racing prowess, but for his respect for and dedication to the sport of car racing.

I am proud to call Tony Stewart a fellow Hoosier, and I once again congratulate him on this remarkable accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, Detroit, Michigan is known as Motown, mecca for Soul R&B music. Here, in the Halls of Congress, Detroit is known as ``Dingell town.''

Tonight, we continue our salute to Congressman John David Dingell, Jr. for his 50 years of service as an elected representative in the House of the people.

With the service of Congressman Dingell's father, the late John Dingell, Sr., in the House for 22 years, the people of Detroit, the state of Michigan, and indeed the Nation have benefited from the Dingell legacy of public service for 72 uninterrupted years.

Congressman Dingell served in the United States Army during World War II, then attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he graduated in law in 1952. He worked as a Congressional employee, a forest ranger and a prosecuting attorney for Wayne County until 1955, when his father died and he succeeded him in his district.

Congressman Dingell won the seat in his own right in 1956 and has been re-elected 25 times.

With the retirement of Jamie L. Whitten at the start of a new Congress in January 1995, he became the longest-serving member in Congress. He is only the third person to serve in the House for 50 years, behind only Whitten and Carl Vinson.

Since 1994, Congressman Dingell has been the Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Before that, he was Chairman for many years of Energy and Commerce.

Congressman Dingell: Regardless of the change in party majority, the esteem and high regard that your colleagues, and I, past and present, hold for you, will honor you always as Mr. Chairman.

I am pleased to add my best wishes to a statesman and a great American.

Mr. Speaker, due to a weather related travel delay, I was unable to record my vote for rollcall suspension votes 609 through 611. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of order.

Mr. Speaker, more than 10 years have passed since the Republican Party issued its ``Contract With America.''

This week Congress will vote on budget cuts and sacrifices that only middle-class America is asked to bear. These budget cuts have less to do with deficit reduction than they have to do with making the richest among us more comfortable in the face of bad economic times, massive health care costs and unfunded mandates passed on to State and local governments.

Sadly, Mr. Speaker, middle America is waking up to the bad news that Democrats have long known, and that is that the budget choices put forth by Republicans show that Republicans have a ``Contract on America.''

In the release of The Status of Working Families in Indiana, Indiana has had a dramatic increase in the number of persons in poverty during the past few years and has seen household incomes decline for the sixth year in a row. Job growth has been slow and wages have continued to be stagnant. The poverty rate for children in Indiana has jumped sharply in the past 3 years from 10.5 percent in 2002 to 18.5 percent in 2004. Indiana's childhood poverty rate is now greater than the Nation's, which is 17.8 percent.

Employment: From May, 2000, to January, 2002, Indiana lost 122,000 jobs due to the national economic slowdown and recession. Since September, 2003, Indiana has been on the road to recovery, but as of July, 2005, it was still 46,000 jobs below the level reached 5 years ago.

Wages: Indiana's wages have been stagnant for the past several years and have not kept pace with the average wages in the United States. By 2004, the average annual wage in Indiana had fallen to just over 88 percent of the U.S.

Incomes: Based on 2-year averages, Indiana's median household income has declined steadily since 1998 and 1999, when it was $46,136. By 2003 to 2004, it had fallen to $42,946.

In our rush to cut the budget on the backs of the poorest of Americans, we need, Mr. Speaker, to counteract that abusive act against middle-class and poor people and restore some economic sanity to the Nation's budget, to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for allowing me this opportunity to speak. I thank both Houses of the United States Congress for permitting a lady of honor to be honored in a House of honor. I thank both sides. There are times when events come upon our lives when politics fades, color fades, and America comes together as one Nation under God, exhibiting liberty and justice for all people.

Ms. Rosa Parks inspired me to run for Congress. When I first arrived in Congress, my first act in Congress was to create legislation that would award Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal. It was overwhelmingly supported by both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, for which she was so grateful.

Here was a woman who was not seeking out attention. She just got on the bus one day, and the rule was when the section in which you were sitting as an African American fills up, you got up and moved back to allow more sit-down room for a people of a different color. Rosa Parks got up twice and moved back. The third time when she was ordered to move, she refused to move, thus having those who would have to move to have to make the next move.

We will hear time and time again that as Rosa Parks sat down, the whole world stood up in gratitude and in praise of a woman who had the courage to do this. She often reminds me of a philosopher, I think it was Thoreau, who said, if I do not march by the drumbeat, it is because I hear a different drummer. So Rosa Parks marched by the drumbeat that she heard that was in pursuit of liberty, in pursuit of equality, in pursuit of justice for all people, for which I am so proud.

She may not have worn her religion on her sleeve, but she acted like Dorcas in biblical history, a seamstress, who made garments for the less privileged, who gave garments to people who could not afford garments so they had clothes to wear. So Rosa Parks is like a Dorcas who gave what she could whenever she could, and I am so proud of the fact that I knew her personally.

Almost 50 ago, Rosa Parks made history in this Nation. She became affectionately known as the mother of the civil rights movement. If we had not had that event, we probably would never have heard of Martin Luther King. That is why she is the mother of the civil rights movement.

I want to thank the House of Representatives and the United States Senate for bestowing this honor on such a unique individual, not because she is black, not because she is a woman, but because she is highly deserving of this unique opportunity to have her remains lay in state here to allow people of Washington, DC, and the surrounding area to come here and pay homage to one of the finest individuals who ever walked the halls of the United States Congress when she received a gold medal, one of the finest individuals that ever lived.

And I am grateful that she lived in my lifetime. So I thank them very much again for those who were inspired to do this. Congratulations on a job well up done, representing a woman who had a job that was well done.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment I am offering today will help low- and moderate-income families fulfill the American dream of homeownership.

This amendment will not mandate, but encourage, the GSEs to purchase personal property loans secured by manufactured housing and will count towards the GSE underserved market goals.

This practice is consistent with the charters of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In 2004, the average income of those who purchased manufactured homes was $28,000. These homes cost 30 percent less than a site-built house and are equal in quality, amenities, and efficiency. Currently only real property loans are considered for manufactured housing purchases, but the vast majority of manufactured home buyers rent the land on which it rests. Personal property loans are issued for the purchase of a manufactured home, but not tied to any piece of land. While these loans are typically financed as personal property, my amendment would allow for the GSEs to only purchase personal property loans that finance manufactured housing.

In 1992, Congress set a goal for the GSEs to promote mortgage credit in areas where traditional credit opportunities were unavailable, inaccessible, or too costly. My amendment will help the GSEs achieve this goal by encouraging them to purchase personal property loans for manufactured housing.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment will assist GSEs in continuing to serve home buyers in underserved areas and will encourage lenders to offer more and better loans to finance the purchase of new homes. It has the broad support of manufactured housing organizations as well as consumers. It has bipartisan support. I encourage my colleagues to adopt this amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, my heartfelt congratulation to the Delegate from the District of Columbia. I rise to pay homage to the honorable Rosa Parks, a woman who I honored in this Chamber when I first came to Congress with a resolution creating the Congressional Gold Medal for Mrs. Rosa Parks and a big ceremony that was held in the rotunda.

Throughout that ceremony, she retained a great deal of humility and appreciation and said to me, I do not deserve this medal for myself, but I deserve it as it is necessary for all the people of the United States to understand the struggle, the fact that while I sat there, it brought attention to the United States that even though we had written years ago, liberty and justice for all people, it still had not come through to fruition.

My heart hurt tonight when you passed the legislation that would deny not-for-profits the right to register voters. That was the most insidious inclusion in the housing bill that I have ever seen in all the week that we celebrate the life of Rosa Parks, who strove hard for voting rights and voting registration, that we would take it away from them, especially during this time of year.

Rosa Parks is very near and dear to me. She represents what many of our beautiful people of color represent in the United States of America. I would hope that if we are sincere about recognizing the life and the work of a woman who lived not just because, but lived for a cause, one of which was voter registration and voting opportunities for all people, that we would withdraw that insidious part of that bill that denies not-for-profits to register voters in a nonprofit, nonpartisan way to enable them to be able to vote in elections.

That is so important. We do it for places across the waters, and there is no better way that we can salute Mrs. Parks than to allow free and open registration for people in the United States of America. I would encourage that we do that. I thank the Delegate from the District of Columbia for allowing me the opportunity to take a little part of this celebration of a Federal building in Detroit to express my sentiments and respect for a woman that I loved dearly and appreciate the long life that God granted to her.

Today we pause to honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Rosa Parks, the Mother of America's Civil Rights Movement.

It was on a bitterly cold day in December 1955 when an unknown seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama forever changed the course of American history. In the face of vicious racism and entrenched segregation, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.

Her quiet courage inspired a 381-day bus boycott that brought the issue of legal segregation into the national consciousness and launched the beginning of the modern civil rights movement in America.

Today, her simple act of defiance continues to symbolize the power of non-violent protest.

Rosa Parks' actions on that bus a half-century ago marked only the beginning of what became a lifelong fight for equal rights. Along with her husband Raymond, she was an active member of the NAACP, serving first as secretary and later as adviser to the NAACP

youth council. For over 20 years she faithfully served the people of Detroit on the staff of my colleague, Congressman John Conyers. In 1987 she established a training school for Detroit teenagers known as the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development. The Institute is noted for developing a special program for young people age 11-18 called Pathways to Freedom. Children in the program travel across the country tracing the Underground Railroad, visiting the scenes of critical events in the civil rights movement, tracing their heritage, and learning aspects of America's history.

Five years ago I had the privilege of introducing legislation that authorized President Clinton to award Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. Standing in the Capitol Rotunda as such an extraordinary woman received the Nation's highest civilian award was one of my greatest honors as a Member of Congress, and as an American. In keeping with her humble manner and unerring devotion to justice, Mrs. Parks used the occasion to call on the Nation's youth to continue her struggle until all people have equal rights.

Rosa Parks was an American hero. While we honor her life here in Congress today, may we honor her legacy by always remembering that justice is a right we must never take for granted.

Mr. Speaker, due to a weather related travel delay, I was unable to record my vote for rollcall suspension votes 536 through 538. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes.''