Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am so glad that we have this hour to be able to let Americans know the things they need to know about their government. I think it is important since the gentleman from Virginia just finished talking about what this effort and what I call mismanagement has cost the American people and that it will cost the American people. We need to make sure that we understand that we are deficit spending. This is not surplus money. This is deficit spending money. It is like for some of us Americans that are receiving these credit cards through the mail saying that all you have to do is sign the back and call this 1-800 number, you are automatically qualified for $2,000 and you go out and you spend that $2,000 at a rate of like 23 percent interest rate. That is the kind of deficit spending that we have right now. We need to continue to have a dialogue on this.

I am very disturbed by some of the things that I am hearing out of this White House and out of the majority party as it relates to the efforts in Iraq. At the top of the week, we had the majority leader of this House on the Republican side saying that he is upset that the White House has not said more and the Defense Department has not said more about the accomplishments in Iraq. I would beg to differ. Yes, there have been some accomplishments in Iraq, but I would beg to differ by the fact that we have troops that do not even have armor in Iraq. I serve on the Committee on Armed Services. We authorize billions, $480 something billion annually to the Department of Defense. I remember asking some of the individuals in the Department of Defense, Secretary Wolfowitz to be exact, do our troops have adequate body armor? I was told, yes, the front line troops will have adequate body armor. Right now we have troops that are at Walter Reed Hospital and at Bethesda Hospital with wounds that went through the body armor, bullets that went through the body armor that were supposed to protect them.

I think it is also important for us to understand that if this Congress does not start asking the hard questions to this White House and to the Department of Defense we are going to continue to have these special appropriations. We just gave $78 billion 6 months ago. We are giving $87 plus billion very soon and it will be more to come. When I say that this is going on, this is just not a convenience issue, this is hurting Leave No Child Behind in education, this is hurting social services. I have seen people brought to the table and called out for mismanagement for far less than the billions of dollars that have been mishandled in this war as it relates to contract services. I think it is important that we have to ask the tough questions. I am so glad that the media and some Members of this Congress have called Vice President Cheney out on the fact that the connection he claimed in the Sunday show this past Sunday, saying that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11. I am glad to hear that the President said that is not true today at a press conference before I came on the floor. The reason why that was corrected in a 3-day period or in a 4-day period is that this Congress questioned that. Democrats questioned what the Vice President said. That is why it is important that we have a democracy. That is why it is important no matter what party you are in if you are a Member of this Congress that you must speak out on issues that you know when that information is inaccurate. Intelligence in the past has been stated about chemical weapons, things of that nature. It has been several months now since we have been in Iraq and there are very little chemical weapons to show for our efforts. We have to ask the hard questions on what is the real rebuilding plan for Iraq. We have yet to see that. Our minority leader the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), who is ranking member on the Committee on Appropriations, asked for that yesterday. As of right now, the last I checked, we still have not received it. That is the reason why we have to continue to push for these questions so that it is not a rubber stamp.

The reason why this administration went to the U.N. before they took their preemptive strike or before we took our preemptive strike on Iraq is because the American people said that they wanted them to go to the U.N. Even though they went to the U.N. and we danced and we changed the name of French fries here in the Capitol to freedom fries and did all of these peripheral things, we still went in by ourselves and now we are paying the price. We are now having to go back and say, oh, we like the French. Oh, we feel that Germany and others, we feel that you are good people. We need your help.

If we do not replace diplomacy on the executive branch, then we are in for a costly, costly, long stay in Iraq. It is no longer good enough, Mr. President, for you to say, we're going to be in Iraq as long as we have to be in Iraq. That is not an appropriate answer. An appropriate answer is saying, we are having real negotiations with the Security Council at the U.N., that I am instructing the Secretary of State that we are going to do everything in our power to continue to get more troops in our coalition. You may ask and there are, give or take, 115,000, 125,000 U.S. troops right now on the soil in Iraq. Some 13,000 coalition forces. But last night I saw Secretary Rumsfeld said, oh, we have 60,000 Iraqi police officers that are a part of our security force now. We have to make sure that we are clear. We cannot use metaphors. We cannot allow the Department of Defense nor this White House nor the leadership of this Congress to wiggle out of the tough questions.

I am just as patriotic as the next person. And just because we ask the question of this government that every last

one of us have been voted on to be here to represent our constituents, individuals should not be called out. General Shinseki had to resign because he said this war would cost anywhere from $120 billion to $130 billion. Others who have said of an accurate account if we went into this thing by ourselves of what it would cost had to resign. We in this Congress are the only individuals who cannot be fired. We only can be fired by the people, by the American people, and not by an executive action.

So I ask you, and I implore, and I am so glad that the Congressional Black Caucus has taken this stand to be the conscience of this Congress once again. It may not be the appropriate thing in the light of those individuals who consider themselves self-appointed patriots on behalf of our men and women in uniform, but it was this caucus, Democratic Caucus, that are fighting for those individuals who make under $26,000 to be able to receive a child tax credit, including those individuals that are over there fighting, their children. Republicans said no and are still saying no and say that the bill will not come up. We are saying that we are willing to put the facts and figures here.

I almost feel like a member of the other party who always talked about deficit spending, or used to talk about it. We no longer talk about it now because it is not important. I think it is important that we continue to raise the tough questions, that we continue to be able to ask for an accounting as it relates to private contracts that are being let. This peripheral, this information that is generic about maintenance and reconstruction and turning on the power and making sure they have water and schools, without defining it, can no longer be accepted by this Congress. So it is important that we focus on the fine details. I am so glad that we are here.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Tennessee for his eloquent opening remarks as it relates to this child tax credit. I think it is very important, Mr. Speaker, that we look at the reason why we are here for the 18th time. One would assume in this country, in this great country of America as it relates to financially challenged families that make under $26,000 a year and also those men and women that are fighting on behalf of the freedom that we enjoy every day, that we would not even have to come to the floor on their behalf and on behalf of their families to be able to receive a fair share from this government that they look up to.

This issue is not a new issue to this House. As my colleague from Tennessee references, this is the 18th time that Democrats have come to the floor to ask for fair play and equal justice for these individuals. I want to say that this issue as it relates to just months ago, we were here on this floor, Members sat in this Chamber, we voted for this tax credit, we wanted to make sure that every American was able to enjoy it; but until this day, they still cannot. Checks have been mailed out. They have not been mailed out to the low-income individuals in our country. I think it is important that we remember them.

Since we are on the eve of 9/11, I think it is important for me to point this out. I turn on the television, and I am seeing not only Members of this body but also members of the executive branch flying around, draping themselves in the flag, saying that we stand with our military families.

I believe they do, to a certain extent, only when it comes down to their families being able to receive a child tax credit.

Those men and women that are out there in Iraq and Afghanistan, and even here domestically in the United States working with our various military operations, those individuals that are in combat zones are going to receive combat pay. And, guess what? They are going to receive a tax increase due to that combat pay. Will they be able to celebrate a tax credit? No, they will not, not unless this motion to instruct actually passes and we are able to fight on their behalf.

I think it is important for us when we talk about coming together as Americans to make sure that we fight on behalf of 20,000 military families who were left out of the Republican new tax law. I think we should do as the other body has done. They have moved in the right direction to make sure many families, not only in my State of Florida, are able to receive a tax credit. I think it is important that we do not muddy the water as it relates to what this Congress has done for low-income families.

My colleague from Tennessee mentioned my mother, Carrie Meek, who served in this body, and I am glad I have had the opportunity to follow in her footsteps. She was one that stood for the individuals that we may say are the least of these, hard-working Americans that are just trying to make their way in this free democracy.

I believe America is all about fair play. I believe America is all about individuals receiving their fair share for a hard day's work. But, unfortunately, many times I hear Members rise to their feet when we raise the question of the have's and have not's, and class warfare, and blue collar versus white collar, whatever the case may be.

But this is a perfect example as we are here in this Chamber today for the eighteenth time saying that just because someone makes under $26,000 a year, that they cannot receive the same credit as those that are at a higher income bracket. Something is fundamentally wrong with that. I think it is important as we are here for the eighteenth time, and I look forward to this hopefully being the last time that we have to come to this floor and to this Congress to ask for justice on behalf of these families.

I cannot help but think of those individuals in Florida and throughout this Nation that have loved ones that are in a tent or out in a field, have sand in their teeth right now, fighting on behalf of this country and standing against terrorism, that we have to come and speak on their behalf, when it should be something that is automatic.

I must say to even those families that are not military families, I want to say it again, these are people that work every day. These are individuals that want to provide for their families every day. These are families working every day. I think it is important that we understand that we are not talking about people that are sitting at home with a bag of Lay's potato chips watching cable television. I think it is important we understand that these are people that punch in and punch out, they are catching a bus, driving their cars. They are paying the same $2 a gallon for gas as I pay $2 a gallon for gas.

So I think it is important that they receive the tax credit. I think it is important that this Congress stands up on behalf of these individuals.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleague from Tennessee for coming to the floor once again and being courageous on behalf of working families in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to one of our community's most remarkable public servants, Mr. Ira Clark, former President of our County Public Health Trust and Chief Executive Officer of Miami-Jackson Health System. His friends and supporters will honor him this Friday, September 12, 2003 at a special benefit dinner at the Hotel Intercontinental in Miami.

This event will recognize Mr. Clark for 16 years of exceptional service to the residents of our community, particularly the countless indigents and immigrants. Having dedicated the longevity of his stewardship over our county Jackson Memorial Hospital, he has been relentless in his development of innovative healthcare service programs that now respond to the crying needs of our community. His was indeed a mission of genuine love and utmost commitment that maximized thorough understanding and common-sense compassion for many destitute families who lack the basic financial wherewithal to have a loved one access quality medical care and treatment in a modern urban hospital setting.

Under his leadership many lives have been saved and many more families have been rendered whole because of his dedication to providing accessibility to affordable quality healthcare services. One of the most impressive achievements under his watch was the acquisition of a predictable source of recurrent funding when the residents of Miami-Dade County voted in 1991 to have an extra half-penny sales tax to fund Jackson Memorial Hospital. An essential component of this securely funded system was his ability to create a partnership with the University of Miami School of Medicine, which now provides the expertise of this medical center to spread worldwide in specialties like trauma care, organ transplant, spinal cord injury, pediatrics, high-risk obstetrics and a host of quality healthcare innovations.

Other highlights of his tenure contributed to the decompression of the county hospital facility through the creation of the Jackson North Maternity Center, the Taylor Breast Health Center, the Diagnostic Treatment Center, the state of the art Ryder Trauma Center and the recent opening of Jackson South Community Hospital to benefit the residents living in the South Dade area. The event this Friday will raise funds to help build a state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Facility at this premiere hospital.

These facilities are eloquent testimonies to Mr. Clark's mission to provide a single high standard of medical care to all people. This sterling commitment has raised the bar of quality healthcare for the vibrant community of Miami-Dade County, which uniquely symbolizes a virtual mosaic of immigrants representing virtually every country of the world.

It is his vision that spearheaded the introduction of the Jackson Health System corporate identity in the Spring of 2000, which led to the creation of a network of some 12 primary care centers across the county. The role he played in developing.our excellent health-care system evokes a unique passion that led to our community's ability to receive the recognition of its strength amidst its diversity, and help the less fortunate In their quest for quality medical care and treatment.

Indeed, it is an honor to have the privilege of the friendship of Mr. Ira Clark, a caring public servant par excellence. The tribute he will receive on Friday is genuinely deserved. I salute him on behalf of a grateful community that he truly loved and cared for so deeply.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a versatile and committed public servant in my District, the Rev. Dr. Robert Ingram. This honor has long been in coming for his service to our community in various capacities. Among the roles he has held was that of Chief of Police, City Manager and subsequently Mayor of the City of Opa-Locka. His current elected position as Vice-Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the fourth largest school system in the nation with some 370,000 students, is what occupies his waking hours as he doggedly tackles the awesome task of balancing the learning needs of students amidst the dwindling education dollars that now fund our schools.

In its most recent article entitled: ``Robert Ingram: The Ascension of an Ex-Miami Cop,'' the FLAVOUR Black Florida Life & Style Magazine succinctly quoted the City of Miami's first Black Police Chief Clarence Dickson when he described Dr. Ingram's service record thus: ``. . . his life is legend and is about as close to the impossible dream as I have witnessed . . . not in my wildest dreams would I have predicted the accomplishments, the challenges, the risk, the courage, the sacrifices, the victories and the successes this man would achieve though all of the evidence was there in those early days.''

He has spoken clearly on such issues as money, reparations, black-on- black crime, affordable housing, civil rights, love, equal rights

amendment, rap music, etc. and all the implications inherent in these core issues that now crowd the African-American community's agenda. Dr. Ingram exudes the preeminence of a noble gentleman, as well as the virtues of a lucid scholar as he is wont to expound during School Board meetings his unwavering positions on equal educational opportunities for minorities, the controversial incongruence of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), along with his unconditional passion for justice and equal rights for all.

Ever since I have known Dr. Ingram, he has always been at the forefront of ensuring equal participation in the shared duties and responsibilities on the part of Miami-Dade County's citizenry. At the same time, his forceful advocacy in adhering to the tenets of equal treatment under the law not only in the halls of academia= but also in every segment of our government agencies has become legendary. In fact, countless others have been touched by his genuine commitment, especially towards those who could least fend for themselves.

Dr. Ingram is the consummate public servant and community activist who abides by the dictum that those who have less in life through no fault of their own should be helped by the government-- regardless of race or creed, gender or class. The numerous accolades with which he has been honored by various organizations and agencies at the local, state and national levels attest to an unequivocal testimony of the utmost respect he enjoys.

Blessed with a down-to-earth common sense and yet consecrated by his religious calling to serve the ``. . . least of these,'' he is also imbued with the rare wisdom of recognizing both the strengths and limitations of those empowered by the electorate to govern. This unique leadership is being tested to the hilt during School Board meetings as he draws attention to the basic purpose of our public schools--that of maximizing the learning potential of every student and that the success of any school is genuinely measured by how well it is reaching out even to those students who are being left behind.

Dr. Ingram thoroughly understands the accoutrements of power and leadership, and he is wisely exercising them alongside the mandate of his conviction and the call of his conscience as he engages all their energies toward advancing the good of the community he has learned to love and care for so deeply. He exudes the kind of genuine faith and anchors his hope in the Godgiven abilities of the students attending the Miami-Dade County Public Schools when he stated that ``. . . I firmly and passionately believe that all our kids have what it takes to succeed. The challenge is for us to reach this generation by motivating them instead of frustrating them. Children often turned off school by simple things because they are sensitive beings that we do not always respond to.''

Dr. Robert Ingram truly exemplifies a unique and responsive leadership whose courageous vision and wisdom appeals to our noble character as a caring Nation. At the risk of being presumptuous, I honor him and I want to extend to him the utmost gratitude of the Miami-Dade County community that he and I are privileged to serve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. William ``Billy'' Rolle, Former Head Coach of the Miami Northwestern Senior High School Football Team. He has become the winningest varsity coach in the recent history of Miami-Dade Public Schools, the nation's fourth largest school system. This Friday, September 5, 2003, Coach Rolle will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Coach Rolle will join members of his family in this elite circle of achievement to be so honored by this great university, my Alma Mater. Honorees include his late father William Rolle, his mother Frankie Shannon Rolle, his aunt Sophia and his uncle Walter White, his late cousin FAMU Coach Bob Mungen and his late godbrother, the legendary Robert ``Bob'' Hayes.

Indeed, this is a milestone in the annals of FAMU's athletic glory, and has distinctly elicited so much following from the constituents of the 17th Congressional District. As I join them in extolling the hard work and sacrifices of his parents, the faculty and staff of Miami Northwestern Senior High School located in the heart of Liberty City, I want to likewise commend the exemplary role of this honoree. Due to his utmost commitment to his students, particularly his student-athletes, Coach ``Billy'' Rolle has become the cornerstone of excellent programs that buttress academic scholarship on one hand, and athletic achievement on the other.

I would like to congratulate him for fast becoming the legendary coach that he is now known among his colleagues and in high school football circles not only across Florida, but across the nation as well. I am also to privy to his work ethic and dogged discipline throughout his coaching years, paving the way for excellence both in the classroom and on the gridiron. Known for his no-nonsense approach to forthright guidance and counseling among his student-athletes, Coach ``Billy'' Rolle has certainly surrounded himself with excellent coaching staffs whose knowledge and sensitivity to sporting activities befitting the school ambiance superbly complements and supplements the learning needs of his students.

His sterling approach to educating, motivating and mentoring the members of his football teams has led to two District Championships in the year 2000, and culminating in four District Championships at Miami Northwestern Senior High with a hard-to-beat record of 60 wins against only 9 losses. As Assistant Coach, he contributed to the winning of the 1995 6-A Florida Football State Championship, and as Head Coach, he likewise won the 1998 6-A Florida Football State Championship. These enviable achievements were made possible by his emphasis on utmost personal responsibility and his ability to converge same into a zealous dedication to the demands of teamwork above any and all individual accomplishments.

As a whole, our community is genuinely honored by the leadership of Coach ``Billy'' Rolle. Accordingly, his being enshrined into the Sports Hall of Fame at Florida A&M University this Friday is an unerring testament to his honoring the family of students and parents, the faculty and staffs of various senior high schools to which he has been assigned all through these years since 1983. The dedication of his sterling efforts toward molding the minds and hearts of countless young student-athletes gives honor and respect to a community that is fully cognizant of his many sacrifices and unselfish contributions.

This is the magnificent legacy Coach William ``Billy'' Rolle genuinely bequeaths to all of us as he enters the Sports Hall of Fame. Suffice it to say that his pursuit of athletic excellence amidst scholastic achievement is not beyond the reach of those willing to dare the impossible through hard work, discipline and resilience. Indeed, I am privileged but deeply humbled to represent him, his wife Loretta and his two children, B.J. and Sheree, along with his noble forbears, in the United States Congress, knowing full well that together they have done so much to dignify the pride of a grateful community.

Mr. Speaker, l'm writing to express my condolences on the recent demise of the late Jerry Clarence Parks. Indeed, words are so inadequate at this time to personify my sadness. However, I hope that my humble prayers would somehow assuage the pain that now burdens the Parks family.

Indeed, the passing away of a good and faithful steward who toiled and sacrificed his life for countless people and this grateful community provides us with the sobering thought of the dignity of the human spirit and the fragility of life. Amidst the sorrows, however, let us remind ourselves that it is precisely during times like this that we must find the hope and assurance in Christ's words when He promised us: ``I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in me, even if he dies, shall live.'' For those of us bonded together in the Christian Faith, we firmly believe that Jerry's life has not ended; it merely changed for the better.

I pray that the Parks family anchors itself on these words. And while we remember Jerry Parks, his loyalty and commitment to the members of the Bible Baptist Church, the City of Miami Retired Fire and Police Association and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, let us thank God for having let him grace our lives with the full measure of his love and devotion to the ideals of Christian stewardship and caring for the less fortunate members of our society.

May God comfort Beverly Parks, his daughter and his family and loved ones with the blessed assurance of His love and peace in this period of bereavement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to one of our community's indefatigable church leaders, the Reverend Dr. G. David Horton, Pastor of Greater New Bethel Baptist Church in my district. The members and supporters of his congregation will honor him on the 24th anniversary of his pastorate at a gala evening dinner on Saturday, July 26, 2003, to be held at Miami Shores Country Club.

Reverend Horton truly evokes the vocation of a Good Shepherd who attends to his flock in ways we can never fathom. As pastor and teacher, he exudes the knowledge and pragmatism of a visionary who goes about teaching the ways of God, and has tirelessly worked to enlighten our community on the agenda of spiritual wisdom and good governance impacting our duties and responsibilities to the less fortunate among us.

I want to commend his tremendous work in guiding not only the members of the Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, but also the residents of the Miami-Dade community in a manner that bespeaks of his concern and compassion to those in need. Through the longevity of his pastorate, he has truly persevered in showing us the Way and expounding for us the Truth that emanate from our knowledge of the Gospels and the teachings gathered there from.

Having completed his religious studies from the Easonian Theological Seminary in Birmingham, Alabama, he went on to pursue and obtain his Doctorate of Ministry from the South Florida Center for Theological Studies. In the midst of his studies, he played the role of CEO of Bethel's Family Life Center and Child Care by emphasizing the sanctity of the family and the importance of caring for and responding to children's learning needs. This commitment truly undergirds his unshakable belief in that ``. . . the ruin of a nation starts in the homes of its people.''

As he continues to be involved in the Baptist Church's state and national positions from instructor to facilitator to bible expositor, Rev. Horton never lost sight of the needs and concerns of the our community by chairing the Board of the South Florida Jail Ministries. It is his consecration to our prisoners' well-being that truly makes him a quintessential steward of the Gospel for his advocacy on behalf of the downtrodden and the imprisoned. It is through this ministry that he has wisely articulated the fact that the genuine measure of our love for God is conditioned by our commitment ``. . . to the least of these . . .''

Rev. Horton's timely and persevering leadership at Greater New Bethel Baptist Church for some 24 years is genuinely commendable. As a man of God and as a community leader, he has indeed earned our deepest respects and our superlative admiration.

This is the legacy of the Reverend Dr. G. David Horton. I am truly privileged in thanking him for his many years of service in the Vineyard of the Lord. My pride in sharing his friendship is only exceeded by my utmost gratitude for everything he has sacrificed on our community's behalf as he continues to teach us to live by the noble ethic of loving God by serving our fellow men.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, John Lewis, for introducing this resolution. I was honored to cosponsor it, because I think it is very important that people in this legislative body and in this nation know the huge impact Maynard Jackson had on the country and on the African American community in particular.

You could just sense the importance of Maynard Jackson by watching the thousands of mourners who waited in lines stretching several blocks to honor him. Former Presidents joined everyday citizens in honoring the life and service of this great man, who was the

first black mayor of Atlanta, a major Southern city and a symbol of both the Old South, and the New South.

Mayor Jackson paved the way for African Americans who are interested in government and civic affairs and were willing to devote their time and effort to public service. He showed what could be achieved with intelligence and fairness and hard work. And in doing so he provided both hope and opportunity to all Atlantans, white and black, while inspiring a whole generation of African American elected officials, including me.

Maynard Jackson served as Mayor of Atlanta from 1974 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1994. His three terms were distinguished by diversification and growth in Atlanta's economy. He saw opportunity international trade before the ``world economy'' became a household name. He encouraged foreign governments to open new consulates and foreign companies to open trade offices, and Atlanta's imports and exports increased accordingly.

The result of Maynard Jackson's policies was record-setting new jobs creation, strong bond ratings, and the most successful non-preference, non-quota affirmative action and equal opportunity programs in the nation.

Maynard Jackson was also an innovator. He developed a successful neighborhood planning system and a city-wide comprehensive development plan. He also brokered major construction projects in housing and mass transit and instituted reform in city management and organization and improved employee incentives--all of which led to increased worker productivity.

Especially noteworthy was Mayor Jackson's leadership in the construction of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

As a result, Maynard Jackson's years of Mayoral service are widely respected and documented as times of unparalleled economic development, internationalism, public-private partnerships, racial harmony, and fiscal stability for Atlanta. Because of his leadership, Atlanta created more jobs in the 1990s than any other U.S. city--half a million since 1993.

A report in Higher Education in America's Metropolitan Areas identified the Atlanta region as a national leader in higher education, consistently ranking in the top 10 metro areas in key measures of higher education activity. The majority of students in the Atlanta region not only are pursuing higher education, they are completing it: Atlanta has the sixth highest number of degrees conferred at the Bachelor's level and higher, due in large part to the encouragement and urging of Mayor Jackson.

It is certainly fitting that he died on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld affirmative action. He demanded that African- American firms get their fair share of government contracts, including those awarded in the $1 billion expansion of Hartsfield International Airport. By the end of his first term, the percentage of city contracts going to minority-owned firms had increased from 0.13 percent to 38.6 percent.

Today, Atlanta is recognized as one of the nation's most dynamic cities, a place where hope is alive and well and not dependent on skin pigmentation.

Maynard Jackson has left his imprint so solidly on American society-- economically, educationally, creatively, and socially--that his service and tutelage will long be remembered and celebrated. He was an exemplary leader, a dedicated community servant, and a tireless advocate for economic and social justice. He literally helped change the world. He will be missed, but his spirit will live on in his extraordinary legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues will join me in offering our prayerful best wishes and congratulations to the Reverend Dr. George E. McRae of Miami, Florida, my Pastor and the Pastor of Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church, on the occasion of his election as the new President of the Florida General Baptist Convention.

Reverend McRae is perhaps uniquely qualified, by both education and experience, to carry out this important responsibility. He earned his Bachelor's degree at Bethune-Cookman College at Daytona Beach; His Master of Divinity degree at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta; and his Doctor of Ministry degree at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta. In addition to his fourteen years as Pastor of Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. McRae has served as Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Daytona Beach; and the Bethlehem Baptist Church and the New Mount Zion Baptist Church, both in Palatka.

Reverend McRae has received numerous awards for his work, including the NAACP's Humanitarian Award and the Miami Herald's Charles Whited Spirit of Excellence Award, and he has lectured extensively. He was also featured in a front page article in the Wall Street Journal, which chronicled his work at Mount Tabor and the establishment of M.O.V.E.R.S. Inc.--Minorities Overcoming The Virus Through Education, Responsibility and Spirituality--which provides comprehensive treatment, education, counseling and housing assistance to AIDS victims and their families in low-income Miami neighborhoods.

In addition to these great achievements, though, Pastor McRae's highest qualification as leader of Florida's Baptist faithful must truly be the strength of his commitment to Christ's teachings, as exemplified by the caring and humanity of his ministry.

He is a person of great personal power whose very presence cheers those who are afflicted. He is a person of great vision who inspires people to help other people--from caring for the hungry in the church basement after Sunday services to making health care available, in their own neighborhoods, to people who otherwise could not afford health care, even if they had access to it. He is a person who has devoted a lifetime of energy and creativity to the betterment of others.

I extend my best wishes to Pastor McRae and his wife, Mary, for the sacrifices they have made to help others, for their caring and their leadership, and for taking on this additional burden and responsibility, which is so important to our families and our community.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, June 9, 2003, our country lost a truly great man, U.S. District Court Judge Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. He was an exemplary jurist--experienced, fair, compassionate, knowledgeable and firmly committed to justice. His death is a huge loss to the federal bench, to our community, and to our Nation.

Wilkie Demeritte Ferguson, Jr. was born May 11, 1938, to Bahamian immigrants and raised in the Liberty Square public housing project.

Judge Ferguson attended all-black public schools: Liberty City Elementary, Dorsey Middle and Northwestern Sr. High. He received his B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from Florida A & M University. He was certified in Fundamentals of Computer Programming at Philco Technological Institute in Philadelphia and received his Masters in Financial Administration from Drexel University. He continued on to Howard University where he obtained his J.D. Degree.

He was the first black jurist appointed to the Miami-Dade Circuit Court and Third District Court of Appeals, and the second black federal judge in the Southern District of Florida.

Judge Ferguson knew every aspect of the law, and he knew people. In the Civil Rights Division of the old U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and as a staff attorney for Legal Services of Greater Miami, he learned firsthand about the problems that ordinary people face in their everyday lives and how the legal system and our courts are often their only recourse for justice.

His reputation for fairness and hard work preceeded his elevation to the federal bench in 1993, for at that time he had already had three decades of experience on the bench.

Judge Ferguson has been an exceptional role model and inspiration for young African-Americans interested in the law. He was a trail blazer whose competence and wisdom set a high standard for a profession that already has high standards. His death leaves a huge gap in our federal judiciary, in our community, and in our hearts, for Judge Ferguson showed us all how good we can be.

Over the years he has received numerous honors and accolades such as: Williams H. Hastie Award, ``Courage and Scholarship in Legal Writing'', National Bar Association (2000) Distinguished Alumni Award, Howard University University Law Alumni Association.

He was a member of the Church of Incarnation of Miami, Florida. There will forever be a void in the pew where he stood every Sunday and sang inspirational hymns.

The entire Miami-Dade community mourns the loss of this humble and great man who overcame huge obstacles yet also did common things uncommonly well. My prayers goes out to his wife, Miami-Dade Commissioner Betty Ferguson and his children, Tawnicia Ferguson-Rowan and Wilkie III.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Patricia Harper Garrett, of whom it can be said, ``Teaching was in her genes.'' Her grandmother was the Principal at Belle Glades Jr. High School and later Principal of Roosevelt Jenkins High School in Starke, Florida, where her parents were both students. At the end of this school year, Mrs. Garrett will be retiring from the teaching profession after 35 years.

Patricia Garrett is a graduate of George Washington Carver High School and Bethune Cookman College. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and an Associate Member of Jack and Jill of America.

Throughout her teaching career, her title has changed several times, including Work Experience Coordinator at Booker T. Washington and Richmond Heights Junior High Schools and Cooperative Education Coordinator/Department Chairperson at Miami Sunset Senior High School. However, her goal has always been the same: to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of young people.

Ms. Garrett realized at an early age, from years of watching her grandmother and mother who were both teachers, that education was crucially important. After college, she came to realize that her skills could best be utilized helping to educate young people.

Ms. Garrett has received numerous honors over the years in recognition of her skill, commitment, dedication, and enthusiasm for educating young people. In 1997, she received perhaps her greatest honor: the selection of her daughter, Jessica Garrett--a fourth- generation teacher in her family as Miami-Dade Public Schools Region Beginning Teacher of the Year. The legacy of educators continues with her youngest daughter, April Garrett, who is in her first year of teaching.

Congratulations, Patricia Harper Garrett. Thank you for your service, and enjoy your retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mrs. Jerlean Barron, who will be retiring from the Dade County Public Schools at the end of this school year. Mrs. Barron is the very definition of a strong person. She dedicated her life to serving her family and her community, and she did both with distinction.

Mrs. Barron was born and raised in Baxley, Georgia and is a product of the Appling County Public School System. She attended Appling Elementary and Secondary Schools.

Mrs. Barron is a role model who demonstrated daily how to overcome obstacles. After raising six of her biological children, she took on the responsibility of raising four of her grandchildren. Mrs. Barron was always there to support her grandchildren morally, emotionally, spiritually, and even financially in their pursuits.

Mrs. Barron has had to deal with hard decisions in her life. Her husband and daughter became terribly ill, and she was responsible for their care. During this difficult time, and despite the tremendous effort it took, she nonetheless continued to give great help and service to the Phyllis R. Miller Elementary School.

Mrs. Barron's dedication, loyalty, compassion, and involvement will be greatly missed. She showed students and faculty alike, by her example, how to make lemonade from the lemons life gives them, and in doing so she contributed greatly to the Miami-Dade community.

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues join me in recognizing Mrs. Jerlean Barron for her work, in thanking her for her service and in wishing her much happiness in her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a wonderful human being and a magnificent activist symbolized by North Miami community leader Ted Ravelo, a Filipino-American. On Saturday, June 7, 2003, at the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) in Broward County, he will be honored by the Philippine American Federation of South Florida, Inc. at a gala event celebrating the 105th Philippine Independence Day festivities.

Mr. Ravelo came to the North Miami community some 15 years ago. He was the Director of the Southern Apparel Exhibitors at the Miami Merchandise Mart, after which he directed the Southeastern Apparel Exhibitors in Atlanta, Georgia. The citation for this gala event defines ``. . . his loyal service to the community of North Miami and the Filipino-American community he has helped with utmost care and concern.'' Above all, however, this pioneering leader is more saliently characterized by his deep faith in the God he serves through countless Filipino immigrants in search of a warm friendship and timely advice. Being a dutiful husband to his wife, Ma. Teresa Padua-Ravelo, and a loving father to his two teenaged children, Jamie and Jo Anne, he has taken upon himself the awesome responsibility of providing the same brand of love and affection to many more Filipino-American families who search for guidance and direction in the ways and processes of how government and its various agencies function.

Indeed, Mr. Ravelo represents the best and the noblest of our community in his unceasing involvement with the socio-cultural well- being of his fellow immigrants in a manner that uplifted their own self-esteem and dignity. He continues to demonstrate a remarkable wisdom and warm friendship in serving his North Miami community, and still manages to enlighten his fellow citizens on the agenda of conscientious public service and good governance impacting our duties and responsibilities toward the less fortunate.

I am indeed a beneficiary of the brand of genuine advocacy he demonstrates both by way of word and example. I have learned from him the many struggles that immigrants throughout my district have had to confront on a daily basis, conscious of the fact that the will to succeed and be aware of the many nuances of public service undergird the civic responsibilities of a community leader and must characterize his advocacy role toward those who could least fend for themselves.

Continuing his mission to represent his fellow citizens and immigrants, Mr. Ted Ravelo was named to the North Miami Community Relations Board from 1997 thru 1998 and served as President of the Filipino Community Association of South Florida, Inc. Indeed, his quest for making a little bit of difference in the lives of people has always been his genuine way of changing the kind of world to which he was given to serve.

Named as the Activist of the Year by the North Miami Mayor's Economic Task Force in 1997, he has held the presidency of the Central North Miami Homeowners Association and vice-presidency of the North Miami Mayor's Economic Task Force, and has likewise held memberships on the Miami-Dade County Asian-American Advisory Board, Greater North Miami Chamber of Commerce and Asian-American Federation of Florida.

His involvement with the above organizations motivated his desire to run for the Mayor's seat of North Miami during the 1999 mayoral elections. Though he eventually lost his race, he ran a strong and credible campaign by focusing on the crucial issues impacting the well- being and equality of opportunity for his fellow citizens. His candidacy for public office has truly maximized his role as the consummate community activist who lives by the dictum that those who have less in life, through no fault of their own, should have more from those fortunate enough to have received the greater blessings from God. The collective testimonies he has received from the parents, community leaders and residents of North Miami and beyond represent an unequivocal testimony of the utmost respect and gratitude he now enjoys.

With the gala tribute to him on the historic celebration of the 105th Philippine Independence Day, the Filipino-American community in

my District will honor him for his undaunted leadership and utmost perseverance. I am truly privileged to represent Mr. Ravelo and his family in the Congress, and I am grateful that he continues to teach us to live by the noble ethic of loving God by serving our fellowmen. Above all, his caring and compassion for other immigrants in Florida's 17th Congressional District appeal to the noblest character of our common humanity. My pride in sharing his friendship is only exceeded by my deep gratitude for all that he has done to uplift the honor and dignity of Filipino-Americans and other immigrants in North Miami and beyond.

This is the remarkable legacy with which we will always honor and respect the wonderful leadership and magnificent advocacy of Mr. Ted Ravelo.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an exceptional couple, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Rose, Sr. as they celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Friday, June 6, 2003.

Mr. Anthony Rose and his wife, Mrs. Francis Rose, are the proud parents of nine children, one of which lives in my Congressional District.

Their children are outstanding members of the communities in which they reside. Several are business owners and one son is a professional basketball player. They have nineteen grandchildren and one great- grandchild who are truly the ``apples of their eyes''.

The Roses have made invaluable contributions to our society and are commended for their achievements and commitments.

Mr. Rose is a decorated Veteran. He served with distinction in the United States Army, which included fighting in the Korean War. Mrs. Rose was employed for 18 years with Eastman Kodak where she worked in a lab until her retirement.

Today, the Roses are active members of Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Rochester, NY where they have worshipped for the last 52 years. They are also weekly volunteers at the local Soup Kitchen and the YMCA.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Rose on 50 years of a loving relationship. They are truly examples of what all married couples strive for--a life-long partnership.

I wish them continued success and more happy years.

Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of my colleagues the passing of Ms. Erie Mae Bendross, a compassionate, caring and tireless community activist who passed away last Saturday, May 31st.

Ms. Bendross was a native of Miami and long-time resident of the Liberty City and Wynwood neighborhoods. She attended Tuskegee University in Alabama and worked as a dietician in many area hospitals. She was also a devoted choir member at St. Luke's Missionary Baptist Church. But it was in community action where her talents truly shown.

Erie Mae Bendross leaves behind a legacy of achievement and inspiration, for she is an example of what caring and commitment can accomplish. Only three years ago, Ms. Bendross joined the community- based organization LIFFT, Low Income Families Fighting Together, a grassroots organization of public housing residents, low-wage workers and welfare recipients. She quickly became a leader of the organization.

As a resident of the Liberty Square public housing development, she first became active in the fight to ensure affordable and decent housing opportunities for all people, regardless of their incomes.

Ms. Bendross firmly believed in the power of organization. In 2001, Bendross played a key role in saving Liberty Square Homes, or the Pork and Beans, from demolition and the displacement of hundreds of families. Her organization also exposed the county's public housing vacancies crisis as well as improved the living conditions of elderly public housing developments. Most importantly, she played a key role in developing other leaders in the community to build the organization and continue the struggle against racism and poverty.

Ms. Bendross dedicated herself to the fight against poverty and discrimination locally, nationally and internationally. Through her work in LIFFT and in association with several other organizations, including the Community Coalition to Fix HOPE VI, including the ACLU of Miami, NAACP, African American Council of Christian Clergy, Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board and other civil rights organizations. As a LIFFT leader, she supported the work of the Haitian Women of Miami, Miami for Peace Coalition, Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers, Brothers of the Same Mind, and countless other social justice movements in the county.

Nationally, Ms. Bendross worked with other low-income, community- based grassroots organizations and leaders in California and Washington, DC on issues of fair trade, jobs and income supports for low-wage workers, opposing the war, fighting budget cuts, and the unethical treatment of workers. Her work on low income housing was widely recognized. Internationally, in January, Ms. Bendross represented LIFFT as part of the United States delegation to World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Our community is better for the efforts of Erie Mae Bendross. She is survived by her mother, Martha Bendross, her brother, Willie

Bendross, and her son and daughter-inlaw Eric and Angela Bendross. They have our deepest sympathy, and our hearts go out to them for their loss.