Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to enter remarks into the Record on this topic of Black History Month.

I appreciate the opportunity to anchor this Special Order hour for the Congressional Black Caucus. Currently, the CBC is chaired by the Honorable Barbara Lee from the Ninth Congressional District of California. My name is Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, and I represent the 11th Congressional District of Ohio.

CBC members are advocates for human rights and advocates for families, nationally and internationally. We also play a significant role as local and regional activists. We work diligently to be the conscience of the Congress, but also provide dedicated and focused service to the citizens and congressional districts that have elected us.

The vision of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus was to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens. It continues to be a beacon and focal point for the legislative work and political activities of the Congressional Black Caucus today. To celebrate the month of February, we are proud to present a reflection on black history. Specifically, we will herald the unsung history makers in our communities.

The origin of Black History Month, just for the record, what we now call Black History Month, was originated in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson as Negro History Week. The month of February was selected in deference to Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in that month.

The son of a slave, Carter G. Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia, in 1875. He began high school at the age of 20 and then proceeded to study at Berea College, the University of Chicago, the Sorbonne, and Harvard University, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1912.

Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 to train black historians and to collect, preserve, and publish documents on black life and black people. He also founded the Journal of Negro History, Associated Publishers, and the Negro Bulletin. Woodson spent his life working to educate all people about the vast contributions made by black men and women throughout history. Mr. Woodson died in 1950. Black History Month continues his legacy of educating everyone about black history, which is American history.

I am privileged to commend several amazing trailblazers within my congressional district's African American community.

David Albritton. David Albritton lived from 1913 to 1994, a pioneering African American in the Ohio General Assembly. Interestingly enough, he was also a high jumper in the Olympic games.

Albritton was born in Danville, Alabama, the hometown of Jesse Owens. Like Owens, Albritton was raised in the great city of Cleveland and became a track star at East Technical High School. Albritton also accompanied Owens to Ohio State University and the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin. During tryouts for the Olympics, he tied a world record of 6 feet, 9\1/2\ inches in the high jump.

In 1960, he moved into public service when he won a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. In the House, he was named Chair of the House Interstate Cooperation Committee, making him the first African American in Ohio history to head a House committee. Albritton, a black hero raised in Cleveland, Ohio, is a member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, the Ohio Sport Hall of Fame, and the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Then, Madam Speaker, there is Harry Smith. Harry C. Smith was born in 1863. He was a pioneer of the black press. Shortly after graduating from Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, he founded the Cleveland Gazette. The newspaper would become the longest publishing black weekly in America, earning its nickname ``The Old Reliable.'' It never missed a Saturday publication date in 58 years.

Like Albritton, Smith was also a member of the Ohio General Assembly. In the course of his three-term career, Smith sponsored the Ohio Civil Rights Law of 1894 that established penalties against discrimination in public accommodations. In 1896, Smith sponsored the Mob Violence Act of 1896, which was an antilynching law. Though he lost his bids for the Republican nomination for Governor in 1926 and in 1928, he broke ground as the first black candidate for the position of Governor.

Fannie Lewis: Fannie Lewis was a dynamic, revered, and respected member of Cleveland's City Council who passed away in 2008. Lewis was actually a native of Memphis, Tennessee, who moved north to Cleveland in 1951.

A decade after she moved to her new hometown, she began her public life as a community activist in the Hough neighborhood. Even after she was elected to council in 1979, she kept her grassroots approach to politics--looking out for her hardworking constituents. Councilwoman Lewis fought relentlessly for her ward, never giving in and never giving up on Hough.

This dedication led to the passage of the Fannie M. Lewis Cleveland Resident Employment law, which requires construction projects receiving $100,000 or more in funding from the city to employ people who live in the city on those projects.

Jane Edna Hunter: Jane Edna Hunter was a prominent African American social worker who founded Cleveland's Phyllis Wheatley Association.

Born to a sharecropper, Hunter defied the odds and graduated with a nursing degree. She later attended Marshall Law School in Cleveland, and passed the Ohio bar examination.

In addition to her legal career, Hunter was a dedicated philanthropist. She organized the Phyllis Wheatley Association in 1911 to provide safe living quarters for unmarried African American women and girls.

Following retirement, she founded the Phyllis Wheatley Foundation, a scholarship fund for African American high school graduates. She also founded the Women's Civic League of Cleveland, belonged to the NAACP, and served as vice president and executive committee member of the National Association of Colored Women.

Highly esteemed around the Nation, Hunter was granted honorary degrees from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, and Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Mary Brown Martin: Mary Brown Martin, who championed academic achievement for all children, was the first black woman elected to the Cleveland Board of Education.

She was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to former slaves. In 1886, she moved to Cleveland, where she graduated from Central High School in 1900.

In the 1920s, Martin was dedicated to teaching in the Cleveland public schools. She was profoundly dedicated to the students, and she advocated for their needs.

To increase her advocacy for children, she ran and was elected to the Board of Education in 1930. She served three terms. The Mary B. Martin Elementary School on Brookline Avenue was named in honor of her service.

Lastly, Madam Speaker, the black commanders of Cleveland: I congratulate Deputy Chief Prioleau Green, Commander Dwayne Drummond, Commander Ellis Johnson, Commander Dean McCaulley, Commander Leroy Morrow, and Commander Calvin Williams from Cleveland, Ohio.

These outstanding law enforcement officers have honorably served and protected the people of Cleveland for more than 20 years, and they are still serving our city today. These outstanding officers were recently recognized by The Call and Post newspaper for their tireless service, exemplary leadership, and commitment to the community.

I am proud they are among our police department's leadership-- protecting our people and risking their lives to keep our community safe.

I am proud of all of these amazing black heroes who have given Cleveland its legacy of excellence and its legacy of activism. The 11th Congressional District of Ohio, which includes Cleveland, is a great place to live with its amazing history of black involvement and achievement.

I now yield to my colleague from Texas, Representative Jackson Lee.

Thank you very much.

I now yield to my friend and colleague from the Virgin Islands, Representative Christensen.

Thank you very much.

Madam Speaker, those of us who have had the privilege and the pleasure and the honor to serve in this House, we create history every day. Every single day. I just hope that all of my colleagues will make their service worthy of emulation, that it will be a source of pride to our people, and that we will encourage others to seek a life in public service.

So many people look at what they call ``politicians'' as such a dirty word. I am a public servant. I get up every day, and every morning when I leave my apartment, I say, I am going to do the people's work. That is my job. That is what I was brought here to do. I hope there is someone out there who recognizes what we do, who understands the significance of who we are, and they will feel the same sense of pride we feel today talking about all of the people on whose shoulders we stand today.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for allowing us to have this hour this evening. It is always a sense of pride for our people to know that we are still fighting the good fight and we understand from whence we have come.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to enter and extend their remarks in the Record on this topic.

I appreciate the opportunity to anchor this Special Order hour for the Congressional Black Caucus, the CBC. Currently, the CBC is chaired by the Honorable Barbara Lee from the Ninth Congressional District of California. My name is Representative Marcia L. Fudge, and I represent the 11th Congressional District of Ohio.

CBC members are advocates for human rights and equality, nationally and internationally. Our members have played a significant role as local and regional activists, and continue to work diligently to be the conscience of the Congress.

As Members of Congress, CBC members also promote legislation to aid neglected citizens throughout the world. We understand that the United States, as a bellwether, has the ability to positively impact our neighbors abroad. This is why tonight we turn our attention to the grave situation in Haiti after last month's devastating earthquake.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my colleague and friend from the great State of New York, Representative Clarke.

Thank you very much.

I just want to, as well, thank you for your passion on this issue and for all of the work that you have done, as you say, representing one of the largest Haitian-American groups in this country. So I would like to say thank you for all of us members of the CBC.

Mr. Speaker, as members of the CBC, we extend our deepest sympathy and our support to the people of Haiti. The nation, of course, recently experienced the largest recorded earthquake in its history. On January 12, the quake devastated many parts of the country, including the capital of Port-au-Prince. To put the earthquake in some kind of scale, it had a magnitude of 7.0 and a series of strong aftershocks. There have been at least 52 aftershocks at 4.5 magnitude or above. The damage is severe and catastrophic.

The government of Haiti is reporting an estimated 112,000 deaths and 194,000 injured. The New York Times reports that 225,000 homes were severely damaged or collapsed, and nearly one-third of the country's population are currently at risk of long-term displacement and vulnerability.

In total, it is estimated that 3 million people have been negatively affected by the earthquake.

In the immediate wake of the earthquake, Haiti's President Rene Garcia Preval described conditions in his country as unimaginable and appealed for international assistance. Humanitarian assistance from the United States and from all over the world has been generous.

The United States in the first two weeks following the earthquake sent aid workers focused in three areas. First, these workers immediately searched for survivors and provided rescue assistance. Teams with heavy-lifting equipment, medical equipment, and triage supplies were moved into the country. Volunteers next addressed Haitians' critical needs for food, clean water, and sanitation, medical assistance, and emergency shelter. And thirdly, they provided emergency relief experts to set up infrastructure and logistics operations.

Numerous Americans have provided donations to fund these efforts. Also, the Congressional Black Caucus joined President Obama in calling for continued financial aid for Haiti's quake survivors. The sheer scale of the relief effort in Haiti has brought together a tremendous capacity and a willingness to help.

The massive humanitarian relief operation underway in Haiti has been hampered by a number of significant challenges, including a general lack of transportation, extremely limited communication systems, and damaged infrastructure. The relief effort is expected to last for many, many months and recovery and reconstruction will begin as soon as possible.

President Barack Obama assembled heads of U.S. agencies to begin working immediately on a coordinated response to this disaster. The U.S. Agency For International Development, better known as USAID, through the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, is the lead agency within the U.S. Government responding to this disaster.

On January 14, the administration announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Haiti to meet the immediate needs on the ground. The Department of Homeland Security has temporarily halted the deportation of Haitians and granted temporary protective status for 18 months to Haitian nationals who were in the United States as of January 12, 2010.

President Obama has pledged an aggressive coordinated effort by the U.S. Government. The State Department, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard, and USAID have already mobilized to ensure that critical resources are positioned to support the response-and-recovery effort, including efforts to find and assist American citizens in Haiti. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have proactively engaged to facilitate aid to Haiti.

Recently, I joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives to unanimously pass H.R. 4462. The resolution would allow individuals who made charitable contributions to those in Haiti to claim an itemized charitable deduction on their 2009 tax return instead of waiting until next year. The legislation also allows those who made donations via text message to use phone bills as proof of donation.

I was proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation. Representative Meek coordinated a letter to Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Boehner, Appropriations Chairman Obey, and Appropriations Ranking Member Lewis requesting robust emergency funding to assist Haiti.

Immediate U.S. assistance to Haiti in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake is vital to support stability in that very fragile country. Representative Maxine Waters is introducing a bill to require the Treasury Department to cancel Haiti's debts. The government of Haiti cannot afford to invest in humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and development efforts while continuing to make payments on debts owed to multilateral financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Even before the earthquake, debt service payments to these institutions were a tremendous burden that interfered with the ability of the government of Haiti to meet the needs of its people.

The bill requires Secretary Geithner to support three specific actions that should be a part of the international community's response to this very, very terrible tragedy. The first is the complete cancellation of all remaining debts owed by Haiti to multilateral financial institutions; secondly, the suspension of Haiti's debt service payments to these institutions until such time as the debts are canceled; and thirdly, the provision of additional assistance to Haiti in the form of grants so that the country does not accumulate additional debts.

Representative Meek, in coordination with Chairman Skelton and Representative Mack, have introduced a resolution to commemorate the efforts of the United States Armed Forces, of local first responders, and other members of Operation Unified Response for their swift and coordinated action in response to the earthquake in Haiti. I am proud to say I have supported each of these initiatives.

There has been an outpouring of international support for Haiti. The first priority has been saving lives. That means getting water, food, shelter, medicine, and other basic supplies to victims. Beyond the essentials are issues of security and debt repayments, both of which can undermine rebuilding efforts. The United Nation's Secretary General Ban Ki-moon sought approval from the Security Council to send an additional 3,500 security officers to Haiti. The officers are needed both to maintain public order and to

guard deliveries of food and aid. So far, violence has been scattered, but fears of violence grow as the difficulties of living without water, food, and shelter mount.

As World Bank President Robert Zolick has said, outside support should be in the form of grants. Through grants, money can be appropriated according to goals and capacity while easing Haiti's debt burden. For example, Haiti owes about $38 million to the World Bank. Mr. Zolick, however, announced that no debt repayments would be due for the next 5 years, and the World Bank is seeking to cancel all of Haiti's remaining debt owed to it.

Many relief organizations are accepting donations to send to Haitians. Cash donations are the most efficient and effective way to help the relief effort in Haiti right now. They allow humanitarian organizations to purchase--often within the affected region itself--the exact type and quantity of items needed by those affected by the crisis.

You can find organizations and ways to help through the White House's Web site, which is www.whitehouse.gov or visit the U.S. Agency for International Development's Web site at www.usaid.gov, which has a list of nongovernmental organizations and instructions on how to help.

Mr. Speaker, Haiti is the world's first black-led republic and the first Caribbean state to achieve independence, in 1804. Haiti is still plagued by violent confrontations between rival gangs and political groups. Current President Rene Preval won the presidential election in February 2006 with 51 percent of the vote.

Haiti's serious underlying social problem, the wealth gap between the impoverished Creole-speaking majority and the French-speaking minority--1 percent of whom own nearly half of the country's wealth-- remains unresolved.

Even prior to the earthquake, Haiti's infrastructure had all but collapsed and drug trafficking has become a major problem.

Today, Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere and prior to the earthquake was ranked 149 out of 182 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.

We've all seen the pictures on the TV of the children of Haiti. It is heartbreaking. We all recognize the urgent need for assistance to the smallest of the earthquake's victims. The outpouring of sympathy has led many to consider adopting a Haitian child. However, Mr. Speaker, the U.S. State Department recently announced that new adoption applications are not being processed. At this time, the main priority is reuniting children with their families. The process of determining whether a child is an orphan is a long and complicated one. The recent adoptions that have been processed were Haitian children who had previously been matched and cleared for entry into the United States.

Since last week, the U.N. Children's Fund, UNICEF, and its partners have identified and registered some 200 unaccompanied children found in orphanages and wandering in neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince. Based on the given information and photographs taken, workers will begin to trace the families of these children, if they exist. A similar registry was used after the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia and more recently in cyclone-hit Myanmar.

For now, the best assistance that individuals can provide is to make a financial contribution to a reputable relief or humanitarian organization working in Haiti.

Days after the earthquake, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the designation of Temporary Protective Status of Haitian nationals who were in the United States as of January 12, 2010. This designation will allow eligible Haitian nationals in the United States to continue living and working in our community for the next 18 months. TPS will provide a temporary refuge for Haitian nationals who are currently in the United States and whose personal safety would be endangered by returning to Haiti. Granting TPS to Haitians would provide them with the ability to work legally and contribute to the reconstruction of their country until it is safe for them to return.

Haiti has enormous potential, but rebuilding the country requires a coordinated strategy. Here in the U.S., we can support the transition from humanitarian assistance to reconstruction through cash-for-work programs, so Haitians can be paid for clearing roadways and reconstructing infrastructure. Haiti can also boost its private sector by investing in and building the infrastructure for power grids, ports and roads. Also important is revitalizing agriculture so that Haitians can replace food aid programs with food harvested from their own farms.

To jump-start the Haitian economy, in 2008 Congress passed the Haiti Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act, better known as the HOPE Act, which provides special rules for the duty-free treatment of select apparel imports which is Haiti's dominant manufacturing sector. With access to the United States market through this agreement, Haiti can create jobs in its apparel and agricultural sectors.

Haiti's reconstruction must create jobs for Haitians, grow the Haitian economy, instill confidence in the government, and be managed transparently. This will require Haitians to unify, since foreign assistance can only go so far. The Haitian people working with their government must come together to rebuild a newer, stronger Haiti.

The difficulties faced by Haiti should not deter us from providing assistance. Our leadership and moral strength is only enhanced when we help others. Truly, we lift as we rise.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my good friend, distinguished colleague and one who knows much about the Haiti situation, Mr. Donald Payne from New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1043) recognizing Brescia University for 60 years of leadership in higher education, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1043 into the Record.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today and support H. Res. 1043, which recognizes Brescia University for its 60 years of commitment and leadership in higher education.

Brescia University was founded in 1950 in Owensboro, Kentucky. It was created by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph as a Catholic institution, emphasizing the liberal arts and preparing its traditional and nontraditional students for successful careers and service to others. With a school motto of ``Make a difference,'' the university instills the values of community, leadership, justice, and service in its students through the classes and activities they offer, as well as the staff and faculty that teach them. The university provides its students with a sense of faith in community on campus with courses in theology, philosophy, ministry and spirituality, as well as opportunities for religious expression and faith enhancement. Throughout its existence, Brescia University has established a history of serving Owensboro and the surrounding region.

Brescia University also provides each of their students with a quality liberal arts education, helping to shape them into rounded citizens. Brescia offers six different degrees in over 60 different programs and offers small classes with frequent one-on-one time between teachers and students. Continuing the emphasis on the sense of community, the university takes pride in knowing all of their students individually. Each are provided all the resources and opportunities they need to find success in their lives so that they may fully participate in the life of the campus.

Brescia University also excels athletically. The university is home to 15 intercollegiate athletic teams. The Brescia Bearcats, as they are called, are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and recently added competitive men's and women's track teams this year.

The mission of Brescia University to form well-educated, well-rounded young adults with a sense of community and service to others is one that should be encouraged in all educational institutions in our country. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and thank Mr. Guthrie for bringing this resolution forward.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Mr. Guthrie and urge all of my colleagues to support House Resolution 1043.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 901) recognizing November 14, 2009, as the 49th anniversary of the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on H. Res. 901 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 901, which recognizes the 49th anniversary of integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Forty-nine years ago, Ruby Bridges became the first African American student to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Amidst deadly threats, violence, and abuse, Ruby attended her first grade class every day over the course of the year. She was escorted to school by Federal marshals just so she could receive the same education as her white peers. When Ruby entered her new classroom, the white students refused to sit and learn next to her.

Ruby was fortunate to have Ms. Barbara Henry as her teacher during this tumultuous year. Ms. Henry instructed Ruby in an empty classroom over the course of the school year. The two played games, talked, and learned from each other amongst the racially tense times. It is not surprising that Ms. Bridges still considers her year with Ms. Henry as one of the most pleasant times in her life.

Outside the classroom, Ruby came face to face with the ugliness that erupted during this time. Militant segregationists took to the streets in protest, and riots erupted all over the city. Her family also felt the impact of her bravery. Her father, Abon Bridges, and her grandparents were all fired from their jobs. However, many folks, both black and white, supported the Bridges family during their trying

time. People sent letters of support, neighbors watched after their house, and helpful friends and community members made financial contributions.

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Prominent figures like the Reverend Martin Luther King, Justice Thurgood Marshall, and the Little Rock Nine are civil rights activists who are typically credited with moving the civil rights movement forward. While the story of Ruby Bridges is not widely known, her contributions to the movement are equally deserving of great recognition.

Today, Ruby stands as a hero to all of us. She has taken the lessons she has learned from her youth and dedicated her life to helping students. Her foundation helps students deal with racism and diversity at school and within their own community. She also wrote ``Through My Eyes,'' explaining her first-grade experience, and now partners with organizations that promote nonviolence in schools. Her monumental contributions to the American civil rights movement deserve to be recognized.

I want to thank Representative Gwen Moore for bringing this resolution forward, and urge my colleagues to support this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I am pleased to recognize the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) for such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to close by of course recognizing the fact that, as we begin Black History Month, there is no better person for us to recognize today than Ruby Bridges. I want to thank her for her courage,

her determination, and the work she is doing today to help students across our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, H. Res. 901.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure again to be the anchor for the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order Hour. I want to thank our chairwoman, Barbara Lee, for talking with us the last week or two about jobs and how important jobs is going to be for this nation.

I would at this time like to welcome and ask our Chair, the Honorable Barbara Lee from California, to please now join me. She has directed us in so many different ways over this year, I am just especially pleased to be a part of this caucus.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair. I want to thank you for your call to action.

General Leave

I would ask, Madam Speaker, that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material for the Record.

Madam Speaker, I would now like to yield to my friend and colleague from Wisconsin, Representative Moore.

Thank you very, very much. At this time I want to--we've got obviously a lot of Members here tonight. I thank you all so much for being here. What I'd like to do just briefly is to have Representative Jackson-Lee just introduce some points, and I'd like at that point for Representative Ellison from Minnesota to join us in a brief discussion. Representative Jackson-Lee from Texas.

Thank you very much.

Does the gentlelady from Wisconsin or Texas or California wish to respond?

We have been joined by another one of our colleagues, Laura Richardson from California. I'd like to yield to the Congresslady.

Madam Speaker, my good friend and colleague, Representative Richardson from California, did bring up some interesting points, and I can assure you that the passion she showed today is the same passion that the rest of this caucus has, and that is why, in fact, our caucus did indeed send a letter to the Speaker of the House to talk about our jobs initiatives, what we believe should be in a jobs bill.

Congressional Black Caucus of the 111th United States

Congress,

Washington, DC, December 9, 2009.

Hon. Barack Obama,

President of the United States,

The White House,

Washington, DC.

Dear President Obama: As you work with House and Senate

Leadership to structure the jobs package, we respectfully

request that you include and prioritize the following

proposals in the legislation:

Direct Job Creation and Training

Utilize language that states that the $139.3 billion of

unobligated funds authorized for expenditure by the Troubled

Asset Relief Program should be reprogrammed to be used to

create jobs for United States citizens.

Reauthorize language from the Humphrey Hawkins Act, Public

Law 95-523, with a new provision establishing a ``Green Jobs

and Training Trust Fund.'' The trust fund would be funded by

a financial transaction tax similar to that proposed by

Congressman DeFazio. If the targets established in the

Economic Reports mandated in Title I are not met, funds would

automatically be disbursed from two separate trust funds to a

list of: (1) training programs enumerated in the bill; and

(2) a direct public sector jobs program. The training

programs would include, amongst other programs:

The Department of Labor's Green Construction Careers

Demonstration Program (not yet authorized).

The Department of Energy's Labor's Efficiency and Renewable

Energy Worker Training Program (EEREWTP) (authorized in the

Green Jobs Act of 2007)--specifically, the Pathways Out of

Poverty Demonstration Program.

The Department of Energy's Weatherization Program.

The Job Corps Program.

Grant programs that promote state and local hiring of

police, firemen, and other public servants.

Additional programs identified by the Secretary of Labor

that: (1) promote energy efficiency consistent with the

EEREWTP Program or promote clean energy creation; and (2)

provide sustainable employment in the public or private

sector.

The government would provide grants to states and

municipalities to set up ``Green Corps, ``Urban Corps,'' and/

or a form of expanded Americorps. These jobs would be low

human capital jobs where the ratio of government spending to

job creation would be very low. Some activities these

individuals would engage in include:

Home and public building weatherization;

Greening of public spaces;

Municipal waste and recycling;

Public building solar installation and maintenance;

Forestry; and

Tutoring or mentoring.

Utilize language throughout the bill that will provide a 10

percent for areas with high levels of poverty such as: Of the

amounts appropriated in this [section] the following projects

or programs, shall allocate at least 10 percent for

assistance in qualified areas of economic hardship: Provided,

that for the purposes of this [Title/Section], In general,

the term ``qualified area of economic hardship'' means any

census tract or block numbering area, where 20% or more of

the population is at or below the federal poverty line. The

term ``poverty line'' means the official poverty line defined

by the Office of Management and Budget.

Job Creation and Training

Increase funding for Youthbuild and the 2010 Youth Summer

Jobs Program, to allow for the employment of 5 million teens,

with a requirement that of the amounts appropriated in this

[section] the following projects or programs, shall allocate

no less than 10 percent for assistance in qualified areas of

economic hardship: Provided, that for the purposes of this

[Title/Section], In general, the term ``qualified area of

economic hardship'' means any census tract or block numbering

area, where 20% or more of the population is at or below the

federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line'' means the

official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and

Budget.

Creation of a federal assistance program through the

Department of Labor to prepare economically disadvantaged

unskilled adults or adults needing retraining for full-time

jobs, for a period of 12 to 24 months in public agencies or

not-for-profit organizations. The intent is to impart a

marketable skill that will allow participants to move to an

unsubsidized.

Fully fund the Green Jobs Act, the Energy Efficiency and

Conservation Block Grant Program, as authorized by the Energy

and Independence Security Act, of the amounts appropriated in

this [section] the following projects or programs, shall

allocate no less than 10 percent for assistance in qualified

areas of economic hardship: Provided, that for the purposes

of this [Title/Section], In general, the term ``qualified

area of economic hardship'' means any census tract or block

numbering area, where 20% or more of the population is at or

below the federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line''

means the

official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and

Budget.

Increase funding for the National Service Corps programs

with an emphasis on current college students and recent

college graduates.

Direct funding to career colleges, technical, and trade

schools, community colleges, and universities to train

Americans in high-growth industries and healthcare

professions, particularly focused on entry-level training and

nursing programs, which allow participants to be able to

continue to collect unemployment benefits through the period

of training and/or allow them to receive a livable wage

stipend during the period of training, with a requirement

that of the amounts appropriated in this [section] the

following projects or programs, shall allocate no less than

10 percent for assistance in qualified areas of economic

hardship: Provided, that for the purposes of this [Title/

Section], In general, the term ``qualified area of economic

hardship'' means any census tract or block numbering area,

where 20% or more of the population is at or below the

federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line'' means the

official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and

Budget.

Increase funding for High Growth Industries and/or grants

for job creation in occupations identified by the Department

of Labor as ``the ``fastest growing occupations and

occupations projected to have the largest numerical increases

in employment between 2006 and 2016,'' with a requirement

that of the amounts appropriated in this [section] the

following projects or programs, shall allocate no less than

10 percent for assistance in quaffed areas of economic

hardship: Provided, that for the purposes of this [Title/

Section], In general, the term ``qualified area of economic

hardship'' means any census tract or block numbering area,

where 20% or more of the population is at or below the

federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line'' means the

official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and

Budget.

Increase funding for Employment and Training

Administration, Training and Employment Services, with a

requirement to that of the amounts appropriated in this

[section] the following projects or programs, shall allocate

no less than 10 percent for assistance in qualified areas of

economic hardship: Provided, that for the purposes of this

[Title/Section], In general, the term ``qualified area of

economic hardship'' means any census tract or block numbering

area, where 20% or more of the population is at or below the

federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line'' means the

official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and

Budget.

Increase funding for Welfare to Work program.

Increase funding for the Second Chance Act (replaced and

expanded Prisoner Reentry Initiative) and include language

that eliminates or mitigates the bar on ex-offenders from

receiving Federal financial aid programs, job-related

training, public benefits, and public housing.

Increase funding for pre-apprenticeship programs and the

National Apprenticeship programs through the Department of

Labor, Employment and Training Administration, with a

requirement to that of the amounts appropriated in this

[section] the following projects or programs, shall allocate

no less than 10 percent for assistance in qualified areas of

economic hardship: Provided, that for the purposes of this

[Title/Section], In general, the term ``qualified area of

economic hardship'' means any census tract or block numbering

area, where 20% or more of the population is at or below the

federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line'' means the

official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and

Budget. Language modification to allow for Americans to

continue to collect unemployment benefits and/or TANF

benefits while in an authorized job training program for up

to 12 months.

Expand the Title V Senior Community Service Employment

Program (SCSEP) under the Older Americans Act to provide job

training and employment for older job seekers by lowering it

to age 50, eliminate requirement of unemployment--allowing

participants to be underemployed, and changing the cap to 35

weekly hour cap employment allowing.

Infrastructure

Provide for Hope VI, green projects through the Energy

Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.

Rehabilitation of housing through Neighborhood

Stabilization Fund which provides for additional construction

jobs.

Funding for the Department of Transportation-Federal

Highway Administration to allow state and local agencies to

move forward on infrastructure projects, of the amounts

appropriated in this [section] the following projects or

programs, shall allocate no less than 10 percent for

assistance in qualified areas of economic hardship:

Provided, that for the purposes of this [Title/Section],

In general, the term ``qualified area of economic

hardship'' means any census tract or block numbering area,

where 20% or more of the population is at or below the

federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line'' means the

official poverty line defined the Office of Management and

Budget.

Discretionary funding for Clean Energy technology and

manufacturing through the Department of Energy, with a

requirement that of the amounts appropriated in this

[section] the following projects or programs, shall allocate

no less than 10 percent for assistance in qualified areas of

economic hardship: Provided, that for the purposes of this

[Title/Section], In general, the term ``qualified area of

economic hardship'' means any census tract or block numbering

area, where 20% or more of the population is at or below the

federal poverty line. The term ``poverty line'' means the

official poverty line defined by the Office of Management and

Budget.

Small Business

Language modification to allow the Community Development

Financial Initiatives Fund to access capital markets via the

Department of Treasury Guaranteed Bond Issuance program.

Expand and expedite the Small Business Administrations

Community Express Loan program by reducing the interest rate

to 1 percent, particularly focused on areas where local

unemployment rates exceed the state and/or high rates of

long-term unemployed.

Long-term extension of Build America Bonds, to result in

liquidity and a lower interest rate.

Reform and modernize the Section (8) program to assist more

small and disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) remain in

business and hire more workers by doing the following:

Extend by at least 2 years the 9-year period in which

Section 8(a) certified businesses can participate in the

program.

Reform the Section 8(a) program to permit reinstatement of

companies who were graduated from the program after nine

years.

Reform the Section 8 program to create a new program for

small businesses that did not qualify for admission to the

8(a) program or were graduated from the program before the 9

year period expired because their financial resources

exceeded maximum limits. Under this new program, an eligible

company would be permitted to participate for a period of 7

years or until its financial resources exceeded 300 percent

of the maximum amount allowable under Section 8(a).

Language modification to the Workforce Investment Act

performance measures in entrepreneurial training to allow for

microenterprises to receive Self Employment Training and

Technical Assistance from Workforce Investment Boards with a

``successful/positive outcome'' in order to support and spur

further growth of small businesses/microenterprises.

Language to support an appropriation to support payment of

Black Farmers claims.

State/Local Fiscal Relief

With each provision, we would urge you to direct funding

through the federal agencies directly to localities: county/

city/municipality/college/university or nonprofit

organizations, rather than through the state, to be quickly

disbursed and used by most economically depressed

communities.

Our Nation has suffered substantial unemployment and

underemployment over a prolonged period which has imposed

significant economic and social costs, particularly in

communities of color. We appreciate your attention to these

prescriptive measures and look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Rep. Barbara Lee,

Chairwoman, Congressional Black Caucus.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver,

Chairman, CBC Taskforce on Economic Recovery.

At this time, I'd like to bring up a colleague, Donald Payne from New Jersey. Representative Payne has joined us many evenings, and it's a pleasure to yield some time to him this evening.

Thank you so much. And I want to commend Representative Payne, not just for his words, but the fact that he is indeed the historian of our caucus. And it's just always a pleasure to have him put things in perspective for us. Thank you so much.

At this time, I would like to yield to our friend and colleague from Georgia, David Scott, Representative Scott.

Thank you very, very much, Representative Scott. We so much appreciate your thoughtfulness, quite frankly, and showing a real difference between what is happening on Wall Street and Main Street.

I would like to now, Madam Speaker, yield to our chair, our Chairman Rangel, to give us some words of wisdom which I'm sure he is going to do this evening.

(Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. We so much appreciate your being with us.

Now I would like to yield to the person who has really gotten me through most of this year, our representative from the Virgin Islands, Donna Christensen.

Mr. Speaker, we thank you for, once again, allowing the caucus to come and share with you our views. I want to thank all of the members of the caucus who came tonight. I think it was a very, very interesting and dynamic discussion.

Mr. Speaker, the Nation's unemployment rate is alarming-- over 10 percent of our citizens are unemployed. However, African Americans have been hit harder by the recession. Nearly 15.6 percent of African Americans are unemployed. My congressional district has an even higher unemployment rate, of 17.1 percent, and is one of the poorest communities in the country. Many parts of the Greater Cleveland area suffer from abject poverty and unemployment. Nearly one in every four Cuyahoga County residents lives below the poverty line. These unemployment rates demonstrate that Americans need and deserve a more concerted federal effort to reduce poverty and create jobs. We must do more to help curb our Nation's problem and create jobs for our people.

One reason I came to Congress was to help struggling Americans in my district. My number one priority is to promote policies that create jobs and spur economic development. I have consistently advocated for such policies this year.

In the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, Representative Loebsack and I introduced the sectors amendment, which helps individuals and businesses by bringing together multiple stakeholders with a common interest in developing and implementing workforce development strategies that contribute to local and regional growth. The purpose of Sectors is to prepare individuals for jobs that are available in their communities now. Sector approaches draw upon the expertise of many partners who improve worker training, retention, and advancement by developing cross-firm skill standards. It promotes career development, job redefinitions, and shared training, while supporting capacities that facilitate the advancement of workers at all skill levels, including the least skilled. An emerging body of research demonstrates that sector strategies can provide significant positive outcomes, including job attainment, increased wages, and greater job security.

As we work to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care, I authored an important provision in the Affordable Health Care Reform Act. This provision requires the Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment, established by the bill, to monitor the adequacy of the health care workforce and report workforce shortages. This will ensure the creation of job opportunities, where necessary, for constituents of the Eleventh Congressional District of Ohio. My provision will guarantee a rapid response to shortages in the health care workforce, such as Health Information Technology, nursing, primary care physicians, pediatrics and other specialists.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $19 billion for the U.S. to take the lead in health information technology. It establishes standards for a nationwide electronic exchange and health information to improve quality and coordination of care by 2010. Earlier this year, I introduced the Health Information Technology Public Utility Act. This bill will assist all health facilities transition to computerized health records. Ursuline College, an all- women's school in my district has created a curriculum responding to this need. Sister Diana Stano, President of Ursuline, has a health IT program that facilitates the expansion of my district's health information technology workforce. This program is more important at a school like Ursuline, because nearly 30 percent of the population is comprised of students from lower socio-economic groups or first generation college students. These students will now have an opportunity to move straight from training to sustainable employment.

Currently I am working with Chairman Towns and Representative Patrick Murphy on legislation that will not only assist students

with private education loans but also create jobs following college. The proposal allows college graduates to swap a portion of their private student loan debt for a federally subsidized loan with a lower interest rate. As a result of the conversion, the federal government would earn $9 billion for school construction, improvements for primary and secondary education facilities and institutions of higher education.

We must provide financial support for students to complete trade certifications or college degrees. Education is the only way to end the cycle of poverty.

We must encourage innovation in lending so small business and those in minority communities have access to capital.

We must aggressively advocate for loan modifications to reduce foreclosures and keep Americans in their homes.

In short, we need a concerted effort from the Federal government to expand access to the critical services and resources for minority communities. The exaggerated rate of Black unemployment is problematic for the entire Nation. These families, and those in disproportionately affected regions, need a solid pathway out of poverty.

By re-training workers in expanding industries, instead of those that are shrinking we can move people out of poverty.

Targeted assistance to Americans disproportionately suffering from the recession is crucial to reducing the unemployment rate for all.

Madam Chair, the failure to regulate financial markets led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Reforming our financial system is one major part of restoring our economy's health. Today this Congress and President Obama are taking effective steps to bring our economy back from the brink of disaster.

The Act is crucial in curbing the predatory practices of the past. It will protect consumers from predatory lending abuses and industry gimmicks.

This bill will guard a family's retirement funds, college savings, home, and business from unnecessary risk by executives, lenders, and speculators.

It will bring transparency and accountability into the financial system.

I commend Chairman Frank for his tireless efforts to protect the American economy and taxpayers.

Madam Chair, one in seven mortgages in the United States is now either delinquent or in foreclosure. This is an all time high. By the close of this year, there will be nearly 3 million homes lost to foreclosure.

This amendment gives homeowners a chance to save their homes. It would allow bankruptcy courts to extend repayment timelines, lower excessive interest rates, and modify mortgages.

It will protect hard-working and honest Americans struggling to keep their homes. As I've witnessed firsthand in my own district, the relentless tide of foreclosures has a crippling and destabilizing effect on the community.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Glenville High School football team on its historic season. This Division I team became the first Cleveland Public School to compete for the state championship last Saturday.

While track icon Jesse Owens and the creators of Superman were products of Glenville, it has never had a state football champion.

This year's players are champions in every sense of the word. They play football at Glenville High School for the structure that football provides and the mentorship of their coach, Ted Ginn, Sr.

More than 100 of Ginn's players have earned athletic scholarships. Five play in the NFL.

Glenville played valiantly in the state championship, but lost by one point

Again, I congratulate the Glenville High football team, students, Coach Ginn, his assistant coaches, our supportive community, and Glenville Principal Jacqueline Bell on an amazing season. Next year they will bring home the trophy!

Madam Speaker, Anthony Sowell raped and murdered 11 women in my own Congressional District. I offer condolences to the families of these women, whose names are: Tonia Carmichael, Nancy Cobbs, Tishana Culver, Crystal Dozier, Telacia Fortson, Amelda Hunter, Leshanda Long, Michelle Mason, Kim Yvette Smith, Diane Turner, and Janice Webb.

In honor of the women he victimized, we must address the underlying issue of violence against women.

Consider that 1 in every 4 American women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. However, only about half of domestic violence incidents are reported to police. Even though African-American women are more likely than others to report their victimization to police, intimate partner homicide is the leading cause of death for African- American women ages 15-45.

A report issued in 2000 found that 17.6 percent of women in the United States have survived rape or attempted rape. Of these, 21.6 percent were younger than age 12 when they were first raped, and 32.4 percent were between the ages of 12 and 17. About half of all rape victims are in the lowest third of our national income distribution.

In 2010, the Violence Against Women Act is scheduled for reauthorization. Since its enactment, this Act has saved the lives of numerous women by providing funding for life-saving shelters and services, and educating the public about the cycle of violence. Congress has a unique opportunity to strengthen these programs and raise the profile of violence against women. Our Nation's current response is insufficient.

As we move forward, we must act with outrage about how our nation responds to violence against women and girls. Education and prevention is the key to break this cycle of violence.

Madam Chair, today this Congress and President Obama are taking critical steps in bringing our economy back from the brink of disaster. Reforming our financial system is one major part of restoring our economy's health.

I rise in support of an amendment Chairman Barney Frank and I have offered requiring credit rating agencies to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Credit rating agencies provide a valuable service by issuing opinions on the creditworthiness of a company or debt. Investors and creditors rely on these ratings to determine if their investment and contractual decisions are sound. However, credit agencies' registration and oversight is entirely voluntary.

Why should agencies as important as credit rating agencies be permitted to opt out of regulatory oversight? There is no valid reason. Large, established rating agencies should not be able to avoid regulation designed to protect the financial system, consumers, investors, and taxpayers. Under our provision, for the first time, the Securities and Exchange Commission will have an office dedicated to broad oversight of credit rating agencies.

Registering these entities will provide greater accountability and transparency. This amendment will truly enhance oversight of credit rating agencies and protect investors, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment.

I commend Chairman Frank for his tireless efforts to protect the American economy and taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Rev. Jesse Jackson's historic run for President of these United States 25 years ago. Main Street pundits then underestimated his ability to draw Americans to the polls, but his passionate devotion to the advancement of the disenfranchised resonated with so many Americans. In fact, in his 1988 Presidential bid, he won 11 contests, 7 primaries, and 4 Democratic caucuses.

His current activism moves our Nation towards the true inclusion of diverse ideas, of classes, races, and ethnicities. In his words, he said, ``At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope and not backward by fear and division.''

As an agent of social, political, and economic change, Rev. Jackson has positively impacted the lives of many. I celebrate Rev. Jackson's achievements and applaud him for continuing his advocacy for economic parity and minority inclusion.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you so much for this opportunity, and I thank Mr. Jackson for being in our midst today.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend and to enter remarks into the Record on this topic.

Madam Speaker, the Congressional Black Caucus is proud to offer this special order tonight which will focus on the needs of American women and the response of the 111th Congress to those needs.

The Congressional Black Caucus, the CBC, is chaired by the Honorable Barbara Lee from the Ninth Congressional District of California. I am Representative Marcia L. Fudge from the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. Madam Speaker, we have been joined by our Chairwoman, the gentlelady from California, the Honorable Barbara Lee. I now yield to our Chair.

Madam Speaker, I just want to say to our Chair how appreciative I am that she has allowed me to anchor this hour for most of this year, and even though I may in fact be biased, I know that we have the most dedicated and hardworking Chair of any caucus in this House. So I thank you, and I thank you for being with me just about every week. I couldn't do it without you.

Madam Speaker, as well I have been joined by my good friend and colleague from the great State of New York, the gentlelady from New York, Yvette Clarke.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank my friend for coming this evening and thank her for her support of businesses and for her work on the Small Business Committee.

Thank you again. I hope that you will join me another time.

Thank you.

Madam Speaker, the CBC is composed of 42 members, including 4 committee Chairs, 15 subcommittee Chairs, and the majority whip. Our members promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens. CBC members are tireless advocates who work diligently to be the conscience of the Congress. We stand firm as the voice of the people and provide dedicated, focused service to our constituents.

Madam Speaker, we are proud to anchor this hour to discuss Congress' responsiveness to an important constituency group, American women. Let's first understand the current role of women in the legislative process.

Since 1917, when Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman to serve in Congress, a total of 260 women have served as U.S. Representatives or Senators. Currently, more women now serve in Congress than at any time in the Nation's history. In this year's Congress, there are 17 women serving in the United States Senate and 74 women serving in the United States House of Representatives. Of those Congresswomen currently serving in Congress, 14 are members of the CBC.

Since the first Congresswoman of color, Representative Patsy Mink of Hawaii, won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1964, a total of 39 women of color have served in the U.S. Congress. Roughly three quarters--or 30--of these women were elected after 1990, and a total of 38 have served in the House of Representatives, where Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois is the only woman of color to serve in the U.S. Senate, from 1993 to 1999. The first African American woman to serve in Congress was Shirley Chisholm of New York who won election in 1968. Twenty-five African American women have followed her.

There are some States who have never elected a woman to Congress. They are Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi, and Vermont. I look forward to having women from those States join us at some point, Madam Speaker.

There are a historic number of women currently serving in Congress, including the first woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who was elected Speaker in 2007. The 111th Congress understands that our Nation's laws must include and respond to all of our citizens, including women.

Women in the Workforce. We addressed that when we looked at Lilly Ledbetter. Congress began this year addressing gender-based pay discrimination. In January, Congress swiftly and decisively passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Just days later, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law and restored an employee's right to challenge unlawful pay discrimination.

The Paycheck Fairness Act passed by the House on January 9 takes further steps to ensure that gender-based pay discrimination does not occur in the first place by closing the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay. A comprehensive update to the 46-year-old Equal Pay Act, The Paycheck Fairness Act puts gender-based discrimination sanctions on equal footing with other forms of wage discrimination, such as race, disability, or age. It creates a new grant program to help strengthen the salary negotiation skills of girls and women. And it creates strong incentives for employers to equally compensate workers while strengthening correlating Federal enforcement efforts.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law. Progress has been slow during the 46 years since passage of the act. After four decades, American women continue to be unfairly compensated for their work. According to the National Organization for Women, when the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, women working full time and year round earned an average of 59 cents for every dollar earned by men; in 2007, women made 78 cents for every dollar earned by men; today, the gap has narrowed by less than a half a cent a year.

The impact of income disparity extends far beyond the individual woman. As such, equal pay is not just a women's issue, it is a family issue.

The current wage gap hurts everyone. It lowers family income for essentials such as groceries, doctor's visits, and child care. When women earn more, families benefit. Closing the wage gap is an integral part of strengthening American families and providing hope for a better future.

I stand in support of equal pay for all. I look forward to the day when all women receive equal pay for equal work.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recognized the need to get our people back to work, and that includes women. During the current recession, from December 2007 until September 2009, roughly 2 million women lost their jobs, according to employers across this Nation. As of September, women represented 49.9 percent of all workers, excluding those in the Armed Forces and farmworkers.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains powerful provisions to retrain workers. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has made nearly $4 billion in new funding available through the Department of Labor for job training programs. Just under $3 billion of this funding has already gone out to States through formula grants under the Workforce Investment Act.

Speaking with Lori Atkins, the deputy director of workforce training in Cuyahoga County where I live, I learned the county will receive $14 million for training. The money will help dislocated adult and youth workers, including America's women. Another $750 million will be allocated through competitive grants to train people in green jobs and health care and other high-demand sectors. While women are underrepresented in many of these high-demand sectors, we can be retrained to compete for these jobs.

I am proud of community organizations that retrain women in nontraditional industries. Hard Hatted Women is one such organization. The nonprofit, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is launching a new program called Tradeswomen TOOLS. This program will link women to opportunities in high-wage, nontraditional fields using the expertise of women working on diversity initiatives in these fields. The goal is to link unemployed women with employment opportunities within the building trades in heavy highway construction, the energy and utility sector, the green building sector, and advanced manufacturing. Tradeswomen TOOLS provides orientation to nontraditional careers, industry specific workshops and presentations, individualized career counseling, one stop center for referrals, and math and physical fitness for the trades. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and organizations like Hard Hatted Women provide women the resources to get back to work.

Now I would like to talk a bit about women and education challenges. Madam Speaker, we must ensure that our girls graduate from high school in order to financially provide for themselves. According to the National Women's Law Center, an estimated 25 percent of female students do not graduate with a high school diploma in 4 years. Girls of color are particularly affected by this trend. Across the Nation, in 2004, 37 percent of Hispanics, 40 percent of black, and 50 percent of American Indian or Alaskan Native female students failed to graduate in 4 years.

While there are many factors that contribute to students dropping out of school, some are unique to girls. Those factors are: first, pregnancy and parenting responsibilities. According to a survey conducted by the Gates Foundation, 33 percent of female dropouts reported that becoming a parent played a major role in their decision to leave school. Specifically, students cited the lack of affordable day care for their children. While some high schools provide subsidized care for student parents, many do not. The school itself then becomes a determinant in whether the student remains in school.

In many schools where a certain number of absences result in students forfeiting a class, teen mothers need child-related absences not counted toward their total number of absences, and most could benefit from counseling in time management, parenting skills, and referrals to services for their children.

Poor attendance rates influenced by a high occurrence of sexual harassment by peers and educators is another reason why young women drop out of school. During the same Gates Foundation survey, 83 percent of girls were victims of sexual harassment in school. Suffering abuse at the hands of peers, teachers, and other school administrators, these girls reported that the abuse caused them not to want to attend school to avoid the teacher responsible for the harassment, to stop participating in the classroom, and to be distracted from their studies.

Unfortunately, when we fail to create a safe space in our schools, we undermine the success of all students, especially girls, their future families, and our Nation. According to the study ``When Girls Don't Graduate, We All Fail: A Call to Improve High School Graduation Rates for Girls,'' female dropouts earn significantly lower wages than male dropouts, are at a greater risk of unemployment, and are more likely to rely on public support programs. Female high school dropouts earn only about 63 cents for every $1 earned by male high school dropouts. Measured against the Federal poverty line, women without high school diplomas earn an average salary about 7 percent below the family poverty line for a family of three, $15,520 versus $16,600. Women with high school diplomas earn an average salary about 32 percent above the Federal poverty line, or $21,936 to $16,600.

Female dropouts struggle with worse health conditions and less access to health coverage to address their needs than girls who graduate from high school.

Women under the Affordable Health Care of America Act are among those who stand to gain the most from health insurance reform. Madam Speaker, we pay more, we get less, and some of the ways we are treated by insurance companies is just criminal.

Recently, I met Mrs. Jodie Miller of Maryland, a mother who conceived triplets through in vitro fertilization. Mrs. and Mr. Miller were later denied health coverage because their insurance company declared that they had preexisting conditions. She was denied because of her infertility. The insurance company denied Mr. Miller coverage due to what they deemed ``spousal infertility.'' America's Affordable Health Care Act will outlaw such discrimination based on preexisting conditions.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act would revolutionize health care for women, ending the discrimination we face under our current system. More than 14 million American women who have purchased health insurance in the private market last year paid up to 48 percent more in premium costs than men. Insurance companies routinely practice what they call gender rating, and that permits them to charge men and women different premiums for the very same coverage. The Affordable Health Care for America Act would make gender rating illegal. Never again will insurance companies be able to deny women coverage for C-sections because we are pregnant or because we are victims of domestic violence. Never again, Madam Speaker, will insurance companies be able to deny us coverage just for being women.

The House's health reform proposal would make health care affordable for all of America's women and protect us from high and potentially unimaginable out-of-pocket health care costs. We must and will improve health care for not only women, but for all Americans.

I want to talk about women of color and disproportionately being targeted for high-cost mortgages.

According to a report for the National Council of Negro Women researched by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, African American and Latino women continue to receive disparate treatment in the mortgage lending process. The report, ``Assessing the Double Burden: Examining Racial and Gender Disparities in Mortgage Lending,'' demonstrates that minorities continue to be much more likely to receive high-cost home mortgage loans than their white counterparts. In many instances, disparities by race widened as income levels increased, indicating that discrimination remains a reality in home mortgage lending, as reports by the Federal Reserve and others have documented.

The foreclosure epidemic is, in part, rooted in the targeting of communities of color for high-cost loans. The report finds that minorities were first to experience disproportionately high rates of foreclosure. As the foreclosure crisis continued to spread to suburban areas, the study suggests that middle- and upper-income minorities will continue to experience a disproportionate impact, which is especially pronounced for African American women.

Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever of the National Council of Negro Women commented that, ``Given the importance of homeownership to families and entire communities, it becomes clear that we simply cannot rest until every person, regardless of race or gender, is treated fairly at every stage of the mortgage lending process.''

The report examined data collected under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act for the year 2007, which is the latest year for which data is publicly available, for 100 of the largest metropolitan areas in the country. Among the findings, middle- and upper-income African American females were at least twice as likely to receive high-cost loans as middle- and upper-income white females in more than 84 percent of the metropolitan areas examined.

Low- and moderate-income African American females were at least twice as likely to receive high-cost loans as

low- and moderate-income white females in 70 percent of the metropolitan areas examined.

Middle- and upper-income Hispanic females were at least twice as likely to receive high-cost loans as middle- and upper-income white females in almost 62 percent of the metropolitan areas examined, and low- and moderate-income Hispanic females were at least twice as likely as low- and moderate-income white females to receive high-cost loans in 32 percent of the metropolitan areas examined.

The foreclosure crisis has definitely affected my congressional district. The Center for Responsible Lending projected that more than 5,500 foreclosures will occur in my district in 2009, and more than 18,500 foreclosures will occur over the next 4 years.

The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act is to respond to the foreclosure crisis. In May, the House of Representatives passed the Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices Reduction Act of 2009. If the act passes the Senate, it will strengthen restrictions on compensation paid to mortgage lenders and brokers.

Today, some lenders deceptively pay brokers extra fees for loans if they write loans at a higher interest rate, even when lower rates are available to borrowers. The rates are unreasonable, and borrowers are often subsequently forced into foreclosure. Such arrangements are an indefensible conflict of interest and must be stopped.

A key element of the act prohibits lenders from underwriting unreasonable loans and prohibits practices that increase the risk of foreclosure.

The act supports lenders making 30-year, fixed rate, fully documented loans rather than the record number of unstable loans marketed today. It also provides greater protections for renters of foreclosed properties, like requiring a mandatory 90-day notice to vacate instead of the arbitrary practices currently being used.

The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act is crucial in curbing the predatory practices of the past. Mortgage lending reform is a vital piece of the congressional effort to prevent future financial disasters. Congress cannot, and will not, ignore the fact that lax regulation of this industry has left far too many consumers unprotected. I urge the Senate to pass this measure soon.

In response to the predatory practices of some mortgage brokers and agents, I introduced the Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices Reduction Act of 2009, H.R. 2108. The act is designed to assure consumers that mortgage brokers or agents are thoroughly trained and accountable for predatory practices. It does this by altering the law in three ways.

First, the act requires that brokers and agents issuing subprime loans undertake a rigorous certification program. Second, the legislation streamlines the process for filing complaints against unethical brokers and agents. And, finally, the act creates civil penalties for violations of Federal predatory lending laws.

Madam Speaker, there are honest and decent mortgage brokers and agents in this industry. Then there are a relatively few number of unscrupulous individuals who earn their commission through deception. The Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices Reduction Act of 2009 would help protect consumers from the latter class of lenders by ensuring that all related personnel are properly trained and held accountable.

Madam Speaker, further, I, on a regular basis, host housing clinics within my district. I do this in order to educate women about predatory lending, about housing scams and their rights under foreclosure.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I would quote from Susan B. Anthony who said it was ``we the people,'' not we the white male citizens, nor yet we the male citizens, but we the whole people who formed the union; men their rights and nothing more; women their rights and nothing less. By responding to the needs of all Americans, Congress will address the needs of all women as well.

There comes a time, Madam Speaker, when we must choose that which benefits the greater good or look for selfish reasons to support the status quo. Now is that time and I choose the greater good.

When I go home, Madam Speaker, I will be able to say that I was asked to make health care more affordable and I said ``yes.'' This bill makes health care affordable for 36 million more Americans by ensuring that working-class citizens will never have to pay more than 12 percent of their income on health care premiums and that people whose incomes are 400 percent of poverty or less will receive their premiums in the form of subsidies. More than 163,000 households in my district alone will benefit from these subsidies.

When asked to increase access to care, I said ``yes.'' ``Yes'' to the people of America who will no longer worry about being denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. ``Yes'' to the people of America whose families can now have regular checkups and free preventative care. Madam Speaker, I said ``yes'' to those who for the first time will have a family doctor instead of using the emergency room for routine matters.

When asked to help the laid-off worker, the small business owner, the working poor, and those who can't make ends meet in this very struggling economy, I said ``yes.'' When asked to ensure that those who have health care today but may be dropped tomorrow are taken care of, I said ``yes.'' When asked to exhibit the courage needed to fight for change, I said ``yes.''

When the history of the 111th Congress is written, I choose to be in that number that said ``yes'' to the people of America.

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to a lot of this today, and I just feel that it's time that the American people hear the truth.

The truth is that more than 60 percent of the American people want health care reform. The truth is that seniors pay much too much for their prescriptions and for their medications. The truth is that the American people are being mistreated by their insurance companies as they exist today. And the truth is that Democrats are working to fix the problem and not just be obstructionist.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on this topic.

I appreciate the opportunity to join my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus for this special hour. Currently, the CBC is chaired by the Honorable Barbara Lee from the Ninth Congressional District of California. My name is Representative Marcia L. Fudge, and I represent the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. CBC members work diligently to be the conscience of the Congress and provide dedicated and focused service to our congressional districts and families nationally and internationally. The vision of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus is to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens. It continues to be a focal point for the legislative work and the political activities of the Congressional Black Caucus today. As Members of Congress, CBC members also promote civic engagement and active participation in the legislative process.

The United States is the world's longest-existing democracy. Americans understand that our ability to elect our leadership through a democratic process is precious, and we recognize the need for greater civic engagement. Madam Speaker, I have been joined by my friend and colleague, the Honorable Sheila Jackson-Lee from Texas.

I now yield to my friend.

Reclaiming my time, just to take that one step further, I think that people don't understand the significance of voting, as you suggest, all the time. What most people don't realize is that it is bodies like ours, which the gentlewoman from Texas talked about, who make decisions about things that people never think about. Just the very air we breathe, we make decisions about pollution and how much pollution can be in the air, about the quality of the food people eat, about the quality of their children's education. Those are decisions that are made by elected officials many, many times. I think that if people understood how significant it is to vote and how much change could be made by a vote, more people might be inclined to do it on a regular basis.

I yield.

Thank you so very much.

I just want to just go one step further and talk about the power of the vote. There are so many people who believe that one vote doesn't make a difference. I could go through a litany of things that were decided by one vote, but I won't. But what I will say is this: Your vote is your voice. If you don't vote, then you have silenced yourself. So I think that it is important for us to understand and let the American people understand that no matter what the issue is, if you don't vote, what you've done is help the other side.

So let your voice be heard, because even though I wasn't in the House, obviously, when you took up this whole thing about revising the way we do elections, I am just so pleased that in my State as a result of that, we now have absentee voting for any person. It used to be you had to be a certain age or you had to be infirm or you had to be this. Now any single person with no reason whatsoever can request a vote from the comfort of their home. Especially when we have many, many issues as things get difficult and more and more communities are asking for resources, then they can sit and take their time and not be in a voting booth being rushed or feeling rushed because people are behind them.

I think it is something that really came out of that, and I appreciate and thank you and especially thank Stephanie Tubbs Jones for her work with it as well. But I just hope that people understand it is a responsibility. So many people fought to get us where we are today. It really is a responsibility to go out and vote.

Yes

Thank you so very much. I appreciate the gentlewoman from Texas for joining me.

I just want to say this one thing: I was listening to one of my colleagues earlier ask what happened to the month of August? The month of August was spent, at least in my district, hiring 6,000 children to work summer jobs. The month of August was a time when I spent time talking to the people at home who want a public option. The month of August wasn't lost. But let me just say that in the event people believe it was, the month of October certainly isn't. And all the polls indicate that more people want a public option than not. So I just want to make that clear to make sure that the record was straight.

Madam Speaker, I want to continue with our hour this evening, and I just want to say to everyone who is listening that we all share in the responsibility to create a better America. One way to strengthen our government is through civic engagement, whether it is through voting, attending a town hall or other public discussion, or writing a letter to your Members of Congress. These e-mails, letters, and phone calls you make to your elected officials really do have an impact.

In my office my staff keeps a tally of all the phone calls we receive on the issues, which I review on a regular basis. One of my constituents, Paul Gordon, calls every week and sometimes several times a week. I may not always agree with Paul Gordon, but I appreciate his comments and encourage him and other constituents to share their views with me. And that's what happened in August, Madam Speaker. People shared their views. We learned a great deal from the dialogue we had in the month of August.

Madam Speaker, in last year's historic presidential election, voter turnout was at a record high, particularly in the African American community. To create change and hold elected officials responsible for their votes, Americans must continue to stay engaged on the issues year round, not just at election time. Moreover, African Americans must be involved in the debate. The stakes are high in every election, on every ballot, and between elections. Every voting day presents Americans with the same question: Will we be the masters of our own destinies or will we allow others to decide our fate? We must voice our opinions through civic engagement to positively change the course of our cities, towns, and the Nation. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, Our lives begin to end the day, the very day, we become silent about things that matter.

I am proud to share a few stories of individuals from my district who are actively engaged in the civic process. They come from various backgrounds and ages.

However, they all share a desire to help others and to make government responsive to the people.

There is a young woman named Artavia Hill from Euclid, Ohio. She is a shining example of a young person actively engaged in the political process. As president of the NAACP Cleveland Youth Council, she registered voters during Russ Parr's Back to School Bus Tour in August of this year. She also spearheaded the youth council's ``Vote Hard, Step Hard: Stop the Violence'' which was an event held at Cleveland State University in January where young people were encouraged to register to vote, they discussed the effects of violence on the city and listened to local candidates. Don't give up on our youth. Artavia Hill is not the only one doing things for Cleveland's community.

Dorothy Jones is another young northeast Ohioan committed to civic engagement. Her grandmother, Margaret Walker Fields, put Dorothy under her wing and taught her the importance of voting. During her childhood, Dorothy canvassed the 55th and Broadway area, and helped seniors fill out their absentee ballots. Because of her grandmother and the sense of reward she gets from helping others, she has devoted her life to public service. Dorothy now works for a council member in Cleveland.

It is people with passion like Pearl Livingstone that brought me and many others into politics. Pearl, a Shaker Heights resident, created a program where the Ohio Secretary of State's office sent letters to high school seniors congratulating them for graduating and encouraging them to vote. She also encouraged 17-year-olds, who would be 18 by election day, to register to vote. To support those efforts, she helped start a voting advocacy group in Cleveland to encourage young people to get out and vote. Pearl deserves praise for putting her energies toward engaging young people in the civic process and educating them on the powerful impact of voting.

And then there are seniors. Senior citizens are also very involved in the process. My friend, Dr. Jacklyn Chisholm, told me about one of her friends and mentors and someone I have known for many years, Ms. Dionne Thomas-Carmichael. Dr. Chisholm said Dionne is very involved in the community, from signing people up for voter registration, to participating in political campaigns, to galvanizing individuals to care about their communities by turning complaints into positive action through advocacy. She is proud of the years that she has spent on the frontline in grassroots political action. I am always amazed by her energy and willingness to roll up her sleeves and get to work. She believes that we each have a responsibility to ourselves, our families, and our communities to make life better for others. To this end, she recognizes that the political process and advocacy are an important vehicle through which everyday people's voices are heard.

I want to talk just a bit about ex-offenders, sometimes the forgotten people in our society. But in Ohio, an ex-offender can register to vote immediately upon release from confinement even if on parole. The reinstated citizen can vote in the next scheduled election without any restrictions. While there are no barriers that prevent ex-offenders from voting in the State of Ohio, many ex-offenders are not aware that they have these rights. David Singleton who is the executive director of the Prison Reform Advocacy Center says: ``States like Ohio, where all former prisoners can vote as soon as they are released, should take steps to ensure the ex-offenders fully understand this important right. When former prisoners believe they are stakeholders in their communities and have the power to contribute to civic life, they are more likely to succeed which is in all of our best interests. Our democracy suffers when the voices of all eligible voters, including former prisoners, are not heard. If 20 percent of the 34,000 ex- offenders on community supervision in Ohio are not voting because they erroneously believe they are ineligible to do so, then 6,800 potential votes have been lost. We want to ensure that ex-prisoners are not being disenfranchised on account of misinformation.''

Count every vote. We have all seen why counting each and every vote in an election is so important. During the 2004 Presidential election, Ohio suffered unfortunate irregularities in the voting system, which caused confusion and disruption. That disenfranchisement of voters is why my dear friend, the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, introduced the Count Every Vote Act while a Member of Congress. The Count Every Vote Act, or CEVA for short, sought to remedy many of the problems that voters continue to face all over this country. This bill is not yet law, but should be.

While the bill is not law and has not been reintroduced this year, I want to highlight some of the voter protection and enfranchisement provisions of this bill.

CEVA maintains that voters deserve a paper trail of their electronic vote. This must be done to ensure accuracy in counting and avoid technological

glitches. The first portion of the bill focuses on voter verification and auditing procedures.

CEVA would require that all voting systems produce or require the use of voter-verified paper ballot or record suitable for manual audits.

We must ensure that all Americans, including those with disabilities or language barriers, retain their right to cast a ballot. To that end, CEVA asks that the Federal Government require that at least one machine per precinct must allow voters with disabilities and language-minority voters to cast a vote in a private and independent manner.

I believe that the Federal Government should require all States to offer early voting. CEVA makes this proposal to encourage people to vote by allowing them to vote at times convenient for them and avoiding long lines on election day. As I mentioned before, for our democracy to function well, all Americans must have a pathway to participate in the election process. To that end, the bill proposes that all States end the practice of prohibiting convicted felons who have completed their prison term, parole or probation to vote. After all, they have served their time.

CEVA further proposes that we study the impact of making election day a Federal holiday. Creating such a day would give more voters time to cast ballots and allow more qualified people to serve as poll workers.

Our leadership and moral strength is only enhanced when we help others. We lift as we rise. To have a vibrant democracy, we must encourage the participation of all citizens and fight against efforts to disenfranchise voters. We must work to ensure that our citizens do not encounter barriers to their full participation in the election process. Whether it is seniors who need transportation to the voting booth or ex-offenders who are unaware of the reinstatement of the right to vote, we cannot sit by while our fellow Americans are excluded from the democratic process. We must also encourage voters to be educated and organized citizens in order to strengthen and empower our communities. At the end of the day, civic participation is both a duty and a right.

The legislative process affects all aspects of our lives and we cannot afford to remain silent. Your vote is your voice, so speak loud and clear. Members of Congress and all elected officials will hear you.

Next Tuesday is election day for many. Use the power of your one vote. When you do not vote, by default you cast a ballot against the person or proposal you prefer. Your missing vote is one less that the opposition has to overcome. Thus, your vote is for those with whom you disagree. Get out, use your voice, and vote.