Floor Statements

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

Madam Chairman, as you know, the allocation provides $73.3 billion for the FY14 Military Construction-VA bill, which is $1.4 billion above the FY13 and $1 billion below the request. In my opinion, the allocation is what we could have expected had the Republican leadership addressed sequestration.

Madam Chairman, I know some folks will say that title 2 of this bill is exempt from sequestration and that is why the bill received a decent allocation, but I just want to point out that the funding in the bill largely mirrors the administration's request which does not reflect sequestration, even for the portions of the bill that were not exempted. I think that we all agree that we need to address the sequester, and I hope that we do it in the near future, because if we don't, the long-term effects will be devastating to our economy.

With that being said, I'm pleased to join Chairman Culberson as the House takes up the FY14 appropriations bill for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies. The MilCon-VA bill is critically important to the strength and the well-being of our military, our veterans, and the families who sacrifice so much to defend our country. In fact, Mr. Chairman, I find it quite fitting that we are debating this bill immediately after observing Memorial Day last week.

Working with Chairman Culberson and the members of our subcommittee, we have crafted a bill that will address the funding needs for military construction and family housing for our troops and their families, as well as other quality-of-life construction projects. In addition, it will provide funding for many important VA programs, as well as agencies like the Veterans Court of Appeals and the American Battle Monuments Commission.

The bill before us today touches every soldier, sailor, marine, and airman. In addition, the bill also will impact military spouses, their children, and every veteran that participates in VA programs.

I want to commend the chairman for his work. Together, we sat through numerous hearings, gaining valuable insight to the workings of all the agencies under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. Also, we would like to thank our subcommittee members and recognize them for their hard work on this bill. I believe that the minority was treated fairly during this process, and I want to thank the chairman for ensuring this bipartisan result.

Chairman Culberson has already provided the funding highlights in the bill, and I will not repeat them all, but I would like to point out a few items that I believe are extremely important.

The bill before us today includes $797 million for the renovation and replacement of 17 Department of Defense schools. I believe that providing the funds for the DOD schools will help our servicemembers' children get a quality education in safe facilities and will give our servicemembers peace of mind.

I'm pleased that the bill includes $151 million for the third increment of the Landstuhl Medical Center replacement in Germany. As you know, a large portion of the serious casualties from Afghanistan are treated there, and I'm pleased to see that we are making this important investment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is funded at $63.1 billion, and overall, the subcommittee recommendation meets the discretionary budget request in all areas of administrative expenses, research, information technology, and facilities.

In addition, the bill contains $55.6 billion in advance appropriations for medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities at the VA, which is $1.1 billion above the amount included in FY13. Madam Chairman, I strongly believe that advance funding provides timely and predictable resources for the veterans' health care system, and I'm so glad that we have been able to do it now for this 5th year in a row.

Now, I know that a lot of Members of this body are deeply concerned about the claims backlog and the electronic health records challenge. Trust me, the members of our committee, especially Chairman Culberson and I, have spoken directly with Secretary Shinseki about these issues numerous times, and I believe that our bill provides the resources and the accountability needed to address these two problems:

First, the bill funds the general operating expenses for the VBA, which will support 20,851 claims processors, which is 94 more than FY2013, and all 94 new claims processors will work disability claims;

Second, the bill fully funds the Veterans Benefits Management System at $155 million and the Veterans Claim Intake Program at $136.4 million.

These two efforts should speed up the VA's efforts to take old claims that are filed on paper and convert them into digital files that are easily searchable by claims processors, thus speeding up the claims process.

Second, we include a monthly reporting requirement every 30 days for the VA to provide Congress with several statistics, such as the average wait time at each regional office, rating inventory that has been pending for 125 days, rating claims advocacy, and month-to-month updates in changes in those statistics.

Third, we require a report on the VA's expedited claims initiative that was announced just a few weeks ago. This report should give the committee and the Congress insight into whether or not the Secretary's new initiatives are having positive results.

Finally, the bill directs the VA and the Department of Defense toward one integrated electronic health record system in bill language, and it restricts the availability of funds for the development of a system that meets the requirements of being single, joint, common, and integrated with open architecture and is the sole system used by both the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense. This initiative would ensure that veterans get their records to the VA electronically, thus reducing the number of claims filed on paper and speeding up the claims process.

Now, the committee's action--and I want to make this point clear--the committee's action and this bill do not mandate the adoption of a particular system, only that it be a single system that is used by both Departments. I don't think that we should get into the business of picking the software, but I do believe that by mandating a single system between the Department of Defense and the VA, that veteran claims in the future will not continue to fall victim to the slow inefficiencies that we're dealing with today.

Madam Chair, I believe that we have a strong, bipartisan bill that supports our military, their families, and our veterans. I would hate to see the hard work of our committee up-ended by contentious partisan riders intended to serve in scoring political points instead of those that serve our Nation. I also believe that the most important parts of this bill are the resources and accountability provided to assist the VA in tackling this outrageous claims backlog.

So I say to my colleagues that our committee strongly shares the deep commitment of this body to fixing the claims backlog issue. We looked at numerous approaches and further believe that our bill has found the optimal approach in dealing with this pressing concern of our veterans.

Before I close, Madam Chair, I would like to recognize the staff for all of the hard work and time that they've put into this bill. From the minority committee staff, I would like to thank Matt Washington, as well as Michael Reed and Adam McCombs from my personal staff. From the majority committee staff, I would like to thank Donna Shabazz, Sue Quantius, Sarah Young, and Tracey Russell.

I would also like to thank Mrs. Lowey and Mr. Rogers, the chairman and the ranking member, who served so valiantly and who are so diligently trying to seek the well-being of our servicemen and -women, their families, and our veterans.

At this time, Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

At this time, I yield 3 minutes to the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, who, along with the entire leadership and Members on this side of the aisle, is committed to this bipartisan work product in support of our military construction needs and our veterans, the distinguished gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

I yield the gentlelady an additional 1 minute.

At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and a distinguished member of the MilCon-VA Subcommittee.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a distinguished member of the Appropriations Committee.

May I inquire how much time remains on our side?

At this time I'm delighted to yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and a valuable member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.

Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Will the gentleman yield?

The gentleman from Oregon raises a really important issue that the subcommittee will look into and will work to address in some way as we move through this process.

Madam Chair, we have no further speakers on this side.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I move to strike the last word.

I'd like to join my distinguished chair in opposition to this amendment.

I certainly appreciate and understand the gentleman from Georgia's commitment to reducing the deficit. The deficit is something that is undermining the economic foundation of this Nation. It is like a cancer that is eating away at us, and we have to do all that we can to reduce that deficit and get us on track to a balanced budget.

However, I suspect that this amendment, while well intentioned, may be penny-wise and pound-foolish because NATO, this account from which these funds will be taken, supports a strategic alliance that has helped to protect the American people.

Just over the last decade, NATO has been our strategic partner in the war against terrorism in Iraq and in Afghanistan and in our efforts to protect the American people and to protect us abroad.

We simply cannot afford to turn our backs on our allies who have stuck with us and who have supported us in our efforts to protect this world from the bad actors in the war against terrorism. And as a result of that, I reluctantly oppose the gentleman's amendment, while understanding and commending him for his commitment toward deficit reduction.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I move to strike the last word.

Again, I certainly understand and commend the gentleman for his commitment and his passionate support for reduction of the debt and the deficit, and I think that we on this side of the aisle join him in that quest. However, again, I submit that this amendment is probably one that is penny-wise and pound-foolish. We have an alliance with the countries in NATO. Those countries have been our staunch supporters in Operation Iraqi Freedom, our efforts in Afghanistan; and, of course, each of those NATO countries has a developing presence of al Qaeda just as we in the United States. So it's very, very important that we maintain that strategic alliance.

This amendment would cut our share of the responsibility for NATO which we share with the other member countries. And I think that since we are deriving a mutual benefit that we should have a mutual responsibility to support, this joint support, and I think that it would not be wise for us to withdraw our aspect of that support. We should assume our responsibility with our allies for the mutual support and the mutual benefits.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentleman yield?

The gentleman from Oregon, again, raises a very important issue that the subcommittee will look into, and we will do our best to address in some way as we move forward through this process.

I move to strike the last word.

The gentleman's amendment would require that no less than $35 million goes towards traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder research from the Medical and Prosthetic Research account. I want to bring to the attention of this House that $32 million was already included for this purpose.

I do have some concerns regarding the amendment. I understand what the gentleman is trying to do, and I agree that PTSD and traumatic brain injury are the two major problems that the VA needs to focus on. Tens of thousands of veterans have suffered traumatic brain injury. Most are mild concussions that get better within a few months, but serious ones and multiple concussions can raise the risk of dementia and other problems. The gentleman points that out rightly.

With the tight budgets that we are facing, I am concerned, however, where the reduction would come from. For example, this account also provides for the research for prosthetics, for women's health, and for gulf war veterans illness. So I just want to make sure that the gentleman is aware that his amendment could cause shortfalls in other areas of research that are vital to the health care needs of our veterans.

I do assure the gentleman that the subcommittee and the committee will work hard to try to make sure that traumatic brain injury and PTSD are adequately addressed with our resources available for funding research there.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. Chairman, after returning home from the war, veterans are now fighting for jobs back home. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last year's unemployment rate for veterans was 12.1 percent, a significantly higher figure than the 8.7 percent unemployment rate for nonveterans. Even more staggering is that 19.1 percent of young veterans between the ages of 20 and 24 are unemployed.

All veterans, because of their service, have basic skills, and the only thing that they're missing is formal job training to match their abilities with the specific needs of an employer. This is another issue on Secretary Shinseki's plate. I believe that anything that we can do to help veterans gain employment we should do.

I thank the gentleman for raising this issue, and I support the amendment and yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chairman, I think this is a subject on which we need to tread very, very, very carefully. As we all know, the VA announced that it's mandating the use of overtime for claims processors at the 56 regional offices as part of a ``surge'' aimed at eliminating the disabilities claims backlog.

This effort is the latest in a series of measures that the VA has adopted in recent months in response to sharp criticism and to the cajoling by Members of this Congress and the public over the number of claims pending from veterans seeking disability compensation. That number, which was over 900,000 earlier this year, had fallen to 843,000 as May 13, with more than two-thirds of those having been pending for over 125 days. I believe that Secretary Shinseki should and I believe that Secretary Shinseki is using every option available to him to make progress in eliminating this backlog.

Furthermore, the overtime measure is on top of the VA's recent announcement that it's giving priority to claims that have been pending for longer than a year. I believe that the increased overtime initiative coupled with the expedited claims initiative will provide more veterans with more expedited decisions on their claims and will help us to achieve our goal of eliminating the claims backlog. I believe that this overtime initiative correctly shows that the Secretary's commitment is there to end the problem of the backlog. And so I think we should tread very carefully in this regard.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I believe that this amendment reflects the apparent obstruction of the Department of Defense on the electronic health record issue; and let me explain to you how we got here.

The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act directed the two Departments to develop a single electronic health

record system that will follow a servicemember from the time he or she enlisted in the military to the time they exited the VA care, by 2009.

However, after a number of management, oversight, and planning snags and snafus, and the cost estimates that grew from $4 billion to now nearly $12 billion, former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki decided to alter their plans to focus on making that current electronic health record system more interoperable.

Just recently, Secretary Hagel, the Department of Defense, made the decision to modernize the Defense Department's electronic health record through purchase of commercial software. A recent memo released by the Department of Defense makes no reference to the integrated electronic health records; and it seems more of the same go-it-alone, stovepipe approach that has been favored by the Pentagon in the past.

In addition to the Department of Defense's memo, it also made no mention of the congressionally mandated role of the Interagency Program Office set up to run the integrated electronic health records project and staffed by more than 300 personnel from both Departments.

Finally, by going the commercial route, I believe the Department of Defense has opened up its latest electronic health records scheme to protest and subsequent delays.

With all these issues I laid out, some still want to think that the Department of Defense should be free to do whatever it pleases.

Mr. Chairman, paper is a problem, and we cannot keep letting servicemembers leave the Department of Defense with paper records. Please know that this situation will be addressed further as we move through the process.

And we support the gentleman's amendment. I think it is timely. I think it is necessary.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

I move to strike the last word.

I stand today also concerned about the policy on Guantanamo Bay detention facility. And as I listened to my colleague and as I consider the speech from the President last week, it is very, very clear that there needs to be additional debate on this subject. Also I understand that the House Armed Services Committee will be holding discussions on this very important issue in the coming days as they begin marking up the National Defense Authorization Act.

And so I say to my colleagues that this issue deserves a more vigorous debate but that this is not the proper venue to hold that debate. As I stated in my opening remarks today, this bill was crafted and brought to the floor as a result of bipartisan work and compromise due to the committee's commitment to our servicemembers, their families and to all of our veterans.

This is a deeply, deeply controversial issue that I believe requires much more in-depth discussion than we can have here today. And I respectfully submit that this appropriations bill is not the appropriate venue for discussion and action on this very, very controversial policy. Today is not the time, and this bill, I submit, is not the place.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I move to strike the last word.

I could not agree more with the gentleman from Georgia that the claims backlog is absolutely unacceptable.

I think the chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, the ranking member of the full Appropriations Committee, the chairman of our subcommittee, and yours truly as the ranking member of the subcommittee have met with and have criticized and have done everything that we could possibly do to try to bring to the attention of the Veterans Administration and the Secretary of the need to have this backlog addressed, and I do think we address that in this bill; but I must rise in opposition to this amendment.

When I talk to veterans, the number one issue that they always have is the claims and claims backlog. The number one issue being worked on by my staff in southwest Georgia is VA claims and the claims backlog. I believe that what we have done in this bill will finally do something about the backlog.

Now let me just put a pin right there for a moment. The backlog, while inexcusable, does have some basis.

Just a couple of years ago, this Congress, in an effort to support our Vietnam era veterans, made it possible for the Agent Orange claims to be covered by the VA even though that had been an ongoing issue for the two decades that I've been a Member of Congress. As a result of that, there was a great surge of VA claims by Vietnam veterans, which added to the backlog. Add to that the returning veterans from Iraq and now from Afghanistan, which has added even more to that backlog, resulting in the now almost 850,000 claims when, 2 years ago, before the Agent Orange claims, we had just about eliminated that backlog.

I think that, even though there is some justification, the backlog is inexcusable, but in this bill that we are debating right now, we've done something about the backlog:

First, the bill fully funds the general operating expenses by the VBA, which will support 20,851 claims processors, which is 94 more than in last year's bill, and all 94 of these new claims processors will work disability claims. The bill fully funds the Veterans Benefits Management System at $155 million and the Veterans Claims Intake Program at $136.4 million. These two efforts should speed up the VA's efforts to take old claims that are filed on paper and convert them into digital files that are easily searchable by the claims processors, thus speeding up the claims process;

Second, we include a monthly reporting requirement for the VA to provide Congress with several statistics, such as the average wait time at each regional office, the rating inventory that has been pending for 125 days, rating claims accuracy, and month-to-month updates of any changes in those statistics;

Third, we require a report on the VA's expedited claims initiative that was announced just a few weeks ago. This report should give the committee insight into whether or not the Secretary's new initiative is having a positive result.

I believe that we should let the measures in this bill take effect before we turn to these more drastic measures. I understand the frustration that the gentleman feels and that is felt by most of the Members of this Congress, and I understand the frustration that is felt by our veterans and even by the Secretary, who is quite frustrated. I am open to all reasonable methods to solve the problem, but I believe that we should avoid measures like this as it is unnecessarily punitive, and I believe that the measures that we have put forth in this bill will adequately get results, accountability, and ultimately meet our objective of eliminating the claims backlog by 2015.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chairman, we are all outraged in regards to the claims backlog and the incidences of poor quality health services and safety. The current claims backlog is, as we have said over and over today, unacceptable. There is no question that the VA has failed to successfully deliver one of its key missions--to provide timely ratings of disability.

Given this failure, it is hard to imagine how VA leaders responsible for disability claims rating and the claims processing transformation could warrant high performance ratings and substantial bonuses. It is also clear that some VA health facilities have had serious issues that put the health, safety, and well-being of veterans at risk. This, too, is unacceptable. Where these failures have occurred, it is hard to

imagine how the VA leaders of these facilities could have received high performance ratings and substantial bonuses.

However, this amendment will not provide any solution in the short term, and in the long term it may have adverse consequences and compound the very problem that it attempts to address.

Many VA workers are compassionate and hard workers. The previous amendment that was adopted, which was adopted by this body by voice vote, referenced models from the private sector by cutting pay, reducing the pay by 25 percent until the backlog is reduced. However, if you follow that same model from the private sector, bonuses are the converse of that so that when those backlogs are reduced, and if there is exceptional work that goes in to reducing that backlog by those responsible at the VA, then appropriate bonuses could be granted.

This amendment, I submit, would make the VA a less attractive option than other agencies when it comes to recruiting and retaining quality executive leaders, and it will not have the very talent it needs to solve the problems that it faces today, like the claims backlog and the health care deficiencies.

Furthermore, the SES pay and bonuses are governed by title 5 of the United States Code and administered by the Office of Personnel Management. Any change to title 5 to address VA would then also apply to all other Federal agencies. Attempting an across-the-board, one- size-fits-all fix will penalize those dedicated VA executives who are working hard, and well, to find solutions to the VA's problems.

So I urge our colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, that's the Rothfus amendment, not because we don't have the challenges and the obligation to eliminate this backlog and to do it forthwith, but because I think we are going a little bit too far in attempting to create a disincentive for people, not solving this backlog.

I think that recruitment and retention of people in the VA, talented people, talented executives who can effectively solve the challenges that we face, like eliminating the backlog, will be undermined if this amendment should become law.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

I would agree with the gentleman from Florida. The Army does have sufficient funds in bid savings and in unobligated balances from prior military construction appropriations to undertake a $3.6 million project. I would be happy to work with the gentleman to see if the Army would use those existing funds on this project.

I move to strike the last word.

I rise in opposition to the amendment.

I respect my good friend, but I am totally baffled by the comparison of Davis-Bacon to Jim Crow laws. I think it's totally inapplicable. Davis-Bacon is a pretty simple concept, and it's a fair one. What the Davis-Bacon Act does is protect the government as well as the workers in carrying out the policy of paying decent wages on government contracts.

The act requires that workers on federally funded construction projects be paid no less than the wages paid in the community for some of the work. It requires that every contract for construction to which the Federal Government is a party in excess of $2,000 contain a provision defining the minimum wages paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics.

Mr. Chairman, the House has taken numerous votes on this issue, and on every vote this body has voted to maintain Davis-Bacon requirements. Last year, we avoided including divisive language like this, and it's my hope that we stop attacking the working class and defeat the amendment before us today and move on to more important matters.

Davis-Bacon wages actually save construction costs. A study of more than 4,000 new schools, some built with prevailing wage and others not, found that there were no significant differences in construction costs associated with prevailing wage requirements. A repeal in Davis-Bacon wages has consistently been shown to increase costs because of the poor construction resulting in repairs, revisions, and project delays and consequently substantial cost overruns all as a result of the increase in employing unskilled, unqualified workers on projects.

For example, when President Bush suspended Davis-Bacon wages during the Hurricane Katrina building efforts, construction costs went up due to the dramatic increase in the employment of unqualified workers.

Opponents of the prevailing wage claim that the government can save billions by eliminating them. But they ignore how the Davis-Bacon Act has proven to increase workforce productivity and result in cost- effective projects. For example, a study of 10 States when nearly half of all highway and bridgework in America is done showed that when high- wage workers were paid double the wage of low-wage workers, they built 74.4 more miles of roadbed and 32.8 more miles of bridges for $557 million less.

Repealing Davis-Bacon wages dramatically decreases the economic benefits to the local community. For example, studies have shown that Davis-Bacon wages generate more than two times the amount spent on the construction project itself in the local community since the workers spend part of their income in local businesses and pay local taxes, all of which recirculates throughout the economy.

Driving wages down will not help to balance the Federal budget. A Florida analysis such as the Bluegrass Institute study fails to take into account the spin-off economic benefits of maintaining prevailing wages. Davis-Bacon improves the skill level and the training of all of the workers. Opponents of prevailing wage regulations assume that repealing the law and lowering wages will not erode training nor lead to an exodus of skilled workers.

They are wrong, because it has that exact effect. Davis-Bacon increases training opportunities for all workers, both union and nonunion.

Finally, a Davis-Bacon wage is usually not a union wage. The Davis- Bacon prevailing wage is based on surveys of wages and benefits paid to various job classifications of construction workers in the community without regard to union membership. According to the Department of Labor, a whopping 72 percent of the prevailing wage rates issued in 2000 were based upon nonunion wage rates. A union wage prevails only if the Department of Labor survey determines that the local union wage is paid to more than 50 percent of the workers in the job classifications.

Let me just say that we have in the past avoided including divisive language in our bill, and it is my hope that we can stop attacking the working class and we can defeat this amendment.

I urge all of the Members in this House to vote ``no.'' Davis-Bacon is good law, it produces good results, and it is cost effective for the taxpayers of the United States.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding educator and truly one of a kind woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Viola Jordan Gibson. Sadly, Mrs. Gibson passed away on Monday, May 27, 2013. A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 3, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. at the First African Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia.

The oldest of five children born to Alonza T. Jordan, Sr. and Olive Scott Jordan, Mrs. Gibson was born and reared in Petersburg, Virginia. She graduated with honors from Peabody High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Virginia State College. She earned a Master of Science degree in English Education from Tuskegee Institute. She also studied at Georgia State University and American University.

Mrs. Gibson came to live in Columbus, Georgia when she accompanied her husband, Elwood T. Gibson, Sr., on his military assignment to Fort Benning during World War II. She joined First African Baptist Church and for the next 60 years plus, she served the church faithfully in many capacities, including the Rebekah Missionary Circle, Deaconesses Ministry, and the Music Ministry. In addition to showcasing her lovely voice as a soloist in the Senior and Smithsonian choirs, she served as a director and pianist for the Youth Choir. Due to her devoted leadership and service, the women of First African selected her to chair the Women's Day Program in 1972, and in 2000, the Women's Day Program was dedicated to her. Mrs. Gibson and her husband co-chaired the church's anniversary in 1993.

Mrs. Gibson began her teaching career while still in Virginia and when she moved to Columbus, she taught briefly at South Girard High School in Phenix City, Alabama. Shortly thereafter, she was employed to teach at the historic William Henry Spencer High School in Columbus before joining her husband on a three-year tour in Germany. Extensive travel in Germany, Italy and Austria provided experiences which enhanced her teaching skills upon her return to the Muscogee County School System. In 1968, Mrs. Gibson was one of two black teachers selected to be transferred to Jordan High School when schools in Muscogee County were desegregated. Well respected at Jordan High, she was the faculty sponsor of the Frank David Chapter of the National Honor Society for 14 years until her retirement in 1991, after 42 years as an educator.

Mrs. Gibson was not only an English teacher, she was also a dedicated mentor who taught her students to be of service to others. And she herself epitomized a life of service. She was a Golden Soror and Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. In 1979, she was elected Soror of the Year by the Gamma Tau Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha and was honored for her 20 years as chairman of the Senior Citizens Luncheon at which time the chapter changed the event's name to the ``Elizabeth Gibson Senior Citizens Luncheon.'' She was a Platinum member of the Links, Incorporated, as well as a member of the Columbus Community Center Board of Directors; Muscogee Retired Educators Association; West Central Georgia Chapter of American Red Cross Board of Directors; and the American Cancer Society Board of Directors. She was also a charter member of the local chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and the Mr. and Mrs. Club; a member of the Pleasure Seekers Club; was named in the Model Club's first list of ``The Columbus Ten Best Dressed Black Women'' and was among the club's first ``Hall of Fame'' inductees. Fondly called ``Gip'' by her friends, she was known as a shopper extraordinaire.

Mrs. Gibson was preceded in death by her beloved husband of sixty years, Elwood T. Gibson, Sr.; her sister, Mildred J. Campbell; and her brother, Alonza ``Buzzy'' Jordan, II. She is survived by her children; Olive, Elwood, Andre and Alan; her brothers, Benjamin Jordan and Samuel Jordan; her nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and many other family members and friends.

George Washington Carver once said, ``No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.'' We are all so blessed that Mrs. Elizabeth Viola Jordan Gibson passed this way and during her life's journey did so much for so many for so long. Her smile, her affectionate mentorship, her beautiful singing voice, and her warm, shining presence will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the more than 700,000 people of the Second Congressional District salute Mrs. Gibson for her outstanding achievements, service, and public distinction. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join us in extending our deepest condolences to Mrs. Gibson's family, friends and the Columbus, Georgia community during this difficult time. We pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Larry E. Rivers, the eighth president of The Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia, who will be leaving after seven years as President of the school. He will be honored at a farewell reception on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the C.W. Pettigrew Center on the FVSU campus.

Born in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, Dr. Rivers is an alumnus of Fort Valley State College (now University) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science Education. He also earned a Master's in History from Villanova University, a Doctor of Arts degree in History and Curriculum Development from Carnegie-Mellon University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in History degree from Goldsmith's College of the University of London.

Before he was the President of The Fort Valley State University, Dr. Rivers taught history at Florida A&M University for more than twenty years, ultimately achieving the rank of ``Distinguished University Professor,'' one of only two on campus. He also held a number of administrative appointments and was selected as Dean of the FAMU College of Arts and Sciences in 2002.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Rivers has revolutionized The Fort Valley State University in many ways during his seven-year tenure as President. In the beginning, he certainly had his work cut out for him because the school faced budgetary issues, decreasing student enrollment, aging facilities and low staff morale. Today, a dramatic change can be seen throughout the school, particularly in increased enrollment numbers and several new completed construction projects.

Under Dr. Rivers' leadership, The FVSU has launched several projects including the construction of a $16.8 million Academic, Science and Classroom Building; a $9 million Wildcat Stadium; a $6 million Student Amenities Building; a new seven-building residential complex, a State Animal Facility for Emergencies (SAFE) Center, and several renovations to existing buildings.

Georgia Trend magazine has highlighted Dr. Rivers' strong leadership and The FVSU's rapid growth by naming Dr. Rivers among the ``100 Most Influential Georgians'' and The FVSU among the ``Best Places to Work in Georgia'' in 2008. The magazine also named Dr. Rivers as one of ``Georgia's Top 25 Leaders'' in September 2010. Ebony magazine has recognized Dr. Rivers as one of America's notable black leaders as well. In addition, Dr. Rivers' Slavery in Florida, Territorial Days to Emancipation, published in 2000, won three national awards. His subsequent publications have also received scholarly acclaim and honors.

One of the many things I admire most about Dr. Rivers is his unfailing dedication to The Fort Valley State University. After graduating from the school in 1973, he came back years later to take on the difficult challenge of turning the school around. And what a difference he has made! Enrollment for the 2012-2013 school year has almost doubled since he arrived in 2006. Previously, The FVSU was unranked by the U.S. News Media group, but the University made the list of ``America's Best Black Colleges'' four years in a row and was recognized by the 2013 U.S. News and World Report as the top public historically black college and university in Georgia.

The city of Fort Valley has also felt the earthquake of change emanating from The FVSU campus. City officials are preparing for the growth of the town of 8,600 residents and existing infrastructure is expanding to accommodate new residents and businesses in large part because of The FVSU.

Pr. Rivers has achieved many things in his life, but none of it would have been possible without the grace of God and his loving wife, the former Betty Hubbard, who has been an extraordinary engaging and dignified first lady to the University. Together, they reared two exceptional sons, Larry Omar and Linje Eugene, who like their parents, are achievers in their own right.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Dr. Larry E. Rivers for his seven outstanding years as President of The Fort Valley State University. His energizing leadership has helped to transform this school

for the better to provide students with state-of-the-art classrooms and facilities, a fulfilling college experience, and a quality education, and the tools with which to attain successful and productive lives.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to extend my sincere congratulations to the congregation of Mt. Mariah Missionary Baptist Church in Omaha, Georgia as the church's membership and leadership celebrates a remarkable 200 years. The congregation of Mt. Mariah Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate this very significant anniversary with a Bicentennial Celebration on Sunday, May 12, 2013 at the Church in Omaha, Georgia.

Tracing its roots back to the antebellum era, the church was an illustration of the segregation and slavery practices of the South. From 1813 to 1856, the black community of Omaha worshipped with the white community although only a select number of blacks were allowed to attend church, including the overseer, the maids and the cooks. They had to sit in the back of the church and were not allowed to participate. As time passed, more members of the black community were allowed to attend the worship service but remained unsatisfied with the arrangement of services being held at Summer Hill Baptist Church, as it was known then.

After the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1865, the black community of Omaha was still discontented with the church service arrangement and called for a church of their own. In 1866, the white community had a church built within the city limits of Omaha and donated the old church to the black community. It was then used as both a school and a church and the name was changed to Mount Mariah Missionary Baptist Church.

In 1890, a church was built within the Omaha city limits for the black families living and working there so they wouldn't have to walk as far on Sunday and be tired for work on Monday. The church continued to grow and formed an organization named the ``Mt. Mariah Baptist Church Association.''

In 1911, the church bought six acres of land for $412.00 to build a new church, fellowship hall and cemetery. This structure stood until a tornado tore through the Omaha area and destroyed the church. Through the sadness and the tears came a firm resolve and an unyielding faith in the Lord to build a new church. After working hard to raise the funds, on November 9, 1947, the new church was dedicated with much prayer, song, and joy.

Throughout the years, the church was remodeled and improved with help, funds and donations from its members. It has seen many great leaders, each one leaving their lasting mark on the church. Today, under the leadership of Pastor Marcus B. Hunter, the prospering church looks back on 200 years of hardship, unending faith, and ultimate success.

The story of Mt. Mariah Missionary Baptist Church, which began during a dark and divided time in our nation's history, is a truly inspiring one of the dedication and perseverance of a faithful congregation of people who put all their love and trust in the Lord.

Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mt. Mariah Missionary Baptist Church in Omaha, Georgia for their long history of coming together through the good and difficult times to praise and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding Man of God, Pastor Lorenzo L. Heard, for twenty years of dedicated civic leadership and pastoral service to the Albany, Georgia community. Pastor Heard will celebrate his twentieth anniversary as the distinguished pastor of Greater Second Mount Olive Baptist Church with an anniversary celebration that will be held on Friday, April 26, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. on the campus of Albany State University in Albany, Georgia.

A Georgia man through and through, Pastor Heard is a native of Leesburg, Georgia and a 1981 graduate of Lee County High School. He attended Fort Valley State College, now known as Fort Valley State University and transferred to Morehouse College in Atlanta after two years. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Albany State University.

Pastor Heard began preaching the Word of the Lord at the young age of seventeen. Just three years later, he began his first pastorate at Macedonia Baptist Church in Patterson, Georgia before becoming the pastor of Saint Galilee Baptist Church in Sparta, Georgia in 1987. In 1993, he became pastor of the Greater 2nd Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where he has been called to lead for the past twenty years.

Under Pastor Heard's leadership, more than 2,500 people have joined the congregation of Greater 2nd Mt. Olive Baptist Church. A dynamic and ever faithful pastor, he has taught, mentored, and ministered to every soul who has walked through the doors of the church. Pastor Heard goes a step further by teaching people life skills such as how to manage their finances, and encourages everyone to become active in civic and political engagement to better the community.

Always pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, to better improve the craft of Christian ministry and discipleship, Pastor Heard has led the church in building a strong outreach program for the East Albany community, touching and changing many lives for the better.

Pastor Lorenzo has been repeatedly acknowledged for his outstanding achievements, service and public distinction. He has authored two books, Stuck in a Storm and Missing Your Calm: Discovering God's Purpose for Your Life and Lessons in Money Management.

Pastor Heard has achieved numerous successes in his life, but none of this would have been possible without the grace of God and his loving wife, Leslie Parrish Heard, and family.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Pastor Lorenzo L. Heard for his life of selfless service to God, the church and to humankind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1765 to provide the Secretary of Transportation with the flexibility to transfer funds to prevent further disruptions resulting from Federal Aviation Administration furloughs. If enacted, this bill will end the air traffic control furloughs that have congested commercial aviation traffic over the last week.

Currently, the FAA is furloughing almost 10 percent of its air traffic controller workforce on a daily basis. Since the furloughs began on Sunday through Wednesday this week, the number of air travel delays has totaled 8,804 compared to 2,795 for the same time last week. These delays inconvenience passengers and cause serious economic disruptions throughout the entire country.

H.R. 1765 will provide the Secretary of Transportation with the flexibility he needs to fix this problem without adding to the FAA's budget. The additional flexibility in this bill will also give the Secretary the ability to restore the FAA's Contract Tower Program.

It is Congress' intent that the Secretary of Transportation will use the added flexibility to stop the closure of the 149 identified contract towers across the country. As I and those in my District can attest, these contract towers, such as the ones in Albany and in Macon, play an important role in serving as a link between rural communities and the larger aviation network.

This bill should be approved to prevent both the FAA furloughs and the closure of these contract towers. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important aviation bill.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Alabama named me, but Georgia claimed me.

I remember vividly the Sunday of the bombing as a young boy in Mobile, Alabama. I'm reminded of the words of James Weldon Johnson:

Stony the road we trod,

Bitter the chastening rod,

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

Yet with a steady beat,

Have not our weary feet.

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the

slaughtered,

Out from the gloomy past,

Till now we stand at last,

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley: four little girls are bright stars in the constellation shining down now as beacons of light for freedom and justice.

So today, 50 years after the senseless bombing in Birmingham, it's altogether fitting and proper that we should look back and commemorate the significance of the sacrifice of these young girls, these four young lives.

Truly, it was a turning point; and the murder of these youngsters, whose only crime was going to the bathroom in church, sparked a Nation not only to mourn the death of innocence, but to act to quell the turmoil and to move us toward freedom.

I'm happy to join my colleagues, Congresswoman Sewell, Congressman Bachus, and all of the colleagues here in this House, to appropriately pass legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to these four young martyrs in the fight for freedom.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to extend my sincere congratulations to the congregation of St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Columbus, Georgia as the church's membership and leadership celebrates 155 years. The congregation of St. James CME Church will celebrate this significant anniversary with a series of events including Revival and a musical extravaganza and culminating in a morning Worship Service and afternoon Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, April 21, 2013 in Columbus, Georgia.

This upcoming anniversary celebration will enable church members, local religious leaders, elected officials and other individuals throughout the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area to pay tribute to the members of St. James CME Church who have positively contributed to the spiritual maturation and personal development of those in the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area and beyond.

St. James CME Church traces its historical roots back to the 1800s when a group of dedicated Christian pioneers in Chattahoochee County, Georgia built with bushes and sticks a scant structure on land donated by white landowners. This structure was replaced by a log cabin built with wood also donated by the landowners. When the land was returned to the owners, the small congregation moved several times, ultimately settling on the present site where the first brick structure was built.

In 1858, St. James CME Church was organized as a Negro congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. It became St. James Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in 1870 in Jackson, Tennessee before the name ``Colored'' was changed to ``Christian'' at the 1954 General Conference. St. James received a donation of property in Chattahoochee County and remained there until 1918 before moving to Muscogee County, where it has had several locations. The first cornerstone at the present location, 380 Dawson Drive, later renamed Northstar Drive, was laid in 1936 with the Reverend I.D. Mitchell as Pastor and the Reverend S.A. Thomas as Presiding Elder.

St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, ``God's Glowing Star on Northstar,'' has been under the pastorate of the Reverend Leon C. Moore, Jr. since July 2012. The story of St. James, which began during a dark and divided time in our nation's history, is a truly inspiring one of the dedication and perseverance of a faithful congregation of people who put all their love and trust in the Lord.

Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the St. James Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Columbus, Georgia for their long history of coming together through the good and difficult times to praise and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to extend my sincere congratulations to the congregation of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Columbus, Georgia, as the church's membership and leadership celebrates 50 years of providing spiritual guidance and moral counseling to the residents of Muscogee County, Georgia. The congregation of Bethlehem Lutheran Church will celebrate their 50th anniversary on Saturday, March 16, 2013, at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.

This upcoming anniversary ceremony will enable church members, local religious leaders, elected officials and other individuals throughout the Columbus, Georgia, metropolitan area to pay tribute to the members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church who have positively contributed to the spiritual maturation and personal development of those in the Columbus, Georgia, metropolitan area and beyond.

The Bethlehem Lutheran Church traces its historical roots back to 1963. It was founded by the Reverend Robert Collins, who canvassed the entire city in search of members for his new congregation and conducted Confirmation classes in his home as the church was being built. The first Confirmation class consisted of Henry and Lydia McCullough, Joann Doleman, Thomas Mathis and Robert Sherald. Sadly, Mr. McCullough, Ms. Doleman, and Mr. Sherald have passed away but Mrs. McCullough and Mr. Mathis remain faithful to the congregation today.

Over the years, Bethlehem Lutheran Church has seen many great spiritual leaders come and go, each having a lasting impact in their own way. In 2001, the Reverend Bradley Arnholt answered the calling to minister to the good people of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, and he still serves as pastor today.

Also in 2001, the church was blessed to remodel the multi-purpose room and significantly increase their outreach programs. Today, the church continues to support the community and leans on the declaration in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that, ``No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.''

The story of Bethlehem Lutheran Church is a truly inspiring one of the dedication and perseverance of a faithful congregation of people who put all their love and trust in the Lord. They have put to practice the Word of Hebrews 10:24: ``And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.''

Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Columbus, Georgia, for all the many things this church's members have done and will continue to do to positively impact the lives of those seeking spiritual guidance and in need of charitable assistance.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, today this body is voting on two updated bills that reflect the needs of FY 2013 and 10 outdated plans with outdated spending levels that were enacted over a year ago.

Mr. Speaker, we need to complete the process on all the bills, not just two. Governing by continuing resolution is not governing.

Furthermore, the legislation before us today does nothing to address sequestration. The failure to address sequestration will be devastating on military construction. For example, the Army's Barracks Modernization efforts will be delayed. For the Navy, sequestration will affect 10,000 Navy-owned and 3,000 leased homes by delaying housing construction and improvements.

The Air Force has made it a goal to eliminate inadequate housing for unaccompanied airmen by 2017, and sequestration will delay that goal and cause airmen to continue to live in substandard housing.

The most troubling aspect of sequestration to me is the impact it will have on the Department of Defense's school recapitalization efforts. A comprehensive assessment of DOD dependent schools and construction requirements indicated that 149 out of 189 schools had an overall condition rating of poor or failing, and required significant recapitalization. Sequestration will only exacerbate this problem.

These reductions to military construction will only result in substandard facilities for our servicemembers and job losses in the construction industry and slowed economic growth.

I remain hopeful that a balanced solution will win over rigid, ideological discussions in the coming weeks so that we can restore the irresponsible cuts.

Sequestration is bad. This CR does not address it, not even to mention the nondefense related cuts. This is bad for Head Start, job training, title I, special ed, child care, cancer screening, the loss of WIC, and I could go on and on.

This CR is not the way to govern. However, we need to come together across partisan lines, and we need to find middle ground so that we can do what is needed for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, throughout my twenty years representing Middle and Southwest Georgia in Congress, I have always done my dead level best to work with all of my colleagues, across the aisle to find reasonable solutions for the nation's issues.

Today, I come before Congress to appeal to reason. Without a doubt, the across-the-board spending cuts we call sequester will undermine our economy and hurt job creation. My district, home to Fort Benning in Columbus, the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, the area outside of Robins Air Force Base, and thousands of service members, veterans, families, and supporting businesses cannot sustain the cuts proposed by Sequestration.

Furthermore, schools and teachers, law enforcement and crime prevention, public health and Head Start will be negatively impacted. The Second Congressional District of Georgia relies on these funds, as do many of your districts. Mr. Speaker, I ask for a balanced proposal.

We may be in the 11th hour, but we must act. We owe it to our constituents, we owe it to our districts, and we owe it to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a distinguished public servant, devoted educator and dear friend to my wife, Vivian and me, The Honorable Maretta Mitchell Taylor. Sadly, Maretta passed away on February 17, 2013 at the age of 78. She leaves behind a legacy of service that will never be forgotten.

Maretta was born on January 25, 1935, to the union of the late Mr. and Mrs. Zedic Deaner James. She was a 1953 graduate of William H. Spencer High School, a 1957 graduate of Albany State College (now university) with a Bachelor of Science Degree and later graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana with a Master's of Science Degree.

Her life's work always centered on young people and helping them to reach their full potential. She truly understood the saying that, ``Education is the passport to the future; it belongs to those who prepare for it today.'' She touched and enriched the lives of countless young people during her 30 years as a teacher and media specialist. She retired from William H. Spencer High School in 1987. She also served on the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration.

Maretta was never one to rest on her laurels and she decided to take up another calling as she succeeded me in the Georgia House of Representatives in 1991 following my election to the Georgia Senate. She used this position to continue to advocate for young people and their betterment. When advocating for them, her favorite saying was, ``but it is for the children.'' All of the committees that she served on in the Georgia House were dedicated to the uplift and support of young people.

Maretta was more than an educator, she was more than a legislator, she was a servant to all humankind. She gave herself to so many causes and organizations that are too numerous for me to mention. Dr. Maya Angelou once said that, ``I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.'' Maretta threw a prodigious amount of love and service back to the Columbus, Georgia community that she loved so dearly.

Maretta married the love of her life, Jesse Taylor in 1974 and they built a life that was based on the love of God, the love of each other, the love of family and the love of people. They knew that the love of these could lead one to a great relationship with God because they are an embodiment of his greatest commandments: to love him with all your ``heart, mind and soul'' and to ``love your neighbor as thyself.''

Maretta was truly one of a kind who left an incredible legacy on the world through all that she touched. I am proud to have known this very special woman who dedicated her life to uplifting others and I am proud to honor her life and legacy with this statement. To God be the glory for blessing the world with a woman the caliber of Maretta Mitchell Taylor. We are all better because she traveled this way.

Vivian and I extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones during this time of bereavement. May they be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and honor to extend my sincerest congratulations to Ms. Pamela Green-Jackson, Founder and CEO of the Youth Becoming Healthy Project (YBH), on being named a recipient of the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal by President Barack Obama. Ms. Green-Jackson, along with the other medal recipients, will be honored at an event at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, February 15, 2013.

An Albany, Georgia native, Ms. Green-Jackson serves as Public Affairs and Community Relations Specialist at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, a role she performs exceptionally well. She attended Albany State University and graduated from LaGrange College with a degree in Organizational Leadership. She also earned a Master of Science in Management degree from Troy University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at Walden University.

After watching her only brother, Bernard, suffer from obesity-related illnesses that led to his death at the young age of 43, Ms. Green- Jackson founded Youth Becoming Healthy (YBH), a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing childhood obesity and helping young people develop healthy lifestyles through nutrition, fitness education and physical activity programs.

With obesity being the second leading cause of preventable death and the number one health threat in the U.S., Ms. Green-Jackson took it upon herself to lead the effort in implementing changes in schools and in policy to prevent children from suffering like her brother did. She has worked with school food service managers to promote healthier school lunches and vending machine contents as well as to implement safe physical activity programs. Expanding to the surrounding community, Ms. Green-Jackson spearheaded the Albany Savannah Family Wellness Challenge, which aims to engage the entire community in making healthy lifestyle and behavioral choices by creating a family and community support system.

Established in 1969, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Nation's second-highest civilian honor, recognizes American citizens who have performed meritorious deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. The President calls on members of the public to nominate people in their lives who have demonstrated commitment to service within the community, who have helped their country or fellow citizens through an extraordinary act, whose service relates to a long- term or persistent problem, and whose service has had an impact on others' lives. Ms. Green-Jackson was named as a 2012 Citizens Medal recipient because of her work in schools and the community to combat obesity in youth and promote healthy lifestyle patterns that will serve them now and into the future.

Prior to receiving this prestigious honor, Ms. Green-Jackson was also named a 2009 CNN Hero for superior leadership, community service, and being an excellent role model and mentor. She was also recognized as the Department of Defense's 2010 Women's History Month STEM Winner for the Marine Corps and has been awarded the King Dream Award and the Congressional Black Caucus Leadership & Unsung Hero Award, among many others.

In addition to her work at MCLB and YHB, Ms. Green-Jackson is also active in numerous community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and Legislative Affairs Committees, UGA Extension Advisory Council, Liberty House, and the Southwest Georgia Rural Health Collaborative.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Pamela Green-Jackson for her outstanding service to her community and her country. She is a dear friend and longtime supporter of mine and I know this award is well-deserved for she performs her numerous roles with humility, empathy and refinement. I commend Ms. Green-Jackson for her commitment to this worthy cause and her procurement of this esteemed and well-deserved award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations to Golden Soror Maggie Parrish Williams of the Gamma Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for fifty years of service to this great sisterhood. A reception will be held in her honor on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. at the Columbus Community Center in Columbus, Georgia.

Born in Swainsboro, Georgia to the late Ruben and Anna Gibbons Parrish, Mrs. Williams is the eighth of thirteen children. She graduated with honors from Emmanuel County High School in 1961 and went on to attend The Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia. While a student at Fort Valley State, she participated in the Drama Club and Chorus, all while maintaining an above average GPA. As a sophomore, she was initiated into the Alpha Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on November 10, 1962.

After graduating from Fort Valley State in 1965 with a Bachelor's degree in Science in Education and minors in Science and Mathematics, she was awarded the National Science Foundation grant to continue her studies at the University of Detroit, where she earned a Master's of Art in the Teaching of Mathematics in 1971. Her still unquenched thirst for knowledge and education led Mrs. Williams to complete additional coursework at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, and Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia.

In 1965, Mrs. Williams worked as a Mathematics teacher at Pineville High School in Valdosta, Georgia. In 1967, she moved to Columbus, where she worked as a Mathematics teacher at George Washington Carver High School. In 1969, she met the love of her life, the late Mark A. Williams, and they were married in 1970. They were married for over 41 years.

Mrs. Williams continued her service to the Muscogee County School District as a Mathematics teacher at Kendrick High School, Rothschild Middle School and Spencer High School. She retired in 2002 after 37 years of devotedly teaching and mentoring young adults and children.

While teaching in Muscogee County, Mrs. Williams joined Gamma Tau Omega, a graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., in 1972. She has faithfully supported and made various contributions to sorority activities and events such as city-wide tutorial programs, the Senior Citizens' Christmas Party, and Founder's Day. Mrs. Williams has supported scholarships and awards for deserving high school seniors in Columbus and surrounding areas through the chapter's foundation, SISTERS, Inc. She has also served on the Archives, Leadership, Programs and Heritage committees. Through the years, she has made generous donations to the chapter, including donations she made in the 1970s toward the purchase of the first Gamma Tau Omega sorority house on Broadway, and other chapter-owned properties in Columbus.

In addition to her work and service through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Mrs. Williams has been a devoted member of First African Baptist Church in Columbus for well over 41 years. She has served and still serves in many ministries, including the General Mission Society, the Senior Choir, the Deaconesses, the Budget and Finance Committee and Rebekah Mission Circle, where she served as Secretary for nine years. She has achieved the status of ``life member'' in several organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Fort Valley State University National Alumni Association, Inc., and the Georgia Teachers of Mathematics. She is also a member of the Muscogee County Retired Educators Association, the Georgia Retired Educators Association, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, and the Urban League.

The presence of Alpha Kappa Alpha is evident in Mrs. Williams' family. Her only daughter, Monica Williams Smith, followed in her mother's footsteps and was initiated into the Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha at Valdosta State University in 1996. Her sister-in- law, Marguerite Parrish, and four nieces, Yvonne Prater, Vanessa Parish, Tiffany Parrish and Bakia Parrish, have also all been initiated into the great sisterhood.

Mrs. Williams lives by the following words: ``Our God has done great things for all people and we should strive to love more and continue to help each other through Jesus Christ Our Savior.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to an outstanding citizen and woman of faith, Mrs. Maggie Parrish Williams, as she is honored for her fifty years of dedicated service to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Columbus, Georgia community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations and Happy Birthday wishes to Mrs. Lillie Bell Carson Moore, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Wednesday, January 2, 2013. She will be honored with a birthday celebration on Sunday, January 27, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. at Shady Grove Baptist Church in Richland, Georgia.

Known as ``Shug,'' Mrs. Moore was born in Brooklyn, Georgia on January 2, 1913. She is the fifth of 23 siblings.

At an early age, Mrs. Moore's family moved from Stewart County to the Seminole Community in Webster County, where her father purchased land for the family. No stranger to hard work, Mrs. Moore would toil in the fields of the farm from dawn until dusk. She also maintained a garden and canned and preserved food for her family.

Mrs. Moore joined Shady Grove Baptist Church as a young girl and was educated by night in the sanctuary of the church. They were not allowed to attend school during the day as there was always farm work to be done. Mrs. Moore loved to praise the Lord through song and she added her voice to the choir in 1973.

Mrs. Moore married John Moore and gave birth to five children: Charlie, Fannie Mae, Annie, Jessie and Leroy. She has seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Moore was known as the first African-American woman in the area to drive a Model T car. Having lived under the administration of seventeen United States presidents, her greatest joy was to live long enough to see the first African-American president elected. She well remembers a time when she was not allowed

to vote and now thoroughly enjoys exercising that precious right. She is proud that her hands, which once picked cotton, aided in picking the first African-American president, not just once, but twice. She has always taught others to ``treat people the way you want to be treated, no matter what color they are.''

George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Mrs. Moore has advanced far in life because she never forgot these lessons and always kept God first.

The race of life isn't given to the swift or to the strong, but to those who endure until the end. Mrs. Moore has run the race of life with grace and dignity and God has blessed her over her lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to an outstanding citizen and woman of faith, Mrs. Lillie Bell ``Shug'' Carson Moore, as she, her family and the congregation of Shady Grove Baptist Church prepare to celebrate her 100th birthday.