Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great soldier and a great

American, Colonel Rick R. Riera, who is giving up command next week at Fort Benning, GA, the ``Home of the Infantry.''

Colonel Riera was born on June 4, 1959 in Matanzas, Cuba. At the tender age of nine years old, he and his family fled the Communist government and were granted political asylum in this country. They were flown via a Liberty Flight to Miami, Florida, where Colonel Riera grew up.

Riera was admitted to the United States Military Academy and in 1981 graduated and reported for training at Fort Benning. After his initial training, he was assigned as a Rifle and Scout Platoon Leader on the Demilitarized Zone in Korea.

During his career, Colonel Riera has served in six Infantry Regiments (8th, 15th, 18th, 23rd, 30th, and 75th) and four Infantry Divisions (2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 24th). His service highlights have included assignments as a Ranger Rifle Platoon Leader during the invasion of Grenada, command of two mechanized Infantry companies in Germany during the Cold War, and command of the Infantry's first M2A3 Bradley Battalion during the Division Capstone Exercise.

Staff experience consists of duty as a Battalion S-3, Battalion XO, Brigade S-4, Brigade S-3, and Brigade XO with the Sledgehammer Brigade on Kelley Hill. Colonel Riera also served as the Chief of Crew Training for U.S. Army Europe's New Equipment Training Team during the fielding of Bradleys to the 3rd AD and 2nd ACR. Additionally, he was the first Chief of the Bradley Crew Evaluator Training Team for standardized gunnery at Grafenwoehr.

Joint experience consists of service with J-3 Southern Command in Panama and the Andean Ridge as a counterdrug operations officer at the height of the Drug War against the Medellin and Cali Cartels. Colonel Riera later served as the Army Special Assistant to the Commander in Chief of U.S. Southern Command following its move to Miami, Florida.

In addition to completing Infantry courses here at Fort Benning, he is a graduate of the Regional Studies Course at the J.F.K. Special Warfare Center, the Command and General Staff Course at the U.S. Army School of the Americas, and the Inter-American Defense College. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, and Valorous Unit Award.

Colonel Riera is married to the former Rosario Moreno of San Juan, Puerto Rico. They have two children, Rebeca and Ricky.

Mr. Speaker, Colonel Riera is stepping down as the garrison commander at Fort Benning next week, and I stand here to honor him today for his years of service to this Nation. He escaped tyranny in his native land and, with his family, sought freedom and opportunity in America. He found his freedom and is now dedicating every day of his life to protecting it for his children and for each and every one of us. I thank him for his service, particularly his leadership at Fort Benning, and wish him luck in his future assignment at Fort Sam Houston as Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, U.S. Army, South.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in praise of the hard work of our colleagues here in the House and the Senate for extending for another twenty-five years the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act. I thank the President for signing the bill into law yesterday. In addition, I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of those individuals whose work has ensured that the tradition of its creators is not forgotten.

It was the combined efforts of civil rights leaders--activists like Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and both Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr.; political leaders in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations; and our esteemed colleague, John Lewis, who put his life on the line when he crossed the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama on Bloody Sunday--these are some of the people who made the Voting Rights Act a reality. It is in the memory of their political courage and stewardship of democracy that I joined with my colleagues to ensure its continuation.

What we have seen in the past months is another pivotal step toward the realization of Dr. King's dream for an equal America. From my own work with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, I understand many of the obstacles Dr. King faced in overcoming adversity for the disenfranchised. I am honored and humbled to be one of many to continue what he worked so hard to begin.

The right to vote is among the most sacred of freedoms. Dr. King is just one of many Americans who paid the ultimate price, so that all can have a voice. The Voting Rights Act honors that tradition by ensuring that all Americans have equal access to the ballot box and refusing to allow discrimination of the past to be a part of our future.

Mr. Speaker, the Congress has made its will and that of the country known. We have ensured that all Americans will continue to have a voice and generations to come will go on to make Dr. King's dream of an equal America a reality.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who has spent the last 32 years of his life serving this body in the Paint Shop. Roy D. Hoke has become a friend of mine and a friend of my office staff. Through his years he has worked to make each and every one of our offices more beautiful--not for us, but for our constituents and honored guests. Rarely have I seen a man more dedicated to his work, and more filled with pride at a job well-done.

He has served in the House under six U.S. Presidents, and 16 sessions of Congress. Prior to his service in the House, Mr. Hoke served America in the U.S. Army in Vietnam.

This year, Roy Hoke has become very close to my staff. My office took part in the Housewide program to refurbish our offices, and Roy played a major role in painting my office. He was always there to make it look perfect. Roy was never satisfied with his job--he

kept coming back to make it look better. After 32 years, he was not done making the House of Representatives a more wonderful place to work.

On Friday, May 26, 2006 Roy was doing his work as he always does. He was in my office touching-up when the security alarms went off and the Capitol Police ordered the building locked-down. Roy spent the next six hours in my office with my staff, sharing in conversation, and Coca- Cola and peanuts from my home state of Georgia. Although I was not in the building, my staff tells me that Roy was a joy to be around that day. No one enjoyed the unfortunate situation that developed that day, but Roy was an individual who made the hours pass by more smoothly. He was unflinching in his manner and helped to keep a startled office calm--even as the frightening circumstances hit close to home.

Since that day in May, my office has truly had a new friend. He has become a regular visitor and his constant smile will be missed. Roy's hard work and dedication are rare traits. We thank him for his years of service to our Nation, to this House, and we wish him luck and God speed in the next phase of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a man who I am proud to have called a friend, a constituent, and an inspiration: Chief Apostle Isaiah Revills.

Apostle Revills was born on August 23, 1931 in Moultrie, Georgia, the son of sharecroppers. At the tender age of nine years old, Isaiah's father was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. His mother was forced to lead the family of nine children, but her rock-solid faith in God saw her through.

Isaiah went on to the Moultrie High School for Negro Youth, where he met a young woman named Ullainee Sanders. Ullainee became his sweetheart and his partner, and on June 4, 1955, Isaiah and Ullainee were married. For the last 51 years, they have been partners in every sense of the word--sharing equally in the joys and burdens of the journey of life.

The young couple moved to Milledgeville, Georgia shortly after their marriage, and there Isaiah began to serve as the pastor of his first church. In 1958 they moved to Albany, Georgia, where together they conducted prayer meetings from house to house. So successful were these meetings that they opened a mission in 1959. Isaiah preached the Gospel there, and as far away as Harlem, as his ministry grew. His congregants grew rapidly in number and they moved to a new facility in the Masonic Hall. Apostle Revills fasted for forty days, a mission that led him to another church building, lovingly called ``The Shanty.'' But the growth continued! Isaiah, a brick mason by trade, built the new church with his own two hands. Shortly thereafter, he went into the ministry fulltime with the constant support of Ullainee.

At the time, Newton, Georgia had a difficult racial climate, but Apostle Revills had a vision from God, and traveled there for a tent crusade. That meeting led him across Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and all the way to California. Apostle Revills was anointed by God in 1966 and went on to many more tent crusades, the largest of which became the annual Camp Meeting in the City of Albany, that ended every year with a baptism at the Mercer Mill.

His ministry grew so large, that in 1981 they opened a new 5,000-seat Cathedral and organized into ten distinct operating districts. Apostle Revills began publishing his Miracle Guiding Star Magazine, and took to the radio and television to preach the Word. He preached in Kenya, Haiti and Israel. In 1991, he was justly recognized as one of Georgia's ten most prominent black pastors.

In 1995, Apostle Revills was formally and publicly ordained as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He received an honorary Doctorate of

Divinity and his ring, staff, and crown--official symbols of his position. I was fortunate enough to have worshipped with him at this, and several other services, throughout my time as his Congressman.

I remember when I first campaigned for Congress in July of 1992, all of my local political advisors told me I must meet and pray for the blessings of Apostle Revills. His ability to reach out and touch those he met showed that he was truly anointed by God. He was a man of great stature physically, and a giant spiritually. Apostle Revills was a true friend of mine and I will greatly miss his friendship and his guidance--both spiritual and otherwise.

Mr. Speaker, as I rise today to honor Chief Apostle Revills. I also honor his darling wife Ullainee for her service to God and humanity, and for her loving marriage to Isaiah. Together they had five children and five adopted children, and now have 20 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Apostle Revills' legacy will surely live on in all of them, and in the faith of his followers.

Mr. Speaker, Apostle Revills is a legend in Southwest Georgia and will be remembered for truthfully speaking the Word of God. I stand here today to honor his legacy and thank him for his friendship. He was truly a man of God and I was blessed to know him.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Voting Rights Act and urge this House to decisively reauthorize this legislation for another 25 years. The Voting Rights Act has been reauthorized and upheld for more than four decades, and today we must act to ensure that the provisions set to expire next year remain in effect and continue to protect the sacred right to vote.

The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important civil rights initiatives ever enacted, protecting minority voters from discrimination, and ensuring for all Americans, the right to vote in a fair and equal voting process. This bill was necessary when it was passed in 1965 and it is necessary today. It continues to work effectively to combat discrimination and its reauthorization will make certain that the gains that have been achieved for minority voters are not rolled back. Clearly we have come a long way, but as recently as yesterday a U.S. District Court blocked the enforcement of a controversial voter I.D. law, which would have required the presentation of state-issued photo identification prior to casting your ballot. In the last decade Georgia and several other southern states have continued to experience problems with race-based redistricting and government reorganization. These laws may not be as egregious as the challenges of the past, but they are no less discriminatory and reinforce the need for federal monitoring to protect minority rights.

Before I was elected to Congress in 1992, my area of Georgia had only been represented by an African American once in its history; it was for less than three months in 1870 and 1871. Jefferson Long was the first black Member of Congress from Georgia and only the second nationwide. It took 121 years and the passage of the Voting Rights Act before another African American was elected. This bill is vital to ensuring that minority voices are heard in our nation's capital and at every other level of government.

Indeed only a few short years before Jefferson Long's service in Congress, Georgians elected their first African American state legislators. The election of 1868 was the first in which African Americans in Georgia could participate in the electoral process through voting or running for office. It was hotly debated in the Georgia General Assembly whether or not the Constitution guaranteed African Americans the right to run for office, or simply to vote. Despite this debate, 33 African Americans were elected to the legislature in 1868 and began their service that summer--they were outnumbered four to one in the body by their white colleagues. They endured taunting and torment in the newspapers and on the Floor of the General Assembly. The legislature voted along color lines and expelled the black members of the General Assembly--the 33 were booted from the floor.

One of them--Henry McNeal Turner--said, ``You may drive us out, but you will light a torch never to be put out.'' Another, Tunis Campbell, journeyed from Atlanta to Washington and asked the new President, Ulysses S. Grant, to intercede. Grant and the Congress did the right thing and ordered the Georgia legislature to readmit the expelled legislators and all 33 reclaimed their seats in Atlanta. But, by the turn of the 20th century, the devices of Jim Crow--the poll tax, literacy tests, whites-only primaries, and others--had forced each and every black representative out of office. In 1976, while I was in the General Assembly myself, the black legislators caucus donated a statue to commemorate the centennial of their ordeal.

Today, in Washington, DC, we are called to remember Turner's call--we must not let the torch go out. The Voting Rights Act brings electoral law out of the dark and promises that the discrimination and intimidation that plagued voting in the past will not be tolerated in the present. The reauthorization of this bill will renew that promise to our children and our grandchildren. We should not, we must not, and we cannot allow it to be extinguished. We must extend the Voting Rights Act today--without amendment!

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Voting Rights Act and the legislation before us this week which extends the Voting Rights Act for 25 years. It has been reauthorized and upheld for more than four decades. But several key provisions are set to expire next year if not reauthorized by Congress.

The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important civil rights initiatives ever enacted, protecting minority voters from discrimination and ensuring for all Americans the right to vote in a fair and equal voting process. We must protect this right. It is sacred. It stops practices such as those that allowed every African American to be expelled from the Georgia legislature between 1866 and 1900. It stops poll taxes, racial gerrymanders that dilute minority voting power. It stops moving polling places without notice. It stops hanging chads. It is the reason, after 100 years, that I was finally able to follow Jefferson Long as the first African American to represent my area of Georgia in Congress. It has empowered descendants of slaves like me to participate fully in America's political process. We should not, we must not, we cannot go back. We must renew the Voting Rights Act today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great Georgian and a great American, MG Walter E. Gaskin, who is taking command of the 2nd Marine Division this week, in this, his 32nd year in the United States Marine Corps.

Major General Gaskin was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, and attended Savannah State University on a Naval ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1974 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. Upon completing training, he was assigned to the Second Marines. He served as a Rifle Platoon Commander and Executive Officer of Company K and the 106 Recoilless Rifle Platoon Commander for 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines.

The young Marine went on to be stationed in Okinawa and at Parris Island, before returning home to Savannah to serve as the Marine Officer Instructor and recruiting officer for Naval ROTC at his alma mater. While in Georgia, he also served as the assistant Officer Selection Officer at the Recruiting Station in Macon.

In 1984, Gaskin joined the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines where he served as an Operations Officer. From there he was selected to attend the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. From 1987 until 1990, he served as an action officer at Marine Corps Headquarters and Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), in charge of Unit Environmental Training Programs, Jungle, Cold Weather, and Combined Arms Exercises. Next, Gaskin served as Head, Ground Forces Branch in Seoul, South Korea, then as an Operations Officer for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force during exercises in Norway.

Gaskin then attended the U.S. Army War College and was subsequently assigned as the Executive Officer, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. In 1995, he assumed command of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, and later he deployed to the Mediterranean Sea as the Commanding Officer of Battalion Landing Team under the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. There he participated in Operation Assured Response and Quick Response in Defense of American Embassies in Liberia and the Central African Republic. In 1998, he returned to Camp Lejeune as Head of Expeditionary Operation for the Second Expeditionary Unit.

In January 1999, Major General Gaskin assumed command of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. In September of that year, he deployed with them to the Mediterranean Sea as Landing Force Sixth Fleet. While there, the 22nd participated in the Bright Star Exercises in Egypt and the Infinite Moonlight Exercises in Jordan. His unit also served as the Strategic Reserve for operations in Bosnia and Kosovo.

In March 2000, he became the Commanding General, Training Command, Training and Education Command, MCCDC. Major General Gaskin then rose to Chief of Staff, Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe and Deputy Commanding General, Fleet Marine Forces Europe, in Naples, Italy. He took command of Marine Corps Recruiting Command in September 2004. In October 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.

His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star in lieu of 2nd award, Bronze Star with combat ``V,'' Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with 2 Gold Stars in lieu of 3rd award, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.

Mr. Speaker, Major General Gaskin is the highest ranking African American in the Marine Corps. He is an inspiration for young men and women, and I stand here to honor him today for his years of service to this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unavoidably absent for a portion of the House's proceedings on May 18th and all proceedings on May 19th due to very urgent personal family business.

Had I been present on May 19, for the four votes which occurred during consideration of H.R. 5385, Making appropriations for the military quality of life functions of the Department of Defense, military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes:

I would have voted ``aye;'' on rollcall vote 176--Final Passage;

I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 175--the Blumenauer Amendment;

I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 174--the Rule on H.R. 5385;

I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 173--ordering the ``Previous Question''--(Rule on H.R. 5385).

And, Mr. Speaker, had I been present on May 18, for the final five votes which occurred during consideration of H.R. 5386, Making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes:

I would have voted ``aye;'' on rollcall vote 172--Final Passage--H.R. 5386;

I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 171--the Hefley Colorado Amendment;

I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 170--the Putnam of Florida Amendment;

I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote 169--the Oberstar of Minnesota Amendment;

I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote 168--the Chabot of Ohio Amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a couple from my district, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson McGahee of Columbus, Georgia, who on May 15th of this year celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

Nelson served his country in the United States Army before beginning a career as a civil servant at Fort Benning in Columbus. He has continued to serve his community as an active member of the Columbus Jaycees and the Columbus Airport Authority.

His wife, Borden Black McGahee, has made her career in broadcast journalism. She grew up as a self-professed ``Army brat,'' and became an avid music lover at the tender age of 3 years old while attending the opera with her mother, a season ticket holder. This love of music brought her to the radio, where she became the news director of an Alabama radio station--a unique position at the time for a woman in Alabama. Upon moving to Columbus, she soon moved to television, where she served as the news director for all three of the affiliate news stations in the city. She left journalism to work in public relations for the Muscogee County School District and currently does freelance writing for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and also for Columbus and the Valley Magazine.

Throughout their three decades together, the McGahee's have enjoyed Nelson's passion for all things railroad. Nelson's great-grandfather was a railroad employee, which sparked in Nelson a lifelong interest in trains. Their Columbus home is filled with railroad memorabilia from a variety of historic rail lines.

In tribute to this shared interest, the couple has chosen to spend their 30th anniversary on a train ride in a car filled with history. They secured a ride from Jacksonville, Florida to Washington, D.C. aboard a 1930 Pullman car pulled by Amtrak. In addition to its age, this car has had its share of famous passengers. Former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have all taken trips in this car. Past presidential candidates, Senators John Kerry and John Edwards, and singer Aretha Franklin, have also traveled on this car. Because of its illustrious passengers, the car has been fitted with Secret Service-approved armor plating and bullet-proof windows, which lie hidden behind the tastefully restored antique features.

Five friends have joined the McGahee's on this voyage, which will include a stop at ``Old Ebbitt Grill,'' a legendary restaurant in the heart of Washington, D.C. This restaurant has served nearly every major American politician throughout its 150-year history.

Nelson and Borden McGahee are wonderful people who have shared a wonderful marriage. Their love for each other is inspirational, and surely their next 30 years will be as passionate as the first. This Southwest Georgia couple has chosen a distinctively American way to celebrate their anniversary and we wish them nothing but happiness as they proceed full-steam ahead into their future.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Deal amendment. I think it is appropriate that the Congress not interfere, and what this bill will do without the Deal amendment is allow the Congress to interfere with ongoing litigation.

This case has been litigated in the district courts in Alabama, the United States District Court in the District of Columbia, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the claims of Florida and Alabama and has ruled in favor of Georgia. We would like very much for this Congress not to intercede and to interfere with the implementation of that court's order by violating the separation of powers and trying to hold back the Corps of Engineers

through the appropriations process and preventing them from executing their duties under law.

So I think that the Deal amendment is highly appropriate. It keeps this Congress on track in its constitutional duties, and it preserves the separation of powers. I urge the adoption of the Deal amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the point of order that was offered by my good friend, the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Mr. Goodlatte, and in support of the peanut storage and handling language that was included in the 2007 agriculture appropriations bill.

As the Representative of the Second Congressional District of Georgia,

which I am proud to say is the largest peanut producing district in the Nation, I would like to lend my full support and endorsement of language that was included in the bill extending the peanut storage and handling program for an additional year.

During consideration of the 2002 farm bill, the peanut industry, including growers, manufacturers, and processors, asked that the House Agriculture Committee change the Nation's peanut program from a supply management structure to a more market-oriented program.

At the time, I had the pleasure of serving as a member of the Agriculture Committee. The House Ag Committee made these changes, working in cooperation with the peanut industry, and the transition to the new market-oriented program was a part of a very carefully crafted compromise that was developed and approved by the House Agriculture Committee.

The 2002 farm bill provided storage, handling fees and related costs for the peanut program through the 2006 crop year. Our concern centered on the fact that growers would have to absorb the storage costs associated with peanuts placed under loan.

The language included in the committee bill would simply continue the peanut storage and handling fees program through 2007, terminating at the beginning of fiscal year 2008. The language was reviewed by the CBO and will not have a 2007 cost, primarily because the payments will come after the 2007 harvest. There will be a cost of approximately $77 million in 2008. By all measures, the new peanut program is a true success story.

The storage and handling fees paid on peanuts by this loan program are very limited in scope. And more importantly, the storage and handling segment of the peanut program will actually expire at the end of this fiscal year.

As the chairman will recall, the original intent of this program was to provide an efficient and practical transition from the old supply- management structure to the new market-oriented approach. Without the bridge provided by this program, producers would not have participated in transitioning to the new program.

Every licensed warehouse operator has a structure for storage and handling fees. These fees will be passed on to the peanut producer if they are not paid by the Department of Agriculture. Much of the 2006 peanut crop has already been contracted, and the underlying business decisions associated with these transitions are in large part based on the program provisions that are in effect under current law.

Peanut producers entered this crop year and planned for this farm bill period based on the commitment that Congress made in the 2002 farm bill. Warehouse operators will not absorb these costs. It will be the producer who will pay if these fees are not paid as designed by the current bill.

Peanuts, unlike many other crops, can't practically be stored on the farm. Specialized handling and storage by knowledgeable warehouse operators is necessary to preserve the value of this semi-perishable commodity. So it is an expense that is absolutely necessary and one that the grower can't avoid by doing it himself.

Without this language, what is now a $355 per ton marketing loan program will effectively be reduced to a loan program that will not be profitable for the peanut producer.

Mr. Chairman, this language is crucial to the future of the peanut industry and continuation of the program into 2007. It could literally mean the difference between profitability and loss, between success and failure, between farmers surviving or forcing even more family farmers off the land. These farmers are real people, Mr. Chairman, real people whose lives will be profoundly changed if this point of order is upheld by the Chair.

I strongly oppose the point of order and ask the Chairman to retain the language in question which is vital to the American peanut farmer, particularly those in the State of Georgia.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the American people, and the Congressional Black Caucus' Alternative U.S. Budget (CBC Budget).

Mr. Chairman, budgets are moral documents. They reflect in a very real sense, our deep beliefs, our priorities, and define us as a community and as a Nation. So it is with deep regret that, as people of conscience, we must rise against this attack on seniors, children, families, workers, and small business--against the Majority's budget which levies an enormous cost on the backs of the majority of Americans, in order to benefit the wealthiest few among us.

Make no mistake about it--the majority's budget is a reckless and unfair attack on most Americans. It exacerbates our national debt in an age when we have already squandered a $5.6 trillion budget surplus and added $3 trillion in debt. It freezes important domestic programs-- reducing veterans' health care by $6 billion, education by $45.3 billion, public health by $18.1 billion, and environmental protection by $25.0 billion--while also adding $6.8 billion in reconciliation cuts to mandatory programs. It is outrageous, Mr. Chairman, and it's simply un-American.

The CBC budget, which my office helped to draft, restores fiscal responsibility, balancing the budget in 5 years and creating a surplus of $2.3 billion in FY 2011. It reduces the deficit by $313 billion and saves $10.5 billion in interest payments compared to the Majority's budget. And it adopts PAYGO rules, so that Congress balances our checkbook just like most Americans do.

The CBC Budget adds $32 billion in Education, Training, Employment and Social Services, $1 billion in Natural Resources and Environment; and $5.4 billion in Health programs. It increases security and critical investments for our homeland, for our troops, for rail and port security grants, cargo and air cargo screening equipment, first responders, federal air marshals, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It funds juvenile justice and local law enforcement programs, while restoring cuts in veterans' health care, enhances benefits to our veterans in survivor benefits, medical and prosthetic research, long- term care, and mental health care. It provides $80 billion more for education and job training programs than the Republic budget over 5 years, including funding for No Child Left Behind and school construction. It funds the minority health initiative, child nutrition programs, job creation programs, community and regional development, Gulf Coast reconstruction, scientific research, transportation, Medicare, and a variety of greatly-needed housing initiatives.

Mr. Chairman, we have a historic opportunity before us, to help millions of Americans, and to turn back the clock on fiscal policies, the effect of which this Nation will endure for decades. I urge my colleagues to join in conscience, and adopt this CBC Budget.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Democratic Substitute Budget for fiscal year 2007. As a member of the Blue Dog Coalition I have fought for a balanced budget that represents our Nation's ideals. I believe that this Democratic amendment is the appropriate path for us to reach that goal.

This amendment promises to provide the fiscal discipline that is lacking in the Majority's proposed budget, which will allow us to achieve balance in less than 10 years. By 2012 our Nation's fiscal health will be restored, while providing for $150 billion in future middle-class tax cuts and matching or exceeding the Majority's proposed spending for national defense and domestic programs.

The current budget threatens the programs that our people depend on-- Medicare, veterans' benefits, pension programs, and human services are in jeopardy yet again. The Spratt Substitute protects these crucial programs and the millions of Americans who have earned access to them.

This Democratic proposal matches the Republic budget dollar-for- dollar on National Defense and Homeland Security, while increasing funds for our troops and their families, preventing terrorists from accessing weapons of mass destruction, and fully adopting the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission.

Mr. Chairman, this Congress's irresponsible spending must be stopped and the Democratic proposal will do just that. With pay-as-you-go rules, unwavering support for national security, and moral allocations of money to those who need it most, this Democratic proposal is a rock- solid budget with American values and I ask for your support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great doctor who has devoted his life to serving his countrymen--Dr. Walter Carl Gordon, Jr.

At the age of 78, Dr. Gordon is retiring after nearly 40 years practicing medicine. He has served his community and his country throughout his entire life, all the while blazing new trails for those who would follow him.

Born on October 25, 1927 in Albany, Georgia, Dr. Gordon earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton Institute and then his Master of Science in chemistry from Tuskegee Institute. Before attending medical school, he spent several years teaching chemistry at Lincoln University and Albany State University. In 1955, he graduated from Meharry Medical College and began to serve his country on another level.

The young Dr. Gordon joined the United States Army and was stationed at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco for his first internship. He later completed his surgical residency at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. He became the first African-American surgeon at Walter Reed, the Army's most distinguished medical center.

Dr. Gordon was sent to Vietnam where he was given command of an evacuation hospital. There he helped to develop a new, revolutionary approach to surgery which contributed to saving the lives of countless American servicemen. He was awarded three Army Commendation Medals and one Legion of Merit award for his service, and retired in 1968 as a Lieutenant Colonel. But Dr. Gordon's service was not over.

In 1981 he rejoined the military to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves. He served beyond the call for another decade before retiring with the rank of Colonel.

While still serving in the Reserves, Dr. Gordon practiced medicine in Albany, Georgia at the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. He worked for one year as the Chief of Staff and for two terms as the chairman of the Hospital's board. In 2005, the Board awarded him the title of ``Board Member Emeritus.''

In 2003, Dr. Gordon joined the Hospital staff as a primary care physician at the VA Clinic. Since then he has diligently served the veteran population of Southwest Georgia. He has never forgotten the men and women who have, like him, worn the uniform of this great nation.

Whether serving in Washington, D.C., Vietnam or Albany, Dr. Gordon has performed his service with honor, courage and integrity. His lifetime of altruistic care-giving has made him a legend in our community and an inspirational figure for us all.

Today, we thank and honor Dr. Walter Carl Gordon, Jr. for his dedication and lifelong commitment to the welfare of others. On the occasion of his retirement from the field of medicine, we wish for him the joyous, healthy and tranquil life that he so richly deserves. Dr. Gordon is a healer and a patriot and we applaud his lifetime of service.

Mr. Speaker, Cuthbert, Georgia is a small, rural community, six hundred and sixty-nine miles from the U.S. Capitol. It is home to a rich agrarian tradition, the oldest known pecan tree in the state of Georgia and a high school basketball team known as the Red Devils, who on March 1, 2006, did something that they hadn't done in over three years. They lost a game.

Yet I rise today, not in recognition of this inconsequential loss, but in honor of the remarkable team that won ninety straight games, breaking the Georgia High School Association's record for the most consecutive wins and inspiring a community to believe in the impossible.

For forty-four years, Coach Joe Williams has led the Randolph-Clay Red Devils to 964 wins and six state titles. His focus on aggressive, man-to-man defense has forced his players to test their limits and grow as competitors, at the same time that he has molded boys into a team of men that every young player in Cuthbert dreams of playing for.

For three years the Red Devils have dominated every court that they have taken, winning nearly all of their games by double figures, including a 100-30 victory over Central Talbotton. Yet they took every game seriously, stating simply, ``We play basketball.''

As long as high school basketball is played in the state of Georgia, teams will attempt to duplicate the Red Devils' history-making streak. But they won't succeed; because, while they will emulate their style of play, it is impossible to capture the passion and the ability that has defined these exceptional young men and the dream that they have made legend.

Therefore, here in this hallowed hall, I rise on behalf of the people of Cuthbert, the Second Congressional District and the state of Georgia to honor the extraordinary accomplishment of Coach Williams and the Randolph-Clay Red Devils. You have inspired us all.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with grave concern for our children and the deficit that Congress and this administration are passing on to them. How much is it? It depends on whether you rely on the President's budget or his financial report. The budget showed the deficit at $319 billion in 2005, while the more realistic financial report showed it at $760 billion, more than twice as large.

To make a long story short, the financial report of America uses a clearer, more understandable picture of Federal finances. Beyond that, the Blue Dog Coalition calls for a reform of the congressional budget process so that accrual budgeting is fairly considered in formulating Federal budgets.

Finally, I urge consideration of the Blue Dog call for honest budgeting, which builds on the Blue Dogs' fiscally sound 12-point plan, including caps on discretionary spending, PAYGO rules, that any spending increases be paid for with a revenue cut, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and other budget reforms.

These are dire economic times, Madam Speaker. We need to get our fiscal house in order. I urge my colleagues on the Budget Committee to consider the financial report, and I urge all of my colleagues to adopt the Blue Dog call for honest budgeting.