Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 520 and 521, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of America's great civil

rights and human rights leaders--Dr. Dorothy I. Height.

At ninety years of age, Dr. Height has had a long and distinguished career in the struggles for equality, social justice, and human rights for all peoples, and is today recognized as one of the most important social and civil rights activists of our time.

Born on March 24, 1912, Dorothy Height earned her bachelors and masters degrees from the New York University.

She began her work as a civil rights advocate in the 1930s, then went on to serve as President of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), an organization of 250 local groups and 38 national groups focused on social and economic development, women's issues and children's issues. Under her leadership the NCNW implemented numerous innovative initiatives including: Operation Woman Power to expand business ownership by women and to provide funds for vocational training; leadership training for African-American women in the rural South; the nationwide annual Black Family Reunion to encourage, renew, and celebrate African American and all families; the Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement to empower minority women in nontraditional careers; and the Bethune Museum and Archives devoted to the history of African-American women.

Quite notably, Dr. Height was the only female member of the ``Big Six'' civil rights leaders, which included Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., James Farmer, and Roy Wilkins. Dr. Height was an important confidante and consultant to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on human and civil rights issues. She encouraged President Eisenhower to desegregate America's schools, and urged President Johnson to appoint African American women to high- ranking government positions.

During her life she has also worked tirelessly to educate Americans and those around the world about the realities of AIDS and established NCNW offices in West Africa and South Africa.

Dr. Height is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including: the NAACP's Spingarn Award, the highest honor bestowed by the NAACP for civil rights contributions; (C) the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award, from the National Council of Jewish Women; the Ministerial Interfaith Association Award, for her contributions to interfaith, interracial, and ecumenical movements for over 30 years; the Lovejoy Award, the highest recognition by the Grand Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World, for outstanding, contributions to human relations; the Ladies Home Journal Woman of the Year Award, in recognition for her work for human rights; the William L. Dawson Award, presented by the Congressional Black Caucus for decades of public service to people of color and women; the Citizens Medal Award for distinguished service, presented by President Reagan; the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Freedom Medal, awarded by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President Clinton in 1994 for her lifelong leadership and dedication to civil and human rights issues.

Dr. Dorothy I. Height--a great American hero. Today we thank and honor her, as our lives are all the better for her struggles and her lifelong commitment and leadership in creating opportunities for Americans, and for all peoples.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for yielding the time.

I rise today in support of H. Res. 352, a resolution remembering and honoring the march on Washington of August 28, 1963. Let me first thank the Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who have worked together in the best spirit of bipartisanship in order to bring this important resolution to the floor of the House in short order: the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), chairman; and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform; the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the majority whip; the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip; the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), Democratic leader; and the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert).

I would also like to recognize from our staffs Howard Moon, Jerry Hart, Kyle Nevins, Seth Webb, Rob Cogorno, Tania Shand, Keith Ausbrook and Phil Barnett for their attention to this important resolution in working together to move it through committee and to the floor expeditiously.

Mr. Speaker, in the spring and the summer of 1963, 100 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the ``big six'' civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., James Farmer, Whitney Young, Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph and our esteemed colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), now a Member of Congress, convened to plan a peaceful mass protest against the racial and civil rights injustices that were widespread at that time. This historic event, the largest U.S. demonstration ever assembled to that point, featured Dr. King's famous and historic ``I Have a Dream'' speech, which challenged Americans to answer the call of the United States Constitution: I have a dream that one day this Nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: that all men are created equal. These words helped to spark and fuel the movement that transformed the state of race relations and civil rights in America forever.

How did it all begin? In response to the blatant discrimination that had become a constant hardship in the lives of African American workers, A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood

of Sleeping Car Porters, was the first to call for a march on Washington back in 1941. Twenty-plus years later, the event was planned in direct response to the tragic events of the spring and summer of 1963 in which more than 20,000 U.S. citizens were arrested and detained while nonviolently protesting notable injustices, including police dogs attacking peaceful demonstrators in Birmingham, the tragic assassinations of civil rights activists, the lack of congressional support for President Kennedy's civil rights bill that aimed to end discrimination against African Americans in the workplace, voting booths and schools and all other public domains.

As a direct result of the march, Dr. King's historic speech and the movement, they spawned the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 came to fruition, effectively ending segregation and ensuring voting rights for all Americans.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act outlawing discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, interstate commerce, all of these were expanded later as a result of the march to include protections for women against discrimination and for the disabled.

So we come together today, 40 years later, to celebrate freedom, to celebrate justice, to celebrate equality for all Americans for which this historic march was indeed a catalyst. Some call it an accident. Others call it fate. Some call it the human hand, some the hand of God. Which it is I will not argue, but something strange, something inexplicable, something mysterious, something almost miraculous happened on that day when Dr. King was able to stand before thousands and thousands and to articulate the aims and the aspirations of the masses, not just in these United States, but all across the world in their quest for freedom. Something happened and today we are grateful because we all are the beneficiaries of what happened that fateful day.

Yes, some call it an accident. Others fate, some the hand of God, others the hand of man. Which it is I will not argue, but I will say that on this day, this Congress, in the form of this resolution, has an opportunity to say thank you, thank you to Dr. King, thank you to James Farmer, to Whitney Young, to Roy Wilkins, to A. Philip Randolph, and to our good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) and all who participated in this monumental and historic event for blazing a trail of freedom and equal rights under the law that lives on today and hopefully will live on even better tomorrow.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ``Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our Nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.''

Thank God, Mr. Speaker, for that call to conscience, to morality and to action for America and the world that we benefit from today. I urge my colleagues to stand with me in support of this resolution.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bill, H.R. 2861, VA, HUD and Independent Agencies. As a member of the Subcommittee that oversees the VA, HUD appropriations, we are all in agreement that this bill leaves a lot to be desired. However, I applaud the Chair, Mr. James T. Walsh and the Ranking Member, Mr. Alan B. Mollohan for their leadership in moving this measure to the floor for a vote.

I also want to thank Mr. Obey for his leadership in the Appropriation process and for raising so many concerns that we all have regarding funding cuts in programs in this bill and in other areas. He has so poignantly made it clear to all parties involved that ``the tax cuts fostered by the Bush administration are swallowing up a huge share of the available money.''

Mr. Chairman, I support this bill because of my deep concerns for the veterans in the 2nd District of Georgia and across the country, the needy and poor that live in substandard housing, and for all those who are affected by the downturn of the economy. I concur with some of my colleagues that some of the programs are woefully under-funded. However, I believe we must pass this bill to avoid any further delays in stimulating the economy. This bill provides $137,500,000 for economic development initiatives.

We began the 108th Congress at FY02 funding levels. Many of the FY03 Appropriations bills were not passed until February of this year. We must not bog down this process any further. My constituents and others around the country are hurting. We must move this bill through the House in hopes of working out some of the major differences in Conference.

H.R. 2861 provides for $90 billion in discretionary funds for the Veterans Affairs and, the Housing and Urban Development departments and other independent agencies for fiscal 2004. This bill also includes $27.2 billion in fiscal 2004, an increase of $1.4 billion. The largest component of the VA total is $15.8 billion ``for medical services for veterans with service-connected health needs.''

Further, H.R. 2861 provides funding in fiscal 2004 for NASA in the amount of $15.5 billion; $5.6 billion for the National Science Foundation, a $329 million increase over fiscal 2003; $8 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, which is $375 million above the President's request but $74 million below 2003; $37 billion for HUD, which is $942 million above last year and $98 million over the President's request; $480 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is $96 million above last year and $118 million below the President's request. This funding level will be able to sustain 55,000 volunteers, and increase of 5,000 and $60 million for the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

I also applaud both Mr. Walsh and Mr. Mollohan for recognizing the need to maintain the HOPE VI program. The allocation of $50,000,000 is not nearly enough to meet the needs of many of the severely distressed public housing facilities in my district and others alike. However, the committee has recognized the need to continue the program and went on record as willing to work with HUD in order to improve the overall performance and operation of the program.

The Committee's recommendation to zero out the Samaritan Housing Initiative, that provides assistance to the homeless community, was very alarming to many of the advocates in the housing community. Again, I am hopeful this issue will be addressed at the Conference level.

The Committee has made a valiant attempt to increase the funding for the National

Science Foundation (NSF). The Committee allocated $5,639,070,000 to NSF to enhance its national policy on science, and to support basic research for research and education.

Further, H.R. 2861 provides for other allocations such as:

One VA Enterprise Architecture in the Veterans Administration budget, public Housing Operating Fund, HOPWA, Rural Housing and Economic Development; Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities; Community Development Fund, CDBG; Community Development Block Grant-Formula grants; Habitat for Humanity capacity building; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Brownfield Redevelopment; HOME Program; HOME/CHDO Technical Assistance; Homeless Program; Housing for the Disabled; Rental Housing Assistance; Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity; Community Development Financial Institutions; Corporation for National and Community Service; STAG--State and Tribal Assistance Grants; Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP); HBCU- UP and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.

Finally, H.R. 2861 provides for the establishment of a new provision in the Veterans' Budget to establish a $250 enrollment fee for priority 7 and 8 veterans (those veterans who are not service connected or not impoverished). This level is nearly identical to the annual enrollment fee charged to TRICARE retirees. This new provision increases the co- pay on prescription drugs from $7 to $15 for a 30-day supply of pharmaceuticals prescribed for non-service connected conditions.

Mr. Chairman, I have some real concerns about the ability of some veterans to pay the $250 enrollment fee and the increased fees for co- pay on prescription drugs, I am also hopeful that further consideration will be given to this issue at the Conference Committee level.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), the chairman, and the members of committee for the sensitivity and the concern that we are now paying to the issue of diversity.

For some time now this committee has been wrestling with the idea of diversity going back to former chairman Lou Stokes, former ranking member Julian Dixon. In my service on the committee for 6 years up until this term of Congress we have repeatedly been concerned. And I believe that the director has made it clear that diversity, cultural diversity, lingual diversity is a matter of good business sense for the intelligence community.

We all wish that we had been a little more sensitive and a little more knowledgeable prior to 9-11. But this I think is an opportunity now for us to get it right. And the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) has done an excellent job in helping us to think out of the box by requiring the director to carry out this pilot test project to evaluate innovative alternative methods for recruiting and hiring and retaining members of the intelligence community with a diverse background.

Let me take this opportunity to mention just one member of the African American community who is completing 30 years of service to both the military and the intelligence community, and that is Mr. Garnett Stowe who has retired as chief of staff of the National Reconnaissance Office. Mr. Stowe made tremendous contributions in his own right as a member of the intelligence community, but he too was very sensitive. And he took the time to come with the Congressional Black Caucus last year to appear on a panel that we had dealing with this issue of diversity in diplomatic and intelligence matters.

He has made a tremendous contribution to our country, to the free world through his 30 years of service; and I

certainly would like to take this opportunity as we debate this bill to congratulate him on a career of great service and wish him well in the future.

With that, I would just like to associate myself with all of the remarks that have been said in a positive way in support of the Hastings amendment. I worked very hard when I was on the committee. I am delighted that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) and the other members of the committee are continuing this work because it is one on which we must be vigilant. We cannot afford to give it up. We have got to get it done, and we have got to do it until we get it right. And I want to commend the committee and commend my colleagues for a job well done. Hopefully, we can complete this and get on the road to having the best real-time intelligence for our policymakers and our war fighters based on the most broad net of collection devices and individuals.

I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman very much.

Mr. Speaker, it is with deep regret that I must announce that this morning Maynard Holbrook Jackson, former Mayor of the City of Atlanta, a very prominent American, passed away. He was a great Georgian, a great American, and we will mourn his loss. Shakespeare wrote, ``All the world's a stage and all the men and women many players. Each has its entrance and its exit. One man in his time may play many parts.''

So it is with Maynard Jackson. Born in Texas, spending most of his life in Georgia, a lawyer, a father, a mayor extraordinaire, founder of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, a very, very important historic figure in political annals for African Americans and for Americans.

It is with deep regret that we mourn his passing. We will on tomorrow night

have a special order so that we can pay due homage to a great American whom we loved so very much.

Mr. Speaker, I stand again to address this House and to express my sorrow at the passing of my friend, a great man, Maynard Holbrook Jackson.

Longfellow wrote: ``Lives of great men all remind us, We can make our

lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us, Footprints on the sands of time.'' Yes, Maynard has left great footprints. He left footprints as he left high school at 15 years of age to attend Morehouse College as an early admissions student, when he graduated from Morehouse College with a degree and went on to North Carolina Central University Law School, where he earned a law degree at a very early age. He had a deep baritone voice which he honed singing in the Morehouse College Glee Club. When he graduated from law school, he put that voice to work as a lawyer with the Emory Neighborhood Law Office practicing legal aid.

Maynard was a very, very astute and committed lawyer to the poor. He represented the poor in Atlanta when they were evicted, when they were hounded by debt collectors. He represented them when they had family problems, domestic problems. He handled divorce cases.

I followed him at the Emory Neighborhood Law Office, and I inherited a number of his cases as he moved on to leave even greater footprints.

When he went to the City of Atlanta and became Vice Mayor, inspiring all of us at what this young man could do in terms of leadership for his city, he left footprints there, and it was just a matter of time before he was drafted to make the run for Mayor, and Mayor he was, Mayor of the City of Atlanta where he transformed Atlanta into a world class, world renowned city.

He instituted affirmative action with city contracting. He proved that minorities and women could and would under his watch participate as partners in building Atlanta to greatness.

He developed a national demonstration project in his methods of implementing affirmative action in Atlanta which was followed across the country as other mayors and other cities began to follow the example and the road map that Maynard Jackson left, the footprints that he left there in the sands of time.

He was a leader in so many respects. He founded the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, which was an organization that helped to bring leadership and to strengthen all of the black elected officials in Georgia and, again, allowed Georgia to lead the Nation in growing a crop of African American elected officials so that he could put flesh and put life into the Voting Rights Act that was brought into being by the civil rights movements out of Atlanta and across the country.

He was one who could be said to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was from a well-to-do, upper middle class African American family. He was a son of a Baptist preacher, the grandson of one of the icons of Georgia history, John Wesley Dobbs, grand master of the Prince Hall Masons of Georgia, a leader in his own right in political undertakings throughout the State.

He was the nephew of Mattiwilda Dobbs, opera singer, one of the few African American opera singers in the 1950s.

He was a mentor, a bond attorney. He was a friend to so many, a helpful person. He helped young individuals who were interested in going into business or who were interested in running for office. He exemplified all that was good.

Yes, he was a great man, not because of the titles he carried, not because of the degrees that he had earned, the businesses that he started. He was great because he measured by the true standard of greatness set by Jesus, who said he who is great among you shall be your servant and who is the greatest shall be servant unto all.

Maynard Holbrook Johnson measured up. He was indeed greet. We mourn his loss. We thank God and we thank his family that he came this way, that he helped make this world a little more of hope, a little less of fear and certainly much, much better because he traveled here.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 43, the resolution that expresses the Congress's support for the Habitat For Humanity and the good work this great organization does for American families throughout the Nation.

I am proud to say that this wonderful institution was born in Americus, GA, within the district that I am so privileged to represent. Since its inception, this model of compassion and commitment to humanity has spawned similar groups, and has changed the way many Americans view the problem of homelessness and derelict housing. At this very moment somewhere in America, a home is being built by the Habitat For Humanity. The number of volunteers now exceeds 200,000 and is growing. More than 100,000 homes have been built and renovated, and more are being completed across the country at a rate of 1,000 per month. But we can do even more.

This resolution encourages Members of Congress to participate in ``Congress Building America'' events with local Habitat For Humanity affiliates in their home districts that will continue and increase the homebuilding effort all across America.

Mr. Speaker, Habitat For Humanity works. What seemed like a dream to those who had the vision in Americus so many years ago, is now becoming a reality. Decent housing for every American--thanks to Habitat For Humanity, this is an idea whose time has come.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 195, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to register my vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, last summer, we all watched millions of acres of forestland burn up in wildfires; thousands of animals, including threatened and endangered species, killed or displaced; and, worst of all, dedicated firefighters losing their lives trying to extinguish these out-of-control blazes. These tragedies were compounded by the knowledge that these fires were preventable and resulted from misguided forest management policies designed with good intentions but leading to disastrous results. While the most devastating fires occurred in the West, all parts of the country, including Georgia and the Southeast, are at risk.

Moreover, millions of additional acres are destroyed or threatened by insect infestations each year, both on private and public forestlands. In Georgia, the Southern pine beetle has ravaged many forestlands, and in other parts of the South this insect damage is occurring at an alarming pace. It

threatens to destroy the forests with less fanfare than a wildfire but with the same devastating result.

This needless destruction can be prevented with additional research and active forest management. I support H.R. 1904 as a way to move towards the prevention of unnecessary forest fires and insect infestations. This legislation would assist our public land managers by allowing for the reduction of excessive fuels on the forest floors that are turning our lands into tinder boxes. It would also assist the Forest Service and our land-grant universities and colleges with needed research dollars into insect infestations and ways to turn this research into practical applications.

The bill would also help protect other forestlands through the Watershed Assistance program, designed to assist landowners in protecting critical watershed areas, and the Healthy Forests Reserve Program, developed to rehabilitate degraded forest ecosystems through the use of conservation plans. It even advances the use of renewable fuels by providing grants for the use of biomass for energy production.

Mr. Speaker, with the help of H.R. 1904, hopefully we will see less damage from wildfires and insect infestations in the future. It is time to start preventing these massive wildfires, instead of simply reacting to them once they have already started burning.

The legislation is good for Georgia, good for the South, and good for the forestlands of America. I urge the passage of this much-needed legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this fiscally irresponsible conference report. I believe in tax relief for all Americans, and I supported the President's tax relief package, but this budget comes to us late this evening and it contains a 10-year $1.2 trillion tax cut that we simply cannot afford.

It is particularly disturbing because of the war in Iraq, the global war on terror, and in the midst of a full-blown recession, all of which have very serious consequences on the financial solvency of our Nation for the next generation. This budget adds gasoline to the fiscal fire that is burning out of control with no end in sight.

Do not take my word for it, because more than 400 economists concur that this budget stifles economic growth and will cause greater deficits, increase job losses, and will make a harsh, harsh climate for businesses.

I strongly urge my colleagues to stand up for Americans and for our children who are sure to pay the tab laid before us this evening. Vote ``no'' on this conference report. Vote for something that is fiscally responsible, not this irresponsible garbage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate one of our country's truly great institutions of higher learning, Albany State University--which this year is celebrating its 100th birthday.

Albany State, located in Albany, Georgia in the heart of our state's Second Congressional District, opened its doors in 1903 as a privately funded institution as the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute, serving young African American men and women in an area where few educational opportunities were then available.

Today, the university, now a part of the state system, serves an increasingly diverse student body while continuing to fulfill its historic mission in reaching out to our region's underserved populations.

Albany State's first job is to provide an excellent education to its students, offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees and a variety of non-degree educational programs.

But Albany State also does much more.

This highly committed, creative, vibrant educational complex has made, and is making, a major contribution to the growth of the whole community and region through its research, outreach and public service activities.

The history of Albany State is one of steady growth and success.

In the early years, the school provided much needed teacher and vocational training. In 1917, the school became a two-year state- supported college with a new name, the Georgia Normal and Agricultural College, with programs in teaching and agriculture. In 1943, the growing institution again acquired a new name, Albany State College. Over he ensuing years, Albany State added more and more undergraduate and eventually graduate degrees, and university status was granted in 1996.

Albany State has been blessed with outstanding leadership. Dr. Joseph Winthrop Holley was the first President, and he served in that capacity for 40 years. He was succeeded by Dr. Aaron Brown; Dr. William H. Dennis; Dr. Thomas Miller Jenkins; Dr. Charles L. Hayes, and Dr. Billy C. Black. Albany State's current president is among the country's leading educational figures, Dr. Portia Holmes Shields, whose sister is our own Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to place in the Record part of Albany State's Centennial Resolution, which says:

Whereas, Albany State University's tradition of excellence

has been the result of dedicated service by faculty, staff,

students and community;

Whereas, Albany State University is a progressive

institution fostering the growth and development of the

region, state and nation through teaching, research, creative

expression and public service;

Whereas, Albany State University embraces the concept of

`students first' as a core institutional value, promotes

global learning, and is committed to educational excellence

with special emphasis on the underserved while continuing to

serve the educational needs of an increasingly diverse

student population;

Whereas, Albany State University celebrates throughout the

year of our Lord two thousand and three the centennial theme,

``A Glorious Past to Cherish, An Infinite Future to

Fulfill'';

Whereas, Albany State University is recognized for its

unwavering commitment to graduating empowered leaders,

building better communities and making the difference.

Now therefore be it resolved That April 4, 2003 is

recognized as Albany State University Day in the City of

Albany in recognition of the Centennial Founders Day

celebration of Albany State University.

Happy Birthday, Albany State!

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Blue Dog budget, a fair and balanced alternative to the harsh and misguided priorities of the Republican budget. The Blue Dog budget is fiscally responsible, combining spending restraint and budget enforcement to balance the budget and set us on a path to growth. The Blue Dog budget is balanced, protects Social Security, contains less debt than the Republican budget, and includes a reserve fund for the war in Iraq.

Make no mistake about it, the Blue Dog budget gives Americans more than the Republican budget, and it does so responsibly. It gives $10.4 billion more for discretionary programs in fiscal year 2004; $130 billion more for non-Medicare health care programs, primarily Medicaid; $30 billion more for education and training programs; more agriculture spending for commodity programs, conservation, crop insurance and nutrition programs; and $24 billion more for veterans programs than the Republican budget. All this with reasonable and fair tax cuts that cost only half as much as the Republican budget. For example, it speeds up the child tax credit, eliminates the marriage penalty, exempts $6 million per couple from the death tax, delays cuts for the two highest tax brackets.

The Blue Dog budget helps Americans with substantially less debt than the Republican budget without the deep cuts in important programs that help Americans and strengthen our position in these uncertain economic times. I urge Members to support the Blue Dog budget. It is a better budget. Reject the Republican budget. It is not good for America, and it is especially not good for America today in these uncertain economic times.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Madam Speaker, through this resolution we express our deepest gratitude to those who endured the cruel conditions as POWs in Vietnam, to their families who suffered at home, and to the sacrifice of every American who defends our freedom.

Our congressional colleagues, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Peterson; Senator John McCain of Arizona; and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) spent bitter years in the Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam.

In my area of southwest Georgia, the Andersonville Historic Site where the Nation's Prisoner of War Museum and memorial are located tell the story intensely of the suffering and the limitless courage of our prisoners of war throughout history.

One of my boyhood friends was a fighter pilot lost for 30 years on a combat mission in Vietnam whose remains were just recently found. One of my constituents was a soldier serving on the joint task force in Southeast Asia who lost his life last year in an air crash during a search mission. I knew these wonderful young men personally, and I know what their families went through.

Madam Speaker, this resolution pledging never to rest until we have a full accounting for every American lost in action honors the services and the sacrifices that literally made America the home of the free, the land of the brave.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand here today to give tribute to our colleague, Sam Johnson, and others and all Americans who have served as prisoners of war and to also salute ex-prisoners of war who worked so hard to

dedicate the memorial in Andersonville to the cause that our men and women sacrificed for as prisoners of war. I thank them for this honor. I thank them for what they do and the sacrifices they have made.

Mr. Speaker, by learning about the good and the bad things that happened in our past, we gain a deeper understanding about how to correct the bad and preserve and strengthen the good. That is why the study of history is important. It tells us about the past and it guides us to a better future, for he who understands his past controls his future.

Black History Month is important for just this reason. I commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) and the members of the Congressional Black Caucus for arranging tonight's Special Order, and I thank all of our colleagues for their support and for their participation.

At a time when our country is intensely focused on national security, I will talk about some of the many African American contributions to our Nation's safety and well-being. Many have lost their lives in combat. They are part of a long tradition of service and sacrifice. As the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) pointed out, that goes back to the Revolutionary War when more than 5,000 blacks served on the front lines.

By World War II, with black leaders calling on black citizens to fight fascism abroad and racism at home, more than a fifth of our men and women in uniform were, in fact, African American. Today, more than ever, blacks are at the forefront of defending the Nation, from the lower ranks to the top echelons of military leadership.

One of the trailblazers was Henry O. Flipper, the first black graduate of West Point. Henry Flipper was born in Thomasville in an area of southwest Georgia that I now have the privilege of representing. Although he was born into slavery and had little opportunity to acquire a formal education, his brilliance, his courage, and steadfast forbearance enabled him to secure an appointment to West Point and to graduate with distinction after years of mistreatment and ostracism.

Although he had an exemplary record on the western frontier while serving as the only black among the Army's 2,100 officers, he was unjustly dismissed from the military. Nothing stopped him, however. He went on to have an illustrious career as an engineer, a surveyor, a government official, playing a significant role in the development of the oil industry, the railroads, and the Nation's expansion in those formative years.

At the time of his death in Atlanta in 1940, he was a forgotten man. But in later years, he has been remembered with memorials at West Point, in Thomasville, Georgia, ceremonies at the Pentagon and at the White House as someone who resourcefully and bravely paved the way for others.

Lieutenant Flipper served at the time of the legendary Buffalo Soldiers, the thousands of black cavalrymen who were deployed in the West for some 20 years to protect settlers, escort wagon trains, assist homesteaders in remote areas, even carrying the mail when no one else would, playing an invaluable role in our Nation's growth and development in the late 19th century.

These young men, mostly in their early 20s, came from many States in the aftermath of the Civil War, who endured harsh and often dangerous conditions in the performance of their duty and they were greatly relied upon. There are countless stories, like the time 34 Buffalo Soldiers came to the rescue of a railroad camp which was under attack by a Cheyenne war party during the Indian wars. The soldiers broke through an encirclement of more than 100 warriors and successfully defended the workers, who were all saved. Many were seriously injured, one fatally. But, as always, they did their duty bravely.

Many of the senior military leaders who were still in office when the Tuskegee Airmen were formed in 1941 would have been familiar with the story of the Buffalo Soldiers and their record of service. Certainly the Buffalo Soldiers helped pave the way.

The military was still segregated at the outbreak of World War II, and the all-black fighter group that was activated at the Tuskegee Army Airfield had to deal with racism and prejudice every day. But the commitment of the pilots and the crews and the support personnel never wavered. They steadfastly went about their duties, about their business, and eventually flew scores of combat missions in Italy and other areas of Europe. They fought heroically, though some were lost. They proved to be tremendously effective in bringing down hundreds of enemy planes and providing support for ground troops advancing in Germany.

Today, we express the thanks of a grateful Nation to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of all races and creeds and ethnic backgrounds whose service and sacrifice have kept us free and kept us strong for more than 2 centuries, and to those on the home front who also fought to make freedom available for all.

Today, we also pay tribute to those thousands of African Americans who are now engaged in protecting our national security here in the homeland and those deployed around the world. God bless you, and may God continue to bless your service to America.