Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 480, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 481, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, this morning, I rise to call upon the consciousness and the conscience of not only America, but my colleagues.

I rise in the backdrop of a dreamer's speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, who spoke about the greatness of America. Dr. King had no quarrel with this Nation. He loved its values. He found it a place of promise. And I imagine if he were alive today, he would have an answer to Mr. Putin: America is exceptional.

The world looks to America. America has been the Nation's breadbasket. It has served and fed the world. Mr. Speaker, the farmers I know want to feed the world. They relish being called the suppliers of the breadbasket. They enjoy seeing their products arrive in places where people are hungry. In all the years that I have worked in the United States Congress, we've found a way to work with our family farmers and feed our children. That's why I rise today in opposition to a devastating food fight.

America should take notice. Today, all the food banks around the Nation should be bombarding this House and all of the faith leaders should be immediately rising up and dialing in, for this is a devastating food fight--a $411 million reduction in my State alone, impacting 3,997,000 if this bill containing $4 billion in cuts to food stamps, or the supplemental nutrition program, goes forward today.

There are 46.2 million people who are living in poverty in America, and 9.5 million of them are families. Also, 16.1 million children under the age of 18 are living in poverty. Is that the exceptional America? We know that we are better than that.

Thirty-four percent of children in Texas are in poverty, 50.1 million Americans live in food insecurity, and 16 million children do not eat nutritiously. In larger proportions, that is what will happen today.

And so this is the message: don't cut SNAP. Stop the GOP from cutting $40 billion, which is 33.4 million meals, or 24 meals per month per family. That's our message.

How can we stand here as a country of dreamers and those who believe in acting? Dr. King dreamed, but he was focused on action. He believed in helping the poor. He believed in jobs. And we come here today to stand on this floor with a straight face and engage in a battle of a food fight. I think it is atrocious, and it needs to stop. Where is the goodness that gives all Americans opportunities to rise?

I heard a Member on the floor discuss the Affordable Care Act. Well, get the facts. Right now, as we speak, the Affordable Care Act is providing premiums under $100 for those individuals that need to be insured, helping to cut poverty. That's why we need all of these factors--not cuts in SNAP, not the elimination of the Affordable Care Act and a continuing resolution that is not going to go anywhere. All of these pound on people who are in need.

I'm asking for relief. I'm asking for the very promised land that Dr. King also spoke of: the exceptionalism that is America. When we send young soldiers to foreign lands, they are exceptional. But yet some of the families of our soldiers are now on food stamps. Is that what America is about--cutting the food stamps of Active Duty soldiers?

We have to do better than that. And so our message is going to be a strong one. We're against it. We're against all the pounding down on those who are trying to climb the ladder of success. We want to end the sequester that is going to cut 67.8 million teachers out of the primary and secondary schools.

It is time now to say no, don't cut SNAP, no to the CR, no to sequester, and yes to America, yes to the promised land, yes to the dream, yes to implementing what is right, yes to allowing us to climb the ladder of success. That's the opportunity for Americans. Say yes to jobs, say yes to education.

I believe that if we do not do that, Mr. Speaker, our ancestors and early Founding Fathers, the visionaries, even though we had our ups and downs, Mr. Speaker, are going to ask us, Why?

God bless America, an exceptional Nation with a big heart. Vote ``no'' today. That's what America wants: something for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record the story of Melinda, a cancer survivor and single mother from Texas, a face of hunger.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague just asked the question about have we no decency. Have you no decency?

And these are good friends here. We're colleagues. We come to work for America.

But all who can read, and all who can feel the pain of hunger should ask the question and should beg and plead: don't cut SNAP; $40 billion, 3.4 billion in meals, and 24 meals a month for a family.

Unless you have the cure for poverty, 46 million Americans, then how dare you come to the floor and eliminate a lifeline. Yes, school breakfasts, but what about the children who are from zero to 3 to 4 who are at home with parents, who are at home with the families, the spouses of Active Duty soldiers who use food stamps?

And then the absolute insult: a State like Texas that is prosperous, you give them the instruction to cut people off of food stamps, and then give them a bonus--a bonus--for hurting people and taking their life away.

This is a shameful act. Vote down this rule and this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to the rule for H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act.

I am in opposition to this bill for four reasons: hunger is a real problem in the United States; the solution for reducing dependence on government subsidized food programs is full employment, this bill will hurt the poor and most vulnerable in our country and finally the bill is too draconian and pointedly anti Urban.

September has been declared hunger action month--1 in 6 Americans are going without enough food to sustain a healthy life.

The United States is considered to be the world's wealthiest nation but 14.5 percent or almost 49 million Americans do not get enough to eat.

17 million children live in food insecure households. Children with inadequate nutrition are affected by cognitive and behavior development problems.

The majority of SNAP recipients, about 68 percent, do not work; they are children, elderly, disabled or those caring for a disabled family member in their home or for a child less than 6 years of age.

To qualify for SNAP benefits in Texas, a person cannot have more than $2,000 in a bank account and they can make more than $14,079 annually.

The annual income limitations increase by nearly $5,000 for each additional person living in the household.

To qualify for SNAP benefits, the combined income for a family of four cannot exceed $28,665.

According to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas has the third-highest rate of food insecurity in the nation--18.5 percent of households struggled to acquire enough healthy food in 2011. 14.7 percent of U.S. households had difficulty affording healthy food at some point in 2011.

More than 3 million Americans, including 302,800 Texans, will lose food stamp benefits in 2013 if the U.S. Congress approves proposed federal cuts to the SNAP, according to the federal Office of Management and Budget. About 8.5 percent of Texans were enrolled in the program as of June 2012.

Based on the estimates from the OMB, the Texas Food Bank Network calculated the number of Texans that would lose food stamp benefits in 2013 by county.

2 million rural households experience food insecurity. The counties in the United States with the highest disproportionately high rates of food insecurity are rural not urban or suburban.

We should pass the American Jobs Act

Prior to the financial crisis, 26.3 million individuals a month on average received SNAP benefits, getting an average of $96 per month in benefits. Over the course of the ``Great Recession'' SNAP spending has increased from $33.2 billion for fiscal year 2007 to $78.4 billion for fiscal year 2012. The Congressional Budget Office says the economy is the cause of the nearly 65 percent increase in SNAP spending between 2007 and 2011.

The Congressional Budget Office said in its May 2013 baseline update estimate that SNAP participation would begin to decline as the economy continued to recover, falling to an average of $34.4 million per month.

SNAP benefits also help those who earn 130 percent of the federal poverty guideline. 83 percent of SNAP households have gross income at or below 100 percent of the poverty guideline. This translates into incomes of $19,530 for a family of 3 in 2013. These households receive about 91 percent of all benefits.

Unemployment remains at 7.3 percent with about 11.3 million people unemployed. There are 6 million long term unemployed people who have been searching for work 27 weeks or longer.

In July, unemployment percentages by state: Texas 6.5 percent, California 8.7 percent, Nevada 9.5 percent, North Carolina 8.9 percent, South Carolina 8.1 percent, Rhode Island 8.9 percent, Tennessee 8.5 percent, Michigan 8.8 percent, Arizona 8.0 percent, and Arkansas 7.4 percent.

In August 2013, there were still 2 million fewer jobs than when the ``Great Recession'' began in 2007. There are still 3 unemployed people for every new job created by the private sector. 60 percent of the jobs lost were mid-wage occupations--people who did not need Federal or State food assistance or housing assistance programs.

Mid-wage good paying jobs make up only 22 percent of the new jobs created during the recovery. Low-wage jobs represented 21 percent of the jobs lost but now make up 58 percent of the new jobs.

The need for SNAP is greater because the recovery is not as strong as it should be nor reaching the people it should reach.

Over the last decade the number of households that were working or had no income while receiving SNAP more than tripled, from 2 million in 2000 to about 6.4 million in 2011.

This bill will hurt the most vulnerable

Having SNAP funds does not guarantee access to nutritious food. The Department of Agriculture says that food deserts make it difficult for urban, suburban and rural poor to find nutritious food.

A food desert according to the Department of Agriculture is a ``low- access community,'' where at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract's population live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store.

The USDA defines a food desert for rural communities exists where the distance to a grocery store is more than 10 miles.

In Harris County, Texas, 149 out of 920 households or 20 percent of residents do not have automobiles and live more than one-half mile from a grocery store.

Hunger is silent--most victims of hunger are ashamed and will not ask for help, they work to hide their situation from everyone.

In 2009-2010 the Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown area had 27.6 percent of households with children experiencing food hardship.

In households without children food hardship was experienced by 16.5. Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown rank 22 among the areas surveyed.

The bill is too draconian and pointedly anti-Urban

The bill creates a nationwide ``pilot program'' that directs states could impose new work requirements on SNAP recipients, including on parents of young children. The bill authorizes states to conduct drug testing of SNAP applicants as a condition of receiving benefits.

The bill is blatantly anti-urban in calling for a pilot program to reduce retailer fraud be conducted in a large urban area that administers its own SNAP program.

The bill requires that SNAP recipients receive at least $20 or more in aid from the state through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) before they could receive an increase in SNAP benefits.

The bill before prohibits states from telling someone about SNAP food programs. The bill defines this type of communication as recruiting SNAP participants by advertising the SNAP program.

The bill eliminates states' ability to waive work requirements. In addition the bill would impose new work requirements on parents of young children.

The bill would restrict ``categorical eligibility'' this would impact people who qualify for other low-income aid.

The bill requires that SNAP benefits be used by beneficiaries within 60 days of being posted to an account. If they have the benefits then the benefits should be there when the opportunity to go to a store is available to them--which may be more than a 2 to 4 week period.

People who are poor are not criminals and we should stop trying to treat them as if they

committed a crime. This bill is right out of the 47 percent playbook that was defeated last year during the Presidential Election and this bill needs to be defeated as well.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would reduce net SNAP spending by 39 billion over 10 years and that 2.8 million people on average would lose their benefits while 850,000 would see benefits cut.

SNAP benefits help the disabled, which include men and women who have served our nation during times of war. It is reported that nearly $53 million in food stamps had been cashed in by people eligible to shop in base commissaries, including disabled veterans. The use of food stamps in commissaries increased 9 percent from 2012 to 2013. Military commissaries sold about $31 million under the Women, Infants and Children program in 2012 and nearly $15 million by June of this year.

Food is not an option--it is a right that all people living in this Nation must have to exist and to prosper.

Next year if this bill become law the nearly $40 billion cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs also known as SNAP that is proposed by this bill 4 million Americans would fall though our Nation's food safety net.

In 2011, according to Feeding America: 46.2 million people were in poverty, 9.5 million families were in poverty, 26.5 million of people ages 18-64 were in poverty, 16.1 million children under the age of 18 were in poverty, 3.6 million (9.0 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty.

In the State of Texas: 34% of children live in poverty in Texas, 21% of adults (19-64) live in poverty in Texas, 17% of elderly live in poverty in Texas.

In my city of Houston, Texas the U.S. census reports that over the last 12 months 442,881 incomes were below the poverty level.

In 2011: 50.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33.5 million adults and 16.7 million children. households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.6 percent compared to 12.2 percent.

More Facts on Child Hunger

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.7 million children under 18 in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access enough nutritious food for a healthy life.

Food Insecurity

16.7 million children lived in food insecure households in 2011. 20% or more of the child population in 37 states and D.C. lived in food insecure households in 2011. In 2011, the top five states with the highest rate of food insecure children under 18 were New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Arizona, Oregon, and Georgia.

Emergency Food Assistance

Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under. 54 percent of client households with children under the age of 3 participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Poverty

In 2011, 16.1 million or approximately 22 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty.

Participation in Federal Nutrition Programs

In fiscal year 2011, 47 percent of all SNAP households contained children. During the 2011 federal fiscal year, more than 31 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. Unfortunately, just 2.3 million children participated in the Summer Food Service Program that same year.

As elected representatives we should see our Nation's vital interest to be to feed hungry children and all hungry Americans.

At the core of our vital interest is a stable and thriving economy, a strong and healthy population that is able to contribute to the economic engine that fuels our economy.

I urge my colleagues to reject this rule and restore fully the food programs to the farm bill.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this legislation and place a statement in the Record because those who get food stamps are not criminals. They are just hungry.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act.

I am in opposition to this bill for four reasons: hunger is a real problem in the United States; the solution for reducing dependence on government subsidized food programs is full employment, this bill will hurt the poor and most vulnerable in our country and finally the bill is too draconian and pointedly anti-Urban.

Finding hungry people in the United States is not hard--they are in every community. The problem is so dire that--September has been declared hunger action month. People in the 18th Congressional District along with people in Congressional Districts around the nation are putting forth an extra effort to raise awareness that 1 in 6 Americans are going without enough food to sustain a healthy life.

Although the United States is considered to be the world's wealthiest nation 14.5 percent or almost 49 million Americans, which includes 15.9 million children face challenges to getting enough to eat.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture 50 million people experience hunger because they have limited access to resources. The type of resources could be adequate or reliable means of transportation to where food can be obtained, or money to buy food.

In the United States 17 million children live in food insecure households. Children with inadequate nutrition are affected by cognitive and behavior development problems. Eating enough to stay alive but not enough to meet nutrition requirements means the body will break down muscle and tissue.

The majority of SNAP recipients which is about 68 percent do not work--they are children, elderly, disabled or those caring for a disabled family member in their home or for a child less than 6 years of age.

Food insecurity is not limited to urban and suburban areas--over 2 million rural households experience food insecurity. The counties in the United States with the highest disproportionately high rates of food insecurity are rural not urban or suburban.

Children in food insecure homes--who do not consume healthy food on a regular basis are more likely to experience irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

These children's ability to get ahead in life are demonstratively impacted by food insecurity.

Nutrition does not need reform--we know what foods are nutritious and how much nutritious food should be consumed by each man, woman and child regardless of age must consume each day to remain healthy and productive.

We should pass the American Jobs Act:

If this Congress was serious about work opportunities they would have passed the President's American Jobs Act. The irony is that if the American Jobs Act had become law it would have significantly reduced the numbers of persons in need of food assistance from the government.

Prior to the financial crisis and economic recession, 26.3 million individuals a month on average received SNAP benefits, getting an average of $96 per month in benefits. Over the course of the ``Great Recession'' SNAP spending has increased from $33.2 billion for fiscal year 2007 to $78.4 billion for fiscal year 2012.

The Congressional Budget Office says the weak economy as being the cause of the nearly 65 percent of the growth in spending on benefits between 2007 and 2011. The Congressional Budget Office said in its May 2013 baseline update estimate that SNAP participation would begin to decline as the economy continued to recover, falling to an average of $34.4 million per month.

Adding the words ``Work Opportunity'' is not about work but about how to prevent the working poor from accessing SNAP benefits.

SNAP benefits also help the working poor which includes those who earn 130% of the federal poverty guideline, but the majority of households have income well below the maximum: 83% of SNAP households have gross income at or below l00% of the poverty guideline this translates into incomes of $19,530 for a family of 3 in 2013. These households receive about 91% of all benefits.

Unemployment remains at 7.3 percent with about 11.3 million people unemployed. We know that we have 6 million long term unemployed people who have been searching for work 27 weeks or longer. In July, unemployment percentages for the following states were:

Texas 6.5 percent,

California 8.7 percent

Nevada 9.5 percent,

North Carolina 8.9 percent,

South Carolina 8.1 percent,

Rhode Island 8.9 percent,

Tennessee 8.5 percent,

Michigan 8.8 percent,

Arizona 8.0 percent, and

Arkansas 7.4 percent.

In August 2013, there were still 2 million fewer jobs than when the ``Great Recession'' began in 2007. There are still 3 unemployed people for every new job created by the private sector. To compound the problem--60 percent of the jobs lost were mid-wage occupations--people who did not need Federal or State food assistance or housing assistance programs.

These types of mid-wage good paying jobs make up only 22 percent of the new jobs created during the recovery. Low-wage jobs represented 21 percent of the jobs lost at the start of the recession and now make up 58 percent of the new jobs of the recovery. The number of people who are in need of SNAP is greater because the recovery is not as strong as it should be nor reaching the people it should reach.

The bill's version of work opportunity threatens the working poor's opportunity to provide food for their families. Over the last decade the number of households that were working or had no income while receiving SNAP more than tripled, from 2 million in 2000 to about 6.4 million in 2011.

This bill will hurt the most vulnerable:

Having SNAP funds does not guarantee access to nutritious food, according to the Department of Agriculture food deserts make it difficult for urban, suburban and rural poor to find nutritious food. A food desert according to the Department of Agriculture is a ``low- access community,'' where at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract's population live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store. The USDA defines a food desert for rural communities as a census tract where the distance to a grocery store is more than 10 miles.

Food deserts exist in rural and urban areas and are spreading as a result fewer farms as well as fewer places to access fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, and other foods as well as a poor economy.

The result of food deserts are increases in malnutrition and other health disparities that impact minority and low income communities in rural and urban areas. Health disparities occur because of a lack of access to critical food groups that provide nutrients that support normal metabolic functions.

Poor metabolic function leads to malnutrition that causes breakdown in tissue. For example, a lack of protein in a diet leads to disease and decay of teeth and bones. Another example of health disparities in food deserts are the presence of fast food establishments instead of grocery stores. If someone only consumes energy dense foods like fast foods this will lead to clogged arteries, which is a precursor for arterial disease a leading cause of heart disease. A person eating a constant diet of fast foods are also vulnerable to higher risks of insulin resistance which results in diabetes.

In Harris County, Texas, 149 out of 920 households or 20 percent of residents do not have automobiles and live more than one-half mile from a grocery store.

Hunger is silent--most victims of hunger are ashamed and will not ask for help, they work to hide their situation from everyone. Hunger is persistent and impacts millions of people who struggle to find enough to eat. Food insecurity causes parents to skip meals so that their children can eat.

In Harris County, Texas, 149 out of 920 households or 20 percent of residents do not have automobiles and live more than one-half mile from a grocery store.

In 2009-2010 the Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown area had 27.6 percent of households with children experiencing food hardship. In households without children food hardship was experienced by 16.5. Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown rank 22 among the areas surveyed.

The bill is too draconian and pointedly anti-Urban:

The majority seeks to do everything imaginable to make it more difficult for people in this country to get access to affordable healthcare, a job that will pay a livable wage or meals that are nutritious are difficult to understand.

The bill would establish a nationwide ``pilot program'' under which states could impose new work requirements on SNAP recipients, including on parents of young children who are exempt under the current law. It would not be in the best interest of young children for their parents to leave them unattended and it would not be in the best interest of SNAP recipients to choose between rent and childcare.

The language of the bill authorizes states to conduct drug testing of SNAP applicants as a condition of receiving benefits. Since most of the benefits go to children, the elderly and disabled the question of drug testing is more a facade for a political philosophy than a real world problem with drug addiction and Federal and State food programs.

The bill is blatantly anti-urban in calling for a pilot program to reduce retailer fraud be conducted in a large urban area that administers its own SNAP program. Is there a belief that Mayberry exists in every rural area and therefore there could be no possible cases of SNAP fraud?

The bill requires that SNAP recipients receive at least $20 or more in aid from the state through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) before they could receive an increase in SNAP benefits. LIHEAP and SNAP are two different programs and they serve different purposes. LIHEAP helps when homes are not safe or are in need of repairs to make them more safe for human occupation. The problem with this formula is that the funds sent for LIHEAP are not nearly enough for the numbers of persons who need housing repair. The second problem is it would require people who have no need of housing repairs, but who may need additional food assistance to apply for the LIHEAP program, which is already underfunded in order to get what they really need--more food assistance.

This formula will guarantee that people in need of additional assistance under SNAP will never receive it.

The bill before us would prohibit a state from telling someone they know is hungry about SNAP food programs. The bill defines this type of communication as recruiting SNAP participants by advertising the SNAP program.

The bill eliminates the ability of states to waive work requirements for ``certain able-bodied'' SNAP recipients even when unemployment is high. In addition the bill would impose new work requirements on parents of young children.

The bill would restrict ``categorical eligibility'' this would impact people who qualify for other low-income aid.

The bill requires that SNAP benefits be used by beneficiaries within 60 days of being posted to an account. If the benefits are not used then they will be taken back. The reality is people make decisions about where and when to purchase food not based on our schedule but their own.

If they have the benefits then the benefits should be there when the opportunity to go to a store is available to them--which may be more than a 2 to 4 week period.

People who are poor are not criminals and we should stop trying to treat them as if they committed a crime. This bill is right out of the 47% playbook that was defeated last year during the Presidential Election and this bill needs to be defeated as well.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would reduce net SNAP spending by 39 billion over 10 years and that 2.8 million people on average would lose their benefits while 850,000 would see benefits cut.

SNAP benefits help the disabled, which include men and women who have served our nation during times of war. According to news reports, nearly $53 million in food stamps had been cashed in by people eligible to shop in base commissaries, including disabled veterans.

The use of food stamps in commissaries increased 9 percent from 2012 to 2013, when $99 million in food stamps were used on bases. In addition, military commissaries sold about $31 million under the Women, Infants and Children program in 2012 and nearly $15 million by June of this year.

Food is not an option--it is a right that all people living in this nation must have to exist and to prosper. Next year if this bill becomes law the nearly $40 billion cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs also known as SNAP that is proposed by this bill 4 million Americans would fall thought our nation's food safety net.

As elected representatives we should see our nation's vital interest. At the core of our vital interest is a stable and thriving economy, a strong and healthy population that is able to contribute to the economic engine that fuels our economy.

I urge my colleagues to reject this bad bill and return the food programs to the farm bill.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank my colleagues for allowing me to join you this evening in what I think is an enormously important tribute.

As I present this distinguished gentleman, this hero, I just want to make mention of my friend Clarence Eugene

Sasser, a Medal of Honor winner born September 12, 1947, who received his Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. He's now passed, and I know that those who live recognize their fellow recipients for their heroism.

But we are honoring tonight those who live. And so it is my privilege to be able to salute Sergeant Major Kenneth E. Stumpf of Tomah, Wisconsin.

Honoring Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the heroic efforts of Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf of the United States Army. Sergeant Major Stumpf was with Company C of the 25th Infantry Division and received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action on April 25, 1967.

Might I just say, Mr. Speaker, we know that as our Vietnam vets came home, the response was not an American response. I'm grateful to be able to stand on the floor today to say that their valiant service evidenced by so many, and certainly through the honoring of this great Medal of Honor winner, now comes to the full attention of America where we will never, never welcome our soldiers home in any other manner than to say ``thank you.''

Sergeant Major Stumpf's company approached a village and encountered a well-fortified bunker complex. Three men were wounded in front of a hostile machine gun emplacement. Sergeant Major Stumpf and his squad successfully eliminated two bunker positions, but one still remained a serious threat.

Armed with hand grenades, Sergeant Major Stumpf ran through enemy fire, and as he reached the bunker, he pulled the pins on two grenades and directed them directly into it. With the bunkers eliminated, Sergeant Major Stumpf was able to rescue the three wounded servicemen.

It is for his fighting spirit and ultimate concern for the lives of his fellow soldiers that I am proud to honor and remember the actions of Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf. We will always remember the valiant efforts of our soldiers. Wars have agreement and disagreement, but no one, no one in America ever disagrees with the service, the sacrifice, the love, the valiant efforts of our men and women in the United States military.

Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf, Medal of Honor winner, we salute you.

``I heard `pow, pow, pow.' Then for a few seconds, it stopped and then `pow, pow, pow.' I just started running.''

Mr. Speaker, the sentiments of this newspaper fell upon me and many other Americans, the words again--``another mass shooting in the United States of America.''

Now, at the Naval Sea Systems Command--the naval command here in Washington, D.C.--and in coming from Texas, it reminded me of the horrific tragedy and terrorist act of Fort Hood. If you cannot call this terrorism, you could call it a domestic rampage, but what you could call it is a failing for what we in the United States Congress have not done, and that is to pass universal background checks and to focus on the mental health needs of those who are disturbed and might cause the havoc and the loss of life of so many that families today mourn.

As we stand here today, the question becomes: How much longer will it take us to pass sensible gun legislation to stop this violence?

I pray for those who have lost their lives, Mr. Speaker, and I ask this Congress to act and to pass universal background checks and the stopping of

these ridiculous top secret clearances by outsourcing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dr. Thomas F. Freeman, who for more than 60 years has been a professor of philosophy at Texas Southern University, which is located in my congressional district.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey.

I rise today to ask an incredulous question of how many times do we have to say, ``No,'' and how many times do the American people have to say, ``Take your hands off my good Affordable Care Act'' that has allowed millions of Americans to have preventible care that is being poised to attack the scandalous high percentage of uninsured in the State of Texas, being the number one State with uninsured persons? How many times?

First of all, this bill is frivolous. The reason is because there is a construct in the Affordable Care Act to deal with all of the questions that they've asked. First of all, it will require that individuals will have to submit their projected annual household income. All income data submitted through the marketplace will then be checked against IRS data, Social Security data, current wage information. If there is inconsistency, the marketplace will require additional documentation. In addition, marketplaces will check employer coverage information from the applicant and their employer against data, OPM, and the SHOP Marketplaces, as well as other data sources.

It is absolutely absurd for this bill to place more responsibilities on an already sequestered government. If my colleagues want to do anything to provide any substance to what they're talking about, let's put a bill on the floor to end sequestration. There's no resources that would add to the inspector general's ability to do all that they said.

Let me add further insult to injury, and I want my constituents to listen closely. $67 million was given to navigators to provide the kind of oversight and construction that these individuals on this bill have suggested they need. What I find appalling and what I've not seen in my tenure in Congress is the number of Members on the Energy and Commerce Committee that have sent a letter to the 51 navigators governed by Health and Human Services to require them to send information.

I want my navigator that received a grant from HHS to refuse to do anything with that letter, and I'm going to ask the Secretary of HHS to reject this letter that has no authority in law. Again, it is trying to abuse and reject the idea of the Affordable Care Act.

This bill should go down, and don't answer the letter. This is a bad way to deal with health care in America.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2775, the so- called ``No Subsidies Without Verification Act.'' I oppose this unnecessary and dilatory legislation which imposes unnecessary and burdensome conditions on the ability of Americans to utilize the tax credits provided by the Affordable Care Act which will enable them to purchase affordable health insurance for themselves and their families.

This is the 41st attempt by House Republicans to repeal, delay, or undermine effective implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Even though the Affordable Care Act, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court and is here to stay, House Republicans refuse to abandon their quixotic quest to derail a law that will bring peace of mind to millions of Americans and reduce the deficit by $1 trillion.

Their latest attempt is the bill before us which prohibits any health insurance premium tax credits from being provided until the HHS Inspector General Office certifies there is a program in place that ``successfully and consistently verifies'' household income and coverage requirements for those applying for these credits.

This bill, H.R. 2775, is unnecessary because HHS already has a strong income verification system in place, as confirmed by CBO. The only purpose of this legislation is to hinder the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

The impact of the enactment of this GOP bill would be an unconscionable delay in obtaining health insurance for more than 25.7 million Americans, 22.7 million of whom are members of working class families.

The new requirement imposed by the irresponsible bill before us would delay millions of

our hard-working constituents from getting the premium tax credits they are clearly eligible for beginning on January 1, 2014.

Madam Speaker, Americans do not have to be told that justice delayed is justice denied!

Under current law, to receive the premium tax credits to make their health insurance affordable, individuals will have to submit their projected annual household income. All income data submitted through the Marketplaces will then be checked against IRS data, Social Security data, and current wage information. If there is an inconsistency, the Marketplaces will require additional documentation from applicants.

In addition, Marketplaces will check employer coverage information from the applicant and their employer against data from OPM and the SHOP Marketplaces as well as other data sources approved by HHS to verify eligibility for the tax credits. If applicant information and other data do not match, the Marketplaces will ask for further supporting documentation.

Further, all payments of premium tax credits are reconciled by IRS the following year. The income data submitted is reconciled against the actual wages and health coverage information on the individual's income tax return. If there is an inconsistency, the applicant pays back the excess, subject to statutory limit and there is 100 percent income verification and reconciliation on this back-end.

In sum, there are ample existing safeguards to ensure that premium tax credits are available only to those eligible to receive them.

Madam Speaker, after the sobering events of the last week, regarding war and peace, I would hope all my colleagues would take into consideration the importance of using our limited legislative time more wisely.

We should be addressing the need to eliminate sequestration, raising the debt ceiling and passing the jobs bill in order to repair infrastructure. But instead House Republicans continue to repeal, delay, or undermine the Affordable Care Act. Instead of wasting time on these time-consuming but futile efforts, our friends across the aisle should join with their Democratic colleagues to work together to create jobs and educational opportunities for our people.

Moreover, the Affordable Care Act is working and my constituents--and those of my colleagues--are benefiting from this landmark legislation.

Many of those most in need of the healthcare coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act live in the districts of many members on both sides of this argument. My home state of Texas leads the list of states with the highest percentages of uninsured residents. The states with the highest percentage of uninsured are:

1. Texas: 28.8%.

2. Louisiana: 24%.

3. Nevada: 23.3%.

4. California: 23.2%.

5. Florida: 22.8%.

6. Georgia: 22.5%.

7. Arkansas: 21.9%.

8. Mississippi: 21.7%.

9. Oklahoma: 21.4%.

The highest concentration of the uninsured is the poor. The Affordable Care Act provides at no or nearly no cost to states an option to enroll those living in or near poverty into their Medicaid program, which would benefit my state of Texas tremendously if the Governor can be persuaded to follow the example of his Republican counterparts and accept a deal of a lifetime.

I cannot understand the continued refusal by House Republicans to accept the Affordable Care Act, which is now the law of the land and is modeled after the plan put in place in Massachusetts by the nominee of their party in the last presidential election.

Instead of focusing on the issues that the American people want addressed, we are having the same discussion to repeal the Affordable Care Act in efforts of my colleagues to repeal, obstruct and undermine this law.

What is even more frustrating is that while there is so much energy in trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, there has been no plan or suggestions posed on how to replace it.

Additionally, I oppose this misguided legislation because the Affordable Care Act is working for America and for my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas. Let me count the ways:

13 million Americans benefited from $1.1 billion in rebates sent to them from their health insurance companies last year.

105 million Americans have access to free preventive services, including 71 million Americans in private plans and 34 million seniors on Medicare.

Millions of women began receiving free coverage for comprehensive women's preventive services in August 2012.

100 million Americans no longer have a life-time limit on healthcare coverage.

Nearly 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage by insurers.

6.6 million young-adults up to age 26 have health insurance through their parents' plan, half of whom would be uninsured without this coverage.

6.3 million Seniors in the `donut hole' have already saved $6.1 billion on their prescription drugs.

3.2 million Seniors have access to free annual wellness visits under Medicare, and

360,000 small employers have already taken advantage of the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to provide health insurance to 2 million workers.

Because of the Affordable Care Act 3.8 million people in Texas-- including 2.2 million seniors on Medicare now receive preventative care services. Over 7 million Texans no longer have to fear lifetime limits on their healthcare insurance. Texas parents of 300,731 young adults can sleep easier at night knowing that their children can remain on their health insurance until age 26.

The protection provided by this law is a guarantee to 5 million Texas residents that their insurance companies will spend 8o percent of their premium dollars on healthcare, or customers will get a rebate from their insurance company.

In my state, there are 4,029 people who had no insurance because of pre-existing conditions, but today the Affordable Care Act has provided them with access to coverage. The Affordable Care Act means that many Texans are free of worry about having access to healthcare insurance.

The Affordable Care Act has helped my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas tremendously. Because of the Affordable Care Act:

11,400 young adults in the district now have health insurance through their parents' plan;

Over 4,100 seniors in the district received prescription drug discounts worth $5.4 million, an average discount of $600 per person in 2011, $650 in 2012, and $1,040 thus far in 2013;

71,000 seniors in the district are now eligible for Medicare preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible;

121,000 individuals in the district--including 23,000 children and 50,000 women--now have health insurance that covers preventive services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible;

113,000 individuals in the district are saving money due to ACA provisions that prevent insurance companies from spending more than 20 percent of their premiums on profits and administrative overhead. Because of these protections;

Over 31,100 consumers in the district received approximately $4.4 million in insurance company rebates in 2012 and 2011--an average rebate of $95 per family in 2012 and $187 per family in 2011;

Up to 46,000 children in the district with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by health insurers;

153,000 individuals in the district now have insurance that cannot place lifetime limits on their coverage and will not face annual limits on coverage starting in 2014;

Up to 193,000 individuals in the district who lack health insurance will have access to quality, affordable coverage without fear of discrimination or higher rates because of a preexisting health condition; and

The 17,000 individuals who currently purchase private health insurance on the individual or small group market will have access to more secure, higher quality coverage and many will be eligible for financial assistance.

However, the list of benefits from the Affordable Care Act is not complete. In 2014, when the Affordable Care Act's final provisions will become effective, insurance companies will be banned from: discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition; charging higher rates based on gender or health status; enforcing lifetime dollar limits; and enforcing annual dollar limits on health benefits.

In 2014, access to affordable healthcare for the self employed or those who decide to purchase their own coverage will be easier because of Affordable Insurance Exchanges. There will be a one-stop marketplace where consumers can do what Federal employees have done for decades-- purchase insurance at reasonable rates from an insurer of their choice. This will ensure that health care consumers get the care that they need from the medical professionals they trust most at a price they can afford.

This Congress has work that needs to be done, and it is work that should be taken up to restore workers, their families, and communities to sound economic health. We do not have time time for partisan political games that do not advance the interests of the American people.

With less than 20 days before enrollment in the Marketplaces begins, the last thing we should be doing is considering legislation that serves no purpose other than to delay affordable health care coverage to millions of Americans who need and deserve the security and peace of mind such coverage brings.

I urge my Colleagues to put partisan politics aside and join me in voting no on the passage of this bill.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

House of Representatives

Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC, August 29, 2013.

Madam Speaker, this is a great opportunity to rise today to salute and praise Dr. Thomas F. Freeman: educator, scholar, and legendary coach and teacher of the art of debate at the historic Texas Southern University, supporting the historic Texas Southern University debate team.

For those of you who have not heard of that team, I ask you to look closely at the number of awards it has received because of this great educator. He comes from a great family with a great wife, who is also an educator.

Today I rise to salute him as a first-rank scholar, but also as a person of great eloquence, talent, and oration, someone who was inspirational to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the honorable late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, my predecessor.

A prodigy himself, Dr. Freeman graduated from Virginia Union University at 18 and went on to become a professor at Virginia Union before his 30th birthday. He would later receive degrees from Andover Newton Theological School, Harvard University, Chicago Divinity School, the University of Vienna in Austria, and the University of Liberia in Africa. Dr. Freeman was among a group of accomplished academics of color hired by Texas Southern University.

What I want to say most about Dr. Freeman is that he is a renaissance man. He's a man of courage. He's a man who broke color lines, teaching at Rice University for 23 years. He is a man that has a number of sayings that are so vital. One is:

There is an ethical dimension to leadership. If you do not

consider ethics, then your leadership is hollow.

I thank Dr. Freeman for being the kind of icon that America can honor. His leadership will be rewarded by the many students who have gone on to greatness because of his tutoring. In fact, even Denzel Washington was tutored by Dr. Thomas Freeman.

He is 95 years old and will be honored in his retirement at Texas Southern University tomorrow, Friday, September 13, 2013. However, his light will continue to shine, for he will continue to work with students and to provide light to those who are willing to learn.

Thank you, Dr. Freeman, for being a great American and a great leader and a man of ethics, passion, Christianity, and courage.

Mr. Speaker, I was in this very building on 9/11. I was here when Members of Congress engaged in a meeting, and obviously not paying attention to the crisis around us until the instruction was given to flee. As we came out of offices and meeting rooms, we saw those who were fleeing and those who were trying to protect leadership, and others of us who were told to flee and hit the ground.

But in actuality, what we began to think of is our loved ones in our district. We thought of America. And then after the fact, we thought of the brave souls that actually were saving lives in the Pentagon as we saw the billowing smoke. We heard the rumors of the White House, the State Department. We thought of those whom we had originally seen in New York. And, as well, we thought of those very, very heroic souls in Pennsylvania.

Having gone to Ground Zero in the early stages when they were still in the recovery stage, I saw first responders still going, still pushing to be able to recognize and to find souls for their loved ones.

So today, I hope that we will honor those who lost their lives from terrorist acts. And, Mr. Speaker, if I might say that we adhere to Isaiah 40:31, no matter what our faith:

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their

strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they

shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not

faint.

I hope America's future is in peace for those lost souls that we lost.

Mr. Speaker, just last week, the beginning of the school year, in Houston, Texas, we experienced an enormous tragedy in the loss of a young man due to school violence inside one of Houston's Harris County high schools.

I rise today to extend sympathy to the family of Joshua Broussard and his friends, teachers, parents, and administrators, for it is an unspeakable act to have an incident that causes children to fear the very place where they should be safe and secure. I and all of our elected officials and law enforcement have already offered their commitment and time to work with the young people to restore their faith in the sanctity and security of schools, but, more importantly, to speak to the issue of bullying, to speak to the issue of violence, and to work with the parents to be able to say that violence in America's schools must end. We must also end it in terms of knives and guns. Children must feel loved.

And so to Spring ISD, we look forward to coming to your school district and standing with the children to ensure that they know that there are those in the United States Congress like my good friend, Mr. Hoyer, and others that have stood against school violence and will stand together to ensure that our children can learn and are safe.

Mr. Speaker, in the midst of serious discussions on America's next step forward on issues involving Syria, I rise simply to talk about local issues and issues impacting many Americans. One of them has to do with foster care and the situation of foster care in my own State, one dealing with children who've aged out in the city of Houston, and there are no facilities for them to be able to utilize, except for a few, like Little Audrey's, which is under siege, and which we're trying to draw the attention of the community to, to be able to help those children or young people that have no place to go, and then to provide more counselors for foster care children so they have a lifeline while they're in the foster care system.

Finally, some good news: I want to salute the Zion Ministries, the church that I joined yesterday, where they received their marker of historic preservation in the Fourth Ward, Freedmen's Town area.

In our local communities, good things are happening and challenges are happening, and I hope that, as we look at these hard decisions, we'll be able to work with our communities as well on some of the important issues they face.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained in a classified security briefing on Syria and missed H.R. 2052, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

On H.R. 2844, the Federal Communications Commission Consolidation Reporting Act, I would have voted ``aye,'' and on the Journal vote, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I join in support of my colleagues Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Steven Horsford in leading tonight's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order on the topic of Achieving Economic Security Through the Labor Movement.

I want to offer special recognition for the men and women of labor who are dedicated to the working people of the 18th Congressional District and the Greater Houston area.

I began my remarks with a special tribute to one of the greatest labor leaders that I have known and to honor the memory of Ronnie Raspberry of Houston, Texas. He passed away in April of this year, and he will be remembered as a champion of working people, one of the great community leaders in the cities of Houston and Harris in Texas.

People like Harris Country AFL-CIO Council President E. Dale Wortham, IBEW, Local 716, Secretary-Treasurer Richard C. Shaw, Steven Flores, a member of the Latino Labor Leadership Council, Tawn E. MacDonald, CWA, Local 6222, Houston Chapter and Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Zeph Cappo, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) and Scott Vinson, with the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), and Gayle Fallon, President--Houston Federation of Teachers improve the lives of working people in the city of Houston.

This list is not complete with a special mention of Houston Educational Support Personnel Union President Wretha Thomas who works with local school bus drivers to be sure that their rights are included when district negotiate labor agreements.

I want to say a word about Clyde Fitzgerald who was appointed to the Port of Houston Authority Commission by Harris County in June 2013. I cannot complete the Us of outstanding labor leaders in Houston with mentioning Dean E. Corgey who was appointed to the Port of Houston Authority Commission in January 2013. He represents the City of Houston, and serves on the Community Relations and Pension and Benefits Committees.

John Bland with the Transport Workers Union (AFL-CIO) and leader of Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) is doing outstanding job as well.

My thanks to the unions that represents Houston's First responders. I want to recognize Houston Police Officers Union President Ray Hunt and the Immediate Past President J.J. Berry.

I count the International Association of Fire Fighters Houston Local 341 President Jeff Caynon and General President Harold Schaitberger as friends and I am like all Houstonians proud of how that serve the fire fighting community and our city as true selfless public servants.

The most important thing to remember about unions is wrapped up in the answer to one question--What does labor want? Samuel Gompers-- Founder of the American Federation of Labor provided the answer:

More. We want more school houses and less jails; more books

and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more constant

work and less crime; more leisure and less greed; more

justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities

to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble,

womanhood more beautiful and childhood more happy and bright.

These in brief are the primary demands made by the Trade

Unions in the name of labor. These are the demands made by

labor upon modern society and in their consideration is

involved the fate of civilization. (1893)

Quote: Martin Luther King:

Unless man [and women are] . . . committed to the belief

that all mankind are [our sisters and] . . . brothers, then

[we] . . . labor . . . in vain and hypocritically in the

vineyards of equality.

The right to earn a living wage, to work in safe conditions, to enjoy a forty hour work week, have health care, be free of discrimination, have sick leave, receive overtime pay, have a pension, be free of sexual harassment have holiday pay and enjoy countless other protections comes as direct result of what Unions mean to working men and women of this nation.

Some would have you believe that the working life of men and women is just the way it is--but in truth it is what the blood, sweat and tears of working people made it to be.

Labor Day is celebrated in recognition of the toil and trials that millions of workers endured before they earned the right to collective bargaining and with that right the power to change the fate of working people for generations. The fruits of their effort extended to those in management as well as the poorest of the poor.

Unions are the reason that the basic standard of living in the United States has risen, without the protection of unions advocating the behalf of workers those gains would be completely lost.

During the last Congress I introduced the New Jobs for America Act, that directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to state and local governments and Indian tribes to carry out employment training programs to aid unemployed individuals in securing employment in a new area of expertise, particularly in emerging markets and industries

I also co-sponsored the American Jobs Act of 2011 which would have provided tax relief for American workers and businesses, to put workers back on the job while rebuilding and modernizing America, and to provide pathways back to work for Americans looking for jobs.

I supported the Job Opportunities Between our Shores Act or JOBS Act that Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor to make grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to carry out demonstration and pilot projects that provide

education and training programs for jobs in advanced manufacturing.

My heart where Fannie Lou Hamer's was during the civil rights movement--which was really more about economic rights to move up in our nation's socio-economic system. People were held down because they were women, black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, or poor.

It is not a crime if you sweat when you work for a living and we should end the practice of dividing how workers are treated based on how they earn a living.

Fannie Lou Hamer Quotes:

To support whatever is right, and to bring in justice where

we've had so much injustice.

That is the reason, we are here tonight--to bring justice where we've had so much injustice in the unwillingness of the current Republican controlled Congress to acknowledge the value of your worth to the American economy by securing for your labor a living minimum wage.

There is not America without the American worker. This is as true today was it was from the nation's earliest beginnings. At our earliest history workers were indentured servants, bonded persons, or slaves. The sweat of their brow carved a nation out of stone, swamp, and dense wilderness to become one the greatest nation the world has ever known.

Historically, the path to the middle class for African Americans was through a union job. African-American workers are more likely to be union members because they know that acting as one is stronger than acting alone. This is the message of the civil rights movement and one that African Americans have learned well over the decades of struggle for equal rights.

Equality also requires equal access to education, employment and pay.

Coretta Scott King Quotes:

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by

the compassionate actions of its members, . . . a heart of

grace and a soul generated by love.

Unionized workers promote greater income equality and prevent wage discrimination.

African American union workers earn up to $10,000 or 31% more per year than non-union members.

In 2011, nearly 20 percent of employed African Americans worked for state, local, or federal government compared to 14.2% of Whites and 10.4 percent of Hispanics.

African Americans are less likely than Hispanics and nearly as likely as Whites to work in the private sector, not including the self- employed.

Few African Americans are self-employed--only 3.8 percent reported being self-employed in 2011--making them almost half as likely to be self-employed as Whites (7.2 percent).

Unionized workers are more likely to receive paid leave, more likely to have employer-provided health insurance, and are more likely to be in employer-provided pension plans.

The tools of unions must be part of the landscape for poor working Americans and the way forward for equity and fairness in income and the benefits of the success of our society.

Unions play a pivotal role by ensuring workers has continued educational access for their current roles as well as encourage workers to pursue higher education. Nationally, 77 percent of union employees in 2009 were covered by pension plans that provide a guaranteed monthly retirement income. Only 20 percent of non-union workers are covered by guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions 20 percent.

Union workers are 53.9 percent more likely to have employer-provided pensions. These are not isolated facts, when unions are strong and able to represent the people who want to join them, these gains spread throughout the economy and the overall community.

Unions are not just good for workers. They are the best friend that a successful business can have. When workers form unions they are able to boost wages, which helps attract and retain staff for employers. When non-union companies increase their wages, it gives all workers more purchasing power.

The benefits of unions flow to the entire community with a strong middle class have sufficient tax revenues to support schools, hospitals and roads.

Today, labor unions are still on the forefront of efforts to ensure that the gains of the past are maintained and to fight for those still denied opportunity and equality

Unions are a great community and I will tell you why you should be standing up with them for your rights.

In 1968, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King went to Memphis to help sanitation workers who were fighting for their rights and dignity as people who worked hard for a living, but had no living wage.

In 1968 Memphis the color of the skin of two black workers were prevented by Jim Crow laws from finding shelter from a cold rain sought warmth in the back of a sanitation truck and were crushed to death-- Martin Luther King could not keep silent nor turn away.

He was killed in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel because of the power of his message to move the hearts and minds of people so that they would fight for the rights and dignity of working people everywhere.

Talking Points:

The 2013 Federal Poverty guidelines stipulate $23,550 for a family of four as poverty level. A $7.25 minimum wage earns $15,080 a year. Even at the poverty level of $23,550 for a family of four, families are unable to make ends meet and often have to sacrifice basic necessities.

Fast food jobs used to be considered entry level jobs and often held by teenagers but now, in the new economy, the average age of a fast food worker is 28, many of which have families to support. A family living on $15,000 a year must sacrifice many basic necessities most of us take for granted--like healthcare, transportation, and food--to say nothing of the luxuries many of us enjoy on a regular basis.

In Houston, nearly 500,000 people make poverty wages or less, or nearly one quarter of all Houstonians. The ripple effects of this amount of people given more spending power would create a tremendous amount of economic activity spurring job creation and new markets for small business. Fast food workers paid a living wage of $15/hr. not only puts food on their tables but also puts more money into the local economy. This is an economic engine that needs to be started.

With 1.07 million restaurant and food service workers, Texas has the second-largest restaurant workforce in the nation. And it leads the nation in projected restaurant job growth between 2013 and 2023, according to the National Restaurant Association. The trade group predicts a nearly 16 percent jump in Texas restaurant and food service jobs in 10 years.

Texas also had the nation's largest collection of minimum-wage workers last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Texas accounted for nearly 13 percent of such workers across the country, the data showed.

My thanks to my colleagues' Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Steven Horsford for hosting this important special order.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American and a former member of this House. Ambassador Corrine ``Lindy'' Boggs was a diplomat, equal rights champion, and a former Member of Congress from Louisiana. Lindy Boggs, who died on Saturday, July 27, 2013, was one of the most admired members of this body and was beloved by all who knew her. She will be truly missed. All of us mourn her loss and extend our condolences to her family and loved ones.

Born Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs on March 13, 1916 on a sugar plantation in Louisiana, Lindy Boggs attended Sophie Newcomb College at Tulane University in New Orleans, where she met and later married her husband Hale Boggs. After graduation, Lindy Boggs became a history and English teacher in Romeville, Louisiana. Her husband attended law school before being elected to Congress in 1940, rising to become Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

On October 16, 1972, a tragic event occurred. A plane carrying Congressmen Nick Begich of Alaska and Majority Leader Hale Boggs perished in the Alaska wilderness. Both were presumed dead, as their bodies were never recovered. Lindy Boggs won the special election and succeeded her husband in Congress, becoming the first woman from Louisiana to be elected to the House. Mrs. Boggs was then elected to a full term in 1974 and reelected seven times before retiring at the end of her term in January 1991. In 1976, Lindy Boggs became the first woman to preside over a Democratic National Convention.

The velvet Southern charm she had refined while growing up in Louisiana enabled her to become a very effective legislator. It was because of her amendment that discrimination on the ground of ``sex or marital status'' is prohibited by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. Mrs. Boggs also pushed for other women's economic concerns, like equal pay for government jobs and equal access to government business contracts.

In addition to champion equal rights, Lindy Boggs was a strong supporter of historic preservation. She also supported civil rights legislation at a time when such support often met with hostility in the part of the country she represented. Lindy Boggs also strongly supported and defended antipoverty programs. She said:

You couldn't want to reverse the injustices of the

political system and not include the blacks and the poor; it

was just obvious.

In 1991, a room that was being used as the House speakers' office in the 19th century was named in her honor as the ``Lindy Claiborne Boggs Congressional Women's Reading Room.'' In 1994, Lindy Boggs was admitted to the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame and in 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed her Ambassador to the Holy See. In 2006, she was awarded the Congressional Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding service in the House of Representatives.

In addition to her remarkable career in public service, perhaps Lindy Boggs' greatest accomplishment are the wonderful children she raised, each of whom has been quite successful in continuing the family legacy of service: Cokie Roberts, a Washington journalist for ABC and National Public Radio; Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., a leading lawyer and chairman of the noted firm of Patton Boggs; and Barabara Boggs Sigmund, who served as Mayor of Princeton, New Jersey.

Madame Speaker, a great lady has finished her course, run the great race, and gone on to claim her great reward. We are deeply saddened by the loss of this tireless champion for equal and civil rights. But her good works will be with us for eternity. For that we can all be grateful.

Mr. Speaker, I ask a moment of silence in memory of Lindy Boggs.