Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 76, ``Mourning the horrific loss of life in January 2009 caused by a landslide in Guatemala and an earthquake in Costa Rica and expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should assist the affected people and communities.'' I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Dan Burton, for introducing this legislation.

Natural disasters are one of the most difficult things to deal with as a nation. As a Representative of Houston, TX I have seen devastation and heartbreak come from devastating natural disasters. Our city alone has faced and returned stronger after natural disasters like tropical storm Allison, as her waters flooded our streets and entered our homes. Within the past few years the people of the 18th Congressional District of Texas dealt with damage and evacuation troubles when shortly after a storm called Katrina ripped through the homes of our neighbors, Hurricane Rita threatened our city and our lives. Most recently, we had the electricity taken from our city, roofs stripped from our houses, and windows shattered into our livings rooms. Because of Hurricane Ike our city has seen the impact of horrific situations before and after natural disasters ravage through our streets. These challenges, although largely difficult to recover from, already would have been virtually impossible to recover from had the Federal Government not assisted.

The landslides in Guatemala claimed the lives of more than 30 people and caused destruction to many in this small country. The unfortunate loss of these men and women shall not only be remembered here today as we acknowledge this House resolution, but should be remembered everyday as the people of Guatemala try to recover from the devastation caused by this event. These events take time to recover from and in time just as the sadness fades the recovery will begin in this region.

Just like the people of Guatemala the people in Costa Rica did not expect the ground to start shaking bringing buildings to the ground. With over 14 lives claimed and dozens of people still missing the people of Costa Rica have been devastated by the effects the earthquake has brought them. The 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook the lives of all the people living in Costa Rica and like the people of Guatemala the wounds will take time to heal.

I have experienced firsthand the devastation of events like these and understand the difficulty in recovering from them. These people deserve all the help they can get. It is our moral responsibility to assist in any way we can in helping these countries rebuild. Supporting H. Res. 76 is a big step in helping these devastated nations. That is why I support H. Res. 76, ``Mourning the horrific loss of life in January 2009 caused by a landslide in Guatemala and an earthquake in Costa Rica and expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should assist the affected people and communities'' and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 109, supporting the mission and goals of 2009 National Crime Victims' Rights week to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, an concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States, and to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. I thank Congressman Costa, Congressman Poe, Congresswoman Matsui, Congressman Marchant, and Congressman Moran for introducing this meaningful resolution which recognizes and acknowledges the over 25 million individuals that are victims of crimes each year in this country. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. As members of Congress, we need to acknowledge the impact of crime on individuals, families, and communities and we need to ensure that rights, resources, and services are available to help rebuild lives.

This resolution is important because while our nation has steadily, and rightfully, expanded rights, protections and services for victims of crimes, too many victims are still not able to realize the hope and promise of the gains. Our country must do more to ensure that services are available for underserved segments of the population, including crime victims with disabilities, victims with mental illness, and victims who are teenagers, elderly, or from urban and rural areas or communities of color. According the National Center for Victims:

One person is murdered every 31 minutes.

One person is raped every 1.9 minutes.

One person is assaulted every 36.9 seconds.

One home is burglarized every 18 seconds.

One woman is victimized by an intimate partner every 52 seconds.

One child is reported abused or neglected every 34.9 seconds.

One person is killed in an alcohol-related crash every 40.4 minutes.

One person becomes a victim of identity theft every 4.9 seconds.

One elderly person is victimized by a violent crime every 4.2 minutes.

We must observe victims' rights and treat victims with dignity and respect and engage them in the justice system, which will also further gain respect for public authorities and promote confidence in public safety. The people of this country will be safer and stronger by serving victims of crime and ensuring justice for all.

It is necessary that we, as members of Congress, mark the anniversary of the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. This Act is the hallmark of the Federal Government's recognition of its commitment to supporting rights and services for victims of all types of crime through the establishment of the Crime Victims Fund. This fund is paid by criminal fines and penalties, not tax payer dollars. The fund has collected more than $9 billion from offender fines and penalties to be used exclusively to help victims of crime. These funds have aided the more than 4 million victims of crime a year. The money provides medical care, counseling and funeral costs. This act has encouraged other programs to also transfer offender fines into help for victim rehabilitation.

The theme of the 2009 National Crime Victim's right Week, celebrated April 26-May 2, 2009 is ``25 years of Rebuilding Lives: Celebrating the Victims of Crime Act''. This theme highlights the Act's significant achievements and contributions in advancing rights and services for all crime victims. This week will provide an opportunity for the nation to strive to reach the goal of justice for all by ensuring that all victims are afforded legal rights and provided with assistance to face the financial, physical, spiritual, psychological and social impact of crime.

I encourage my colleagues to pass this resolution so that we can increase the public awareness of the impact of crime on victims and survivors, and of the constitutional and statutory rights and needs of victims of crime. This resolution will recognize the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. It will also direct the clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Office for Victims of Crime within the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice.

In Harris County, within the 18th District of Texas, which I proudly represent, the Houston Mayor's Crime Victims Office has a saying, ``Crime victims are the only unwilling participants in our criminal justice system; everyone else chooses their own roles. Victims' rights are often a mere courtesy, while defendants' rights--and rightfully so--are protected in our Constitution. Victims' rights deserve the same protection.'' While Harris County is fortunate to have some of the Nation's finest victim service organizations, such as the Houston Area

Women's Center, Parents of Murdered Children, AVDA, MADD and Family Time, as well as victim liaisons staffed from our criminal justice partners it is far from immune from crime. The Harris County Victim Witness Division, alone, assisted over 30,000 victims of crime last year and helped them receive $16.9 million in restitution.

I have been and continue to be an advocate for victims of crime most importantly with my latest legislation, H.R. 262, the David Ray Ritcheson Hate Crime Prevention Act which I also introduced in the 110th Congress. I twice sponsored a resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the people of the United States should grieve for the loss of life that defined the Third Reich and celebrate the continued education efforts for tolerance and justice, reaffirming the commitment of United States to fight against intolerance and prejudice in any form, and honoring the legacy of transparent procedure, government accountability, the rule of law, the pursuit of justice, and the struggle for universal freedom and human rights. Additionally, I sponsored H.R. 5610, in the 109th Congress, the Foreign Anti-Sex Offender Protection Act of 2006. I have co-sponsored numerous bills that benefit victims of crimes.

Nobody wants, or deserves, to be a victim of crime. I urge my colleagues to pass this Resolution and acknowledge and support these unfortunate victims.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 104 ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.'' I want to thank my colleague Congresswoman, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin for introducing this legislation.

This Resolution echoes the goals and ideals of the National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, namely to increase public awareness of the occurrence and the effects of sexual assault and to improve our nation's overall ability to prevent new incidents.

This important resolution will help to bring an end to the deplorable rapes, molestations, and sexual assault that occur across America. Violent crime and sex offenses are a fact of life which can be targeted for prevention through a combination of education, public awareness, as well as identifying and monitoring known offenders in the community.

Mr. Speaker, there are no greater crimes that an individual can commit than the crimes of sexual molestation and sexual assault. The perpetrators of these crimes rob victims of their innocence. Moreover, victims of sexual assault are profoundly affected for the rest of their lives. As elected officials, we have an obligation to condemn this violence, work for stronger enforcement of the law and provide adequate funding for programs to assist individuals who may have experienced such abuse.

I urge my colleagues to fight against these heinous crimes. Sexual assault can e verbal, visual, or anything that forces a person to join in unwanted sexual contact or attention. Examples of this are voyeurism (when someone watches private sexual acts), exhibitionism (when someone exposes him/herself in public), incest (sexual contact between family members), and sexual harassment. It can happen in different situations, by a stranger in an isolated place, on a date, or in the home by someone you know.

The negative impacts of sexual assault go beyond the physical trauma of the attack itself. The victims suffer psychological trauma, emotional scarring, shame, the stigma of being victimized, and the destruction of their dignity.

Unfortunately, sexual assault is an issue that has plagued the nation. In my home state of Texas, nearly 2 million adult Texans, or 12.6% of the population, have been sexually assaulted, and more than half of all sexual assaults are committed against children under age 18. An estimated 82% of rapes go unreported. The vast majority of rape victims--nearly 80%--know the person who rapes them.

In Texas, 6 out of 10 adults and more than half of teenagers say sexual assault is a personal worry. A third of Texan adults say sexual assault is one of their biggest worries. While a majority of Texans says the state takes sexual assault seriously, 76% believe the state should take the issue more seriously.

Many Americans have only a surface understanding of what constitutes sexual assault,

and more than a quarter of Americans are very misinformed about its parameters. It will take more than just stronger prevention and enforcement of the law to prevent sexual molestation and other forms of sexual assault. In order to end this serious epidemic that has plagued America, all segments of the community such as parents, educators, religious leaders, and community leaders must create a nurturing environment us to live comfortably.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 104 ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.''

Madam Speaker, on yesterday, Monday, April 27, 2009, I was unavoidably detained by airline flight problems and missed the following votes:

Rollcall vote 207, H. Res. 329, recognizing the anniversary of the tragic accident of the steamboat ship SS Sultana, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote 208, H.R. 1746, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Act of 2009, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote 209, H. Res. 335, supporting the goals and ideals of National Volunteer Week, I would have voted ``aye.''

I thank the chairman very much.

To my good friend from Indiana, we do respect the individuality of Americans. We are the pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, and we are the fighting and the tough; and we get going when it gets tough.

This budget is an American budget. It respects the uniqueness of America. And we don't take away from people who have theirs, but what we do recognize is that we will not be the greatest country that we want to be if we don't bring everyone up at the same time. And so this legislation reflects that.

And in particular, I think it is important to note that we do address rising costs in health care. It is going up. We are going to address the question of physician/patient relationship. We are going to set us on a path to increased coverage and to provide a pay-for.

We recognize that this is an element of the American psyche; I have been working hard, I want to see others working hard. But Madam Speaker, it is important that this budget reflect the fact that people are hurting, people are in need.

We need an economic recovery to get this economy right-side up and allow it to turn and then allow us to invent and build. That is why I am supporting this budget, because even in Texas, the oil capital of the Nation in Houston, Texas, we are looking toward increasing energy programs, providing for alternative energies. This legislation accommodates promoting energy independence, also a seamless energy policy.

I believe this is the right direction to go. This is a budget that respects America and Americans, and it believes in getting us on the right track.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 335, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National Volunteer Week''. I would like to thank my colleague Todd Platts for introducing this legislation. H. Res 335 moves to observe the week of April 19 through April 25, 2009 as National Volunteer Week.

President Obama throughout his campaign for President and through the first 100 days of his administration has sent a steady reminder to the American people that the Government cannot solve all of their problems for them. He has encouraged Americans to get out and try to impact their own communities through acts of volunteerism. The President himself along with the help of former President Clinton and local D.C. children were seen planting trees for earth day. The first lady along with multiple spouses of congressional members has volunteered in multiple kitchens serving food to members of the community. This administration is showing clear signs that it is not only going to call upon the American people for action, but are clearly prepared to join them in their own community.

Just last week, President Obama and this new administration took another giant step toward encouraging and helping the American people to be active in their communities with the passage of, ``The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act''. This landmark law recruits an army of 250,000 per year to engage in intensive service, and it focuses its work on today's challenges, including clean energy, education, health, veterans care, and economic opportunity. It creates new service opportunities for seniors, baby boomers, and young adults, and improves service learning in our schools. The law also creates a Social Innovation Fund. This fund looks for new ideas in communities and leverages private, nonprofit, and faith based support to invest in local innovation. The fund also allows us to test the impact of new ideas and expand successful programs to scale. Volunteering provides the opportunity to join and better a community. Every American who volunteers can become an integral part of a school, a hospital, or a neighborhood. Those who give their time, join our Nation's proud history of service and helps preserve this tradition for generations ahead. During National Volunteer Week, we express heartfelt thanks to all who have worked hard in this effort, and we urge more Americans to reach out and meet the manifold unmet needs of fellow Americans.

Many events are planned around the nation, including numerous in the Houston area. I urge all Americans especially those living in the 18th Congressional district to participate in this national week of service. Madam Speaker I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 335, observing the week of April 19-25 as National Volunteer Week. Also I urge all Americans to get out and participate in the many volunteer opportunities to take place across the nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1746, ``Pre-Disaster Mitigation Act of 2009.'' I want to thank my colleague Congressman James Oberstar of Minnesota for introducing this legislation.

While tragedy has ripped through our communities, from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina, leaving an enormous amount of devastation, Americans continue to demonstrate yet again the amazing unity, strength and resilience that we possess. Whether rich or poor, black or white, young or old, Democrat or Republican, everyone has been working together to respond, recover, rebuild and move forward.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this vital piece of legislation that will amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to reauthorize the pre-disaster mitigation program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Stafford Act, is a Federal law designed to bring an orderly and systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for State and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. This law establishes a process for requesting and obtaining a Presidential disaster declaration, defines the type and scope of assistance available under the Stafford Act, and sets the conditions for obtaining that assistance.

It created the system in place today by which a Preside Disaster Declaration of an emergency triggers financial and physical assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA. The Act gives FEMA the responsibility for coordinating government wide relief efforts. The Federal Response Plan it implements includes the contributions of 28 Federal agencies and non-governmental organizations, such as the American Red Cross.

We must work together to improve access to housing and the critical infrastructure necessary to ensure that Americans and their communities are safe. Where unacceptable vulnerabilities remain, swift action must be taken to eliminate them. I am committed to ensuring the implementation of such action.

In the weeks that followed Hurricane Katrina, thousands of families struggled to survive with no electricity, including no air conditioning in the sweltering heat, which had a particularly severe impact on the elderly, disabled, impoverished and other vulnerable populations. Clearly, we need to invest substantial funds to improve our electric grids to ensure that the disparate impact on vulnerable populations are corrected and are never allowed to reoccur. I was particularly concerned that neither the utility companies nor the emergency management personnel had lists of or could expeditiously provide generators to the vulnerable individuals and communities residing in hospitals, clinics, senior housing, and assisted living communities who would be disparately impacted by the power outages in the aftermath of the storm. Accordingly, I have introduced legislation in Congress to ensure that utility companies are held accountable. I was also dismayed that creditors for healthcare providers interfered with the ability of hospitals to receive funds from insurance and business interruption claims that are vitally necessary to ensure that hospitals can be open to serve communities in dire need of healthcare.

Furthermore, the response efforts to Hurricane Ike in Texas, unfortunately similar to Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana but to a smaller extent, revealed breakdowns in communication between the State and local government on the one hand and FEMA and the Federal Government on the other hand. These communication failures resulted in unnecessary and avoidable delays in deploying vital resources in a timely fashion to individuals and families in need through Disaster Recovery Centers, DRCs, in locations which are accessible to the affected communities. I look forward to hearing from the panelists on how we can increase the role that FEMA along with local and State agencies can play in the response and recovery efforts to natural disasters in order to ensure the most expeditious

and efficient decision-making process possible. Whether it be through legislation or simply improved preparation and communication, we must take concrete steps to ensure that in the ongoing recovery effort, bureaucratic barriers are eliminated and minimized and that resources are deployed to individuals and families in need efficaciously.

As a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, which has oversight over the Federal Emergency Management Administration, FEMA, I am working to ensure that our communities are prepared to deal with natural disasters. I am committed to working with members of this Select Committee and the other panelists, Federal and State agencies, and the companies that manage Houston's critical infrastructure to ensure that Houston and Texas are prepared for the next natural disaster. The protection of our homeland and the security of our neighborhoods are at the forefront of my legislative agenda.

Madam Speaker, it is my hope that this legislation, which is necessary in policies, procedures, and protocols to ensure that: first responders and emergency management personnel across America are better prepared for future disasters; communication and coordination between local, State, and Federal agencies is improved; and all Americans can recover more quickly from a future disaster.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to add my support to H.R. 1145, the bill that we just discussed on the floor of the House, that requires the President to establish an agency that addresses the question of the increasing lack of water resources in the United States of America. In the recognition of Earth Day that occurred yesterday, where we are looking to green our country and green this Earth, we also must ensure that we have the water that is necessary for this Nation.

I will introduce a water bill that will also take into consideration the lack of water around the world. I am also very much appreciative of the language in the bill that looks at questions of areas that have had disasters, such as my area in Houston, and homes that have suffered from flooding, such as the White Oak area in Houston.

This is a good step. We need an expanded water bill to help all of the world. And certainly we need to pay tribute to the concept of greening this Earth and protecting this Earth--its water resources and its green resources--to make this a better place for all of us to live.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today with great jubilation for the successful rescue of Captain Phillips. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 339 ``Expressing the sense of the United States House of Represensatives regarding the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, the kidnapping of Captain Richard Phillips by Somali pirates, the rescue of Captain Phillips by United States Navy SEALs and the crews of the USS Bainbridge, USS Boxer, USS Halyburton and Patrol Squadron (VP) 8, and for other purposes.''

I believe that Congressional recognition is due to the crews of the USS Bainbridge and other ships on the scene, and especially the incredible skill of the Navy SEALs who rescued Capt. Phillips. Somali pirates boarded the container ship Maersk Alabama about 500 kilometers off the coast of Somalia. The 20 man crew regained control of the Danish-owned, American-operated ship. But the ship's captain--Richard Phillips--was taken hostage as the pirates escaped aboard a lifeboat.

I would like to acknowledge the profound bravery and selflessness that Captain Phillips displayed throughout the entire ordeal. At the time of the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama, Captain Phillips placed himself in harm's way to protect his crew. Phillips offered himself as a hostage after the pirates stormed the U.S.-flagged Alabama. He is a hero, he rose to the occasion and--thankfully--lived to tell about it.

I commend the Navy SEAL snipers on the destroyer USS Bainbridge who killed Captain Phillips's three captors. I applaud President Obama and his administration who gave standing orders for the military to take decisive action if the Captain was in imminent danger.

This is the first time in modern history that the United States has in custody a pirate who carried out an attack on a U.S. citizen. The events that have been taking place off the coast of Somalia are intolerable and I feel that the United States must put an end to piracy.

I am pleased that Captain Phillips is home with his family: his wife, Andrea, and his two children, Daniel and Mariah, in Underhill, Vermont. I wish them all the best as their lives get back to normal.

However, this piracy has not ceased even after the U.S. Navy fatally shot three pirates, who were armed with AK-47 rifles. They are continuing to hijack ships in the Gulf of Aden. More than 200 mariners still remain captives at sea in the hands of pirates. Adm. Rick Gurnon has publicly said, ``The pirates have a great business model that works for them: See ships, take ransom, make millions'' and that is exactly what they are doing. The pirates from Somalia often launch one or two speed boats with about four or five men aboard. Armed with automatic weapons and in some cases rocket-propelled grenades, they approach unarmed ships, force them to slow down and then board them in order to gain ransom money.

Analysts blame Somalia's nearly 20 years of lawlessness for fueling piracy's rise. Years ago, foreign trawlers began taking advantage of Somalia's civil war to fish its waters illegally and dump toxic waste there. Vigilante Somali fishermen tried to defend their shores, and later morphed into full-blown pirates. Piracy has been a problem in Somali waters for at least 10 years--when Somali fishermen began losing their livelihoods. Their traditional fishing methods were no match for the illegal trawlers that were raiding their waters. Piracy initially started along Somalia's southern coast but began shifting north in 2007--and as a result, the pirate gangs in the Gulf of Aden are now multi-clan operations.

Attacks have risen markedly in recent weeks, and brigands hold at least 17 other ships and around 300 crew. Meanwhile, Somalia called for international help to rebuild its military to combat piracy and train security forces to track down pirates.

I urge the United States to take swift and immediate action against these Somali pirates. It is unacceptable that unarmed Americans or any persons should be attacked and taken hostage on the high seas, with all the resources available to us in this day and age. This is not an American problem, but an international problem, that must be dealt with on a multilateral level. We can not eradicate piracy alone.

I am relieved that Secretary Clinton said the United States wanted to ``seek more effective ways to hold these pirates criminally responsible for their actions, which threaten not only the lives of merchant seamen, but the security of critical maritime routes.'' I believe the meeting which will take place next month in New York with representatives of 24 nations, in order to look at legal measures in the fight against piracy off Somalia is a large first step in ending this madness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1679, the ``House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009''. I would like to thank my colleague Robert Brady for introducing this legislation. H.R 1679 moves to require that the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to pay an eligible House employee, who is also a member of a Reserve component of the Armed Forces, for each active duty month, the amount by which the employee's regular compensation from the House would have exceeded the total monthly military compensation paid to the employee for the active duty month by the Secretary of Defense.

The men and women in our Nation's reserve program are vital in our country's greatest time of need. They serve as military personnel, taking the time to stay trained and ready to serve this country at anytime when we as Congress vote to send them into combat. Their entire lives are put on hold, and families left behind to pick up the workload when a member is selected for active duty. They also hold civilian jobs like the employees covered under H.R. 1679, those employed by the House of Representatives. This commitment that they make to our country is much greater than the commitment we make today. In passing this legislation we can guarantee that the payment made to these soldiers by the House is the same when these employees are working as civilians or when they are called to active duty. As they watch a family member leave for service and questions of who will do the household duties that they usually perform. The worst thing we as Congress could do is ask them to take a pay cut.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1679, the ``House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009''. To require that the Chief Administrative Officer of the House pay House employees, who are also Reservists of the Armed Forces, for each active duty month the amount by which the employee's regular compensation from the House would have exceeded the total monthly military compensation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 586, ``Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009.'' I want to thank my colleague Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy of New York for introducing this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support the ``Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009,'' which will require the Librarian of Congress and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (acting through the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture) to establish an oral history project to: (1) collect video and audio recordings of, and visual and written materials relevant to the personal histories of, participants in the Civil Rights movement; and (2) make the collection available for public use through the Library of Congress and the Museum.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the progress we have made in casting out the demons of prejudice and discrimination. I rise today in recognition of the steps we have taken as a nation to get closer to the American creed that all men were created equal.

In the darkest days of slavery, the faith of our ancestors that one day their descendants would live in freedom helped them bear the unbearable burden of bondage. Through all the terrible years of Jim Crow's legalized segregation, the courage of our great-grandparents to provide for their children and maintain their dignity while enduring a hundred daily slights helped bring down the Jericho walls of de jure segregation. In the crucible of the Civil Rights Movement, the determination of our parents and grandparents to secure the full measure of equal treatment under law for themselves and their children changed America and made it better.

From the activism of Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman during the abolitionist movement to the efforts of Rosa Parks, Martin King, Thurgood Marshall, and Fannie Lou Hamer during the civil rights movement, Americans have never lost faith in this country to expand democracy and provide true freedom for all Americans.

Now is the time to come together. Now is the time to reach down to our roots and call upon what is important to us. Now is the time to talk to each of our brothers and sisters and let them know that we have to come together on this issue.

The heart of what we have fought for so long is at stake now. We have fought and suffered to attain our place at the table of society, to show America and the rest of the world that diversity does work, that America will make good on its promise, that our society does accept people who are different from each other.

I am reminded of what the late Honorable Barbara Jordan said that ``America's mission was and still is to take diversity and mold it into a cohesive and coherent whole that would espouse virtues and values essential to the maintenance of civil order. There is nothing easy about that mission. But it is not mission impossible.''

Mr. Speaker, we should not now give up on this start. We must remember the struggles of those freedom fighters. I am reminded of the words of Dr. King when he was the minister at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama when he told a packed house the night before the bus boycott set off by Rosa Parks that they were in the process of making America whole. He told them, ``If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer and never came down to earth. If we are wrong, justice is a lie. And we are determined to work and fight until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.''

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 586, because the most valuable tool, history, gives us is a frame of reference, a perspective, for viewing our world. This Civil Rights History Project will provide us that magnificent perspective of our tremendous successes and failures in our quest for cultural freedom and acceptance. When we cut ourselves off from the past, either intentionally or simply through an ignorance of the past, we fall prey to every twist and turn, every immediate crisis that life brings along--with no power or stability to resolve those crises. If we ignore the past or are simply ignorant of what has happened before, we may fall prey to a sense of false security, a personal or cultural pride, which blinds us to possibilities all around us, stunting our moral and intellectual growth and limiting our options in every area of life.

Mr. Speaker, this is the challenge we face today and we have to stand up and be understood. We have to be understood that civil rights in America is about opportunity and is the natural extension of Aotir Bill of Rights. It creates a place at the table, a place where we deserve to be, a place that we have earned, a place where we belong. Keep hope alive. Let's not turn out the lights on civil rights.

Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the chairman of the House Administration Committee for his generosity and leadership, and we truly appreciate his being the epitome of the mayor of this great community. I thank the manager of this legislation as well.

I rise today, Mr. Speaker, because sometimes when we reflect on history, if we do not tell the truth of history, it is lost. It gives me a great privilege to come and to acknowledge the origins and the story of the placing of Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and a suffragette, in the halls of the United States Capitol. Born in 1797, passing in 1883, she was truly an historical figure, and she was a vision of Dr. C. Delores Tucker, the original president of the National Congress of Black Women.

The story begins, as we look in the early years of my coming to the United States Congress, of the women who were characterized and sculptured as suffragettes. In fact, when I came, the stone sculpture was in the basement of this place. It was the leadership of the Women's Caucus, Carolyn Maloney, then the Chair, and others who wanted to lift that stone women's sculpture that represented the women who had been suffragettes to a presence of respect. We joined in that, women of all walks of life and all ethnic and racial backgrounds. But we noticed one difference: The presence of Sojourner Truth was not there. That became the cause of C. Delores Tucker, the late president, the former Secretary of State of the National Congress of Black Women. So we worked and worked.

I offer my appreciation to the now Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who was sensitive to this and has helped us to hold this wonderful ceremony next week. I offer my appreciation to the former Chair of the House Administration Committee, the Honorable Juanita Millender-McDonald, Congresswoman Diane Watson, and the many women who understood our plea to respect Sojourner Truth. I'm delighted to have carried the initial legislation and to have joined with my sisters in helping to propose the funding for this sculpture. We managed to do this in the short period of time that was given to us over a 2-year period and to recognize a woman that could be both a suffragette and an abolitionist. On this day, April 28, we will honor the idea of fighting for women's rights and the abolition of slavery, intertwined, a woman.

Might I also suggest to you that there is no African American woman sculpture in the entire body of this United States Capitol. There is one African American man, Dr. Martin Luther King, and a few pictures. We hope to see soon the statue of Rosa Parks. So we are making history on April 28, and, again, we are grateful for this.

Might I share with you the words of this young woman, Sojourner Truth, who explained what being a slave was all about. She was a powerful speaker. And she would tell listeners of how some slaves were kept cowed and afraid to act by beatings, sometimes with spikes, sticks, and chains. She, herself, as a teenager, had been taken into the barn by her master one afternoon for absolutely no reason and tied up by the wrists. Then he tore the shirt from her back and whipped her with a bundle of sticks until her back bled. In a voice contemporarily described as rich and deep, she described how she refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming

by clinching her fists so hard, her fingernails drew blood from her palms. She was heard to have said when she was recognized by a speaker in the front of the room by saying, ``Yes, sir, what do you want?'' she said, and ``Ain't I a woman?'' Regal with a deep voice but committed to the fight.

And so I'm delighted that the National Congress of Black Women under the leadership of Dr. C. Delores Tucker provided us with the Sojourner Truth crusade. We thank her current president, Dr. E. Faye Williams, and we certainly thank all of those who worked with our office for providing this opportunity. Might I also thank the Senate sponsor who was a champion, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, now the Secretary of State, who worked without tiring to provide us the partnership on this legislation. Arlen Specter, Carl Levin, Senator Lott were great champions of this effort.

Mr. Speaker and to the chairman, what we have is a fulfillment of the dream of Dr. C. Delores Tucker.

And I am so glad that I was not only able to provide the legislation for holding this ceremony but the actual legislation to pass this House and this Senate in order to provide us with the presence of Sojourner Truth in the body of this United States Capitol.

Again, we could not do it without the chairman of the House Administration Committee, Chairman Brady. We thank him again for his generosity and the ranking member. And I believe that what we will now do is tell the complete and full story that suffragettes came in many diverse forms, that of an ex-slave, an abolitionist, and a person who advocated for the freedom and empowerment of women. How proud I am to stand here as the author of the original legislation in the name and in tribute to Dr. C. Delores Tucker and as well the legislation that will allow us to celebrate this on April 28, Pay Parity Day, 2009.

I thank the Speaker for her leadership and her assistance in all of this. May we be benefited for all the history that has been expanded in the Capitol.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H. Con. Res. 86 to authorize the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the unveiling of the bust of Sojourner Truth. As a senior Member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and a tireless advocate for minorities and women, I am honored to reintroduce this resolution.

Sojourner Truth was a towering figure among the founders of the movement for women's suffrage in the United States.

She was born Isabella Baumfree in 1797 in a plantation in upper New York. As a slave, she endured cruel and harsh beatings and rape. In late 1826, Ms. Truth escaped to freedom to the home of the Van Wagener's, who paid her owner $20 to keep her from having to return to his plantation. She lived with the Van Wageners until the New York State Emancipation Act was approved a year later.

After living through 30 years of slavery, Sojourner Truth became a leading voice for the abolitionist and the equal rights for women movements. She was a suffragist before it was acceptable to be one and worked to end slavery and improve the conditions of African-Americans before, during, and after the Civil War.

In 1864, Sojourner Truth was received by then-President Lincoln in the White House. Today, we have our first African-American President, and our first woman Speaker of the House--it is truly time for Sojourner to be properly received in the Capitol.

Sojourner Truth said, ``Truth is powerful and prevails''. While she did not get to see her rights and those of women like her fully realized, Ms. Truth changed the evolution of the path which woman had to take, and continue to take, to gain equal rights. Ms. Truth is one of the founding mothers of the women's rights movement.

Depicting American history in full color instead of as an all-white occurence is an ongoing enterprise. Omitting Sojourner Truth from the Portrait Monument, which includes Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, now in the Rotunda of the Capitol, is the equivalent of memorializing the Declaration of Independence without Thomas Jefferson, or the Revolutionary War without George Washington.

The suffrage movement was not a white women's movement alone. Its ranks included woman of all races and ethnicities. These included African American, Hispanic, and Asian women. It included rich and poor alike. Sojourner Truth's now famous speech, ``And Ain't I a Women?'' at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio rallied a crowd of dispirited and concerned group of Suffrage leaders.

The Congressional Black Caucus, particularly its women members, along with many women's organizations have long pushed for this day. For the first time ever, an African American woman will be represented and honored in the Capitol.

One woman in particular made it her mission to see that Sojourner Truth was memorialized on Capitol Hill. Dr. C. Dolores Tucker deserves much of the credit for making this day happen. She unfortunately cannot be here to witness the result of her tremendous efforts because she passed away in October 2005. Dr. Tucker was a visionary leader and activist for women's and civil rights. She marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965. Later, she became the first women to serve as a Secretary of State in 1971. As a member of the Democratic National Committee, Dr. Tucker was deeply involved in efforts to ensure that women were equally represented at all levels of the Democratic party, and she was a primary organizer of the women's caucus.

She was the founding chair in 1984 of the National Political Congress of Black Women, now called the National Congress of Black Women (NCBW). As chair of the NCBW, she fought to have Sojourner Truth included in the Portrait Monument.

In 1995, I learned of Dr. Tucker's efforts to have Sojourner Truth incorporated with the other Suffragists. After many meetings with the Architect of the Capitol, the Members of the Women's Caucus, the Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and other stakeholders, legislation was ultimately introduced in 2005 to have a separate bust commissioned and installed in the Capitol. And now four years later, here we are.

While Ms. Truth has not yet been included in the portrait monument, it is in large part due to Dr. Tucker's work that Ms. Truth will be the first African-American women with a statute on Capitol Hill.

I would also like to applaud the efforts of Michelle Battle, the National Council of Negro Women and the National Organization for Women, former Congresswoman Millender-McDonald, Congresswoman Diane Watson, and E. Faye Williams and the many other women and men who helped make this event possible.

The presence of this bust in the Capitol Hill will commemorate the struggle of women and African-Americans alike to gain equal rights in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 86 so that we may celebrate Sojourner Truth, a true American hero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 957, ``Green Energy Education Act.'' H.R. 957 will provide for the promotion of graduate education related to energy research, advanced energy technology research, and development for high performance buildings to the National Science Foundation for curriculum development to improve undergraduate or graduate interdisciplinary engineering and architecture education related to the design and construction of such buildings. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

As a representative of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, which includes the energy capital of the world, Houston, I am especially pleased to support this bill. This bill fosters education in green energy, which increasingly is becoming a viable alternative to petroleum.

Today, we as a Global Community, take the time out to appreciate the natural resources our planet has provided for us. It is also a day we examine better ways that we can use these resources for the advancement of mankind and the preservation of the world.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 957 provides an opportunity to learn about the positive actions that we can take to improve energy efficiency; to develop safe, renewable energy sources; to design goods that are durable, reusable, and recyclable; and to eliminate the production of harmful wastes while protecting our environment and encouraging sustainable development throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 957 will allow for the leading authorities to teach and conduct the research on energy consumption throughout our nation. The research and studies are highly detailed, carefully constructed to be statistically representative of the entire population, and are indispensable analysis and policy planning. In gauging the success of any energy efficiency program, data on consumption, price, and product--both prior to and after the research program's implementation--are needed to calculate the change in green use, cost, and product purchase tendencies. By affording these research programs the necessary funding, classes will assist policy planners to better identify the highest-value products to target in designing their programs.

Along with rising gas prices, weak economic growth, continued environmental warnings and scientific studies pointing to global warming, many Americans continue to worry about the state of energy security in the world. Adding green space in city and urban areas, investing in alternative energy and making sure we participate in recycling and conserving our planet's resources are just some ways that we can preserve our wonderful planet, however, our federal government must take the lead in preserving our planet.

I have long been a proponent of green education. For example, during the 110th Congress, I successfully offered amendments to the Comprehensive Energy Independence bill that was introduced late last year and voted out of the House.

Specifically, I offered amendments that would provide scholarships for post-secondary study in ethanol, wind, solar energy, and other green alternatives to petroleum. I have also offered an amendment to establish Energy Centers of Excellence, which would provide a consortium of HBCU's, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal universities, and majority serving institutions to develop curriculum and programs in green energy. Moreover, my amendments provide scholarships, and concerns of study for minorities to study green energy. Thus, I have long been a proponent of the type of education requirements that this bill requires. Indeed, I count myself as one on the forefront of this cause.

This Congress understands the energy concerns of the American people and we continue to work to ensure this nation moves in a new direction to achieve energy independence and energy security.

Mr. Speaker, I call on all Americans, along with the rest of the global community to come together and continue to produce practical yet creative ways to conserve energy around the world. Let us continue to strive towards a

world that respects the natural resources that this planet has provided and use them wisely.

I thank my colleague, Representative Michael McCaul, of Texas, for introducing this important legislation, to ensure that we preserve our most treasured resource, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this H.R. 957.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1824, the Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009. I thank Majority Leader Hoyer for introducing this important legislation which authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to, or enter into agreements with, ``Best Buddies'' to promote the expansion of its programs. I urge my colleagues to approve this resolution so this vital nonprofit organization can provide further aid to people with disabilities and help them fit into mainstream society.

H.R. 1824 is needed because it will allow Best Buddies to increase participation in and public awareness about Best Buddies programs so that the organization can help more people in need. This public awareness campaign, and the successful participants in their program, will help dispel negative stereotypes about individuals with disabilities. Moreover, the public awareness campaign will promote the extraordinary contributions of people with disabilities.

This Bill is important because of the importance of the Best Buddies programs. According to the Best Buddies website the program has over 1,300 chapters and will help 400,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities just this year alone through its six program groups. Those groups include Best Buddies Citizens, Colleges, E-Buddies, High Schools, Jobs, and Middle Schools.

While the organization has expanded greatly, there are still many areas of the country that lack the resources to help individuals with intellectual disabilities become a part of mainstream society. Best Buddies is able to help this broad range of individuals by providing one-on-one friendships and integrated employment.

The vision statement of the Best Buddies organization sums up their important goals best, ``Best Buddies envisions a world where people with intellectual disabilities are so successfully integrated into our schools, our workplaces and our general communities that our current efforts and services will be unnecessary''.

This vision is still necessary because people with intellectual disabilities are often excluded from society due to their differences. Best Buddies is determined to end the social isolation of people with intellectual disabilities by establishing meaningful, lasting one-to- one friendships with their peers without intellectual disabilities. The friendships Best Buddies create help increase self-esteem, confidence and the abilities of people with and without intellectual disabilities.

Since 1989, Best Buddies has worked towards this vision an operates the first national social and recreational program in the United States for people with intellectual disabilities.

Persons with intellectual disabilities need this crucial assistance to help them gain adaptive life skills. Such skills include communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics like reading, writing and basic math as well as community participation and employment.

The effects of intellectual disabilities vary considerably among people. About 87 percent are mildly affected and will be only slightly less proficient than average in learning new information and skills. With the assistance of programs like Best Buddies, a significant portion of our population can become self-reliant and an integral part of society.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an estimated 2.5 million people, approximately 1% of the national population, have an intellectual disability. Estimates also indicate that only 31% of individuals with intellectual disabilities are employed, although many more want to work. Persons with intellectual disabilities successfully perform a wide range of jobs, and can be dependable workers. They just need help to make it happen.

As the Representative of the 18th District of Texas, and a tireless advocate for equal rights for all persons, I strongly support this Resolution. Currently, the Best Buddies Texas headquarters is in Houston and has programs in high schools and colleges within my district. I want to see that more states can get the help from Best Buddies that Texas has been so lucky to receive and ensure that Best Buddies can continue to grow and help even more individuals with intellectual disabilities in Texas and my district. I urge my colleagues to pass this Bill.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for the time.

It is interesting to hear my good friend from Texas speak on the basis of lowering crime in one part of the State for lowering crime in all parts of the State. Coming from the fourth largest city in the Nation, let me suggest to him that we have ready evidence that COPS ON THE BEAT in fact are probably as constructive or more constructive than the lock-them-up, throw-away-the-key concept. It is interesting as well that I heard my good friend mention and support raising taxes. I have never heard him support and celebrate the idea of raising taxes.

We did build a lot of prisons in Texas. It gave us the name of being renowned for locking up more people than probably a lot of nations around the world. I don't know, however, how effective you could argue that was without strong law enforcement.

Law enforcement provides for the prevention of crime. That is why I am a strong supporter of the COPS ON THE BEAT program, and particularly glad that in March our Attorney General through the administration offered $1 billion to our police departments across America to ensure that there would be stimulus dollars being used for the COPS grants.

We note that in the 1990s crime did go down, and whatever the GAO study says that is confusing, it is clear that in 1998 and 2000, the hiring grants are responsible for reducing crimes by about 200,000 to 250,000 crimes, one-third of which are violent.

Mr. Speaker, in the backdrop of the loss of lives of several of our law enforcement officers from California to the east coast, this is no time to bash police. This is a time to join in and support small departments, large departments, medium-sized departments who are supporting the idea of the COPS reauthorization. I want to thank Mr. Weiner for his leadership.

I thank the gentleman.

We offered in the committee an amendment that would allow us to study the best practices so that we could help departments utilize these COPs grants in an effective way. In the 18th Congressional District, some $56,857,000 in grants were awarded and 875 additional police officers and sheriffs deputies were welcomed into the 18th Congressional District. Ten local and State law enforcement agencies in our congressional district were beneficies of these. We have more constables and sheriffs and police departments, $2 million was added to provide for 19 school resource officers, and $9 million was awarded for crime fighting technologies.

Mr. Speaker, the COPS reauthorization bill is the right way to go. We cannot have a criminal prevention system that does not have preventive law enforcement. That is what we get with the COPS program. I rise to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1139, the Community Oriented Policy Services (COPS) Improvement Act of 2009. I would also like to thank Representative Weiner of New York for introducting this important legislation. This legislation was introduced last Congress and I was a co-sponsor last term. I uge my colleagues to support this bill.

The COPS program was designed to help bring about fundamental changes in policing by drawing officers closer to the citizens they protect. And, in scores of communities across the nation, the COPS program did just that.

The idea of community policing is to get away from the traditional ``call and response'' model, in which officers run from one emergency call to the next. It involves sending officers into the streets and into the neighborhoods to build relationships with residents, identify the sources of crime problems, and solve them before they get worse. The success of the COPS approach to policing is dependent upon the relationships built between the police and the members of the communities they serve.

Since 1995, COPS has awarded more than $10 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,300 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of nearly 117,700 officers. In addition to funding law enforcement positions, the Office of Community Policing Services has been the catalyst for innovations in community policing and broad implementation of effective law enforcement strategy. Presently, departments that employ community policing serve 87 percent of American communities.

On March 16, 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Department of Justice will be accepting applications for $1 billion in Recovery Act Funds for the COPS program. Approximately 5,500 law enforcement officer jobs will be created or saved in law enforcement agencies across the country through funding provided by the Department of Justice.

Recently, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, H.R. 1, included $4 billion in Department of Justice grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts, including the hiring of new police officers, to combat violence against women, and to fight against internet crimes against children.

Similar to Edward Byrne Justice Act Grant (JAG) awards, Recovery Act funds that are authorized for COPS can also be used to hire new officers or rehire recently laid off officers, fill unfunded vacancies and help prevent scheduled layoffs within law enforcement agencies.

COPS funds are allocated directly to the local level governments and law enforcement agencies and provide a three-year period of funding.

Specifically, H.R. 1139, the ``COPS Improvements Act of 2009,'' reinvigorates the COPS program's ability to accomplish its critical mission by establishing three grant programs: (1) the Troops-to-Cops Program, (2) the Community Prosecutors Program, and (3) the Technology Grants Program. The Troops-to-Cops Program would fund the hiring of former members of the Armed Forces to serve as law enforcement officers in community-oriented policing, particularly in communities adversely affected by recent military base closings.

The Community Prosecutors Program would authorize the Attorney General to make grants for additional community prosecuting programs that would, for example, assign prosecutors to pursue cases from specific geographic areas and to deal with localized violent crime, among other crimes.

The Technology Grants Program would authorize the Attorney General to make grants to develop and use new technologies to assist State and local law enforcement agencies reorient some of their efforts from reacting to crime to preventing crime.

The investment in COPS through the Recovery Act although crucial is a one-time investment limited to the purpose of hiring officers. The reauthorization of COPS is necessary for the program to continue past the investment of the Recovery Act.

Reauthorization is also necessary so that the COPS program can include the innovative aspects of the program as explained above.

The Houston area has made great strides in reducing crime. I am confident that with programs like COPS Houston can better combat crime.