Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, the 111th Congress has passed some of the most extensive and ambitious environmental legislation this country has seen since the 1970s. So it brings me great pleasure to be here in the House of Representatives to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

Such legislation includes the Recovery Act, which I was proud to support and has made historic job-creating investments in a clean energy future that will provide hundreds of thousands of jobs. The House also passed clean energy jobs legislation that enhances the American manufacturing base and will make the U.S. a world leader in new energy technologies.

Additionally, I recently introduced the 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act, which will provide valuable cash rebates for the creation of 10 million small power plants located on the roofs of American homes and businesses throughout the country. This legislation will also create an estimated 1.35 million direct and indirect jobs, lower energy costs, strengthen the economy, and put America on the path to energy independence.

Corporate interests have spent millions espousing mistruths and presenting a false choice to the American people--the idea that efforts to preserve our planet and ensure our own survival will destroy the American economy. However, this Congress has exposed these claims for what they really are--lies. The 111th Congress has proven that we can indeed strengthen the American economy and ensure that all Americans can breathe cleaner air and drink cleaner water, and I am honored and proud to have been a part of such a historic effort.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, our friend and partner. After a process that began with the Balfour Declaration, the Mandate of the League of Nations and generations of struggling to regain their homeland, the United Nations passed a resolution on November 29, 1947 giving Israel the right to exist as a state. On May 14, 1948, Israel signed a proclamation creating the State of Israel, establishing it as a country that will ``ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.'' That same night, the United States officially recognized Israel as a sovereign nation.

Despite its unfortunate history of violence, the State of Israel has established itself as a world leader and a nation millions of Jews are proud to have as their homeland. Considering that Israel is the hundredth smallest country in the world with less than one thousandth of the world's population, what Israel has been able to accomplish is truly remarkable. What separates Israel from almost every other country is its truly innovative and entrepreneurial nature.

With regards to education, Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees in the world, so it is no surprise that Israel has become a leader in the health, science, and technology fields. In fact, many of the technologies we rely upon in the United States were actually developed in Israel such as the cell phone, computer operation systems, and voicemail technology. As a result of these technological developments Israel has developed a $100 billion economy, which is larger than the combined economies of all its immediate neighbors.

Therefore, I rise today to celebrate Israel's Independence and to pay my respects to those who have lost their lives defending the nation they loved. Although the State of Israel has experienced more than its fair share of trying times, it has never lost sight of the noble ideals upon which the state was founded: freedom, justice, equality and peace.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mrs. Bertel Wachter Herz, an extraordinary woman who overcame war and the death of loved ones to become a successful entrepreneur in Memphis, Tennessee. She was born to Pepi and Bernhard Wachter on January 4, 1907 in Stolberg, Germany.

Bertel Wachter Herz was the eldest of seven children, and the first to emigrate to the United States. Mrs. Herz first arrived in New York in April of 1939, and subsequently moved to Memphis with her husband, Arthur Sauerbrunn, at the request of Arthur's cousin, Phillip Belz. After settling in Memphis, Bertel worked to bring four of her siblings to the United States, providing refuge from the destruction of World War II and, thus, preventing the tragic fate that had already taken her parents and eldest brother.

Mrs. Herz, being accustomed to the working realm, found life for women in 1940's America unsatisfying. Realizing she had a natural talent for retail, Bertel opened a shop on Union Avenue called Trousseau, a shop that still continues to provide sophisticated, European-style lingerie and linens. Her elegant pieces appealed to many brides, mothers and families, which furthered Bertel's reputation for her exquisite taste and distinguished vision. Devoted employees and loyal customers alike always had nothing but the best to say about Mrs. Herz, who worked tirelessly until her retirement at age 95.

Bertel Herz was known as a woman who lived by a code of integrity, loyalty and love for her family. Her persistence and indomitable spirit served as an inspiration to her daughter and granddaughters to be strong, independent, assertive women. Even today, the third generation of women in her family continues to manage Trousseau, which will be celebrating its 61st anniversary this year.

On March 14, 2010, Mrs. Herz passed away at 103 years of age. She is survived by her daughter, Eden, two granddaughters, Amy Friedman and Pesha Izenberg, and her sister, Regina Farber. Mrs. Herz will be remembered by her fellow Memphians for her hard work, dedication and service to Memphis.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Charlie Vergos, founder of the world-famous Rendezvous restaurant in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. He was known by Memphians as the dean of Memphis barbecuers. The son of Greek immigrants, Charlie Vergos was a World War II Army veteran who fought in the European theater. He was later transferred to the Philippines in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan when the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war.

Charlie Vergos was the definition of an entrepreneur. After returning from war, Mr. Vergos married Tasia and opened a tavern and sandwich shop in a downtown alley of Memphis in 1948. Mr. Vergos started out by selling ham and cheese sandwiches and beer until he discovered a coal chute in the basement of his diner. The chute gave him a vent for grilling which allowed him to expand from ham and cheese sandwiches to ribs. He specialized in dry rubbed ribs, a unique blend of seasonings and an acidic base that dries in the cooking process leaving the ribs impregnated with seasoning. Charlie Vergos built his business from selling about a box of ribs a week to what the Rendezvous cooks now-- about a ton of ribs every day.

Since Charlie Vergos founded Rendezvous in 1948, the barbecue restaurant has served guests such as former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and former Vice President Al Gore, along with entertainers such as Bill Cosby, Justin Timberlake, Kirk Catron, Eric Brown, Luke Laird, Travis Morris, Trevor McFarlin and Mick Jagger.

The Rendezvous was recently designated one of 50 All American Icons by Nation's Restaurant News magazine for its entrepreneurial spirit, its concept and its impact on the Memphis community. Rendezvous has catered events at the American Embassy in Ottawa Canada, meals on Air Force One and Air Force Two, President Bill Clinton's inaugural gala in 1992 and a Fourth of July celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia.

Charleie Vergos loved Memphis and was a major force in the resurgence of downtown Memphis in the decades following the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He not only refused to relocate to the suburbs, but was active in the community through donations and sponsorships that increased the beauty and viability of Memphis, TN. His son, once my classmate and still my close friend, John Vergos, gave up his law practice and political career to join the family business. John explained that his father was always grateful to the citizens of Memphis who supported the business. The feeling is mutual and, around the world, Rendezvous Ribs are inextricably linked to the city of Memphis.

Charlie Vergos passed away on Saturday morning, March 27, 2010, at the age of 84. Charlie Vergos' legacy lives on through his wife, two sons and their wives, John and Ellen Vergos and Nick and Jenny Vergos, his daughter Tina Jennings--co-owners of Rendezvous--his brothers Pete, George and Nick Vergos, and eight grandchildren. We are truly honored for his dedication to Memphis, Tennessee and his contributions to Memphis barbecue.

Madam Speaker, today America mourns the loss of Dr. Dorothy Height, a civil rights pioneer, Presidential adviser, and woman's rights activist. For many years, this Freedom Fighter served as president of the National Council of Negro Women, the Young Women's Christian Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Dr. Height was the backbone of the civil rights movement and worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, and our own John Lewis. During the March on Washington, she was the only African American woman on the speaker's platform during Dr. King's historic ``I Have a Dream'' speech.

In 1994, President Clinton awarded Dr. Height the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her selfless service to others. In 1995, in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, she received the National Civil Rights Museum's Freedom Award. In 2004, President Bush presented her with the Congressional Gold Medal. During Dr. Height's lifetime, the freedom gates were half ajar, yet she fought to open them full and wide for everybody.

Our Nation mourns the loss of a great woman, a great African American leader, a great civil rights leader. Hers was a life well lived.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1271) honoring the life and achievements of Rev. Benjamin Lawson Hooks.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, with the news today of Dorothy Height's passing, we have now lost two significant civil rights leaders in less than 1 week. Today in Memphis, Memphians and others throughout the country will have the opportunity to pay respects to Reverend Benjamin Hooks during a viewing at Greater Middle Baptist Church where he pastored for 52 years. Yesterday in Detroit, Michigan, Reverend Hooks was honored at Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church where he also pastored for some 40 years in the Detroit area.

A native Memphian, Reverend Hooks was one of the golden-throated warriors of the spoken word and one of the few silver-tongued giants of oratory. Dr. Hooks was born in 1925 and was the fifth of seven children born to Robert B. and Bessie Hooks.

His grandmother, Julia B. Hooks, was the second African American female college graduate in the Nation after graduating from Berea College in Kentucky in 1874.

Following in her footsteps, Dr. Hooks attended Le Moyne College in Memphis, where he studied pre-law. He continued to study at Howard University here in Washington, and later at DePaul University Law School in Chicago, Illinois, where he received a law degree. It was unfortunate that when he decided to go to law school, there was not a law school in Tennessee that accepted African Americans, and for that reason, Dr. Hooks traveled to Chicago.

After graduation from college but before law school, he entered the Army during World War II, and he had a job guarding Italian prisoners. The prisoners were able to eat in restaurants that were off limits to him because he was African American. He found this experience to be humiliating, and it deepened his determination to do something about bigotry not just in the South but in our country, as our Armed Forces were segregated and our African American soldiers fighting for our freedoms were not allowed freedoms that prisoners of war enjoyed.

Dr. Hooks returned to Memphis after being discharged from the war with the rank of staff sergeant. He began practicing law in Memphis in 1949, one of the few African Americans practicing law in Memphis. In 1954, he appeared on a roundtable with late Justice Thurgood Marshall and other southern African American attorneys to formulate a possible litigation strategy days before the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was handed down, the landmark case that ended separate but equal and started the end of segregation in our Nation.

Dr. Hooks served as assistant public defender of Shelby County from 1961 to 1965, and in 1965, he was appointed by Governor Frank Clement to serve as criminal court judge in Shelby County. And he became the first African American criminal court judge in the State of Tennessee.

In 1956, while serving in the Baptist ministry at Greater Middle Baptist Church in Memphis, he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., about the time that Dr. King in Montgomery was starting the boycotts of the downtown stores in Montgomery and working with Rosa Parks and boycotting the busses, leading to the great civil rights uprisings and movement in the South that made our Nation a more perfect Union.

President Nixon appointed Dr. Hooks to the Federal Communications Commission in 1972, and he served from 1972 to 1977 and was the first African American appointed commissioner, and there he wanted to make sure that African Americans had the opportunity to have ownership interest in radio and television and other opportunities that they didn't previously have.

In 1977 when he left the Federal Communications Commission, he did so to become executive director and the chief executive officer of the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1977, at that same time, Dr. Hooks' nephew, Michael Hooks, and I were serving on the Tennessee State Constitutional Convention, and we drafted a resolution to invite Dr. Hooks to address the Tennessee Constitutional Convention, limited convention, of 1977, the first African American ever asked to address the joint legislative body in the State of Tennessee.

While Dr. Hooks served as executive director of the NAACP, he fought for affirmative action, led efforts to end apartheid in South Africa, and addressed racism in sports and dealt with the Rodney King trial in Los Angeles. He was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, its highest honor.

Reverend Hooks served as chairman of the board of directors of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, my hometown and his as well. He taught at the University of Memphis, where the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change was established in his honor in 1976. He made a significant personal financial contribution to that particular institute and commented to me one time that it was appropriate and right and proper that when African Americans have been able to secure monies and savings that they make contributions to their society, and he was able to do that, a first generation of wealth that was able to contribute

to civic causes. And he was proud to be a leader in that cause as well.

I was present in 2007 and honored to be in the White House when President Bush awarded Dr. Hooks the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Most recently he gave one of his last lectures on civil rights and social justice as part of the premier lecture series of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change of the University of Memphis here in our Judiciary Committee room in the Rayburn House Office Building. It was October 6, 2009. Several Members of Congress were present and other interested parties in D.C. and on the Hill, and he was accompanied on that occasion, as he was on so many occasions, by his beautiful and jovial bride, Frances.

Frances Dancy was a teacher. She met Ben Hooks at a Shelby County fair. Ben Hooks was a lucky man because he found the perfect bride. Frances was by his side and gave up her career as a teacher. She gave up that career to be first lady of the church, whether it was Mount Moriah, Greater New Mount Moriah in Detroit or Greater Middle Baptist in Memphis, whether on Lamar or on Knight-Arnold.

They were married in 1952. They renewed their vows for the third time after nearly 50 years of marriage on March 24, 2001. She has encouraged him in all of his endeavors, and she will see that his memory is maintained and preserved in an appropriate fashion.

Dr. Hooks was one of the greatest civil rights icons in American history and a community leader in Memphis and a friend of many in this Congress. He is survived by his beautiful and devoted wife, Frances, his daughter Patricia Gray, grandchildren and a nephew, in particular Michael Hooks, who served in public office and a great grandnephew, Michael Hooks, who also served in a public office.

His funeral will be tomorrow in Memphis, Tennessee, at Bountiful Blessings, the flagship Church of God in Christ in Memphis, Superintendent Hawkins presides. His was a life well lived.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to comment, I appreciate Representative Poe's comments. He was a former criminal court judge and like Judge Hooks was a criminal court judge, they share that experience.

I keep under the glass on my desk a picture that was taken of Benjamin Hooks as a lawyer with Russell Sugarman, A.W. Willis, I believe it was A.A. Latting and S.A. Wilbun, and appearing in city court in Memphis and defending individuals in Memphis charged with the violations of the law that were Jim Crow laws. It's a historic picture that people in Memphis know well; they stood up in a courtroom with just about a predominance of policemen around there and white visitors in the courtroom, but they stood for justice and they stood up.

Leaders in Memphis like Maxine Smith and Russell Sugarman are getting older, but they continue the fight as Reverend Hooks has. He had a difficult last few days, but he knew his time had come and he was at peace. He tried to make it to the inaugural to see the inauguration of the first African American President, Barack Obama. He was here. I think the weather was such and the conditions that he wasn't able to make it to the inauguration, but he made a point of coming in here and wanted to participate.

He was bipartisan. He came of an era when many African Americans in the South, if not most, were members of the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln. And he maintained a Republican allegiance through his appointments by President Nixon and a closeness to Senator Baker and others, but also had Democratic roots.

President Bush recognized his talents, as has President Obama and President Clinton. He supported Hillary Clinton for President because he had been close to the Clinton family. But he was happy to see America come to the time when an African American could be elected President, as Dr. King had wanted that time to come, that people were judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. We saw part of that resolution in 2008, and Ben Hooks was pleased to be able to see it.

As I said, he will be buried tomorrow at Bountiful Blessings where G.E. Patterson served as bishop of COGIC, and I know there will be many other people from around the world there to honor him.

I would like to thank my friend John Conyers, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who worked with me on this resolution and is unfortunately absent because of other commitments. He was close to Reverend Hooks in Detroit and other places fighting for civil rights over the years. I would also like to commend the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Lamar Smith, for joining me in cosponsoring this resolution.

I yield as much time as he may consume to Chairman Towns of New York.

I thank the gentleman for joining and relating those parts of Dr. Hooks' life.

He was, as I said, a great orator who took the Southern tradition of politics and the ministry and wove it into a manner of speech that was unrivaled and to his last days could deliver a sermon or a speech that was unparalleled. He will be buried tomorrow at Elmwood Cemetery, where my father is buried and where I suspect I will be buried, and we will spend eternity together.

I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great lion, a leader, one of the golden throated warriors of the spoken word and one of the few silver tongued giants of oratory, and a great civil rights icon, Benjamin Hooks. He passed away in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday, April 15, 2010. Dr. Hooks was the fifth child out of seven born to Robert and Bessie Hooks. His grandmother, Julia B. Hooks was the second African-American female college graduate in the nation after graduating from Berea College in Kentucky in 1874. Following in her footsteps, Dr. Hooks attended LeMoyne College in Memphis where he studied pre-law. He continued his studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and at DePaul University Law School in Chicago, Illinois. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

After graduating from college, Dr. Hooks served in the Army during World War II and had the job of guarding Italian prisoners who were able to eat in restaurants that were off limits to him. He found this experience to be humiliating and it deepened his determination to do something about bigotry in the South. Dr. Hooks returned to Memphis after being discharged at the end of the war with the rank of staff sergeant.

Dr. Hooks began practicing law in 1949 becoming one of the few African-Americans to practice in Memphis. In 1954, he appeared on a roundtable with Thurgood Marshall and other Southern African-American attorneys to formulate a possible litigation strategy days before the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was handed down. Dr. Hooks served as assistant public defender of Shelby County from 1961-1965 until being appointed by Tennessee Governor Frank G. Clement to serve as a criminal judge in Shelby County, Memphis-- becoming the first African-American criminal court judge in the State of Tennessee.

Rev. Benjamin Hooks was also the pastor at Greater Middle Baptist Church in Memphis and Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. In 1956, while serving in the Baptist ministry, he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

President Richard Nixon appointed Dr. Hooks to the Federal Communications Commission, making him the first African-American appointed commissioner. He served in this position from 1972 to 1977. From 1977 to 1992, Dr. Hooks was the Executive Director and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Under his leadership, the NAACP fought for affirmative action, led efforts to end apartheid in South Africa and addressed racism in sports and the Rodney King trial. He was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1986 from the NAACP.

Rev. Hooks served as chairman of the board of directors of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. He also taught at the University of Memphis where the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change was established in 1996.

Dr. Benjamin Hooks was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush at a White House ceremony in November 2007. Most recently, he gave one of his last lectures on civil rights and social justice as part of the premier lecture series of the Benjamin Hooks Institute for Social Change in the Judiciary Committee Room of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, on October 6, 2009.

Always by his side was his beautiful and jovial wife, Frances. They were married in 1952 and renewed their vows for the third time after nearly 50 years of marriage on March 24, 2001.

Dr. Benjamin Hooks was one of the greatest civil rights icons in American history and a community leader in Memphis. His commitment to justice on the bench in Memphis, his strong work with the NAACP to formulate strategies for eliminating barriers to civil rights and his leadership in promoting equal opportunity for all will always be remembered by the countless number of lives he touched. Rev. Benjamin L. Hooks is survived by his devoted wife Frances, daughter Patricia Gray, grandchildren and nephew Michael Hooks. His was a life well lived. Thank you for coming our way, Benjamin Hooks.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1104) supporting the mission and goals of 2010 National Crime Victims' Rights Week to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States, no matter their country of origin or their creed, and to commemorate the National Crime Victims' Rights Week theme of ``Crime Victims' Rights: Fairness. Dignity. Respect.''

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1104 supports the goals and mission of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, celebrated this week, April 18 through 24.

This year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week theme is ``Crime Victims' Rights: Fairness. Dignity. Respect.''

Every April individuals in communities across the country, with the support of the Department of Justice's Office of Victims of Crime, observe National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Rallies, candle-light vigils and many other commemorative events honor crime victims during this observance of victims' rights.

National Crime Victims' Rights Week is observed to highlight the special needs of more than 21 million victims of crime and survivors of crime each year, including over 5 million victims of violent crime. Although the number of murder victims in 2008 fell by almost 4 percent from the previous year, we must remain vigilant in this fight against violent crime.

During this week in April, we take time out to ensure that resources and services are available to help crime victims rebuild their lives and to acknowledge the impact of crime on individuals, families, and communities.

Crime victims suffer not only from the losses that directly result from the crime, but also from the emotional trauma of being victimized. In 2007, total economic loss to victims across the country was $2 billion for violent crime and $16 billion for property crime. This week is also a time to make a commitment to providing more resources to victims of crimes committed in the workplace, in schools, and on college campuses.

In addition, we should pay special attention to children and elderly victims of crime.

National Crime Victims' Rights Week is an occasion to support crime victims. If we don't make a commitment to treating victims with the fairness, dignity, and respect they deserve, it makes it even more difficult for them to heal.

For all these important reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California, my colleague in the National Conference of State Legislatures and my colleague here in Congress and the author of this resolution, Mr. Costa.

I would just like to say I appreciate Mr. Royce's comments.

Mr. Speaker, in Tennessee, I worked to pass an antistalking law and was successful in doing it. They are important. Whether it's Kathleen in southern California or Victoria in Texas, they need to be protected, and we need to make sure we have such laws.

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) to address this subject.

I appreciate the remarks of Congressman Poe, which were obviously heartfelt.

Mr. Speaker, I think there is bipartisanship within this House in looking out for the victims of crime and in trying to see that there aren't more victims. Sometimes you hear speeches on the floor which are written or which are, maybe, not as personal in nature, but what Mr. Poe said was personal. His experience as a prosecutor and as a criminal court judge came through, and I am privileged to have listened to that and to be able to join in his thoughts of: That's just the way it is.

I ask that all of my colleagues join me in supporting this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Lawrence Seymour, a Memphis doctor who dedicated his life to fighting prostate cancer. He was born in Fayette County, Tennessee and moved to the historic LeMoyne Gardens neighborhood in Memphis before beginning grade school. He was class valedictorian at Booker T. Washington High School, one of the first African American high schools in the city. Rising out of poverty, he attended Howard University College of Medicine on a full scholarship. After graduating in 1961, Dr. Seymour regularly sent money back to Howard University to help other aspiring doctors pay for their medical school education.

Becoming one of the first African American urologists in Memphis, Dr. Seymour earned a reputation as a doctor who provided treatment for people whether they were insured or not. He would see patients regardless of their ability to pay him because, according to his wife Mrs. Anita Seymour, ``He felt like he owed it to his community.''

Dr. Seymour would always remind his patients of the importance of receiving specific antigen blood tests, which are critical in helping doctors diagnose prostate cancer in its early stages. For him, the fight against prostate cancer was personal because the disease claimed the life of one of his brothers. Dr. Seymour was a pioneer in the fight against prostate cancer, developing several new treatments for the disease including one that shrinks the prostate gland before surgery.

Dr. Lawrence Seymour passed away on February 23, 2010, at 75 years of age. The Memphis community mourns the life of one of its great doctors. He is survived by his wife, his four children and a host of friends and family across Tennessee and the country. We are grateful to have had the pleasure of his dedication, perseverance and passion in the Memphis community.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my distinguished colleague, Representative Danny Davis of Illinois, in introducing today the ``Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010.'' This legislation would amend the Bankruptcy Code so that private student loan debt can be discharged in bankruptcy. This bill will help to ensure that people who seek higher education to better their futures are not dissuaded from doing so by the threat of financial ruin.

Under current bankruptcy law, educational debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy unless the debtor can establish--through an adversary proceeding--that repaying her educational loans would impose an undue hardship on her and her dependents. Congress's intent in enacting this provision back in 1978 was to protect Federal student loan programs from fraud and abuse by student borrowers and ultimately to protect the taxpayer dollars that fund Federal student loan programs.

Inexplicably, this provision was extended in 2005 to protect for- profit educational lenders, even though doing so was not consistent with Congress's rationale for making Federal student loans non- dischargeable. This 2005 change is troublesome because private student loans often lack the consumer protections of Federal loans, making the need for bankruptcy much greater.

Federal student loans offer certain protections to minimize the risk that a financially distressed debtor will need bankruptcy relief, whereas private student loans are not required to have, and often do not have, such consumer protections. For example, Federal loans have fixed interest rates, whereas private loans often have variable rates that can be as high as 19 percent. Unlike Federal loans, private loans have no limits on origination fees, which can be as high as 9.9 percent, with lenders often charging additional fees such as late fees or fees for any deferments or forbearance, and half of the private loans in one survey had no forbearance option at all. Federal loans also provide flexible options for distressed debtors, such as income- based repayment plans and partial or complete loan forgiveness in some circumstances, whereas private lenders are not required to offer such options. For these reasons, private loans should be dischargeable in bankruptcy.

The bankruptcy system should work as a safety net that allows people to get the education they want with the assurance that, should their finances come under strain by layoffs, accidents, or other unforeseen life events, they will be protected. Our legislation takes a modest but important step in achieving this goal.

I thank Representative Davis for working with me in crafting this important legislation. I also thank Senator Richard Durbin for introducing a similar bill in the Senate. I urge Congress to act quickly and pass these bills.

Mr. Speaker, a great cedar, a great lion, a leader, a golden-throated warrior and silver-tongued orator of the Gospel, and a great civil rights icon, Benjamin Hooks, fell in Memphis, Tennessee this morning.

The Reverend Benjamin L. Hooks was the head of the NAACP from 1977 to 1992. He was also the first African American on the Federal Communications Commission, appointed by President Nixon. He served 5 years, from 1972 to 1977. And the first African American trial court judge in Tennessee, appointed by Governor Frank Clement in 1965, and elected in 1966.

The Reverend Hooks led this country through some of its more difficult times in civil rights. He joined with Dr. King in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1956 after he had been ordained as a minister in Memphis at Middle Baptist Church. He was an attorney, he was a businessman, he was a minister, he was a civil rights leader.

He was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Bush in 2007, and recently was up here in Congress and talked to many Members of the Congress in the Rayburn Building just 2 months ago. He leaves his wife Frances and many, many millions who benefited from his leadership and his courage. His was a life well lived.

Thank you for coming our way, Benjamin Hooks.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Tom Turner, a man who devoted his life in service to the Memphis community. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1924, and graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology, after which he served his country as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Afterwards, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he worked as the Division Manager for External Affairs at Buckeye Cellulose Technology for forty years.

Tom Turner was active in a multitude of local organizations during his career and in retirement. He was Chairman of the Boards of Agricenter International, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, and Goodwill Industries. In addition, Mr. Turner served as Vice Chairman of the Boards of the Airport Authority and Christian Brothers University. He was an active participant with Le Moyne Owen College, MIFA and was a big fundraiser for the United Way and the Salvation Army. He was active in the Rotary Club, Memphis in May, Memphis partners and the Tennessee Independent College Fund. Mr. Turner was an active member of his Church, Wesleyan Hills United Methodist, where he was Chairman of the administrative board and taught Sunday School.

This is only a partial list of Mr. Turner's involvement in the Memphis community. He was truly a tireless proponent of civic involvement. The Volunteer Center of Memphis awarded him the Golden Rule Award as the ``Top Volunteer in Memphis.'' Christian Brothers University also awarded him the Maurelian Medal for ``exceptional service to the university and to the wider community.'' Thomas Turner's impact was deeply felt in the Memphis Community and his absence will undoubtedly be deeply felt.

Tom Turner passed away on March 27, 2010, at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Doris Turner, two daughters, Terri Panitz and Lisa Turner and partner Rob Sangster, and five grandchildren. Memphis mourns the loss of Mr. Turner who was tirelessly involved in his community's growth. His life was a reminder of just how much one person can accomplish while serving the community.

Mr. Speaker, today is Tax Day, of course, and that is somewhat of a dreaded day in many people's minds. But the fact is in the past year we have had more tax cuts than almost any time in our Nation's history. But with President Obama and this Congress, they have been directed to the lower working class people, the lower income people, and not the top 2 or 3 percent, as happened during the Bush administration.

President Obama stood at the podium behind me in his State of the Union address and said, ``Now let me repeat, we cut taxes. We cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first-time homebuyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for 8 million Americans paying for college. We put $300 billion worth of tax cuts into people's pockets so there was demand and businesses had customers.'' I am proud to have supported the President in these measures.

A third of the stimulus package, the ARRA, was tax cuts. It is something the American people don't realize because of the false rhetoric that has been spread throughout this country. I appreciate the work of this Congress and President Obama, and I thank him for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 610, a bill originally introduced by Representative Wexler of Florida, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Wilroy Sanders, a Korean War Veteran, legendary blues musician, and beloved Memphian. Mr. Sanders was born Willie Roy Sanders in Byhalia, Mississippi and moved to Memphis in the early 1930's. From an early age, he demonstrated a remarkable gift for music--teaching himself to play guitar and even making his own guitars. His unique musical style was developed from a combination of his church upbringing and traditional blues music.

After serving in the U.S. Army from 1953-1955, Mr. Sanders returned home to Memphis to pursue his passion for music. In the early 1960s, he played in a series of bands including the Binghampton Blues Boys which became renowned for their song, ``Crosscut Saw.'' Many blues musicians, including Albert King and Eric Clapton, have since covered this hit.

Wilroy Sanders went on to form the Fieldstones, a blues band known for the songs ``Blues at Nightfall'' and ``Dirt Road.'' In the 1990s, The Fieldstones became the house band for the popular Green's Lounge in Memphis. Soon afterwards, Mr. Sanders and his wife, Dorothy Mae Tucker Sanders, became owners of Green's Lounge, which they owned until it was destroyed by fire in 1997.

Memphis music label Shangri-La produced a 1999 documentary celebrating the life and work of Wilroy Sanders entitled Will Roy Sanders: The Last Living Bluesman. The documentary noted that Mr. Sanders was, like Rufus Thomas, ``a total entertainer'' and dubbed the Fieldstones ``one of the hottest blues bands ever from Memphis.''

Mr. Sanders touched the lives of many in Memphis and across the nation. He passed away on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, at the age of 76. We are truly honored for his service in the U.S. Army and for his contributions to the Memphis blues community. Wilroy Sanders' legacy lives on through his wife, children and his music.

Madam Speaker, it has been interesting listening to the other side of the aisle talk today. One gentleman got up and talked about the health care bill in a cold and calculating fashion that made me think that he wanted the trains to run on time. Never did he consider the fact that the Congressional Budget Office said that this is the largest deficit-reducing bill in the history of the United States, over a trillion dollars in the second 10 years, and $123 billion in the first 10 years.

Another said it is patient centered, patient centered. It sounds nice, Madam Speaker. What that means is that if the patient has money now, they can get health care; and if the patient doesn't, they don't get health care. And if you don't get health care and you don't get wellness programs and you don't get prevention programs, you die. You don't get mammograms and you don't get colonoscopies. You don't find out if you have cancer, and you die. Patient centered, very cold and calculating.

They say we need to fix this bill. They never explained what part of the bill they liked. They were against it all. Daniel Webster said to do something worthy to be remembered. What the other side did was say you lie, baby killer, and encourage outsiders that almost brought about civil unrest.