Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the out of Iraq Caucus I rise in opposition to this resolution. We would not even be debating this bill if the American people were not disillusioned by this war and did not want to bring our troops home.

I was among those who opposed the tragic decision to launch this war. I warned that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would plunge us into a bloody quagmire of violence that would only intensify the instability in the Middle East and leave this nation less secure and less able to protect our own national interests.

The sad truth is that all the grimmest predictions have now come true and today--

The Taliban are mounting a major comeback in Afghanistan;

Iran is on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon;

Somalia is dominated by an al Queda-inspired militia;

And, here at home, our Nation is at risk. The fundamental recommendations of the 911 Commission are still waiting.

Those who still support the Iraq war often claim it has made this Nation a safer place. That it has kept away the terrorists and stopped another 911 tragedy. Unfortunately, such wishful thinking is only a way to justify the horrendous human suffering that we have caused by our misguided mission, an effort to justify a war that was never properly planned and executed and that has wounded thousands and cost the lives of two thousand five hundred American soldiers.

The toll of this war is still climbing and throughout the world terrorism is on the rise.

The administration talks a lot about National security but those in Congress knows the war in Iraq has not made America a safer nation.

We are appropriating millions and millions of dollars, at a time of skyrocketing Federal deficits, to fortify security in the U.S. Capitol Complex and at all other Federal facilities across this Nation. If Members of Congress believed this Nation is safer than it was before we captured Saddam Hussein, then why would we allow a single lost airplane to trigger the evacuation of the U.S. Capitol? Why does a single suspicious noise cause the lock down of the house office buildings? And just yesterday, why did the leadership of Congress upgrade our supplies of escape hoods?

No one in the leadership of Congress is behaving like we have diminished the terrorist threat. We know the war has made U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism.

Our National security is still in danger. Democracy is not flourishing in the Middle East. It is time to bring our troops home and to devote our resources to our own national security.

I commend my courageous colleague, Mr. Murtha who has displayed tremendous patriotism on the battlefield, and in this chamber.

I support his call to implement a strategic redeployment from Iraq and implore the Members of this body to have the good sense to listen to the people of this Nation and to support the call to redeploy our U.S. troops in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 626 introduced by my distinguished colleague from Missouri. This resolution will recognize the efforts and achievements of the 2005 National League Most Valuable Player, the legendary St. Louis Cardinals infielder, Albert Pujols.

The professional career and life pursuits of Albert Pujols exemplify nothing short of perseverance, skill, and integrity. His statistics for the first 5 years of his career rank amongst the best in baseball history with a .332 career batting average, 201 home runs and 621 RBI's. Pujols is distinguished as being the only player to have a batting average higher than .300--and to have hit over 30 home runs-- and to have driven in over 100 runs in each of his first 5 seasons. He was recipient of the 2001 Rookie of the Year Award for the National League, 2003 National League batting champion, and the Most Valuable Player of the 2004 National League Championship Series. Pujols throughout his athletic career has demonstrated the highest level of sportsmanship and showmanship--earning him the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 National League Championship Series.

In an exceptional 2005 campaign Pujols established career highs in walks and stolen bases. With 41 home runs and 16 stolen bases, he became just the second Cardinal to finish with at least 40 home runs and 15 stolen bases in a single season, after Rogers Hornsby in 1922. Pujols finished second in the National League with a .330 batting average--hitting his 200th career homer along with a grand slam. Additionally, but not understated, Pujols finished with 117 RBI's, 97 walks, and a career low 38 doubles caused by nagging injuries.

Cardinals' fans were given even more ammunition to celebrate in 2005, because Albert Pujols' Most Valuable Player recognition marks the first time that the Cardinals have had both a Most Valuable Player and Cy Young award winner-pitcher, Chris Carpenter in the same year.

Pujols' characteristics and accomplishments are not limited to his accolades on the field. Off the field Pujols and his wife, Deidre, have three children: Isabella, A.J. Alberto Jr., and their newest addition Sophia. Both Pujols and his wife are generous and active supporters of community issues and in 2005 established the Pujols Family Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to the ``love, care and development of people with Down Syndrome and also reaches out to impoverished families in the Dominican Republic.''

Recently Pujols became the third fastest player in major league history to reach 25 home runs in a season and was on pace to hit a record breaking 82 home runs--before an oblique injury--which would have surpassed the single-season home run record of 73 home runs held by Barry Bonds.

Albert Pujols has become a role model and an inspiration to his fans, and others, through his many outstanding achievements. I congratulate him on his 2005 successes both on and off the field, and we all wish him a speedy recovery and a quick return from his present injuries. He is truly a modem American hero and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American--world-renowned dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, social activist, and museum founder, Katherine Mary Dunham. Called ``Miss Dunham'' by many, she dedicated her life to celebrating the vibrant African-Caribbean roots and influences on dance and helped shine the light of the world on the unique dance forms and rituals of the African Diaspora. A pioneer and founder of the anthropological dance movement, Miss Dunham created the Dunham Technique and showed the world that African American heritage is rich and beautiful.

Upon her death on Sunday, May 21, 2006, Miss Dunham had lived a vibrant, creative, and revolutionary 96 years. While she may have died in her New York City apartment, her heart longed for a return to the Midwest where she had established the Katherine Dunham Museum and Children's School in East St. Louis, IL, and where she cultivated generations of dancers, musicians and other artists throughout the region.

Her ties to St. Louis, MO, and East St. Louis, IL, began in earnest in 1967 when she joined the faculty of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Thus began a legacy that continues to this day; which includes the Katherine Dunham Center, the Katherine Dunham Dynamic Museum and creation of a dance anthropology program. Later, the college would rename its East St. Louis Center the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities and name its communications arts building after Miss Dunham.

Born in Chicago, IL in 1909, Miss Dunham studied dance in her early teens and would later become one of the first African Americans to attend the University of Chicago where she earned her bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees in social anthropology. Using a Rosenwald Fellowship, she traveled and completed groundbreaking work on Caribbean and Brazilian dance anthropology as a new academic discipline. Later, she was hired as dance director for Chicago's Federal Theatre Project. In 1931 Miss Dunham established her first dance school in Chicago, called the Negro Dance Group. By 1934 her dance career included both American and European theater in musicals, operas and cabarets throughout the world.

She danced on Broadway and with Les Ballet Negre, the first black ballet company in the United States. Her film career included ``Stormy Weather'' and ``Cabin in the Sky,'' which she co-choreographed with George Balanchine. In New York she founded the Katherine Dunham School of Arts and Research dance school and a touring company--The Katherine Dunham Troupe. From the late 1930s through the 1940s the dance troupe won critical acclaim while performing in more than 100 original works choreographed by Miss Dunham. Her specific style for teaching dance is still used throughout the world.

Miss Dunham bravely used her fame to call public attention to social injustices both at home and abroad. During World War II, she successfully filed lawsuits against hotels that practiced racial discrimination. In her later years, a 47-day hunger strike by the 82- year-old Miss Dunham in 1993 helped focus attention on the plight of Haiti.

Miss Dunham's intellectual, artistic and humanitarian contributions have earned her at least 10 honorary doctorate degrees, along with many coveted awards, including the Presidential Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, French Legion of Honor, Southern Cross of Brazil, Grand Cross of Haiti, NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, Lincoln Academy Laureate, the Urban Leagues' Lifetime Achievement Award, the Women's International Center's Living Legacy Award and the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

Miss Dunham recounted her life and artistic experiences in eight books, including her autobiography ``A Touch of Innocence.'' Her ground-breaking work in every aspect of dance, theater, music and education has been immortalized in the Library of Congress, where a collection of at least 1,694 items in a variety of video/motion picture formats has been preserved as part of the Katherine Dunham Collection.

Mr. Speaker, I urge members of Congress to join me in honoring the life of Katherine Dunham. Through dance, science and artistic expression, Miss Dunham worked tirelessly, encouraging all humanity to abandon the depths of despair in their lives and to drink robustly from the well of hope--through art.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Edna Edwards Pritchett on the occasion of her 90th birthday which will be celebrated on April 28, 2006.

Edna Pritchett has been a pillar in our community. She has lived her entire life in the First Congressional District of the Great State of Missouri. She is a 1934 graduate of the historic Sumner High School and was the second of three generations of her family to attend that landmark institution. During her outstanding career spanning 42 years, Mrs. Pritchett has served with distinction with the American Cancer Society and the Homer G. Phillips Hospital--another landmark institution in my congressional district. She also worked in several capacities with the St. Louis Board of Education.

In 1969, Mrs. Pritchett joined the Monsanto Company and retired from its International Division in 1979. But, her service to our community did not end at that point. She continued to be a conscientious citizen and a neighborhood beacon--serving in a number of capacities including Neighborhood Watch and First Night Programs which she continues to this very day.

Through the years, Mrs. Pritchett has given the full measure of her abilities, dedicated services and wise counsel to the St. Louis community. She gave tirelessly of her time as a Girl Scout Troup Leader at the All Saints Episcopal Church and later as a poll worker with the St. Louis County Board of Elections. She also volunteered with the University City Public Schools as a reading advocate for children and with other educational programs throughout the school district.

Edna Pritchett was the devoted wife for 43 years to Raymond W. Pritchett until his passing in 1985. She has been a dedicated homemaker, a loving, nurturing and caring mother to her four children, Mattelyn, Edna Jean, Harriet and Raymond, as well as a trusted confidant and friend to her late sister, Regina Edwards. Her shining personality and indomitable spirit has brought warmth and cheer to her family and into the lives of all who have had the opportunity to know her.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent such a respected and beloved constituent. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the great humanity and lifetime achievements of Mrs. Edna Edwards Pritchett and extend my very best wishes to her as she celebrates this great milestone with her family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday February 15, 2006, a briefing was conducted in the Canon Caucus room of the U.S. House of Representatives. Entitled: Iran: Threats, Challenges and Prospects For Change, the briefing was sponsored by bipartisan group of Members of Congress. During this event speakers assessed the current situation in Iran, the Iranian nuclear threat and the status of the Iranian opposition group, the MEK. I would like to take this opportunity to share with all of my colleagues my opening statement and some of the highlights from the remarks of the panelists:

I would like to begin by thanking all of the Iranian

Americans who have traveled to Capitol Hill today to hear the

views of our expert panelists. I also want to thank my fellow

members of Congress who are here with us in support of this

event. Let me start by recognizing Tom Tancredo of Colorado,

thank you for being here, and also Congressman Boozman of

Arkansas. Can we give them both a hand for their

participation [applause]. I also want to thank our

distinguished panelists for taking the time to share their

insights and understanding of current events in Iran. It is

critically important that all Americans understand the true

nature of the grave threat posed by the radical extremists,

anti American regime in Tehran. We're facing a very dangerous

crisis with Iran today. The Iranian government is sponsoring

terrorism, developing nuclear weapons, meddling in the future

of Iraq and violating the fundamental human rights of their

own people. The world community cannot afford to allow the

Iranian mullahs to continue to be a regional threat or to

grow into a nuclear threat. For too many years we have done

nothing to help the Iranian people--inside and outside of

Iran--in their struggle for democracy. For too many years we

have tolerated terrorism and violence from Iranian

extremists. It is time to take action. If we fail to take

action against the mullahs meddling in Iraq we risk the

future of the Iraqi people and we may find that the Iranian

regime and not the Iraqi people were the real winners of the

Iraq war.

U.S. policies toward Iran have failed to achieve our goals.

While many advocate more dialogue with Tehran our time is

running short. We must seize the opportunity to aid the

people of Iran and it is time to give support to the Iranian

people who have longed for democracy for more than a quarter

of a century. I am troubled by the strategy of our

government and the insistence that the Iranian government

and the Iranian opposition, the MEK are equal threats to

peace and freedom. There is no logic in this reasoning and

it is undermining our foreign policies. The U.S. must

exercise a genuine commitment to helping the Iranian

people overcome the oppressive regime that despises

democratic principles and denies fundamental human rights.

I commend all who are working today for the sake of human

rights, peace and democracy in the Middle East. I share your

vision of a free and peaceful Iranian nation.

The first panelist to address the briefing was Professor Raymond Tanter the former member of the National Security Agency and the President of Iran Policy Committee. His statement began:

Please allow me to cut to the chase and begin with my

conclusions: Coercive diplomacy, military action, and regime

change for Iran are three options for the international

community. Rather than sliding into military action as

coercive diplomacy also fails, it is time to consider regime

change for Iran. Because the only possibility to carry out

regime change is via the groups feared by the regime in

Tehran, the United States should remove their terrorist

designation. Coercive diplomacy combines threat of force with

promise of diplomacy. For several years, the European Union

pursued a policy of promise without threat, ostensibly in

order to bolster the fortunes of moderates like former

President Mohammad Khatami relative to the likes of the

Supreme Leader and President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rather than reinforcing the moderates, however, there has

been a consolidation of power under the Supreme Leader and

his selected President Ahmadinejad. Professor Tanter went on

to say: President Bush should issue a Finding or Presidential

Directive authorizing all appropriate measures to effect

regime change in Iran

The next panelist to address the conference was Ms. Lynn Derbyshire who is a representative of victims of terrorism in Beirut She recently testified in the U.S. Congress against the Mullah's regime support of terrorism. She started her remarks with the story of her brother who was killed in Beirut by the Iranian regime. Ms. Derbyshire then explained that placing the Iranian Resistance in the terrorist list was a present to the clerical regime in Iran. She said: ``Ahmadinejad, not Iranian Resistance, is a terrorist.'' She continued on saying that ``Iranian and American people basically want the same thing. They all want to put a stop on terrorism.''

Lt. General Tom McInerney (USAF, ret.), former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and an IPC Co-Chair, also addressed the briefing. He examined the military option toward Iran: and said:

The United States has the ability to target the known

nuclear sites of Iran and delay its nuclear weapons program.

With such capability in hand and in the context of failing

diplomacy, we should leave the military option on the table.

General McInerney added: However, military alternatives have

risks, which suggest that choosing the military option should

be a last resort. Prior to taking military action, it is

important to begin a regime change clock. McInerney

concluded: Regime change begins when the Great Powers remove

Iranian opposition groups from so-called terrorist lists. I

favor removing of the Mujahedeen-e Khalq from such lists;

empowering the Iranian people by recognizing their main

opposition groups; building an Arab political coalition to

support these opposition groups; and eroding the

legitimacy of Tehran regime to point where it collapses in

face of determined efforts of the Iranian people working

through dissidents and exiles.

The next speaker to address the briefing was Mr. Bruce McColm, President, Institute for Democratic Strategies, a non-profit organization committed to strengthening democratic processes abroad. In his remarks he asked:

Can we imagine one day saying that Iran is an island of

democratic stability in a turbulent region? We can if we help

the Iranian people stand up and demand a greater say in their

government and in their own lives.

He continued:

Since the days of the Iranian Revolution, we in the West

have viewed the Iranian people as victims of a repressive

regime. Some thought the period of the Khatami Presidency

could usher in much-needed reforms, a little more respect for

basic human rights, and possibly the day when a democracy

could be established and the Iranian people could take their

rightful place in the world community. The election--I mean,

selection--of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as President should dispel

this illusion once and for all.

He stated:

Now is the time when we should stop looking at Iranians as

victims and use our considerable resources to empower this

talented civilization so it can create the free, prosperous

society their considerable talents are capable of.

McColm also said:

If we are serious about regime change in Iran, what can be

done?

He talked about the bills passed in the Congress that are necessary first steps to send the proper signal to Tehran that there is a new day dawning and their day is ending. He explained:

Attempts by the United States and the European Union to

placate the leadership of Iran by placing the MEK on the

proscribed list of terrorist organizations should end. It is

way past time to take back lran's lone diplomatic victory

over the past fifteen years. De-List the MEK and the NCRI

now. It is the right thing to do.

He also said:

Before his recent execution, MEK activist, 30-year old

Hojjat Zamani wrote Kofi Annan a letter to encourage the

United Nations investigation of the status of the families of

political prisoners in Iran. He was too aware that the

Iranian regime has been adroit in blackmailing families of

those involved in activities considered contrary to the

regime. This practice continues to this day. The

international community should create a fund in Zamani's name

to subsidize the families of political prisoners so as to

alleviate their financial suffering.

The last speaker was Mr. Nasser Rashidi who showed a picture of the Mojahedin member, Hojjat Zamani and announced his execution by the Iranian regime which took place on February 7th. He highly praised all the political prisoners and said that the people of Iran are determined to bring freedom and democracy back to their homeland no matter what price they have to pay. Mr. Rashidi said that the people of Iran have already sacrificed 120,000 of their best children who have been executed to bring freedom to their country and they will pay even more. He continued as saying:

It is a mistake to believe that only one individual in the

ruling elite is aiming to wipe another country off the map.

The colossal mistake is to name the enemy as the individual

called Ahmadinejad and not the ideology. The rulers of Iran

are representing an ideology that is called ``Islamic

Fundamentalism'', or sometimes is called ``Islamic

Extremism.'' He said that many members of both chambers have

expressed their opposition to the designation of MEK as an

FTO. He thanked the many congressional advisors and staff

present at the meeting for supporting the Iranian people and

their resistance. He then pointed out the latest news

conference held by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi in Auver-sur-Oise,

France where she said:

If the West stops giving concessions to the mullahs, petro-

dollars do not fill the mullahs' coffers, silence and

inaction vis-a-vis the systematic human rights abuses and

terrorist crimes are ended, and the terrorist list as well as

other unjust restrictions on the Resistance are removed,

change would be within reach.

At the conclusion of the three hour briefing reporters interviewed the panelists about the Iranian threat.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.

I want to take a moment to thank the Chairman Pombo and Chairman Saxton and Ranking Members Rahall and Christensen for their willingness to support and their generous help of their staffers who have worked hard to bring the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum bill to the floor today.

H.R. 452, which I sponsored along with Representatives Skelton and Carnahan, will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the feasibility of including the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum in St. Louis among the National Park Service's inventory of Federal monuments.

At a time when our soldiers are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American people feel a very special connection to our military forces, and the citizens of our Nation have a very real need to visit shrines that honor our Nation's veterans.

The St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum is a treasured monument to our Nation's veterans. I believe this landmark is truly one of the most outstanding memorials ever built in tribute to those who have sacrificed their lives in service to our Nation.

The St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial was initiated by residents of St. Louis in the 1920s to honor the brave Americans who lost their lives in World War I. After several years of fundraising for land acquisition and construction, the monument was dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on October 14, 1936, and officially opened to the public on Memorial Day, 1938.

The Soldiers' Memorial was a unique place in our Nation's history as it is the only structure in St. Louis that is

known to have been dedicated by a sitting U.S. President. The Soldiers' Monument is a national treasure and an architectural masterpiece. Designed by one of the 20th Century's foremost art deco sculptors, Mr. Walker Hancock, its entrance is flanked by four limestone sculptures which symbolize the most important virtues in a soldier's life: courage, loyalty, sacrifice and vision, while its ceiling displays a mosaic tile in the shape of a large gold star that is dedicated to our Nation's Gold Star Mothers.

The Soldiers' Memorial is an important cultural resource and gathering place. It attracts nearly 48,000 visitors each year and provides the setting for more than 20 ceremonies annually, including changing of command and retirement ceremonies and many patriotic events hosted by veterans groups. It is the center of an annual Veterans Day Parade and Observance, which is the largest of its kind in the Midwest, drawing participants from several surrounding States and presenting more than 100 marching units.

In recent years, the memorial has received support and contributions from active military personnel and veterans to help the city of St. Louis maintain this cherished structure.

At this time in our history, we are engaged in a war against terrorism. The people of our Nation are mourning more than 2,000 American service men and women who have given their lives in the Iraq War. The American people are anxious to pay tribute to the Nation's veterans, and they should have national shrines to commemorate their friends and family members who have lost their lives for our Nation.

It is time for the Federal Government to consider acquiring the St. Louis Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum in its inventory of national monuments. I believe that a study of this monument would show that it is an historically important structure with a national significance.

H.R. 452 is strongly supported by veterans groups and other civic organizations. I hope the Members of this body will endorse this important effort to help create a Federal monument to honor our Nation's veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Malik Ahmed, the founder and chief executive officer of Better Family Life, Inc., a holistic cultural and community development corporation he founded in February 1983. He has pioneered the concept of synthesizing and blending the imperatives of African-American culture with the complexities of community and economic development.

Better Family Life is dedicated to the prosperity and growth of the African-American family, as well as the preservation of culture, consciousness and community. Organized out of a need to find internal solutions to the crises within the African-American family, the organization's mission is to plan and establish social, cultural, artistic, youth, economic, housing and educational programs that help to promote positive and innovative changes within the metropolitan St. Louis and East St. Louis communities.

Under his leadership Better Family Life, Inc. has grown to include a full-time professional staff of more than 70, with 30 percent of the staff having advanced degrees. Recently, the organization purchased the former Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School at 5415 Page Boulevard, in St. Louis, MO. When the $4 million renovation is completed, the three- story facility will be home to the Better Family Life Cultural Center & Museum, housing corporate offices and four--job training--community programs: Project RESPECT--job training--Neighbor-to-Neighbor Housing Counseling & Asset Building, Youth Passport to the Future and Cultural Arts.

Other Better Family Life programs include the annual Kwanzaa Expo and the Unity Ball extravaganza. The 20th annual Unity Ball has grown to include approximately 1,500 attendees and honors numerous community leaders, elders, youth, movers and shakers at all levels. Recently, in response to this country's worst disaster on record, Better Family Life, along with the Millions More Movement, spearheaded a relief drive for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, sending an 18-wheel tractor- trailer filled with donations from the St. Louis community to Hattiesburg, MS.

Prior to founding Better Family Life, Mr. Ahmed was a registered representative with the prestigious financial planning firm, The Moneta Group. An avid collector of fine art and literature, he is president of B4 Positive Products and Marketing, a business he founded in 1989 to network, market and distribute books and African artifacts.

Mr. Ahmed has traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad. He speaks fluent French. As a Peace Corps volunteer, he worked for 3 years as an urban planner in the West African country of Mali, where he successfully developed a cost-effective sanitation program for the capital city of Bamako. Mr. Ahmed holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in public administration/policy analysis. He is the recipient of many community service awards and serves on various boards. He is married to DeBorah and they have one son, Shabazz.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognized Mr. Malik Ahmed before the United States House of Representatives for his tireless dedication to the development of culture, community and self-improvement among minorities in St. Louis.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn this fiscally irresponsible and morally offensive budget proposal which violates every principle of responsible government.

This budget reconciliation bill, as presented by the majority leadership, is a pathetic attempt to disguise their real intentions to pass another bloated windfall for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of millions who are already suffering great hardships.

It is shameful that the same leaders who spend much of their time talking about morality and family values would attempt to finance another tax cut for millionaires by cutting food stamps for the hungry and slashing $12 billion from Medicaid.

At the State level, hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans are already losing their Medicaid benefits. In Missouri alone, in my State, the Republican legislature and governor have managed to knock 90,000 Medicaid recipients off of the rolls and another 30,000- something children off of CHIPs. We are pushing these people into the army of the uninsured, which now numbers more than 45 million in this country.

On top of this travesty, the majority leadership is trying to reward big oil and big gas companies with a get-into-ANWR-free card as part of the budget reconciliation. These same companies made $27 billion in profits during the last 90 days, and they still want more?

I appeal to my Republican colleagues to rediscover their humanity and to return to fiscal sanity. The courageous communities along the gulf coast who survived the hurricanes and people of goodwill across this country are counting on Congress to do the right thing. The very last thing we should do is to punch more holes in a safety net that is already badly damaged.

Mr. Speaker, poverty and food insecurity in the United States are on the rise and Hurricane Katrina just made things worse. The number of Americans in poverty is rising steadily, from 32 million in 2000 to 37 million in 2004. More than one in six U.S. children lives in poverty. Food insecurity in the United States increased in 2004 for the fifth straight year, affecting 38.2 million people or 11.9 percent of our households. Children fared even worse; 19 percent of them were food insecure in 2004, meaning their families did not have enough money to provide sufficient food.

The combination of stagnant wages and sharply rising costs for essentials such as health care and energy has forced more struggling families to skimp on food in order to pay their bills. This year, Hurricane Katrina left hundreds of thousands of families with no homes and no jobs. This reconciliation bill cuts $7 billion from programs serving working families and vulnerable individuals. Over 5 years, the House bill cuts child support by $4.9 billion; cuts food stamps by $844 million; cuts foster care assistance by $577 million; and cuts Supplemental Security Income to the elderly and disabled by $732 million.

These cuts are likely to generate more poverty and economic insecurity among families and individuals struggling to get by. We must defeat this resolution and then renew our bipartisan commitment to restoring balance, fairness and common sense to the budget process.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Brother Deloch, a constituent of mine and well-beloved and respected husband of 75 years, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle. I was saddened to recently learn of his passing on Friday evening, October 14, at the age of 97.

Mr. Deloch was born January 20, 1908 in Macon, Mississippi to the late Mr. Israel and Mrs. Cora (Grey) Deloch. After the death of his father, Brother Deloch, along with his mother and siblings, moved to Kinloch, Missouri. During the late 1920's Brother Deloch met Emma Lou Dailey and on January 22, 1930 they were joined in holy matrimony. He remained faithfully married his whole life; Brother and Emma Lou had nine children together. Brother and Emma Lou were together as husband and wife for 75 years, Mr. Speaker.

Soon after getting married and making it through the great depression, Brother Deloch worked for several years installing and repairing motors as an employee of the French, Gerleman Electric Company. From there, he became a clerk for the Missouri Kansas Texas (MKT, Katy) Railroad Company and later for the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. He retired in 1973 and moved to Mulberry Grove, Illinois where he played a vital role in developing the infrastructure of the Royal Lakes Sub-Division. A little over a decade and a half later he returned to St. Louis where he served the pastor and the church family of Bostick Temple Church of God in Christ. He also worked in the Church Pantry and kept up his active and faithful service to the church and his community until his health began to fail earlier this year.

Brother Deloch leaves behind Emma Lou, his lovely wife of 75 years, four sons and three daughters: Marvell Aaron; Mozell Jr; Frederick Douglas; Walter James; Anetta Bernice Carter; and Annabelle Ireland of Flint, Michigan, and Anita Louise Hyshaw of St. Louis. He also leaves behind fourteen marvelous grandchildren, and twenty-four wonderful great grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask those assembled here today to pay tribute to Brother Deloch and celebrate his long life, his faithful and loving marriage of seven and half decades, and the family and friends who remember him with great affection.

Mr. Speaker, this is to register my support for the legislation, H.R. 3764, to establish an independent commission to study the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

The disaster brought by Hurricane Katrina is indisputable. The failure of government agencies and elected officials to effectively minimize the suffering and death of the victims in the Gulf Coast is indefensible.

History will record the Katrina disaster as a turning point in this nation's history. When the waters rose and the levees burst, the world watched as thousands of sick and elderly Americans, thousands of poor families with young children cried out for food and water. American citizens who trusted the advice of the government were abandoned in an evacuated city without food or water, without plumbing, without law enforcement, without transportation and without hope. The pictures we saw were nothing short of unbelievable. Mr. Speaker, in September 2005 the image of America was forever changed in the eyes of the entire world.

As a nation we can no longer pretend that all Americans have the opportunity to share in the wealth of this great nation. The winds of Katrina exposed the truth to all Americans and to all the world.

The very least this body must now do is to abandon the partisanship that has stifled public policy making for too many years. We are elected officials and our first responsibility is to represent the people--not to represent political parties. There should be no disagreement that whatever government did or did not do in response to Hurricane Katrina, we did not do our best. The mission failed. And it was not the failure of one person or the failure of one government agency or the failure of any political party--it was a collective failure. Now we must come together to do everything humanly possible to make certain that this never, ever happens again.

Mr. Speaker, we must establish an Independent Katrina Commission to assess the federal government's response to this hurricane and to determine what we must do to effectively respond to future large-scale catastrophes. The people of this nation expect nothing less. It would be stupid and it would be senseless for this body to even consider doing otherwise.

I implore my colleagues to remember the thousands of American citizens whose trust in our government was destroyed when their livelihoods were lost, their homes were washed away and the poor and the sick were left all alone to die. It will take a generation or more for most of the victims and their families to mend; this Congress must do everything possible to support them. The recovery of our nation is at stake. We must work to ensure that Katrina remains the single greatest natural disaster in our history. We need an Independent Katrina Commission to restore faith in this government and to ensure that we never again experience a preventable disaster.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Frankie Muse Freeman, a lawyer from Missouri who has fought a long and historic battle in defense of civil and human rights for all Americans. Her dedication and service to our nation as a civil rights attorney and Commissioner of Civil Rights for a long line of American Presidents, aptly earns her a place in the Missouri Walk of Fame and the privilege of being honored today before Congress.

Dr. Freeman has been engaged in the practice of law since June 1949. In addition to being an outstanding attorney, she has held four presidential appointments. President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated her as the first woman to serve as a Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter subsequently reappointed her. She served as a Commissioner for 16 years, and later as Inspector General for the Community Services Administration during the Carter Administration. President Carter, in thanking her for her service to the Civil Rights Commission, stated that ``You have insisted that this nation must follow policies and reflect an unequivocal commitment to the goal of equal opportunity for all, in all walks of life. . . You are one of our Nation's truly great leaders in the field of civil rights.''

Committed to justice, Dr. Freeman joined 15 Federal officials in forming a bipartisan Citizens Commission on Civil Rights to monitor the Federal Government's enforcement of laws barring discrimination. She has extensive experience in the areas of housing, civil and probate law, and in civil rights. She has represented individuals, major corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and state and municipal agencies. A landmark in her career occurred in 1954 when she argued and won the case challenging racial segregation in public housing in St. Louis.

She strives to empower others to always be prepared and be active participants in today's society. Leading by example, Dr. Freeman has devoted many hours to the Howard University Board of Trustees, National Council on Aging, National Council of Negro Women, Girl Scouts of the United States of America, Board of Directors of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Board of the United Way of Greater Saint Louis, Board of the Greater St. Louis Chapter of the United Nations Association and the Trustee Board of Washington Tabernacle Baptist Church. She is also a past president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Freeman is among my heroes and I am proud to salute her for her many lasting contributions to both our local St. Louis community and to our nation. Her outstanding leadership and sincere commitment to justice makes her more than worthy of receiving our recognition and I urge my colleagues to join me in commending Dr. Frankie Freeman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to an article that appeared in the July 15th edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which pays tribute to a man of abundant and diverse talents, Mr. Kenya Ajanaku. Not only has Mr. Ajanaku played an important part in my personal life as an admired relative, he has been a huge asset to the city of St. Louis. As the executive director of the Harambee Institute, and a professional jewelry maker, drummer, singer, dancer, storyteller and educator, Mr. Ajanaku has proven that pursuing one's passions can be personally rewarding as well as beneficial to one's community. The article, aptly entitled ``Multifaceted'', delivers Mr. Ajanaku the proper recognition he deserves.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the entire text of the St. Louis Post- Dispatch article be placed in the Record.

[From the St. Louis Dispatch, July 15, 2005]

Multifaceted

(By Kathie Sutin)

Some of the best things in life happen by serendipity, that

accidental, happy discovery that comes when you're looking

for something else.

Take Kenya Ajanaku, a multi-talented man--a professional

jewelry-maker, drummer, singer, dancer, storyteller and

educator.

Ajanaku, 57, is executive director of the Harambee

Institute, a nonprofit organization he created in 1994 to

pass on to others what he has learned about making jewelry

and the performing arts. He also performs a 45-minute

interactive program incorporating drum-playing and the

storytelling of African folk tales to groups around St. Louis

and the country.

Except for singing, which he has done most of his life, he

came upon each of his other professions by chance.

``I became a jeweler at 25, I became a dancer and drummer

at 31, and I became a professional storyteller at 41,'' says

Ajanaku (pronounced ah JAHN ah koo).

``It has enabled me to have heaven right here on Earth: he

says. ``I do this for a living, and it's really a blessing. I

can't call it a job because a job is something you hate to

do. I have to call this a profession because it's something I

love to do.''

Not that the path was easy. In the '70s, when Ajanaku

started, it was almost unheard-of for an African-American to

make a living selling jewelry.

``Most people said, 'He has gone crazy talking about he

gon' make a living making jewelry,'' he said with a laugh.

Ajanaku understands the skepticism of those days.

``Our people hadn't seen anyone making a living doing

this,'' he says. ``And then I got involved with the drumming,

and my mother--bless her soul--says, `Bi-State is hiring.

You're 31 years old. What are you going to do with a drum?'

''

He credits his wife of 38 years, Weyni, who learned

jewelry-making with him and who does the paperwork and

teaches at the institute, for believing in him. The couple

sell necklaces, bracelets and rings they handcraft from

copper, brass, silver and 14-karat gold. They also set

semiprecious stones from around the world such as obsidian,

turquoise, malachite, black onyx and tiger's eye. Ajanaku

also fashions antique sterling silverware he finds at

auctions into bracelets and rings.

After graduating from Vashon High School in 1966, Ajanaku

headed to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., on

a swimming scholarship. Shortly thereafter, he married Weyni.

Then, three years into college, he moved back to St. Louis to

become a barber.

A few years later, he and his wife decided to sell their

possessions and the barbershop to move to Panama with friends

to open a business.

But there, their plans were stymied when they learned that

to open a business, they needed a Panamanian partner. They

decided to go back to Charlotte, where they opened a small

variety store across from the university Ajanaku had

attended.

After going to a movie one day, the couple encountered two

African-American men near the theater. They had big boards

shaped like Africa, and they had black velvet on them, and

they had their jewelry pinned on the front, Ajanaku says. One

of them said, ``Hey, would you be interested in some

handcrafted jewelry?''

Ajanaku was amazed.

``It was the first time I had seen hand-crafted jewelry,

especially made by someone who looks like me,'' he said. ``Up

to then, I had never conceived that I could become a jeweler.

You see, when I was growing up in my community, you didn't

see any professional jewelers.''

He was also impressed by the jewelry.

``I was just flabbergasted at the beauty and the time and

effort that went into these pieces that they made,'' he said.

The couple learned that the men, part of a communal group

called the Ajanakus, made their living traveling from city to

city and selling jewelry. They bought some jewelry and

invited the men to dinner. Later they would change their last

name to Ajanaku, a Nigerian term meaning ``strong-willed

person.''

After dinner, the men brought out their tools and materials

and showed the couple how they made jewelry. That night,

Kenya Ajanaku made his first piece of jewelry--a pair of

earrings.

Ajanaku and his wife were captivated by the lifestyle, as

well as the jewelry.

So they sold their business and eventually headed for

Washington, where he met a man who taught him how to solder

and set stones in silver.

``I remember our first piece of sterling silver we bought

in Philadelphia,'' he says. ``It was 1 foot of 16-gauge round

sterling silver wire. Man, you would have thought that was

gold to us because we had never worked with sterling

before.''

The family returned to St. Louis in 1979 and began to sell

jewelry at craft shows.

Here, Someone told him about renowned dancer Katherine

Dunham and a Senegalese man she brought to East St. Louis to

teach African drumming. Ajanaku signed up for the class.

``I became a pretty good drummer, and fortunately Miss

Dunham hired me as one of the drummers for the Katherine

Dunham Dancers. That was really a help because when I first

moved back to St. Louis, the only way I had to make money was

through the jewelry. When I got involved in the performing

arts, it helped me to diversify.''

Ajanaku later played percussion behind St. Louisan Bobby

Norfolk, one of the first African-American professional

storytellers, who was on the roster of Young Audiences. When

Norfolk went on to national and international gigs, the group

asked Ajanaku to come up with a storytelling presentation.

Though the Ajanakus spend a lot of time teaching children

and adults at the Harambee Institute and at classes they

teach through the St. Louis Parks and Recreation Department,

the Ferguson-Florissant School District and at Mark Twain

Elementary School in St. Louis, they still sell their jewelry

at festivals. That includes such events as the Festival of

Nations, which will be held July 23-24 in Tower Grove Park,

and the Best of Missouri Market at the Missouri Botanical

Garden and Ottertoberfest at the St. Louis Zoo, both in

October.

Ajanaku sees the institute as a way to enlighten the

African-American community about professions in the arts and

others about African culture.

``Nowadays, I tell people, `The cotton has been picked;

automation is here, so the need for unskilled laborers

nowadays is zero,'' he says. ``Nowadays you need some type of

skill or some type of service you can provide.''

The Harambee Institute is at 5223 Raymond Avenue. To learn

more about it or to make an appointment to visit the gift

shop, which features items from Africa and the Ajanakus'

jewelry, call 314-454-6584.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding me time.

I too want to join my colleagues in congratulating and thanking the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis), and the ranking members, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), for the hard work they put into advancing this bill to this point.

I rise in support of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. I am committed to protecting the interests of the U.S. Postal Service. I have the honor of representing over 3,000 Postal Service employees. Together they earn over $167 million in annual payroll and pay almost $20 million dollars in income taxes.

Postal employees represent an important part of my community economic base. Several months ago, I hosted a postal roundtable with groups representing postal-reliant businesses that depend on the postal system to deliver their products and collect their revenues. In addition, postmasters, letter carriers, direct mailers, and representatives of trucking companies participated in this roundtable.

While overwhelming support was expressed for this legislation, many concerns were raised about single-piece parcels, single-piece parcel post, or single letters, whether they should continue to be classifieds as market dominant so that the Postal Service can continue to offer fair rates for items mailed anywhere, including rural and more remote areas. The U.S. Postal Service would have to dramatically raise prices on such packages and possibly be forced to stop offering the universally affordable rate for single-piece parcels to individuals and small businesses.

This would result in the loss of many jobs within the Postal Service and create an inconvenience to customers. The U.S. Postal Service provides a vital public service to all of our constituents and is an essential part of our Nation's economic infrastructure.

I urge my colleagues to put single-piece parcels back in the market dominance category and support the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Missouri congressional delegation, I would like to join with my colleagues, Representatives Todd Akin, Roy Blunt, Russ Carnahan, Emanuel Cleaver, Jo Ann Emerson, Sam Graves, Kenny Hulshof and Ike Skelton in paying tribute to the late Honorable Larry Gene Taylor who passed away at the age of 51 on Wednesday, July 6, 2005, after a hard fought battle with cancer.

It is with great sadness that I stand before you today to commemorate the life of one of this nation's outstanding public servants. Senator Larry Gene Taylor served in both the Missouri House and Senate during his career. He was a man filled with optimism and vision and he was a legislator who was truly dedicated to the people of Missouri.

Senator Taylor was born on August 7, 1953, in Carthage, Missouri. He was educated in the Sarcoxie public schools and went on to attend Missouri Southern University in Joplin, Missouri. Mr. Taylor was a driven man who started his career in politics working in State Treasurer Wendell Bailey's office as his Director of Public Affairs. He was later elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2002. As a State Representative he served as the Vice Chairman on the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Committee and as a majority member of the House Committee on Appropriations for Transportation and Economic Development and the House Committee on Job Creation and Economic Development.

In 2004 he was elected to the State Senate where he was on several committees such as Aging, Families, Mental and Public Health, Ways and Means and Transportation. Senator Taylor worked vehemently to improve Missouri's infrastructure and played a key role in establishing a long term funding solution that greatly improved Missouri's education budget formula.

Larry Gene Taylor was a public servant by blood. He inherited his love for politics from his father, the late U.S. Representative, Gene Taylor of Missouri's 7th Congressional District. Congressman Taylor was also a native Missourian who began his career in Missouri politics when he was elected mayor of Sarcoxie, Missouri in 1954. He spent the next 35 years of his life as a public servant holding numerous positions including that of a United States Congressman. Congressman Taylor retired from politics in 1989 and later passed away in 1998. Together this father and son team has left a great political legacy in the state of Missouri.

In a time when politics is dividing so many, Senator Taylor was known as one who united. He was capable of working with anyone regardless of their political ideology or party affiliation. He possessed the true spirit of bipartisanship. Senator Taylor was never one to play party politics; he was devoted to the people of Missouri. The compassion and understanding that he showed to them will always be remembered through his work and the genuine heartfelt relationships that he developed.

In spite of his bout with cancer, Senator Taylor's perseverance would not allow him to give up. In fact, many were astounded and moved by how he managed to work right through the unimaginable pain and suffering that he must have experienced. His love for life is truly an inspiration to all who had the opportunity to know him. Mr. Speaker, Senator Taylor was a source of great pride not just for Missourians but for Americans everywhere. Not only have I had the honor of working with Senator Larry Gene Taylor, I have had the privilege of calling him my friend.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The amendment seeks to prohibit funds available in this Act for the provision of mortgage insurance under the National Housing Act to lenders who engage in lending practices that are not prudent as referenced in the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and the FDIC Improvement Act.

Given the chairman's willingness and commitment to collaborate with the ranking member from Massachusetts, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) and I seek to engage the conferees to include language that speaks to the issue referenced in this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee.)

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentlewoman for her willingness to cosponsor the amendment. I also thank the chairman for his willingness to talk to us about this amendment, and I appreciate this opportunity.

I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the chairman. I also wanted to make him aware that there is legislation being crafted by our colleagues, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kanjorski), as well as the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt), to address this issue and it is winding its way through the Committee on Financial Services.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I appreciate the cooperation of all sides on this issue. The chairman has given a commitment to work with us, and at this point I thank also the gentlewoman for her willingness to cosponsor the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.