Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Honorable Bishop Vinton Randolph Anderson. Bishop Anderson's devotion to the ministry is exhibited by his history of preaching and lecturing internationally, including the Caribbean, Canada, Taiwan, India and Australia. In addition to his commitment to ministering, Bishop Anderson has been an effective and vocal advocate of civil rights and ecumenical issues.

Bishop Anderson was born in 1947 in Somerset, Bermuda. He graduated with honors from Wilberforce University and earned his Master of Divinity Degree from Payne Theological Seminary. Later he earned his Master of Arts Degree in philosophy from Kansas University. Bishop Anderson has also received honorary doctorate degrees from Paul Quinn College, Wilberforce University, Payne Theological Seminary, Temple Bible College, Morris Brown College, Interdenominational Theological Center and Eden Theological Seminary. Bishop Anderson's pastoral experience encompasses Kansas and Missouri.

Bishop Anderson has demonstrated his unwavering dedication to community development by creating adult education programs, summer youth programs, promoting the first

black owned supermarket in St. Louis, and developing 162 units of low income housing in St. Louis County. Bishop Anderson's extraordinary leadership is exemplified through his participation as chairman of several boards of directors, membership with many committees and by the numerous honors that have been bestowed upon him.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great privilege that I recognize Bishop Anderson today before Congress. He is well-deserved of our respect, and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Bishop Vinton Randolph Anderson.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member from Connecticut for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution honoring the late Senator Paul Simon. It was my privilege to have known Senator Simon for most of my life. I have fond memories of watching Congressman Simon on the House floor many years ago when I was a student and a doorkeeper, and he has long been a source of personal inspiration.

When I first came to know Congressman Simon, he represented Southern Illinois and served with my father on the House Committee on Education and Labor. He was among the most active and effective Members in the history of this institution, and I was not surprised when I recently learned that in 1983, Time Magazine cited Congressman Simon for passing more amendments than any other Member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Paul Simon served in the Illinois House of Representatives, the Illinois Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Throughout his career, Paul Simon was famous for championing the causes of working people, children, the disabled and veterans. When he served in the Illinois legislature, he helped to create the State's community college system and the Illinois Arts Council. He also won the Independent Voters of Illinois Best Legislator Award every session in which he served.

While serving in the U.S. Congress, Paul Simon sponsored the Missing Children Act and the legislation establishing the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He also wrote the National Literacy Act, the School to Work Opportunities Act and the Job Training Partnership Act amendments. He was a leader in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the establishment of the direct college loan program.

Deeply dedicated to the community that sent him to represent their interests in Washington, Senator Simon held more town hall meetings than any other Illinois senator and his office was legendary for its constituent services.

While in Congress, Paul Simon worked to enact legislation designating the first five federally chartered future high-speed rail corridors, which included the St. Louis-Chicago-Detroit/Milwaukee corridor, and to designate the Illinois-Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. He was also instrumental in expanding the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which is St. Louis's Gateway Arch National Park, to the State of Illinois.

He possessed a rare knowledge and understanding of the legislative process and manifested an extraordinary energy for public policy- making.

Senator Simon left us all way too soon. He lived a life dedicated to serving others, and he certainly left this world a better place for his time on Earth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation for its commitment to providing academically average youth in St. Louis with the opportunity to attain a valuable college education. Since 1998, the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation has striven to even the educational playing field by giving generously to hard-working students.

The Foundation is sending a clear, unmistakable message to urban youth that someone does care about them by believing in them and financially supporting their goals of attaining a valuable college degree.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great privilege that I recognize the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation today before Congress. The Foundation was recently honored in an article published in the Baltimore Sun. I would like to share this article with my colleagues which further details its dedication to providing a vital contribution to our youth by helping to produce an educated society.

[From the Baltimore Sun, Nov. 9, 2003]

Black Scholarship Program Helps ``People in the Middle''; Mo.

Foundation Rewards the Academically Average

(By Mike Bowler)

Don't even dare dream about college, a guidance counselor

warned Leonard Woodson. With your mediocre academic record,

you'll be lucky to survive high school.

The counselor was wrong. It took Woodson an extra semester,

but next month he'll graduate from Lincoln University in

Jefferson City, Mo., with a B average--and no college debt.

All his costs were covered by a St. Louis foundation that

rewards academically average students in financial need.

``It took me two hours to do what my fellow students could

do in an hour, but I learned to survive in the world,'' says

Woodson, 22. Unable to keep up taking notes, he recorded

lectures and played them back in his dorm room.

Woodson is one of about 50 graduates of St. Louis-area high

schools who have received full scholarships to historically

black colleges and universities since 1998. The foundation

raises the money, in part, by sponsoring an annual football

``classic'' between black college teams, devoting the

proceeds to scholarships and other charities.

``Average kids don't get a chance because everybody gives

to the cream of the crop,'' says Earl Wilson Jr., a retired

IBM executive who established the foundation a decade ago.

``It's our way of giving back to the community.''

Wilson, 71, began his IBM career as one of the company's

first black salesmen. He says he understands students in the

middle. ``Myself and many of my colleagues were average

students or worse,'' he says. ``People at the extremes get

help. People in the middle don't.''

Lawrence A. Davis Jr., chancellor of the University of

Arkansas at Pine Bluff, whose Golden Lions play in the annual

fall classic, agrees. ``The world is run by average people,''

he says. ``We reward people who can run fast, jump high and

throw balls through holes. The least we can do is help those

who might not be academic stars but who are willing to work

hard.''

``It's the trickle-up theory,'' says Sylvester Brown Jr., a

columnist for the St. Louis PostDispatch. Brown defends

Wilson against charges from another St. Louis writer that

he's ``creating dumbness'' by so generously supporting less-

than-stellar scholars.

``I'd much rather see Earl spend $10,000 on one scholarship

than give $1,000 scholarships to 10 students,'' says Brown.

``What he's saying by doing it this way is that we have

enough faith in you to support you for four years. You have

no financial worries. All you have to do is focus on being

great.''

The foundation distributes application forms to high school

guidance counselors, and uses radio and print advertising to

get the word out. Winners are chosen by a committee of

educators and others who review the applications and

interview applicants. ``I stay completely out of the

selection process,'' says Wilson. Sixteen recipients are

currently attending college through the program.

Since the foundation began giving scholarships 5 years ago,

the champion recipient is Dedree Smart, 23, who went to

Howard University in Washington. ``I have been so blessed,''

she says. ``There's no way I could have afforded Howard. I

didn't have to worry about anything financially, so I could

concentrate on my grades. I went from a low B average in high

school to graduating magna cum laude.''

Smart earned her degree last year and is back in Missouri,

working as special events coordinator for the State's public

university system. ``I am so elated, so grateful and so proud

of my baby,'' says her mother, Delores Smart.

Wilson says the foundation carefully monitors the

scholarship program. ``The ones who finish college almost

always get better grades'' than they did in high school, he

says.

``These are the late bloomers,'' says Irving Clay, 78, a

former city alderman who sits on the foundation's board. ``I

and Earl, we grew up in tenements about 10 blocks from here.

We all know what it's like to struggle. We know late

bloomers.''

But the scholarship program has had its failures and

setbacks. About 40 percent of recipients have washed out, and

since Smart's graduation, the foundation has dropped Howard

and Virginia's Hampton University because of their high,

private-college tuition.

Then, too, some scholarship recipients ``haven't so much as

said thank you,'' Wilson says. ``That's a real

disappointment.'' He expects them to send him an invitation

when they graduate, and he wants all recipients--and their

parents--to sell tickets to the annual classic.

In addition to the football game, which Wilson estimates

has generated $3.5 million in 10 years, the foundation raises

money through charity golf and high school basketball events.

Last year, it opened a $2.8 million sports complex near

downtown St. Louis that includes a computer laboratory for

after-school tutoring and a ``Walk of Fame'' featuring

prominent local African-Americans.

About 20 percent of foundation revenue comes from corporate

sponsors such as Anheuser-Busch Inc., whose brand name

Budweiser is attached to the football game.

``We raise 80 percent ourselves,'' Wilson says. ``That's

extremely high for a foundation like this. We are all about

self-help. We don't want anyone interfering with our

independence.''

That attitude has rankled some in the St. Louis business

community, says Brown, the newspaper columnist.

``Earl doesn't go begging in the business community, and

that rubs some people the wrong way. He says [racial]

integration is a wonderful thing, but we have to take care of

our own. That's his integrity. Every year, he beats his head

against the wall trying to fill the [Edward Jones] dome,

every year he doesn't do it, and every year he smiles and

says we'll do it next year.''

St. Louis' only historically black institution, Harris-

Stowe State College, doesn't have a football program, so the

Gateway Classic turns to regional schools for the annual

competition. In recent years, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, about

seven hours away by car, has become a permanent contestant,

its opponents rotating among Kentucky State University and

others. The Classic weekend features band competitions,

street parties and lunches with African-American sports

figures.

``It's all generated by Earl,'' says Julius Dix, 74, a

retired St. Louis school administrator who sits on the

selection committee. ``He's a born salesman. He could sell

you anything.''

Davis, the UAPB chancellor, says the annual event is

``really great for our university. We bring in hundreds for

the game. It's great visibility for us and our students. It's

like a second homecoming.''

Several Gateway scholarship students have enrolled at Pine

Bluff, including two with the title Miss Gateway Classic.

These are young women who prevail in a pageant after their

junior year in high school and preside as Miss Gateway

Classic as seniors, making appearances around St. Louis at

foundation-sponsored events.

The pageant is partly a beauty contest [with evening gowns

but not bathing suits] and partly a contest of brains and

poise, says Janell Wallace, the 2002 winner, who is attending

Pine Bluff on a $40,000 Gateway Classic scholarship.

``I had to write an essay and answer questions on current

events. I had to learn etiquette and how to walk and speak

publicly and keep calm. That's helped a lot here,'' she says.

For Wallace, 18, who had never been away from St. Louis for

more than two weeks, college has been ``awesome and at times

scary,'' she says. ``Everything seems a lot bigger. Even the

bugs are bigger. I never killed bugs; that's what you have a

daddy for.''

But classes at UAPB are smaller, she says, than they were

at Hazelwood Central High. In the first couple of months of

school she has become active in student government. She plays

softball, and she has joined the modeling squad, a group that

puts on fashion shows.

``There were a couple of times I wanted to give up and go

home,'' she says. ``But I'm beginning to feel complete now. I

never felt that way in high school.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to my parents, William ``Bill'' and Carol Clay, on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. As many of you know, my father, former Congressman Bill Clay, represented the 1st Congressional District of Missouri in this body for 32 years.

My parents were married on October 10, 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri. Their life together has been built upon a solid foundation of love, mutual respect, honor and dedication. Over the years they have worked very hard to be responsible parents to their three children, while at the same time toiling tirelessly to provide service to the ``larger'' family of constituents in St. Louis and beyond.

My father served in elective office for over 40 years and my mother stood by his side every step of the way. From their attempt to desegregate the public swimming pool at Fort McClellan in Alabama, to the marches and protests for employment opportunities at the Jefferson Bank and Trust Company and Howard Johnson's Restaurant in St. Louis, my parents were at the forefront of the struggle for justice and equality from the very early years of their marriage. On one occasion, my father spent 118 days in jail as a result of protesting injustice. During that period, my mother would take us regularly to the jail house to see him, so that we would understand what he was doing and why. My parents instilled a deep sense of commitment to fighting injustice and righting wrongs within my sisters and me at an early age.

One of my fondest memories was in January 1969 when my father was sworn in as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Following his lead, as we normally would, my sisters and I raised our right hands in an effort to take the oath of office with him. At that time, we could not have foreseen an even prouder moment for our family when, 32 years later I had the privilege and honor of being sworn in as a Member of this esteemed body. As I was taking the oath of office, I looked over to my father and noticed a tear fall from his eye while my mother stood beside him, misty-eyed as well.

Throughout his long and distinguished career, my father has been a trailblazer, a pacesetter, an innovator and a fearless leader. At the same time, my mother has been the advocate, the nurturer, the rock solid supporter and the foundation of the Clay family. I take pleasure in reflecting upon all of the wonderful lessons and guidance they have given my sisters and me over the years. They taught us the importance of family commitment, being patient and respecting the opinions of others. They also taught us to always be prepared and look at life from a practical point of view.

Their contributions to our community and our Nation are enormous. In addition, their strong commitment to the education of young people is exemplary. Together they have helped raise over $3 million in college scholarships for minority students through their efforts with the William L. Clay Scholarship and Research Fund. This Fund was founded by my father and the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses organization, of which my mother was a cofounder.

My sisters, Vicki Clay Jackson, Michelle Clay Rorie, and I will honor Bill and Carol in celebration of their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday, October 11, 2003. We are being assisted in this momentous undertaking by all five of Bill and Carol Clay's grandchildren--Angela Clay, Michael Alexis, H. Clay Rorie, Carol W. Clay and William L. Clay, III. Family, life-long friends and colleagues from throughout the Nation will be joining us on that marvelous occasion to extend thanks and appreciation for their love, guidance and friendship.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues extend a well-deserved and heartfelt round of congratulations to Bill and Carol Clay as they celebrate 50 years of love and devotion to one another and to the Clay family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad for being awarded the 2003 Excellence in Communications Award by the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists. Winning the News Analysis category, Ahmad was essentially recognized for his outstanding ability to provide fair and effective coverage of local events. Ahmad has an exceptional skill of covering issues of importance to the African-American community in metropolitan St. Louis.

In addition to his unwavering commitment to expanding the positive image of African-Americans in the media, Ahmad has selflessly dedicated time for community service. He has volunteered 20 years with the minority journalism workshop. Ahmad has influentially shaped the careers of minority youth interested in journalism. Through this free workshop, he has introduced many high school students and college freshmen to the world of communications.

Mr. Speaker. It is with great privilege that I recognize Ishmael- Lateef Ahmad today before Congress. Receiving this honorable award and his commitment to efficiently educating the next generation of journalists, makes him more than worthy of receiving our recognition today. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Wiley Price for being awarded the 2003 Excellence in Communications Award by the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists. Winning the Photojournalism award for the News, Features and Sports categories, Price was honorably recognized for his outstanding ability to capture photographs that speak to the masses. In a world where a photograph has more impact than the story of a thousand words, Price has exceptionally conveyed messages of importance to the African-American community in metropolitan St. Louis.

Impressively, Price exhibits his dedication to increasing the positive image of African-Americans in the media by unselfishly donating his time teaching minority youth the importance of Photojournalism. He has volunteered twenty years with the Minority Journalism workshop. Price has influentially shaped the careers of minority youth interested in Photojournalism. Through this free workshop, he has taught many high school students and college freshmen how to take photographs that tell stories which need no explanation.

Mr. Speaker. It is with great honor that I recognize Wiley Price before the U.S. House of Representatives. Receiving this esteemed award and his unwavering commitment to educating the next generation of Photojournalists, makes him more than worthy of receiving our recognition today. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Wiley Price.

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

I rise in support of the Norton amendment, and I strongly oppose private school vouchers. No matter the location, the type of program or the amount, vouchers are a bad idea for our children. The Committee on Government Reform approved this amendment by a one-vote, razor-thin margin. Both Republicans and Democrats voted against the D.C. voucher, and I thank my colleagues for their opposition to D.C. vouchers.

Serious concerns were raised about this amendment during committee consideration. I share those concerns and believe it is important that this information be shared with the public.

We know that vouchers drain millions from public education. Any extra money should be invested into D.C. public schools and other public schools nationwide that deserve the majority of our children. Investing in public schools helps us hire more highly-qualified teachers, purchase supplies and books, and repair our schools. Vouchers are not the solution.

Vouchers eliminate public oversight for taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, as illustrated in Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Florida's voucher programs, vouchers eliminate public oversight, public accountability and have led to cases of fraud and fiscal mismanagement.

Vouchers contradict the accountability reform required by the No Child Left Behind, such as the hiring of highly-qualified teachers and the annual testing and public reporting on student performance. These standards are not required by private schools that accept federally funded vouchers, creating a double standard regarding Federal funding and education.

I would be glad to hear from proponents of vouchers to tell us why we should not have accountability when public dollars follow these children to private institutions. I would love to hear from the other side to tell us why we should not have better accountability.

I offered an amendment in the Committee on Government Reform in good faith, asking that the same standards that apply to all of our public schools also apply to these vouchers. I would love to hear their response.

I urge my colleagues to respect the right of D.C. residents to make decisions of their own in their city. The majority of D.C. elected officials and residents oppose vouchers. The official position of the D.C. school board and city council is to oppose vouchers. If the residents of the District of Columbia wanted vouchers in D.C., their local governance, the school board or city council could create such a program.

Some in this body have suggested that D.C. residents need our permission or Federal money to create a voucher program. That simply is not true. D.C. residents do not need the permission of this Congress. Nor do they need the Federal purse to create a program. D.C. residents just do not want vouchers.

I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.

Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman, I might respond that we also need accountability of public dollars. When those dollars follow those children to those private institutions, we should also hold them accountable

and have benchmarks. Show us where test scores have improved, show us where reading levels have gone up, show us where dropout rates have been lower. That is the kind of accountability I am suggesting.

No, there are not. No, there are not. Now, we discussed this when Secretary Paige came to the committee, and he suggested that we do strengthen the language in the bill to have real accountability.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my joy over the 5-4 ruling by the United States Supreme Court that favors affirmative action based on race. It is the right decision at the right time. The Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action is a just, fair decision in a society where racial disparity continues to feed problems rooted in racial injustice. It is the right decision at the right time.

On Monday, the Supreme Court announced its ruling in a case where white applicants sued the University of Michigan law school, alleging the use of race was an illegal quota system. The case, Grutter v. Michigan, has been called the most important civil rights case in 25 years because it challenged the use of racial preferences in school admissions.

While we lost on points, or a point system used to help minorities compete for slots, the decision by the high court affirms the United States Constitution on the side of balancing the scales of fairness, not on the side of continuing the unfairness built into a system that allows the racially privileged to continue their reign.

The white ruling class in America was built in large part on slavery and its aftermath--slave wages, and as long as America depends on the beneficence of gatekeepers who are insensitive to the history of this nation and the long-term effects of American apartheid, then the problem of racial disparity will continue.

Affirmative action is one tool that can help make-up for years of deprivation by helping people of color hurdle racial pitfalls in less time than would normally take many more generations to remove,'' he said. To wait for the goodness of human nature to rise to the top and result in racial fairness, is not judicious governance. It took the courts to help undo segregation and it will take the courts to help maintain justice. Sometimes only laws compel people to do the right thing. Without compulsion, many people of all races will submit to whatever decisions that favors them, even decisions made at the expense of weaker, less fortunate, powerless people.

Good law creates balance and for these times, affirmative action is good law. It addresses the needs of a disparaged group that has been historically discriminated against based on race. To overlook that reality is to impose a new form of segregation. According to Pete Williams, NBC news correspondent for MSNBC News, the 5-4 ruling that favored the university's law school, noted that ``race can be one of many factors that colleges consider when selecting their students, while, at the same time, knocking down a similar lawsuit over the university's undergraduate program.''

An Associated Press summary said the two split decisions means ``minority applicants may be given an edge when applying for admissions to universities, but limited how much a factor race can play in the selection of students. The high court struck down a point system used by the University of Michigan, but did not go as far as opponents of affirmative action had wanted. The court approved a separate program used at the University of Michigan law school that gives race less prominence in the admissions decision-making process.''

In April, I noted that affirmative action today really means affirmative access for minorities, a group of Americans that was systemically denied access to education and society in general, for hundreds of years.

What I don't think some people realize is that affirmative action is not new. While affirmative action seems like something out of the ordinary, historically, it is not new.

Segregation was affirmative action for whites. And when it comes to getting into college, there is affirmative action (even quotas) for athletes, intellectuals, artists and the children of the rich, just to name a few categories. Only when minorities were added to the list of beneficiaries has affirmative action become a problem.''

Former U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley noted in mid-2002 that a study published by the Educational Testing Service, entitled ``Crossing the Great Divide,'' stated that

by the year 2015 the nation's college campuses will be missing 250,000 African Americans and 550,000 Hispanic undergraduates, ``because we did not prepare them to do college-level work. (If) the economy continues to demand ever-higher skills for good jobs, minorities will have to run faster just to stay in place.''

Mr. Speaker, we know we cannot easily legislate away racism in the heart and minds of people. However, you can legislate and interpret in the courts, a road map that bypasses individual racism and institutionalizes opportunity and affirmative access, for all. Racism in America does not exist in isolation. It's systemic existence calls for affirmative action regarding race if we are to keep the doors open for those who were once summarily denied entrance to a chance to live better lives.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose H.R. 1115 and in support of the Democratic substitute. There is no fairness in this so-called Class Action Fairness Act. This bill amounts to a sweeping Federal takeover of State class action lawsuits.

Instead of improving the class action litigation process, this bill guarantees that those victims of discrimination of corrupt corporate practices will be forced to wait for years for any hope of justice.

H.R. 1115 alters the constitutional distribution of judicial power by moving State class action suits into the Federal court system. This bill undermines State rights and jeopardizes civil rights. Adding cases to the already clogged Federal court system will delay hearings for all class action

cases and cause those civil rights class action cases that truly belong in the Federal courts to await behind cases that should be heard in the State court.

This misnamed bill is opposed by both Federal and State judges. It is opposed by consumer groups. It is opposed by civil rights groups. It is opposed by environmental groups. But predictably it is supported and endorsed by the big corporations. I urge my colleagues to adopt the Democratic substitute.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Audrey Ferguson, a teacher at the Laclede Elementary School in the St. Louis Public School system and winner of the 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year Award.

Ms. Ferguson is the first teacher from the St. Louis Public Schools to win Missouri's Teacher of the Year Award since its inception 50 years ago. Ms. Ferguson has been teaching for 32 years and has held her current post at Laclede Elementary School for 26 years.

Also, it should be noted that this year Laclede Elementary School received the distinction of being named a Gold Star School, making it one of the top 15 elementary schools in the state of Missouri. So you see, success at the school is more than personal, it is systemic.

Ms. Ferguson's major subject area is mathematics, in grades 1-5. Also, she is certified to teach English and social studies and has certifications for teaching students with learning disabilities, students who are mentally handicapped and students with behavior disorders.

When Ms. Ferguson was 9 years old she was sent to a reading clinic to assist her with her difficulty in reading. In four years she transformed herself from a non-reading student into one who was well on her way to becoming an honor roll student. She chose to follow in the footsteps of the teachers in the reading clinic and became an educator in order to do for others what they had done for her.

In her own words, ``Teachers have been given the awesome responsibility of preparing the Nation's leaders of tomorrow. Teachers must know that they are the gatekeepers of opportunity for millions of children. `` We have the power to open doors that lead to great futures and we have the power to cut off access to the pathways that lead to the top,'' she said.

Ms. Ferguson has received numerous awards--the ``Parent of the Year Award'' from INROADS, St. Louis in 1994; she is listed in the Marquis' Who's Who of American Women, 21st Edition; and was also among the ``100 Women Children's Advocate for 2001'' produced by the Annie Malone Children's Home.

In December of 1981, she published a method of mathematical instruction in the NCTM Arithmetic Teacher's Journal called the ``Stored Ten'' method. Laclede teachers have used her method for many years since.

In addition to her work for the school, Ms. Ferguson has been an involved member of the community. She served as president for the INROADS PSG for one year as well as a membership chairperson for several years; volunteers annually for the United Negro College Fund Walk; and worked on community partnerships such as the ``Laclede Book Buddy Program,'' the ``Laclede Parent Partners Program,'' the ``Laclede Parent Day Trip Program,'' and the ``Laclede Community/School Garden Project.''

Clearly, Ms. Ferguson has acted with great determination in uniting school and community.

Also, Ms. Ferguson has been involved in many workshops and conferences aimed at improving the quality of education, including but not limited to: The Successful Schools Information and Planning Meetings, the MAP Math Training Meetings and the NCTM Conference and the Title I Conference.

As evidence of her unrelenting pursuit of education, she recently received District Recognition for improving Math MAP Scores.

From her beginnings as a student in need of extra help to her current status as a devoted life-long educator, Ms. Ferguson has earned the Teacher of the Year Award through hard work and determination.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Ms. Audrey Ferguson and thanking her for her devotion to the children of the St. Louis Public school system and the children of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor SSM Health Care, the first health care organization in the country to be named a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner.

As a 2002 award recipient of the prestigious award, SSM was recently honored, along with two other recipients--Motorola, for manufacturing; and Branch-Smith Printing Division, for small business--during a ceremony in Alexandria, VA in May, 2003.

Named for the late Commerce Secretary in the Reagan Cabinet, the award is given by the U.S. Department of Commerce and as you know, is the top honor a U.S. company can receive for quality management and quality achievement in the categories of manufacturing, service, small business, education and health care.

Normally presented by the President of the United States, this year Vice President Dick Cheney did the honors.

In a message from President George W. Bush, the Chief Executive said: ``As we embrace new opportunities and face new challenges, these organizations are setting an example of quality and excellence that helps strengthen our Nation and points the way to a brighter, more prosperous future for all.''

In his remarks, Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans noted that SSM, which is sponsored by the St. Louis-based Franciscan Sisters of Mary, is a role model of world-class excellence and has achieved extraordinary results.

``The men and women of this organization represent the highest ethical standards in public responsibility and corporate stewardship,'' Evans said. ``I am particularly pleased to join the President in announcing a first-time winner for health care. The three 2002 Baldrige Award winners are role models of world-class excellence, and they have achieved extraordinary results.''

Dick Davidson, President of The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, also joined in praise of SSM.

``The clearest path to success for any organization is the one that embraces quality principles and the continuous improvement that they can unlock,'' Davidson said. ``The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award highlights those organizations in business, health care and education that have followed this path and, in doing so, have set the standard for excellence in quality processes and results. The Foundation salutes the recipients of the 2002 Award and is pleased to continue its support of the Award.''

Sister Mary Jean Ryan, President and CEO of SSM, and Sister Jacqueline Motzel, SSM Chairperson, received the award.

Sister Ryan said: ``This Award is a wonderful recognition of the excellent performance of our employees and physicians and of their strong commitment to their mission--to reveal the healing presence of God through our exceptional health care services.''

In competing for the award, SSM staff submitted a 50-page application and last October were subjected to comprehensive site visits at the corporate office and its facilities in four states. The visits took place at all hours of the day, and were meant to clarify and verify information included in the application.

Baldrige examiners spoke with more than 800 employees and physicians, systemwide, and measured performance in seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resources focus, process management and business results.

An example of the SSM success model is its employees. Comprised of a workforce of 82 percent women employees, among the hospitals many achievements has been to reduce employee turnover from a rate of 21 percent in 1999 to 13 percent in 2002.

Mr. Speaker, I am especially proud of SSM Health Care for receiving this honor. A not-for-profit Catholic health care system, it provides primary, secondary and tertiary health care services by way of 21 acute care hospitals and three nursing homes in four states--Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma--which it owns or manages.

Nearly 5000 affiliated physicians and 22,200 employees work together to provide a wide range of services, including: inpatient, outpatient, emergency, ambulatory, physician practices, residential and skilled nursing.

The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was created to provide the private sector a means of accomplishing better employee relations, higher productivity, greater customer satisfaction, increased market share and improved operating performance.

As a recipient of this most prestigious award, SSM Health Care joins the company of other winners, including: Boeing Airlift and Tanker Programs, Merrill Lynch Credit Corp., Xerox Business Services, AT&T Consumer Communications Services, Eastman Chemical Co., the Ritz- Carlton Hotel, Express Corp., Cadillac Motor Car Division, Motorola Inc., and Westinghouse Electric Corp.

In addition to winning a Baldrige Award, SSM Health Care is also the 2003 Missouri Industry of the Year, in the large company classification. That award, sponsored by the Associated Industries of Missouri and the Mid-Missouri Business Journal, annually recognizes the best and brightest Missouri businesses that are working to make Missouri a better place to live and work.

Also, SSM Health Care was a Missouri Quality Award recipient in 1999.

Through a series of 2003 Baldrige Sharing Dates--June 18, August 20, October 23 and December 18--the SSM staff is sharing its winning techniques with other executives from all industries to learn first- hand from the top SSM leaders. I urge any organization on a quest for success to consider looking at the SSM Health Care model. It has proven its success, not only to its patients, its staff and St. Louis, but also to the nation.

In an April 9 column by Washington Post reporter David S. Broder noted SSM's success,

something which ``Congress and the press were too busy with other things to notice.'' Calling SSM ``A Beacon for Better Health Care,'' Broder observed how SSM was proving that good medicine is also an economic asset and how Sister Ryan began as a nurse and rose into management.

In his remarks, Broder offered this quote: ``We are living proof that health care in the United States is capable of improving, despite many predictions to the contrary. We are proof that large and complex health care organizations can push themselves to step out of their comfort zones to exceptional results. And the more of us that commit to performance excellence, the greater will be our ability to deliver health care breathtakingly better than it's ever been done before. The nation deserves no less.''

``Those words,'' Broder said, ``and the performance behind them, deserve more attention than Washington gave them last week.''

Today, Mr. Speaker, let us add our voices to the celebration of a successful health care system. At a time when hospitals are closing in vast numbers and the high cost of malpractice insurance is causing many physicians to limit their practices, we have found a health care system that works. The choice is ours. We can heal the health care delivery problem in this nation or we can let it overwhelm and consume us, to the detriment of us all.

SSM is a model for success. Today, in Congress, let us register a much-deserved celebration of that fact.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Melvina Conley, a former employee of the St. Louis Circuit Court, Clerk's Office, who realized the value of old lawsuits filed by slaves seeking their freedom, and worked diligently for many years to protect and preserve the documents, now known as the ``Freedom Suits.''

A collection of lawsuits filed in St. Louis by slaves of African descent, who were seeking their freedom, have become the focus of a restoration project by the clerk of the St. Louis Circuit Court. Working with the Court in the state of Missouri and Washington University. This is a great find for St. Louis, a treasure within our own midst. I'm excited that we have a national gift, a part of our history, to share with the world.

So far, at least 281 lawsuits, along with the historic Dred Scott lawsuit (which figured prominently in the start of the Civil War), have been selected for preservation and placed on display on the web site maintained by Washington University at www.stlcourtrecords.wustl.edu. Called the St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, the site includes details of the lawsuits--who filed, against whom, when and where--and a copy of the actual handwritten document. Lawsuits also included allegations of trespass, assault and battery, false imprisonment, as well as petition affirming status as a free man.

Found among approximately four million pages of aging court records dating back to 1782, the nearly 300 ``freedom suits'' (filed between 1806 and 1865) were found covered with coal dust, in the labyrinth of the St. Louis Circuit Court system.

As early as 1807, under Missouri territorial statutes, persons held in wrongful servitude could sue for freedom if they had evidence of wrongful enslavement. The territorial statute was codified in Missouri State law in 1824 and remained in effect until after the Civil War.

Most people using this law to obtain their freedom were enslaved Africans. Since their cases were all brought for the same reason, to obtain the basic right to freedom, collectively, historians refer to the cases as ``freedom suits.''

In an effort to protect the ``freedom suits'' and the hundreds of thousands of other old cases from decay, rats and other plagues, courthouse officials began removing them from vulnerable ``off-site'' storerooms to a more secure archive in the main Courthouse and the Old Globe-Democrat Building on Tucker Boulevard. In September 1999, St. Louis Circuit Court Clerk Mariano V. Favazza invited the Missouri State Archives, a division of Missouri's Office of Secretary of State, to initiate a project to preserve and make accessible the historical records. So extensive were the files, a cut-off date of before 1875 was used for the project. The court was founded in 1804.

The freedom suits brought by Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, in 1846, became the first cases to go online in January 2001, attracting nearly a million information requests from visitors from around the world in their first year on the web. That fall, the American Culture Studies Program in Arts & Sciences agreed to expand this initiative by digitizing additional cases and creating a web-based search tool.

While I thank everyone involved with the project for finding the documents and preserving them, Mr. Speaker, I especially want to make a special tribute to Ms. Melvina Conley, as Preserver of the ``Freedom Suits.''

A 33-year employee of the St. Louis Circuit Clerk's Office--from 1969 to 2001--Ms. Conley spent many years working as a data entry clerk.

In 1978, she began working in a second-floor office in the old and dusty archive section of the courthouse, where she commenced a search for the legendary ``Freedom Suits'' or ``Slave Cases.''

Because of her interest in history, Mrs. Conley was willing to do a job that others did not want to do. Sifting through the old files was literally a dirty business that few wanted.

At the time, the famous Dred Scott case was protected in a vault in the courthouse and she knew Dred Scott was not the first case filed and that there were probably many others. In 1979 she commenced a search of the archive's 444 drawers for suits. The first suit she found was of a mother and her two sons, ages 5 and 2. The mother had filed suit--and lost--to keep her young sons from being ``hired out.'' ``I thought I had died and gone to heaven,'' Ms. Conley says now, describing how she felt at the time of the find.

Preserving the ``Freedom Suits'' in boxes, Ms. Conley became an unofficial historian, archivist and preserver of history in her duties as a data entry clerk. In 1999 when Circuit Clerk Favazza joined forces with city, state and federal agencies to preserve the files, Ms. Conley became a key instrument in helping to make that transition, as well, having helped to carefully preserve the Dred Scott suit and hundreds of other ``Freedom Suits'' for posterity in her adopted home.

Born in Charleston, Mo., Ms. Conley attended Cote Brilliante Grade School, and graduated from Sumner High School in 1957.

After high school she married John Conley who became a politician and served St. Louis and Missouri as a committeeman and a state representative. They have five children, four stepchildren, 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild. In 2001 Ms. Conley retired from her job as an Accountant 1, Supervisor, in the St. Louis Circuit Court.

Joining me in recognizing Melvina Conley's dedication to the nurturing of the ``Freedom Suits'' and the continued nurturing and care of the files by the St. Louis Circuit Court, is U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, of California and a St. Louis native.

Recently, the Honorable Ms. Waters and I visited the archive located in the old Globe-Democrat Building, in the 700 block of N. Tucker Blvd., to meet with city, state and university officials. During our visit we were welcomed enthusiastically by Mr. Michael Everman, CA and Field Archivist, Local Records Program with the Missouri State Archives; and State Archivist Dr. Kenneth Winn. Ms. Waters said she first learned about the project from a Los Angeles Times article and made arrangements to visit the archive. Both she and I were told by Favazza that ``HBO and Hollywood producers'' have made inquiries to his office about the lawsuits.

``The connection for me between St. Louis and Hollywood is just absolute,'' Ms. Waters said. Honorable Speaker, I want to find the funds needed to ensure permanent protection for the documents and to keep them safe for future generations. This is just the beginning. I know I can count on my colleague, Maxine Waters, to help get national exposure. It is the history of our country, which originated in St. Louis. It makes you proud of their actions--if you can find a silver lining in slavery. You have to preserve your history or you will be doomed to repeat it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor excellence personified by a public school in my district--Commons Lane Elementary School, in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

In April the school was named 1 of 15 elementary schools in the State of Missouri to receive the ``Gold Star'' award for academic excellence. I proudly enter their name into the Congressional Record as part of a national celebration of their achievement.

The feat by Commons Lane was one of three schools in my District so honored. Some 35 public schools competed for the awards, for the 2002- 2003 academic year.

Chosen by a panel of school administrators and other educators from across the State, all applications were evaluated and winners were selected during the month of April. The 15 schools were formally honored May 7 at a forum in Jefferson City, MO, the State Capital.

To be eligible for the award, schools had to meet academic performance criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education for the ``No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools'' program.

Established in 1991, the Gold Star Schools program is sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with financial support from State Farm Insurance Companies, Inc.

In the program, elementary and secondary schools are recognized in alternating years. Mr. Speaker, I submit to you that success in education can be achieved at all levels, and sometimes where it is least expected.

As we celebrate 15 Gold Star schools in the State of Missouri, with 3 in my district alone, I also hope and plan for the day that the majority of schools in the State achieve ``Gold Star'' status and we can happily raise the academic bar again, for the next generation of students.

If the students of today are a barometer, then the students of the future will most assuredly defy the odds against them and take their place in the modern world as well-educated leaders and decision-makers solving future problems.

As leaders in government, it is our responsibility to provide them the tools, the gifted teachers and the inspiration to achieve against great odds for even greater successes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor excellence personified by a public school in my District--Conway Elementary School, in the Ladue School District.

In April the school was named one of 15 elementary schools in the State of Missouri to receive the ``Gold Star'' award for academic excellence. I proudly enter their name into the Congressional Record as part of a national celebration of their achievement.

The feat by staff and students at Conway Elementary School was one of three schools in my District so honored. Some thirty-five public schools competed for the awards, for the 2002-2003 academic year. Chosen by a panel of school administrators and other educators from across the state, all applications were evaluated and winners were selected during the month of April. The 15 schools were formally honored May 7 at a forum in Jefferson City, Mo., the State Capital. To be eligible for the award, schools had to meet academic performance criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education for the ``No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools'' program.

Established in 1991, the Gold Star Schools program is sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with financial support from State Farm Insurance Companies, Inc.

In the program, elementary and secondary schools are recognized in alternating years. Mr. Speaker, I submit to you that success in education can be achieved at all levels, and sometimes where it is least expected.

As we celebrate 15 Gold Star schools in the state of Missouri, with three in my district alone, I also hope and plan for the day that the majority of schools in the state achieve ``Gold Star'' status.

If that happens, we can happily raise the academic bar again, for the next generation of students. If the students of today are a barometer, then the students of the future will most assuredly defy the odds against them and take their place in the modern world as well-educated leaders and decision-makers solving future problems.

As leaders in government, it is our responsibility to provide them the tools, the gifted teachers and the inspiration to achieve against great odds for even greater successes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor excellence personified by Kennard Classical Junior Academy, in the St. Louis Public Schools District.

In April the school was named one of 15 elementary schools in the State of Missouri to receive the ``Gold Star'' award for academic excellence. I proudly enter their name into the Congressional Record as part of a national celebration of their achievement.

The feat by staff and students at Kennard Classical Junior Academy is top flight, considering that some 35 highly competitive public schools competed for the awards, for the 2002-2003 academic year.

Chosen by a panel of school administrators and other educators from across the state, all applications were evaluated and winners were selected during the month of April. The 15 schools were formally honored May 7 at a forum in Jefferson City, MO, the State Capital.

To be eligible for the award, schools had to meet academic performance criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education for the ``No Child Left Behind--Blue Ribbon Schools'' program.

Established in 1991, the Gold Star Schools program is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with financial support from State Farm Insurance Companies, Inc.

In the program, elementary and secondary schools are recognized in alternating years.

Mr. Speaker, there is something extra special about Kennard Classical Junior Academy. While the school sits in South St. Louis, in the neighboring 3rd Congressional District, I readily share my joy in this achievement because my daughter, Carol, is a student at Kennard and shares in her school's success as well.

Mr. Speaker, I submit to you that success in education can be achieved at all levels, and sometimes where it is least expected.

As we celebrate 15 Gold Star schools in the state of Missouri, with three in my district alone, I also hope and plan for the day that the majority of schools in the state achieve ``Gold Star'' status.

At that time we can happily raise the academic bar again, for the next generation of students. If the students of today are a barometer, then the students of the future will most assuredly defy the odds against them and take their place in the modern world as well-educated leaders and decision-makers solving future problems.

As leaders in government, it is our responsibility to provide them the tools, the gifted teachers and the inspiration to achieve against great odds for even greater successes.