Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Chairman Miller for his leadership, promptness, and thoroughness on this issue and for bringing this bill to the House floor.

H.R. 890--The Student Loan Sunshine Act, establishes requirements for lenders and institutions of higher education in order to protect students and other borrowers receiving educational loans.

The key to both socio-economic mobility and stability has traditionally been through education. Education is critical to our economy as our global society transitions from an industrial to a technological society.

There have been an increasing number of students enrolling in colleges, even though college costs are escalating. Students are particularly hard hit by the increasing cost of college attendance. As a result, the majority of college students rely on some form of student loans to finance their education.

However, recently New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has uncovered many unscrupulous lending practices and conflicts of interests in the student loan industry.

In light of Mr. Cuomo's discoveries, a bill such as the Student Loan Sunshine Act is desperately needed. This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, and requires each lender entering into an educational loan arrangement with a postsecondary school to:

(1) Report annually to the Secretary of Education specified information concerning their arrangements with schools;

(2) inform borrowers of their loan options under title IV (four) before extending private educational loans for attendance at schools; and

(3) be barred by the school from marketing student loans in a manner implying the school's endorsement.

For the protection of students and their families, I cast an aye vote in support of H.R. 890, the ``Student Loan Sunshine Act'' and I urge my colleagues to protect the integrity of the student loan program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 105--A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Suffragists Day to promote awareness of the importance of the women suffragists who worked for the right of women to vote in the United States.

One suffragette in particular comes to mind--Ms. Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth was an ex-slave, abolitionist and feminist who fought for women's rights. In that regard, she delivered her famous ``Ain't I A Woman'' speech at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

Her speech dispels the perception of women as fragile beings unable to hold our own in society. Ms. Truth outlined the work she has done-- planting, plowing and gathering in barns. All without the assistance of a man. She then raises the question; Ain't I a woman?

Sojourner Truth called for the extension of voting rights to all women. Her presence at the Convention was an important milestone in the women's movement and her speech left an indelible mark on the Convention, thus becoming a milestone of the women's rights movement.

Sojourner's thought provoking speech resonates even today. Her courage helped to empower and ignite the spark in future generations of women.

Fannie Lou Hamer, an ideological descendant of the suffrage movement became known as the lady in the civil rights movement that was ``sick and tired of being sick and tired.''

Shirley Chisholm was the daughter of Caribbean immigrants. She was the first black woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress, (a beneficiary of a voting rights district). And the first black woman candidate for President of the United States. Shirley Chisholm was another descendant of the suffrage movement.

And, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the bravery, perseverance and determination of women such as Sojourner Truth, Fannie Lou Hamer and Shirley Chisholm--women on whose shoulders I stand--Here I Stand-- elected in the 110th Congress and representing a voting rights district.

If Americans are honest, the list of individuals that have benefitted from the blood, sweat and tears of the women suffragists would fill volumes.

It is my hope that all suffragists, in particular those of color such as Sojourner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer whose contributions have historically been sidelined, are recognized for the vital role that they played in giving all women the right to vote in the United States.

I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisles to join me in voting in the affirmative for this important resolution.

Mr. Chairman, since the Department of Homeland Security was initially created in 2003, Congress has been unable to pass a single authorization bill for the Department. Today marks an important accomplishment, as the 110th Democratic Congress will pass a bill that finally brings much-needed accountability to DHS.

Along with containing provisions to ensure full funding of security grants that go to our Nation's first responders; and to restore rights to DHS workers, providing them with the same protections received by employees of every other department and agency within our government; I am pleased to see this bill contain a provision requiring stronger oversight of the US-VISIT program.

Although Congress mandated this border management tool 11 years ago, US-VISIT is a completely broken program at DHS because there have been few attempts to develop an exit component and complete this important program.

Instead, DHS appears to be using the funds to create a vast and unauthorized database of personal information about every visitor to this country.

As the representative from one of the most highly diverse districts in America--a district that is both a home and a popular destination for many thousands of people originally from other countries--I am highly concerned about this program. Congress intended to create a border management tool, not a massive list of personal information about law-abiding visitors.

Again, I am pleased to see that this bill imposes greater oversight of this and other ineffective programs at DHS.

Thank you very much to Representative Payne and to the gentlelady from California.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 272, a resolution commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

The abolition of the trade was an important milestone in the fight against slavery, but that campaign continued throughout the 19th century and it still continues today.

Currently, 27 million people are held in slavery around the world. Like the slaves of the past, slaves of today are controlled by violence, and suffer the theft of their labor and humanity.

Our commemoration today rings hollow if we do not learn from the lessons of the abolition movement of the past. That botched emancipation of 1865

forced four million ex-slaves into the economic social society with no access to education, political participation or equal citizenship, nor a true recognition of their humanity.

As I reflect on my own history as a descendant of African slaves who were survivors of the Middle Passage, my ancestors, kidnapped, brutalized and brought to the island Nation of Jamaica West Indies where centuries later my parents were born, who then migrated as subjects of the Queen to Brooklyn, New York, where I was born.

The history of Africans in the Americas has been suppressed as evidenced by the lack of presence in our school's curriculums. Today, we see the results of granting freedom without dignity. People of African descent still face economic inequality, social inequality and racism.

Slavery can be brought to an end within our lifetime. Madam Speaker, it is my prayer that someday soon this body will be celebrating of the global eradication of slavery. And in the spirit of the liberation and suffrage of my ancestors, the Civil Rights movement, human rights for every man, woman and child will be recognized. The liberty and the dreams of all will be attained through their collective will will not go unnoticed. We are not going to achieve true liberty unless and until we all embrace our collective and diverse humanity together.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 7, a resolution offered by the gentlelady from California calling on the League of Arab States to recognize the genocide that is currently taking place in Darfur, Sudan. The facts regarding the situation on the ground are indisputable. The Government of Sudan, through its proxy militia, the janjaweed, have been launching a scorched earth campaign in Darfur. More than 400,000 people have been murdered, and more than 2 million have been forcefully displaced.

This resolution calls upon the League of Arab States to acknowledge the genocide in Darfur and to pressure the Sudanese Government to take steps to bring the killings to an end.

The purpose of the League of Arab States is to coordinate the cultural and securities policies of its member states, of which Sudan is a member. If genocide or any atrocity is taking place in one member state, the other member states have a duty to recognize and act to end it.

Sudan has not moved to end the slaughter of its innocent civilians in Darfur. The international community, in particular the League of Arab States, must be united in its call for Sudan to end the genocide, stop the pillaging, stop the rape of women and girls, disarm the janjaweed and prosecute those responsible.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 68), honoring the life and accomplishments of Gian Carlo Menotti and recognizing the success of the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, which he founded.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Con. Res. 68 into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 68 honors the life and accomplishments of Gian Carlo Menotti, and recognizes the success of the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, which he founded.

I would like to thank Representative Brown from South Carolina for bringing this important resolution to the floor.

Gian Carlo Menotti was born July 7, 1911, at Cadegliano-Viconago, Italy. At the age of 7, under the guidance of his mother, he began to compose songs, and 4 years later he wrote the words and music of his first opera, ``The Death of Pierrot.''

Following the death of his father, his mother took him to the United States, where he was enrolled at Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music. There he completed his musical studies.

His first mature work, the one-act opera buffa, ``Amelia Goes to the Ball,'' was premiered in 1937, a success that

led to a commission from the National Broadcasting Company to write an opera especially for radio, ``The Old Maid and the Thief,'' the first such commission ever given.

``The Consul,'' Menotti's first full-length work, won the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award as the best musical play of the year in 1954.

In 1984, Menotti was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor of Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. He was chosen 1991 Musician of the Year by Musical America, inaugurating worldwide tributes to the composer in honor of his 80th birthday.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey, Bill Pascrell, Jr., member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 292) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that schools should celebrate National Garden Month through a curriculum that includes outdoor learning.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 292 into the Record.

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

H. Res. 292 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that schools should celebrate National Garden Month through a curriculum that includes outdoor learning.

I would like to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio, Representative Pryce, for bringing this resolution to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, the importance of getting children outside and involving them with the environment is critical to the survival of our planet, and this bill takes the first step in that direction. National Garden Month will introduce children, particularly children from the city, such as Brooklyn, where I represent, who would not be exposed to the outdoors an opportunity to involve themselves in gardening and the outdoors.

This resolution is a small step in helping to further our survival. I urge my colleagues to support the environment by supporting this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), Chair of the Subcommittee of Healthy Families and Communities of the Education and Labor Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 320) congratulating the University of Tennessee women's basketball team for winning the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 320 into the Record.

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

H. Res. 320 congratulates the University of Tennessee women's basketball team for winning the 2007 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship.

I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee, Representative Duncan, for bringing this resolution to the floor.

In recognition of the accomplishments of the Tennessee women's basketball team for winning the 2001 NCAA Division I championship, we need only reflect back to the year 1972, when in this body title VIII, also known as the Pepsi Teammate Equal Opportunity and Education Act, was enacted. Title VIII has demonstrated significant impact on high school and collegiate athletics. As a result, women nationwide have had the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities enriching their collegiate experience. As well, as a result, we are here today to recognize the victory of the Tennessee women's basketball team 2007 NCAA Division I champions.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and demonstrate our commitment to girls and women's athletics.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Education and Labor Committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper).

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 121) recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education, and for other purposes.

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

(Ms. CLARKE asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 121, recognizing the benefits and importance of school-based music education, and for other purposes, I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper), for bringing this resolution to the floor.

One of the basic reasons that every child must have an education in music is that music is a part of the fabric of our society. The intrinsic value of music for each individual is widely recognized in the many cultures that make up American life.

Music helps shape individual abilities and character. Success in society is predicated on success in school. Skills learned through the discipline of music transfer to study skills, communication skills, and the cognitive skills useful in every part of the curriculum.

Participation in music brings countless benefits to every individual throughout life. The benefits may be psychological, spiritual or physical. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution and support the next generation of music lovers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper), the sponsor of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to take a moment today to express my heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and constituents of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald and pay tribute to her legacy of leadership and her profound impact on this institution, the people she served and indeed our Nation.

Chairwoman McDonald was a trailblazer who paved the way for me and many others to be elected and to serve in the Congress. I am ever mindful of the legacy of integrity and excellence that she has imparted to each and every one of us. I embrace it and can truly say that she has touched my life. Though we were colleagues in this body for a short while, we had many moments of interactions that were truly empowering. She never missed a moment to be encouraging and complimentary.

Just a week ago or so before the chairwoman took her leave from the Congress, we encountered one another in this very Chamber. She inquired of me about how I was doing. My response to her was, ``I'm just trying to keep up with you, Madam Chair.'' She smiled her beautiful and elegant smile and said to me, ``You're doing it, girl.''

It has truly been a blessing for me as a freshman to have been acknowledged and encouraged by this truly remarkable, elegant and extraordinary role model. The legacy of Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald will never be forgotten. It has been imparted to all of us and it will certainly always reside with me.

God bless you, sister. Thank you for all you have given to each and every one of us. Well done.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to a Brooklyn landmark, the Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church, on the occasion of their 160th Anniversary.

The first Hanson Place Methodist Church building was erected in 1847 at the corner of Hanson Place and St. Felix Street in Brooklyn. There, the history of ecumenical cooperation and community service began with a vibrant, Christ-centered congregation. Seventeen years later, to accommodate phenomenal congregational growth, a second and larger building was constructed, and dedicated on January 4, 1874. Then, on February 23, 1927, the Central Methodist Episcopal Church came into being by merging the Summerfield Methodist Church with the Hanson Place Methodist Church.

The church rose above challenges when its building purchased in 1874 was considered unsafe and had to be vacated leaving 1650 members belonging to a Church Without a Home as it was reported in the press.

By the end of 1930, sufficient investment had been committed in the Hanson Place Central Methodist Church that the church owned property that covered the entire corner on which to build its new cathedral. A lot on Hanson Place and on St. Felix Street was marked off for the structure, and today stands the Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church at 144 St. Felix Street.

The church's commitment to the community has been shown through their various ministries. Their Campaign Against Hunger has been a valuable resource for more than 15 years. This food pantry provides meals to over 110,000 individuals annually. It utilizes a customer choice approach and adopts a supermarket style of shopping with a nutritional education component.

For the past nine years, their Partnership for the Homeless ministry has provided a safe haven for men. This ministry serves as a resource for the Drop-In Center for the Bond Street Salvation Army. The shelter is open year round including public holidays.

The people who once belonged to a Church Without a Home, serves as a home for so many within a changing and rapidly developing neighborhood within and throughout Brooklyn.

I am honored that the Hanson Place Central Methodist Church has provided countless services to constituents within my district. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending this fine institution for their many years of service and commitment to the people of Brooklyn.

Mr. Chairman, first, I want to commend Chairwoman Velazquez for her leadership on this issue and for bringing this bill to the House floor.

I rise in support of H.R. 1361, a bill to improve the disaster relief program of the Small Business Administration and to provide relief for entrepreneurs. This bill addresses the problems with the SBA's disaster loan program, which was implemented to provide timely financial assistance in the form of low-interest loans and working capital for businesses devastated by disasters.

In New York City, after 9/11, small businesses that once prospered near the World Trade Center had difficulty recovering from that tragedy. Four years later, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, many applicants of SBA disaster assistance were frustrated with the agency's response or lack thereof.

Many businesses found their loan applications were delayed in backlogs that took over a year to process without a well-informed, centralized point of contact within the agency.

For entrepreneurs struggling to get back on their feet, the old adage ``time is money'' is much more than a cliche. Economic distress can quickly digress into systemic unemployment for the thousands of employees and bring extreme hardship to America's families.

I support the intent of this bill because it will ensure that the SBA performs comprehensive, risk-based, disaster planning on an annual basis and that the agency has mechanisms in place to maintain its disaster readiness over the long term.

This new bill will also enhance the SBA's disaster loan program by improving the manner in which disaster

loans are processed, approved and disbursed, and by providing the agency with the additional financial assistance tools that are intended to better fit the various needs of small businesses following a disaster.

I will cast an ``aye'' vote in support of an unamended H.R. 1361, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

The RECOVER Act of 2007 is a bill that will ensure that members of Congress are adequately informed about all aspects of SBA's disaster assistance and disaster planning programs so that they may provide the SBA with the support they need to fulfill their vital mission following a disaster.

Mr. Chairman, I wish to thank Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member King and Chairwoman

Jackson-Lee for their vigilance on this issue.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007, H.R. 1401. In the past, Congress has passed laws to improve air and maritime security. With this bill, Congress is finally taking the very important step of securing America's vast ground transportation systems.

It is particularly important for my home city of New York, which has spent far more of its own treasury than any other city on securing its citizens. Along with providing much-needed funding for security improvements to mass transit, bridges and tunnels, this bill will also help fund police and counterterrorism task forces to patrol the areas and react to emergencies.

Further, this bill provides $100 million over the next 4 years to bring about long-anticipated safety and security renovations at Penn Station, which sees thousands of New Yorkers and tourists from across America each day.

I am particularly proud of the language included in the bill that ensures labor unions will play an integral role in the solution. Unions will now be eligible to receive a portion of the grant funding, allowing them to work hand-in-hand with transportation carriers on how to improve the safety of the workers and passengers alike.

Also, for some time, many local governments and agencies have been concerned about their lack of involvement with the Federal side of the transportation security process. For years, Federal security inspectors have refused to consult with transit agencies about how best to patrol their facilities. This new bill will force DHS and DOT to work together with State and local governments when deciding how the Federal Government will interact with local agencies.

H.R. 1401, the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007, is an excellent bill that will revolutionize transportation security in America, and I wholeheartedly recommend that my colleagues join me in voting ``yes'' for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the war in Iraq has presented numerous hardships for our troops, their families, and by extension, our Nation. Over 3,000 American soldiers have been killed. Every day brings news of more explosions and more soldiers coming home with traumatic brain injuries and other maladies. However, this war has been a particular hardship for our Nation's courageous female troops.

In this, the first full week of National Women's History Month, I feel it is vital that we recognize the historic trials being faced by the women who are defending our country. As of 2005, there was a record 203,000 female troops on active duty in military, along with many thousands more National Guard and Reserve troops activated to work in Iraq.

Like their male counterparts, many of these female troops never expected to fight in a war and certainly not for such an extended period of time. Countless soldiers are mothers who joined the National Guard and Reserves to give back to their country. Now they find themselves half a world away from their homes and families, fighting a war on the sun-hardened battlefields of Iraq with no resolution or end in sight.

Madam Chairman, the Employee Free Choice Act serves as a remedy to the squeeze on the middle class, due, in part, to the large scale erosion of workers fundamental freedom to bargain for better wages and benefits. Over the last several decades, workers' rights have come under increasing attacks. Even though workers in the United States under the National Labor Relations Act have the right to organize and collectively bargain, violations of these rights include the firing of employees for union activity.

In committee, Madam Chairman, we heard testimony of witnesses who spoke either in support for or against the bill on the House floor today. I find it difficult to understand how, in good conscience, Americans who, a generation before benefited from union activity, would be this opposition to this bill.

During organizing campaigns, 25 percent of employers illegally fire at least one worker for union activity.

The chance that a pro union worker activist is fired for his or her union activity today is now 1 in 5.

78 percent of employers in organizing drives forced employees to attend one-on-one meetings against a union with their own supervisors, and 92 percent of the employers forced employees to attend mandatory captive audience meetings against the union.

75 percent of the employers in organizing drives hire consultants or other union busting firms to fight the organizing drive.

The middle class squeeze has created a human rights crisis in this country. The Nation, the economy, and the employees benefit from the workers having the freedom to join together to bargain for better wages and benefits.

I wanted to just take a moment today because this piece of legislation will now bring justice to what has been a real injustice to the American people. I had the occasion to sit in on our committee hearings. Today I just wanted to bring to everyone's memory a gentleman named Mr. Ivo Camilo. He worked for the Blue Diamond Company for 35 years. He signed a letter with 58 coworkers saying that they wanted the right to organize and wanted that to be respected. A week later, Mr. Camilo was fired.

Today I cast my vote on behalf of Mr. Ivo Camilo, who sacrificed for each and every American the right to organize. He sacrificed his livelihood for all of us and for future generations. Thank you very much, Mr. Camilo.

And I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for this legislation.