Elijah Cummings: “Mr. Speaker, I also want to commend the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Talent) for introducing this very, very important…”

“Mr. Speaker, I also want to commend the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Talent) for introducing this very, very important resolution. Today we honor 2 true sportsmen, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Last week Mark McGwire tied, and then broke, Roger Maris's 61st single-season home run record, making him the new major league leader, with 62 home runs. On Sunday, Sammy Sosa hit his 62nd home run, matching McGwire and helping to propel his team to victory in a crucial game against the Brewers. Last year, this Congress honored the lifetime achievements of another great baseball player: Jackie Robinson. Mr. Robinson would be proud to see how McGwire and Sosa have embraced and supported each other in the race to break Maris's record. McGwire and Sosa are making history, and they are doing it with respect for each other and with dignity and integrity. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 520 honors Mark McGwire for breaking the record for the most home runs in a season, and among other things, serving as a true role model for young people. But not only is he a role model for young people, but it has been well stated in the media that he gives somewhere in the area of $1 million per year to lift up children and to make their lives better, and for this we applaud him.”