On the recordFebruary 12, 2003
Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate Black History Month this year, there is a sober and anxious mood in our Nation. Our communities are worried about the uncertain state of the economy, the loss of jobs, the growing budget deficit, the budget cuts, which threaten to eliminate vital services for our children, students and for our senior citizens. We are going to work diligently in the months ahead to address these pressing concerns and to try to prevent the gains that African Americans have made from being reversed. We have all been touched by the recent tragedy which took the lives of seven astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. They represented the best of our Nation and our world: courage, diversity, optimism, and the pursuit of scientific knowledge for the betterment of humanity.
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