Burgess Owens

for its exemplary performance, Head Start deserves to be rewarded by the decision-makers in both parties. But instead of rewarding Head Start, the Republican majority is proposing to abandon Head Start through the slow death process which…

I rise in support of H.R. 438, the ``Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2003.'' The bill increases from $5,000 to $17,500 the maximum amount in which student loans can be forgiven for math, science and special education teachers in…

most of us returning to our districts have had an inordinate amount of inquiries and complaints, I am sure, from constituents about local developments and problems. Local hardships are the first things on the minds of my constituents, and…

there was a historic leadership summit held yesterday. Today is May 15. Yesterday, on May 14, there was a historic African American leadership conference held here in Washington. I want to salute the sponsors. It turns out that most of the…

our Nation is faced with a few simple facts that are awesome indeed. Unemployment has risen to a high of 6 percent nationally. In New York it is 9 percent. States throughout the Nation are faced with large deficits. States and cities are…

we have heard a lot of statistics which show how grave the problem is. Last fall, I had a town meeting of veterans in my district, and those were some of the angriest people I have ever seen. These are members of our society who have been…

We cannot say too much at this point about America's preemptive strike on Iraq. We are the greatest Nation that ever existed in the history of the world. We are the richest; we are the most powerful. We are also the most democratic. Never…

The budget is a moral statement. It is a moral statement of what the values of a nation are at a particular time.

I hope that this bill will help to concretize in our minds the value of libraries and museums to work together. I happen to live across the street from one of the greatest museums in America, the Brooklyn Museum of Art. I also live one…

I also would like to issue a new, repeated challenge to the Members of Congress to take a hard look at libraries and see that we have certainly shortchanged them or overlooked their importance as an institution that gives us the greatest…

I rise in support of what we call the Mink substitute. I miss the voice of Patsy Mink ringing in my ears. I used to be reminded when she talked of the quote from Shakespeare's King Lear, ``Fool me not to bear it tamely; touch me with noble…

I make an appeal to the President that he lead us in the most profound and comprehensive way and give us hope in his State of the Union address. At the beginning of this 108th Congress, it is important that we take note of a very important…

this alternative offers a nonviolent and diplomatic way to wage the peace. We should be serious about this process of waging the peace with U.N. inspections. We should not take a bargain basement approach to U.N. inspections. We are…

I urge all Members to vote ``no'' on this resolution which seeks to stampede the Congress into granting the powers for unilateral declaration of war on Iraq. Aggressive action against terrorists is needed, but we should not damage our own…

I want to talk about Congresswoman Patsy Mink, who recently passed away in Hawaii. Patsy Mink is known for many things, but I know her as a Patsy Mink who was filled with righteous indignation and anger against injustice... We are going to…

Patsy Mink will be remembered with a broad array of accolades. She was a warm compassionate colleague, civil and generous even to the opponents who angered her the most. For me, she will be remembered as my friend, mentor and personal whip…

the Republican majority has managed to move the discussion off the table and stifle any discussions of the swindles that have taken place. However, the hurt, the pain goes on with respect to what has been endured by working families and…

Is my colleague implying that the British Prime Minister does not agree with the President? I think the Chancellor of Germany has gotten into serious trouble by not agreeing. Is it likely that there is going to be a falling out between the…

how we wage peace should be the agenda priority as we close out the 107th Congress. To attack or not to attack Iraq should not be the issue which dominates the final work of this Congress. To attack or not to attack should not be the…

I was going to deal with the question of have we done enough to confront diplomatically our allies and the people in the world who are furnishing Saddam Hussein with what he needs? The sanctions have not been carried out. We should have…

Somebody is buying it. It is not just small countries, it is large countries. We have not confronted them. The rule of law, which we think is so important, the rule of international law is just as important as any other rule of law, but…

You offer very strong and glaring examples. If we outlasted the Soviet Union and we outlasted China, all of these evil empires that it appeared we were going to inevitably have military conflict with are now, if not our allies, then…

H.R. 4954, the Republican Pharmaceutical Industry Protection Act, is a cruel and unusual joke perpetrated against the senior citizens of America. The Republicans are preoccupied with the goal of the prescription drug manufacturers which is…

I would like to begin by informing the gentleman from Delaware that the unfunded mandate in this bill would cost the State of Delaware about $33 million. I think it is important to note these unfunded mandates and the higher costs. Maybe…

we have initiated the debate on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act reauthorization. I want to pick up on a point that I made during the discussion of the rule, and that is that poor people are treated with great contempt in…