Extensions of Remarks E215 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS
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February 21, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E215 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE Congress lowered energy costs for con- teams, thus providing the other teams in the OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH sumers, reduced global warming, and created league with much needed capital to promote hundreds of thousands of new jobs. The Eco- the sport across America. The current success SPEECH OF nomic Stimulus Package, recently passed by of the NFL is a tribute to the character and HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF the House, will put money back into the hands selflessness of the Mara brothers. They OF CALIFORNIA of 117 million American families to reinvigorate proved to the National Football League and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the economy. We have made great strides, the Nation that honorable business practices but we must continue our commitment to serv- and teamwork can indeed generate great suc- Wednesday, February 6, 2008 ing the American people. cess. Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Writing almost 100 years ago, Dr. Woodson The New York Giants franchise has been celebrate Black History Month. The theme of possessed the insight to understand the im- one of the most successful in National Foot- this year’s Black History Month is ‘‘Carter G. mense benefits of nationally celebrating black ball League history. The Giants have had 15 Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism.’’ history. The path he forged paved the way for players inducted into the Profesional Football Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson was a brilliant Af- our great African-American leaders, including Hall of Fame. The team has been to the rican-American historian, educator, author, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and and publisher. Born in 1875 to former slaves, Thurgood Marshall. As we celebrate all Afri- postseason 26 times and won more than 600 Dr. Woodson grew up working on railroads can-Americans this month, let us specially rec- games, including 16 divisional championships and mines in Virginia. At the age of 20, he ognize Dr. Woodson. May his memory inspire and 7 NFL championships—three of which had finally earned enough money to afford to us to continue our work to achieve racial jus- were Super Bowls (XXI, XXV, and XLII). attend high school. He went on to college, and tice and to ensure equality of opportunity for Since 1976, the Giants have played at Gi- became a teacher in the U.S. and Philippines. all Americans. ants stadium in East Rutherford, New Jer- In 1912 he graduated from Harvard, and after f sey—which is located in my congressional dis- W.E.B. Du Bois, became the second African- trict. I have always been proud to have such American to receive a Ph.D. CONGRATULATING THE NATIONAL a wonderful organization located in our district. Dr. Woodson advocated for education re- FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPION In particular, I would like to recognize the ‘‘Gi- form to empower African-Americans to unite NEW YORK GIANTS FOR WINNING ants Foundation,’’ which was founded by Wel- around shared history. He wrote, ‘‘Those who SUPER BOWL XLII lington Mara. It is an organization that pro- have no record of what their forebears have vides important social and financial support to SPEECH OF accomplished lose the inspiration which underprivileged youth and their families comes from the teaching of biography and his- HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN throughout the entire metropolitan area. tory.’’ Thanks to Dr. Woodson, we have a OF NEW JERSEY The Giants began the 2007 season with a record of the accomplishments of our African- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys at Texas American forebears, and we are continually in- Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Stadium. What they didn’t know as they spired by our knowledge of their biographies walked off the field in Irving, Texas, was that and history. Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this would be the last time they would lose a This month, we call to our memories the tri- support of House Resolution 960, legislation to road game all season. After that loss to the umphs of Dr. Woodson himself, as the ‘‘Father congratulate the New York Giants for winning of Black History.’’ His efforts to research, Super Bowl XLII and completing one of the Cowboys the Giants won 11 straight road teach, and celebrate African-American history greatest upsets in professional sports history. games—an unprecedented achievement and a gave us our current celebration of Black His- I introduced this resolution because I am so record in the National Football League. tory Month. In 1926, he established Negro proud that this incredible team plays at Giants Their impressive road streak began just a History Week, held during the second week of stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jer- few miles away from here in Landover, Mary- February to honor the birthdays of Frederick sey in my district. I am honored that we have land at FedEx field. The Giants turned their Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this a Super Bowl champion back in the New York season around with a fourth quarter comeback annual celebration expanded and became New Jersey region again. against the Washington Redskins, capped by Black History Month. On Sunday, February 3rd, in Glendale, Ari- an impressive stop on fourth and goal as time Celebrating Dr. Woodson’s accomplish- zona, the New York Giants achieved the high- expired. ments inspires us to examine our present ly improbable by beating the previously After the regular season ended the Giants work toward racial justice and equal oppor- undefeated New England Patriots by a score took their road winning streak into the of 17 to 14 in Super Bowl XLII to win the Na- tunity. Today, African-Americans serve our postseason where they won 3 straight road tional Football League (NFL) championship. country in myriad ways. For example, 2.4 mil- playoff games—a National Football Con- The game was the most watched Super Bowl lion military veterans are black. The U.S. has ference record. about 1.2 million black-owned firms, gener- ever, with nearly 100 million viewers tuning ating around $88 billion annually. Paving the in—making it the second most viewed Amer- The Giants’ victorious journey this season way for our future, 2.3 million college students ican broadcast in television history. epitomizes the American values of hard work, are African-American, an increase of over 1 Since its inception in 1925, the New York determination, and resiliency. Along each step million students over the last 15 years. Giants organization has been a model of pro- of the journey, few believed they would tri- Congress must continue to work to improve fessionalism, teamwork, and community serv- umph, but the Giants continued to defy con- the lives of all Americans. Last year, it took ice in the New York New Jersey metropolitan ventional wisdom and prove to the so called the important step of raising the federal min- area. From the beginning, the Giants fran- experts that a team of individuals fully devoted imum wage to $5.85/hour, which will increase chise—and indeed the entire National Football to a goal is indeed greater than the sum of its this year to $6.55/hour and in 2009 to $7.25/ League—has flourished under the leadership parts. Their defense, which allowed 80 points hour. Congress also strengthened the middle and guidance of the Mara family. Back in the in the first 2 games, turned their season class by making college educations more af- 1960s professional football was struggling to around to become the best defense in the fordable, such as by investing $510 million survive. It was the foresight of Wellington and league—capable of holding the most vaunted over five years in minority-serving institutions, Jack Mara, co-owners of the most profitable offense in recent memory to 2 touchdowns on including Historically Black Colleges. The team in the NFL, which allowed professional the biggest stage in sports. Their offense, cap- House introduced legislation to provide $410 football to prosper. They put the league ahead tained by quarterback Eli Manning, was spo- billion in the federal marketplace to small busi- of their team by agreeing to share lucrative radic at best during the regular season, but nesses. By passing the Energy Security Bill, television revenue equally among all NFL seemed to mature right before our eyes in the ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Aug 31 2005 00:15 Feb 22, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A21FE8.001 E21FEPT1 wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with REMARKS E216 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks February 21, 2008 playoffs as the Giants protected the football RECOGNIZING WILLIAM (BILL) CHI MUI POST OFFICE BUILDING and put together clutch drives when it DENISON mattered most. HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF But perhaps the greatest momentum shift of OF CALIFORNIA the season was Coach Tom Coughlin’s deci- HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES sion to have his team play to win against the OF CALIFORNIA Thursday, February 21, 2008 then undefeated New England Patriots in the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today final game of the regular season. In a game to honor a well-respected and dedicated lead- that didn’t matter for the Giants, as they had Thursday, February 21, 2008 er in the 29th Congressional District and a role already clinched a playoff birth, the ‘‘Boys in Mr.