Extensions of Remarks E612 HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON HON
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E612 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks April 1, 2011 FAA REAUTHORIZATION AND I would also like to express my strong oppo- of Mississippi and other southern commu- REFORM ACT OF 2011 sition to the provision of this bill which repeals nities. A community activist, public health edu- the National Mediation Board’s Fair Elections cator and public policy advocate, Colomb SPEECH OF Rule. The notion that your vote only counts if founded My Brother’s Keeper, MBK, a national HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON it is actually cast is a fundamental principle of organization dedicated to reducing health dis- OF TEXAS democracy. I am particularly disappointed that parities in African American communities. A IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the Republican Majority has decided to go principal architect of the Minority AIDS Initia- Thursday, March 31, 2011 about attacking worker rights in a bill that tive and founding member of the National should be about creating jobs for American Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Dr. Colomb The House in Committee of the Whole workers. is credited with garnering more $9 million dol- House on the State of the Union had under In addition, I want to comment about an lars, the largest of 12 five year national grants consideration the bill (H.R. 658) to amend title omission in this bill. This bill does not address awarded by the Centers for Disease Control 49, United States Code, to authorize appro- the issue of flight attendant occupational haz- and Prevention in 2000, to train African Amer- priations for the Federal Aviation Administra- ards. According to 2009 Bureau of Labor Sta- ican community-based organizations through- tion for fiscal years 2011 through 2014, to tistics data, air transportation workers are ex- out the U.S. and its territories on HIV/AIDS streamline programs, create efficiencies, re- posed to more workplace injuries and illnesses prevention and education. He played a central duce waste, and improve aviation safety and than construction workers and workers on fac- role in shaping both state and national HIV/ capacity, to provide stable funding for the na- tory floors. Despite this, flight attendants are AIDS policy legislation with particular focus on tional aviation system, and for other purposes: not protected by occupational safety and African American men and women. Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. health standards. Moreover, flight attendant fa- His academic appointments included assist- Mr. Chair, I rise today to reluctantly oppose tigue has been identified by the Civil Aero- ant professor of sociology, adjunct professor the passage of the legislation before us: H.R. space Medical Institute as a safety problem, and statistical laboratory coordinator at Jack- 658, the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act and one that needs to be addressed. Unfortu- son State University and instructor at of 2011. I say reluctantly because the FAA is nately, H.R. 658 addresses neither of these Tougaloo College. in urgent need of a long-term authorization to important issues related to flight attendant Dr. Colomb was a member of St. Francis of guide it in this critical period of air traffic con- safety. Assisi Catholic Church, Madison, MS.; a life trol modernization. As most folks know, FAA There are several provisions in this bill that member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; has been operating under a series of short- I do support. Namely, I am glad to see that and numerous social, professional and aca- term extensions, the last of which passed the the Airport Access Flexibility Program is in- demic honor organizations, including, Phi House on Tuesday. While these short-term ex- cluded in the bill we are considering today. Kappa Phi Honor Society and Pi Lambda tension have been necessary, they have made The Airport Access Flexibility Program was Theta International Honor Society and Profes- it difficult for the agency to engage in long- created through my leadership in 2009 and di- sional Association in Education. term planning. rects the Secretary to establish a pilot pro- Again, I ask that my colleagues please join However, while H.R. 658 reauthorizes the gram at five airports where passenger facility me in saluting the life and legacy of Dr. Mark agency for four years, I must oppose this bill. charges may be used to finance the eligible Colomb. There are several reasons for this opposition. cost of an intermodal ground access project. f First, H.R. 658 imposes arbitrary and poorly This program is of critical importance to Dallas considered spending reductions on the FAA. Love Field Airport for a project that would link THANKING MS. MARIE COLARUSSO This bill imposes over 1 billion dollars of an- the airport to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit HIGGS FOR HER SERVICE TO nual cuts from FY 2010 spending levels. (DART) System. Congressional intent is quite THE HOUSE These cuts will lead to costly job losses. This clear that Dallas Love Field Airport should re- is not a ‘‘job-creating’’ bill—far from it! As Mar- ceive priority consideration to be included in HON. DANIEL E. LUNGREN ion Blakey, the FAA Administrator under the this program. I look forward to working to with OF CALIFORNIA Bush Administration, said at a hearing earlier colleagues in the Senate to ensure that this IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES this year about this bill, ‘‘the prospect is really program is retained in the final legislation. Friday, April 1, 2011 devastating to jobs and to our future, if we Finally, in the Manager’s amendment there really have to roll back [to 2008 levels] and is a provision to prohibit any new safety regu- Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. stop NextGen in its tracks.’’ As we begin to lations affecting crew or passenger spaceflight Speaker, on the occasion of her retirement on climb out of a deep recession, I question the safety until 2020 or even later. That is bad April 4, 2011, I rise to thank Ms. Marie wisdom of cutting air travel infrastructure policy that will have adverse consequences for Colarusso Higgs for over 38 years of out- spending which is critical to the continued safety if enacted. FAA has notified us that standing service to the United States House of growth to the industry. And this is an industry, they are strongly opposed to the provision, as Representatives. I might add, that contributes approximately 1.3 am I. Marie began her career here in 1971, while trillion dollars and nearly 11 million jobs to our Mr. Chair, I would have liked to support a a student at Potomac Senior High School in economy. bipartisan FAA reauthorization today. Unfortu- Maryland. She first worked as a clerk in the These funding cuts occur at a time when air nately, Majority has decided to bring a bill to office of The Honorable Frank M. Clark of traffic is increasing. It defies logic that we can the floor today that costs American jobs, at- Pennsylvania. She went on to work for The cut funding for air traffic infrastructure and tacks American worker rights, and sacrifices Honorable Stephen L. Neal of North Carolina, safety while at the same time experiencing a the safety of the American flying public. There- The Honorable Martin Frost of Texas, the Of- growth in civil air traffic without leading to re- fore, I will oppose the bill today, and hope that fice of the Clerk, and the Office of the Chief duced levels of safety. You cannot. Let’s be we can work together to fix the problems I Administrative Officer. Marie has worked in clear: this bill will reduce the safety of the have identified in this legislation as we move every House office building from the basement American flying public. Period. forward. of the Ford building to the fourth floor of the In the Science, Space, and Technology f Capitol. Committee, where I serve as Ranking Mem- Marie’s commitment to public service was ber, the Majority pushed through a 23% cut to HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. MARK best demonstrated following the events of FAA’s research account. What got cut? Fire COLOMB HIV/AIDS ACTIVIST September 11, 2001. During that time, she safety research, icing research, and research worked tirelessly to assist in setting up tem- into reducing pilot and ground crew errors— HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON porary offices for Members displaced by the and many other important initiatives. My OF MISSISSIPPI anthrax evacuation. Marie’s enthusiasm, pro- Democratic colleagues on the Committee tried IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES fessionalism, and attention to detail have to restore funding to the safety programs I just made her an invaluable team member on mentioned, at a modest cost to the overall bill. Friday, April 1, 2011 many special projects. Her generosity and However, we were rebuffed in our efforts in Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speak- support of others have endeared her to her party line votes. I find it unfortunate that the er, I rise today to recognize the life of a true many colleagues and friends in the House flying public will have to sacrifice their safety champion and humanitarian, Dr. Mark Colomb. community. so that our Republican colleagues can hew to Dr. Colomb’s life mission addressed the health More recently, Marie demonstrated her com- an arbitrary budget cutting number. needs and concerns of blacks within the State mitment and dedication to serving others when VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:09 Apr 02, 2011 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A01AP8.053 E01APPT1 pwalker on DSKD5P82C1PROD with REMARKS April 1, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E613 she travelled to Nepal with her daughter, diligence have brought this success to Cailley onymous with talent, beauty, and glamour.