S440 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 1, 2006 We did not hear from these compa- prosperous country. I along with the try together until her final days. She nies today because they have declined rest of America will be watching to see never stopped believing that we have a to appear at this hearing. I am dis- if these statements are reflected in the historic responsibility to move Amer- appointed by their decision. Boycotting President’s policies and budget request, ica forward and extend the American this hearing will not stifle our ques- however. dream to all those who seek it, regard- tions or the need for their account- We need to relieve America’s depend- less of race. Today, as a nation, we ability to Congress and American con- ence on foreign oil. Although the Mid- mourn Mrs. ’s passing. We are sumers. The chairman has announced a east is not the source of the majority thankful for her time here with us, the second hearing for the end of this of our energy, its share has grown dur- fruits of her labor, and the profound month, and the executives from the oil ing this administration. I also urge the impact she has left on a grateful coun- companies will attend, whether volun- President and the Republican leader- try. tarily or in answer to subpoenas. We ship of Congress to work with us to re- I yield the floor. will not rest in our effort to under- lieve our dependence on foreign inves- Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I wish stand, and then correct, the problems tors and on borrowing from Social Se- to offer some remarks on our loss of in the energy markets. curity to finance the record deficits Mrs. , who has On its face, the deplorable issue here and growing debt that their policies passed away at the age of 78. I join my is not the unprecedented profits gar- have created. colleagues in cosponsoring and sup- porting S. Res. 362 to honor the life of nered last year. Surely, any business f the size of these corporations could and express the condolences of the Sen- produce a high yield selling their prod- REMEMBERING CORETTA SCOTT ate on her passing. uct at $60 a barrel. Rather, the striking KING Coretta Scott King was born April 27, issue here is how these profits compare Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, it is 1927, on a farm in Heiberger, AL, to with years past. For example, since with great sadness that I offer my con- Obadiah, Obie, and Bernice McMurry 1999, oil refiners have seen a 334 percent dolences on the passing of Coretta Scott. Though her family owned the increase in yield made on each gallon Scott King, who passed away at the age land, it was often a hard life. All the of gasoline refined. Moreover, these of 78. Indeed, I offer these remarks on children had to pick cotton during the same companies have more than dou- behalf of all Missourians who have been Great Depression to help the family bled their control over oil production. touched by her legacy and that of Dr. make ends meet. Time and time again, oil companies Martin Luther King, Jr. A tireless Graduating from Lincoln Normal have defended startling statistics such champion and partner in her husband’s School in Marion, AL, at the top of her as these. They claim that increased work, Mrs. King’s life represents an class in 1945, Coretta went to Antioch costs for production, exploration, and American story from which we can all College in Yellow Springs, OH. After meeting environmental standards jus- draw strength. She never stopped graduation, she moved to Boston, MA, tify increasing prices at the pumps. working toward the prize God called where she met Martin Luther King, Jr. They were married in 1953 on the lawn This is obscene. I say it is time to in- her to achieve. vest in the American people. We need Born in rural Alabama on April 27, of her parents’ house and with the cere- mony performed by King’s father. to investigate excessive market con- 1927, Coretta Scott was the second Coretta King received a degree in voice centration in the oil industry that is child of Obadiah and Bernice Scott, and violin at the New England Conserv- stifling competition, constricting sup- hard working parents who wanted more atory, then moved with her husband to ply, and ultimately harming con- opportunities than they had for their Montgomery, AL, in September 1954 sumers. And then we need to do some- children. An ambitious student, Mrs. after he was named pastor of the Dex- thing about it. King graduated first in her high school ter Avenue Baptist Church. Together, I was glad to hear the President class and continued her studies at An- they had four children: Yolanda Denise sounding like a Democrat on energy tioch College in Yellow Springs, OH. King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter last night in his State of the Union She had a passion for education and Scott King, and Bernice Albertine speech. I can only hope that his words music and went on to the New England King. mean that he has finally abandoned the Conservatory of Music in Boston, fol- Mrs. King received honorary degrees failed policy of the Cheney energy task lowing her graduation from Antioch. from many institutions including force that had worked in secret with It was in 1952 in Boston where she Princeton University and Bates Col- Ken Lay and other energy industry big- met the man who would become her lege. She was a member of Alpha Kappa wigs. Had we adopted the Democratic husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Alpha, a noted African-American wom- energy proposal on which Senator They were married the next year and en’s sorority. BINGAMAN and others have worked so eventually settled in , where The King family was front and center hard over the last several years, we they reared their four children, Yo- to one of the most turbulent times of would be much farther along. Nonethe- landa, Martin, Dexter, and Bernice. the 20th century. Just 2 weeks after the less, we welcome the President and, I Mrs. King was by no means a bystander birth of her first child, was hope, some congressional Republicans in the groundbreaking changes her hus- arrested on a Montgomery bus, helping to the Democratic emphasis on alter- band worked to achieve. She was a spark what would develop into the native and renewable fuels. After all partner in her husband’s historic work modern that that the Bush administration and the to make this country whole. would be led by her husband. The Republican leadership have done to ad- Following the murder of her husband struggles that followed included a nar- vance the interests of the oil compa- in 1968, Mrs. King could have chosen to row escape from death in 1956 when nies, including the attempts by House retreat into the privacy of her family. Mrs. King and her daughter were home Republican leadership to insert special Indeed, in the aftermath of that trag- when a bomb exploded at the family’s interest provisions in conference re- edy, she was a widow who had the sole residence—her husband was speaking ports to give oil companies immunity responsibility of raising four young at Rev. ’s First Bap- for the environmental and health dam- children. But instead, Mrs. King brave- tist Church at the time. age they cause, this reversal of posi- ly chose to continue her husband’s Mrs. King later put together a series tion would be a good development for work and his quest for racial equality. of Freedom Concerts that combined po- the American people. She worked tirelessly to have her hus- etry, narration, and music to highlight Along with conservation, renewable band’s birthday memorialized as a na- the movement and also raise funds for energy is a key to a cleaner, more effi- tional holiday and to establish the the Southern Christian Leadership cient energy future. If the President King Center, a lasting memorial and Conference. In 1962, she served as a would work with us and follow through research institution dedicated to the Women’s Strike for Peace delegate to with sensible proposals, we can forge a Dr. King’s principles of justice, equal- the 17-nation Disarmament Conference bipartisan partnership. Working to- ity, and peace. in Geneva, Switzerland. gether, we can do better to make this Mr. President, Coretta Scott King Notably, she preceded her husband by a safer more energy efficient and more continued her work to bring this coun- 2 years in opposing the Vietnam War,

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Over the nearly 40 years that followed, before the flight, ‘‘One of the things I Over the years, she was active in pre- her fight for that dream took her to hope to bring back into the classroom serving the memory of her husband and every corner of the world and into is to make that connection with the in other political issues. After her hus- every heart that loved justice. She es- students that they too are part of his- band was assassinated in 1968, she tablished the Martin Luther King, Jr. tory, the space program belongs to began attending a commemorative Center for Nonviolent Social Change. them.’’ I believe this statement rep- service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in She worked to advance the cause of resents very well the spirit of curiosity Atlanta to mark her husband’s birth justice and human rights around the and the hope for the future that both every January 15th and fought for world, speaking out for racial and eco- these brave explorers and the space years to make it a national holiday, a nomic justice, women’s and children’s program represent. quest that was realized in 1986, when rights, religious freedom, full employ- Then, just 3 short years ago, seven the first Martin Luther King Day was ment, health care, and education. She men and women lost their lives when celebrated and which we just recently championed the national holiday in the space shuttle Columbia exploded as celebrated 2 weeks ago. honor of Dr. King’s legacy. And, as she it reentered the atmosphere. So many In her own right, Mrs. King was vocal carried on Dr. King’s message, she be- individuals pulled together to help in and influential on many issues, includ- came an icon of the civil rights move- recovery efforts after this national ing opposing apartheid; opposing cap- ment in her own right. tragedy. The police departments, fire- ital punishment; opposing the 2003 in- In September 2004, the Senate passed fighters, local VFWs and emergency vasion of Iraq; and advocating for the legislation to honor Mrs. King and Dr. services, as well as the thousands of rights of women, lesbians and gays, as Martin Luther King, Jr., post- volunteers from East Texas and across well as AIDS/HIV prevention. humously, with Congress’s highest the State, worked remarkably well to- I was disturbed to hear of Mrs. King’s honor—the Congressional Gold Medal— gether to handle the crisis and to pre- hospitalization in August 2005 after for their contributions to the Nation. vent further tragedy on the ground. suffering a stroke and a mild heart at- It was my great honor to deliver this Law enforcement officials, NASA, and tack but encouraged by her progress in news to Mrs. King the next day at an FEMA faced such a difficult time in regaining some of her speech and con- awards ceremony sponsored by the the aftermath—and they handled the tinued physiotherapy at home. I under- Senate Black Legislative Staff Caucus, stress with grace. stand that on January 14, 2006, Mrs. where Mrs. King was honored with The NASA community suffered a pro- King made her last public appearance their Leadership and Achievement found loss with these tragedies. This in Atlanta at a dinner honoring her Award. Over the next few months, my dedicated team of professionals is a husband’s memory and that, fittingly, staff worked with Mrs. King, along symbol of our passion for science, ex- she will be buried in Atlanta next to with the U.S. Mint and Congressman ploration, and the discovery of places her husband at The King Center. ’s staff, in designing the and worlds as yet unknown, and we ap- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and gold medal. In March 2005, Mrs. King preciate the service of all of these men Coretta Scott King were remarkable contributed these words, from some of and women. people who led remarkable lives. Our her favorite lines from Dr. King’s The seven heroes who lost their lives Nation is a better place for their ac- speeches, to appear on one side of the that day had dedicated themselves to tions, and they will continue to live in medal: ‘‘I suggest that the philosophy the future of our Nation’s space pro- our collective memory for many years and strategy of become gram, seven men and women who knew to come. I wish to offer her family and immediately a subject for study for se- the risks of climbing into a rocket, friends my deepest condolences. rious experimentation in every field of leaving the Earth, and exploring the Mr. LEVIN. We first came to know human conflict, by no means excluding heavens, seven men and women who Coretta Scott King as Dr. Martin Lu- the relations between nations. This volunteered for an extremely dan- ther King’s wife, but we came to treas- may well be mankind’s last chance to gerous but critically important mis- ure her for the more than 50 years of choose between chaos and commu- sion: courageous and inspiring leadership nity.’’ Mrs. King offered these lines less Shuttle Commander Rick Husband she gave to our Nation. During Dr. than a year ago, reflecting her stead- Pilot William McCool King’s tragically brief yet profoundly fast commitment to nonviolence Payload Commander Michael Anderson important time as America’s most throughout her entire life. Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla prominent civil rights leader, Mrs. Coretta Scott King moved our Nation Mission Specialist David Brown King played an indispensable role, forward, and we owe her a debt that we Mission Specialist Laurel Blair Salton speaking before church and community cannot repay. As we mourn Mrs. King’s Clark Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon groups, serving as a pastor’s wife, and passing today, let us celebrate her ex- raising four children. She was Dr. ceptional life, and let us honor her by These brave seven, as well as the crew King’s rock during one of the most tur- recommitting ourselves to lost with Columbia, as well as the three bulent times in our history. the Kings shared of freedom, justice, who lost their lives to the Apollo 1 fire Mrs. King’s heroism and unyielding and equality for all people. in 1967, are all shining examples of the determination to continue the struggle Our thoughts and prayers are with courage, enthusiasm, and awe that for justice and equality for all could Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter, and Ber- runs through the veins of all the men not be more evident than in how she nice King and all of the King family. and women of NASA—and all the eager responded to a despicable incident in children across this Nation who look to f 1956. Mrs. King was in her home with the stars and see the beginning, not the her infant daughter, Yolanda, while Dr. SPACE SHUTTLE ‘‘CHALLENGER’’/ end, of their universe. King was away on one of his many mis- ‘‘COLUMBIA’’ These brave astronauts throughout sions for the civil rights movement, Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I rise the space program inspire not only our speaking at the First Baptist Church in today to remember two events, one Nation and our children—they inspire Montgomery, AL. Someone threw a which occurred 20 years ago this past the world. Their actions, bravery, and bomb into the Kings’ home, and the Wednesday, and another which took achievement are a challenge to human- bomb exploded. Even though Mrs. King place 3 years ago today. These dates kind. A challenge to dream, to achieve and little Yolanda narrowly escaped mark profound tragedies in the history more and to reach farther than ever physical harm that day, the bombing of the U.S. space program. thought possible. I thank these coura- failed to deter her. Instead, Mrs. King’s As my colleagues will remember, the geous explorers—and those they left involvement in the civil rights move- space shuttle Challenger exploded just behind—for their sacrifice for our coun- ment intensified. minutes after takeoff in 1986, claiming try.

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