Summary

HOUSE FLOOR DEBATE: The House meets for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 3:30 p.m. A Quorum will be called for at approximately 3:30 p.m. The House Floor will be cleared at approximately 5:00 p.m. in order to provide time for a security sweep of the House Chamber prior to the President's State of the Union Address. The House will reconvene at 8:45 p.m. in joint session with the Senate for the purpose of receiving a State of the Union Address from the President of the United States. 17:00:00.9 for so long she was simply known as the wife of dr. martin luther king, but she was so much more. oftentimes, we hear of the many great men who led the civil rights movement, but it was women who were in the heart and soul of that movement. i'm reminded that in the city 17:00:20.3 of cleveland there were several ministers involved with dr. king, another doctor otis moss, another mipster, another daughter of a minister, carol 17:00:34.8 hoover, ultimately became head of the chamber of commerce in the city of cleveland. carol hoover gave me my only opportunity to sit in a living room and have a long 17:00:49.5 conversation with mrs. king. the thing i remark about that opportunity was she was very soft spoke gls -- spoken, regal in her style and helping me 17:01:05.4 understand my role in public life. i will never forget that opportunity that carol hoover gave me and i will never forget mrs. coretta scott king. if only we had a few more women like coretta scott king who handle tragedy so very well, 17:01:21.8 but stood up, continued to raise a family, and helped us lift up her wonderful, wonderful husband. as we celebrate the life of this great woman, let us continue to remember the work that she did. 17:01:37.1 let us encourage our children to understand what she went through in order to be such great leader and let us continue to pray for all of her family. i yield back the balance of my time. thank you. mr. conyers: mr. speaker, i 17:01:58.0 would like now to yield to the distinguished gentle lady from the district of columbia, mrs. eleanor homes norton who has distinguished herself in the -- 17:02:14.8 eleanor homes norton who has distinguished herself in the law and appeared in the supreme court a number -- on a number of occasions on behalf of civil rights issues. 17:02:30.2 the speaker pro tempore: how much time? mr. conyers: i yield her two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. holmes norton: i come to the floor to speak of coretta 17:02:52.9 scott king, the woman coretta, the friend. i hope that we will remember coretta as i'm sure she wanted to be remembered, as a movement 17:03:07.5 woman, fully engaged from the outset in the work of her husband except it was their work. king himself said that i did not bring coretta to this work. 17:03:21.0 she was there. these two people found themselves these southerners who went north to be edge kated because alone in the north with few blacks and whites who believed as they did, they were 17:03:37.5 fully at one with one another. coretta scott king did not come to the movement by marriage. she once herself said i was married to the movement as well as to martin. she, therefore, is not like 17:03:54.3 most widows of great men. of course she carried on her legacy, but anyone who watched out ceaselessly and magnificently she worked for the essence of his legacy, nonviolence and universal human 17:04:15.5 rights will, of course, understand that coretta scott king deserves to be remembered in justice for her own extraordinary work. i cannot help but rep coretta, the friend. 17:04:26.7 the friend who i would golly gag on the phone and laugh and talk about any old thing, not about the movement, but any old thing, particularly in the 19 70's and 1980's at the height of her movement work. the last time we spoke we sat 17:04:46.2 underneath the lincoln memorial in those rooms preparing to go up unveil the marker where king gave his first speech. 17:04:58.6 may she be remembered for herself and her great work. mr. conyers: mr. speaker, i'd like to yield the balance of our time to mr. arturo davis of montgomery, alabama, who in closing, will yield perhaps 17:05:20.2 some -- as much of his time as he can to the gentlelady from georgia where mrs. coretta scott king resided for so many years. i yield to the distinguished 17:05:33.8 gentleman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 2 1/2 minutes. mr. davis: may i inquire how much time is remaining in the debate >> the speaker pro tempore: 2 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from 17:05:49.3 michigan. mr. davis: you mentioned i was born in montgomery. coretta scott king was born in marion, the heart of my congressional district. i'm honored to stand here today as the person who represents 17:06:04.9 some of her family in the state of alabama. i only met her once as a younger member of the institution and someone not around to participate in the glorious days of the movement. i only met her once, at congressional black caucus in 2002, i was in awe, mr. 17:06:21.8 conyers, because when you grow up in the state of alabama coretta scott king is a heroine and has a very, very special place all over this country. when she was born in marion in 1929, she could not have -- her 17:06:39.2 parents could not have conceived and as she grew into young womanhood couldn't concede the person representing her home would be an 17:06:54.3 african-american. it would not have crossed her mind. when she formed her partnership with martin luther king, i wonder if they anticipated they would accomplish what they did, the holiday, the king center, the civil rights act the voting 17:07:10.1 rights act. they were big dreamers, but i don't know if they could have seen those things. that is the first aspect of coretta scott king we are to acknowledge today. she had an opportunity to see herself and her country transformed in ways that were 17:07:25.9 inconceivable. and she lived to see it. she lived to tell about it. the second point i want to make is every time i saw her on television as a young man, every time i saw her i was always struck by the power of 17:07:41.5 her quiet dignity. i mention that, mr. speaker, because we live in an age because our side thinks we have to outzhao shout the other side, they think they have to outshout the other side. what this wonderful woman appreciated is there is a power 17:07:57.5 and force to quiet, persuasive 17:08:05.3 argument. it meant in the 1990's arguing for fair welfare policies. she kept updating the legacy. 17:08:16.5 as she kept updating the legacy, she freshened and put her own touch on that. i conclude with that observation. my colleague from ohio was so right, my colleague from the district was so right. this woman was not a backstage 17:08:31.6 figure, she was a co-an cor -- 10 additional seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. sensenbrenner: i yield another minute to mr. davis. 17:08:47.8 mr. davis: thank you, mr. sensenbrenner, for yielding. she was a co-anchor and co-pillar of this movement. i yield my remaining time to the gentlelady from georgia, 17:09:03.2 ms. mckinney. the speaker pro tempore: mr. speaker, how much time is remaining. mr. sensenbrenner: how much time would the gentlelady from georgia want? ms. mckinney: i would like five minutes. 17:09:20.9 mr. sensenbrenner: i yield an additional five minutes. ms. mckinney: unanimous consent to extend my remarks. i would like to extend my condolences to martin king iii, 17:09:38.5 yolanda, dexter and bernice king and the entire king family. i wush shocked and saddened this morning when i heard the news as well. i had the opportunity to speak this year at the martin luther king ceremony that is held 17:09:55.3 annually at ebenezer church. for the first time in many, many years our queen mother, ms. coretta scott king was not there with us personally at the church, but she was looking at the proceedings and the 17:10:12.2 ceremony on television. one thing is fairly clear from the proceedings of the house today and that is that the king family is loved by this body, by these members, by the 17:10:29.3 american people, by the african-american community, in particular, and the progressive community in general. because it was the king family and their sacrifices that moved our country forward. they moved america forward. and so i am so proud to 17:10:47.5 represent stone mountain, georgia, that same stone mountain, georgia, that dr. king spoke of in 1963, but today it is represented by an african-american congresswoman. it is represented by me. 17:11:00.9 this country can change. this country's leaders can change. this country can rise to its highest ideals if we have the will to do so. and dr. king and mrs. king and the king family continue to 17:11:18.3 shine the light on america finding that will to do the best that it cowl do, to be the best that -- that it could do, to be the best that it could be. i would like to yield my reing time to my sister from the 17:11:40.0 virgin islands. mrs. christiansen: i will be very brief and associate myself with the accolades that have given before. i rise, mr. speaker, to bring the condolences of the people of the virgin islands and the 17:11:55.4 people of the caribbean to this wonderful woman, coretta scott king. a woman of courage, a woman of strength, a woman of compassion and a woman of history. she worked side by side with 17:12:15.6 her husband the reverend dr. martin luther king jr. and we are forever grateful for both of their sacrifice. i might ask i have unanimous consent to revise and extend my 17:12:28.6 remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sensenbrenner: the gentlewoman from georgia controls the time. the gentlewoman from three minutes remaining. 17:12:44.6 ms. mckinney: i would like to yield to my sister colleague from california, ms. juanita millender-mcdonald. ms. millender-mcdonald: i would like to thank the ranking member and the chairman for the 17:13:00.0 time aallotted to a icon, a woman of great distinction, grace, and courage. one whom i have known for a long time, she was my a.k.a. we met many times to talk about women, women's sufficient 17:13:20.2 randall, sexual exploitation and human up dignities. -- human indignities. as i heard about her passing i couldn't help reflect about the many times we spent and the courage and strength i drew 17:13:36.5 from her because this woman showed us so much. so much class, so much leadership and so much strength in moments of tragedy. and this is why i come together with my friends from across the aisle and on both sides to talk 17:13:53.7 about the legacy of mrs. coretta scott king, the amplely named first lady of the civil -- ambley named first lady of the civil rights mufte. she chose to help others 17:14:10.0 without regard for self. coretta scott king was her husband's most ardent supporter during his darkest days and most shining triumphs. she spent the years after dr. king's tragic assassination as 17:14:25.9 the beacon of life toward equality and equal rights for women and all americans fighting alongside her husband through blessed years of their marriage, coretta scott king faced hardships, derisions and 17:14:46.5 fiscal violence. -- physical violence. when someone attempted to end her life and her husband's life 17:14:55.7 was on a crusade. they sent a bomb into their home. the bomb didn't injure her or her child but she could have ended her involvement on that particular issue at that time. 13 years later, her husband was brutally murdered in his quest 17:15:13.7 for a social revolution. mrs. king stood strong only days later and let -- led thousands of people marching in her husband's honor. the world is a better place, mr. speaker, because she was a giant of a woman, a crusader 17:15:30.5 for justice, and a courageous woman in the face of enormous adversity and tragedy. coretta scott king campaigned tirelessly wherever she saw oppression or injustice. she celebrated dr. king's 17:15:47.7 legacy and created one of her own, women's rights groups, people who fight against hunger, unemployment, disenfranchisement and racism owe her a debt of gratitude. she embraced her husband's method of peaceful resistance 17:16:03.0 and applied it to her crusade against the violence that corrupts our nation. coretta scott king was an activist, an icon, a great wife, and a mother. america was so influenced by her, mr. speaker. 17:16:18.5 she will continue to live in our memory and our spirit as we further her work of nonviolence. thank you so much. i yield back. mr. sensenbrenner: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the 17:16:37.1 gentleman reserves the balance of his time until tomorrow. pursuant to the order of the house of today, further proceedings on the resolution will be postponed. pursuant to section 703 of the social security act, 42 u.s.c., 903 note, the order of the house of december 18, 2005, and 17:16:55.2 upon the recommendation of the minority leader, the chair announces that the speaker, on january 18, 2006, appointed the following member on the part of the house to the social security advisory board for a term of six years. 17:17:10.7 the clerk: mrs. barbara kanellly of connecticut. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to 20 u.s.c. 2103-b and the order of the house of december 18, 2005, the chair announces that the speaker, on 17:17:25.7 january 23, 2006, made the following appointments from private life to the board of trustees of the american folk life center in the library of congress on the part of the house for a term of six years. the clerk: appointed, mr. 17:17:43.9 charlie seaman, spring creek, nevada, and reappointed mrs. kay kaufman charlemaye of 17:17:59.5 texas. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of december 18, 2005, the chair announces that on january 23, 2006, the speaker appointed 17:18:08.2 the following members on the part of the house to the national surface transportation policy and revenue study commission. the clerk: mr. jack l. shannondorff, chevy chase, 17:18:23.5 maryland, mr. matthew k. rose, west lake, texas. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 12838-b-3 of the floyd d. spence national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2001, 22 u.s.c., 7002, amended by division p of 17:18:42.2 the consolidated appropriations resolution 2003, 22 u.s.c., 6901, and the order of the house of december 18, 2005, the chair announces that on january 17:19:00.8 20, 2006, the speaker appointed the following members on the part of the house to the united states-china economic and security review commission for terms to expire december 31, 2007. 17:19:14.2 the clerk: mr. peter t.r. brooks, springfield, virginia, and ms. kerry houston, great falls, virginia. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following three communications. the clerk: the honorable the 17:19:28.2 speaker, house of representatives, sir, this is to notify you formally pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the house of representatives that i have been served with a subpoena issued by the district court for the district of columbia for documents. i will make the determinations required by rule 8. 17:19:45.1 signed, sincerely, bart stupak, member of congress. the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, this is to notify you formally pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the house of representatives that i have been served with a criminal subpoena issued by the 17:20:01.4 circuit court for the 16th judicial circuit of de kalb county, illinois, for testimony. after consultation with the office of general counsel, i have determined that compliance with the subpoena is consistent with the precedents and privileges of the house. 17:20:17.4 signed sincerely, bonni walsh, casework director for j. dennis hastert, speaker of the house. the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, this is to noifer you formally pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the house of representatives 17:20:32.7 that i have been served with a criminal subpoena issued by the superior court of the district of columbia for testimony. after consultation with the office of general counsel, i have determined that compliance with the subpoena is consistent with the precedents and privileges of the house. 17:20:49.2 signed sincerely, derek scott, salesclerk, office supplies service, u.s. house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. lynch of massachusetts before 5:00 p.m. today, mr. gary miller of 17:21:05.4 california for today, and mr. neal of massachusetts before 5:00 p.m. today. the speaker pro tempore: the requests are granted. the chair desires to make an announcement. after a consultation among the speaker, the majority and 17:21:24.4 minority leaders, and with their consent and approval, the chair announces that tonight when the two houses meet in joint session to hear an address by the president of the united states, only the doors immediately opposite the speaker and those on his left and right will be opened. 17:21:39.8 no one will be allowed on the floor of the house who does not have the privileges of the house or of the house floor. due to the large attendance that is 5e79ed, the chair feels that the rule -- that is 17:21:55.6 anticipated, the chair feels that the rule regarding the privileges of the floor must be strictly adhered to. children of members will not be permitted on the floor and the cooperation of all members is requested. the practice of reserving seats 17:22:12.1 prior to the joint session by placards will not be allowed. members may reserve their seats by physical presence only following the security sweep of the chamber. 17:22:31.3 pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 8:40 important the purpose of receiving in joint session the president of the united states.