July 31, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1367 

THE UNFINISHED WAR 

HON. RUSH D. HOLT OF NEW JERSEY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

share with my colleague a recent article by my 

good friend Richard Leone, the former President of the Century Foundation. In his article 

‘‘The Unfinished War’’ Leon reminds us all that 

‘‘by ignoring the poor we undermine the welfare of everyone in the 99 percent living from 

pay check to pay check.’’ As Congress debates taxes, government investments, and 

countless other issues, I hope all of my colleagues will keep his sage words in mind. 

[From the Huffington Post, July 6, 2012] 

THE UNFINISHED WAR

Nearly 50 years ago President Lyndon 

Johnson rallied the nation in support of a 

‘‘War on Poverty.’’ It was a goal widely accepted as necessary and realistic. While total 

‘‘victory’’ might not have been unachievable, 

the effort was embraced and pursued by 

many leaders of both parties. The Nixon administration, for example, played a key role 

in advancement of the earned income tax 

credit and Ronald Reagan reached an agreement with the then Democratic Speaker of 

the House, Tip O’Neill, to strengthen Social 

Security’s finances for another generation 

(today, about half of the nation’s elderly 

would fall below the poverty line without Social Security). 

While Johnson’s initiatives and subsequent 

policies didn’t end poverty, they sure made a 

dent in it. Americans began the 1960s with 

22.4 percent of the population living in poverty, but by the early 1970s that percentage 

had been cut in half. Not unconditional victory, but a major policy triumph nonetheless. Since that time the poverty rate has 

fluctuated between about 11 percent and 15 

percent, reaching the upward proportion during the Reagan years and the lower end of 

the range during the administration of Bill 

Clinton. This may seem like a fairly narrow 

band —unless you’re one of the millions who 

fall into poverty as the nation moves from 

the bottom of the range to the top. Right 

now, as we struggle to recover from the financial crisis of 2008–2009, the share of Americans living in poverty is back to levels not 

seen since 1993. 

So is a renewal of the war against poverty 

in the offing? The current balance of political forces suggests that, rather than muster 

all the weapons we have to fight for the poor, 

many are willing to settle for uneasy neutrality. This is one ‘‘war of choice’’ we 

choose not to wage. Austerity is the watchword of the day defined somewhat differently 

but accepted by the mainstream of both parties as the bedrock of policy for the foreseeable future. 

With lower expectations of growth projected for the next several years and continuing competitive pressures from abroad it 

is hard for most observers to see an optimistic scenario in which recovery accelerates to the point of leading to a new 1990s 

style period of prosperity. While this clearly 

sets limits on what is possible, it also opens 

up opportunities for those who wish to use 

the current difficulties as a lever to win arguments that are geared to their core values. 

Deregulation, weakening of unions, and further cuts in taxes for the wealthy and corporate America are all part of an ideological 

agenda that seems practical only because of 

the shifts of political forces and the imperatives of the financial weakness. To be sure 

there will be resistance to cuts in education, 

reductions in infrastructure spending, the 

weakening of Medicaid, and other radical departures from previous policies. But the defenders of the social contract seem at a distinct disadvantage. And what is not present 

in the debate, indeed has become virtually 

invisible in the media, is the issue of poverty. 

In fact, the United States has proven over 

several decades to be more tolerant of poverty and of homelessness and other associated ills than is the case in other industrialized countries. One can only conclude from 

the current reality that even discussing the 

issue of reducing poverty is a luxury. Like 

support for the arts, it is off the table during 

these difficult times. Workers have largely 

lost their past generous instincts about social programs after a generation of stagnant 

wages. Slightly further up the ladder, families who were until recently considered 

themselves solidly middle class now are 

scrambling to maintain their standard of living—and even their jobs. 

Yet, the United States is still a wealthy 

country, by all measures among the wealthiest in the world. And it clearly has the resources to provide a decent standard of living for its workers and citizens, its children 

and elderly. Other countries do so without 

much fuss. We, on the other hand, have 

rationalized increasing concentrations of 

wealth and income as somehow producing results that will be better for everyone. At the 

same time, our expenditures on the things 

that might change the circumstances of average Americans are meager by international standards. Elementary and secondary education, an historical strength, is 

being squeezed by budgetary problems at the 

state and local level. College aid and support 

for public higher education is shrinking. 

And, retraining programs for those who have 

lost their jobs due to the globalization of 

manufacturing and markets are nowhere 

close to what is available, for example, within the European Union. 

Overall, the United States has achieved 

levels of inequality not seen for generations 

and now ranks near the top among industrial 

nations in inequality. These are not trivial 

statistics for they reflect very different perceptions of what is important in the world of 

politics and government. Perhaps it’s not a 

coincidence that those who can afford it pay 

for our campaigns and reap the rewards 

while average citizens, frustrated and angry, 

turn against their government because they 

don’t see it helping them. Facts seem irrelevant; the U.S. has lower tax rates than almost all of the other industrialized countries 

and government employment has dropped 

sharply in the past few years, yet the explanation for hard times is that the government 

is taxing too much and spending too much. 

In this hostile environment it may be no 

wonder that new programs to help the poor 

get short shrift. In this Darwinian environment, we simply can’t afford to help them. 

It’s past time to connect the dots and see 

that by ignoring the poor we undermine the 

welfare of everyone in the 99 percent living 

from pay check to pay check. We must revive our generous national nature. And more 

selfishly come to see that we might find ourselves in their shoes. It may be that the poor 

will always be with us, but that doesn’t 

mean it’s OK to ignore them. 

HONORING THE NATIONAL CHAMPION UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA 

SOFTBALL TEAM 

HON. JO BONNER 

OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 

Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor 

the University of Alabama’s softball team 

which captured its first national championship 

during a down to the wire late night victory on 

June 6, 2012. 

The Tide was able to triumph over the Oklahoma Sooners after a rain delay brought out 

a special determination on the part of the ladies from Alabama to take home the trophy. 

Down early, Alabama came back to score four 

runs, and at 12:31 a.m., Alabama pitcher 

Jackie Traina struck out a Sooners player to 

end the game. 

With its 5 to 4 win in the Women’s College 

World Series in Oklahoma City, the Crimson 

Tide softball team also garnered the University 

of Alabama its fourth national championship of 

the year—a school record. Alabama also 

made history as the first Southeastern Conference team to clinch the national softball 

title. 

Since the creation of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) softball tournament in 1997, 

Alabama has claimed five SEC titles, including 

the 2012 season. The team ended their year 

with an impressive 60–8 record overall; 23–5 

in the SEC. 

This was the eighth time the University of 

Alabama has traveled to the Women’s College 

World Series. This year’s team is dominated 

by freshmen and sophomores who proved that 

heart and hard work can make the difference. 

The victorious 2012 team members are 

Chaunsey Bell, Catcher; Jackey Branham, Infielder; Kayla Braud, Outfielder; Courtney 

Conley, Infielder; Keima Davis, Outfielder; 

Kendall Dawson, Catcher; Jennifer Fenton, 

Outfielder; Olivia Gibson, Catcher; Danae 

Hays, Infielder; Kaila Hunt, Infielder; Ryan 

Iamurri, Infielder; Leslie Jury, Pitcher; Amanda 

Locke, Utility; Jazlyn Lunceford, Outfielder; 

Jordan Patterson, Catcher/Infielder; Cassie 

Reilly-Boccia, Outfielder/First Base; Danielle 

Richard, Infielder; Lauren Sewell, Pitcher; 

Jadyn Spencer, Utility; and Jackie Traina, 

Pitcher/Utility. 

The coaching and support staff is led by 

Head Coach Patrick Murphy. Assisting him are 

Alyson Habetz, Associate Head Coach; Stephanie VanBrakle, Assistant Coach; Adam Arbour, Volunteer Assistant Coach; Kate Harris, 

Director of Operations; and Nick Seiler, Athletic Trainer. 

On behalf of the people of Alabama and my 

colleagues in the Alabama delegation, I wish 

to extend personal congratulations to Coach 

Patrick Murphy, the coaching staff and the ladies of the University of Alabama Softball 

Team for their tremendous accomplishment. 

Along with a large fan base that traveled to 

Oklahoma City to cheer on the Crimson Tide 

was University of Alabama Athletic Director 

Mal Moore and Interim President Dr. Judith L. 

Bonner. Roll Tide! 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS
E1368 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks July 31, 2012 

IN HONOR OF DODGER STADIUM 

IN RECOGNITION OF ITS 50TH 

ANNIVERSARY 

HON. XAVIER BECERRA OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 

Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

honor one of Los Angeles’ greatest landmarks, 

Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles 

Dodgers. The 2012 season marks the 50th 

anniversary of Dodger Stadium. 

It ranks as the third oldest, continually-used 

park in Major League Baseball and still one of 

the most attended and highly regarded stadiums in America. Dodger Stadium has hosted 

more than 143 million fans since it opened its 

doors in 1962. The club topped the 3.85 million attendance mark in 2007, which stands as 

the all-time franchise record. 

Ever since Brooklyn Dodger President Walter O’Malley decided to move his team to Los 

Angeles in 1958 and bring Major League 

Baseball to California for the first time, this 

stadium has been home to some of the most 

memorable events in Dodger history. Many 

Dodger fans still recall Sandy Koufax’s perfect 

game in 1965, the rise of Fernandomania, and 

Kirk Gibson’s walk-off home run in Game 1 of 

the 1988 World Series. 

Since opening its gates, Dodger Stadium 

has hosted eight World Series and the Los 

Angeles Dodgers have won four World Championships, eight National League pennants, 11 

National League Western Division crowns and 

two National League Wild Card berths. From 

1992 to 1996, the Dodgers set a major league 

baseball record with five consecutive players 

being named Rookie of the year: Eric Karros, 

Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo and 

Todd Hollandsworth. 

Dodger Stadium has awed spectators with a 

breathtaking view of downtown Los Angeles to 

the south; green, tree-lined Elysian hills to the 

north and east; and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond. Walter O’Malley and architecht 

Emil Praeger designed the 56,000-seat stadium, the second privately financed ballpark in 

baseball history. Its wavy roof atop each outfield pavilion, cantilevered grandstands and 

unique terraced-earthworks parking lot behind 

the main stands make Dodger Stadium one of 

the most innovatively designed baseball stadiums. 

Besides being home of the Los Angeles 

Dodgers, the stadium has played host to the 

Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1980 

and the Olympic Games’ baseball competition 

in 1984. The eight-team competition during the 

1984 Olympic Games marked baseball’s 

greatest involvement in the Olympic Games to 

that point. The Olympic spirit returned to Los 

Angeles again in 1991, as Dodger Stadium 

hosted the Opening Ceremonies for the United 

States Olympic Festival. In 2004, the Olympic 

Torch relay in Los Angeles concluded at 

Dodger Stadium as Rafer Johnson lit the cauldron at Chavez Ravine. 

Dodger Stadium has also been the site of 

numerous non-baseball major events. On September 16, 1987 Pope John Paul II celebrated 

Mass at Dodger Stadium to a crowd of 63,000 

people. Entertainers from around the world 

have performed here as well, such as Madonna, The Beatles and Michael Jackson. 

Dodger Stadium also staged one of the 

world’s greatest entertainment events in 1994, 

when internationally-renowned tenors Jose 

Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano 

Pavarotti reunited for a spectacular concert 

performance ‘‘Encore—The Three Tenors’’ 

with conductor Zubin Mehta. 

Without a doubt, Dodger Stadium is one of 

America’s treasured venues. It continues to be 

a major part of the history and tradition of the 

Dodgers. It has been the home of one of professional sports’ most storied franchises, a 

destination for a worldwide fan base and an 

enduring monument for a bustling, multicultural city. For 50 years in the heart of Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has truly been a home 

for both a team and a community. I am honored to have such an organization and landmark in the 31st Congressional District of California. 

Mr. Speaker, it is with deep pride that I ask 

my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 

‘‘Golden Anniversary’’ of one of America’s 

great landmarks, Dodger Stadium. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO FLOMATON POLICE 

CHIEF DANIEL THOMPSON 

HON. JO BONNER OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 

Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor 

Police Chief Daniel Thompson of the 

Flomaton, Alabama Police Department for his 

heroic efforts to save the life of a 3-year-old 

boy on July 7, 2012. 

While off-duty at the house of a friend, Chief 

Thompson was alerted by calls for help from 

a neighboring house. He acted quickly to 

reach a child who was unresponsive after falling into a swimming pool. Chief Thompson 

promptly performed CPR on the boy for several minutes until the boy regained consciousness. Other rescuers soon responded and 

took over care of the child. Due to Chief 

Thompson’s well-trained and swift efforts, the 

young boy was able to be air lifted to Sacred 

Heart Hospital in Pensacola where he made a 

full recovery. 

Chief Thompson began his career in law enforcement seven years ago, and he is quoted 

as saying, ‘‘I always wanted to do something 

to help people.’’ His actions serve as a model 

for others, and also show that public servants 

are never truly off duty. While we often take 

their service for granted, it can truly be a 

blessing when they are nearby in our time of 

need. While Chief Thompson may not have 

been wearing his badge at the time of the incident, his actions reflect a man who wears the 

motto ‘‘to protect and serve’’ in his heart. 

This incident also illustrates the importance 

of being trained in CPR. One may never use 

the skill; however, when faced with a crisis situation, it may mean the difference between 

life and death. Flomaton Fire Chief Steve 

Stanton called Chief Thompson ‘‘a real hero,’’ 

and I think we all share his sentiments. I 

would like to echo his comments. 

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Alabama and my colleagues in the Alabama delegation, I wish to extend personal appreciation 

to Chief Thompson for his quick action to save 

a life, and to all those who serve us every day 

in our communities. We can never thank them 

enough. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF COL. TIMOTHY 

SULLIVAN’S CHANGE OF COMMAND 

HON. MIKE ROGERS OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I 

ask for the House’s attention today to recognize Colonel Timothy Sullivan who will have a 

change of command from Anniston Army 

Depot in August. 

Sullivan received a commission as an Ordnance Officer in 1988 after graduating from 

Jacksonville State University. He later earned 

a Master of Science Degree in Information 

Systems Management from Florida Tech University in 2001 and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Air War College, Air University in 

2010. 

His previous assignments include Platoon 

Leader, 503rd Maintenance Company, 530th 

S&S Battalion, 1st COSCOM; Platoon Leader 

and Shop Officer, Charlie Company, 782nd 

Maintenance Battalion, 82nd DISCOM, 82nd 

Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Company 

Commander, 520th Maintenance Company, 

194th Maintenance Battalion, 23rd Area Support Group, Camp Humphrey’s Korea; Operations Officer and Brigade Executive Officer, 

59th Ordnance Brigade, Redstone Arsenal, 

Ala.; RTD Team Chief, 351st Infantry Battalion, 158th Infantry Brigade, Patrick Air 

Force Base, Fla.; Support Operations Officer 

and Battalion Executive Officer, 13th Corps 

Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 

3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.; 

APMS, Auburn University Army ROTC; Commander, 13th Combat Sustainment Support 

Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division; Chief, Logistics Division, Special 

Operations Command, Joint Forces Command 

(SOCJFCOM), SOCOM, Suffolk, Va.; and, 

most recently, graduate of the Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 

While at Anniston Army Depot, he safely 

helped execute millions of direct labor hours 

while helping overhaul and maintain our nation’s critical combat equipment. His hands-on 

leadership for the workforce helped ensure our 

nation’s military was provided the best possible equipment available to keep them as 

safe as possible while allowing them to accomplish their vital mission. 

Mr. Speaker, we will miss Colonel Sullivan 

in Anniston, but wish him the very best. 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS