August 1, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5533 

would ever want to go through again, 

but tremendous efforts on the part of 

the medical teams to save lives. 

Yesterday I had a chance to meet 

with some of the people still in the hospital, which gave me so much hope and 

inspiration. I want to start with the 

family where the husband and the 

wife—she’s 9 months pregnant—decided 

that they want to go to a movie before 

they have their first born. They want 

to get that one last date out. 

He’s shot. She suffers shots from the 

shotgun pellets. He’s down on the first 

floor having surgery on his brain. She 

is up on the third floor of the hospital 

having a baby—baby Hugo, who is like 

the biggest kid I have ever seen at that 

age. His hands, he’s definitely going to 

be a baseball player. And the Rockies 

came by to visit him and gave this 

baby two baseballs. 

But she was so positive and so optimistic about her son’s future and about 

the future of her husband, who has had 

great medical care and will have longlasting injuries, but he will do well. 

And this wife was so positive, a young 

woman who is really optimistic about 

life. 

Another young man who was shot in 

the side, he was in a coma. He has since 

come out of it, and he is now planning 

to start his first year of college at 

Western State in Gunnison, Colorado. 

And finally, one guy who had been in 

a difficult state, the President of the 

United States came and visited him. He 

woke up at that moment—whether it 

was because of that visit or not, who 

knows, but he has a huge smile. The 

Rockies came to visit him, and he said, 

‘‘I’m sorry, but I’m a Yankees fan.’’ 

And then, to my chagrin, he also is a 

fan of the San Diego Chargers and the 

Oakland Raiders, when he should be a 

Broncos fan. But he is recovering well, 

too. 

These people are recovering. Our 

community will recover. We live in a 

great State. 

And I want to just finish with these 

words, if I could, Mr. Speaker. Ordinarily I speak off the cuff, but one of 

the staff members in my office, who is 

a Coloradan, wanted me to say this, 

and I believe it. 

Even after these tragedies, we must 

remind ourselves and the world what it 

is to be a Coloradan. 

We are the cities and the open spaces. 

We are the mountains and the prairie. 

We are the mountains and the trees. 

We are the snow and the sunshine. 

We are loving families and longtime 

friends. We are the welcoming neighbor 

and the kind stranger. 

We are Coloradans. We live in paradise and surround ourselves with loving, wonderful people who enrich our 

lives. This is what defines our State. 

We will always remember the victims, we will always honor the heroes, 

and we will grow stronger. 

I am proud of my State. I’m sorry for 

what happened. But we will grow from 

this. 

RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF PROFESSOR THELMA 

MCWILLIAMS GLASS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 

Alabama (Ms. SEWELL) for 5 minutes. 

Ms. SEWELL. I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to a distinguished 

Alabama educator and civil rights pioneer, Professor Thelma McWilliams 

Glass. She was known for her exemplary efforts in the field of higher education and her tireless commitment to 

the struggle for racial equality. 

Professor Thelma Glass was the last 

surviving member of the Women’s Political Council, the organization that 

was instrumental in the planning and 

organization of the Montgomery Bus 

Boycott in the 1950s. 

She recently passed away in Montgomery, Alabama, on Wednesday, July 

25, at the age of 96. 

Professor Thelma Glass was born in 

Mobile, Alabama, on May 16, 1916, and 

at an early age was instilled with a 

love of learning that led to her lifelong 

pursuit of academic excellence. She 

graduated valedictorian of Dunbar 

High School in Mobile, Alabama, at the 

age of 15 and earned a bachelor’s degree 

from Alabama State University and a 

master’s degree from Columbia University, both in geography. 

In 1942, Thelma McWilliams married 

the love of her life, Arthur Glass. They 

were both professors at Alabama State 

University for over 40 years. Their love 

for each other was as strong as their 

dedication and commitment to the students they taught at Alabama State 

University. After 41 years of marriage, 

her husband, Professor Arthur Glass, 

passed away in 1983. 

Professor Thelma Glass was an accomplished educator who taught geography at Alabama State University for 

40 years. She led by example, displaying the same exceptionalism, tenacity, and commitment to public 

service that she demanded of her students. After four decades of dedication 

to Alabama State University and her 

community activism, in 1981, the Thelma M. Glass auditorium in Trenholm 

Hall was dedicated on the campus of 

Alabama State University in her 

honor. 

Professor Glass was at the forefront 

of the civil rights movement, showing 

great courage as she stood up to social 

injustices of segregated Montgomery, 

Alabama, in the 1950s. She was a core 

member and secretary of the Women’s 

Political Council that formed at Alabama State University to campaign 

against the abuses and the indignities 

of segregation. 

The activism of the Women’s Political Council laid the groundwork for 

the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. When Rosa Parks set the protest 

into motion with her arrest in 1955 

after refusing to give up her seat on 

the bus, women like Professor Thelma 

Glass were ready and willing to fight 

against such racial injustice. 

The Women’s Political Council was 

soon absorbed into the newly formed 

Montgomery Improvement Association 

with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at its 

helm. Professor Glass continued to 

play an integral role by copying thousands of flyers and recruiting her students to help spread the word of the 

bus boycott. She risked her life driving 

in carpools and organizing transportation for those participating in the 

boycott. 

The success of the Montgomery boycott pushed the civil rights movement 

into full force, as African Americans 

across the South fought against racial 

inequality and ultimately led to the 

signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 

by President Lyndon B. Johnson. 

It was women like Professor Glass 

who refused to sit on the sidelines and 

be a footnote in history that made it 

possible for all of us to enjoy the rights 

that we do today. I know I would not 

be standing here today as the first African American Congresswoman from 

Alabama if not for activists like Professor Thelma Glass. 

The remarkable career of Professor 

Thelma Glass as an educator and civil 

rights activist has been recognized by 

numerous awards. In 2011, Professor 

Glass received the Black and Gold 

Standard Award, one of the highest 

honors awarded to an alumnus by Alabama State University. Professor Glass 

was an active member of Alpha Kappa 

Alpha sorority, the Montgomery chapter of the Links Incorporated, and St. 

John A.M.E. Church. 

Thelma Glass was, indeed, an inspiration to all. I know on a personal note, 

Professor Glass served as a role model 

and mentor to my mother Nancy Gardner Sewell, whom she encouraged as a 

student at Alabama State University 

to pledge Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. 

She was the epitome of a woman of 

grace and style who lifted as she 

climbed. 

I stand on the shoulders of these 

trailblazing activists such as Professor 

Glass, this remarkable woman who 

paved the way for the advancement of 

African Americans. 

Our Nation is eternally grateful to 

Professor Thelma Glass’ commitment 

to racial equality and social justice 

that is a great example to all of us. She 

left an indelible mark on the State of 

Alabama and on this Nation, and today 

I proudly stand to acknowledge her legacy and hope that we all remember it 

for generations to come. 

f 

b 1100 

REPUBLICAN INTRANSIGENCE AND 

OBSTRUCTION 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

Maryland (Mr. HOYER) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, this week’s 

middle class tax cut debate is unfortunately an unnecessary sequel to December’s fight over extending payroll 

tax cuts. Republicans campaigned on a 

pledge to seek bipartisan solutions to 

our pressing challenges, but when faced 


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H5534 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE August 1, 2012 

with a bipartisan agreement in December of last year, they chose to walk 

away. Unfortunately, they appear 

ready to do so again. When it comes to 

extending tax cuts to the middle class, 

Democrats and Republicans agree; both 

believe we ought to do so. So we have 

agreement. That agreement has been 

reflected in a Senate-passed bill, Mr. 

Speaker, as you know. 

So with millions faced with the uncertainty of whether their taxes will go 

up next year, why haven’t we acted? 

This should be an easy vote for an 

overwhelming majority of Members to 

say, Let’s extend these tax cuts we 

agree on, and then debate what we 

don’t agree on. It should be easy. But 

the Republicans, Mr. Speaker, are continuing to do what they do so often, 

have done best this Congress—obstruct, 

delay, and walk away. 

In December, by holding hostage an 

extension of the payroll tax cuts for 98 

percent of our taxpayers, Republicans 

walked away from the middle class. 

They walked away from their responsibility to seek compromise on job creation and economic recovery. They 

walked away from negotiations over 

deficit reduction, setting up the dangerous sequester that now looms at the 

end of the year. The sequester exists 

because Republicans pursued a policy 

of placing the Nation’s debt at risk. 

Today, sadly, they are walking away 

from the middle class and working 

families once more, demanding their 

way or nothing on tax cuts. No tax cuts 

for the middle class, they insist, without an additional tax break for the 

upper 2 percent of income earners. In 

other words, we agree on 98 percent. We 

don’t agree on 2 percent. Rather than 

doing that which we agree upon for 98 

percent of the American taxpayers, we 

will hold them hostage until we get 

agreement on the 2 percent. Of course 

if we agree on the 2 percent, it will add 

a trillion dollars over 10 years, if followed for 10 years, to our deficit and 

debt. 

Republicans’ plan of tax cuts for the 

wealthy hasn’t worked before, and it 

won’t work now. Under President 

Reagan and both Presidents Bush, deficits climbed. Democrats want to return 

to the successful policies we had under 

President Clinton, when we had the 

most successful economy, 4 years of 

balanced budgets, and 4 years in which 

we did not increase the national debt. 

I say to my friends on the Republican 

side of the aisle, Mr. Speaker, we’ve 

had many opportunities to work together this year to address our challenges, but each time our Republican 

colleagues have walked away. In doing 

so, they broke a central promise in 

their pledge to America—that is, the 

promise to let the majority work its 

will. 

We could have extended the payroll 

tax cuts without a fight. We could have 

found a big and balanced solution to 

deficits. And we could be voting today 

on a tax cut extension for 100 percent 

of Americans who make up to $200,000. 

Or, if they’re a couple, $250,000. But in 

each case, Mr. Speaker, Republicans 

moved not towards the center but to 

the right to placate the extreme wing 

within their party. 

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, Representative RICHARD HANNA of New York, a Republican, said this about his party in 

Congress: 

I have to say that I am frustrated by how 

much we—I mean the Republican Party—are 

willing to give deferential treatment to our 

extremes in this moment of history. 

The gentleman from New York went 

on to say: 

We render ourselves incapable of governing 

when all we do is take severe sides. If all people do is go down there and join a team, and 

the team is invested in winning and you have 

something similar to the shirts and the 

skins, there’s not a lot of value there. 

Congressman HANNA in this instance 

is right. Republicans have been unable 

to govern. Again and again, this Republican House has received compromise bills from the Senate but has 

been incapable of agreeing to legislation or passing a version that could become law. 

That was true on transportation. It’s 

true on the farm bill, and it’s true on 

Violence Against Women. And it’s true 

on this tax bill. Examples include, as 

I’ve said, Violence Against Women and 

the farm bill, postal reform, the highway bill, FAA reauthorization, and 

many others. Instead of focusing on 

winning politically, they ought to be 

concerned about governing effectively. 

They could learn much from our outstanding Olympic athletes. In team 

sports like soccer and basketball, athletes who normally compete against 

each other at home have come together 

as one team, Team USA. They’ve won 

gold; they’ve been successful. We could 

be as well if we came together as Team 

USA. 

Those athletes may harbor rivalries 

most of the time. They may not be 

used to working together. And they all 

know that when the cauldron is extinguished, they’ll once again wear different colors. But right now in London, 

they’re all wearing red, white, and 

blue, and they’ve set their differences 

aside to achieve victory together. We 

ought to follow their example. Republicans ought to follow their example. 

We have a chance today to be one 

team and make possible what we agree 

ought to happen. Again, we agree on 98 

percent of the proposal. Let’s agree on 

that, and agree to debate that on which 

we don’t agree. So I say to my Republican friends, stop walking away from 

the middle class and start working 

with us to get things done on their behalf. 

Let me quote someone I don’t usually 

quote, Newt Gingrich, when he was 

Speaker of this House when we were 

considering a compromise that he and 

President Clinton had agreed to, and so 

many of his Republicans colleagues, 

Mr. Speaker, as you may remember, 

opposed Newt Gingrich’s efforts. He 

said: 

I would say for just a minute, if I might, to 

my friends who were asking for a ‘no’ vote, 

the ‘perfectionist caucus.’ 

He concluded his remarks in urging 

them to vote for a compromise agreement: 

So the question is: Can we craft a bill 

which is a win for the American people because it is a win for the President and a win 

for the Congress? Because if we cannot find 

a way to have all three winning, we do not 

have a bill worthy of being passed. 

The President has indicated he will 

not sign the Republican bill, and the 

Senate won’t pass the Republican bill. 

But again, my friends, Mr. Speaker, as 

you know, we have agreement on 98 

percent, and we are hung up because we 

don’t have agreement on the other 2 

percent. 

Speaker Gingrich went on: 

Now, my fine friends who are perfectionists, each in their own world where they are 

petty dictators, could write a perfect bill. 

And he concluded: 

In a free society, we have to have give and 

take. We have to be able to work. 

Mr. Speaker, Americans must lament 

the fact that they see their Representatives agreeing on 98 percent of a proposition and will not pass it. They will 

not pass it because the perfectionist 

caucus has promised in many respects 

to one individual American we will not 

raise taxes ever. We won’t pay for what 

we buy, even if we think it’s important. 

Mr. Speaker, both parties have an opportunity today to stand up and reflect 

agreement and do something positive 

for the American people, do something 

positive for the American economy, do 

something positive to grow jobs in 

America. Do something that will give 

certainty and confidence to the overwhelming majority of Americans, who 

will say that Congress can work. 

b 1110 

It can, as families understand they 

must do every day, reach compromise, 

come together, reason with one another and give and take, as Speaker 

Gingrich said. 

Let us hope, Mr. Speaker, that we reflect the best in us today, not the 

worst, not the confrontational inclination, but the inclination to come together, to make America better and to 

make sure that the American people, 

who are working hard every day, don’t 

see a tax increase on January 1 as a result of a ‘‘perfectionist caucus’’ unwilling to compromise, unwilling to pass 

an already-passed Senate bill that will 

give 98 percent of Americans confidence that they will not receive any 

tax increase on January 1. 

What a good thing that would be for 

America, for the American people, and 

for the American economy. Let’s work 

together. America expects us to do 

that, and that’s what we ought to do. 

f 

RECESS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair 


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