E1622 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 21, 2012 

NATIONAL INFANT MORTALITY 

AWARENESS MONTH 

HON. DONNA F. EDWARDS OF MARYLAND

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, September is 

National Infant Mortality Awareness Month, established to highlight the tragedy of infant 

deaths across the nation and to raise awareness about programs that help save young 

lives and ensure our children are healthy. Infant mortality, the rate at which babies die before their first birthday per 1,000 live births, 

continues to be a key measure of the nation’s 

health and a worldwide indicator of health status and social well-being. 

Although the overall infant mortality rate 

(IMR) in the United States steadily declined for 

several decades, it has leveled off in recent 

years. Preliminary data indicate that infant 

mortality rate in this nation declined very 

slightly to 6.14 in 2010. 

Unfortunately, this rate continues to be higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average 

and that of most European countries. While 

modest improvements in the infant mortality 

rate, along with a national and local focus on 

preconception health for women of childbearing age, provide welcome changes, much 

work remains to be done. 

In Maryland, infant mortality continues to impact women and families at startling rates. For 

the second year in a row, the infant mortality 

rate in Maryland remained at 6.7. Though a 

drop from the 7.2 rate of 2009, the number of 

infant deaths in the state remains high. Of 

greater concern, is the disproportionate impact 

infant mortality has on some communities. 

In 2011, the infant mortality rate for Prince 

George’s County was 9.5, while in neighboring 

Montgomery County, the rate stood at 5.3. 

Though both counties have made significant 

progress in reducing infant mortality in recent 

years, our collective attention must continue to 

focus on making further gains. Of the state’s 

five regions, the National Capital Area, comprising Prince George’s and Montgomery 

counties, had the second-highest rate of infant 

deaths. Only the Eastern Shore Area experienced a higher rate at 8.9. 

Across our nation, African American communities experience more than double the rate 

of infant mortality compared to other populations. In Maryland, the infant mortality rate 

among African Americans last year was 12.0, 

fully three times the rate among white infants. 

Despite efforts to address this disturbing gap, 

high rates of loss occur among African Americans of all income and education levels. 

National Infant Mortality Month gives us an 

opportunity to raise public awareness and to 

educate women about ways they may reduce 

infant mortality. With good preconception 

health, as well as access to good health care 

during the mother’s pregnancy and the early 

years of the child’s life, women can work to 

lower the incidence of infant mortality. Research indicates that a number of federal programs may reduce the IMR. Programs such 

as the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant 

and Healthy Start are vital programs tasked 

with bringing awareness to factors that contribute to the nation’s high IMR, including low 

birth weight, congenital abnormalities, and 

sudden infant death syndrome. 

With the support of local organizations and 

services offered in the 4th Congressional District of Maryland, including the Montgomery 

County Department of Health and Human 

Services and the Suitland Health and 

Wellness Center, we can advance a number 

of strategies to reduce infant mortality and 

help mothers and children live long and 

healthy lives. 

I will continue to support and bring awareness to programs that increase access to 

health care and improve the quality of prenatal 

and newborn care to prevent the causes of infant mortality. As our nation recovers from 

these difficult economic times and families 

may experience gaps in health coverage due 

to job loss or financial instability, it is especially vital that we continue to support adequate funding for these programs. We need to 

ensure that our babies get a healthy start and 

are able to celebrate their first birthday and a 

lifetime of birthdays. 

f 

HONORING DOUGLAS 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

HON. SILVESTRE REYES 

OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

recognition of the achievements of Douglas Elementary School. Douglas was recently honored with the 2012 National Blue Ribbon 

award from the United States Department of 

Education for excellence in education. 

The National Blue Ribbon School award 

honors both public and private elementary, 

middle and high schools where students 

achieve at high levels and also schools where 

the achievement gap is narrowing. Since 

1982, more than 6,700 of America’s schools 

have received this coveted award. 

I want to personally congratulate the teachers, administrators, and staff of Douglas Elementary School for their commitment and 

dedication to our young students in El Paso. 

This year only 269 schools nationwide received the award, and all will be honored in a 

ceremony in Washington, DC. The Blue Ribbon validates the efforts of these schools in 

creating a positive and effective learning environment. These schools and their communities 

have achieved a degree of excellence of 

which they can justifiably be proud. 

Douglas is a fine example of what can be 

accomplished when parents, teachers and administrators collaborate to prepare our students for a prosperous future. By emphasizing 

the importance of literacy, math, and science, 

Douglas is enabling a new generation of community leaders. 

In times of economic uncertainty, we cannot 

lose sight of the paramount importance of our 

children’s education, and I am honored to represent Douglas Elementary School. 

IN RECOGNITION OF THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF OUTLOOK 

NEBRASKA, INC. 

HON. LEE TERRY OF NEBRASKA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

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

recognize—Outlook Nebraska, Incorporated— 

an organization that I’ve had the pleasure of 

visiting and seeing firsthand the positive impact they have in the lives of so many. This 

organization is part of the AbilityOne Program, 

which enables more than 50,000 Americans 

and 3,300 wounded warriors nationwide, who 

are blinded or severely disabled, to work and 

provide products and services to federal and 

commercial customers. 

Today in America, seventy percent of blind 

and visually impaired working-aged adults are 

not employed. Opportunities provided by Outlook Nebraska and the AbilityOne Program 

have played an important role in bringing people with disabilities into the workforce. As one 

of Outlook’s employees said to me, ‘‘They 

looked at me for my abilities—not my disability.’’ 

The AbilityOne Program affords Americans 

who are blind or disabled the opportunity to 

acquire job skills and training, receive good 

wages and benefits, and gain greater independence and a better quality of life. I applaud 

Outlook Nebraska and the work it does each 

day to open doors of opportunity for Americans who are blind or disabled. 

f 

A TRIBUTE TO HIS HONOR JUDGE 

MICHAEL T. McSPADDEN—TEXAS 

JUDGE 

HON. TED POE OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there are 

thousands of individuals who make it their 

life’s work to make communities safer while 

holding criminals accountable for their actions. 

One of the best is Judge Michael T. 

McSpadden. I have known Judge McSpadden 

for what seems like forever. We served in the 

district attorney’s office as prosecutors together. Judge McSpadden prosecuted criminals for 8 years in the Harris County district 

attorney’s office under the leadership of District Attorney Carol Vance. 

In 1982, Judge McSpadden became a 

Criminal District Court Judge in Harris County, 

Texas. He tried felony cases. Judges in Texas 

are elected on a partisan ballot and Judge 

McSpadden has been elected 8 consecutive 

times to the bench of the 209th Criminal District Court. We served as judges together and 

I witnessed his remarkable dedication to the 

law and justice. As a community, we are truly 

privileged to have such an extraordinary man 

answer the call to public service and as an individual, I am grateful to call Judge 

McSpadden a friend. 

Judge McSpadden has served the citizens 

of Harris County, Texas for over 35 years. A 

graduate from the University of Oklahoma 

(though we don’t hold it against him), he has 

worked diligently to rise through the ranks in 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS