January 8, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E47 

New York State Civil Service Examination, 

bringing mass attention to the issue of inequality. Madeline and Charles were wed on 

May 24, 1943. 

Although not related by blood, Madeline was 

part of my extended family who I loved dearly. 

She was a wise woman who inspired me and 

supported me in all of my efforts. For that, I 

am deeply grateful. 

Madeline was an incredibly intelligent, sophisticated, and talented individual. She was 

an African-American woman born in the American south at the turn of the century, a teenager and young woman of the Great Depression, an adult of the pre-civil rights era, and a 

mentor of the civil rights movement. Undoubtedly, Madeline faced every conceivable challenge of her generation, gender, and as a person of color. However, not only did Madeline 

survive these difficult and tumultuous times, 

she triumphed and brought countless others 

up behind her. 

Today, California’s 9th Congressional District salutes Madeline DeLoach Franklin, honoring her incredible life and inspiring legacy. 

We thank her family for sharing this amazing 

spirit with us, especially her three children, 

Charles L. Franklin, Jr., Dolores Mercedes 

Franklin, and Estelle Diane Franklin, her 

grandchildren, Sharath Smith and Michelle 

Franklin, Lynnette Franklin and Charles Franklin, her great-grandchildren Brian and David 

Smith, her daughter-in-law Alexis M. Herman, 

her grandsons-in-law Jeffrey Smith and Christian Duffus, and a host of additional family 

members and friends. May her soul rest in 

peace. 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 295, MORE 

JOBS FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2009 

HON. STEVE BUYER OF INDIANA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, today I am 

introducing the More Jobs for Veterans Act of 

2009. Madam Speaker, having the right skills 

is critical to finding good-paying employment 

in today’s job market. The Assistant Secretary 

of Labor administers the Veterans Workforce 

Investment Program, VWIP, a grant program 

to State and local governments, private, notfor-profit organizations including community 

based and faith based organizations to fund a 

wide range of employment and training programs for veterans. Eligible veterans are those 

with service-connected disabilities, significant 

barriers to employment, veterans who served 

on active duty during a war or a recognized 

campaign or expedition, and recently separated veterans. 

It makes no sense to spend millions on 

State employment placement systems if veterans lack relevant job skills. Unfortunately, 

funding for training programs such as VWIP, 

which directly targets veterans, is severely underfunded. This legislation would change that 

by authorizing $20 million annually, almost triple today’s funding level. 

Madam Speaker, the current $7 million appropriation is a small drop in the bucket towards meeting the skills-improvement needs 

of today’s 651,000 unemployed veterans. This 

bill would significantly improve education and 

training opportunities for those who have worn 

the uniforms of our armed forces. 

I urge my colleagues to cosponsor and support the measure. 

f 

HAMAS IS TO BLAME FOR MOST 

RECENT CONFLICT IN GAZA 

HON. DANA ROHRABACHER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Madam Speaker, 

today we are saddened by the loss of innocent lives in Gaza; people being killed and 

wounded, bodies of children torn apart, all of 

this is a horror story. If we are serious about 

ending this tragedy we must be brutally honest, and not give in to ignoring hard truths. In 

this case the hard truth is that the real blame 

for this carnage in Gaza is traced to actions 

taken by Hamas, radical Islamists, and those 

who supply them with rockets and other weapons. 

There was a tremendous opportunity for 

peace when Israel withdrew its troops from 

Gaza in 2005. Instead of moving forward and 

building a Palestinian homeland, 

irreconcilables have launched nearly 7,000 

rockets and mortar rounds into Israel since 

Israeli troops left. 

The hate-filled radicals who launched missiles into Israel—Hamas triggermen, not Israeli 

pilots—are the ones who are really responsible for the horrible mayhem we are witnessing in Gaza. The radical Islamists ruthlessly and without any remorse did what they 

knew would bring retaliation and result in the 

slaughter of their own people. The hatred of 

Israel in the hearts of these Hamas radicals 

clearly outweighs their commitment to the 

safety and well being of their own people. 

That’s a hard fact. And that after shooting 

rockets into Israel, they hide among and behind non-combatants—women, and children— 

makes their actions even more despicable. 

An honest assessment leads to the conclusion that Hamas doesn’t want peace with 

Israel and has no desire for a two state solution. Hamas wants a war that will destroy 

Israel. This commitment is the real cause of 

the current bloodshed in Gaza. Once Israel 

left Gaza, Hamas should have used its resources, their money, our money, on health 

care, education, roads and economic development in Gaza. Instead they have chosen 

death and destruction. 

Recently China’s representative to the U.N. 

Security Council voiced concern about, ‘‘largescale Israeli air attacks against Gaza.’’ Now, 

that takes chutzpah! Many of the rockets fired 

into Israel ‘‘were manufactured in China. 

These Chinese rockets were smuggled into 

Gaza after the Sinai border wall was blown up 

by Hamas in January.’’ Making matters worse 

the State Department and the White House 

hasn’t mentioned a word about the China connection to the turmoil in Gaza, just as they’re 

mum about Chinese complicity in crimes elsewhere. 

Yes, the bloodshed is horrible, and yes, 

Israel is doing what any other sovereign nation 

would do. It is protecting its people by retaliation when attacked. Those who shoot rockets 

into Israel know there will be retaliation, thus 

they are the responsible party for the bloodshed we are now witnessing. It’s the hard truth 

we can’t ignore if we are to someday end this 

terrible heart-wrenching violence. 

THE ESCALATING VIOLENCE IN 

THE MIDDLE EAST 

HON. JESSE L. JACKSON, JR. OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I 

have been closely following the troubling 

events and escalating violence in the Middle 

East. We in the United States must continue 

to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in support of our 

friend and ally Israel as it defends itself 

against Hamas’ unrelenting rocket attacks 

from Gaza. 

I’m encouraged by the recent cease-fire negotiations underway in the region. The talks 

must seek to end the intolerable rain of rockets on southern Israel and stop the violence 

and killing of Israelis and Palestinians. Until a 

cease-fire agreement is reached, I hope that 

every effort and scrupulous care continues to 

be taken to avoid the death of innocent civilians. 

I’ve long believed that the only route to a 

sustainable peace in the Middle East is 

through diplomatic means, not military might. 

The United States must once again take a 

leadership role and actively engage in the 

multilateral effort to build a permanent path to 

peace between the Israeli and the Palestinian 

people. 

f 

HONORING ARTHUR HILL 

HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today along with my colleague from California 

Mr. COSTA to commend and congratulate Captain Arthur Hill (U.S. Army retired) upon being 

honored with the Citizen Soldier Award. Mr. 

Hill was honored on November 7, 2008 at the 

Fresno City College Veterans Day 2008 Memorial and Dedication Ceremony. 

Mr. Hill was born on July 16, 1916. Shortly 

after the bombing at Pearl Harbor he began 

volunteering for the Army Engineers, he was 

27 years old. He has a background in construction, so in 1942 he was sent to Camp 

Claiborne, LA to a Special Service Engineer 

Regiment. On December 23, 1942, Mr. Hill 

graduated from O.C.S. and the Heavy Equipment School at Fort Belvoir, VA as a Second 

Lieutenant. At Camp Swift, TX, he was assigned to the 146 Engineer (C) Battalion as 

the Headquarters Company Commander with 

the additional duty of Battalion Motor Officer. 

He held this command, as a Captain, with various additional duties until the end of the war. 

During the war his battalion moved to England’s North Coastal area of Saunton Sands. 

They helped build and operate an assault 

training center of enemy fortifications duplicated during their time overseas. These fortifications were from secret aerial reconnaissance photos of the landing beaches and 

Siegfried line defenses. This led to the spearheading of the Omaha Beach ‘‘D Day’’ landing 

at the ‘‘H’’ hour plus 3 minutes across the 

English Channel on June 6, 1944. The five 

European campaigns of Normandy, Northern 

France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and 

Central Europe followed. 


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