January 6, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E9 

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in 

honoring Connie Pasqualino for reaching her 

100th birthday. I hope we all have the good 

fortune to live as long as her. 

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HONORING JEFFERSON HIGH 

SCHOOL OF CONCEPTION JUNCTION, MISSOURI 

HON. SAM GRAVES OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. GRAVES. Madam Speaker, I proudly 

pause to recognize the outstanding achievements of the students, teachers, administrators, parents, and patrons of Jefferson High 

School and the Jefferson C–123 School District. Jefferson High School was named a 

2008 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon 

School of the year. 

Madam Speaker, in order for Jefferson High 

School to receive such a prestigious national 

distinction, they were required to score in the 

top 10 percent on the State of Missouri’s assessment test. I would like to make a special 

note of Jefferson C–123 School District Superintendent Rob P. Dowis and Jefferson High 

School Principal Tim R. Jermain for their commitment and leadership to the students of Jefferson High School. 

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in 

applauding the outstanding achievements of 

Jefferson High School. It is an honor to have 

a high school like Jefferson in the Sixth Congressional District of Missouri that strives for 

educational excellence. We wish them many 

more years of success. 

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SITUATION IN GAZA 

HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, the State of 

Israel has a right to defend its territory and its 

people from attack, whether that attack emanates from another sovereign nation, or, as in 

this case, from a terrorist organization that 

seized control of Gaza in a bloody putsch 18 

months ago. 

Hamas clearly chose to escalate its conflict 

against Israel by unilaterally declaring an end 

to the ceasefire that was implemented last 

June and launching a large-scale rocket attack 

on Israeli population centers. The Israeli government exercised great forbearance in the 

weeks prior to the formal breakdown of the 

ceasefire, which Hamas was already violating 

repeatedly, and had the international community more strongly condemned these attacks 

and taken action to stop them, the current 

Israeli offensive may have been unnecessary. 

But, Hamas bears ultimate responsibility for 

provoking this attack and for putting 1.5 million 

Palestinians in harm’s way—a fact that Arab 

leaders from Egypt to Saudi Arabia have 

noted. 

Along with millions of Americans, I grieve 

the terrible loss of life of innocent Israelis and 

Palestinians. Hamas’s decision to fire rockets 

from populated areas and Israeli strikes on 

those targets have resulted in many civilian 

casualties, and our hearts go out to all the innocents who have suffered. 

It is too early to tell if Israel’s military actions 

will quell the threat of rocket attacks from 

Gaza and shut down smuggling routes from 

Egypt. The conflict in Lebanon proved how difficult this can be and a strong international effort will be necessary to avoid a recurrence of 

missile strikes in both theaters. This will require a level of resolution thus far not demonstrated by the international community. 

Israel’s long-term security can only be guaranteed by a successful peace process that 

leads to the creation of a Palestinian state living side-by-side and in peace with Israel. 

President-elect Obama has committed himself 

to reinvigorating the search for peace and it is 

my hope that a timely conclusion of the 

present hostilities will allow the new President 

to begin these efforts from the first days of his 

administration. 

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STOP THE CONGRESSIONAL PAY 

RAISE ACT 

HON. HARRY E. MITCHELL OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, earlier 

today my colleague Dr. RON PAUL and I were 

joined by more than 50 Members of Congress 

from both sides of the aisle to introduce the 

Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act of 

2009. 

As you may recall, I introduced similar bills 

the last two years, seeking to prevent an automatic pay raise for Members of Congress from 

taking effect in 2008 and 2009. Unfortunately, 

despite the support of 34 cosponsors, last 

year’s bill failed to reach the floor. As a result, 

every Member is now receiving $174,000 this 

year, a $4,700 increase since last year. 

Madam Speaker, our economy is in a recession, hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops 

are fighting overseas, and our national debt 

exceeds $10 trillion. Unemployment figures 

are on the rise, home values are falling, and 

markets around the world are suffering from a 

devastating loss of credit and consumer demand. The American people aren’t getting a 

$4,700 pay raise this year. I do not know how 

in good conscience we, as their Representatives in Congress, can accept one. 

In the last year, jobless rates increased in 

49 States and the District of Columbia. Unemployment was up 2 percentage point from a 

year before. In my home State of Arizona, unemployment rose by over 50 percent, leaving 

nearly 200,000 workers unemployed. 

Compounding the situation, economists estimate that nearly $7 trillion of investor stock 

wealth was lost in 2008, and Standard & 

Poor’s 500 and the Dow Jones industrial average experienced their worst years since the 

Great Depression. 

When Members of Congress accept this pay 

raise, we send the wrong message. We 

should be tightening our belts along with the 

men and women we represent. Americans are 

suffering and instead of feeling that pain, Congress is quietly approving pay raises to further 

insulate us from it. If you want to know why 

people hate Washington and feel that it is out 

of touch, it is precisely because of moves like 

this. 

If we are going to talk the talk of fiscal discipline, I believe we need to walk the walk of 

self-restraint. I will be donating my 2009 pay 

raise to charity, just as I did with my 2008 pay 

raise. I encourage my colleagues to do the 

same, and join me in stopping the next automatic pay raise from taking effect by supporting the Stop the Congressional Pay Raise 

Act. 

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INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 40, THE 

COMMISSION TO STUDY REPARATION PROPOSALS FOR AFRICANAMERICANS ACT 

HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR. OF MICHIGAN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, today I 

rise to introduce H.R. 40, the Commission to 

Study Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. This 111th Congress marks the 20th 

anniversary of this bill’s introduction. Since 

1989, I have believed it to be in the best interest of our Nation to formally address one of 

our greatest historical injustices. 

As evidenced by recent events, the sin of 

slavery is one that continues to weigh heavily 

upon us. Following the lead of other churches, 

the Episcopal Church formally apologized for 

its role in slavery on October 4, 2008. Florida 

became the sixth state to apologize for slavery 

on March 26, 2008, following Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama and New Jersey. During the internationally renowned 

Sundance Film Festival, Traces of the Trade, 

a documentary in which descendants of the 

largest U.S. slave trading family confront this 

painful history, screened in January of 2008. 

Just last Congress, the House passed a 

slavery apology bill on July 29, 2008, in which 

the House issued a formal apology for slavery. 

In recognition of the 200th anniversary of the 

abolition of the transatlantic slave trade on 

January 1, 1808, the House and Senate 

passed legislation creating a commemoration 

commission, which was signed into law on 

February 5, 2008, and is currently awaiting 

funding. Such Federal efforts are significant 

steps towards proper acknowledgment and 

understanding of slavery and its implications, 

but our responsibilities on this matter are even 

greater. 

Establishing a commission to study the institution of slavery in the United States, as well 

as its consequences that reach into modern 

day society, is our responsibility. This concept 

of a commission to address historical wrongs 

is not unprecedented. In fact, in recent Congresses, commission bills have been put forward. 

In 1983, a Presidential Commission determined that the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was racist and inhumane, and as a result, the 1988 Civil Liberties 

Act provided redress for those injured by the 

internment. However, the interment of Japanese Latin Americans in the United States 

during World War II was not examined by the 

Commission, resulting in legislation calling for 

a commission to examine this oversight. Legislation establishing a commission to review 

the injustices suffered by European Americans, European Latin Americans, and Jewish 

refugees during World War II has also been 

proposed. 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with REMARKS