E86 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 14, 2009 

IN RECOGNITION OF DR. CATHY 

BRYCE, HIGHLAND PARK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS 

HON. PETE SESSIONS OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to honor Dr. Cathy Bryce, the Superintendent of Schools of Highland Park Independent School District (HPISD) who stepped 

from this position on December 19, 2008. 

After serving in various administrative roles 

in surrounding school districts, Dr. Bryce 

joined HPISD in July of 2001. In this role, she 

quickly demonstrated her ability to work with 

the community to develop a comprehensive 

education program and build broad based 

support for a large bond issue. She sought 

higher standards for student achievement and 

better school accountability. Dr. Bryce has a 

well earned reputation as an advocate for children and has made every effort to help children reach their fullest potential. Dr. Bryce’s 

commitment to community service extends beyond parameters of the school district. She is 

actively involved in the Dallas YWCA, Dallas 

Museum of Natural Science, and the Park Cities Rotary Club among many other local organizations. 

Madam Speaker, I ask my esteemed colleagues to join me in congratulating her and 

wishing her all the best in her future endeavors. 

f 

CAPITAL GAINS AND ESTATE TAX 

RELIEF ACT OF 2009 

HON. HARRY E. MITCHELL OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, earlier 

today my colleague Representative MARK KIRK

and I introduced the Capital Gains and Estate 

Tax Relief Act of 2009, a bill to extend critical 

tax cuts that will help middle-class families in 

my district and across the country. 

If enacted, this legislation would make recent cuts to capital gains and estate taxes 

permanent. If Congress does not act, these 

tax cuts will expire at the end of 2010. 

At a time when we so desperately need to 

encourage economic growth and investment, I 

believe it is wrong to raise these taxes. 

Last month, the United States lost 524,000 

jobs, bringing the total number of lost jobs in 

2008 to 2.6 million. In December, unemployment rose to 7.2 percent, the highest rate 

since January 1993. 

Arizonans, like all Americans, are feeling 

this pain and factoring the sluggish economy 

into their decision making. Home sales have 

slowed, small businesses are struggling and 

people are taking a hard look at their IRAs 

and 401Ks. With the economy weighing down 

important decisions about how, where, and 

when to buy a home or make other critical investments, Congress should not add to this 

burden by allowing capital gains and estate 

taxes to increase. 

Several years ago, these tax cuts were 

championed by President Bush and a Republican Congress. Since then, the political winds 

have clearly changed. But in our haste to distance ourselves from the past, I implore my 

colleagues to give careful consideration to 

these tax cuts before dismissing them. 

These tax cuts are sensible. They help millions of middle-class Americans, and making 

them permanent would make our tax code 

fairer and more predictable. They affect small 

businesses. They affect stockholders. They affect anyone who owns a home. 

Unfortunately, when it comes time to buy or 

sell a home or stock or make other basic investments, these taxes often act as disincentives toward optimal financial decision making. 

At this difficult time, we need to keep these 

burdens as low as possible. 

We need to incentivize investment and encourage growth, not penalize them. 

Some have called for the outright elimination of these taxes. Still others have sought 

to rescind these tax cuts before they have a 

chance to expire. 

Now more than ever, we must place pragmatism above partisanship, and do what is 

necessary to get our economy moving. 

In 2007 and again in 2008, I voted against 

the Budget Resolutions, in part, because they 

failed to extend cuts to capital gains and estate taxes. At the time, I expressed frustration 

with both Democrats and Republicans for failing to work together to create a budget that incorporates good ideas from both sides of the 

aisle. 

I believed then that we could do better, and 

I believe now that we must. So today, I challenge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle 

to do the right thing for middle-class families, 

small businesses, stockholders, and homeowners. Consider this legislation, not on a partisan basis, but on its merits. Making these tax 

cuts permanent will help our middle class, and 

working together, I know we can make that 

happen. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS OF 

THOSE WHO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES ON MARTIN LUTHER 

KING DAY 

SPEECH OF

HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 

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

support of National Service Day that is held on 

the third Monday of January each year, the 

same day that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, 

Jr.’s birthday is observed. 

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is well 

known for his peaceful march on Washington, 

D.C. where he delivered his famous ‘‘I Have a 

Dream’’ speech and other nonviolent protests. 

But as a minister and civil rights activist, his 

vision was to end discrimination and to improve the lives of all mankind. He focused on 

community organizing where he told others 

that they can make a change if they worked 

together. 

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. it is 

important for people to get involved in their 

communities and give back to those in need. 

Volunteering at a food bank, helping to clean 

up a neighborhood, donating blood are simple 

ways that people can participate in National 

Service Day. 

It is time for us to get involved to help others and to improve our nation as a whole. 

f 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN OF SOUTH DAKOTA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, 

I regret that I was unable to participate in 

three votes on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday. 

The first vote was H. Res. 41, supporting 

the goals and ideals of National Mentoring 

Month 2009. Had I been present, I would have 

voted ‘‘yea’’ on that question. 

The second vote was H. Res. 50, honoring 

the life of Claiborne Pell, distinguished former 

Senator from the State of Rhode Island. Had 

I been present, I would have voted ‘‘yea’’ on 

that question. 

The third vote was H. Res. 43, recognizing 

the efforts of those who serve their communities on Martin Luther Kinig Day and promoting the holiday as a day of national service. Had I been present, I would have voted 

‘‘yea’’ on that question. 

f 

THE PREVENTION FIRST ACT 

HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, today, 

I am again proud to introduce the Prevention 

First Act. I first introduced this legislation in 

the 108th Congress as an innovative approach 

to reducing unintended pregnancies. The Prevention First Act achieves this goal by providing comprehensive access to all forms of 

contraception and sex education. 

If we want to reduce the number of abortions in this country, the methodology is 

clear—empower women to prevent unintended 

pregnancies through education and access to 

contraception. And, that is precisely what the 

Prevention First Act does. 

Throughout the years, our conservative 

leaders have sought to limit women’s rights 

and freedoms by imposing stricter penalties 

and enacting laws to criminalize doctors and 

women, when one is faced with an unintended 

pregnancy. Yet, these leaders have done very 

little to ensure that millions of unintended 

pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, STD, are prevented in the first place. 

If they are opposed to abortion, they should 

be for preventing unintended pregnancies and 

they should be for this bill. 

By emphasizing prevention first, my bill will 

help protect women’s reproductive health, reduce unintended pregnancies, decrease the 

spread of STDs, and give women the tools 

they need to make the best decisions possible 

for themselves. 

It has been more than 40 years since the 

Supreme Court said women could access contraception. This decision was revolutionary in 

that it allowed women to control when to get 

pregnant and how many children to have. Access to contraception single-handedly improved women’s equality in American society. 


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