[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNITION OF 22 YEARS OF CONGRESSIONAL SERVICE CONGRESSWOMAN CARDISS 
                                COLLINS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, September 28, 1996

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
commitment and dedication of a fellow Member of this body, 
Congresswoman Cardiss Collins, representative from the Seventh District 
of Illinois located in the city of Chicago.
  After 22 years of distinguished service, Congresswoman Cardiss 
Collins has decided to retire from the House of Representatives. Her 
departure will be missed by those like myself who have come to 
appreciate her wisdom and quiet dedication to good Federal Government.
  Congresswoman Collins should not only be remembered as being the 
longest serving African-American woman in Congress, but as a political 
``trailblazer.''
  Congresswoman Cardiss Collins has been a vocal advocate on the behalf 
of women, children, and minorities.
  Throughout her tenure in Congress, Mrs. Collins has worked diligently 
to improve the quality of health care for women and minorities. To this 
end, she wrote the 1991 law which extend Medicare coverage for 
mammography screening, thereby allowing millions of elderly and 
disabled women to receive this vital service. She was successful in 
sponsoring legislation which expanded Medicaid coverage for pap smears 
in order to better provide for the early detection of cervical and 
uterine cancers. In each of the past 4 years, the House has adopted 
Mrs. Collins' resolution designating October as National Breast Cancer 
Awareness Month, which has lead to greater awareness of the threat to 
women's health that this disease poses.
  Mrs. Collins' legislative agenda has also focused on the need for 
increased awareness and research into the poor health status of 
America's minority populations. In 1993, she authored legislation which 
amended the National Institute of Health Revitalization Act to 
establish a permanent Office of Minority Health within the National 
Institute of Health [NIH]. As a result of her efforts, funding and 
research into minority health concerns have increased sharply and the 
NIH has become more responsive to the health needs of all Americans.

  Congresswoman Collins has always been a vocal advocate for the 
protection and increased safety of our Nation's children. As chairwoman 
of the former House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Consumer Protection, and Competitiveness, she was successful in 
enacting both the Child Abuse Prevention Act, which provides Federal 
grants to train teachers and develop curriculum in child abuse 
prevention, and the Child Safety Protection Act, which requires warning 
labels on toys with small parts and establishes safety standards for 
bicycle helmets.
  One of Congresswoman Collins' most active areas of interest has been 
her resolve to achieve title IX gender equity in college athletics and 
she conducted hearings and investigations into the practices of our 
Nations' colleges and universities to comply with the law. In 1993, she 
authored the Gender Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, a law which 
requires colleges to disclose data on their spending and participation 
rates for both men and women's sports. As a result of her work, female 
participation rates in athletics have increased dramatically.
  Congresswoman Cardiss Collins has indeed made a difference in the 
lives of many Americans.
  Congresswoman Collins, I thank you for your leadership and visionary 
work as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

                          ____________________