[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 20 (Thursday, February 7, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RESPONSE TO ATTACKS ON THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE 9TH CONGRESSIONAL 
                         DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 7, 2008

  Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to discuss an unwarranted and 
downright hostile attack on my constituents and the people of Berkeley, 
CA by Republicans on the floor of the House earlier today. I'm here 
tonight, Mr. Speaker, to set the record straight and to respond to 
their false claims and distortions.
  Madam Speaker, it never ceases to amaze me how some people will go to 
any length to score political points. That is what happened here on the 
House floor earlier today when several Republican members said they 
wanted to strip the people of Berkeley, CA of much-needed Federal 
funding.
  Let us be clear: punishing the people of Berkeley for political gain 
is unfair and simply plain wrong. This is nothing more than 
grandstanding and posturing on behalf of Republicans who want to make a 
political point for their own benefit.
  I want to begin by talking about the primary target of the Republican 
campaign against the people of Berkeley, and in this case, the children 
of Berkeley. Republicans claimed that one earmark was for the creation 
of organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District. This 
characterization of a school lunch initiative developed by the Chez 
Panisse Foundation is dishonest.
  This school lunch initiative aims to revolutionize school lunch by 
treating lunch as an important part of the day, as well as integrating 
lessons about wellness, sustainability and nutrition into the academic 
curriculum.
  The funding will aid in the development of a program that would treat 
lunch as an academic subject for all public school students in the 
district, from kindergarten through high school. These funds will 
support a comprehensive approach to improved health and health 
education in the public schools that will empower students with a sense 
of responsibility for themselves and their health. it's about nutrition 
for our children.

  Next I want to talk about their efforts to attack the University of 
California and the memory of a great leader in this body, former 
Congressman Bob Matsui. This funding will be used for UC Berkeley's 
Institute of Government Studies for the creation of the Matsui Center 
for Politics and Public Service.
  The Matsui Center will develop a curriculum that will encourage 
students to think about politics and public service not as separate 
activities, but as a continuum of civic engagement. As a great public 
university, Berkeley has a special obligation to train the next 
generation of leaders, as well as to help them develop the political 
and policy skills that will enable them to participate constructively 
in public life. The program will also have educational components in 
Sacramento and Washington, DC--capitol cities which were touchstones 
for Congressman Bob Matsui's long public service career. It's about 
education.
  Now allow me to turn my attention to an item that the Republicans did 
not want to tell you about--funding for the disabled and the Ed Roberts 
Campus. This funding will be used for the construction of the Ed 
Roberts Campus at the Ashby BART Station in Berkeley. The Ed Roberts 
Campus is the vision of eight disability organizations in California 
which have joined forces to create a multi-tenant facility. The 
facility will serve as an intermodal transit center, as well as a 
transportation information and travel-training center for seniors and 
people with disabilities.
  It will provide services in a fully accessible, technologically-
advanced environment located at BART's Ashby stop. The campus will 
serve approximately 2,000 disabled people per week, most of whom will 
arrive by public transportation.
  The Ed Roberts Campus is an innovative approach to transit oriented 
development and will be the first disability service center at a major 
fully-accessible transit hub. As a result, people throughout the region 
will have access to programs that will enable them to obtain needed 
health care education, job training and other services in order to 
achieve their life and work goals. It's about providing quality 
services for the disabled!
  Finally, I want to mention another item that the Republican 
supporters of this measure will not mention--that their bill would 
intentionally undermine the safety and security of the people of 
Berkeley by denying critical funding for Berkeley public safety 
agencies' interoperability.
  This particular funding will be used to update Berkeley's public 
safety computer dispatch and communications system to ensure systems 
interoperability. It will support critical inter-jurisdictional 
communications and coordination needs. This funding will help to 
enhance Berkeley's ability to maintain a secure and interoperable 
computer and communications system and maximize sustainable use after a 
natural or human made disaster. It's about public safety!
  Madam Speaker, the statements by Republicans on the floor of the 
House earlier today were nothing but a shameful attack on my 
constituents in order to score perceived political points. It is just 
plain wrong and it is a real shame that it is happening on the floor of 
this House.
  I have said it before and I will say it again, I will fight to defend 
the constituents of my district and their right to receive Federal 
funds.

                          ____________________