[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H901-H904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRIBUTES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Collins). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 9, 2023, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, every February, Black History Month affords 
us the opportunity to learn about, celebrate, and honor Black leaders 
and to shine a light on the often-neglected contributions of African 
Americans in every area of our history.
  Today, I rise to pay tribute to 10 remarkable individuals from 
Michigan's Seventh Congressional District--some of them famous names, 
others with buried histories that deserve to be shared.
  Their stories span the geographical breadth of the district as well 
as the depths of our Nation's history: from the Civil War heroes of 
escaped slaves to modern singers and scholars.
  All of them should be celebrated, and all of them called Michigan 
home.
  Before I share their stories, though, I must also share the story of 
our great State.
  While many know Michigan for the Motor City or for Motown, what you 
might not know is the critical role our State played in the Underground 
Railroad.
  There are endless accounts of our State's importance to the secret 
network that aided thousands of people on their journey to freedom. 
Conductors hid freedom seekers in their homes and barns during the day. 
At night, freedom seekers would go to a depot in the next town.
  For many, Detroit, code name ``Midnight,'' was the last stop before 
making their way to a free life in Canada, but a number stayed in 
Michigan and started their new lives.
  I am so proud of the role our State played in securing freedom, and 
it is my honor to highlight these stories of Black Michiganders who 
have been shaping our State since day one.


                       Tribute to Abraham Losford

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Abraham Losford, the 
first Black resident of Howell, Michigan; a brave man who escaped 
slavery and used the trade he learned while captive to build a life of 
freedom for his family and for generations to come.
  It was 1849 when Abraham Losford fled north with nothing but his 
clippers from Kentucky where he had been enslaved and served as a 
plantation barber. He was captured, escaped again, and after 
emancipation, returned to free his children, Benjamin and Sally.
  The plan was to travel to Lansing, Michigan, via the Old Plank Road 
and open a barbershop, but when Losford stopped in Howell to change 
stagecoaches, he was convinced to stay in the small town.
  The people of Howell promised to keep him safe if he would stay and 
open a barbershop, which they sorely needed. It was a deal both sides 
would forever uphold.
  Losford and his barber business thrived in Howell and he became a 
successful, respected businessman in the predominantly White 
community--no small feat for a former slave in the years following the 
end of the Civil War.
  Newspaper ads from the time boast of his salon offering, ``Shaving, 
Shampooing, and Hairdressing'' for both men and women, and it was noted 
in the local press that when Losford fell ill, a band of 60 kids and 
adults joined together to bring him gifts and money in a show of 
support and affection for their beloved town barber.
  Abraham passed the trade to his son, who went on to open a barbershop 
of his own in the town of Edmore, Michigan. Today, Ben's story, and 
that of his father, are immortalized in the children's book ``Benjamin 
Losford and His Handy Dandy Clippers.''
  It is the story of how skill equals freedom and a potent reminder 
that we must all make the most of the tools we have been fortunate 
enough to receive.
  Abraham Losford died in 1897 and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery in 
downtown Howell, Michigan. His obituary states that, ``His presence, as 
well as his open, manly character, was a living reminder of the sin of 
slavery. Many winters will come and go before the name of Old Uncle Abe 
is forgotten in this community.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that his name and his accomplishments live forever 
in our hearts and minds as well as here in the permanent Record of the 
people's House.


                      Tribute to Alexander Johnson

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay tribute to a man who 
should have been hailed as a hero, but for too long his story was lost 
in history.

  Alexander Johnson was a Black Civil War veteran who lived and worked 
in Owosso, Michigan, in the late 1800s. When a group of White residents 
chased most Black folks out of town, Johnson and two others refused to 
go.
  Born in Tennessee in 1833, Johnson fled slavery and made his way to 
Michigan before enlisting in a Union regiment of African Americans in 
Kalamazoo, Michigan, to fight in the Civil War, then moving to Canada 
at the war's end, and later returning to Michigan to settle in Owosso 
with his wife.
  No one knows for sure why he chose Owosso. Some historians believe 
Johnson's wife may have had family nearby. Others surmise he might have 
had connections to a home in Owosso rumored to be a part of the 
Underground Railroad, and still others say that at the time, the 
growing community was a place where people of all races moved to 
explore economic opportunity.
  Whatever the reason, Owosso is where Alexander Johnson chose to put 
down his roots, opening up a downtown barbershop and was, by all 
accounts, a well-liked businessman and respected member of the 
community.

[[Page H902]]

  Unfortunately, the good times did not last long as racial tensions 
grew and the Ku Klux Klan became active in the county. The tensions 
culminated in 1871 when 40 White vigilantes gathered together and 
attempted to drive the Black residents out of town.
  There is little we know about this dark moment in Owosso's history, 
but we do know that Alexander Johnson was a light that would not be 
extinguished. Johnson stayed on in Owosso, along with two other Black 
men, until he died.
  In 1907, Johnson received a military burial at Oak Hill Cemetery in 
Owosso, and his story was buried with him for more than 100 years.
  There are those who seek to ignore or even wipe away those painful 
pieces of our history, and there are those who understand that we 
cannot ever be great without acknowledging our failures, learning from 
them, and moving forward with a commitment to grow.
  The Owosso Rotary Club falls into that latter category, as they were 
the ones not just to uncover Johnson's story, but to acknowledge and 
honor it as a piece of Owosso's history.
  Alexander Johnson was formally recognized by the Owosso Rotary on 
Veterans Day 2021 with a solemn ceremony at his grave site.
  It is only fitting that I, too, join in paying tribute to this great 
man whose convictions led him first out of slavery and then to fight 
for a country he believed in to establish the life he wanted and to 
stay in the community that he loved.
  May his memory be a blessing and an inspiration to all of us and may 
his story forever rest here in the permanent Record of the people's 
House.


                        Tribute to Hiram Archer

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor one of the first 
African-American college athletes and scholars who paved the way for 
students of color across the State of Michigan and this Nation.
  Hiram Archer was the first student of color to be officially 
documented as a graduate of Olivet College located in Eaton County in 
Michigan's Seventh District, a historic place in and of itself.
  He attended Olivet from 1888 to 1904, and played on the school's 
varsity baseball team, making him one of the first ten Black athletes 
in the Nation to play intercollegiate sports.
  While a student at Olivet, Archer was active in music and other 
creative endeavors. A gifted public speaker, Archer won several oratory 
and debate contests, and spoke at prominent events, including the 
inauguration of college president, William G. Sperry, in 1893.
  The school considers him to be a model representative of both the 
history and the future goals of students of color at Olivet.
  Archer remained at Olivet to complete his master's degree in science 
and went on to earn a doctorate. He went on to serve in leadership 
positions at several academic institutions, at the college in Normal, 
Alabama, which today is known as Alabama A&M University.
  He finished his career with the Smithsonian Institution here in D.C., 
as a nationally recognized scientist. Archer passed away in 1945, 
having made Olivet and the State of Michigan proud. His alma mater says 
Archer's life's work is a testament to Olivet College's academic 
vision: ``Education for Individual and Social Responsibility.''
  According to Olivet's current president, Dr. Steven Corey, Archer's 
successes were extraordinary for anyone, but for an African American in 
the late 1800s, they were truly groundbreaking and added much to the 
rich, Black history that has shaped this college and our country.
  Today, his legacy lives on at Olivet with the Hiram Archer Student 
Success Academy, a mentorship and support group for students of color 
on campus.
  It shall live on here in the people's House where I ask that he be 
forever remembered for his pioneering contributions to the great State 
of Michigan.

                              {time}  1945


                        Tribute to Dr. Eva Evans

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a legend of Lansing, 
Michigan, whose tireless advocacy on behalf of effective education for 
students of color changed the trajectory of hundreds of young lives in 
mid-Michigan.
  Dr. Eva Evans was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew up in Detroit 
where she attended Northern High School in the early 1950s.
  Former teachers and fellow students remember her as one of the most 
willing, giving, and compassionate people they have ever met, traits 
that would ultimately define her life of service.
  She went on to earn a bachelor of science from Wayne State and both a 
master's and doctorate from Michigan State University.
  Dr. Evans served in a number of administrative positions in the 
Lansing School District, from director of elementary education to 
deputy superintendent, the first female ever to hold that position.
  As a leader in the school system, she developed and implemented 
innovative programs such as schools of choice and a district-wide 
talent fair for students and staff.
  She connected the school district with Lansing Community College and 
Michigan State for the 2+2+2 Program, which channels minority students 
right into Michigan State's College of Engineering.
  While she had a particular passion for math and science, she also 
created ``Be a Star'' performing arts programs.
  These programs and partnerships have endured over the years, 
benefiting countless individuals and shaping practice and policy in 
education, healthcare, social services, and beyond.
  Outside the school buildings, Dr. Evans tirelessly devoted herself to 
dozens of causes, giving of herself in leadership roles.
  She was the 24th international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha, AKA, 
and chair of LCC, the Lansing Community College Foundation, president 
of the Lansing Woman's Club, and grand marshal of the African American 
Parade and Family Picnic in Lansing.
  Evans was also appointed by the governor to serve on the Michigan 
Council for the Humanities and was chairwoman for the Michigan 
Department of Civil Rights.
  She championed causes with the American Red Cross and created 
programs to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.
  I like to think of her as a great connector--connecting 
underprivileged students to education beyond high school, connecting 
communities in need of programs that had the capacity to help, and 
simply connecting people to each other.
  Dr. Evans passed away in 2020, receiving numerous honors in her 
adopted hometown of Lansing, including the YMCA's Diana Award for 
Excellence in Education, the NAACP's Educator of the Year, the Lansing 
Chamber of Commerce's Athena Award, the Crystal Apple Award for 
Education from Michigan State University, and the Applause Award from 
the Lansing Center of the Arts.
  But I believe the greatest honor and the most profound title she ever 
received was to be called a teacher.
  I ask that the permanent Record of this Chamber reflect her enduring 
lessons and legacy and that her service be forever remembered here in 
the United States House of Representatives.


                    Tribute to Clifton Wharton, Jr.

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of a man who has 
spent his entire life and career breaking racial barriers and paving 
the way for future generations of Black scholars and leaders.
  The name Clifton Wharton, Jr., is known by many in the Michigan State 
University community thanks to the predominant campus landmark: The 
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts.
  But in addition to his name, I want them to know his story as it 
features a persistent rise against the odds, a tale worthy of being 
staged inside the building that is now bearing his name.
  By the time Clifton Wharton, Jr., became the president of Michigan 
State University, the first African American to head a major, 
predominantly White university in the United States, he was no stranger 
to being first.
  Wharton, who grew up in Boston, entered Harvard University at age 16. 
There he became the first Black announcer at the campus radio station 
and the first Black Secretary of the National Student Association, a 
lobbying group that he founded.

[[Page H903]]

  Later, he was the first African American admitted to Johns Hopkins 
University School of Advanced International Studies and the first 
African American to earn a Ph.D. in economics from the University of 
Chicago.
  He worked for about a decade with the Agriculture Development 
Council, a nongovernmental agency, before he returned to the academic 
world.
  When the MSU trustees appointed him the university's 14th president 
in 1969, it was a time of tremendous change and cultural upheaval in 
the country, with college campuses taking center stage in the civil 
rights movement and protests over the Vietnam war.
  Against that tumultuous backdrop, Wharton set another first: Unlike 
any other major university president of the time, he supported students 
who demanded that their concerns be heard, even offering to personally 
take student petitions against the war to Michigan's congressional 
delegation in Washington, D.C.
  Wharton's 8-year tenure at MSU's helm was marked by his successful 
efforts to maintain the quality of the university's academic programs 
in the face of major budget cuts, his commitment to serving 
underprivileged students, and the integration of the College of 
Osteopathic Medicine with the other medical schools.
  In 1978, Wharton achieved another first when he stepped down from MSU 
to become the chancellor of the State University of New York system, 
making him the first African-American leader there of the Nation's 
largest university system.
  But he wasn't done breaking barriers. In 1987, he was named the 
president and CEO of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-
College Retirement Equities Fund, making him the first Black CEO of a 
Fortune 500 company.
  He held that role until 1993, when he became the Deputy Secretary of 
State under President Bill Clinton, not surprisingly, the first Black 
American to ever hold the second-highest foreign policy post.
  I salute Dr. Wharton for his groundbreaking career and the path of 
excellence he has blazed, and I am humbled to be the first to ask that 
his accomplishments be forever enshrined in the official Record of the 
people's House, the House of Representatives.


                        Tribute to Larry Carter

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to communicate to you the 
profound influence and legacy of a man who was the ultimate 
communicator.
  Larry Carter dedicated his life to informing and uplifting Lansing, 
Michigan's, Black community, first through the radio, and later through 
a newspaper he founded with his wife, Carolyn, that continues in 
publication today under his daughter's hand.
  Carter, also known as Jay Price, was born in Mississippi but grew up 
in the Midwest, graduating from John Marshall High School in Chicago in 
1967.
  He met his future wife, Carolyn Hill, at the age of 12, and married 
her shortly after graduating from Columbia College with a degree in 
broadcast journalism. Together, they raised three beautiful children.
  Larry spent the early years of his career in positions spanning 
several media markets across the Midwest and southern regions.
  In 1984, an industry colleague convinced him to move to Lansing, 
Michigan, where he accepted a position in local radio.
  There, he quickly talked the station owner into changing the format 
to adult contemporary, with Larry as the morning host.
  He was an instant on-air success, and also worked behind the scenes 
as sales manager to produce commercials.
  Despite what he achieved in radio, Carter was itching to explore 
other avenues. In 1986, he launched a print publication initially 
called ``The Capital Chronicle'' and later renamed ``The Chronicle 
News.''
  The focus was simple: Fill the void Larry saw in local news coverage 
by spotlighting and enhancing awareness of issues in the Black 
community.
  It was a family affair from the start: Larry handled advertising 
sales, Carolyn learned how to design and lay out the stories, and the 
kids enlisted their friends to deliver the paper door to door.
  Today, Larry and Carolyn have both passed, but their legacy remains. 
The Chronicle newspaper is published twice monthly by their daughter.
  The free publication is distributed throughout mid-Michigan and can 
be found in municipal buildings, schools, local businesses, churches, 
and community centers.
  They also leave behind the legacy of family, including their three 
children, six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a host of 
nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
  Larry was devoted to lifting up the stories of his community, and 
today, it is my great honor to lift up his story and inscribe it in the 
official Record of the United States House of Representatives with 
profound gratitude for his devotion to creating a platform for the 
Black community to be seen, heard, and understood.


                        Tribute to Barbara Lewis

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a legend of R&B sound 
who hails not from a musical capital like Detroit, Chicago, or New 
York, but from a small town in Michigan's Seventh District, South Lyon.
  Barbara Lewis was born into a powerful legacy as the great-
granddaughter of Civil War veteran John W. Lewis.
  She was also born with a musical heritage, as her bandleader father 
played trumpet, her mother and uncle played sax, and her aunt was a 
music teacher.
  Surrounded by the symphony of sound, it was no surprise that Barbara 
began playing piano, guitar, and harmonica at an early age, writing 
songs at the age of 9, and singing lead vocals at family jam sessions 
in her teens.
  While Barbara told her friends and family that she had no intention 
of pursuing music as a career, a meeting with Ollie McLaughlin, an Ann 
Arbor deejay-turned-producer and manager, changed all that and changed 
the course of her life.
  Impressed by her talent and her original songs, he signed Barbara on 
the spot. In 1962, she recorded her first two singles, one of them a 
peppy, upbeat piece called ``My Heart Went Do Dat Da,'' and was, 
according to Barbara, written on her upright piano while she was 
babysitting one night while still attending South Lyon High School.
  Lewis holds the distinction of being the first Michigan artist to 
record for Atlantic Records. In the span of her career, she went on to 
record three Top Ten R&B hits for McLaughlin's record label, including 
the number one smash, ``Hello Stranger.''
  She also had ten songs on Billboard's Hot 100 during the 1960s, 
ranking her second only to Aretha Franklin, also of Michigan, in terms 
of chart success for female solo artists from the State.
  Barbara recorded songs at the legendary Motown Studios in Detroit and 
performed with some of the greatest R&B artists of her time.
  Many of her songs have been remade and remastered and live on today, 
including by Queen Latifah, with others featured on hit movie 
soundtracks, including ``The Bridges of Madison County.''
  Barbara returned to Michigan in 1971, following stints in New York 
and Chicago, and lived many years in her home State before relocating 
to Florida.
  She received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation 
in 1999, and in 2016, Barbara Lewis was inducted into the Michigan Rock 
and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
  While health issues forced her to retire in 2017, I ask that her 
legendary sound and contributions to the arts be forever recorded in 
our hearts and here in the permanent Record of the United States House 
of Representatives.


                        Tribute to Carrie Owens

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of an extraordinary 
educator who shaped the lives of thousands of mid-Michigan students 
during her groundbreaking career.
  Carrie Owens grew up in Florida during the time of segregation and 
high racial tensions, and she knew from an early age she wanted to work 
toward dismantling the systems she saw all around her.
  Though her parents had no formal education, they pushed their kids to 
have what they did not have, and a young Carrie thrived in school.
  She eventually became a teacher and was hired at Okemos Public 
Schools in 1964, becoming the first Black teacher in the district.
  It is said that when Mrs. Owens first interviewed for a job at 
Cornell Elementary in Okemos, she vowed to help

[[Page H904]]

each student individually because she recognized what many even in 
education circles did not yet grasp--that all students learn at 
different paces and in different ways.
  Just as she thrived in school, Owens did everything to ensure her 
students did the same, and she was put in charge of a transitional 
class of elementary school students who, up until that point, had had 
limited success in school.
  Owens made sure that each of her students progressed to grade level 
and empowered them to understand how they learned.
  Word of her tireless dedication to student success and her innovative 
teaching philosophy spread quickly, and many families moved to Okemos 
just so their children could be in her class.
  By the time she retired from teaching in 2001, she had touched 
thousands of young lives and helped change the face of education in our 
community.
  Not only did her hiring pave the way for other teachers of color, but 
by the end of her career, Okemos had its first Black superintendent, 
and the district was overall a more diverse, inclusive community.
  As we mark Black History Month, I salute Carrie Owens, who is Black 
history in Okemos. This trailblazing teacher has left her mark on the 
hearts and minds of the entire community, and we are so much better for 
her service.
  May her lessons live on in the students she touched, in all the lives 
that she changed, and here in the permanent Record of the United States 
House of Representatives.

                              {time}  2000


                  Tribute to Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay tribute to one of the 
greatest basketball players of all time, a man who brought so much 
magic to the game it quite literally became part of his name. It all 
began in Michigan's capital city of Lansing, his hometown.
  To say that Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson came from humble roots is an 
understatement. His mother was a school janitor, and his father worked 
at General Motors on the assembly line by day and collected garbage in 
the evenings.
  Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, earning his 
nickname ``Garbage Man'' with the neighborhood kids.
  All that teasing ended when he hit the basketball court. Johnson 
started playing as a youngster. By the time he graduated from Lansing 
Everett High School, where he had led his team to a State championship 
and was dubbed ``Magic,'' he was already considered the greatest high 
school basketball player to ever come out of Michigan.
  He moved just down the road to East Lansing, attending Michigan State 
University, where he became a two-time All-American, leading the 
Spartans to the 1979 National Championship while being voted the Most 
Outstanding Player of the Year in that year's Final Four.
  He was the number one overall selection for the 1979 NBA draft, 
chosen by the L.A. Lakers, where he would go on to play his entire 
professional career.
  The stats are dazzling. In his 13 seasons with the Lakers, Johnson 
was a key member of five NBA championships, as well as being a 12-time 
All-Star, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and three-time league MVP. During 
his NBA career, Johnson averaged 19.5 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per 
game, and 11 assists per game.
  He was a member of the original NBA Dream Team, winning a Gold Medal 
in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
  Both his Spartan jersey and his Lakers jersey were retired, and Magic 
Johnson has been inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the 
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the MSU Athletics Hall of 
Fame, and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
  Johnson stunned the world in 1991 with the announcement that he had 
tested positive for HIV. It was a seismic moment in our culture, as an 
athlete of Johnson's stature vowed in public to raise awareness about a 
virus that was shrouded in stigma.
  In the decades since that pivotal moment, his advocacy off the court 
has been as impressive as his skills on the court, and he has not been 
limited to that one topic.
  He has used his platform to support so many causes, from HIV and AIDS 
to mental health, COVID vaccines, and the transformational power of 
wealth-building for Black families.
  Johnson has said about his legacy: ``Now these kids dream that they 
can become not only a basketball player or a football player, but they 
can become a businessman. So that is what is important, that we have 
power and that we have a seat at the table.''
  With gratitude for his enduring contributions, I submit to the 
permanent Record of the United States House of Representatives that 
Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson not only provided a seat at the table but 
helped construct it, a table formed in the heart of East Lansing, 
shaped by a fierce work ethic and raw talent and sprinkled with magic.


                    Tribute to Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Finally, Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay tribute to a 
visionary social justice innovator and academic who is making space for 
African-American women and girls to celebrate who they are and what 
they bring to the world, and bringing new and critical opportunities to 
students at Michigan State University.
  Ruth Nicole Brown is the inaugural chairperson of and professor in 
the Department of African American and African Studies at MSU.
  Dr. Brown, an internationally recognized leader in Black girlhood, 
joined MSU on July 1, 2020, and quickly got to work creating and 
advancing the mission of this new degree-granting department at the 
university. Thanks to her efforts, beginning in the 2022-23 school 
year, MSU students were, for the first time, able to declare a major in 
African American and American studies, and many have jumped at the 
opportunity.
  In addition to her academic and administrative accomplishments, Dr. 
Brown is the founder of Saving Our Lives Hear Our Truths, a creative 
space that brings young African-American girls together to celebrate 
Black girlhood.
  She also started Black Girl Genius Week, a city and university-wide 
social media takeover and awareness campaign focusing on rising Black 
women. She has written several books on the topic and is a highly 
sought-after speaker.
  It is this combination of scholarly work and public engagement that 
makes Dr. Brown such an innovator. One day she is coediting educational 
research and anthologies and articles about racial equality and 
feminism, and the next day she is performing powerful pieces combining 
music, images, and words.
  Dr. Brown is the master of seeing a void and stepping up to fill it.
  The performance community she has created responds to a need for 
spaces where Black girls and women are seen and valued. The department 
she chairs allows students, for the first time, to center their studies 
on Black history, including a critical exploration of the role of 
feminism and gender.
  Today, I salute Dr. Brown for the many ways she is changing the 
game--through art, through music, and through education.
  I am so grateful that, along with her many distinguished titles, we 
are able to call her a Michigan State University Spartan.
  May her successes and contributions continue to enrich the MSU 
community and be acknowledged here, in the permanent record of the 
United States House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________