Department Of Labor, Health And Human Services, And Education, And Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - July 19, 2007)

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Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Missouri is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. CLEAVER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Let me first of all say that on the positive side, I do have respect for the gentleman from Arizona. He is consistent. He is not mean-spirited with his opposition. There is a lot of mean-spirited conversation that goes on here.

I should say to him, however, that this Member of Congress placed all 120 requested earmarks on my Web site in March, not at the request of anyone. I did it. I am proud of my earmarks. I want everybody to see them. I don't think there is enough money going, though, to this particular project.

When I was mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, we built the American Jazz Museum. It is the only museum on the planet dedicated to the preservation of America's only art form. Jazz is the only art form created in the United States of America. We have what is called the John Baker Collection. If students at the University of Arizona want to study the industry of jazz, the art form of jazz, and they would like to see the soundies, the only place they can see the John Baker Collection, the largest collection of old black and white soundies, is the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City.

People from across this Nation, actually from across the world, come into Kansas City. The city put money into it. Of course, as a former mayor, I know that we send unfunded mandates down to the city. So the city, particularly, since I left office, reduces the funding each year. Since people are using this museum from all over this Nation, I'll bet there are people in Arizona, I hope they are watching, who are using the American Jazz Museum.

So, I believe, first of all, that I have been as transparent as anybody could be. The comments we received from people in our district, Republicans and Democrats, is thank you for being transparent. I don't hide any of it. I want everybody to look at it, examine it. It gives me an opportunity to stand here, and hopefully people in my district are watching me now to stand here and not only defend the earmark, but to promote the American Jazz Museum.

This is the home of Charlie ``YardBird'' Parker, who was born and raised right there and went to school around the street from the museum. This is the place where Count Basie organized his band. This is the place where Jay McShan organized his band. Every major jazz artist in the world wanted to play 18th and Vine.

Now, there is some debate about whether Kansas City or New Orleans is the Mother of Jazz. Of course, New Orleans is wrong, and I try to help them when I can. But the point here is that we need, Mr. Chairman, to have people who are going to put up earmarks to be in a position to feel good about them and to express it. So I don't see this so much as a defense, but as an opportunity to promote what I think is one of the legitimate projects for funding from the United States Congress because it serves the people of this Nation.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make two final points. The first is the people in the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri, Harry Truman's district, will have the opportunity to judge whether or not I should have placed these projects before Congress for earmarks next November. I am measured by my representation in that district. I would suggest that they are going to be very pleased with what I have done.

The other issue is that we are talking about a $200,000 earmark, and I had hoped for significantly more than that. We are spending $285 million a day, $11 million a hour in Iraq. If you subtract $200,000, that would reduce the number of Coca-Colas in Iraq by about four cases based on the price they have been gouging.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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