EC From DC - June 3, 2011
Memorial Day
On this our National Day of Mourning we join our fellow countrymen and women to faithfully remember those who have laid down their lives for us in service to our country. This practice dates back to our Civil War, when violence and destruction took hold of our nation. The one constant on both sides of the battlefield was the painful sorrow endured with the death of a loved one. Out of love and sorrow, groups of women, began decorating the graves in honor of fallen Civil War soldiers. Three years after the war, on May 30 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery, flowers were placed on the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.
After World War I, the citizens of this metropolitan area, out of love and respect for our American Military, collected enough money to build the Liberty Memorial, "Lest the Ages Forget." No where else in our country did the outpouring of patriotic fervor forever etch in stone the reverence that was felt for those lost and those who had served
I am continuing to work to have the Liberty Memorial designated the National World War I Memorial. This remarkable Memorial was built "In honor of those who served in the World War in Defense of Liberty and our Country" with Sacrifice, Patriotism, Honor and Courage. Every time we see this magnificent façade, we are reminded of the generations who have served and are serving.
This morning, the Gold Star Families have kindly introduced us to their fallen loved ones. Thank you for sharing your memories of a child's innocence, his growth into maturity and his pride when he joined the United States Military. Time stops for a loved one who perishes in war but for family and friends, the memory lives in their heart. With each waive of our flag we are reminded that we are a nation whose legacy and foundation is born out of the generations of Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice. The price of freedom is forever engraved into the minds and heart of those who have served, and those who live with the memory of our departed warriors.
If we come to know our fallen patriots and their stories, maybe we will be able to have a sense of their courage. I would like to introduce you to World War I, Private First Class Wayne Miner. He enlisted into the Army on October 16, 1917. He was deployed to France on June 15, 1918 with the all black Company A, 366th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division. During the last days of the war, uncommon valor was called for as an Armistice had been rumored but the fighting would continue until the 11th hour of the 11th day of 11th month. November 11, 1918 Wayne Minor volunteered for a most hazardous job to carry machine gun ammunition up treacherous terrain, his bravery cost him his life and left his young wife a widow. He was truly a courageous American hero, but for his wife the cost was a tremendously personal high price.
By honoring our patriots who have died we are reminded that across the world another American child in uniform stands ready to defend and protect. The United States Military is second to none. They are the best trained to do their job but they are human and remain sensitive to those perils of enduring war. They deserve our endless gratitude and support. We must pray for them and honor their sacrifice. As long as patriotic Americans choose to serve, we will remain the land of the free and the home of the brave. Each year we return to the Liberty Memorial to honor those who have served, are serving, and the fallen. May they have found peace and May God watch over our men and women in uniform, our veterans, and our great country as we pray for peace and the return of our military from the battlefield.
Continued Focus on the Cuts to KC
Yesterday I spoke on the floor about the UASI funds Kansas City has relied on to prevent, protect, and respond to both man-made and natural disasters. Eliminating these funds would greatly hinder our region's ability to continue to enhance these preparedness capabilities. Please click here to watch my floor speech. I was pleased to see the bill pass and some of the funding restored. I hope this means Kansas City can benefit from these much-needed funds.
On Wednesday, I wrote a special op-ed to the Kansas City Star. I wanted to share it with you here in case you missed it.
Unwise budget cuts leave huge hole in emergency services
By U.S. REP. EMANUEL CLEAVER
Special to The Star
Recently I learned that the Kansas City area would lose $7 million in security and preparedness funding. The list of communities eligible for the Urban Area Security Initiative has been cut in half as part of this year's budget cuts, which I did not support. Since 2003, our community has received $72 million through the initiative. This year, nothing.
The loss of funds means the jobs of police officers, firefighters and first responders just got a lot harder. This misguided budget package decimates almost every area preparedness grant program.
Weeks ago I said "the timing could not be worse" for withdrawing support from emergency workers. I was wrong. With tornadoes in Joplin and Sedalia, the timing just got quite a bit worse.
We know there is chatter from our enemies about attacks on "softer targets" across the country — some of them all too close to home. We also know that programs helping prevent, respond to, and recover from man-made disasters do the same for natural disasters. Since 2003, when the program began, Missouri has experienced 21 federal disasters. When the worst happens, whether it is weather or not, we use those tools and techniques to make our wounded communities well.
Kansas City Fire Department Chief Richard "Smokey" Dyer said losing this funding makes us less safe. It has paid for emergency vehicles, tactical law enforcement teams, a multi-band emergency radio system, a patient tracking system, emergency information management and coordination and special emergency medical units dealing with mass casualties. The funds pay for teams who will be first on the scene when catastrophe comes to call. When the Joplin tornado hit, three such teams were dispatched immediately.
The current Washington mood favors "across the board" cuts. This is a very bad idea. I have consistently and vocally opposed the indiscriminate cuts, while favoring targeted, laser-like cuts.
Did our first responders cause our budget deficit? Are our doctors and nurses to blame for our national debt? Did those referred to in the Bible as "the least of these" run up our national credit card? Absolutely not. The economic downturn, the Bush tax cuts and the never-budgeted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are the main culprits. Yet many of D.C.'s grand pooh-bahs, to the cheers of some voters, are cutting with an over-sized machete.
The final 2011 budget cut the security program by $162 million, placing at risk 34 cities across the country. A program to help train pediatricians was cut by $48 million, eliminating 450 slots for pediatric residents in hospitals nationwide. Children's Mercy will lose almost $1 million, which would train 89 pediatric residents. Community Development Block Grant funding was cut by $647 million. There goes $132,000 for Independence, $1.48 million for Kansas City, and $55,233 for Lee's Summit. These cuts will reduce, among other things, disaster assistance for low-income areas.
The U.S. budget is a moral document, a bold testament to our national priorities. It should reflect who we are as a people. If the safety and security of our communities is not a priority, I don't know what is. It is clear, after the security cuts, that our much-vaunted safety net now has a titanic tear.
The Employment Situation in May
As I have tried to do each month as we learn about our national employment situation, I am pleased to let the President's Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Austan Goolsbee, share some insight into the most recent numbers.
- Today's employment report shows that private sector payrolls increased by 83,000 in May and the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.1 percent. There are always bumps on the road to recovery, but the overall trajectory of the economy has improved dramatically over the past two years.
While the private sector has added more than 2.1 million jobs over the past 15 months, the unemployment rate is unacceptably high and faster growth is needed to replace the jobs lost in the downturn. The initiatives put in place by this Administration – such as the payroll tax cut and business incentives for investment – have contributed to solid employment growth overall this year, but this report is a reminder of the challenges that remain. We are focused on promoting exports, reducing regulatory burdens and making the investments in education, research and development, and infrastructure that will grow our economy and create jobs. We will continue to work with Congress to responsibly reduce the deficit and live within our means.
Overall payroll employment rose by 54,000 in May. Solid employment increases occurred in professional and business services (+44,000) and education and health services (+34,000). Sectors with employment declines included local government (-28,000), retail trade (-8,500), and manufacturing (-5,000). Despite the decline this month, manufacturing has added 238,000 jobs since the beginning of 2010, the best period of manufacturing job growth in over a decade.
The monthly employment and unemployment numbers are volatile and employment estimates are subject to substantial revision. Therefore, as the Administration always stresses, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report.
