i want to extend my best wishes to our real shriver -- maria shriver and john podesta. on the trip back to washington, i read the "time" magazine article which references a lot of important data that the department of labor, through the bureau of labor standards puts out. very good and timely information. but i want to tell you this morning that the shriver report is so important for this very important debate we are having on that these policies issues and shining alight on critical issues for today's workplace and working families. let me begin by thanking you again, the folks here at the center for helping to put this together. for all the women's groups who, by my to beat -- department of labour, i want to thank you. for those who have not had the opportunity to come by and meet with my staff, please do that. you are welcome. i care very much about the department of labor issues and i have an open-door policy. i want to make clear of that. today you have a very exciting group of people who will be speaking to you. one of my very good friends and i have worked with y

shriver. dr. redlener also serves on the national commission on children and disasters. about the needs and barriers to health care. i must say on a personal note he stepped up after katrina and rita, working through senator clinton's office at the time to give encouragement to us on the gulf coast and we are grateful for your help and support. finally, ms. teri fugate, chairman and chief executive officer of women's hospital and batteries. she assumed this position in 1996. she chairs the louisiana hospital association professional and general liability trust and is leading one of the finest hospitals in my view in louisiana that serves as expertise in birthing and maternity for 8500 children every year and is the designated hospital in louisiana to be the leader in disaster preparedness and response for this neonatal group which is a very special group of infants we need to pay attention to. let us start, mr. shriver, with you. >> thank you very much, madame chair, for hosting this hearing and your interest in this issue. i have submitted a long report and, frankly, yo

i did 52 interviews with shriver and another 120 people and everybody who was alive for work to with him chasing the agrium -- group reaper because they were older. they are cooperating. every ready talk to this man and tell him the truth and they gave me his papers which and his diaries would tour valuable because this book is not written as the academic history but the fast-paced novel because i believe in recreating history for the readers and bringing them into history. that is what i do. >> 15 years of research is a long time. did your view of the cold war changeup early days in a point*? >> yes. we think of the cold war as one longtime like that a sage. i discovered it was not. it was a point* overlooked. in the beginning of the cold war, it was a very warm confrontation between the soviet union and the united states with both sides jockeying for power. if either had a misstep we would have nuclear war the nuclear weapons do not just a story cities but ecological effects and block out the sun with nuclear winter and destroy the whole northern hemisphere in a war. and schrieffer

shriver, let me ask you, if you could sum up, besides your excellent recommendation, that the strategyenacted by the end of the year, a requirement but down to receive that strategy, and that -- put down to receive that strategy, and that the child block grants not be reinstated with the requirement that states -- without the requirement that states step up to have evacuation reunification and special needs for disaster planning. are there one or two other specifics suggestions you like to mention that you think from your study and review should be really at the top of our list to address in the next few weeks and months? >> i think, as dr. redlener mentioned, coming up with the national framework for recovery is critically important. honestly, senator, if you look at the child care development block grant and put those requirements in there, you, with a recovery from work within the next five and a half months and you have all child care facilities in this country looking at the issue of reunification, evacuation plan, making sure that the children with special needs are incorporated

i thought it was very interesting that maria shriver recently did a study that really showed the fact that women were providing a greater, greater and greater amount of the family income. and so this is something that i think the congressional black caucus is raising in a very timely manner. with that, i yield back to the gentlelady from ohio. ms. fudge: thank you very much. at this time, there are a lot of members here tonight. i thank you all for being here. what i would like to do just briefly have representative jackson lee introduce some points and i would like at that point for representative ellison from minnesota to join us in a brief discussion. representative jackson lee from texas. ms. jackson lee: thank you very much to the distinguished congresswoman from ohio. i'm delighted to join the chair woman of the congressional black caucus who have been superb on gathering us together on what is an enormous crisis. i'm going to take the liberty of mixing a number of issues that i think are crucial to the topic that addresses this question dealing with homelessness and hunger and