{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where congress = 108 and granule_class = \"EXTENSIONS\" sorted by date descending", "rows": [["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2203-2", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "DIRECTING CLERK OF THE HOUSE TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS IN ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 4818", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2203", "E2203", "[{\"name\": \"Tom Udall\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HCONRES\", \"number\": \"528\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2203", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2203]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n     DIRECTING CLERK OF THE HOUSE TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS IN\n                        ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 4818\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                             HON. TOM UDALL\n\n                             of new mexico\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                        Monday, December 6, 2004\n\n  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I rise today in support of the measure\nbefore us today, H. Con. Res. 528. This will come as no surprise to\nanyone since I am fairly certain that this resolution has unanimous\nsupport from my colleagues, and rightly so. H. Con. Res. 528 corrects a\nprovision included in H.R. 4818 that permits members of the\nAppropriations Committee and their staff to examine individuals'\nFederal tax returns. This is clearly a gross invasion of privacy, and I\nam thankful that this provision was brought to light before it was\nsigned into law.\n  However, Mr. Speaker, the fact that we are considering H. Con. Res.\n528 at all highlights the need for a change in the way this institution\noperates under the current Majority's leadership. Far too frequently in\nrecent years, the Majority has brought significant pieces of\nlegislation to the floor with little, if any, chance for Members to\nreview the measures. We considered the Omnibus Appropriations bill here\nin the House the same day it was completed, which is a perfect example\nof this egregious process. H.R. 4818 included funding for 15\ngovernmental agencies in the amount of approximately $388 billion\ndollars, and stacked up at over 3,000 pages long. Yet Members and staff\nhad less than 24 hours to go through the measure before voting on it.\n  Mr. Speaker, each and every time the Majority subverts the democratic\nprocess and brings legislation to the floor in this fashion, we are\ndoing a disservice to the people of this country. It must stop and it\nmust stop now. I am hopeful that we will return to ``regular order'' in\nthe 109th Congress.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2203-3", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING LIFETIME TELEVISION", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2203", "E2203", "[{\"name\": \"Carolyn B. Maloney\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2203", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2203]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                      HONORING LIFETIME TELEVISION\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Lifetime Television\non its 20th anniversary and honor not only the outstanding work of the\nnetwork in raising awareness about the issues affecting women, but for\ntheir efforts to pass critical legislation that will make a real\ndifference in the lives of women.\n  I have been fortunate to work with Lifetime Television to end\nviolence against women and families by pushing Congress to pass\nlandmark legislation that I introduced, ``The Debbie Smith Act,'' that\nwill put rapists behind bars by reducing the number of unprocessed rape\nkits. In March 2002, Lifetime sponsored several events on Capitol Hill\nto educate Congress about the violence that many women face daily and\nwhat was being done to stop it. It was then that I introduced Debbie\nSmith, a courageous rape survivor whose assailant had been identified\nthrough the use of DNA technology, to Lifetime. This occasion marked\nthe beginning of a collaborative effort to move ``The Debbie Smith\nAct'' through Congress and signed into law.\n  Lifetime initiated a petition drive, and 120,000 signatures were sent\nto Congress expressing outrage that rapists were walking the streets\nwhen the evidence that could put them behind bars was collecting dust.\nBy holding numerous educational briefings and receptions over the\ncourse of 2\\1/2\\ years, Lifetime continued the momentum to pass this\nlegislation. Through their relentless work, Lifetime was instrumental\nin ensuring that ``The Debbie Smith Act'' became law in October.\n  Lifetime also has committed itself to providing valuable information\nto its viewers about women's healthcare, childcare, voting and running\nfor elected office, and women who are making the world a better place.\nThe network was one of the earliest leaders of efforts to raise\nawareness of breast cancer and refuses to back down until this deadly\ndisease is eradicated. Lifetime, along with more than 10 million of its\nviewers, also continue to urge Congress to pass critical legislation to\nend the disgraceful practice of drive-through mastectomies, when women\nare forced out of the hospital only hours after surgery. In addition,\none of Lifetime's original movies, ``Video Voyeur: The Susan Wilson\nStory,'' helped to inspire recently passed legislation that will make\nvideo voyeurism a serious, punishable crime.\n  I believe that with its ability to reach millions of people everyday,\nLifetime will continue to educate and enlighten. Although Lifetime's\ncommitment is company-wide, I want to specifically acknowledge its\noutgoing president and CEO Carole Black and its executive vice\npresident of public affairs Meredith Wagner, who initiated the\nnetwork's advocacy efforts. Thanks to their passion and dedication,\nLifetime truly has become an example of the power of the media to cause\npositive change, and I hope that others will follow its lead.\n  Once again, I commend Lifetime Television for its dedication to\nimprove the lives of women and families, and I look forward to working\nwith them again in the future. Lifetime will once again be bringing its\ncampaign to Stop Violence Against Women to Washington in March 2005,\nand I hope all of my colleagues will get involved.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2203-4", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO ANN O'CONNELL", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2203", "E2204", "[{\"name\": \"Jon C. Porter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2203", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2203-E2204]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        TRIBUTE TO ANN O'CONNELL\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. JON C. PORTER\n\n                               of nevada\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give thanks and praise to a\nfellow Nevadan and friend who has served her state well in many\ncapacities. Ann O'Connell, a former Nevada State Senator, retired at\nthe end of this state session. I stand today to give praise to her for\nher wonderful 19-year contribution to the great state of Nevada.\n  Ms. O'Connell was born in 1934 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She later\nearned a degree from the University of New Mexico. Upon moving to\nNevada she began a very successful career in politics in which she has\nserved her fellow Nevadans well.\n  In 1988 Ms. O'Connell received the Woman of Achievement in Politics\naward from the\n\n[[Page E2204]]\n\nWomen's Council of the Greater Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. She has\nalso appeared in several editions of the ``Distinguished Women's Book\nof Nevada.'' In 2002 she received the Women's Role Model Award from the\nNevada Office of the Attorney General.\n  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I stand today to pay tribute\nto a great legislator and public servant. Ann O'Connell will be missed\nbut not forgotten. I know that her retirement will not be the end of\nher public service and I thank her for her diligence in serving those\naround her.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2203", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "LOSS OF U.S. MARINE CORPS CPL. ZACHARY A. KOLDA", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2203", "E2203", "[{\"name\": \"Solomon P. Ortiz\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2203", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2203]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2203]]\n\n            LOSS OF U.S. MARINE CORPS CPL. ZACHARY A. KOLDA\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ\n\n                                of texas\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American\npatriot, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Zachary A. Kolda of Corpus Christi,\nTexas, who gave the last full measure of devotion to the country he\nloved and served when he was killed in combat in Al Anbar Province,\nIraq on December 1, 2004.\n  He served with the Marine Reserves' 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine\nRegiment, 4th Marine Division.\n  This 23-year-old Marine, who taught others how to live and enjoy\nlife, left his studies at the University of Texas at Austin this spring\nwhen called to active duty for deployment to Iraq. Those who knew and\nloved him described him as a compassionate, funny, and lively young man\nwho was always encouraging his friends and family to live life to the\nfullest each day.\n  That is a fitting legacy for this brave young Marine, who hailed from\na family of military service. One grandfather served in the Navy for 28\nyears, while the other grandfather served in World War II.\n  Cpl. Kolda was mischievous, fun-loving, and forever cheering up his\nfamily and friends. He was an artist, peppering friends and family with\ncherished drawings and cartoons. He was proud to be a Marine, proud to\nserve this Nation in battle. His gentle spirit was uplifting and an\ninspiration to those who knew and loved him.\n  He had a sweet soul and he saw the best in people. He had a gift for\ncheering people up, making them laugh and see the silly side of life.\nHe was friendly, engaging and straightforward.\n  Cpl. Kolda, who was majoring in international business at UT, lived\nwith his wife, Arleen, in Austin. They were married in April, 2004,\nafter a year-long engagement.\n  I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering with gratitude this\ngreat, sweet, funny patriot; his sacrifice on behalf of all of us; and\nthe family he leaves behind in South Texas.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2204-2", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2004", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2204", "E2204", "[{\"name\": \"Tom Udall\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2204", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2204]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n    CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM\n                         PREVENTION ACT OF 2004\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                             HON. TOM UDALL\n\n                             of new mexico\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, the Conference Report we have\nbefore us today is of great importance to the safety of our Nation and\nI would like to commend my colleagues involved with the negotiations of\nthis conference report for their diligent and tireless work.\n  Unfortunately, once again, the amount of time allotted for debate, as\nwell as the amount of time we had to try and determine what actually is\nin the conference report does not do justice to the important task at\nhand. We may sound like broken records on this point, but that's simply\nbecause the majority continues to undermine the democratic process by\nputting critically important pieces of legislation on the bullet-train\nfor passage.\n  Mr. Speaker, we are talking about no less than the most dramatic\nrestructuring of our Nation's intelligence community since the creation\nof the National Security Council and Central Intelligence Agency in\n1947. As such, each and every member of this body should have adequate\ntime to sift through this lengthy and important legislation in order to\nhave a full understanding of what exactly we are voting on tonight.\n  Nevertheless, as best as I have been able to determine from looking\nthrough the conference report thus far, it is a great improvement on\nthe politically driven, partisan legislation the House passed in\nOctober. The 9/11 Commissioners who made these important\nrecommendations support the conference report, as do families of the\nvictims of the 9/11 attacks. Although I plan to vote in support of this\nconference report, I will be doing so with great concern over several\nprovisions.\n  I have concerns that important civil liberty protection provisions\nhave been watered down. I am pleased that there is language in the\nconference report to establish a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight\nBoard, but am concerned that it was not given enough independence from\nthe White House. The 9/11 Commission recommended the Board be given\nsubpoena power. This bill gives no such power. I will introduce\nlegislation in the 109th Congress to give the board this subpoena power\nit deserves to do its job. Also, Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that the\nsunset of specific provisions of the PATRIOT Act pertaining to\nfinancial institutions has been eliminated.\n  Despite these concerns, I believe this legislation is too important\nto the safety of our country and will therefore be voting in support of\nit. I do hope, however, as I recently stated during debate of a\ndifferent bill, that the majority will stop bringing legislation and\nconference reports to the floor in the manner that this was brought\nbefore us today. It is a subversion of the democratic process and it\nmust stop.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2204-3", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2004", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2204", "E2204", "[{\"name\": \"Carolyn B. Maloney\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2204", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2204]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n   S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2004\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Thursday, December 9, 2004\n\n  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, earlier, I had an opportunity to praise\nthe work of the 9/11 Family Steering Committee and of the ``leaders in\nCongress that has allowed the Congress to vote on and pass the\nConference Report to S. 2845, which is the legislation that will enact\nthe recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. While it would be nearly\nimpossible to thank and recognize everyone that played a part in its\npassing, I would like to recognize the hard work of two 9/11 Pentagon\nfamily members, Abraham Scott and Rosemary Dillard.\n  Over the last several months these two individuals have been a\nconstant presence on the Hill fighting for the implementation of\nintelligence reform. During this time I have had a chance to get to\nknow these two remarkable individuals and I would like to share with\nyou a little bit about them.\n  Abraham Scott, lost his wife of 24 years, Janice Marie, who was\nworking in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Everyday that Abe has\ntraveled to the Hill, I have always been touched by the pictures of his\nfamily and his wife. He speaks fondly of his children and he speaks\nlovingly of his wife.\n  Rosemary Dillard lost her husband, Eddie A. Dillard, who was on\nflight 77 that struck the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Ms. Dillard,\nas a retired flight attendant manager for American Airlines also lost a\ncrew of flight attendants that she managed.\n  I cannot imagine the grief and loss that these two individuals have\nhad to endure, but I am honored to have had the opportunity to know\nthem and work with them in fighting for the passage of the 9/11\nCommission's recommendations. Both of them know that we still have work\nto do to ensure that our Nation will be safe from future terrorist\nattacks and I look forward to the opportunity to working with them\nagain.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2204-4", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING RAYMOND RAWSON", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2204", "E2205", "[{\"name\": \"Jon C. Porter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2204", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2204-E2205]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        HONORING RAYMOND RAWSON\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. JON C. PORTER\n\n                               of nevada\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I stand today\nto pay tribute to a friend and fellow Nevadan. Mr. Raymond Rawson has\nserved the great State of Nevada in the Nevada State Senate since 1985.\nI have had the honor to serve with him as he served as the Senate\nAssistant Majority Floor Leader in which he served as a great\nlegislative role model and leader. I know that he will be missed in his\nretirement.\n  Mr. Rawson was born in Sandy, Utah, in 1940. He later moved to Nevada\nto pursue a bachelor's degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.\nHe received his D.D.S. from Loma Linda University Dental School,\nCalifornia, and then returned to Las Vegas to pursue a masters degree\nat UNLV in physical anthropology.\n\n[[Page E2205]]\n\n  Mr. Rawson served the public in his 19 years of political service, as\nwell as in his dental practice where he received numerous dental awards\nincluding Dentist of the Year in 1997. Mr. Rawson has served his\ncommunity well in his political capacity, and I am sure he will\ncontinue to serve even after his retirement.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask my fellow colleagues to stand with me today and\nhonor all those State legislators across the country, like Mr. Rawson,\nwho have dedicated so many years to building a better State community,\nwhich in turn contributes to a better Nation.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2204", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "LOSS OF U.S. ARMY CPL ISAAC E. DIAZ", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2204", "E2204", "[{\"name\": \"Solomon P. Ortiz\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2204", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2204]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                  LOSS OF U.S. ARMY CPL ISAAC E. DIAZ\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ\n\n                                of texas\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American\npatriot, U.S. Army CPL Isaac E. Diaz, of Rio Hondo, Texas, who gave the\nlast full measure of devotion to the country he loved and served when\nhe was killed in Afghanistan on December 1, 2004.\n  He served with the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th\nInfantry Division (Light) from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He had been\ndriving military vehicles in the Army for several years.\n  Like so many young people, Corporal Diaz wanted to find a way to go\nto college, so he joined the military in 1998, after graduating from\nRio Hondo High School. Yet, the 26-year-old never enrolled in college.\nHe was killed in Sharona, Afghanistan, when his Humvee rolled over\nwhile on routine patrol in the Paktika province.\n  In a sad--but brave--irony, after Corporal Diaz completed his initial\nthree-year tour of duty at Fort Campbell, KY, he reenlisted for another\nfour years to financially support his wife, Amber, and their infant\nson, Aaron.\n  Those that knew him well in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas spoke of\nhis quiet intensity and his hard-working nature. The Rio High School\nPrincipal, Juan Montez, remembered Corporal Diaz as a studious\nteenager, the sort of student educators enjoyed having in class.\n  He worked hard and didn't complain. He was an excellent soldier. He\nwas serving in the front of this war that is closest to the hiding\nplaces of Osama bin Laden and the al Qaida leaders who plotted the\nattack on this nation on September 11, 2001.\n  Corporal Diaz's service was honorable, as was his life. We all mourn\nthe loss of this young American, whose life was cut short, leaving a\nhole in our hearts and forever altering his young family.\n  I want Corporal Diaz's son, Aaron, who is too young now to understand\nthe depth of his father's sacrifice, to one day appreciate that his\nfather loved this country--and him--enough to go in harm's way to\nprotect our democracy.\n  I ask my colleagues to remember this great patriot, his sacrifice on\nbehalf of all of us, and the family he leaves behind in South Texas.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2205-2", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF NANCY KIST, ESQ.", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2205", "E2205", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2205", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2205]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                      IN HONOR OF NANCY KIST, ESQ.\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nancy Kist for her\noutstanding leadership and contributions to her community. Ms. Kist was\nhonored as a distinguished alumna at the Harvest Ball Sixth Annual\nSaint Dominic Academy Gala on November 13, 2004, in Lincoln Park, New\nJersey.\n  Throughout the years, Ms. Kist has served the citizens of Bayonne in\na variety of capacities. She has contributed greatly to the city's\ndevelopment by serving as general counsel of the Bayonne Local\nRedevelopment Authority and as a member of the law department. Among\nother accomplishments, Ms. Kist was instrumental in the redevelopment\nof the Military Ocean Terminal, which has become the Peninsula at\nBayonne Harbor. She continues to play a leadership role as the current\nexecutive director of the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority, and is\nknown for pursuing all her professional endeavors with enthusiasm and a\npassion for improving the well-being of the community.\n  A graduate of Saint Dominic Academy, Ms. Kist developed an early\ninterest in civic affairs and was vice president of the student\ngovernment in school.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Nancy Kist for her\nyears of dedication to serving the people and city of Bayonne, New\nJersey.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2205-3", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2205", "E2206", "[{\"name\": \"John B. Larson\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4755\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2205", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2205-E2206]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON\n\n                             of connecticut\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                      Saturday, November 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, in my capacity as the ranking\nminority member of the Committee on House Administration, our panel has\nauthorizing responsibilities over much of the legislative-branch\nportion of the omnibus appropriations bill. Like the rest of the\nomnibus, the legislative portion is not perfect, but the sundry\nagencies under our jurisdiction will generally have the resources they\nneed to continue providing their services to the Congress, and to the\nAmerican people.\n  Of course, as a procedural matter, I am disappointed that a\nfreestanding legislative appropriation did not become law in a regular\nprocess, before the start of the fiscal year. Such a bill, H.R. 4755,\npassed the House in July and later passed the Senate in plenty of time\nfor conferees to report. I recognize that this was not the fault of the\ngentleman from Georgia [Mr. Kingston] or the gentleman from Virginia\n[Mr. Moran]. I hope they and all Members have the opportunity to\nconsider the fiscal 2006 bill in a timely, orderly and ordinary\nprocess.\n  With respect to specific agencies under the jurisdiction of my\ncommittee, I am pleased that this bill funds a staff fitness facility\nfor the House. This important facility will provide a way for our\nemployees to remain fit and healthy. None of us can properly discharge\nour duties without the support of our staffs and the other House\nemployees. This long-awaited facility will be a tremendous addition to\nthe House, making it, as well as our employees, stronger.\n  I am disappointed that the bill does not include a House provision,\nauthored by the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Kirk], eliminating funding\nfor the Capitol Police mounted unit. In my judgment, the police have\nfailed to articulate a sufficient rationale for spending hundreds of\nthousands, millions over time, for this purpose. There is little doubt\nthat the U.S. Park Police can benefit from maintaining a mounted unit,\nsince the Park Police must patrol thousands of acres of parkland in the\nDistrict of Columbia, much of it well off-road. The Capitol Police\nfaces no such situation, and in fact, will have to spend tens of\nthousands each year simply to remove the manure from the carefully\nmanicured and fairly small Capitol grounds. Absent a sufficient\njustification that the Capitol Police mounted unit was worth its cost,\nI supported the efforts of my Illinois colleague to save the taxpayers'\nmoney. I look forward to the important report by the Government\nAccountability Office, due in March, on this subject.\n\n  I share the concerns expressed in the conference report about the\nongoing efforts to reorganize the police. I look forward to reviewing\nthe results of the GAO's contributions in this area. The conferees also\ndirected the Capitol Police to review all existing operations and\ngeneral expenses to determine whether any ``outsourcing'' opportunities\nmay exist. That term has come to mean the wholesale transfer of jobs\noverseas, and as a result, its use in the report may disturb many.\nNaturally, I am eager to review the Capitol Police's report to the\nappropriators on this subject, and on the USCP's expensive but\nmechanically unsound Command Vehicle. It seems that these subjects, and\nmany others related to USCP operations and expenses, would make\nexcellent subjects for formal hearings next year in our committee.\n  In connection with the Capitol Police, I am greatly concerned that\nseveral legislative provisions within the jurisdiction of the House\nAdministration Committee found their way into this appropriations bill.\nIn November, I joined my chairman, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Ney],\nand the chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Rules and\nAdministration Committee, in a joint letter to the Capitol Police Board\ndirecting the Board not to request further such provisions in its\nfuture budget requests, and reminding the Board that it should bring\nproposed legislation to those committees for consideration. Only in\nthis way can the authorizing and appropriations processes work as\ndesigned, and for the good of the men and women of the Capitol Police\nand the people they serve. The Capitol Police was certainly not the\nonly agency within our jurisdiction which asked for legislative\nprovisions in its budget request this year. The others should similarly\nheed the message we conveyed to the Police Board.\n  With respect to the Library of Congress, while I am pleased that the\nCongress will extend temporarily the authorization for the National\nFilm Preservation Board and Foundation, which enabled the funding of\nthis important work for another 2 years, I am dismayed\n\n[[Page E2206]]\n\nthat separate reauthorization legislation, under the jurisdiction of\nthe Judiciary Committee and House Administration, has not passed. I\ntrust these committees can quickly address this matter next year. I\nagree with the conferees, who lauded the work of the Copyright Office\nwith respect to digitizing future and historic copyright records. The\nCopyright Office, which depends on the public to defray a portion of\nits expenses, is headed in the right direction in this regard. I also\nnote the continuing good work of the Congressional Research Service,\nwithout which none of the Members of either House could do his or her\nwork effectively.\n\n  I am hopeful that our committee can authorize a student-loan\nrepayment program for the Office of Compliance. This important tool has\nhelped numerous Federal agencies, including the House, to attract and\nretain the staff needed to build an effective organization.\n  With respect to agencies within our committee's jurisdiction and\nfunded in bills other than the legislative appropriations bill, I am\nglad to see that the conferees agreed to fund the Election Assistance\nCommission above the amount proposed by the Senate. The $14 million\nappropriated will help continue the work started by the EAC to serve as\nthe clearinghouse for Federal elections. Although, the EAC got a late\nstart, with the commissioners not taking office until December 2003,\nthey must continue working to improve the election process. If Congress\nconsiders a supplemental appropriations bill next spring, the EAC\nshould consider requesting additional resources.\n  Yet again, I am not pleased that the majority bypassed the committee\nand inserted into this bill a provision allowing contributions to\ncampaigns for Federal office to be diverted to campaigns for State or\nlocal office. While this may be a meritorious idea, I certainly believe\nit should have been considered in an orderly process in the committees\nof jurisdiction, and not simply added to a massive appropriations bill.\n  Finally, the Smithsonian Institution received an increase of 3.1\npercent over the fiscal 2004 budget, an increase of more than $19\nmillion, but still 2 percent below its request. The funding level was\nreasonable given the overall budget constraints this year, but, as in\nthe past, will not fund an aggressive approach to the Smithsonian's\naging infrastructure and inadequate maintenance. I hope that Congress\nwill soon recognize that its year-by-year, finger-in-the-dike approach\nto budgeting actually accelerates the deterioration of the physical\nplant of our nation's greatest repository of knowledge and ongoing\nresearch.\n  Congress last year finally authorized the National Museum of African\nAmerican History and Culture, which is in preliminary phases of\nengineering studies, staffing and planning, and which does not yet have\na location or director. The $5 million request to continue the start up\nprocess was reduced to $3.9 million, which will impede the process. The\nBoard of Regents expects to make a site recommendation to relevant\ncommittees, including House Administration, late next year.\n  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hard work of the Appropriations\nCommittee and look forward to working with the committee on matters of\ncommon concern next year.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2205", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "LOSS OF ARMY MAJ. HORST GERHARD MOORE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2205", "E2205", "[{\"name\": \"Solomon P. Ortiz\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2205", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2205]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                 LOSS OF ARMY MAJ. HORST GERHARD MOORE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ\n\n                                of texas\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American\npatriot, Army Major Horst Gerhard ``Gary'' Moore of Los Fresnos Texas,\nwho gave the last full measure of devotion to the country he loved and\nserved when he was killed in Iraq in November.\n  He was a child of the Army, following both his father and his\ngrandfather in the uniformed services. Roaming the Nation at the whim\nof the U.S. Army as a child made him yearn for a home in which to grow\nold with his beloved wife, Raquel Vallejo-Moore.\n  He came home from Iraq for a while and, before returning to the war\nzone in September, he and Raquel bought their dream home. Major Moore\nwas killed in a mortar attack in Mosul, Iraq; he never even spent the\nnight in their new home. He felt strongly about getting his family\nmoved in and settled there.\n  The last conversation with his wife was to wish her happy birthday.\nMajor Moore served with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division for\nabout a year, then he was deployed to Mosul, Iraq, in October to\nreplace the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He served in the Army\n17 years and was considering retiring when his tour of duty ended in\nabout 3 years.\n  Soldiers who knew and served with Major Moore spoke candidly about\nthe human side of this tough soldier. He was known for his kind and\ncaring manner, and his absolute love of Raquel and their 2-year old\ndaughter, Sophia.\n  Like so many of our soldiers, Major Moore had a mindset that he could\ndo anything. He lived life to the fullest, and often spoke of living in\nthe moment and making the best out of life's challenges.\n  I want the Major's daughter, Sophia, who is too young now to\nunderstand the depth of her father's sacrifice, to one day appreciate\nthat her father loved this country--and her--enough to go in harm's way\nto protect our democracy.\n  I ask my colleagues to remember this great patriot, his great\nsacrifice, and the family he leaves behind in South Texas.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2206", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "U.S. SLOWS BID TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2206", "E2207", "[{\"name\": \"Barney Frank\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2206", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2206-E2207]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                  U.S. SLOWS BID TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. BARNEY FRANK\n\n                            of massachusetts\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker when we convened for the lame\nduck session several weeks ago, I shared with our colleagues a very\ninsightful article from the Washington Post by Fred Hiatt pointing out\nthe extreme gap that exists between the Bush Administration's claim\nthat the advancement of democracy is a major goal of its foreign\npolicy, and the almost complete absence of any real activity towards\nthat goal in the execution of that foreign policy.\n  The elevation of the promotion of democracy to central status in the\nBush foreign policy--in contrast to a great extent to the President's\nscorn about nation-building when he ran for office in 2000--came partly\nbecause of the need to find some substitute justification for the war\nin Iraq, after weapons of mass destruction and the tie to the 9/11\nmurders were both shown to be without factual basis. So, many of the\nneo-conservative supporters of the President--some of them actually\nbelieving it--argued that overthrowing Saddam Hussein was an essential\nstep towards an administration policy towards implementing democracy in\nthe Middle East.\n  This has of course proven to have no more factual basis than the\nweapons of mass destruction or al-Qaida tie. As Joel Brinkley notes in\na long article in the New York Times for Sunday, December 4, ``When\nSecretary of State Colin L. Powell and other senior American officials\narrive at a summit meeting in Morocco next week that is intended to\npromote democracy across the Arab world, they have no plans to\nintroduce any political initiatives to encourage democratic change.''\n(emphasis added)\n  Contrary to those neo-conservatives who predicted that the overthrow\nof Saddam Hussein would begin an era in which America was hailed for\nits liberating role, and democracy would become almost infectious, as\nMr. Brinkley notes, ``Since then . . . the popular view of the United\nStates in the region has grown so dark, even hateful, that American\nofficials are approaching the meeting with caution and with a package\nof financial and social initiatives that have only a scant relationship\nto the original goal of political change.''\n  Mr. Speaker, as we begin a new term for President Bush, with Colin\nPowell no longer available to provide a facade of moderation, the\nharsher realities of the Bush foreign policy are becoming clearer.\nAmong these are the President's lack of any real commitment to the\npromotion of democracy as an American foreign policy goal. Joel\nBrinkley's excellent analysis is further strong evidence of this and I\nask, because of the importance of this subject to our national policy\ndebates, that his very useful article be printed here.\n\n                [From the New York Times, Dec. 4, 2004]\n\n           U.S. Slows Bid To Advance Democracy in Arab World\n\n                           (By Joel Brinkley)\n\n       Washington, Dec. 4.--When Secretary of State Colin L.\n     Powell and other senior American officials arrive at a summit\n     meeting in Morocco next week that is intended to promote\n     democracy across the Arab world, they have no plans to\n     introduce any political initiatives to encourage democratic\n     change.\n       President Bush started speaking in 2002 about the need to\n     bring democracy to the Arab nations. Since then, however, the\n     popular view of the United States in the region has grown so\n     dark, even hateful, that American officials are approaching\n     the meeting with caution and with a package of financial and\n     social initiatives that have only a scant relationship to the\n     original goal of political change.\n       Administration officials and their allies defend the change\n     in strategy, saying the United States should no longer try to\n     take the lead.\n       ``Others have gotten involved in the political side, and\n     that is a good thing,'' said Lorne W. Craner, who was\n     assistant secretary of state for democracy and human rights\n     until August and now is president of the International\n     Republican Institute, a government-financed organization\n     dedicated to advancing democracy worldwide. But\n     administration officials said some senior officials in the\n     State Department were frustrated by the unwillingness of\n     their colleagues to raise political initiatives at the\n     meeting.\n       A senior administration official involved in Middle East\n     policy said that if the American program remained largely\n     centered on business and financial initiatives, ``that's not\n     good enough.'' The United States needs ``to hold people\n     accountable,'' he added.\n       Another official working in the same area added that Arab\n     leaders were ``willing to take the aid, but they're not\n     willing to carry out the reform.''\n       Mr. Powell, in a radio interview on Thursday, said he hoped\n     the summit meeting participants would ``come to an\n     understanding of the need for reform and modernization in the\n     broader Middle East and North Africa region.''\n       When the State Department set up a news media briefing last\n     month on the Morocco meeting, it assigned Alan P. Larson,\n     undersecretary of state for economic, business and\n     agricultural affairs, to make the presentation. He said\n     the meeting was intended ``to create greater opportunities\n     for the next generation in the broader Middle East''\n     through grants and aid to small businesses, networking\n     among regional financial institutions and exchanging\n     ``views about how to bring more capital in the region,''\n     among other ideas. The United States is involved in most\n     of those efforts through its Middle East Partnership\n     Initiative.\n       In an interview, Mr. Larson contended that these and other\n     financial proposals would contribute to democratic change, at\n     least indirectly.\n       ``When you help small entrepreneurs, that creates a middle-\n     class part of the social underpinning of a democracy,'' he\n     said. ``We see synergistic links between political and\n     economic initiatives.''\n       He and other officials said more direct discussions of\n     political change would come from the Democratic Assistance\n     Dialogue, a new program administered by Italy, Turkey and\n     Yemen intended to foster discussion of political change. But\n     after an initial organizational meeting in Rome last month,\n     future meetings have not yet been scheduled, said Burak\n     Akcapar, counselor in the Turkish Embassy.\n       The Middle East Partnership Initiative, which has received\n     $264 million from Congress since 1993, has a political\n     component. But a study by two scholars at the Brookings\n     Institution, published this week, found that it was\n     ``increasingly shifting its resources from democracy\n     promotion and engagement with local volunteer organizations,\n     to the far\n\n[[Page E2207]]\n\n     less provocative path of regime-led economic development.''\n       That ``can have the effect of subsidizing an Arab\n     government's attempts to build a kinder, gentler autocracy,''\n     it added.\n       ``The whole thing rings hollow,'' said Steven A. Cook, a\n     fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan\n     research group based in New York. ``What is missing is not\n     technical and financial know-how, it is the political will to\n     reform,'' said Mr. Cook, whose field of study is political\n     change in the Arab world. ``I don't think these programs mesh\n     with the president's rhetoric.''\n       At the briefing, Mr. Larson emphasized repeatedly that the\n     Morocco conference was not ``an effort to impose anything\n     from the outside as much as to facilitate efforts that\n     are already being undertaken in the region'' and ``share\n     experiences, share ideas'' among Arab foreign ministers.\n       Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington\n     Institute for Near East Policy, a public research\n     organization said, ``If only the Arab leaders are involved,\n     that will be a brief discussion.''\n       Anger about a perceived bias toward Israel in Washington\n     and about the war in Iraq have made the United States quite\n     unpopular among many in the Arab world. Then, in February,\n     when an Arabic newspaper published a draft of a Bush\n     administration plan urging the world's wealthiest nations to\n     press for political change in the Middle East, several Arab\n     leaders erupted in anger. President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, a\n     close ally of Washington, called the plan ``delusional.''\n       The administration quickly abandoned the plan.\n       The unspoken fact behind all of the discussions, said\n     Leslie Campbell, director of the Middle East Program at the\n     National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, a\n     government-financed group that promotes democracy worldwide,\n     ``is that we are trying to work with a bunch of people who\n     are going to be kicked out of office'' if democratic change\n     moves forward. For now, he added, ``it's easier to support\n     free-trade agreements than political change.''\n       Now, not only do many Arab leaders oppose the plan for\n     broad democratic change, so do some opposition leaders.\n       ``The Bush plan is opposed by the ruling elites who fear\n     losing their privileges and powers,'' wrote Amir Taheri, a\n     political commentator, in Gulf News, ``and by a variety of\n     oppositionists who use anti-Americanism as the key element of\n     their political message.''\n       There is little question that Arab leaders prefer the new\n     approach. A senior Arab diplomat said in an interview that\n     when American officials spoke to his nation's prime minister\n     about political change recently, ``the prime minister told\n     them: `I have two trains--the political train and the\n     economic train. And the political train cannot run ahead of\n     the other.'\n       ``So we started talking to them about economic\n     development,'' the diplomat said.\n       A senior State Department official said discussions with\n     several Arab states brought similar results.\n       In a speech to open a session of Parliament on Wednesday,\n     King Abdullah II of Jordan emphasized that his country must\n     continue ``reform, modernization and development,'' which\n     would enable ``the Jordanian individual to actively take part\n     in formulating the present and the future.'' He went on to\n     emphasize that change should be focused on fighting ``poverty\n     and unemployment.''\n       Mr. Craner, the former State Department official, said: ``I\n     would watch for the prominence of political versus economic\n     and social reforms I discussed at the meeting. If it is\n     mostly economic and social, it is not a good sign.''\n       The senior Arab diplomat offered a broader warning.\n       ``Something must happen as a result of this meeting,'' he\n     said. ``If nothing happens, it will be very difficult to keep\n     this alive because there are lots of people who want to kill\n     it.''\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2207", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2004", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2207", "E2209", "[{\"name\": \"Duncan Hunter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"10\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2207", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2207-E2209]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n    CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM\n                         PREVENTION ACT OF 2004\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following for the Record:\n\n                               Background\n\n       As the lead House conferee on those matters before the\n     conference involving support and execution of defense\n     intelligence activities, I find it necessary to offer\n     amplifying remarks on the intent of House conferees on these\n     critical areas of interest. It is unfortunate that the\n     conference leadership saw fit to reduce the customary\n     statement of managers to the most cursory and minimalist of\n     documents. With all the new organizational structures and\n     revamped relationships required by this legislation, it is\n     particularly critical that clear legislative intent be\n     established to guide the executive branch in implementing and\n     executing this legislation for decades to come.\n       Thus, the following remarks represent my attempt to provide\n     such clarifying intent for selected provisions of the\n     conference report on S. 2845 that was approved by the House\n     of Representatives on December 7, 2004.\n\n  House Armed Services Committee Consideration of Intelligence Reform\n\n       During the late summer and early fall of this year, the\n     House Armed Services Committee held a series of hearings on\n     the recommendations contained in the 9/11 Commission Report\n     prior to marking up H.R. 10, the House version of this\n     intelligence reform legislation. The Committee on Armed\n     Services' markup of H.R. 10 was limited to Title 1, the\n     National Security Intelligence Improvement Act of 2004, which\n     addresses the core issue of the commission report, namely the\n     organization of the intelligence community. Thus, during the\n     conference between the Senate and the House, I, as Chairman\n     of the Committee on Armed Services, focused primarily on\n     Title I provisions and the potential effect of these\n     statutory changes on the ability of the Secretary of Defense\n     to ensure that troops in combat have the intelligence support\n     they need.\n       Since a large proportion of the funding and personnel\n     involved in the national intelligence mission reside in the\n     Department of Defense and exist in large measure to support\n     troops in combat, the committee was concerned that the\n     reorganization of the intelligence community does not in any\n     way deprive combatant commanders of needed full spectrum\n     intelligence. It was clear as we conducted our deliberations\n     on this matter that the 9/11 Commission found no fault with\n     the operation of the DOD elements of the intelligence\n     community and did not intend to affect the ability of these\n     agencies to support the combatant commanders. It was also\n     clear in my deliberations with fellow conferees in both the\n     Senate and House of Representatives that the conferees had no\n     intent to negatively affect these delicate relationships. In\n     other words, all conferees believe that the Secretary of\n     Defense should continue to be able to manage the elements of\n     the intelligence community resident in DOD to provide all\n     necessary support to commanders in the field. So that\n     there is no misunderstanding of that intent, I have\n     prepared a description of how DOD intelligence support\n     operates today, accompanied by a description of how the\n     conferees intend for the new Director of National\n     Intelligence (DNI) to implement his new authorities with\n     respect to DOD.\n\n     Department of Defense Support of National Intelligence Mission\n\n       The Department of Defense operates the majority of the\n     nation's national intelligence apparatus through the National\n     Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, the\n     National Geospatial-intelligence Agency, and the Defense\n     Intelligence Agency. These agencies support the intelligence\n     requirements of both the Director of Central Intelligence\n     (DCI) and the Secretary of Defense under a well established\n     partnership arrangement. That partnership works effectively\n     today and was effective before September 11, 2001, according\n     to testimony before the committee by the leadership of the 9-\n     11 Commission.\n       The reason for this complicated arrangement is that our\n     nation's intelligence assets are a unique and valuable\n     instrument of national security policy that must serve\n     multiple purposes. We do not have two separate intelligence\n     systems. Today, the same national capability and the same\n     satellites that inform the President and senior policymakers\n     are also used by front line military forces to carry out\n     their mission. The use of expensive, complex systems for\n     multiple purposes is both efficient and synergistic to\n     effective intelligence analysis. Our tactical successes in\n     both Afghanistan and Iraq, while simultaneously providing\n     strategic intelligence to national policy makers, demonstrate\n     the flexibility and effectiveness of the current intelligence\n     sharing structure.\n       This integration of national and tactical intelligence and\n     the sharing of information to users up and down the command\n     chain is a proven strategy that the House Armed Services\n     Committee has been developing for well over a decade.\n     Therefore, the suggestion that national and tactical\n     intelligence operations and assets can be surgically split\n     into separate organizations (and budgets) fails to understand\n     the negative impact such a step would have on how we operate\n     and perform on today's modern battlefield. Consequently, the\n     budget authorities assigned to the newly created Director of\n     National Intelligence (DNI) under H.R. 10 were carefully\n     crafted to preserve the ability of the Secretary of Defense\n     to rely on these agencies to supply critical military\n     intelligence to combatant commanders, yet enable the DNI to\n     effectively perform his national intelligence mission.\n       The system works today because of the delicately balanced\n     partnership that exists between the DCI and the Secretary of\n     Defense. Thus, as we codify this new organizational concept\n     that creates a Director of National Intelligence to manage\n     the community, the conferees sought to protect this critical\n     partnership to ensure that we do not weaken those parts of\n     the intelligence system that work well and are critical to\n     the life and death of our men and women in uniform.\n\n                           Conferees' Intent\n\n       H.R. 10 was crafted in such a way that the prerogatives of\n     senior cabinet officials were preserved and the delicate\n     balance described above was maintained, while the Senate bill\n\n[[Page E2208]]\n\n     provided the DNI with more unilateral authority to manage the\n     intelligence community. As would be expected, the conference\n     agreement resulted in compromises that shifted the balance\n     somewhat. In particular, in an effort to bridge the\n     differences between the two bills, House conferees agreed to\n     alternative language formulations on a broad range of issues,\n     including those related to budget authority, budget\n     reprogramming authority, and personnel transfer authority.\n\n                            Budget Execution\n\n       First, the new section 1011 provides the DNI with authority\n     to determine the budgets for national intelligence programs\n     operated by the elements of the intelligence community,\n     including the four major national intelligence agencies that\n     are part of the Department of Defense. The conferees clearly\n     intend that the DNI will rely heavily on the recommendations\n     of the Secretary of Defense in the development and management\n     of the appropriations of any Department of Defense element of\n     the intelligence community, and will not involve himself\n     unnecessarily in the budget details of DOD agencies. Clearly,\n     section 1018 of the conference agreement preserves the\n     authority of the Secretary of Defense to operate his\n     department, including and especially in regard to budgetary\n     matters affecting his agencies. In section 1011, the\n     conferees intended to provide the DNI with broad oversight of\n     national intelligence budgetary matters to be able to assure\n     that national intelligence strategic objectives and programs\n     are adequately supported. Again, the conferees did not intend\n     for the DNI to become routinely involved in internal\n     execution of DOD intelligence programs.\n\n             Classification of Budget Intelligence Topline\n\n       The Senate bill contained a budget execution mechanism that\n     would have resulted in the declassification of the total\n     funding level provided to the intelligence community, known\n     as the topline. The conferees agreed that topline number\n     should remain classified, and deliberately designed the\n     budget execution authorities in section 1011 to achieve that\n     objective. This was an important negotiating point in\n     conference discussions, and there should be no confusion over\n     the intent of the conferees to preserve the secrecy of the\n     total funding allocated to the intelligence activities of the\n     United States.\n\n                          Budget Reprogramming\n\n       Similarly, the conference agreement, also in section 1011,\n     provides the DNI with greater reprogramming authority than is\n     found in H.R. 10. H.R. 10, as passed by the House, provides\n     the DNI with unilateral reprogramming authority within the\n     National Intelligence Program for up to $100 million annually\n     per department for ``unforeseen requirements.'' Even though\n     the conferees agreed in the final conference report to allow\n     the DNI to reprogram within the national intelligence program\n     up to $150 million for any purpose that ``increases\n     efficiency,'' it is the firm expectation of the conferees\n     that any large reprogramming should only be made to meet\n     unforeseen requirements and that every effort should be\n     made to execute such reprogrammings with collaboration and\n     concurrence of the affected agency and department heads.\n     As a matter of policy, the appropriate process for\n     efficiency adjustments to an agency's programs is the\n     regular budget process and not reprogramming actions.\n     While the conference agreement provides the DNI with this\n     reprogramming tool, the conferees expect that use of this\n     authority would be exceedingly rare and in times of real\n     emergency.\n\n                          Personnel Transfers\n\n       Section 1011 also provides the DNI with unilateral\n     authority to transfer personnel out of elements of the\n     intelligence community under limited circumstances. Under the\n     conference agreement, the DNI has the authority to create a\n     new national intelligence center for any reasonable purpose\n     and may transfer up to 100 personnel from anywhere within the\n     intelligence community to the new center, without the\n     concurrence of the head of the agency to which the personnel\n     are assigned. The conferees expect that the DNI will use this\n     authority sparingly and as a last resort. The conferees\n     believe that any emergent need that mandates the creation of\n     a new national intelligence center will be managed in a\n     collegial fashion in any administration, with the DNI and\n     agency heads involved able to jointly determine the\n     appropriate staffing support for the new center. Further, the\n     conferees expect the DNI to develop working agreements with\n     all appropriate Congressional committees of oversight over\n     agencies and departments within the National Intelligence\n     Program to establish necessary notification procedures\n     similar to those utilized for prior approval reprogramming of\n     appropriations.\n\n                          Personnel Management\n\n       A significant proportion of the personnel working in the\n     intelligence community are assigned to the Department of\n     Defense, and military personnel are a large part of that\n     workforce. The conferees agree that the DNI should have a\n     role in the management and professional development of\n     civilian personnel assigned to the disparate parts of the\n     intelligence community, but do not intend that the DNI have\n     the same authority over military personnel. Military\n     personnel are subject to the personnel management provisions\n     found in title 10, United States Code, and are promoted to\n     senior grades based on meeting statutory requirements for\n     joint service. The conferees agree that it would be\n     inappropriate for military personnel to be managed by both\n     the DNI and the Secretary of Defense, and intend that the\n     personnel management authorities found in section 1011 of the\n     conference report apply principally to civilian personnel.\n\n                         Acquisition Authority\n\n       The conferees intend that the provision that provides the\n     DNI with joint milestone decision acquisition authority over\n     defense programs contained in the national intelligence\n     program will be used in a spirit of cooperation with the\n     Secretary of Defense, with each official giving due weight to\n     the needs of the other as new national intelligence programs\n     are procured. In no way do the conferees intend for the\n     DNI to have veto power over DOD programs. The Secretary of\n     Defense retains the authority and responsibility to\n     develop and field intelligence assets that will support\n     the troops in combat. The conferees expect that the\n     Secretary will work with the DNI to develop and field\n     systems that can reasonably accommodate both the DNI's\n     national intelligence needs as well as combatant commander\n     requirements, and expect the DNI to fully support the\n     needs of the Secretary and the combatant commanders.\n\n                   DNI Control over Military Programs\n\n       To ensure that combatant commander requirements were\n     satisfied, H.R. 10 excluded from DNI controls all military\n     intelligence programs within the Joint Military Intelligence\n     Program (JMIP) and the Tactical Intelligence and Related\n     Activities (TIARA) program. The Senate bill provided the DNI\n     with partial control over JMIP programs, including non-\n     national, or military programs. The Senate receded from its\n     provision that would provide the DNI control over non-\n     national JMIP programs, and the conference report provides\n     that the Secretary of Defense will exclusively manage and\n     execute JMIP programs.\n       The conference agreement also goes beyond H.R. 10 in regard\n     to the intelligence tasking authority of the DNI. National\n     intelligence assets provide real time, life and death\n     information to our troops in combat, and must be available to\n     the Secretary of Defense and the combatant commanders when\n     needed. There is broad agreement among conferees that the\n     needs of troops engaged with the enemy shall always take\n     priority in tasking national intelligence assets. I only very\n     reluctantly agreed to this language based on assurances of\n     all the conferees and senior administration officials that\n     the combatant commanders and engaged troops would never be\n     denied the intelligence support they need, notwithstanding\n     the statutory authority of the DNI to direct the assets\n     elsewhere. Furthermore, combatant commanders need\n     intelligence on a continuous basis, not only when engaged in\n     combat operations. The conferees expect that combatant\n     commander requirements will continue to enjoy a high priority\n     for collection and analysis, in times of peace as well as\n     time of war.\n\n       Authority of Director of National Counter Terrorism Center\n\n       Section 1021 of the conference agreement, like H.R. 10,\n     provides the Director of the National Counter Terrorism\n     Center with the authority to conduct ``strategic operational\n     planning'' of the nation's counter terrorism operations.\n     Unlike H.R. 10, the conference agreement defines strategic\n     operational planning with a specificity that could be\n     misinterpreted in a manner that suggests the conferees\n     intended for the NCTC director to become involved in tasking\n     internal elements of agencies to perform such missions. To\n     the contrary, the conferees have included specific language\n     stating that the director may not direct the execution of\n     counterterrorism missions and have included section 1018,\n     which clearly preserves the prerogatives of the chain of\n     command in operational matters. Some managers in the other\n     body have made contradictory statements concerning the role\n     of the NCTC in strategic operational planning. On the one\n     hand, it is suggested that the NCTC would operate much like\n     the Joint Staff, planning broad missions but not becoming\n     immersed in the details. This first interpretation is in\n     fact what the conferees intended. On the other, it has\n     been suggested that strategic operational planning would\n     involve the NCTC in selecting specific mission objectives,\n     and possibly directly tasking subordinate elements of the\n     Department of Defense and other agencies. This sort of\n     activity was decidedly not contemplated by the conferees,\n     and was one reason why House conferees insisted on the\n     inclusion of section 1018 preserving the chain of command.\n     In no case may the NCTC directly task an internal element\n     of the Department of Defense outside the statutory chain\n     of command. The use of military force to achieve national\n     objectives is the statutory responsibility of the\n     Secretary of Defense, and the conferees intend that\n     Secretary will be fully and authoritatively involved in\n     any instance where the NCTC or any other outside agency\n     proposes to employ the assets of the Department of\n     Defense.\n\n                      Chain of Command Protection\n\n       As noted above, the conferees included, with the\n     President's full support, section 1018 that reaffirms the\n     sanctity of the chain of command. The chain of command, by\n     operation of title 10, United States Code, runs\n\n[[Page E2209]]\n\n     from the President to the Secretary of Defense to the\n     combatant commander involved. There must be no confusion\n     about who is in charge in the execution of military\n     operations. The conference report provides the DNI with a\n     broad coordinating and integrating role to ensure that the\n     nation does not endure another intelligence failure, but the\n     conferees have not bestowed upon the DNI the authority to\n     independently direct and manage elements of the intelligence\n     community that are part of other government departments, such\n     as Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, and most critically,\n     Defense.\n       It has been suggested by managers in the other body that\n     section 1018 does not authorize the President or department\n     heads to override the DNI's authority contained in this\n     legislation. That assertion is plainly wrong. The original\n     language that the other body suggested for inclusion in the\n     conference report would have made the DNI's authority in this\n     legislation exempt from existing statutory language\n     concerning the chain of command, such as sections 113(b) and\n     162(b) of title 10, United States Code. However, that\n     language was not accepted by the conferees. The language of\n     section 1018 that was finally agreed to specifically protects\n     the military chain of command. Assertions that the President\n     and the Secretary of Defense have no authority to override\n     the DNI with regard to commanding and controlling all\n     elements of the Department of Defense are not correct.\n     Further, it is important to note that the President has\n     consistently upheld this principle by endorsing the necessity\n     of a clear ``preservation of authorities'' provision in this\n     legislation. As stated in his letter to the conferees of\n     December 6, 2004,\n       ``Accordingly, in developing implementing guidelines and\n     regulations for this bill, it is my intention to ensure that\n     the principles of unity of command and authority are fully\n     protected. It remains essential to preserve in the heads of\n     the executive departments the unity of authority over and\n     accountability for the performance of those departments. In\n     particular, as we continue to prosecute the global war on\n     terrorism, the integrity of the military chain of command\n     must continue to be respected and in no way abrogated.''\n       It is critical that there be no ambiguity about the intent\n     of Congress as this legislation is implemented, and I will be\n     particularly diligent in my oversight role to ensure that the\n     intelligence needs of the Department of Defense are fully met\n     as the various complex new relationships provided by this\n     legislation are implemented in the years to come.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2209", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2004", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2209", "E2210", "[{\"name\": \"Peter Hoekstra\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"10\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2209", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2209-E2210]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n    CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM\n                         PREVENTION ACT OF 2004\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                          HON. PETER HOEKSTRA\n\n                              of michigan\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the conference on the bill\nI would also like to briefly discuss the interpretation of this\nlegislation.\n  The conference report embodies the substantial agreement between the\nHouse bill, H.R. 10, and the Senate bill, S. 2845, on the core reforms\nto be carried out by this legislation. It is also important to note,\nhowever, that the conference faced many challenges in reconciling often\nfundamentally different philosophies and visions underlying those\nreforms and the specific provisions in each bill. Accordingly, the\nconferees agreed to submit only a very limited Joint Explanatory\nStatement on the conference report, relying on the text of the\nlegislation to represent our agreements.\n  Only that text, which is controlling, and the Joint Explanatory\nStatement were agreed to by both houses and reflect the intent of the\nconferees. I should also note that Chairman Hyde intends to submit a\nstatement for the record reflecting bipartisan and bicameral\nunderstandings with respect to certain foreign affairs provisions of\nthe bill. Other statements by Members of Congress outside the scope of\nthe Joint Explanatory Statement, media reports, or the reports or work\nproduct of any of the outside panels or commissions whose work\ncontributed to this legislation reflect their own views and should not\nbe construed as determinative guidance with respect to legislative\nintent.\n  While that framework ultimately controls interpretation of the bill,\nI would like to note my understanding as chairman of the conference of\nseveral matters within this legislation.\n\n          Authorities of the Director of National Intelligence\n\n  The nature of the authorities to be granted to the Director of\nNational Intelligence, DNI, and the relationship of the Director to\nother Federal officials were delicate and precisely negotiated issues,\nwith resulting agreements reflected in the legislative language of the\nconference report. Only that legislative language controls the\nauthorities of the DNI.\n  This principle bears special emphasis in a number of areas. With\nrespect to budget formulation, the text of the agreement carefully and\nexplicitly specifies the authorities of the DNI and the relationships\nbetween the DNI, the heads of individual agencies and organizations\nwithin the National Intelligence Program, and the heads of executive\ndepartments containing those agencies and organizations. Those roles\nand authorities should be construed solely by reference to the\nprovisions of the conference report and existing law--no more, and no\nless.\n  For example, the text explicitly provides that both the heads of\nexecutive departments containing agencies or organizations within the\nintelligence community and the heads of those discrete agencies may\neach provide annual budget proposals to the DNI, based on the DNI's\nguidance, for the DNI to use in determining and presenting an\nintelligence budget to the President. Beyond this direction, the\nlegislation does not specify how the budget proposals are to be\ndeveloped or provided, and it is properly for the executive branch to\ndetermine how to execute the statute consistent with its text.\n  Similarly, the legislation provides, in amended section 102A(e)(2)(A)\nof the National Security Act, that personnel transfers are to be made\nin accordance with procedures developed by the DNI and the heads of\naffected departments and agencies. It does not specify what role is to\nbe played in the transfers by department and agency heads pursuant to\nsuch procedures. Presumably, that matter will be determined by the\nexecutive branch within the agreement on procedures developed under the\nlegislative text.\n  Consistent with basic constitutional principles, the legislation\nprovides that the DNI's authority is ``[s]ubject to the authority,\ndirection, and control of the President.'' Accordingly, the text does\nnot specify who is to perform the President's daily intelligence\nbriefing or under what specific operational circumstances the President\nwill interact with the Director of the CIA, which should be matters for\nthe President to decide himself.\n  The legislation also contains a detailed provision dealing with the\napportionment of funds. That provision textually speaks only to the\napportionment of funds, not to apportionment plans or any other related\nmatter. Similarly, the conference report does not specifically\nauthorize the creation of an entity within the Office of the DNI to\nperform common services or of a Chief Financial Officer for the DNI.\nNor does it provide that an open source intelligence center, if\ncreated, should be a new element of the intelligence community. Nor is\nthe conforming amendment to section 105(a) of the National Security Act\ncontained in section 1072(a)(2) of the legislation intended to\nsubstantively amend the authority of the Secretary of Defense. That\nprovision merely clarifies that section 105(a) of the National Security\nAct should be construed in conjunction with the specified statutory\nauthorities of the DNI. Had the conference intended to address any of\nthese matters in this legislation, appropriately specific provisions\nwould have been included to do so.\n\n   national counterterrorism center and national intelligence centers\n\n  The authorities of the National Counterterrorism Center were issues\nof great and delicate debate during the conference. This is\nparticularly true with respect to the balance between the authority of\nthe NCTC to conduct ``strategic operational planning'' and the\nauthority of individual departments and agencies to plan and direct the\nconduct of the resulting operations. There was full agreement that the\nNCTC properly should assign ``roles and responsibilities'' to agencies\nparticipating in Counterterrorism operations. However, the text of the\nlegislation specifies that the assignment of ``roles and\nresponsibilities'' does not extend to directing the execution of any\nresulting operations. The legislation does not, for example, authorize\nthe NCTC to determine which personnel or specific capabilities should\nbe utilized by agencies in mission execution.\n  Similarly, careful discussions took place in the conference with\nrespect to the detail of personnel to the NCTC, with the outcome\nmemorialized in the legislative text. There is no specific direction to\nconcentrate personnel holding scarce and desirable skills in the NCTC,\nnor is such concentration prohibited. In exercising authorities to\ntransfer or detail personnel, it will be important for the DNI to weigh\nthe needs of an effective NCTC with the needs of other agencies and the\nintelligence community as a whole.\n  The conference also reached compromise on the scope and authorities\nof any future National Intelligence Centers that might be created by\nthe Director of National Intelligence. The conference report authorizes\nthe DNI to establish, if appropriate and necessary to complete the\nmission, national intelligence centers that are administratively\ndistinct from the other agencies of the intelligence community.\nHowever, it does not require that all National Intelligence Centers be\ncreated as separate and administratively distinct entities. As with the\nNCTC, it will be important for the DNI\n\n[[Page E2210]]\n\nto weigh the needs of any additional National Intelligence Centers\nagainst the needs of the agencies within the intelligence community,\nwith due consideration for the expert personnel that make the\nintelligence community effective.\n\n                information flow and information sharing\n\n  The legislation specifies that the information sharing system created\nin section 1016 is to facilitate the sharing of terrorism information,\nas specifically defined in section 1016(a)(4). The conference\nspecifically chose to remove references to any specific system,\nnetwork, or proposal as a model. As provided in section 1016(b)(1)(a),\nthe system is to be established consistent with ``applicable legal\nstandards'' relating to privacy and civil liberties.\n  Further, the conference did not establish specific qualifications for\nthe program manager to be designated under the bill. While experience\nwith managing an ``enterprise architecture'' is desirable, that\nexpertise is a narrow category of necessary qualifications and it is\nequally important that the manager have program management and systems\ndevelopment expertise. I should also note that the legislation refers\nto the ``Information Sharing Council.'' This is intended to refer to\nthe ``Information Systems Council'' established by Executive order.\n\n              privacy and civil liberties oversight board\n\n  The Privacy and Civil Liberties Board also was a carefully negotiated\nprovision in conference. Once again, only the text of the legislation\nreflects our final agreement. The conference dropped a proposed\nprovision that would have limited the board to providing advice only\nwhen requested by the head of an agency, choosing to remain silent on\nthe specifics. Such silence should not be construed, however, as a\nrequirement for executive branch officials to routinely or\naffirmatively consult with the Board. Such a requirement does not\nappear in the legislation, and again this is a matter for the Executive\nto carry out consistent with the legislative text.\n  In addition, there was extensive discussion of the exemption that is\nincluded in section 1061(d)(4) of the bill with respect to the\nauthority of the DNI to withhold information from the Board for\nnational security reasons. The legislation speaks for itself, but I\nwould like to emphasize that the possession of a security clearance\ndoes not automatically provide a ``need to know'' classified\ninformation, especially where it is uniquely sensitive. This provision\nshould not be used to routinely withhold information, but is instead\nintended to come into play where preventing potential harm to national\nsecurity from disclosure precludes the ``need to know'' served by the\ninterests of the Board.\n  It is also important to note that the conference did not have an\nopportunity to consider the relationship of section 1062, a sense of\nCongress provision dealing with designation of agency privacy officers,\nto similar provisions contained in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill\ndealing with Chief Privacy Officers.\n\n                 public interest declassification board\n\n  Section 1102 of the conference report, dealing with the Public\nInterest Declassification Board, provides that the board may conduct\nreview and make recommendations to the President with respect to\nrequests from congressional committees of jurisdiction to declassify\ncertain records or reconsider a declination to declassify certain\nrecords. It is important to emphasize that the text of section 1102(b)\nand, by reference, section 1102(e) refer only to requests from\ncommittees of jurisdiction and not individual Members of Congress, and\nthat no authority for individual members to make such requests should\nbe inferred.\n\n      drivers license and personal identification card provisions\n\n  Finally, I note two provisions that were the subject of negotiation\nin section 7212 of the conference report, dealing with standards for\ndrivers' licenses. First, a detailed specification of which\n``interested parties'' should participate in the negotiated rulemaking\nprovided for in this section was specifically omitted from the text. It\nis therefore erroneous to infer or suggest that a requirement for\nmandatory participation by any particular ``interested party'' or group\nin the rulemaking is intended in the bill. Second, a provision was\nremoved from section 7212(b)(3)(E) that would have required the\nregulations developed in the rulemaking to include requirements to\nprotect unspecified ``civil and due process'' rights of individuals\napplying for and holding drivers licenses and personal identification\ncards. This legislation is not intended to create or infer the creation\nof any civil or due process right relating to drivers' licenses or\nidentification cards, nor is any such provision included in the text of\nthe legislation.\n  My statement is not exhaustive and is without prejudice to\ninterpretation of other items in the conference report, which I again\nemphasize in closing should be made solely by reference to the text of\nthe conference report and the Joint Explanatory Statement.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2210-2", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF THE STAFF OF CONGRESSMAN NICK SMITH", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2210", "E2210", "[{\"name\": \"Nick Smith\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2210", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2210]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n       A TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF THE STAFF OF CONGRESSMAN NICK SMITH\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. NICK SMITH\n\n                              of michigan\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of all of us in\nthe United States House of Representatives to pay tribute to several\nindividuals who have contributed significantly to the operation and\nsuccess of the 108th Congress of the United States.\n  I take this opportunity to especially recognize and thank the members\nof my personal staff for their outstanding work and dedication in\nserving the constituents of the Seventh Congressional District of\nMichigan. I want to commend their exemplary service in helping\ncitizens, especially when the federal government bureaucracy was bogged\ndown or hadn't addressed the real needs of the people. I praise my\nstaff for their efforts to analyze and develop legislation that will\nmake our country stronger and better in the future.\n  The individuals I pay tribute to today are: Keith Brown, Jennifer\nBurg, Dan Byers, Mary Christ, Soren Dayton, David Finger, Alan Knapp,\nRuth Mayday, Greg Moore, Ammani Nagesh, Jared Page, David Rawson, Lindy\nSalem, Peter Saling, Kurt Schmautz, Ed Sharkey, Heather Smith,\nPriscilla Smith, Lee VanWychen, and Wendy Wieringa, and Gary Wolfram.\n  I applaud my staff's commitment to serving the people of this great\nnation and I extend my heartfelt thanks to them for their insight and\nhard work. It is individuals such as these that make members of\nCongress successful, enabling us to perform and serve in the best\npossible manner. On behalf of the United States Congress, I wish each\nof them the very best and every success in all their future endeavors.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2210", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN RECOGNITION OF THE DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF MR. ARTHUR LIBERTUCCI", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2210", "E2210", "[{\"name\": \"Mike Thompson\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2210", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2210]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n  IN RECOGNITION OF THE DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF MR. ARTHUR LIBERTUCCI\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the\ncareer of Arthur Libertucci. On January 3, 2005 Mr. Libertucci will\nretire from his post as Administrator of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax\nand Trade Bureau, capping a long and distinguished career of public\nservice.\n  Mr. Libertucci's service has spanned four decades. He joined the\nBureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms in 1972 as an inspector in New\nYork City. Over the years he has served in a number of positions at ATF\nheadquarters and in field offices throughout the country.\n  Mr. Speaker, after working his way through the ranks of the ATF, Mr.\nLibertucci became a federal executive in 1989. He has held many\nexecutive positions in the ATF from Associate Director for Compliance\nOperations to Assistant Director for the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco.\n  Following the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security\nand the reorganization of the ATF, Mr. Libertucci was charged with\nestablishing a new bureau to regulate the alcohol and tobacco\nindustries. Mr. Libertucci's experience and commitment to public\nservice made him the clear choice to lead the new Alcohol and Tobacco\nTax and Trade Bureau.\n  Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing some of America's\npremier wine regions and consequently, I have had the pleasure of\nworking very closely with Mr. Libertucci over the years. He is a\nconsummate professional who has gone to great lengths to ensure that\nthe TTB is a partner of the American wine industry and not just a\nregulator. Under Mr. Libertucci's leadership, the TTB has played a\nsignificant role in fostering the growth and economic vitality of the\ndomestic wine industry.\n  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we recognize Mr. Libertucci for\nhis service to our country and his commitment to public service. His\nefforts in the organization of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade\nBureau will have a lasting impact on the United States Government. I\nthank Mr. Libertucci for his service and I wish him well in his new\nendeavors.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2211-2", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "BAT FOR THE CURE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2211", "E2211", "[{\"name\": \"Anthony D. Weiner\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2211", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2211]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                            BAT FOR THE CURE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, each year, about 33,000 Americans die from\nprostate cancer and 256,000 are diagnosed for the first time. Aside\nfrom lung cancer, the disease kills more men than any other form of\ncancer.\n  On November 8, 1999, Ed Randall, one of the country's foremost\nbaseball authorities, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Early\ndetection and the care of doctors like Nicholas Romas at St. Luke's-\nRoosevelt Hospital Center in New York City saved Ed's life.\n  In late 2002, Ed founded Bat for the Cure, a non-profit charity\ndedicated to the eradication of prostate cancer. With its prominent\nboard of directors, including Bob Costas, Mario Cuomo, Len Elmore,\nKathy Giusti and John Hennessy III, the charity has raised hundreds of\nthousands of dollars to fight the disease.\n  The organization has also enlisted well-known sports stars who are\njoining in the fight, such as Dustin Baker, Frank Robinson, Tom McCraw,\nBob Watson, Don Baylor, Dave Winfield, and Rafael Palmeiro. Many of\nthese celebrities have personal experiences with the tragedy of cancer.\n  Fortunately, prostate cancer is one of the slowest growing cancers,\nso proper detection and treatment can save lives. With Bat for the\nCure's support, St. Luke's-Roosevelt, the hospital that saved Ed\nRandall's life, is now helping many other cancer patients become\nsurvivors.\n  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to make prostate cancer research\nand early detection a national health care priority. Congress should\nact without delay to double prostate cancer research funding at the\nNational Institutes of Health, fully fund the National Cancer\nInstitute, and save prostate cancer research at the Veteran's\nAdministration.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2211-3", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO KRISTINA KIIK", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2211", "E2211", "[{\"name\": \"Sam Johnson\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2211", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2211]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        TRIBUTE TO KRISTINA KIIK\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. SAM JOHNSON\n\n                                of texas\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is with great joy that I\nrecognize Kristina Kiik. Kristina was elected and is believed to be the\nyoungest elector in the history of the United States at the Texas State\nRepublican Party Convention last June.\n  Next week will be a busy one for the 21-year-old Republican in\nAustin. On December 13th, she will cast her vote for President George\nW. Bush in the State Capitol at the Meeting of the Electoral College.\n  A smart and savvy student at Southern Methodist University, Kristina\nis an inspiration to young people across America.\n  While attending the Hockaday School in Dallas, the Richardson native\nbeat out countless students across the nation for a coveted position as\na Page in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now at SMU, she interned\nin my District office and continues to make a difference in her\ncommunity.\n  What an honor to recognize her for her tremendous achievement and I\nhave a feeling this could be the first of many trips for Kristina to\nAustin.\n  I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable\nAmerican.\n  Kristina, God bless you and God bless America.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2211-4", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE TO DOLLY SEELMEYER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PHOTOGRAPHER", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2211", "E2211", "[{\"name\": \"Nancy Pelosi\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2211", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2211]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n      A TRIBUTE TO DOLLY SEELMEYER, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES\n                              PHOTOGRAPHER\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. NANCY PELOSI\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Monday, December 20, 2004\n\n  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my deep appreciation\nfor the distinguished career of Dolly Seelmeyer.\n  Dolly will retire at the end of this year, having served the United\nStates House of Representatives for 32 years. Dolly started in the\nHouse in 1970 working for Congressman Joe Addabbo of New York. In 1972,\nshe became the first woman photographer with the Office of Photography.\nOver the years Dolly has been a tremendous asset to Members of the\nHouse. Her body of work--literally thousands of memorable photographs--\nis greatly appreciated by the Members and their constituents.\n  Dolly has served as photographer, supervisory photographer and in\nrecent years as the manager of the Office of Photography. We are\ngrateful to Dolly for her many years of hard work to the U.S. House of\nRepresentatives. On behalf of the House Democratic Caucus, I extend our\ngratitude for your dedication and best wishes to you and your family on\nyour well-deserved retirement.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2211-5", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "DIRECTING SECRETARY OF SENATE TO CORRECT ENROLLMENT OF S. 150", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2211", "E2212", "[{\"name\": \"F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"150\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2211", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2211-E2212]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n     DIRECTING SECRETARY OF SENATE TO CORRECT ENROLLMENT OF S. 150\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                    HON. F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR.\n\n                              of wisconsin\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Friday, November 19, 2004\n\n  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, on November 19, 2004, the House\npassed both S. Con. Res. 146 and S. 150 under suspension of the rules\nby voice vote. The amendments made to S. 150 as it was passed by the\nSenate included a provision that ended some state taxation of Internet\naccess previously interpreted to be allowed by the original 1998\nmoratorium grandfather exceptions. The final\n\n[[Page E2212]]\n\nenrolled version of S. 150 was signed by President Bush on December 3,\n2004, and became Public Law 108-435.\n  As Chairman of the Committee of jurisdiction in the House, I wish to\nremark further upon the meaning and intent of Section 1104(a)(2) of the\nfinal enrolled version of S. 150 that became Public Law. The intent of\nthis section is to clarify ambiguities associated with the Internet Tax\nFreedom Act (Pub. L. 106-277, Div. C. Title XI (1998)) (``ITFA''),\nwhich created a moratorium on State taxation of Internet access and on\nmultiple and discriminatory taxation of electronic commerce. The ITFA\ncontained an exemption for States that had generally imposed or\nactually enforced a tax on Internet access prior to October 1, 1998.\nThus, States that qualified for ``grandfather'' status could continue\nto tax Internet access.\n  Subsequent to 1998, however, litigation arose between State taxing\nauthorities and various Internet Service Providers (ISPs), who\nmaintained that certain States wrongly taxed them and their customers\nfor Internet access even though such States had never qualified for\ngrandfather status. One example is that of Tennessee, whose\nCommissioner of Revenue had assessed sales and use taxes on Internet\naccess based on the State's tax on ``telecommunications services.'' An\nISP (Prodigy) challenged the tax and, following several years of\nlitigation, the Tennessee Court of Appeals eventually ruled that the\nprovision of Internet access did not constitute a taxable event within\nthe Tennessee statute. Thus, Tennessee had never met the requirements\nfor grandfather status under the ITFA to tax Internet access.\n  Similarly, Wisconsin taxation authorities claimed to qualify for\ngrandfather status under the ITFA based on a broad State tax on\n``telecommunications services'' which was subsequently applied to\nencompass Internet access through an administrative ruling. Like\nTennessee, ISPs have challenged Wisconsin's status as a\n``grandfathered'' State under the pre-October 1998 provisions of the\nITFA. The crux of the ISPs' argument is that the tax statutes of\nTennessee and Wisconsin differ from those of other grandfathered States\nthat meet the conditions of the ITFA. Where other grandfathered States'\nstatutes impose taxes on all services unless an exemption exists, those\nof States like Wisconsin and Tennessee only tax services if they are\nenumerated in the statute specifically. Since neither State's statute\ntaxed Internet access explicitly, they were never entitled to assess\ntaxes on Internet access within their States as the ITFA was intended\nto be construed by Congress.\n  In order to provide clarity about the original intent of Congress and\nthe ITFA, and in order to end further litigation, Section 1104(a)(2)\nstates that the grandfather provision of the ITFA will terminate after\nNovember 1, 2007 with the exception of a State telecommunications\nservice tax enacted by State law on or after October 1, 1991 and\napplied to Internet access through administrative code or regulation\nissued on or after December 1, 2002.\n  Section 1104(a)(2) should also serve notice that Congress finds\nparticularly egregious the attempts of some States, like Wisconsin, to\navoid the Congressional intent and the general moratorium by seeking to\nimpose preexisting telecommunications taxes on Internet access after\nthe enactment of the ITFA through administrative ruling rather than an\nact of the legislature. It is also the intent of this section to deter\nany similar efforts by States in the future.\n  As of November 19, 2004, Congress believes that only Wisconsin of the\nremaining grandfathered states under the 1998 ITFA meets the particular\ngeneral qualifying criteria set forth in Section 1104(a)(2)(B)(i) &\n(ii). Therefore the effect of Section 1104(a)(2) will be to end\nWisconsin's grandfathered ability to collect taxes on Internet access\nby November 1, 2006. However, if any other grandfathered States are\nsubsequently found to meet the same generally applicable criteria, they\nshould be treated similarly and their grandfathered taxation status\nshould also end by November 1, 2006."], ["CREC-2004-12-20-pt1-PgE2211", "2004-12-20", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2004", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2211", "E2211", "[{\"name\": \"Eleanor Holmes Norton\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2845\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2211", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 140 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2211]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2211]]\n    CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2845, INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM\n                         PREVENTION ACT OF 2004\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON\n\n                      of the district of columbia\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I represent the people of the Nation's\ncapital, perhaps the most conspicuous target for global terrorism in\nthe world. I support S. 2845, the National Intelligence Reform Act of\n2004. 1 could not afford to do otherwise. Nor can other Members,\nwhatever their opinions of the considerable shortcomings of this bill.\nThe controversy over S. 2845 and its many flaws have obscured the\noverriding reason for the bill in the first place. After an impressive,\nexhaustive investigation, the 9/11 Commission, which deserves the\ncredit for the seminal document from which the bill derives, said that\nprevention of the 9/11 tragedy had been possible. ``There were specific\npoints of vulnerability in the plot and opportunities to disrupt it,''\naccording to the 9/11 Commission Report (p. 8). Various intelligence\nagencies each had parts of vital information about the imminence of an\nattack, but they rarely communicated and never collaborated.\n  S. 2845 goes directly at this tragic flaw through personnel and\nstructural reform in two ways. First, the bill creates one overarching\nand fully accountable official, the director of national intelligence,\nwith the budgetary and oversight authority to compel the communication\nand cooperation that was missing before 9/11. Second, the bill requires\nall information and intelligence to be funneled ultimately to a newly\nestablished national counterterrorism center instead of remaining\nscattered in 15 different intelligence agencies, as before 9/11.\n  There are many other important provisions in the bill less expansive\nin scope but vital in content that recommend its passage. However,\nregrettably S. 2845 contains some provisions that do not belong in a\nbill with this mission, were not recommended by the 9/11 commission,\nand could not have passed independently. Of particular concern to me,\nhowever, are related problems that had nothing to do with 9/11, but\nalso deeply involve intelligence and the judgment of public officials.\nOur country and our troops are virtually trapped in Iraq today because\nof an unprecedented invasion. The invasion of Iraq teaches the\nnecessity of assuring that competing information not only reaches but\ninfluences the President and that cooperation, consolidation, and\ncoordination do not result in dreaded ``groupthink'' or in\ndisproportionate influence by the new director of national intelligence\nor any other official. I am not entirely convinced that S. 2845 builds\nin the necessary checks and balances to assure against reinforcing a\nPresident's predispositions. Time and experience inform the Congress.\nWe must be prepared to make changes as they become necessary.\n\n  Most disappointing was the weak civil liberties panel that is not in\nkeeping with the concerns in the 9/11 Commission Report about the\nprivacy issues raised by the new centralized intelligence network\nrecommended by the 9/11 Commission. The panel has become a wolf\nwatching the hen house. It has no subpoena power. The members will be\ntotally beholden to the President, at whose pleasure they will serve.\n  I have been in the Congress long enough to know that allowing an\nopportunity to pass while we wait for a more perfect bill often means\nno bill, no bill for years, or no bill until another crisis comes. This\nbill is already late, delayed by the Bush administration at every turn,\nbut finally delivered at the hands of the 9/11 families and the\nCommission their energy brought into being. We must seize this\nopportunity and pass this bill.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2167-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING CONGRESSMAN AMO HOUGHTON AND CONGRESSMAN JACK QUINN", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2167", "E2167", "[{\"name\": \"Louise McIntosh Slaughter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2167", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2167]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n      HONORING CONGRESSMAN AMO HOUGHTON AND CONGRESSMAN JACK QUINN\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Friday, November 19, 2004\n\n  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend two colleagues\nwho will not be here when the next congressional session begins--\nCongressman Amo Houghton and Congressman Jack Quinn. It has been a true\nhonor to work with them. They will be greatly missed.\n  While we did not share the same political party, that fact never\nprevented us from working together to improve Upstate New York. These\ntwo men had very different backgrounds: Jack Quinn was a union\nsteelworker and teacher before entering politics; Amo Houghton was head\nof Corning Glass Works. Yet, they are good friends who have represented\nthe working families in their districts well and with grace.\n  In 2002, when a State redistricting plan proposed to match these two\nmen against each other, I think their statements at the time reflect\ntheir character and friendship:\n  ``In my heart, I don't want to knock out Jack Quinn,'' Houghton said.\n``He's an extraordinary guy.''\n  ``I hope it is not against my good friend, Amo Houghton,'' Quinn\nsaid. ``If it is, I'll just invite him to dinner, maybe take our wives,\nand talk about what is best for the people of western New York.''\n  Through their committee posts, both moderate Members fought for the\ninterests of New York State.\n  As the former chairman of a Fortune 500 company, Amo Houghton\nunderstood how the Federal Government could play a role in sustaining\nand creating local businesses. As a senior member on the House Ways and\nMeans Committee, Representative Houghton partnered with me to help\ncreate and maintain the wool duty relief program, which is credited\nwith stemming the loss of manufacturing jobs in the suit industry. Duty\nrelief on imported wool suiting fabrics has proven critical to the\nsurvival of Hickey-Freeman, a high-end suit manufacturer that has long\noperated in Rochester.\n  I was privileged to work closely with Representative Quinn after the\nredistricting process in 2002 when we came to share the city of\nBuffalo. Jack went out of his way to introduce me to the area and its\npeople. He is truly the ``Big Man from Buffalo.'' As one example of his\neffort to improve the local economy, we cohosted a widely attended\nforum with local manufacturers to discuss what action the Federal\nGovernment must take to ensure that western New York and the rest of\nthe United States will remain competitive in the manufacturing sector.\n  I will miss the partnership I enjoyed with both men, and their\ndecency and respect for this institution. I have heard it said that\nlegislation is the art of compromise, and both of these men understood\nthat principle. We need more people with the ability to reach across\nthe aisle.\n  I know that this is not the last we will hear from either of them.\nBoth of them still have much to contribute to public discourse and\nUpstate New York.\n  I wish both of them the best of luck and continued success in their\nfuture endeavors.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2167-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING CONGRESSMAN AMO HOUGHTON AND CONGRESSMAN JACK QUINN", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2167", "E2167", "[{\"name\": \"Vito Fossella\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2167", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2167]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n      HONORING CONGRESSMAN AMO HOUGHTON AND CONGRESSMAN JACK QUINN\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                           HON. VITO FOSSELLA\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Friday, November 19, 2004\n\n  Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to\nmy distinguished colleague from the State of New York, Congressman Amo\nHoughton. He is retiring after 18 years of esteemed public service as\nthe Congressional Representative of the citizens of the 29th District\nof New York. Prior to his service in the U.S. Congress, Representative\nHoughton was an established and well respected businessman. A former\nCEO of a Fortune 500 company, Mr. Houghton was able to bring those\nskills to Washington to the benefit of the legislative process. His\nability to work with both sides of the aisle made him an effective and\npowerful legislator. Known as a moderate Republican and fiscal\nconservative, Congressman Houghton actively worked with a coalition of\nmoderate Republicans to pursue meaningful budget reforms. Additionally,\nhistory will record Mr. Houghton as one of the early leaders driving\nreform of the Alternative Minimum Tax. On behalf of the residents of\nthe State of New York, I would like to thank Representative Houghton\nfor his exceptional service in the U.S. Congress. It has been a\npleasure to serve with him, and his presence among the New York\ndelegation will be sorely missed. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take\nthis opportunity to congratulate Mr. Houghton on a job well done, and\nwish him the very best in the years ahead.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2167-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "REMOVE WELDON REFUSAL CLAUSE FROM OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2167", "E2168", "[{\"name\": \"Carolyn B. Maloney\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2167", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2167-E2168]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n        REMOVE WELDON REFUSAL CLAUSE FROM OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, last month, the Republican majority pushed\nthrough Congress a $388 billion omnibus spending bill that very few\npeople had a chance to read.\n  The Weldon provision was slipped into this enormous bill which\nseverely alters the state of reproductive healthcare in this country.\nIt gags America's doctor's and it jeopardize's women's health.\n  Without education and without knowledge and information, women are\nbeing forced to make life-changing decisions about their reproductive\nhealth.\n  This is not only wrong, it's un-American. The Weldon provision is\nnothing but another attack on a woman's right to choose in an effort to\ndismantle Roe v. Wade. After all, why is it necessary?\n\n[[Page E2168]]\n\n  Federal law already protects medical professionals who refuse to take\nabortion training.\n  Is this what American women can look forward to under the new\nRepublican ``mandate?''\n  The rolling back of their fundamental rights, an elimination of their\nhealthcare options, and an undermining of their representation in\nCongress.\n  I, for one, certainly hope not, but this action does not look good\nand should put us all on alert.\n  I urge my colleagues to remove the Weldon provision from the FY05\nOmnibus spending bill.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2167", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF GEORGE STRYDIO", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2167", "E2167", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2167", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2167]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2167]]\n\n                       IN HONOR OF GEORGE STRYDIO\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor George Strydio for\nhis support and remarkable work in helping others who are living with\ncancer. Mr. Strydio was honored at the Bayonne Community Mental Health\nCenter's cocktail reception on October 27, 2004, in Bayonne, NJ.\n  At the age of 67, Mr. Strydio underwent a life-changing experience\nduring a battle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of cancer. After\nsurviving chemotherapy, several cases of pneumonia, and other health\ncomplications, including learning how to walk again, he decided to\nchannel his energy into helping others with the disease. He devoted two\nyears to visiting cancer patients before determining that he should\nestablish his own support organization, which he named the Community\nCancer Support Group.\n  The group is a valuable resource consisting of a team of people who\nreach out to offer support, encouragement, and hope to cancer patients.\nThe Community Cancer Support Group holds monthly meetings and brings in\nguest speakers that address the educational, psychological, spiritual,\nand medical needs of its members.\n  Mr. Strydio grew up in Bayonne and was an outstanding high school\nfootball and baseball player. At one time a catching prospect for the\nBrooklyn Dodgers, Mr. Strydio shifted his focus in 1970 to teaching\nOkinawa-style martial arts called Isshin Ryu. After more than 30 years,\nhe is still teaching at St. Peter's College in Jersey City.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Strydio, a\nchampion in many respects, for his courageous battle with cancer and\nhis establishment of the Community Cancer Support Group.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2168-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO McCULLOUGH WILLIAMS JR. OF YOUNGSTOWN, OH", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2168", "E2168", "[{\"name\": \"Tim Ryan\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2168", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2168]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n          TRIBUTE TO McCULLOUGH WILLIAMS JR. OF YOUNGSTOWN, OH\n\n                                 ______\n\n                             HON. TIM RYAN\n\n                                of ohio\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, my remarks today are to pay tribute to\nthe life of my friend, McCullough Williams Jr. of Youngstown, Ohio.\n  Mr. Williams has long been active in service to the community. He\nserved as Third Ward Councilman, Housing Coordinator for the City of\nYoungstown, and President of the Youngstown City Board of Education. He\nwas appointed by the Governor to the State of Ohio Board of Funeral\nDirectors and Embalmers where he served as President. Mr. Williams was\nalso a member of the National Board for Funeral Directors.\n  As well as being the founder of the Sterling-McCullough Williams\nFuneral Homes of Warren and Youngstown, and the former owner of\nnumerous other businesses, Mr. Williams was a member of the Centenary\nUnited Methodist Church, where he served as trustee, the Roberts\nDeliberating Club, Youngstown State University Penguin Club, Charter\nMember of the Youngstown Mahoning County Convention and Visitors\nBureau, Rising Sun Masonic Lodge No. 90 A&FM, Member of the National\nParliamentarian Association, and Life Member of the NAACP.\n  Mr. Williams has been awarded the Buckeye Elks Community Service\nAward, the U.S. Small Business Administration Ohio Minority Advocate of\nthe Year, the Ohio Expo Businessman of the Year, the Youngstown-Warren\nRegional Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Leadership Award, the Martin\nLuther King Jr. Recognition Award, the YWCA Man of the Year Award,\nNAACP Ebony Man of the Year Award, the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame,\nthe Ebony Life Hall of Fame, the YSU Alumni Relations Distinguished\nCitizen Award, and the Ohio Governor Bob Taft Award for 50 Plus Years\nof Marriage and Community Service.\n  Mr. Speaker, I had the honor of attending Mr. Williams' funeral\nservice. It was obvious to everyone who heard his family speak that\nMcCullough Williams was an extraordinary individual who's caring and\ncommitment to the community guided his life of service. His family is a\ngreat testament to his life. They will keep his values and passion\nalive. In short, our community and our country are better off because\nMr. Williams lived. My prayers are with Mr. Williams and his family,\nand we honor his life here today.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2168-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 4670", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2168", "E2169", "[{\"name\": \"Rush Holt\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4670\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4670\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2168", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2168-E2169]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 4670\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce letters of\nendorsement for the Center for Scientific and Technical Assessment Act\nof 2005 (H.R. 4670). I have introduced the enabling bipartisan\nlegislation with Mr. Houghton, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Honda, Mr.\nGordon, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Oliver, Mr. Greenwood, Mr.\nCastle, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Frost, Mr. Berman, Mr. Ruppersberger, and\nMr. Ehlers.\n  The Center for Scientific and Technical Assessment would be a\nbicameral and bipartisan resource providing Congress with highly\nrespected, impartial analysis and assessment of scientific and\ntechnical issues and would enable Congress better to oversee the\nFederal science and technology programs, which receives over $130\nbillion, annually. Finally, the Center also would help the Congress to\nbetter understand complex technical issues by providing timely\ninformation to members of Congress and our Committees before we have to\nmake difficult voting decisions and funding tradeoffs. There is growing\nsupport for H.R. 4670 among our Nation's best science and technology\nprofessionals. I submit the following letter of endorsement by several\nprofessional societies for H.R. 4670:\n\n                                                  October 7, 2004.\n     Hon. Rush Holt,\n     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.\n     Hon. Amo Houghton,\n     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.\n       Dear Representatives Holt and Houghton: The following\n     engineering professional organizations are writing to express\n     our support for your bipartisan bill, H.R. 4670, to establish\n     a Center for Scientific and Technical Assessment (CSTA).\n       America's national security and economic well-being demand\n     that the United States remain the world's leaders in advanced\n     technology in the 21st century. However, technological\n     development is advancing with unprecedented speed and\n     complexity in a truly global environment and other countries,\n     for the first time in U.S. history, are now threatening\n     America's scientific and technological preeminence.\n     Members of Congress, now more than ever, need to have\n     access to objective, timely, and sound science,\n     engineering and technology-related assessment pertinent to\n     legislation and the complex policy issues before them.\n       The sheer volume and complexity of the technological data\n     facing federal legislators necessitate some mechanism for\n     balanced, non-partisan and technologically-informed analysis\n     provided in a judicious manner. A Center for Scientific and\n     Technical Assessment as envisioned in H.R. 4670 would satisfy\n     these criteria by operating under the highly respected\n     Government Accountability Office (GAO), being overseen by a\n     bipartisan, bicameral Technical Assessment Board (TAB)\n     consisting of Members of Congress and the Comptroller General\n     of the GAO, to provide nonpartisan peer reviews of all CSTA\n     reports.\n       We are encouraged that this bill takes into consideration\n     the GAO's successful technical assessment pilot program as\n     well as the GAO study ``Technology Assessment: Providing\n     Independent Assessments of Technologies,'' for guidance when\n     crafting this legislation. We feel that H.R. 4670, if passed,\n     would provide a valuable service to members of the House and\n     Senate in making informed decisions on the complex\n     technological issues of the times.\n       We look forward to working with you and your staff in\n     advancing this important legislation.\n           Respectfully Submitted,\n       American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES).\n       American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).\n       American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-\n     Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).\n       American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).\n\n[[Page E2169]]\n\n       Federation of Materials Societies (FMS).\n       The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers--\n     United States of America (IEEE-USA).\n       National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).\n       Optical Society of America.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2168", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF THE URBAN LEAGUE OF UNION COUNTY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2168", "E2168", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2168", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2168]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n              IN HONOR OF THE URBAN LEAGUE OF UNION COUNTY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Urban League of\nUnion County for its exceptional service to the community. The Urban\nLeague celebrated its 60th anniversary at the 34th Annual Equal\nOpportunity Day Dinner on November 12, 2004, in Newark, New Jersey.\n  The Urban League was originally established to help African Americans\nsecure economic independence and work for civil rights. Decades later,\nit has grown and expanded to assist the entire community with health\nneeds, employment services, housing assistance, and educational\nopportunities.\n  The Urban League offers the residents of Union County a wide range of\nservices to improve their quality of life. The Economic Development and\nEmployment Department offers assistance with interview techniques, job\nreferrals, career counseling, and job placement. In addition, it offers\na Summer Youth Employment Program and a Work Opportunity Program for\nwelfare recipients, as well as evening classes on computer literacy.\n  Working diligently to address important health issues, the Urban\nLeague has created the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Assistance\nProgram, which works to positively influence teenagers by educating and\ncounseling them about relationships, sexual development, and other\nrelated issues.\n  The organization has also established a Housing Community Development\nDepartment, which provides counseling on a variety of housing issues\nincluding mortgages, consumer credit and budget management,\nweatherization, and rental assistance. Other services include grant\nprograms, emergency homeless programs, and Federal Emergency Management\nAssistance.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Urban League of\nUnion County for six decades of outstanding service to the community.\nIts extensive services will continue to help improve the lives of\ncountless individuals and families throughout Union County.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2169-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF NICK STARITA", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2169", "E2169", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2169", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2169]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        IN HONOR OF NICK STARITA\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Nick Starita for his\nexceptional community service and passion for helping others. Mr.\nStarita was honored at the Bayonne Community Mental Health Center's\ncocktail reception on October 27, 2004, in Bayonne, New Jersey.\n  Mr. Starita has devoted more than 30 years of service to the United\nCerebral Palsy (UCP) Association of Hudson County. During his extensive\ntime at UCP, he has helped the organization expand and diversify its\nservices. His contributions include helping UCP establish a second\nfacility, securing greater accessibility to therapy services, and\ndeveloping new programs to better serve Hudson County residents. The\norganization also offers an Adult Special Needs Program to help those\nwho are developmentally disabled and require special medical\nassistance, and a day care program that works with both able-bodied and\ndisabled children. The time and passion Mr. Starita has dedicated to\nUCP throughout the years has transformed the organization into an\nextensive network that includes three facilities and services ranging\nfrom advocacy to accessible transportation. Mr. Starita has\ndemonstrated his strong leadership skills as UCP's executive director\nfor the past 16 years and previously, as a member of the Board of\nDirectors for 13 years.\n  Always striving to help others, Mr. Starita has volunteered at the A.\nHarry Moore School and served on the boards of numerous community and\ncivic organizations, including the State Interagency Coordinating\nCouncil, the Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities,\nthe Center for Enabling Technology, and the Boy Scouts Council, to name\na few.\n  Mr. Starita has received awards from numerous organizations for his\nwork, including the United Way of Hudson County, the PTA, the New\nJersey State Parent Advisory Council for the Handicapped, and the Latin\nAmerican Kiwanis Club of West New York.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Nick Starita for\nhis outstanding service and tireless efforts to help the United\nCerebral Palsy Association successfully achieve its mission to serve\nthe people of Hudson County.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2169-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING WORK AND LIFE OF DR. MELVIN DYSTER", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2169", "E2169", "[{\"name\": \"Louise McIntosh Slaughter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2169", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2169]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n              HONORING WORK AND LIFE OF DR. MELVIN DYSTER\n\n                                 ______\n\n                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to honor the work and life of Dr.\nMelvin Dyster of Niagara Falls, New York, a family practitioner, who\nthis past weekend was honored by the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical\nCenter for 50 years of practicing medicine.\n  Dr. Dyster is 77 years old and still makes early morning rounds seven\ndays a week at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, sees patients at\nhis office, and students at Niagara University in Lewiston, New York.\n  Dr. Dyster has had many accomplishments over the years. He started a\nFamily Practice Residency Program in 1976 at the hospital to avert a\nshortage of primary care doctors. He became involved with a fledgling\nmigrant worker clinic 25 years ago. He secured donated drugs for the\nclinic, and encouraged residents and medical students to become\ninvolved with the clinic, the County Health Department, and Memorial\nMedical Center, which now sends its mobile clinic to the farms in the\narea.\n  His accomplishments have led to many honors and awards. In 1995, Dr.\nDyster was recognized as Doctor of the Year by the New York State\nAcademy of Family Practice. He has received an honorary doctorate\ndegree from Niagara University and the University of Buffalo Medical\nSchool Dean's Award for community involvement. He also received the\nNiagara University College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Award for his\nestablishment of the Dr. Melvin B. Dyster Health Science Resource\nCenter in 2003.\n  Dr. Dyster goes out of his way to provide services for those in need,\nworking at the Hamilton Mizer Primary Care Center in Niagara Falls,\nwhich serves predominantly inner city residents.\n  Dr. Dyster is a consultant for the Niagara Falls City Task Force for\nBioterrorism Preparedness, a member of Niagara County's Health\nEmergency Alert Response Team and an advisor on Memorial's Disaster\nPlanning Committee.\n  Dr. Dyster's efforts on behalf of the Niagara Falls community extend\nbeyond the medical world; he was instrumental in saving the former\nNiagara Falls High School from demolition, which has become a well used\narts and cultural center.\n  Dr. Dyster is a retired full colonel in the Army Reserve and was\nchief of staff at the 865th General Hospital at the Niagara Falls Air\nBase.\n  I am honored to have such a caring and compassionate man as Dr.\nDyster live and work in my district.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2169-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING CONGRESSMAN AMO HOUGHTON AND CONGRESSMAN JACK QUINN", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2169", "E2169", "[{\"name\": \"Vito Fossella\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2169", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2169]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n      HONORING CONGRESSMAN AMO HOUGHTON AND CONGRESSMAN JACK QUINN\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                           HON. VITO FOSSELLA\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Friday, November 19, 2004\n\n  Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to\none of my distinguished colleagues from the State of New York,\nCongressman Jack Quinn. In his six terms as Representative of the 27th\nDistrict of New York, Congressman Quinn brought a strong and well\nrespected voice to the United States Congress. His good nature and\napproachability made him a pleasure to work with, for both sides of the\naisle. As Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and\nInfrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Mr. Quinn fought to preserve\nAmtrak as part of our Nation's infrastructure and worked tirelessly\ntowards ensuring the safety of our railroads. He has used his seat on\nthe Committee on Veterans to bring about needed reforms for our\nveterans and to raise awareness and appreciation of our Nation's heroes\nand their sacrifices. His role as Chairman of the House Republican\nWorking Group on Labor provided an important link to keep the lines of\ncommunication open between labor leaders and the Republican party.\nBeyond his legislative accomplishments, Congressman Quinn made service\nto his constituents the cornerstone of his office, and it is this\nservice that will be his legacy. On behalf of the residents of New\nYork, I would like to thank Mr. Quinn for his exceptional service to\nthe United States Congress. His presence, both in the House and within\nthe New York delegation will be greatly missed. Mr. Speaker, I ask that\nmy colleagues join me in congratulating Mr. Quinn on 12 remarkable\nyears of service, and in wishing him and his family all the best in the\nyears to come.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2169-5", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2004 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN MEDIA AWARDS", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2169", "E2170", "[{\"name\": \"Carolyn B. Maloney\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2169", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2169-E2170]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n HONORING THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2004 EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN MEDIA AWARDS\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the winners\nof the 18th Annual\n\n[[Page E2170]]\n\nExceptional Merit in Media Awards (EMMAs) which were presented by the\nNational Women's Political Caucus earlier this year. This prestigious\nhonor is given for excellence in media coverage of women's issues.\n  The 2004 EMMA honorees include:\n  The Liz Claiborne Award for Outstanding Reporting on Violence Against\nWomen: Marie Claire, Lesley Jane Seymour, Editor-in-Chief.\n  Magazine Story, Winner: ``Code of Dishonor'', Clara Bingham, Vanity\nFair Magazine.\n  Television, Exceptional Feature Story: ``He Said, She Said'', Melissa\nCornick, ABC News.\n  Magazine Story, Runner-up: ``Your Body is a Battle Ground'', Kimberly\nSevcik, Self Magazine.\n  Television, Exceptional Documentary: ``Our Lifetime Commitment: Stop\nViolence Against Women'', Denise Young Farrell, Lifetime Television.\n  Magazine Story, Runner-up: ``Are You Ready to Really Understand\nAbortion'', Allison Brower, Glamour.\n  Radio Segment: ``Shoshone Sisters Fight for Land'', Susan Shepard,\nLiving on Earth, NPR.\n  Television, Special Topics: ``Final Justice with Erin Brockovich,\n#315'', LMNO Productions, Larry Goldman, VP Corporate Communications.\n  Special, Print: ``Violently III'', Jennifer Wolff, Self Magazine.\n  Television, News Story: ``Women and the Media'', PBS to the Contrary\nTelevision, Cari Stein, VP Corporate Communications.\n  Newspaper, Exceptional Feature Story: ``The Complete Anita Hill'',\nFlorence Graves, freelance writer, 1994 EMMAs winner, The Boston Globe.\n  I was thrilled to have been a part of this special event by paying\ntribute to journalists who write meaningful and groundbreaking articles\nabout issues affecting women. I believe that they should be commended\nfor their talents, and I look forward to reading more of their work in\nthe future.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2169", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "ON THE OCCASION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF MRS. LENA ROBERT MURRELL-WHITE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2169", "E2169", "[{\"name\": \"G. K. Butterfield\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2169", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2169]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n   ON THE OCCASION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF MRS. LENA ROBERT MURRELL-WHITE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD\n\n                           of north carolina\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the American\nmother in the embodiment of Mrs. Lena Roberta Murrell-White. She has\nraised nine children and has nurtured a throng of grandchildren and\ngreat grandchildren. Her labor helped to build ships during World War\nII, supported the effort during the Korean War, sent a son off to the\nVietnam War and provided more sons and daughters that have helped to\nbuild the American economy. Through her strong faith in a loving God\nshe has brought light to her community in Camden, New Jersey. Mrs.\nMurrell-White was born and raised in the great State of North Carolina.\nShe spent her formative years in the town of Greenville in Pitt County,\nNorth Carolina. Upon graduation from high school she moved to Camden,\nNew Jersey where she married and raised her family. Now, at the age of\n84 this paragon of mothers has neither slackened her pace, eased her\nresolve nor retreated an inch. She remains faithful to the Lord,\ncommitted to her family and solidly supports her community. So today\nshe is to be commended for her efforts and receive the heartfelt\ngratitude of the Congress of the United States of America.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2170-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO WARREN G. HARDING HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2170", "E2170", "[{\"name\": \"Tim Ryan\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2170", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2170]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n         TRIBUTE TO WARREN G. HARDING HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND\n\n                                 ______\n\n                             HON. TIM RYAN\n\n                                of ohio\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, my remarks today are to pay tribute to\nthe Warren G. Harding High School ``Raider'' Marching Band from Warren,\nOhio.\n  On November 25th, Thanksgiving Day, 2004, the ``Raider'' Marching\nBand represented Ohio's 17th District as it marched down Broadway in\nmidtown Manhattan during the 78th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day\nParade. The ``Raider'' Band was one out of 10 bands to be selected\nnationwide out of approximately 500 applicants annually. With 201\nmembers strong, the band played ``On Broadway'' as it stopped in Herald\nSquare to showcase its talent for the millions of onlookers and viewers\nat home. The event was aired live on NBC Thanksgiving Day.\n  Lynn G. Marlin is the Director of Bands at Warren G. Harding High\nSchool. A graduate from the Youngstown State University's Dana School\nof Music in Youngstown, Ohio, and Marygrove College in Detroit, she has\nbeen leading and instructing the band for 10 years and has been\nteaching for 30 years. Richard J. Rollo is the assistant Director of\nthe Bands and also the head of the jazz department where he has been\nteaching for 22 years. He is an alumnus of Youngstown State University\nand Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. The percussion instructor\nis Mr. Kevin Kifer, majorette instructors are Nicole Horner and Amy\nNamola, and the ``Raider'' flag line instructors are Erika Campolito\nand Nikki Wynn.\n  In addition to outstanding musical accomplishment, the ``Raider''\nMarching Band shows great strides toward high academic achievement.\nThis year's winner of the Bob Hope/Macy's Foundation Band Scholarship\nis Aaron Baer, a senior at Warren G. Harding High School. Each band in\nthe parade selected one student who best represented all of the great\nqualities of Bob Hope including leadership, musical talent, humor, and\nactiveness in community service. Mr. Baer was selected by the\n``Raider'' band and represented Warren G. Harding in the scholarship\ncompetition, winning a $5,000 scholarship based on an essay he\nsubmitted. The Bob Hope/Macy's Foundation also donated $5,000 to the\n``Raider'' Band.\n  Students who participated in the 78th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:\n  Tanasha Alexander, Noora Alie, Alicia Allen, Ariel Austin, Aaron\nBaer, Doug Baker, Beth Balas, Loryn Baldwin, Desa Banish, Kristen\nBanks, Ashlee Barksdale, Sarah Beitzel, Terrance Belser, Tern Belser,\nTaryn Benson, Jessica Benson, Amy Binko, Leracia Blalock, Joanna Bland,\nRheadus Bland, Carin Boros, Frank Bosak, Daniel Bozek, Shala Brantley,\nJazzmon Britton, Tim Brogdon, Jessica Brown, LaSheana Brown, Ashley\nBrowning, Jessica Browning, James Brutz, Jordan Butler, Brittany\nCaimona, Vicki Capranica, Monique Carducci, Christopher Cargill, Justin\nCargill, Samuel Carr, Jamie Carter, Meghan Caswell, Brieanna Catheline,\nMegan Chambers, Ryan Chambers, Stephen Chappell, Daniel Clever, Joey\nCluckey, Bethany Clucky, Ashley Coleman, Kendra Coleman, Lamar Coleman,\nAngela Collazo, Amanda Comanescu, Chelsea Comanescu, Greg Dailey, Avery\nDanage, Zack Darno, James Davis, Matthew Davis, Dominique DeSanti,\nSavontae Diggs, Brittany Dowe, Stephen Drake, Dennis Drummond, Chris\nDudley, Elissa Dukes, Matthew Dukes, Shani Dukes, Jessica Dunewood,\nMarcella Economos, Dillon Fishel, Megan Fishel, Gina Fisher, Meranda\nGedded, Alycia Geddes, Gerry Gianoutos, Lindsey Glenn, Rickisha\nGoliday, Ciearra Grubbs, Autumn Hall, Chasity Hall, Patricia Hampton,\nAron Hamrick, Courtney Harrel, Brian Harris, Krystyne Harris, Pasha\nHarris, Wil Harris, Mandy Hawkins, Camille Heller, Jordan Hice,\nStephanie Horkey, Alicia Howard, Kaitlynne Hummel, Mark Hummell, Sara\nHummell, Brittany Jackson, Jeremy Johnson, Tiara Jones, Alysha Joseph,\nBrittany Joseph, Tommy Kearns, Janelle Kellar, Brandon Kingery, Angela\nKnepper, Deanna Kuzenko, Justin Kuptz, Caritta Lewis, Amanda Lichty,\nAlexandria Limperos, Ebony Liptrot, Ricky Logan, Victoria Lopez, Ray\nMarchek, Thomas Mason, Jasmine Mauzy, Kellie McAllister, Tyecchia\nMcBride, Marc McCarty, Brittany McDaniel, Jessica McDougal, Robert\nMcIver, Meghan Mckenzie, Tabbitha Merten, Kiera Moore, Tonya Mocella,\nSarah Moreton, Elizabeth Mosly, Donald Motley, Justin Mullet, Tabbitha\nMurphy, Vinitra Murray, Tzoulie Niforos, Nicole Oller, Ayla Oliver,\nCaullen Owens, Anna Patsy, Gino Pennachio, Kristie Perricellia, Justin\nPeters, Brittany Phillips, Josh Phillips, Christina Pingley, Tori\nPiper, Keisha Pugh, Robert Ragland, Adam Reed, Sarah Riffle, Cory\nRihel, Andy Rodgers, Melissa Rodriguez, Tiyauna Rudd, Megan Rupert,\nRashanna Russ, Samantha Schaab, Michelle Seawood; Melissa Seawood,\nCharles Seay, Sophia Sebben, Krysta Simpson, Kelly Smith, Kayla Sparks,\nSara Stainislaw, Brittany Stargell, Rachel Starr, Angela Stawiski, Anne\nStewart, Erin Straniak, Maureen Sweet, Caleb Tatebe, Kiwanna Taylor,\nMichael Thomas, Kaycee Thompson, Matt Thompson, Carrie Turner, Rochelle\nVinson, Alexandria Walker, Greg Walker, Jacque Walker, Dan Westover,\nCara White, Gary White, Carie Whoreton, Daivon Williams, David Wilson,\nAlyssa Wolcott, Peter Wyndam, Tiffany Wynn, Yang Xu, Collin Yarnel,\nMark Yauger II, Annette York, Christopher Younger.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2170", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF COOKIE DAUGHTREY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2170", "E2170", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2170", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2170]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                      IN HONOR OF COOKIE DAUGHTREY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Mrs. Cookie\nDaughtrey for her dedicated work in serving the community and those in\nneed. Ms. Daughtrey was honored at the Bayonne Community Mental Health\nCenter's cocktail reception on October 27, 2004, in Bayonne, New\nJersey.\n  Mrs. Daughtrey was known for her tireless efforts to help those less\nfortunate than herself. Even as a child, she reached out to others and\nwould often invite underprivileged peers over for dinner. She greatly\nhelped the citizens of Bayonne by matching people with service\norganizations that offered the food, shelter, healthcare, or substance\nabuse treatment they needed. In addition, she coordinated food drives\nin City Hall for the past five years.\n  With a passion for community involvement, Mrs. Daughtrey participated\nin numerous groups, including the New Frontier Democrats, Ireland's 32,\nand the HIGHWAYS program. Additionally, she volunteered extensively at\nthe Bayonne Democratic Organization and was on the Board of Directors\nfor the Bayonne Community Day Nursery.\n  Born and raised in Bayonne, Mrs. Daughtrey worked as a welfare\ninvestigator for the city for 27 years, and was employed at Woolworth's\ndepartment store.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the late Cookie\nDaughtrey for her deep commitment to serving others in her community.\nHer years of volunteerism helped countless individuals and she will be\nremembered fondly by all who knew her.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2171-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF CAPTAIN GILMAN G. UDELL, JR. ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2171", "E2172", "[{\"name\": \"Jack Kingston\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2171", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2171-E2172]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n    IN HONOR OF CAPTAIN GILMAN G. UDELL, JR. ON THE OCCASION OF HIS\n                               RETIREMENT\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. JACK KINGSTON\n\n                               of georgia\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our Capitol\nPolice Officers. On December 31, 2004, Captain Gilman G. Udell will\nretire after 33 years of serving the Congress as a member of the United\nStates Capitol Police (USCP). Captain Udell spent the majority of his\ncareer, and finished as the commanding officer, of the USCP Hazardous\nIncident Response Division. Captain Udell was one of the six original\nmembers of the USCP bomb squad, first organized in the Spring of 1974.\nTo exemplify Captain Udell's fine work in this area, one must review\nthe threat environment over the last 30 years.\n  On March 1, 1971 a bomb exploded in a restroom on the first floor of\nthe Senate wing of the Capitol, causing extensive damage. After that\nincident, the Department selected six officers to attend the basic bomb\ncourse at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. When Gill Udell and\nthe other original members returned to Washington after completing the\ntraining at Redstone Arsenal, their new unit became part of the Special\nInvestigations Division.\n  Over the 30 years of its existence, the Bomb Squad has excelled at\ndeveloping and adapting new tools and techniques for rendering safe\nprocedures. Members of the unit work with other Federal agencies such\nas the FBI, ATF, DoD and DoE, as well as private contractors in the\ndefense industry to stay current with new technology and to promote the\ndevelopment of new tools and techniques for the bomb technician\ncommunity. Captain Udell has been instrumental in every measure of this\ndevelopment.\n  Although most of the calls received by the Bomb Squad each day turn\nout to be nothing harmful, there have been a number of incidents over\nthe years in which the danger was real.\n  July 4, 1976: An individual was stopped who had been acting\nsuspiciously, looking at the grates on the West Front. When searched,\nthe suspect admitted having home-made explosive devices, 1\" x 6\" inch\nlengths of cardboard tubing with non-electric fuses. Each of these\nbombs packed the explosive power of about a quarter stick of dynamite.\nThe devices were transported to Ft. Belvoir, where the ATF assisted in\ndetonating them. The suspect had intended to light the devices and\nthrow them into the crowd.\n  September 26, 1980: A Chevy pickup truck being used as an incendiary\ndevice tried to crash the South Wall of the Capitol building.\n  May 20, 1982: A hoax device consisting of red candles with a sparkly\ncoating that looked like dynamite and a clock placed inside a shoe box\ninside a paper bag, was found in the office of the Clerk of the House.\n  October 18, 1983: At 1330 hours, a male foreign national entered\nHouse Gallery #10 with a device that consisted of two one-liter soft\ndrink bottles filled with homemade black powder, a slide switch for\ncontrol, flash bulb as an initiator, and a battery for a power source.\nThe man stood up and, instead of exiting, walked down to the front,\nmeanwhile trying to flip the switch on his device. Fortunately, the\nblack powder mixture was not mixed correctly, so the device did not go\noff. The suspect was apprehended as soon as he walked towards the rail,\nand was eventually deported back to Israel after this event.\n\n  November 7, 1983: At 2255 hours, a detonation occurred on the second\nfloor of the U.S. Capitol, opposite the Republican Cloak room, causing\nextensive damage. The device was constructed of 4 to 5 pounds of\ndynamite, a battery, electric blasting cap and watch, all placed in a\ngym bag. Credit for the explosion was claimed by a group calling itself\nThe Armed Resistance Unit. Seven militants belonging to the group were\nconvicted of this bombing in 1990.\n  August 20, 1984: A Molotov Cocktail was thrown and ignited on the\nEast Front, Center Steps portico, by the 2nd floor entrance. One\nbystander, a Priest, was injured. The device consisted of a beer bottle\nfilled with gas and containing a wick, and was ignited with a lighter.\nThe perpetrator was arrested.\n  March 15, 1986: A letter bomb addressed to a senator was intercepted\nby the U. S. Post Office. The device, consisting of a hollow antenna\nsegment filled with match heads, battery, and wire heating element, had\nbeen made by a prisoner and sent from a prison in Kansas.\n  April 19, 1988: The FBI called the Hazardous Devices Section for\nassistance. While executing a search warrant, FBI agents discovered\ndeteriorated nitroglycerine-based dynamite in a suspect's closet. The\nHDS responded, removed, transported and destroyed the dynamite.\n  June 21, 1988: A hoax device designed to resemble a hand grenade was\nsent to a Congressman's office but was intercepted by the House Post\nOffice. The item was detonated during render safe procedures performed\nby the Hazardous Devices Section.\n  December 5, 1990: A subject attempted to enter the Dirksen Senate\nOffice Building with a hoax device consisting of three signal flares, a\nclock, wires and a circuit board.\n  January 3, 1995: Just three weeks after the Bomb Squad acquired its\nnew, state-of-the-art Andros robot, a suspected pipe bomb was found at\n3rd and Independence Ave., SW., and the Metropolitan police contacted\nHDS for assistance. When remote procedures could not open the device,\nit was placed in the bomb sphere truck and transported to the Marine\nCorps explosives range at Quantico, Virginia, where it was counter-\ncharged and blown open. The device turned out to be a sand fuse\nbelonging to METRO.\n  The Capitol Police Bomb Squad is rated by the FBI Bomb Data Center\nand staff of the Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal as one of\nthe top bomb squads in the Nation. The unit has achieved recognition\nthroughout the bomb technician community through their assistance to\nother agencies and service in offices and positions in professional\nassociations and organizations.\n  Captain Udell successfully led the Unit through many changes as the\nDepartment's mission evolved in recent years. The unit that started\nwith a home-made bomb truck put together from donated and surplus parts\nis today equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Captain Udell was\none of the first to recognize the need for specialized training in\n\n[[Page E2172]]\n\nWeapons of Mass Destruction and Hazardous Materials. Years before the\nAnthrax Letter was received in Senator Daschle's Office, all the HDS\ntechnicians were certified to handle nuclear, biological and chemical\nincidents.\n  Captain Udell was instrumental in the response to the Anthrax letter\nattack, which occurred just one month after September 11th, 2001. He\nled his hazmat trained bomb techs on emergency calls that appeared to\nnever end. Prior to the Anthrax attack, there was typically one or two\n``suspicious powder'' calls a month. That was soon to change. On\nOctober 15th, the Senator Daschle anthrax letter was opened in the Hart\nSenate office building. It was the 3rd, of a total of 56 ``suspicious\npowder'' response calls, for just that day. Captain Udell managed the\nteams' response, and being a certified bomb and hazmat technician\nhimself, he jumped in and responded to calls with his team. The\nresponse and clean up of the anthrax incident encompassed nearly seven\nmonths until completion. Captain Udell worked tirelessly throughout the\nentire period, working long extended hours and rarely taking a day off.\nTo Captain Udell, this was just doing his job; to his team, the Capitol\nPolice, and the Congressional Community Captain Udell is a true leader\nand patriot in the protection of Congress.\n  After the Anthrax incident, Captain Udell played a critical part in\nthe development and implementation of the police department's Hazardous\nMaterials Response Team. He finished his career as the Commander of the\nnewly formed Hazardous Incident Response Division of the Capitol\nPolice. The new unit incorporated an ``all hazards'' response\ncapability to deal with the new and emerging threats in the post 9/11\nera.\n  Captain Udell started his relationship with the Congress as high\nschool student in the Page Program. He has served the Capitol Police\nand the Congress in an exemplary manner throughout his career. He is a\nrole model to those who follow in what it means to ``protect the\nCongress''--the mission of the U.S. Capitol Police, which Captain Udell\nhas never forgotten.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2171", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING FRANK VON HIPPEL, RECIPIENT OF THE GEORGE F. KENNAN PEACE LEADERSHIP AWARD", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2171", "E2171", "[{\"name\": \"Rush Holt\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2171", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2171]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2171]]\n  HONORING FRANK VON HIPPEL, RECIPIENT OF THE GEORGE F. KENNAN PEACE\n                            LEADERSHIP AWARD\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, Frank von Hippel, a physicist and professor of\npublic and international affairs at Princeton University, has had, and\ncontinues to have, a far-reaching influence on arms control and nuclear\npolicy. He is without question one of the world's leading experts on\nnuclear arms control and non-proliferation.\n  Frank's many contributions include path breaking work on nuclear\nreactor safety, energy efficiency in automobiles, support of whistle-\nblowers, training of a large group of young policy scientists, and his\ncurrent work on the safety of stored spent power-reactor fuel. He is\nthe founder of the journal Science and Global Security, the leading\npeer-reviewed journal on technical issues of arms control and\ninternational security. He is a model to many people about how a\nscientist should contribute to the policy process.\n  On the occasion of the award of the George F. Kennan Peace Leadership\nAward, I would like to highlight Frank von Hippel's work with Soviet\nscientists that prepared the way for deep cuts in nuclear arsenals.\nThis is only one aspect of Frank's many contributions.\n  During the 1980s Frank developed a working relationship with Soviet\nphysicist Evgeny Velikhov. At the time, Velikhov was the deputy\ndirector of the I. V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy in Moscow,\nand he became the science advisor to Soviet President Mikhail\nGorbachev. Through this relationship, Frank was able to launch a series\nof cooperative efforts between U.S. non-governmental organizations and\nthe Soviet Academy of Sciences. These included the installation of\ndevices to detect underground nuclear weapons tests, an arms control\nexperiment to verify the presence of a nuclear weapon on Soviet\nwarship, inspections of Soviet nuclear facilities, programs to\nsafeguard and reduce Soviet stockpiles of nuclear weapons materials,\nprograms to reduce the nuclear proliferation risk from former Soviet\nnuclear materials stockpiles and from former weapons scientists, and a\njoint U.S.-Soviet project to assess the potential for deep cuts in\nnuclear weapons arsenals. These activities provided a basis for U.S.\nand Soviet reductions in their nuclear arsenals.\n  Frank always knows his subject; his work is well reasoned and backed\nup with careful analysis. But his achievements show that he is much\nmore than a technical expert. Frank is a great person to work with;\neveryone likes him. His generosity and, especially, his even temper,\nthat have helped him forge international cooperation among scientists\nand governments. Frank is the first person I call when I have questions\non nuclear weapons and arms control or any number of other subjects. He\nrichly deserves this great honor.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2172-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO MR. JOHN DiPOFI", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2172", "E2172", "[{\"name\": \"Louise McIntosh Slaughter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2172", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2172]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                       TRIBUTE TO MR. JOHN DiPOFI\n\n                                 ______\n\n                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise\ntoday to pay tribute to Mr. John DiPofi of Niagara Falls, NY, who\npassed away this week at the age of 106. He was the oldest living\nMarine in the United States at the time of his death.\n  Mr. DiPofi joined the Marines on November 10, 1922, and served for 3\nyears in Haiti. He was an expert rifleman and was assigned to guard the\ncountry's agricultural assets.\n  Mr. DiPofi was born in Italy and came to America in 1913 at the age\nof 15. He lived and worked in Niagara Falls after his tour of duty.\n  It was an honor to have Mr. DiPofi living in the 28th Congressional\nDistrict. I was privileged to meet him last year and congratulate him\non his good health and service to our nation.\n  I offer my sincerest condolences to Mr. DiPofi's family. The nation\nhas lost a good soldier, and Niagara Falls has lost a good friend. His\nextraordinary life will never be forgotten.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2172-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "RECOGNIZING LANCE CORPORAL PHILLIP G. WEST, USMC, WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN IRAQ NOVEMBER 19, 2004", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2172", "E2172", "[{\"name\": \"Mike Thompson\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2172", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2172]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n  RECOGNIZING LANCE CORPORAL PHILLIP G. WEST, USMC, WHO WAS KILLED IN\n                    ACTION IN IRAQ NOVEMBER 19, 2004\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart\nthat I rise today to pay tribute to Lance Corporal Phillip G. West,\nUSMC, who was killed in action in Iraq November 19, 2004. Corporal\nWest, a 19-year-old resident of Napa County, CA, answered his country's\ncall and paid the ultimate price.\n  Corporal West served as a rifleman with the 3rd Platoon, India\nCompany, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division. He was on patrol in\nFallujah when he was fatally wounded by an explosive device.\n  Corporal West was born and raised in Napa County. He was a lifeguard\nat the American Canyon Aquatics Center and taught many local youngsters\nto swim. He also played football for the Vintage High School Crushers\nin Napa.\n  Corporal West loved his country and he enlisted in the Marines\nimmediately upon graduation from Vintage High in 2003. He was drawn to\nthe Corps because, to him, it was ``the best'' and he wanted to be part\nof the best.\n  Corporal West was deployed to Iraq's Al Anbar Province in June. As a\nrifleman, he was often in combat situations, either on safety patrol or\nin directly confronting insurgents. He excelled at his job, was highly\nregarded by his unit and received a commendation from the Marine Corps\nfor superior performance.\n  Corporal West died serving the country he loved, with comrades he\nloved and with the love of his family in his heart. Our nation is\nhumbled and grateful for his sacrifice.\n  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize Lance\nCorporal Phillip G. West, USMC, who gave his life in service to his\ncountry.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2172-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING THE WOODCLIFF COMMUNITY REFORMED CHURCH", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2172", "E2172", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2172", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2172]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n            HONORING THE WOODCLIFF COMMUNITY REFORMED CHURCH\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Woodcliff\nCommunity Reformed Church, which celebrated its 75th anniversary on\nNovember 18, 2004, in Jersey City, New Jersey.\n  Throughout the years, the Woodcliff Community Reformed Church has\nhelped the residents of Jersey City by supporting local organizations,\nproviding outreach programs, and aiding in the spiritual development of\nits congregation.\n  Its efforts to serve the community include establishing a program to\nfeed the homeless and offering building space to local Alcoholics\nAnonymous groups. It has also been a major supporter of the local Boy\nScout and Girl Scout troops in the area. The church's dedication to\nserving others has greatly contributed to the success and stability of\nthe community, and its contributions to the surrounding areas are to be\ncommended.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Woodcliff\nCommunity Reformed Church for its 75 years of exemplary work within the\ncommunity and its spiritual leadership in Jersey City, NJ.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2172-5", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "COMMENDING HUMBERTO LOZANO LOPEZ", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "COMMENDING", "E2172", "E2173", "[{\"name\": \"Solomon P. Ortiz\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2172", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2172-E2173]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                    COMMENDING HUMBERTO LOZANO LOPEZ\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ\n\n                                of texas\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a unique\nAmerican patriot and pioneer in the Tejano recording industry and the\nworld of radio and broadcasting, my friend from our hometown of\nRobstown, TX, Humberto Lozano Lopez.\n  Humberto was just inducted into the Tejano Hall of Fame in Texas for\nhis lifetime of excellence in broadcasting and for the extraordinary\n\n[[Page E2173]]\n\naddition he has made to the tapestry of our lives through\nbroadcasting--both music and community interest programming--composing,\npromoting Hispanic talent, and finally obtaining and operating the\nLopez Broadcast System that now consists of several South Texas radio\nstations.\n  His introduction to radio came in 1955, while he was still in high\nschool, conducting the American GI Forum Weekly Program on KCCT in\nCorpus Christi, TX. After graduation he continued this work he loved,\nand it took him all over south Texas and northern Mexico. In the early\n1960s, he moved the family to San Antonio, where he branched out to\ntelevision, and worked in the first U.S. Spanish Radio station, KCOR,\nand the first U.S. Spanish Television station, (KWEX).\n  His voice won him voice-over roles in some classic American movies--\nfor voices of Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Anthony Quinn, and many\nmore--and he dubbed several Hollywood movies into Spanish for broadcast\ninto Mexico and Latin America. For his work in this venue, Humberto\npicked up an award for ``Best Performance in Dubbing.''\n  In the early 1970s, he returned to live in Robstown and work in\nCorpus Christi. He began as program director for KCCT, spicing up the\nclassic station with a new motto, ``Radio Jalapeno--Caliente.'' While\nin Corpus Christi, he worked for a while in print journalism for the\nCorpus Christi Sun Newspaper, as sales manager and columnist.\n  In the early 1980s, he longed to put his management skills and talent\nto use in a larger sphere, and applied with the FCC to own his own\nstation. He quickly began acquiring radio stations in South Texas under\nthe Lopez Broadcast System, which currently includes: KTMV-TV, Corpus\nChristi; KTMV-TV, Victoria (UPN affiliate); KTMV-TV, San Antonio; KMIQ\n104.9 FM, Robstown-Corpus Christi; KINE 1330 AM Robstown-Kingsville;\nKXTM 107.7 FM, Benavidez; KHMC 95.5 FM, Victoria; and KLMO 98.9 FM, San\nAntonio. He continues to explore expanding Lopez Broadcast System into\nother markets such as College Station, San Angelo, and Houston.\n  Humberto's most memorable experiences included interviewing the widow\nof Mexican legend, Pancho Villa; Texas' first Hispanic Congressman,\nHenry B. Gonzalez; and the members of Battalion 201, the World War II\nMexican Battalion. Easily, his most rewarding experience is the\ncontinuing success of the Lopez Broadcast System, which serves our home\ncommunity in South Texas. Humberto's philosophy is: ``It's not about\nhow much money someone may earn but the accomplishments and lives you\ntouch--which leaves a legacy of hope.''\n  He is supported by the love of his life, his wife Minerva Rodriguez-\nLopez; their children: Mario Humberto, Luis Homero, Larry, Manuel,\nCarlos, Humberto II, Ernesto, Mena Lamar, Melinda, Ray, Lisa, and Mary\nHelen; their 27 grandchildren--Mario Humberto II, Michael Anthony,\nMarissa, Celina, Carissa, Crista, Lizette, Lynsey, Ashley Nicole,\nManuel Omar, Mireya, Alejandro, Gabriella, Laura Lynn, Carlos Eric,\nCrystal, Katherine, Ernesto Nicholas, Raul Jr., MiaMar Minerva,\nIsabella, Giselle Fey, Cristian Esai, Ray Jr., Amy Desiree, Nayeli, and\nOrlando DeLeon II; and their 2 great grandchildren, Mario Humberto III,\nand Michael Anthony.\n  I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending my dear friend,\nHumberto Lozano Lopez, for the amazing achievement so far in his\nlifetime and for his recent induction into the Tejano Hall of Fame.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2172", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF SUE SHAPIRO", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2172", "E2172", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2172", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2172]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        IN HONOR OF SUE SHAPIRO\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sue Shapiro for her\nactive role in community organizations and years of dedicated\nleadership. Mrs. Shapiro was honored at the Bayonne Jewish Community\nCenter's 52nd annual Sustaining Dinner Gala on October 23, 2004, in\nBayonne, New Jersey.\n  Sue Shapiro's commitment to serving her community has been\ndemonstrated by her steadfast involvement in local organizations. In\nthe past, she has served as a member and trustee of the Bayonne Board\nof Education and was the second woman to serve as president of the\nTemple Beth Am.\n  Her most extensive service has been with the Jewish Community Center.\nAs chairperson of the Health and Physical Education Committee for 24 of\nher 29 years of participation, Mrs. Shapiro has overseen a successful\nathletic program for youth and adults of Bayonne. She has also served\nas chair or co-chair of the Open Tennis Tournament, Winter Holiday\nElementary School Basketball Tournament, Annual Golf Tournament, and\nAnnual Sports Awards Program. In addition, she has successfully\norganized three reunions at the Jewish Community Center.\n  Throughout her years of involvement with these organizations, Mrs.\nShapiro has continued to work as a dedicated employee for the Rexall\nDrug Company and Judge Harvey L. Birne.\n  Born and raised in Bayonne, Mrs. Shapiro was the wife of the late\nHarold Shapiro and is the proud mother of three sons and three\ngrandchildren.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Sue Shapiro for her\noutstanding leadership and dedication to the community of Bayonne, New\nJersey.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2173-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING MARCELLUS'S GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2173", "E2173", "[{\"name\": \"James T. Walsh\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2173", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2173]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n      HONORING MARCELLUS'S GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an\nextraordinary group of athletes, the Marcellus Girls Varsity Soccer\nteam. Marcellus captured its second consecutive Section 3, Class B\nstate title with a 6 to 0 win over Fredonia, ending their season with\nan overall record of 23-1-1.\n  The Marcellus Mustangs lived up to their season long No. 1 ranking\nwith a decisive victory over Fredonia led by senior striker Jenna\nFarneti scoring three goals and two assists. Amy Ware and Hannah Vaughn\nstruck the final blows to the nails in the coffin adding three more\ngoals with Meghan Mannion and Alyssa MacLachlan contributing the\nassists.\n  While acknowledging these five, outstanding athletes for their\nefforts in the championship game is well deserved; any member of a team\nknows that victory isn't possible without the contributions of all team\nmembers and coaches.\n  Coach Laurie Updike, Jenna Farneti, Rachel Farneti, Stephanie Gosson,\nKelly Hanlon, Sarah Holden, Jocie Jankowski, Alyssa MacLachlan, Meghan\nMannion, Ashley Martin, Lauren Longo, Alyse O'Brien, Sarah Potter,\nCahterine Scott, Amanda Stessen, Hannah Vaughn, Katie Walter, Amy Ware,\nJennifer Young, Katie Young, Katie Zimmerman, Emily Zimmerman, Emmy\nPotter, Meghan Kaminska are all equally valued components of the\nMarcellus perennial powerhouse.\n  A special recognition is also deserved to those whom support\nMarcellus's fine athletes, the parents, teachers, students and fans.\nYou were all instrumental in the Mustang's success.\n  I commend the Marcellus Girls Varsity Soccer team for their\ndedication and congratulate them on a triumphant season. Your continued\nsuccess reflects your tireless work ethic.\n  Congratulations to the Champs.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2173", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING THE BALLOU SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2173", "E2173", "[{\"name\": \"Eleanor Holmes Norton\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2173", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2173]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n          HONORING THE BALLOU SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND\n\n                                 ______\n\n                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON\n\n                      of the district of columbia\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the\nDistrict's own Ballou Senior High School Marching Band for its recent\nextraordinary achievement at the Home Depot National Battle of the\nBands Competition. The band, numbering 86 members, placed second among\neight bands in a competition which included 110 entrants in the initial\nfield. Ballou deserves recognition from the House of Representatives\nnot only because of this notable accomplishment. I ask the Congress to\nrecognize the Ballou Marching Band also because these students, led by\ntheir able and devoted band director, Darrell Watson, overcame nearly\nimpossible odds.\n  The high school is located in one of the city's most disadvantaged\nand besieged communities. The students have lived with unusual human\ntragedy, including the fatal shooting of two fellow students this year.\nAlso in 2003, the school was closed for more than a month because of an\naccidental mercury spill. At the end of the school year, many of the\nproblems of the school were blamed on allegations of poor leadership\nand the principal was dismissed.\n  This is not an atmosphere conducive to producing award winning bands.\nYet, the Ballou Marching Band's band director and the new principal,\nDaniel Hudson, persevered. However, talent, intelligence, diligence and\ndedication could not cover the $70,000 needed to travel to California\nto compete. The often struggling families of the students, and their\ninner-city community certainly did not have such funds. Still, the band\nand their school did not give up. They sought help from the business\ncommunity, alumni and others. Many were moved by the determination of\nthe students. Among the many contributors who made the trip possible\nwere Federal Express--inspired by a Ballou alumna who was a vice\npresident--Lockheed Martin, Embassy Suites Hotels, and William C. Smith\nand Company. The outpouring of love and support that the Ballou\nband received was inspired not only by the need, but by the students'\nown determination and efforts in doing car washes and selling dinners\nto earn funds for the trip.\n\n  The concrete show of confidence in these children enabled the band's\nparticipation and its prize-winning finish. In fact, the competition\nwas razor close, and Ballou almost came away with the top prize. Its\nreward was a trip to Disneyland and the opportunity to play in the\nholiday parade. The larger and lasting reward is the sense of\naccomplishment the students received and the opportunity to broaden\ntheir horizons and expectations concerning where hard work and high\naspirations can lead. On a visit to the school, I was moved to see the\neffect of the band's achievements on the entire student body, which\ngathered to celebrate the band with principal, teachers and staff all\npresent. The band director, Darrell Watson, spoke of the numerous\ncompliments he received, including words of praise concerning the\nexemplary behavior of the members of the band. Principal Hudson is\nleading the students to transfer the band's achievement to academic\nachievement as well for the student body.\n  I am proud that the band represented the city so well and proud to\nrepresent the band, the school, and the community in the Congress of\nthe United States. Last week I wrote to President Bush to ask that the\nBallou Band march in the upcoming Inaugural Parade. Considering what\nthe band has achieved and the obstacles the students have overcome, I\nbelieve that the band and the school deserve this national recognition.\nMr. Speaker, the Ballou Senior High School Marching Band deserves the\naccolades the band is receiving since returning from California. I ask\nthe House of Representatives to add its own congratulations as well.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2174-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "RELEASE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT AUNG SAN SUU KYI", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2174", "E2174", "[{\"name\": \"Mike Pence\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2174", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2174]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n          RELEASE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT AUNG SAN SUU KYI\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. MIKE PENCE\n\n                               of indiana\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight recent and\nprofoundly heartbreaking situations in the brutal authoritarian\ndictatorship of Burma. For nearly two decades, the ruling military\nregime has sought to crush any and all opposition to their complete\ndomination of the country.\n  The military junta's actions have led to the unjust imprisonment of\nover 1,000 political opponents, including the world's only imprisoned\nNobel Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi. While indications\nrecently hinted at the release of most, if not all, of these political\nprisoners, once again the regime has proven that no trust can be lent\nto their promises. Just days after the promising release of a handful\nof democracy activists, the military junta informed Aung San Suu Kyi\nthat her sentence would be extended one more year.\n  Mr. Speaker, even more appalling, recent reports indicate that five\nBurma Army battalions are involved in slash and burn campaigns in\nethnic minority controlled areas in eastern Burma. These actions follow\nan all-too-familiar pattern of tactics employed by the regime to stifle\nresistance by anti-regime, ethnic minorities. Military are actively\nburning villages and crucial rice supplies. Perhaps a greater outrage\nis the military then land mining the empty villages, and most times,\nthe paths to and from that village so people are unable to return.\nThere is no other intention in these actions than extermination.\n  As a strong advocate for children, I am saddened that the nearly\n7,500 displaced villagers recently fleeing to the jungle include\nnumerous children. The child mortality and malnutrition among these\ndisplaced people are staggering. Not only the children are suffering\nthe effects of this displacement. With nowhere to go, many families are\ndivided and many people die of preventable, treatable diseases.\n  Mr. Speaker, I add my voice to others in this great nation that\ncontinue to seek freedom and democracy for the people of Burma. I\nstrongly object to the continued imprisonment of Nobel Peace Prize\nrecipient Aung San Suu Kyi, and call for her immediate release. I also\nencourage the Administration to take whatever measures necessary to\nexert more pressure on the ruling military regime.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2174-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2174", "E2174", "[{\"name\": \"Ed Whitfield\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2174", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2174]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                           HON. ED WHITFIELD\n\n                              of kentucky\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                      Saturday, November 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to a\nprovision inserted in the FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Act. Title 1\nsection 142 states ``Any excess animal sold under this provision shall\nno longer be considered to be a wild-free roaming horse or burro for\npurposes of this Act.'' This section completely reverses the goal of\nthe Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which was aimed at\nstopping wild horses and burros from being harvested for commercial\nposes without limitation.\n  The Bureau of Land Management, BLM, oversees approximately 261\nmillion acres. More than 29 million acres of this land is used for wild\nhorse and burro grazing. BLM's responsibilities with regard to caring\nfor wild horses and burros were created by the Wild Free Roaming Horses\nand Burros Act in 1971. Although the act's primary concern is caring\nfor wild horses and burros, it also permits BLM to lease this land for\nseveral purposes, such as grazing, mining, and parks. The act and\nsubsequent regulations require BLM to manage wild horses and burros on\npublic lands and protect them from unauthorized capture, branding,\nharassment, death, and ensure their humane care.\n  Current law prohibits the sale of wild horses and burros for\nprocessing into commercial products. Section 142 will undermine these\nefforts by allowing wild horses and burros that are at least 10 years\nold or have been put up for adoption three times to be auctioned. As a\ncosponsor of the American Horse Protection Act, along with 227 other\nMembers, I am appalled that wild horses and burros could possibly be\ncaptured for slaughter.\n  Horses that are sent to slaughter are often crammed into double\ndecker trailers, where conditions are so bad that many horses arrive at\nthe slaughtering facility injured. Moreover, since there are no export\ntariffs on horse meat, no profits from this industry remain in America.\nThe profits go directly to Belgium and France, which is where the\nowners of the only slaughter houses in the United States live. More\nimportantly, the provision is a devastating blow to the equine\nindustry, because they have worked diligently to protect horses from\nslaughter.\n  Section 142 was inserted during conference negotiations, leaving many\nmembers unaware of the new provision and its impact. In addition, no\nstand-alone legislation has been introduced and, to my knowledge, the\nHouse Resources Committee had not seen this language. Because this\nprovision was inserted behind closed doors, no congressional\nauthorizing committee had an opportunity to comment on this provision\nand its impact. Additionally, no hearings have been held to get\nfeedback from BLM on possible alternatives. In fact, since 1988, every\nDepartment of Interior Appropriations bill has included language that\nstates, ``Appropriations herein made shall not be available for the\ndestruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros in the care\nof the Bureau or its contractor.'' Coincidently, this language was left\nout this year. I believe that if this language was brought before the\nfull House for a vote as stand-alone legislation it would fail, because\nclearly the majority of the House has gone on record opposing the\nslaughter of horses.\n  Mr. Speaker, it does not speak well of this institution when\nindividual members of the House and Senate can change 16 .years of\npolicy by sneaking a provision into the Omnibus without disclosure,\ndiscussion, or public knowledge. Horses are part of our American\nheritage and hold a favored status. They are not food animals in this\ncountry and, unlike cows, pigs, and chickens, they should not be bred,\nraised, or gathered for slaughter.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2174-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "THE CURSE HAS STRUCK OUT", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2174", "E2175", "[{\"name\": \"Edward J. Markey\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2174", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2174-E2175]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        THE CURSE HAS STRUCK OUT\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY\n\n                            of massachusetts\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, in celebration of the victory of the Red Sox\nin the World Series, I have an offering for the House, with apologies\nto Ernest L. Thayer entitled, ``The Curse Has Struck Out.''\n\n     The outlook wasn't guaranteed for the Red Sox nine this year\n     Since 1918 our boys had left us crying in our beer.\n     And when they lost twice in New York, and then at home again\n     A pall-like silence fell over the loyal Red Sox fans.\n     A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.\n     ``Wait 'til next year,'' they said. Resignation filled the\n           air.\n     The rest clung to that hope that springs eternal in the human\n           breast.\n     ``It ain't over 'til it's over'' they muttered half in jest.\n     They thought, ``If only our boys could put some bat on that\n           ball,\n\n[[Page E2175]]\n\n     We'd put Bambino's curse to rest once and for all.''\n     But then Ortiz let fly a homer, to the wonderment of all.\n     And Johnny Damon, bases loaded, tore the cover off the ball.\n     And when the dust had lifted on that memorable night\n     We had come back from three games down, the Curse was in our\n           sights.\n     Then from all of Red Sox Nation's throats there rose a wild\n           call,\n     It echoed on the Common, it shook Faneuil Hall.\n     It pounded on the River Charles, and splashed upon the Bay,\n     The Yankees were all through, kaput, a World Series we would\n           play.\n     And they rolled out to St. Louis, jewel of the Midwest.\n     The Cards had won their league with ease, but now they faced\n           a test.\n     Were they ready for the Boston boys? The town was dressed in\n           red.\n     The fans could not be nicer, the team was so well led.\n     But the Red Sox took the first three games, competing nobly\n           one and all.\n     They overcame their errors, they answered every call.\n     And as Game Four proceeded, and a Series win now loomed,\n     All New England shivered with the thought we might still be\n           doomed.\n     Henry shifted in his seat, Hope in Werner burned,\n     Epstein checked his numbers, Lucchino's stomach churned.\n     What deus ex machina would fall down from the sky?\n     What Bucky Dent-Bill Buckner ghost might steer things all\n           awry?\n     Keith Foulke climbed up upon the mound, ball burning in his\n           hand.\n     The Curse stepped up to face him, to make a final stand.\n     There was ease in the Curse's manner as he stepped into his\n           place.\n     There was pride in Bambino's bearing, a smile on the Curse's\n           face.\n     And when, responding to his fans, he lightly doffed his hat,\n     No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas the Curse at the\n           bat.\n     A nation's eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt.\n     60,000 tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.\n     Then, while Foulke rubbed the ball into his shifty hip,\n     Defiance flashed in the Curse's eye, a sneer curled on his\n           lip.\n     And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the\n           air,\n     And the Curse stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.\n     Close by the portly batsman the ball unheeded sped--\n     ``I just can't hit that,'' said the Curse. ``Strike one!''\n           the umpire said.\n     From the canyons of Manhattan, there rose a muffled roar.\n     New York fans were screaming, ``Would the Curse really be no\n           more?''\n     ``Kill him, kill the umpire,'' they shouted in Yankee land.\n     The Curse looked smug. In 86 years the Curse had never\n           fanned.\n     With a smile of overconfidence, the Curse's visage shone.\n     He stilled the rising tumult, he bade the game go on.\n     He signaled the Red Sox closer, and once more the dun sphere\n           flew,\n     But the Curse couldn't hit it, and the umpire said, ``Strike\n           two.''\n     ``It's over,'' thought the Cardinals fans, who are brought up\n           so well.\n     But the Curse gave a scornful look and an eerie silence fell.\n     They saw his face frown stern and cold, they saw his muscles\n           strain.\n     And they really thought the Curse wouldn't let that ball go\n           by again.\n     The sneer has fled from the Curse's lip, the teeth are\n           clenched in hate.\n     He pounds, with cruel violence, his bat upon the plate.\n     And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,\n     And now the air is shattered by the force of the Curse's\n           blow.\n     Oh, all across this favored land the sun is shining bright.\n     The band is playing happily and our hearts are oh so light.\n     And Red Sox Nation smiles and laughs, and little children\n           shout.\n     And there is pure joy in Beantown--\n     The Curse has struck out.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2174", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING THE IRONBOUND COMMUNITY CORPORATION", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2174", "E2174", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2174", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2174]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2174]]\n              HONORING THE IRONBOUND COMMUNITY CORPORATION\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Ironbound\nCommunity Corporation, a multiservice organization that has made\namazing contributions to the city and residents of Newark. The\nIronbound Community Corporation celebrated its 35th anniversary on\nOctober 22, 2004, at the Mediterranean Manor in Newark, NJ.\n  Guided by a desire to ensure justice and equality for all people, the\nIronbound Community Organization provides a variety of programs and\noutreach services and offers assistance in areas such as family\nliteracy, multilingual adult education, family assistance and\ndevelopment, and senior citizen care. In addition, it develops programs\nfor children, adolescents, environmental projects, and general\nneighborhood issues, with the goal of improving the lives of those\nliving in and around the ethnically and culturally diverse Ironbound\nneighborhood. More than 700 people benefit daily from the services this\nwonderful organization provides.\n  Each year, the Community Corporation honors those who have\ncontributed greatly to the organization's success. This year's honorees\ninclude Gabriella Morris, Joseph DiVincenzo, Antonio Matinho, David and\nFlorence Schnegelberger, Bernadine Fillmore, and Eva Harris.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Ironbound\nCommunity Corporation for 35 years of dedicated and honorable service\nworking to improve the lives of the people of Newark. Its broad range\nof programs and services has greatly impacted the community and will no\ndoubt continue to benefit the lives of countless people in the years to\ncome.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2175-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO TERRY MELCHER", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2175", "E2175", "[{\"name\": \"Sam Farr\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2175", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2175]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        TRIBUTE TO TERRY MELCHER\n\n                                 ______\n\n                             HON. SAM FARR\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Terry Melcher, a\nprominent record producer and songwriter and a personal friend of mine,\nwho recently passed away. I send the deepest sympathies to his wife,\nTerese, his son, Ryan, and his mother, Doris Day.\n  Anyone who knew Terry would claim that he was a talented man. He\nstarted his career in the music industry as a solo singer, but later he\nand future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston paired up and formed the group\nBruce & Terry. They made several hits together and then went on to\nbecome part of the group, the Rip Chords. Together the Rip Chords\nrecorded the 1964 hit, ``Hey, Little Cobra''.\n  Also, during this successful time, Terry's career included producing.\nHe produced the top selling version of Bob Dylan's ``Mr. Tambourine\nMan'' and others, including the Byrds' ``Turn, Turn, Turn'' while with\nColumbia Records. He also worked his magic with the Mamas and the\nPapas, Wayne Newton, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Ray Cooder. In\naddition to his work Terry took time to be involved in the community;\nhe was a board member of the Monterey Pop Foundation and a producer of\nthe Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. This event rose to fame as stars\nsuch as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin and Otis Redding emerged\nonto the national scene.\n  However, Terry was probably best known for his work with the Beach\nBoys, who once recorded an album at his studio in Carmel Valley. Terry\nco-wrote the song ``Kokomo'' and performed on their album ``Pet\nSounds''. ``Kokomo'' was used in the movie ``Cocktail'', where it\ngarnered a Golden Globe nomination in 1988 for best original song.\n  Terry continued his involvement with entertainment throughout his\nlife and was the executive producer of his mother's shows: ``The Doris\nDay Show'', on CBS from 1968 to 1972 and then later, in the mid-80's,\n``Doris Day's Best Friends''. He continued his involvement in the\ncommunity and helped run his mother's charitable activities, including\nthe Doris Day Animal Foundation. He was also a supporter of the Boy\nScouts of America and the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.\n  Mr. Speaker, Terry Melcher was a man who shared his gift of music\nwith others and valued the Central Coast community. I would again like\nto extend my deepest sympathies to Terry Melcher's family at their\nloss.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2175", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF FRANK CARINE, JR.", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2175", "E2175", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2175", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2175]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                     IN HONOR OF FRANK CARINE, JR.\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Frank Carine, Jr.,\nfor his outstanding public service and demonstrated commitment to\ncommunity participation and leadership. He was named the 2004 Honoree\nof the Year by the Sicilian Citizens Club on October 23, 2004, in\nBayonne, NJ.\n  Mr. Carine has dedicated more than 27 years of his life to law\nenforcement. His service includes time on the municipal, county, and\nfederal law enforcement teams. For the past 18 years, he has worked\nwith the U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Agency and is\ncurrently a Supervisory Special Agent in the Newark, NJ, division.\n  Within the law enforcement community, Mr. Carine has established\nhimself as an exceptional leader as a three-term president of the\nFederal Law Enforcement Officers Association, New Jersey Chapter 2. His\nleadership abilities are also clearly demonstrated through his\npositions as vice-president of the Nicholas Capodice Association,\nsecretary for the Holy Family Father Club, executive board member of\nthe Sicilian Citizens Club, and chairman and co-chairman of fundraisers\nfor the Boy Scouts of America.\n  In addition to his years of public service, Mr. Carine has\ncontributed his time and energy to helping others, including coaching\nBayonne youth soccer teams. His extensive community involvement\nincludes being a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus Council\n371, as well as a member of the Italian American Police Society of New\nJersey, the Federal Agents PBA local 121, and the Honor Legion of the\nPolice Departments of New Jersey. In addition, he serves on the Annual\nBlue Mass Committee for the Archdiocese of Newark and the Hudson\nLiberty District Committee.\n  Mr. Carine was born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey. He received\nhis bachelor's degree in criminal justice from New Jersey City\nUniversity (formerly Jersey City State College) and graduated from the\nNew Jersey State Police Academy in Sea Girt, NJ, and the DEA/FBI\nAcademy in Quantico, VA.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Frank Carine, Jr.,\nfor his years of dedicated service to law enforcement and his\nsignificant contributions to the community.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2176-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "ON THIS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: AMERICA'S VETERANS DESERVE BETTER", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2176", "E2176", "[{\"name\": \"Dan Burton\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2176", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2176]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n     ON THIS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: AMERICA'S VETERANS DESERVE BETTER\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. DAN BURTON\n\n                               of indiana\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on December 7, 1941, over 2,200\nbrave servicemen and women sacrificed their lives protecting the\nfreedoms we have come to cherish. Now, sixty-three years after the\ndevastating attack on Pearl Harbor, America has over 26 million\nveterans who have selflessly dedicated themselves in service to our\ngreat country and sacrificed to guarantee Americans the freedoms we\nenjoy today.\n  Unfortunately, rather than receiving the full respect they deserve,\nour nation's veterans are now faced with a recently released Department\nof Veterans Affairs (DVA) directive (VHA Directive 2004-045) that\nexposes them to tremendous risk. The directive grants optometrists--\nnon-Medical Doctors (MDs)--in the VA system privileges to perform laser\neye procedures under the supervision of an ophthalmologist--a fully\ntrained and certified MD. While I fully understand that the Directive\nmandates the procedure will be supervised, I am also aware of the fact\nthat supervising a procedure is not the same as actually performing the\nprocedure. As a result, allowing an operation to be performed by a non-\nsurgeon could potentially jeopardize patient safety, and ultimately the\nquality of care provided to our veterans.\n  As eye health deteriorates with age, more and more older Americans\nare faced with the need for eye surgery. And just when our aging\nveterans need this care the most, they are now faced with the prospect\nof having their surgery performed by someone who hasn't been through\nintensive surgical education or training. This new policy blatantly\nimposes a substandard level of health care on our veterans.\n  Currently, only one state--Oklahoma--permits optometrists (non-MDs)\nto perform laser eye surgery, while 35 other states have outright\nprohibited this type of procedure. In fact, 14 states, including\nIndiana, have debated and soundly rejected similar measures--seven\nstates in this calendar year alone. But regardless of individual state\nrestrictions, the DVA directive allows an eye care professional to\npractice anywhere in the VHA system, ``up to the limits'' of their\nlicense. As a result, optometrists with no formal surgical education or\ntraining will be able to go to Oklahoma, take a 16 hour course, pass\nthe Oklahoma optometry certification exam, and then go anywhere in the\ncountry and practice laser eye surgery on any veteran in any VHA\nfacility. Thus, in states that have prohibited this type of threat or\nrejected Oklahoma-like legislation, optometrists will be practicing\nsurgery on veterans against the wishes of state lawmakers.\n  As a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, I find it shocking that this\npractice has been allowed to come this far. And I'm not alone in my\nbelief that medical doctors who are specifically trained to reduce\nsurgery-related risks should be the only ones legally permitted to\ncarry out these delicate laser eye procedures. In fact, in a national\npoll of U.S. veterans, 95 percent said it was important for a licensed\nmedical doctor, specializing in eye care, to conduct eye surgery.\n  Any medical operation has the potential to cause adverse affects. In\nolder populations--such as those served by VHA facilities--the rate of\nadverse events tends to increase for any surgical procedure. Therefore,\nit makes no sense that this very population--those most in need of a\nmedical doctor's training and education to determine the safest surgery\nfor their overall health--be needlessly exposed to the very real threat\nof having a non-MD operate on them. It should be our highest priority\nas American citizens to help ensure the safety of those who have so\nproudly and bravely defended our great country. All U.S. veterans\ndeserve to have quality health care performed by medical doctors with\nthe proper education and training.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2176-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF YOLANDA FERNANDEZ-QUINCOCES", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2176", "E2177", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2176", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2176-E2177]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                IN HONOR OF YOLANDA FERNANDEZ-QUINCOCES\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Yolanda Fernandez-\nQuincoces for her remarkable accomplishments in dance and music and her\nexceptional artistic contributions to the community over the past few\ndecades.\n  Ms. Fernandez-Quincoces's extensive career includes teaching,\nchoreographing, and producing. In 1974, she founded Yolanda's Academy\nof Music and Dance, which has developed young talent in New Jersey for\n30 years. In addition to managing the school, she has taught classes in\nthe gifted and talented program in Union City and in the Woodrow Wilson\nSchool for the Integrated Arts. Under her dedicated instruction, more\nthan 38 students have won recognition in statewide talent search\ncompetitions and many have continued their dance training at\nprestigious institutes such as the New York City Ballet's School of\nAmerican Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and established universities.\n  Her professional credits include a position as a teaching liaison\nbetween the New York City Ballet and New York City Opera and the\nWoodrow Wilson School. Ms. Fernandez-Quincoces was also involved with\nhosting and producing a television arts program on Cablevision, and has\nmade several guest appearances on other shows. In addition to her\ncurrent projects, she is a member of the National Education\nAssociation, the Dance Educators of America, and the National Guild of\nPiano Teachers.\n  For her exceptional work, Ms. Fernandez-Quincoces has received\nnumerous awards, including ``Teacher of the Year'' for Union City,\nHudson County, and the State of New Jersey, and ``Outstanding\nChoreographer'' for three different productions from the Dance\nEducators of America in New York City. Most notably, she was also\nhonored at the Statue of Liberty Centennial Celebration with other\nwell-known artists, performers, and political figures.\n  Ms. Fernandez-Quincoces emigrated from Cuba to the United States when\nshe was three years old. She began studying ballet at the age of five,\ntraining at the New Jersey Ballet, Oneida's Dance Studio, and the\nAmerican Ballet Theatre. Ms. Fernandez-Quincoces also\n\n[[Page E2177]]\n\nreceived a bachelor's degree in music education from New York\nUniversity and, in addition to her dance training, is also an\nestablished pianist.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Yolanda Fernandez-\nQuincoces for her years of outstanding teaching and choreographing. She\nhas demonstrated remarkable passion for the arts and has influenced the\nlives of many with her instruction and creative works.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2176", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "DISTRICT OF MARYLAND, HOME OF CHAMPIONS: KUDOS TO SUITLAND, POTOMAC, SHERWOOD, DEMATHA, SENECA VALLEY AND MAGRUDER HIGH SCHOOLS", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2176", "E2176", "[{\"name\": \"Albert Russell Wynn\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2176", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2176]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2176]]\n DISTRICT OF MARYLAND, HOME OF CHAMPIONS: KUDOS TO SUITLAND, POTOMAC,\n       SHERWOOD, DEMATHA, SENECA VALLEY AND MAGRUDER HIGH SCHOOLS\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. ALBERT RUSSELL WYNN\n\n                              of maryland\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate several of our\ngreat high school sports teams in the 4th Congressional District of\nMaryland for their outstanding seasons. Congratulations to Suitland and\nPotomac High Schools who both recently won state football\nchampionships.\n  Potomac High School located in Oxon Hill, Maryland rose to victory\nbeating Hereford High School 19 to 12 to win the 2A title championship.\nLed by Coach Eric Knight, Potomac was finally able to achieve the title\nthat had slipped through their fingers the previous season. In winning\nthe state championship Potomac also became the first team in Maryland\nhistory to end the season with a 14-0 record.\n  Suitland High School located in Suitland, Maryland, led by Coach Nick\nLynch and standout junior linebacker Navorro Bowman, beat Damascus High\nSchool 14 to 7 to win the 4A title championship. Although Bowman had\nbeen pinpointed as the obvious star of the team, the humble young\nplayer still managed to praise his fellow teammates including his\naggressive offensive line, which did an excellent job to help seal the\nvictory. Navorro Bowman who has already been offered a scholarship at\nthe University of Maryland appears to be a young man on the move who\nhas a bright and promising future ahead of him.\n  Congratulations are also in order for DeMatha High School in\nHyattsville, Maryland, which ended the season as the number one boys\nsoccer team in the region. Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring,\nMaryland should also be recognized for ending a great soccer season\nwith their boys' team ranked number three and their girls' team number\nseven in the area.\n  In addition Seneca Valley High School in Germantown Maryland ranked\nnumber four in the top ten for volleyball, while Magruder High School\nin Rockville ranked number six.\n  I am extremely proud of the achievements of these young people from\nmy Congressional District. I am sure that all the citizens of\nMaryland's 4th Congressional District share my enthusiastic admiration\nfor their hard work, sportsmanship and teamwork. Athletics plays an\nimportant role in the development of our youth, and teaches valuable\nlife lessons in cooperation, camaraderie, and valor. The famed football\ncoach Vince Lombardi once said that individual commitment to a group\neffort--is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, and\na civilization work.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2177-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO REPRESENTATIVES AMORY HOUGHTON AND JACK QUINN", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2177", "E2177", "[{\"name\": \"Sherwood Boehlert\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2177", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2177]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n        TRIBUTE TO REPRESENTATIVES AMORY HOUGHTON AND JACK QUINN\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. SHERWOOD BOEHLERT\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, as the 108th Congress comes to a close, I\nwould like to honor two of New York's greatest legislators--Rep. Amory\nHoughton (NY-29) and Rep. Jack Quinn (NY-27), for their outstanding\ncareers in Congress. Unfortunately, Mr. Quinn and Mr. Houghton have\ndecided to retire at the end of the 108th Congress. As Dean of the New\nYork Republican Congressional Delegation, I would like to express my\ngratitude and appreciation for their dedication and commitment to their\nconstituencies.\n  Mr. Houghton, a nine-term Member of Congress and founder of the\ninfluential Republican Main Street Partnership, has a legacy of\nsupporting moderate social programs, while encouraging fiscal\nresponsibility and much needed tax relief for hard-working Americans.\nHoughton is also the founder of the John Quincy Adams Society, an\nissues forum that brings together moderate officeholders with top\nbusiness leaders, which has been instrumental in strengthening the\nmoderate movement.\n  I have had the distinct pleasure of working alongside Mr. Houghton\nfor the past 18 years, and his vision for a less partisan and more\neffective Congress is truly inspiring. Mr. Houghton worked diligently\non more equitable tax and health politics, in his role on the Ways and\nMeans Committee. His counsel and fair-minded manner were always so\nvaluable to myself, and all Members of Congress.\n  As a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure\nCommittee, I have had the distinct pleasure of working closely with Mr.\nQuinn. Mr. Quinn, a six-term Member of Congress and Chairman of the\nHouse Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on\nRailroads, has worked tirelessly on a variety of transportation issues,\nthe largest of these being Amtrak and its preservation as part of our\nNation's infrastructure.\n  Mr. Quinn also served as co-chair of the House Labor Working Group,\nadvocating on behalf of organized labor with the Republican Leadership.\nPossibly the most important task to Mr. Quinn was ensuring a fair wage\nfor all workers, as a leader and supporter of sensible labor policy. As\na fellow New Yorker, I see the invaluable contribution of organized\nlabor's representation of working men and women, and commend Mr. Quinn\nfor his unwavering leadership on this issue.\n  As Members of Congress, we are judged on our records, and I can say\nwith great enthusiasm that Mr. Houghton and Mr. Quinn are men of\nhonesty and integrity. Their work ethic and inspiring ideas, as well as\ntheir leadership, will be sorely missed. I am proud to not only call\nthem colleagues, but also friends.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2177-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2177", "E2178", "[{\"name\": \"Patrick J. Kennedy\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2177", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2177-E2178]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY\n\n                            of rhode island\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                      Saturday, November 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring my\ncolleagues attention to a provision included in the Fiscal Year 2005\nAppropriations Omnibus bill, H.R. 4818, titled, ``Federal Energy\nRegulatory Commission Salaries and Expenses.'' The language included in\nthis section declares that it is the intent of Congress for the Federal\nEnergy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to have exclusive jurisdiction over\nthe siting and approval of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals. This\nlanguage seems to target a pending lawsuit by the State of California\nchallenging the placement of a LNG facility. Although the language is\nnon-binding, I am concerned with the possible repercussions of this\nprovision, as well as the method in which it was added to the bill.\n  My home state of Rhode Island is currently examining a proposal\nregarding a LNG terminal in Providence. Members of the Rhode Island\nCongressional delegation and state officials have been in active\ndiscussions with all federal and local agencies that would be affected\nby this terminal to ensure that the region is properly informed of the\nhazards of a potentially expanded or new LNG facility. Rhode Island's\nunique geography and narrow waterways would force the LNG tanker ships\nto travel through densely populated areas to reach the terminal. The\ncitizens of Rhode Island and our Congressional delegation have justly\nrequested that all safety concerns are addressed before the facility is\nconsidered due to the ships close proximity to residential and\nbusinesses areas. There is also an increased potential for\nenvironmental damage due to dredging, as well as concerns for how\nincreased tanker traffic will affect the commercial fishing industry,\nwhich is already under tremendous stress. Further, the U.S. Coast Guard\nrecently responded in a letter to my office that the security of the\nLNG ships would be a shared Federal, State, local, and industry\nresponsibility.\n  I understand the FERC's assessment that the shipment of LNG is\nengaged in foreign commerce, however, this statement severely limits\nthe process and dangers involved with shipping LNG. The delivery of\nLNG, especially in populated areas such as Rhode Island, greatly\nimpacts the lives of those who live near the transport route. Also, the\nstate and local law enforcement agencies that will be called upon to\nensure the public's safety will continue to be stretched thin.\nExcluding the involvement of the state from the consideration of a LNG\nterminal is inconsistent with all the information my office has\nreceived from various inquiries that unequivocally proves that state\nand local agencies would be greatly impacted by the construction of a\nlarge facility. The federal government is also ignoring the critical\nexpertise and knowledge that can be gained by including state and local\nexperts in this process.\n  I am also extremely disappointed with the closed-door method that was\nused to add this\n\n[[Page E2178]]\n\nlanguage to the omnibus. Supporting the FERC's exclusive jurisdiction\nover the siting and approval of LNG terminals is an extremely important\ndecision that is worthy of a full debate in Congress. By including\ncontroversial language in an omnibus at the end of the 108th session of\nCongress, there is no opportunity to amend or strip the bill of this or\nother, harmful provisions. I hope that my colleagues will join me in\nmore closely examining the full impact of this issue on every state in\nthe next Congress. I look forward to an open debate that will include\nthe input of those citizens and local officials who are most affected\nby the inclusion of this language in the omnibus. Thank you.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2177", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO SHEILA PETERSON", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2177", "E2177", "[{\"name\": \"Anna G. Eshoo\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2177", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2177]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                       TRIBUTE TO SHEILA PETERSON\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sheila Peterson, who was\nrecently honored with the highest award of Sacred Heart Schools, the\nSt. Madeleine Sophie Medal by the Schools of the Sacred Heart in\nAtherton, California.\n  Sheila and her family have had a long connection to the Sacred Heart\nSchools. First, she had a great aunt who was part of the convent in St.\nCharles, Missouri. Next, her mother, Winifred Carreras Sullivan went to\nJackson Street and Lone Mountain, where she made great lifelong\nfriends. Winnie married Raymond Sullivan, later a distinguished Justice\nof the California Supreme Court, and Sheila, the eldest of their five\nchildren, ``met'' the Sacred Heart at Broadway in the 7th grade.\n  Ever since, Sheila has found a connection and a place with Sacred\nHeart. To quote Sheila, ``Sacred Heart/Menlo/Atherton is our place: The\nfirst generation was my great aunt; the second was my mother; the\nthird, my sisters and I; the fourth, the Peterson and Sullivan cousins.\nAnd at present, my son is on the English faculty and our cousin,\nElizabeth is the new Alumni Director. I hope that someday, at some\nSacred Heart School, they will find the same satisfaction that I\nreceived from helping here''.\n  Over the years, Sheila's involvement with Sacred Heart has taken many\nforms. She has served as a Room Mother (sometimes for all three of her\nchildren), Parent Club Head, substitute teacher, soccer coach, and\nAuction worker in the Main Building Basement. She has had a hand in\nsports activities, field trips, drama, the Booster Club, the school's\nAnnual Fund, two Capital Campaigns, and ultimately helped to plan the\nCentennial Celebration for Sacred Heart. Sheila has recently been\nworking as the Events Coordinator, and as always, doing an\nextraordinary job.\n  In 1987, Sheila served on the Board of Trustees. With the support of\nher husband, Ron, and three children, Molly, Katie, and Michael, she\nguided the school through the Loma Prieta earthquake, subsequent\ndiscussions and contentions about repair or razing, tight finances, a\nsmall endowment, and the co-ed Prep in the early stages. All these\nweighty issues took time and great commitment. Sheila served with\ndistinction and her prudent, wise leadership has benefited Sacred Heart\nSchools immensely.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this great\nand inspiring member of our community, Sheila Peterson, as she is\nhonored with the St. Madeleine Sophie Medal.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2178-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TAIWAN'S NATIONAL DAY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2178", "E2178", "[{\"name\": \"Edolphus Towns\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2178", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2178]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                         TAIWAN'S NATIONAL DAY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents, I wish to\nextend to Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian my congratulations on the\noccasion of the Republic of China's National Day which was celebrated\non October 10th.\n  Under President Chen's leadership, Taiwan's economy continues to grow\nand people continue to enjoy high standards of living. To bolster\nTaiwan's economy, President Chen has improved Taiwan's trade relations\nwith the People's Republic of China. Moreover, President Chen continues\nto work for an early breakthrough in Taiwan's dialogue with the PRC.\n  In the meantime, Taiwan's relationship with the United States is\nbecoming ever stronger. Bilateral trade between Taiwan and the United\nStates topped $65 billion last year and Taiwan is our eighth largest\ntrading partner. Taiwan and the United States share many values in\ncommon such as attachment to freedom; democracy and human rights.\n  I would like to personally thank President Chen for his support of\nour war against global terrorism and developmental assistance to a\nnumber of African nations.\n  To President Chen I say ``good luck and good fortune''. I remain\nhopeful that our relations will continue to be strengthened in 2005.\nCertainly, the able leadership of Ambassador David Lee has helped to\nfurther our relations with the government and people of Taiwan.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2178-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2178", "E2178", "[{\"name\": \"Betty McCollum\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2178", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2178]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM\n\n                              of minnesota\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                      Saturday, November 20, 2004\n\n  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in reluctant support of the\nFY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. I am disappointed that we are only\nnow finishing the nine appropriations bills that should have been\ncompleted months ago. I am even more disappointed that this bill is\ninadequate in meeting the Nation's education, health care, and\nenvironment needs. It is outrageous that anti-environmental and anti-\nchoice provisions have been slipped into this legislation without\nprevious consideration by this House.\n  I will vote for this bill today because it is $4 billion closer to\nmeeting our Nation's investment responsibilities that would be in the\ncase under a continuing resolution of last year's funding levels. While\nthis bill includes $14 billion more for our top domestic priorities,\nthis increase pales in comparison to the $280 billion in tax cuts for\nthis year alone.\n  Congress must work to do a better job of balancing our priorities. I\nwill continue to work to ensure that we make responsible investments\nfor working families in the future.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2178-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "BOB DIX, PUBLIC SERVANT", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2178", "E2178", "[{\"name\": \"Adam H. Putnam\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2178", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2178]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        BOB DIX, PUBLIC SERVANT\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ADAM H. PUTNAM\n\n                               of florida\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated\npublic servant who has served this institution with distinction.\n  During the 108th Congress, Bob Dix served as my staff director on the\nGovernment Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy,\nIntergovernmental Relations and the Census. In that capacity, Bob\nassembled a remarkable team of experts that assisted the subcommittee\nin conducting oversight on a number of areas crucial to our domestic\nand national security.\n  Over a period of 17 months, the subcommittee held 39 substantive\nhearings, ranging from the implementation of the President's Management\nAgenda and E-Gov initiatives to the threats posed at our Nation's\nairlines and seaports. Bob was the lead staff member of my Corporate\nInformation Security Working Group, which was a public/private\npartnership that was tasked with creating a uniform set of safe-\npractice information security standards for businesses, government and\nconsumers. In the process, Bob has distinguished himself as a leading\nexpert on the cutting edge technology issues of our times.\n  Bob Dix has accepted the position of Vice President of Government\nAffairs and Corporate Development for Citadel Security Software, Inc.,\nand I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his service\nto the subcommittee and his commitment to public service.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2178-5", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN RECOGNITION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLIC MUSEUM OF GRAND RAPIDS, MI", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2178", "E2179", "[{\"name\": \"Vernon J. Ehlers\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2178", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2178-E2179]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n IN RECOGNITION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLIC MUSEUM OF GRAND\n                               RAPIDS, MI\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS\n\n                              of michigan\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give recognition to the\n150th anniversary of the founding of the Public Museum of Grand Rapids,\nMichigan, located in Michigan's Third Congressional District, which I\nrepresent.\n  The Public Museum of Grand Rapids is a collections-based educational\norganization that explores and celebrates the world and our place in\nit. It seeks to educate and delight the public, contribute to the well-\nbeing of its community, and enhance the quality of life in west\nMichigan.\n  Founded in 1854, the Public Museum has been owned and operated by the\ncity of Grand Rapids since 1906, serving a broad regional audience of\nall ages. It is Michigan's oldest museum open to the public and the\nState's third largest museum, hosting visitors annually from every\nMichigan county, U.S. State and Canadian province and many foreign\ncountries.\n  The Public Museum's beginnings date back to December 17, 1854, when a\ngroup of amateur historians, scientists, and collectors of antiquities\ngathered to form the Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural History. By 1868,\nthe Lyceum had allied itself with a group of interested high school\nstudents to form an actual museum with rooms open for ``public\ninspection'' in the city's Central High School. Increasingly, the\nmuseum shifted away from the display of natural curiosities and\noddities, and acquired systematic collections that were useful tools in\nteaching about human culture and the natural world. A new name was\nadopted that emphasized the museum's expanded educational role as an\noperation of the Board of Education: The Kent Scientific Institute\nMuseum. By 1917, the museum occupied two adjacent mansions in the\ndowntown area, was a chartered department of municipal government, and\nhad developed a huge lending program of instructional materials and\nmounted specimens and artifacts for use in schools.\n\n[[Page E2179]]\n\n  In 1936, the institution was renamed the Public Museum to better\nreflect its citizen ownership and operation and multidisciplinary,\nprogram-focused character. It had a professional staff and had seen a\ngreat increase in historical collections and programs as well as\npermanent installations. In 1938, the museum's board matched a WPA\ngrant with a bequest and built an innovative, modern building that\nlooked and acted more like a department store than a traditional\nmuseum. Inspired by the writings of Newark Museum director John Cotton\nDana, the museum was populist in philosophy and presentation, marketing\nitself in 1940 when it opened as being ``as convenient as your corner\nstore, and friendly as your neighbor.'' By 1964, an incredible growth\nin service-oriented programming had necessitated building additions and\nthe construction of the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium along with the\nacquisition of the 143-acre Blandford Nature Center. The Voigt House,\nan unusually well-preserved, late-19th century residence, was acquired\nin 1974 with all of its original furnishings and archives. It is a\nhouse museum that balances the didactic historical displays developed\nin the main museum, especially those focused on furniture design,\nmanufacturing and marketing.\n  In the late 1970s, even as it became the first museum in the Nation\nto be accredited by the American Association of Museums, 1971, it was\nevident that expansion was necessary again in order to\nmaintain standards and better serve a growing audience. In 1982, an\nextraordinary public planning process was begun that resulted in the\ncreation of a master plan for the museum's growth on a new site in the\nheart of downtown Grand Rapids. This culminated on the museums 140th\nanniversary in 1994 with the debt free opening of its 155,000-square-\nfoot VanAndel Museum Center. In total, $42 million was amassed from\nmore than 25,000 public and private donors for its completion, with\nmajor support coming from the VanAndel family.\n\n  Community-based exhibition development, object conservation and\nprogram development were planned, fabricated and implemented\nsimultaneously with the structure, resulting in multiple exhibitions\nexploring regional urban, social and industrial history, ethnology,\nregional art, and environmental education. The museum boasts numerous\nunique features, including a fully operational 1928 amusement park\ncarousel and completely restored 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ.\n  With growth came new opportunities. Professional staff was expanded.\nCitizens formed a private foundation in support of museum programs that\nnow manages assets of more than $6 million. The city of Grand Rapids\nrenewed its commitment to operations, while facilitating and\nencouraging the museum to become entrepreneurial. In response, annual\ninstitutional attendance climbed to nearly double the city's population\nsimultaneous with the Public Museum's third award of AAM accreditation\n(1996). The museum staff manages a collection that now includes nearly\n1 million objects in more than 350,000 record groups.\n  A new temporary exhibition program was initiated, which reached new\nheights of success with the organization of a proprietary exhibition of\nThe Dead Sea Scrolls, organized in collaboration with the Israel\nAntiquities Authority. Between mid-February and June 1, 2003, the\nexhibition hosted a record 235,541 visitors, having an economic impact\non the region of $9 million. It was the second-most-attended temporary\nantiquities exhibition worldwide in 2003.\n  As 2004 draws to a close, the museum is again poised to expand both\nwith new programs and exhibitions as well as a new 140,500-square-foot,\nstate-of-the-art Community Archives & Research Center providing\nexcellent preservation of the permanent collection and expanded public\naccess. The center houses not only museum collections, but also the\narchives of the city of Grand Rapids and the county of Kent, which\ncollaborate in its planning and operation.\n  Mr. Speaker, I hope you will join me in congratulating the Public\nMuseum of Grand Rapids on the occasion of its 150`h anniversary. Its\nlong history of service to the west Michigan community is laudable\nindeed and we look forward to its continued work in the future.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2178", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF REVEREND TYRONE CHESS", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2178", "E2178", "[{\"name\": \"Robert Menendez\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2178", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2178]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                   IN HONOR OF REVEREND TYRONE CHESS\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Reverend Tyrone\nChess for his deep commitment to serving others. Reverend Chess was\nhonored at the Holy Ghost Tabernacle's Tenth Annual Banquet Anniversary\ncelebration on November 7, 2004, in Jersey City, New Jersey.\n  Throughout the years, Reverend Chess has provided a strong spiritual\nfoundation for the members of his community. As pastor and founder of\nthe Holy Ghost Tabernacle Ministries, he has spent years attending to\nthe spiritual needs of his congregants. His tireless service and\nwillingness to help people in need has helped to enrich the lives of so\nmany.\n  For more than 21 years, he has been active in community and civic\naffairs, where he has held a variety of leadership positions. Reverend\nChess served as the political and social chairperson of the\nInterdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and is currently the division\ndirector for the Hudson County Consumer Affairs and Constituent\nServices Divisions.\n  Reverend Chess was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He attended Essex\nCounty College and the American Fellowship Seminary, and received his\nbachelor's degree in theology from the Adonai Temple Christian Center\nBible Institute. He and his wife, Martha, are the proud parents of five\nchildren.\n  Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Reverend Tyrone\nChess for his outstanding spiritual leadership and years of service to\nhis congregation and community in Jersey City, New Jersey.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2179-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE TO RAMONA WILLIAMS", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2179", "E2179", "[{\"name\": \"Edolphus Towns\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2179", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2179]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                      A TRIBUTE TO RAMONA WILLIAMS\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Ramona Williams for her\ndedication to strengthening early education for our children and\nvolunteer efforts to strengthen our community.\n  Ramona is a life-long resident of the Bedford Stuyvesant community of\nBrooklyn and does not plan to move. She attended Public School 297,\nwhich her two younger children attend now. She graduated from J.H.S 126\nand Eli Whitney High School. She has three beautiful children: Jessica,\n14, Vanessa, 9, and Jerome, 5, each of whom have a dream of greatness.\n  Following her high school graduation, Ramona began work as a\nsubstitute teacher at Round Table Child Care Center, eventually\nbecoming a head teacher. She enjoys creating curriculum and cultural\nactivities for her students and assisting parents in helping their\nchildren. After 16 years of empowering her students, her personal\nhorizon expanded and she accepted a position as Parent Coordinator for\nMark Hopkins Intermediate School 33. Ramona works closely with the\nprincipal, P.T.A. and as a liaison between the community and school.\n  As a single parent raising three children and working full time,\nRamona finds it important to further her education and has enrolled at\nthe College of New Rochelle pursuing a Bachelors of Social Work. She is\na member of the Greater Free Gift Baptist Church Inc., where the pastor\nis the Rev. William Raymond Whitaker, Jr., Th.M, whom she thanks for\nhis spiritual leadership and wisdom.\n  Ramona's concern for her church and community has led her to focus on\nfundraising and organizing outreach events for teenagers, which\nincluded finding them summer employment. She also sings in the\nTabernacle Choir. Forever thankful in all areas of her life, personal\nand community, she is grateful for those who inspire her as she strives\nto make this a better place for others. Her unconditional love and\nthanks goes to her parents and siblings, and the sparkles in her eyes--\nJessica, Vanessa, and Jerome (``Jay'').\n  Mr. Speaker, Ramona Williams has been a leader in our community\nthrough her consistent efforts to improve the quality of education for\nall of our children. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our\nrecognition today, and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this\ntruly remarkable person.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2179-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING BARBARA COHEN", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2179", "E2180", "[{\"name\": \"Jim Gerlach\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2179", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2179-E2180]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                         HONORING BARBARA COHEN\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. JIM GERLACH\n\n                            of pennsylvania\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Barbara\nCohen on the occasion of her retirement from the Phoenixville Chamber\nof Commerce where she has served as the Executive Director since 1992.\n  Barbara Cohen has led an extraordinary and exciting life. Born in\nPhiladelphia, she has always displayed energy and determination in all\naspects of her life. Her childhood consisted of piano lessons, Hebrew\nSchool, Girl Scouts, National Honor Society, and international travel.\nBarbara was her class valedictorian at Northeast High School in 1959\nand, from there, she went on to Temple University where she earned a BS\nin education and a minor in political science. After graduation,\nBarbara began teaching 4th grade while attending University of\nPennsylvania's Graduate School of International Relations.\n\n[[Page E2180]]\n\n  Barbara was married in 1964 and, shortly after her wedding, Barbara\nand her husband served their country by moving to Germany for three\nyears where she taught military servicemen and women general education\ncourses they needed to finish their high school educations.\n  In 1983, ten years after Barbara and her family moved back to\nPennsylvania and settled in Valley Forge, Barbara went back to school\nand earned her Masters degree in interior design from Drexel\nUniversity. During this time, she was also a full-time mother, driving\nher children to and from soccer practices, dancing lessons, Hebrew\nSchool and many other activities.\n  In addition to her busy schedule and many accomplishments, Barbara\nhas been actively involved in her community since returning to the\nStates in the 1970's. Barbara serves as a volunteer guide for the\nFriends of Independence National Historic Park, and as a volunteer\nguide for the Foundation for Architecture that gives walking tours of\nhistoric sites in Philadelphia. Barbara has also served as a board\nmember for the Chester County Tourist Bureau and for the Schuylkill\nRiver Greenway Association. Barbara spearheaded an EPA brownfields\ninitiative grant for Phoenixville Borough as Director of the\nPhoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation and Executive\nDirector of the Chamber of Commerce. And she has provided unparalleled\nleadership and direction for a wide variety of public improvement and\nrevitalization efforts in Phoenixville. Due to Barbara's tireless\nefforts, almost 4 million dollars has been raised in the revitalization\neffort and the Borough now stands on the threshold of a magnificent\nresurgence.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in honoring this\nextraordinary woman for the years of good work she has done at home and\nabroad and for the many distinguished and remarkable contributions she\nhas made to this community and the people whose lives she has\ngraciously touched.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2179", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "THE RECOGNITION OF MR. ROBERT BAUMANN", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2179", "E2179", "[{\"name\": \"Frank Pallone, Jr.\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2179", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2179]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                 THE RECOGNITION OF MR. ROBERT BAUMANN\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today\nin recognition of the endless accomplishments of Fire Fighter Robert\nBaumann who has served the Middletown Township Fire Department for 47\nyears. Fire Fighter Robert Baumann joined our community in 1957 as a\nmember of the Belford Engine Fire Co. #1 and has continued to volunteer\nhis time, intelligence, and experience to the public ever since. I am\nhonored to acknowledge someone of Mr. Baumann's courage and strength.\n  During his tenure in our community, Mr. Baumann has been reliable and\nenergetic in all his services. Mr. Baumann is a man who realizes the\nvalue of life and would give up his own to save another. Fire Fighter\nRobert Baumann is a true hero.\n  The Middletown Community is grateful to have had a man of such\ncharacter with us for all these years. At the age of 75 Mr. Baumann\ncontinues to volunteer his time to the Fire Police Unit by responding\nto calls from all hours of the night and day, on holidays and weekends.\nMr. Baumann has always been there with the unit at fires, assisting the\npolice department when power lines are down, or during any other type\nof emergency.\n  Mr. Speaker, I feel privileged to recognize a man of Fire Fighter\nRobert Baumann's experience who has served our community with such\ndedication. Once again, I ask that you join me in congratulating Fire\nFighter Robert Baumann on a life of public service, and wish him the\nbest of luck in his future endeavors.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2180-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "ALL LEGISLATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ON INTERNET 24 HOURS BEFORE A VOTE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2180", "E2180", "[{\"name\": \"Carolyn B. Maloney\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4971\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2180", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2180]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n ALL LEGISLATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ON INTERNET 24 HOURS BEFORE A VOTE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, last month Congress passed the FY2005\nOmnibus Appropriations Bill. The version that passed the House included\na provision that would allow Appropriations Chairmen access to IRS tax\nreturns. Once this provision was noticed, the Senate passed a\nresolution to strip it and the House was forced to go back into a pro\nforma session to adopt the Senate language. Two years ago, outrage\nfollowed the passage of an omnibus bill that included indemnification\nlanguage for vaccine makers against autism lawsuits.\n  Earlier this year, I introduced H.R. 4971, the Restoring Democracy to\nthe United States Congress Act. This legislation sought to enact a\nseries of reforms that I believe would have prevented this from\nhappening. If the bill was law, among other things, it would have\nrequired the legislation to be online in a searchable form for a\nminimum of 24 hours before we voted on it.\n  As an opportunity for Members to clearly state that the current\nmanner in which we often consider legislation is not good for the\ninstitution, I am introducing legislation that would require all\nlegislation be available to the public on the Internet and in a\nsearchable form for a minimum of 24 hours before a vote could be\nconsidered.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2180-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "INCREASING THE PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2180", "E2180", "[{\"name\": \"Betty McCollum\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"S\", \"number\": \"2986\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2180", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2180]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                    INCREASING THE PUBLIC DEBT LIMIT\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM\n\n                              of minnesota\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                      Thursday, November 18, 2004\n\n  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to S.\n2986, legislation to raise the debt limit by a total of $800 billion,\nto $8.18 trillion. This marks the third time in three years that\nCongress has been forced to vote to raise the debt limit and burden our\nchildren and grandchildren for decades to come, raising the debt limit\nby a total of $2.2 trillion since 2001.\n  It is completely irresponsible to be voting to raise the debt limit\ntoday without taking additional measures to put our fiscal policy back\non track and institute the common sense pay-as-you-go rules which were\nin effect from 1990 through 2002 requiring that both tax cuts and\nspending increases be paid for.\n  Five tax cuts in four years, soaring defense spending on the war in\nIraq, in addition to our stifled economy have turned the record\nsurpluses inherited by President Bush into a record deficit of $413\nbillion in the past fiscal year.\n  Unfortunately, we are not considering a reform of our current fiscal\npolicies today, allowing our national debt to continue to rise. As a\nresult, the amount of interest on the national debt--the ``debt tax''--\nthat each American family will have to pay will climb to $9,400 by\n2014. America's growing debt will ensure that our taxes will go toward\npaying interest on our debt instead of keeping our nation safe and\nstrong, strengthening Social Security, or improving education for our\nchildren.\n  I will not vote to raise the debt limit by $800 billion today, and\nwill only support an increase of the debt limit along with the\nreinstituted common sense fiscal policy reforms.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2180-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "RECOGNIZING THE DEDICATION OF THE SOLANO COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER COMPLEX", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2180", "E2180", "[{\"name\": \"Ellen O. Tauscher\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2180", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2180]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n   RECOGNIZING THE DEDICATION OF THE SOLANO COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER\n                                COMPLEX\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. ELLEN O. TAUSCHER\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the December 16, 2004\ndedication of the Government Center Complex in Fairfield, California,\nthe county seat of Solano County.\n  The new Government Center Complex is the most ambitious capital\nimprovement project in the history of the county and I laud the\nproject's energy efficiency measures.\n  The Government Center Complex contains a six-story County\nAdministration Center that achieves the lowest energy cost per square\nfoot for any government facility in the State of California.\n  The Government Center Complex also contains a five-level parking\nstructure with over 1,000 parking stalls, 20 electric vehicle slots,\nand a rooftop photovoltaic solar array that generates 119 kilowatts of\nclean, emissions free power.\n  Again, I commend county staff and the county's private partners on\nthe timely and fiscally responsible completion of what is truly a\nlandmark building for the citizens of Solano County.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2180", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO EPWORTH MANOR", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2180", "E2180", "[{\"name\": \"Bill Shuster\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2180", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2180]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        TRIBUTE TO EPWORTH MANOR\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. BILL SHUSTER\n\n                            of pennsylvania\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Epworth Manor for\nits service to the community, and to congratulate all those involved\nwith the facility on its celebration of 85 years in operation.\n  Throughout this nation's history, taking care of the elderly has\nnever been more critical to our progress than it is now. With so many\ncitizens reaching the age of retirement while having the ability to\nlive longer due to advances in medical science, the services that care\ncenters provide have become vital to a community's subsistence. The\nlegacy of consistent service that the Manor as built throughout the\nlast 85 years has helped to earn people's trust, making them more\nwilling to seek medical help when in need. Facilities like Epworth\nManor allow a region to thrive because of the assurance that quality\nhealth care is available, and its impact has been invaluable.\n  Established in 1919 when the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the\nMethodist Church purchased the S.S. Blair Mansion, the facility,\nformerly known as the Methodist Home for the Aged, initially housed\nfourteen residents. After numerous expansions, extensive remodeling,\nand investment in new technology, Epworth Manor has expanded into a\n144-bed comprehensive health care facility.\n  Epworth Manor has demonstrated an unyielding enthusiasm and care for\nthe public which it serves, and its employees have worked diligently\nthroughout its tenure, instilling a sense of pride and comfort into the\narea's citizens. The center has not only enriched the lives of its\nresidents, but of those in the surrounding communities who have\nundoubtedly benefitted from the outstanding service that they have\nrepeatedly provided.\n  For its incomparable generosity, service to the community, and\nunabated commitment to excellence, Epworth Manor deserves the highest\nrecognition. The center continues to grow and maintain a high level of\nquality, providing an example that all businesses should follow. I\ncongratulate Epworth Manor on its 85th anniversary and eagerly await\nits future progress.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2181-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONGRATULATING DOBBS FERRY HIGH SCHOOL", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "CONGRATULATIONS", "E2181", "E2181", "[{\"name\": \"Nita M. Lowey\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2181", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2181]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                 CONGRATULATING DOBBS FERRY HIGH SCHOOL\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dobbs Ferry High\nSchool for winning the 2004 New York State Class C Football\nChampionship.\n  Through hard work, commitment and by always keeping their eye on the\nball, this team completed a perfect 13-0 season en route to the title.\n  This championship continues the rich tradition that Dobbs Ferry High\nSchool has established on and off the football field. By winning this\ntitle, Dobbs Ferry has now won the state title two of the last three\nyears. Dobbs Ferry is only the fifth school ever to win a state title\nin multiple football classes.\n  By applying the principles of fair play, good sportsmanship and\nconstructive competition to sports and all other walks of life, the\nschool has become a shining example for others to follow.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dobbs Ferry\nHigh School on their accomplishment, and I wish them the best of luck\nin defending their title next season.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2181-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE TO PHYLLIS SHERARD", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2181", "E2181", "[{\"name\": \"Edolphus Towns\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2181", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2181]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                      A TRIBUTE TO PHYLLIS SHERARD\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Phyllis Sherard for her\ndedication to educating our youth and strengthening our community.\n  One of the best kept secrets about Phyllis is that she was actually\nborn in Norfolk, Virginia, arriving in New York via North Carolina at\nthe age of four. In spite of this, she boastfully claims to be an\nauthentic product of Brooklyn, having resided in this wonderful borough\nof New York all of her life.\n  As the eldest of six siblings, her parents instilled values and\ntraits in her that have become her trademarks. Many people describe her\nas a born leader who is capable, responsible, compassionate,\ndependable, and motivational. No matter how high or wide the obstacles,\nPhyllis' attitude is always, ``We can handle it!''\n  In 1985, Phyllis joined the NYC Board of Education. She always wanted\nto teach but was encouraged to pursue commercial studies while in high\nschool. However, through her experiences, she realized how important it\nis to get involved in the education of our children. Following the path\nthat she now says was her destiny, she joined the staff of Project 17--\nthe Drug Prevention Education Program in Community School District 17.\nInitially, she had second thoughts about the position because she had\nto take a cut in pay. That was 20 years ago and needless to say, it has\nbeen the most fulfilling work of her life. The position opened doors\nfor Phyllis to work with thousands of children, directing, intervening,\nand changing paths for so many children and their parents. Because of\nher ability and commitment, she was selected to serve as the Special\nAssistant to the Superintendent for Parent Involvement.\n  Phyllis is most proud of implementing The First Clergy Conference, a\nseries of Saturday African American Studies for parents, The Cultural\nAwareness Summer Program for children, the Christmas Toy Drive, Family\nLiteracy Program, Computer Literacy for Parents, youth conferences, and\na general equivalency program for young mothers, as well as working\nwith parents to coordinate the first math, science, & technology parent\nconference. She currently directs drug prevention education programs\nfor Region Six, which is comprised of 109 schools. This has been the\nmost challenging experience for her. She has also implemented an\nevening counseling program for at-risk students and their families.\n  Phyllis is a graduate of Long Island University, where she earned a\nB.A. in Political Science and a Masters degree in Supervision and\nAdministration. She is the proud mother of Darryn and Jade-Lynn and the\nproud grandmother of grandson, Darryn Scott.\n  Mr. Speaker, Phyllis Sherard has been instrumental in strengthening\nthe educational experience for children in our community. As such, she\nis more than worthy of receiving our recognition today, and I urge my\ncolleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2181", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2181", "E2181", "[{\"name\": \"Rush Holt\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"4818\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2181", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2181]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2181]]\n CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                      Saturday, November 20, 2004\n\n  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in reluctant support of the conference\nreport on H.R. 4818, the FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Though\nthere are many important and laudable provisions contained in this\nspending bill, I am troubled by other specific provisions and by the\nprocess that this bill has followed.\n  I am pleased that the bill provides an increase in funding for\nnational security and counterintelligence operations at the Federal\nBureau of Investigation. Unfortunately, this Congress has failed in its\neffort to pass comprehensive intelligence reform legislation, which\nwould ensure that this money is being spent appropriately and that the\nefforts of our agencies are coordinated.\n  I am pleased to see that this conference report provides $1.3 billion\nfor Education Impact Aid, $24 million more than last year. This program\nprovides funding for military impacted schools such as those in the\ntowns of Eatontown and Tinton Falls. I am also pleased that the bill\nincludes $250 million for the community college initiative, which will\nfund workforce development partnerships between community colleges and\nemployers.\n  Despite these provisions, we have more work to do to fully fund what\nshould be a top priority for this Congress--education. One day after we\npassed the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities\nEducation Act, IDEA, we underfunded aid to schools by $1.7 billion.\nConsidering the rising cost of higher education, I am disappointed that\nthe bill does not increase the maximum Pell Grant Award. We cannot keep\nthe maximum Pell grant award at $4,050 and expect families to be able\nto afford college.\n  I am deeply troubled that this bill includes such a restrictive\nlimitation on funding for a woman's constitutionally protected right of\nchoice. Specifically, this bill prohibits use of funds to pay for\nhealth benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion. It also\nprotects health care providers who refuse to provide this needed\nservice. Such measures are designed to limit women's rights, and have\nno business in this bill.\n  I am disappointed that the Community Oriented Policing Service, COPS,\nprogram has been cut by $142 million. Many of the towns in my district\nhave received funding for police officers through this program, which\nhas made our communities safer. It simply makes no sense to be taking\ncops off the street at a time when they are more needed than ever.\n  I am also troubled that this spending bill cuts the budget for the\nNational Science Foundation, NSF, by $62 million from last year's\ninadequate appropriation. The work of the NSF provides the basic\nscientific underpinnings for the most advanced technological research\nand development in the world. We cannot hope to remain the world's most\nscientifically advanced nation if we continue to shortchange our\nresearchers.\n  I am disturbed by the economic situation in which we find ourselves.\nCongress was forced to increase its debt limit by $800 billion--and\nthat is on top of debt increases of $450 billion in 2002 and another\n$984 billion in 2003. The increase in the debt ceiling in just the past\n3 years is almost 2.5 times the entire Federal debt accumulated between\n1776 and 1980.\n  We are in this situation because of the choices of the President and\nthe Republican majority. They chose to prioritize tax cuts for the\nwealthy, rather than adequately maintaining balanced budgets and\nprotecting the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. They chose to\nengage in a costly, dangerous, and unnecessary war in Iraq, which has\nsapped our ability to combat al Qaeda and fund important domestic\npriorities. They chose to bundle funds for 13 Government departments\nrather than engaging in a robust debate justifying the policies and\npriorities that we are asking the American people to pay for.\n  Perhaps most disturbing about this appropriations bill is the process\nthat it has followed. The infamous provision allowing unprecedented\nauthority for Members of Congress and staff to access the private tax\nreturns of individuals and businesses demonstrates that our budget\nprocess is broken. This provision was slipped into a 3,000 page bill\nwhich Members had no time to read before voting. The process has become\ncorrupted by the Republican majority, which has evidently decided that\nenacting pet projects and controversial items that cannot pass on their\nown merit, are more important than debate, compromise, and good\ngovernance.\n  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill because it will allow the important\nwork of the Federal Government to continue. However, I hope that next\nyear's appropriations process reflects a greater commitment to funding\nimportant priorities and following a fair and thorough legislative\nprocess.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2182-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "RECOGNIZING BRONSON ARROYO OF BROOKSVILLE, FL", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2182", "E2182", null, null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2182", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2182]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n             RECOGNIZING BRONSON ARROYO OF BROOKSVILLE, FL\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. GINNY BROWN-WAITE\n\n                               of florida\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. GINNY-BROWN WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to\nrecognize and praise Bronson Arroyo: the fine athelete, hometown hero,\nand member of the major league baseball world champion Boston Red Sox.\nI am proud that the hometown he represents is Brooksville, FL, in my\n5th congressional district.\n  Bronson Anthony Arroyo was born in Key West, FL on February 24, 1977.\nBronson is a 1995 graduate of Hernando High School in Brooksville, FL,\nwhere he excelled in baseball and basketball. He and his wife Aimee\nstill enjoy the comfort of Central West Florida by making it their off-\nseason home.\n  In 2003, Mr. Arroyo entered the Boston Red Sox organization. In their\nfarm system he pitched a minor league perfect game, won the Red Sox\nMinor League Player of the Year Award. In 2004, as part of the Red Sox\nregular pitching rotation, Bronson won a World Series ring.\n  Mr. Arroyo is often recognized for his athletic accomplishments, and\nI would also like to recognize him as a role model for our community.\nMr. Arroyo runs a pitching clinic for the United Way, serves food for\nthe Red Sox Foundation, and speaks with school children as part of his\ncommunity outreach.\n  Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to represent Bronson Arroyo, and I am\nproud to praise him on the floor of this house.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2182-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING DOWNINGTOWN WEST GIRLS SOCCER", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2182", "E2182", "[{\"name\": \"Jim Gerlach\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2182", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2182]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                 HONORING DOWNINGTOWN WEST GIRLS SOCCER\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. JIM GERLACH\n\n                            of pennsylvania\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Downingtown West\nHigh School Girls Soccer team for their 2-0 win over the Moon Township\nteam for the 2004 Girls Soccer PIAA Class AAA Championship.\n  Downingtown Girls Soccer last won the PIAA Class AAA Championship\nback in November of 2001 after a 7-0 victory and the team was\ndetermined to repeat that victory this year.\n  The Downingtown West Whippets were led by the senior co-captains,\nAdrienne Weisser and Jill Conaboy. The two co-captains worked against\nadversity with the challenge of revamping their team after the\nDowningtown High School split into two separate schools: Downingtown\nEast and West in 2003. In the post-season of 2003, the Whippets were\ndetermined to work on their game and improve after a late season slump\nthat year and they continued to improve with each game they played.\n  The Whippets traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania to play in the finals\nagainst Moon Township. In the final game, the Whippets proved to be a\nstrong team with superior skills and easily won their next PIAA Class\nAAA Championship by shutting out Moon Township 2-0.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in honoring the\nplayers, coaches, and support staff of Downingtown West High School\nWhippets for their drive, determination, and commitment to excellence\nthat led them to an outstanding season and the Class AAA championship.\nThe team is comprised of: Kelsea Fortino, Amanda Marino, Jess Dean,\nMegan Miller, Captain Jill Conaboy, Lauren Sutcliffe, Katie Shannon,\nJessica Stevens, Becky Edwards, Sarah Phillips, Katelyn Capps, Captain\nAdrienne Weisser, Colleen Flanagan, Ali McNeil, Bethany Warren,\nChristine McLaughlin, Caitlyn Coleman, Christine Thurwanger, Anne\nCollinson, Ashley Harrington, Kelly Peterson, Emily Fenimore, Sarah\nHalprin, Amber Reardon, Amber Werner, Coach Rob Smith, Varsity\nAssistants Mary Schanne and Kelly Cross, JV Head Coach Mike Huffman,\nAthletic Trainer Joe Iezzi and Assistant Athletic Trainer Jessica Korn.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2182-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "ON THE RETIREMENT OF THE NASA B-52B LAUNCH AIRCRAFT", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RETIREMENT", "E2182", "E2182", "[{\"name\": \"William M. Thomas\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2182", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2182]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n          ON THE RETIREMENT OF THE NASA B-52B LAUNCH AIRCRAFT\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the retirement of the\nB-52B launch aircraft, tail number 008, the oldest NASA aircraft and B-\n52 on flying status. This aircraft is flown by the National Aeronautics\nand Space Administration's (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center at\nEdwards Air Force Base, California, which is in my district. I am\nespecially proud of those who have worked over the years with the B-\n52B, making history and providing vital research data for our nation's\naerospace programs.\n  The B-52B is an important piece of our nation's aerospace history,\nand I am pleased to note that it will remain on display on Edwards Air\nForce Base for future generations to visit. Visitors will be able to\ntrace the aircraft's history through mission markings along the side of\nthe aircraft that document every research flight it made.\n  Beginning on June 11, 1955, this aircraft worked on some of the most\nsignificant projects in our nation's aerospace history, including the\nX-15 hypersonic plane, which contributed to the developments of the\nMercury, Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. Between 1959 and\n1068, the B-52B was the launch aircraft for many of the missions of the\nX-15, or wingless lifting body aircraft, that contributed to the space\nshuttle's development. Additionally, through this program, these\nmissions explored areas of high aerodynamic heating rates, stability\nand control, human physiological phenomena, and other problems commonly\nexperienced with hypersonic flights.\n  Several remotely piloted aircraft used the B-52B for launching in the\n1970s and 1980s. During this time, NASA studied spin-stall, high angle\nof attack, and maneuvering characteristics. In addition, this was the\nlaunch aircraft to develop and test the parachute recovery system for\nthe space shuttle's solid rocket boosters. The aircraft was also used\nin several tests for the shuttle's drag chute deployment system, which\nwas later installed on the shuttle orbiters.\n  Most recently, the B-52B was the launch aircraft for the X-43A\nhypersonic research program. In March of this year, the X-43A flew\nfreely at a speed of Mach 7, carried by the same pylon that carried the\nX-15. The final flight of the X-43A on November 16 flew a record-\nbreaking speed of approximately Mach 10, almost 10 times the speed of\nsound, at an altitude of approximately 110,000 feet. The X-43A missions\nprovided research in the area of ultra high-speed flights, such as\nincreasing the affordability, safety and flexibility of such flights.\n  I commend the many men and women who have worked on the B-52B 008 and\nits research missions, and I thank them for pushing the envelope in\naerospace research.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2182-5", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE TO HILMA SHANNON", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2182", "E2183", "[{\"name\": \"Edolphus Towns\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2182", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2182-E2183]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                       A TRIBUTE TO HILMA SHANNON\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Hilma Shannon, who through\nhard work and determination has realized her dream to teach in the\nUnited States, serving a vital role in the education of our diverse\ncommunity.\n  Hilma was born in the Republic of Panama in the City of Colon to Enos\nWilliams and Lillian Francis. Her education in Panama consisted of\ntraining in elementary education in\n\n[[Page E2183]]\n\nboth high school and college. She taught school in Panama for 7 years.\nIn 1971, Hilma married and, now, has one daughter, Gavianna. In 1974,\nshe immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn. Her first\njob was at the Ace of Suede Leather Cleaners where she worked for 10\nyears.\n  Hilma's command of the English language needed a lot of work and with\nthe assistance of her daughter, she read and studied constantly to\nimprove her grammar, diction, and general ability to communicate in\nEnglish. In 1984, she applied for a job with the New York Board of\nEducation to fulfill her dream of teaching again. She was assigned to\nwork as an educational assistant in 1985 at Walt Whitman I.S. 246. Her\nwork included visits to the homes of students who were chronic\nabsentees to encourage their consistent attendance. She took advantage\nof the Board of Education's Career Ladder program to become a teacher,\ngraduating in 1989 from the College of New Rochelle with a Bachelor of\nArts degree majoring in Education and Psychology. In addition, she\ncompleted a Masters in Guidance and Counseling and an Advanced\nCertificate in Guidance and Counseling. Upon completing both degrees\nshe received the prestigious Lester Crow Award and was offered an\nadjunct position in the Guidance Graduate program.\n  In 1992, Hilma was assigned to Abraham Lincoln High School as a\nBilingual Spanish Guidance Counselor and is there today. She has worked\nwith students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. She\ncoordinates ``La Herencia Hispana (Lincoln's 1st Spanish Club), the\nYoung Scholars program, The Choice Program, the Liberty Partnerships\nprogram with Kingsborough Community College just to name a few. At\nLincoln High School, she has also taught Art Appreciation in the after-\nschool program in addition to serving as a full-time Guidance\ncounselor. She participates in Lincoln's Key Club-European Exchange\nprogram traveling with the club members to Italy, Austria, Czech\nRepublic, and recently to Denmark.\n  Lastly, Hilma is a Jehovah Witness and dedicates time to helping\nothers understand the Bible. She is the proud grandmother of grandson\nKumar, and the mother-in-law of Jerome.\n  Mr. Speaker, Hilma Shannon serves as an inspiration to us all through\nher accomplishments and commitment to educating our children. As such,\nshe is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today, and I urge\nmy colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2182", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TOBACCO QUOTAS AND BUYOUTS", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2182", "E2182", "[{\"name\": \"Sam Graves\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2182", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2182]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2182]]\n                       TOBACCO QUOTAS AND BUYOUTS\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. SAM GRAVES\n\n                              of missouri\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, recently, after years of debate over the\ngovernment run tobacco program, this body ended a system that limited\nper-acre tobacco sales to protect prices for growers and others holding\nquotas. As a compromise, we agreed to a buyout that provides tobacco\nquota holders $7 per pound on their allotment paid out in equal\ninstallments over 10 years. These installments are paid out of a\nTobacco Trust Fund to quota holders and eligible producers; however,\nthe Tobacco Trust Fund is also designated to pay for program losses\nincurred by USDA.\n  We must not let bureaucratic red tape shortchange the promise we have\nmade to these quota holders and eligible producers. We have an\nobligation to ensure that they receive what they have bargained for.\nThere are many questions that need to be resolved. We need to clarify\nand ensure that USDA will follow the intent of Congress. The\nagriculture committees in the House and Senate should hold hearings to\nresolve the following issues before we move forward. Issues that should\nbe addressed include: Whether the buyouts are assignable to other\nparties; are there restrictions on quota holders selling their shares\nin the private market if they need their payments now and cannot wait\n10 years; and what safeguards are in place to assure that these\nallotments are paid out over the next 10 years?\n  The projected estimates for this program are $10.1 billion over 10\nyears, with the program fully offset by funds from the Tobacco Trust\nFund. We have made a promise to these holders and producers, and we\nmust not let misguided direction reduce that promise.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2183-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO MRS. MARIE PRINGLE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2183", "E2183", "[{\"name\": \"Henry E. Brown, Jr.\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2183", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2183]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                     TRIBUTE TO MRS. MARIE PRINGLE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. HENRY E. BROWN, JR.\n\n                           of south carolina\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute\nto Mrs. Marie Pringle who is retiring as a senior budget analyst for\nthe General Administration and Coordination Service in the Office of\nthe Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget at the Department of Veterans\nAffairs (VA). She began her career with VA in July 1983. Mrs. Pringle\nhas served her entire VA career in the Department's Office of Budget.\nDuring her tenure, VA's budget has grown from $25 billion to $73\nbillion with over 222,000 employees.\n  Mrs. Pringle's career spans more than 30 years of federal service.\nShe began her federal service in 1972 at the Department of the Army,\nOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Intelligence, Directorate of\nForeign Intelligence, Scientific and Technical Branch, as a clerk\ntypist GS-4. Next she served with the Department of the Army's Office\nof the Surgeon General, U.S. Army Medical Department Personnel Support\nAgency. In 1978, she accepted a position in the Department of Energy,\nEnergy Information Administration, as a budget analyst. In 1981, she\naccepted a position at Steuart Petroleum Company in Washington, DC.\nAfter 2 years as a motor fuels inventory accountant, Mrs. Pringle\nreturned to public service with the Department of Veterans Affairs.\n  Mrs. Pringle has received numerous awards in recognition of her\nexceptional performance throughout her federal service career. She is a\ngraduate of the Department's prestigious Leadership VA program, Class\nof 1992. She also was a member of the American Association of Budget\nand Program Analysts (AABPA).\n  Mrs. Pringle received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from\nGeorge Mason University. She is a native of Washington, DC, and\ncurrently resides in West River, Maryland, with her husband Darian. The\nPringles have been sponsor parents for midshipmen of the United States\nNaval Academy and enjoy sailing and cruising on their trawler, the\nGalileo.\n  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Budget Committee, as well as Chairman\nof the Subcommittee on Benefits of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I\ncan appreciate how challenging it can be to deal with the federal\nbudget. When the committees review VA's five-volume budget submission\neach February, we see the industrious work of Mrs. Pringle and her\nassociates on behalf of the Secretary. I commend Mrs. Pringle for her\nmore than 30 years of dedicated public service to our nation and to\nthose who have worn the military uniform.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2183-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONGRESSIONAL TRIBUTE TO JOHN T. LEWINSKI", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2183", "E2184", "[{\"name\": \"Bart Stupak\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2183", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2183-E2184]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n               CONGRESSIONAL TRIBUTE TO JOHN T. LEWINSKI\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. BART STUPAK\n\n                              of michigan\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an\noutstanding local official in Michigan's First Congressional District.\nJohn T. Lewinski will be leaving the Gogebic County Board of\nCommissioners in January after 18 years of service. His years of work\non behalf of his community represent the very best of Northern\nMichigan.\n  Mr. Lewinski's dedication to service should not surprise us though.\nAs a member of the Greatest Generation, he joined the Navy during World\nWar II, and served in the Pacific as a Navy Seabee in Guam. Like so\nmany of his generation, John Lewinski returned home and worked to\nimprove the country he risked his life to protect.\n  From 1966 to 1983, Mr. Lewinski was a forester's aide with the\nGogebic County Forestry Department, working to preserve the Upper\nPeninsula's treasured forests. In January 1987, he joined the Gogebic\nCounty Board of Commissioners for the first time.\n  Since then, John Lewinski has served as chairman of the Gogebic\nCounty Board of Commissioners, chairman of the Airport Board, chairman\nof the Gogebic County Transit Board, chairman of the Community Mental\n\n[[Page E2184]]\n\nHealth Board, chairman of Western U.P. Substance Abuse, a board member\nof the Community Action Agency, and in 2002, as the chairman of the\nUpper Peninsula Association of County Commissioners.\n  Mr. Speaker, John T. Lewinski has had an extraordinary career of\nservice to his community and to our Nation, and I am sure that he will\ncontinue his work even after he steps down as a county commissioner. I\nknow that his wife of more than 50 years, Patricia, his three children\nand five grandchildren are very proud of him, and they should be.\n  John Lewinski's commitment to his family and his community serves as\nan example to all of us. I ask the U.S. House of Representatives to\njoin me in honoring him, and thanking him for his service.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2183", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1350, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2004", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2183", "E2183", "[{\"name\": \"Betty McCollum\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"1350\"}, {\"congress\": \"108\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"1350\"}]", "150 Cong. Rec. E2183", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2183]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\nCONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1350, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION\n                        IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2004\n\n                                 ______\n\n                               speech of\n\n                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM\n\n                              of minnesota\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Friday, November 19, 2004\n\n  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1350, the\nConference Report to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities\nEducation Improvement Act (IDEA).\n  I commend the House and Senate conferees for putting the best\ninterests of the students first in this reauthorization and reaching a\ncompromise between parents, teachers, school administrators, and school\ndistricts. This legislation has my support because it responds to the\nneeds of special education teachers and the children they serve.\n  My vote in favor of H.R. 1350 when it passed the House originally was\nbecause of the work our committee did on provisions improving early\nidentification and the goal for full funding. Yet I did have strong\nreservations about the sections pertaining to discipline and the\ndefinition of highly qualified teachers. At the time, I was assured\nthat my concerns and those of my colleagues would be addressed in the\nConference Committee. The conferees were able to craft a compromise\nthat will receive broad bipartisan support today in the House.\n  When a child is identified as having a disability at an early age,\ntheir parents and teachers are better able to address their needs and\nensure they are integrated into the regular educational setting and\ncurriculum. I have worked hard to secure funding for newborn hearing\nscreening programs, which save schools millions of dollars in special\neducation costs by ensuring early detection and intervention of infants\nwith hearing loss. Further efforts to increase early identification, as\nH.R. 1350 will accomplish, will save our schools millions more in\nspecial education costs.\n  I believe strongly that Congress must provide the funding promised\nnearly 30 years ago, and I have introduced legislation that would\naccomplish this goal. While this bill today does not require mandatory\nfull funding, it is a step in the right direction in fulfilling the\ncommitment we made our states and local school districts to provide 40\npercent of the cost of IDEA. We owe it to our students, their families,\nand our communities, and I will continue to work with my colleagues on\nboth sides of the aisle to make this promise a reality.\n  Because of the efforts of my colleagues, as well as families,\nteachers, and school administrators across the country, we are, today,\nable to put the needs of students and families first. I urge my\ncolleagues to support this important piece of bipartisan legislation\nthat will move us forward in our goal to provide an equal, quality\neducation for all students.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2184-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE TO ROBERT SANTIAGO", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2184", "E2184", "[{\"name\": \"Edolphus Towns\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2184", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2184]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                      A TRIBUTE TO ROBERT SANTIAGO\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Robert Santiago for his\ndedication to strengthening our neighborhoods and improving the lives\nof our citizens through his work in various community based\norganizations.\n  Robert was born in Brooklyn to Norberto and Heriberta Santiago first\ngeneration immigrant parents who migrated from Puerto Rico during the\nmid 1940's. He attended P.S. 285 and 67, Sands JHS 265 and graduated\nfrom Eastern District High School. He graduated with honors from Queens\nCollege where he majored in Political Science with a minor in Spanish.\nAfter a year at the University of Illinois, College of Law, he returned\nto New York to complete his studies not realizing the journey would\ntake an additional 10 years. He eventually graduated from Rutgers\nUniversity School of Law in 1986. In between, Robert became an Army\nofficer, did his masters work at Long Island University in economics\nand found time to raise a family of three sons.\n  Briefly practicing law in Fort Greene, he discovered that his true\ncalling was elsewhere. His employment varied from working in several\ndifferent New York City agencies to owner and operator of several\nbusiness ventures.\n  Through the auspices of Colony South Brooklyn Houses, Robert as\ndirector of educational programs was able to increase the amount of\nfunding for their educational and day care programs. Educational\nprograms he helped begin for at-risk and homeless youngsters residing\nin East New York and Brownsville communities remain successful and\ncontinue to operate today. He has also served as a consultant on\nvarious projects related to community school building and educational\ndevelopment in post-secondary education.\n  Presently, Robert serves as the executive director of Highland Park\nCommunity Development Corporation, a community based organization with\na mandate to develop programs and projects that will help improve the\nquality of life in the northern Brooklyn communities in the areas of\neducation, housing, safety, and economic development.\n  Mr. Speaker, the record is clear that Robert Santiago has been a\nleader in our community through his consistent efforts to improve the\nquality of life of those in need. As such, he is more than worthy of\nreceiving our recognition today, and I urge my colleagues to join me in\nhonoring this truly remarkable person.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2184-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "KURT BUSCH--2004 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP CHAMPION", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2184", "E2184", "[{\"name\": \"Shelley Berkley\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2184", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2184]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n              KURT BUSCH--2004 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP CHAMPION\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. SHELLEY BERKLEY\n\n                               of nevada\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, today I join millions of NASCAR fans in\nhonoring the extraordinary achievement of an outstanding son of Nevada,\nKurt Busch--the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion.\n  Born in Las Vegas, and a graduate of Durango High School, Kurt\ndeveloped his racing skills at age 14, driving Dwarf Cars to victory at\na speedway in nearby Pahrump, Nevada, earning the title of Rookie of\nthe Year in the State Championships. Still a teenager, Kurt won honors\nas Rookie of the Year for his exciting exploits racing in the Legend\nCars Nationals, and shortly thereafter was awarded the same title for\nhis tremendous performance in the Late Model Stock Southwest Series. By\n1998, Kurt became the youngest NASCAR Touring Champion with a record-\nsetting victory in the Featherlite Southwest Series.\n  My favorite raceway, and one of the world's greatest speed venues--\nthe Las Vegas Motor Speedway, is Kurt's home track, where he\naccelerated his drive to the pinnacle of NASCAR in just four racing\nseasons. His exciting racing style and ``go for it'' attitude truly\nreflect the spirit of Las Vegas, from where he hails. In 2001, as part\nof the legendary Roush racing team, Kurt was recognized as NASCAR's\nRookie of the Year, setting the stage for a fabulous string of\nvictories and top-10 finishes in 2002 and 2003.\n  This year, Kurt and the Roush team more than lived up to Nevada's\nState Motto: Battle Born. With Kurt at the wheel, the team overcame a\nstaggering gauntlet of bad breaks during their dramatic run for the\nNEXTEL Cup, including a blown motor, blown tires, wheels falling off,\nspin-outs, and crashes. Despite tire and wheel problems in the final\nrace, which would have sidelined lesser teams, Kurt, beating the odds\nin true Las Vegas fashion, piloted Number 97 to a thrilling finish for\nthe Roush crew, winning the NEXTEL Cup.\n  At just 26 years of age, Southern Nevada's own Kurt Busch has reached\nthe top of America's most-watched sport. It is a pleasure to recognize\nin the Congressional Record the great performance of a great competitor\nfrom Las Vegas, Nevada, the 2004 NEXTEL Cup Champion, Kurt Busch.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2184-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2184", "E2184", "[{\"name\": \"Joe Baca\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2184", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2184]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                        REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR\n\n                                 ______\n\n                             HON. JOE BACA\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the American\npatriots who lost their lives on the fateful day of December 7, 1941.\n  In the greatest defining moment of the world's most defining war in\nour history, over 2,400 Americans were killed and more than 1,100 were\nwounded at Pearl Harbor, including hundreds of innocent civilians.\n  As costly as it was in the lives of our men and women in uniform, in\nmilitary assets, and in esteem and pride, Pearl Harbor was a watershed\nmoment for America.\n  December 7, 1941 marked the turning point for our Nation and\ndetermined the future of our foreign policy. America changed from a\nNation turned inward to a strong and unified superpower, steadfast in\nour commitment to champion and defend the ideals of freedom and\ndemocracy.\n  Pearl Harbor caused our Nation to wholeheartedly commit to winning\nWorld War II, changing the course of our Nation's history and the\nworld's future.\n  The catastrophic loss of American soldiers led to our country\nbecoming the America we live in today. At home and abroad, we fight for\nthe ideals of social and political equality. This policy was founded in\nthe aftermath of Pearl Harbor and continues to be our Nation's moral\ncompass.\n  This day should not be remembered with hatred or bitterness. It\nshould be a day to honor the bravery of our men and women and\nremembered as the day our Nation was united and our sacrifices\nconsecrated.\n  We learned in World War II that no single nation holds a monopoly on\nwisdom, morality or right to power, but that we must fight for the weak\nand promote democracy. These are the difficult lessons learned in 1941\nand enshrined in Pearl Harbor.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2184", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING THE BROOKHAVEN HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2184", "E2184", "[{\"name\": \"Patrick J. Tiberi\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2184", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2184]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n  HONORING THE BROOKHAVEN HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. PATRICK J. TIBERI\n\n                                of ohio\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to\nrecognize the Brookhaven High School football team, the Ohio Division\nII state champions. The Bearcats' victory over Avon Lake in the\nchampionship game capped a season marked by one success after another.\n  Led by Coach Tom Blake, Brookhaven simply overpowered its opponents\non its way to a perfect 15-0 season. Over the course of the year, the\nBearcats outscored their opponents by an incredible 579-98 margin, and\ntheir record included four shutout victories. Their 42-21 win in the\nstate championship game ended Avon Lake's 29-game win streak.\n  As important as anything else, Brookhaven becomes the first Columbus\nCity League football team to win a state title in the 34 years since\nOhio instituted a playoff system. It is something that all City League\ncoaches, players and fans can take pride in.\n  As a Columbus public schools graduate, I offer my congratulations to\nCoach Blake, Principal Robert Murphy, the Bearcat football team,\nstudents and supporters. All have earned the right to be called state\nchampions.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2185-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "THE NEED FOR POSTAL REFORM", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2185", "E2185", "[{\"name\": \"Tom Davis\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2185", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2185]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                       THE NEED FOR POSTAL REFORM\n\n                                 ______\n\n                             HON. TOM DAVIS\n\n                              of virginia\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call my\ncolleagues' attention to an urgent issue that we must address in the\nopening months of the next Congress.\n  Early next spring, the Postal Service will file for a rate increase,\nto be implemented in 2006. Unless Congress acts, that rate increase\nwill be one of the largest in history--at least 15 percent, or 6 cents\non a First Class stamp. That will cripple an industry already in\ntrouble, and reverberate through our entire economy.\n  It would be irresponsible and reckless for us to sit back and do\nnothing.\n  The Postal Service is the center of a $900 billion industry,\nemploying 9 million Americans in such diverse fields as manufacturing,\nadvertising, publishing, and finance. This industry comprises 8.5\npercent of the Gross Domestic Product.\n  The cost of doing nothing will be steep, for the Postal Service, for\nthe 9 million Americans whose jobs rely on the mail, and for every\nAmerican who sends a birthday card, pays a bill, or orders something\nfrom a catalog or online.\n  Reforming the Postal Service is a crucial responsibility. The Postal\nService operates under a rigid, 30-year-old legal structure that does\nnot take into account the technological advances of the past decades.\nIt is saddled with nearly $70 billion in retiree health costs, worker's\ncomp claims and pension payments. Each year, the labor and\ninfrastructure costs facing the Postal Service rise, while the volume\nof mail continues to fall. This is a ``death spiral'' that can only be\nreversed by Congressional action.\n  Let me make clear what will happen if we fail to act.\n  A failure to act is the equivalent of a back-door tax on every sector\nof the American economy.\n  A small business that now spends $5,000 a year on postage would be\nhit with a nearly $1,000 rate increase. And an industry like financial\nservices would get slammed with an increase of over $600 million in\npostage costs annually.\n  Even though we're trying to postpone Internet taxation, a failure to\nact would raise the cost of online purchases, because consumers will\npay more for shipping and handling.\n  Overall, the American public and American businesses will waste over\n$20 billion in unnecessary payments to the Postal Service over the next\ndecade.\n  This does not have to happen. We have the framework for responsible,\ncomprehensive Postal Reform in the form of legislation that has been\napproved unanimously by my committee, the Government Reform Committee,\nand by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.\n  This legislation will force the Postal Service to act more like a\nbusiness, while also resolving two issues related to the Postal Civil\nService Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003. This act placed\nan unusual burden on the Postal Service, making it the only major\nagency in the government responsible for funding the military portion\nof its employee retiree benefits. The Act also required the Postal\nService to place into escrow any money saved through the legislation--\nand I believe we should free this money, to allow the Service to make\nsome cost-reducing and productivity-enhancing capital improvements.\n  I have worked with the Government Reform Committee's ranking minority\nmember, Henry Waxman, as well as Representatives John McHugh and Danny\nDavis to craft legislation that will allow the Postal Service and the\nindustry that relies on it to survive well into this century.\n  I urge my colleagues to come back next year ready to pass meaningful\nPostal Reform. There are critics who will say the bill costs too much.\nI say the cost of not acting is what we really cannot afford.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2185-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "CONGRATULATING BONNIE JONES ON HER RETIREMENT", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "CONGRATULATIONS", "E2185", "E2185", "[{\"name\": \"Jeff Miller\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2185", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2185]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n             CONGRATULATING BONNIE JONES ON HER RETIREMENT\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. JEFF MILLER\n\n                               of florida\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate\nBonnie Jones on her retirement as the Escambia County Supervisor of\nElections.\n  A fixture in Escambia County politics, Bonnie Jones was appointed\nEscambia County Supervisor of Elections by Governor Lawton Chiles on\nAugust 1, 1994 to fill the vacancy of Mr. Joe Oldmixon. Mrs. Jones was\nofficially elected on November 8, 1994 and was re-elected without\nopposition in 1996 and 2000.\n  Born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, Bonnie gained employment with\nthe Elections office at the young age of eighteen. Her love of\ndemocracy and Northwest Florida lead the way to her involvement with\nother community organizations, such as the Rotary Club of Pensacola,\nthe Board of Directors and Secretary for the Ronald McDonald House, the\nWoodham High School Advisory Board, and the Pensacola Pen Wheels.\nCurrently she is a member of the Florida State Association of\nSupervisors of Elections, the Elections Center Professional Education\nProgram, the Pensacola North Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, and the\nWoman's Board of the Baptist Health Care Foundation.\n  With a partisan atmosphere surrounding the 2000 elections, Bonnie was\na fair and steadfast public servant in Escambia County. She was\ndiligent in ensuring every vote was counted, including the large number\nof military absentee ballots arriving from overseas. Her foresight and\nwise choice to use the optical scan prior to the 2000 Elections\nprevented problems in the county with dimpled and hanging chads, which\nother Floridians experienced.\n  Today, I salute a woman who has dedicated her life to ensuring\nliberty and defending the principles of this country. Her exemplary\nservice has guaranteed that the United States will continue to prosper\nas the world's greatest democracy.\n  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to\ncongratulate Bonnie Jones on her retirement and wish her many more\nyears of success and happiness.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2185-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE TO JOELLE BAILEY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2185", "E2186", "[{\"name\": \"Edolphus Towns\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2185", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2185-E2186]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                       A TRIBUTE TO JOELLE BAILEY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Joelle Bailey for her\naccomplishments in the field of business and efforts to improve the\nmanners of all people in our community.\n  Joelle has over 20 years experience in catering, event planning and\nthe restaurant business. Little did she know that a position at Essence\nMagazine would serve as the impetus for her to enter the food and\nhospitality industry. At a very young age, Joelle's mom Marie felt very\nstrongly about manners and etiquette and instilled those values in\nJoelle and her sister Yves. Joelle has taken these values and\n\n[[Page E2186]]\n\nturned them into a lifetime mission not only for herself but to assist\nand instruct others in these areas.\n  Joelle has learned through some of the best working positions at the\nVista Hilton, Marriot and Plaza Hotels and LSG Sky Chefs. She received\nher formal training at the French Culinary Institute and Sky Chefs. By\n1994, she opened Classic Catering which is a full service event\nplanning and catering business that caught the attention of the New\nYork Times, Daily News, NY Post, 98.7 KISS FM and WOR 710. In June\n2004, Joelle was featured in the Daily News' ``Spotlight On Great\nPeople'' by Clem Richardson. Publicity aside, Joelle is pleased that\nher clients and guests approve of her fabulous catering and cooking\nskills. Currently, Joelle writes several columns, sharing her knowledge\non entertaining, etiquette and menu and recipe suggestions. Some of\nJoelle's most memorable clients have included: The New York Urban\nLeague, Diana Ross, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Russell Simmons, Suzanne\nTaylor, The United Way, Bill Cosby, Children's Television Network,\nJackie Robinson Foundation, New York Bar Association, New York\nUniversity, Columbia University and many more.\n  Joelle shares her love for young people by teaching courses in the\nart of etiquette, table manners, sophistication, food, nutrition and\nbasic ``101'' cooking skills. She teaches these classes for the\ncommunity in different schools and also in her home. Each event is\nsponsored with her own personal finances. Adults are welcome as well.\nAdditionally, her very own etiquette/cookbook will be launched next\nyear and a food show is in the works.\n  On her son Issiah's 3rd birthday March 27, 2004 Joelle launched a\nnot-for-profit foundation called Issiah W. Simms Foundation to help\nchildren improve their etiquette and manners. Eight years ago, Joelle\nrealized that she was not satisfied with the etiquette and manners of\ntoday's children, teens and even adults. For her, there was a major\nstate of emergency existing in society that needed to be addressed.\nThis concern led her to form the Issiah W. Simms Foundation.\n  Joelle is fortunate to have wonderful and insightful parents Hubert\nand Marie Valbrun, mentors (stepmother, Rosette Waynne), teachers and\nfriends who are supportive of her work. She has a degree in Liberal\nArts from Pace University and an MBA from Liberty University. She\ndreams of opening a finishing school that would be free to her Brooklyn\ncommunity.\n  Mr. Speaker, Joelle Bailey has been a leader in our community through\nher entrepreneurial accomplishments and efforts to create a more civil\nsociety. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our recognition\ntoday and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly\nremarkable person.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2185", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING ANTIETAM BOYS SOCCER", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2185", "E2185", "[{\"name\": \"Jim Gerlach\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2185", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2185]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[[Page E2185]]\n                     HONORING ANTIETAM BOYS SOCCER\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. JIM GERLACH\n\n                            of pennsylvania\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Antietam High\nSchool Boys Soccer team for winning the Pennsylvania State PIAA Class A\nBoys Soccer Championship.\n  The Antietam Mounts played a vigorous game against the Trinity\nChristian Falcons. The game was extremely competitive with both teams\nfighting to win. But in the end, the Mounts pulled out a 4-2 win. This\nwin marked their first state title.\n  During the championship game, the Mounts were without one of their\nkey players, Christopher Dock. Dock, a junior midfielder and a starter\nfor the entire season, injured his left knee during Tuesday's semifinal\nwin. The Mounts were able to overcome the loss of a key player and\nstill turn in a win.\n  Today, the Mounts are looking ahead to next season and possibly\nanother state championship. However, the team will lose seven seniors,\nincluding one of the team's highest scorers, Eric Kleiman, who scored\n87 points and several game winning points.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing\nthe players, coaches, and support staff of the Antietam High School\nBoys Soccer team for their drive, determination, and commitment to\nexcellence that led them to their first Pennsylvania state title. The\nteam is comprised of: Matt Nuding, Ryan Hummel, Tony Furillo, Jared\nMelot, Vince Baro, Corey Hertzog, Austin Lee, Austin Keller, Seth\nCerra, Kyle Cerra, Shawn Troxel, Mitch Weglos, Adam Cubbler, Maarten\nKoostra, Eric Kleiman, Steve Le, Madison Reece, Dan Pardo, Chris\nLaverty, Tom Talarico, Matt Stauffer, Pete Smith, Adam Kozlowski, Drew\nGilbert, Eric Shank, Tyler Galczynski, Ian Burke, Joseph Stoltz, Scott\nKiedeisch, Chris Reed, Coach Milt Scholl, Coach Charlie Weaver, Coach\nRalph Hertzog, and Managers Abbey Weaver, Jordan Cunningham, and Dayna\nGoheen.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2186-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "RECOGNIZING THE LINK BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK AND KIDNEY DISEASE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2186", "E2186", "[{\"name\": \"Mark Kirk\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2186", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2186]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n  RECOGNIZING THE LINK BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK AND KIDNEY DISEASE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK\n\n                              of illinois\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. KIRK. Mr Speaker, I call attention to the link between\ncardiovascular risk and kidney disease. On December 6, 2004, the\nCongressional Kidney Caucus, in cooperation with the National Kidney\nFoundation, sponsored a luncheon in which Dr. George Bakris, MD, from\nRush University Medical Center in Chicago, spoke on this troubling\ntrend. I submit Dr. Bakris' remarks for the Record:\n\n                 Cardiovascular Risk and Kidney Disease\n\n       Kidney disease is a silent killer, in that, there are no\n     signs or symptoms until you lose >70% of your kidney\n     function. A 50% loss of kidney function increases your risk\n     of a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke, sudden\n     death, heart failure) to more than double that of the general\n     population. The risk of dying from a cardiovascular event, if\n     you've lost 50% or more of your kidney function, is similar\n     to that of having had a heart attack. Aggressive measures to\n     achieve guideline goals (JNC7, ADA, NCEP) for blood sugar\n     (HbAlc less than 7%), blood pressure (less than 130/80mmHg)\n     and cholesterol levels (less than 200mg/dl) reduce both\n     cardiovascular risk and risk of kidney disease progression.\n     According to the most recent NHANES 1999-2000 data only 7.3%\n     of Americans with diabetes, the most common cause of kidney\n     disease achieve all three of these goals.\n       The crisis of chronic kidney disease is that it is ``under-\n     diagnosed, under-treated,'' and the relationship of chronic\n     kidney disease to cardiovascular disease, ``under-\n     recognized.'' It is now estimated that 1 in every 9 adults--\n     approximately 20 million Americans--has chronic kidney\n     disease and most don't know it. The morbidity\n     (hospitalizations, disability) associated with cardiovascular\n     events in people with kidney disease is significantly higher\n     than people without kidney disease. This translates into very\n     high expenditures on the part of Medicare as well as lost\n     wages and a reduced work force due to this disease. At the\n     current rate of increase in kidney disease, we can expect a\n     doubling of the number of people with kidney failure by 2010\n     at a projected cost of 28.3 billion dollars annually.\n     Therefore, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease and\n     development of kidney disease requires a preventive strategy.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2186-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "SIKH-OWNED GAS STATION BURNED DOWN", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2186", "E2187", "[{\"name\": \"Dan Burton\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2186", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2186-E2187]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                   SIKH-OWNED GAS STATION BURNED DOWN\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. DAN BURTON\n\n                               of indiana\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, in the early hours of\nThanksgiving morning, two Sikh brothers, Sarabjit and Sukhjinder Singh,\narrived for work at the gas station they owned, only to find it burned\nto the ground with racist graffiti scrawled all around the burning\nrubble.\n  I am glad to say that this sad incident was immediately reported to\nthe local Chesterfield County police, to the FBI, and to the Civil\nRights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and all are now\ndiligently working to\n\n[[Page E2187]]\n\nmake sure that whoever perpetrated this heinous crime is brought to\njustice.\n  It seems obvious from the graffiti left at the scene that whoever\ncommitted this crime intended to target Muslims--not Sikhs--proving\nthat this unknown arsonist was not just a bigot, but an ignorant bigot.\nIf they had been Muslims, this would still be a senseless and horrific\ncrime, and one to be condemned in the strongest possible terms, because\nto attack innocent practitioners of any religion for the acts of a\nhandful of misguided fanatics is inexcusable.\n  But these men were Sikhs. Sikhs are not Muslims; they are not Hindus.\nSikhism is a noble independent religion that traces its roots back\nhundreds of years. It is not part of any other religion. Furthermore,\nSikhs believe in one God and in equality for all--an ideal that forms\none of the very pillars of our own society.\n  Swift prosecution and severe punishment of the perpetrators of this\ncrime is the best way to combat this type of bigotry. I am sure every\nMember of this House joins me in urging the police, FBI, and Justice\nDepartment to promptly and thoroughly investigate this matter and bring\nthe perpetrator or perpetrators of this crime to justice. I am sure all\nof my colleagues will also join me in extending our best wishes and\nprayers to Sarabjit Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, and their families during\nthis traumatic time.\n  Mr. Speaker, I hope that one day--a day in the not too distant\nfuture--we will live in an America where this type of crime, born out\nof ignorance and fear, is forever a thing of the past.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2186", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING 35 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2186", "E2186", "[{\"name\": \"Rodney P. Frelinghuysen\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2186", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2186]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                 HONORING 35 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN\n\n                             of new jersey\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Martin\nLuther King Observance Committee of Morristown, NJ, in my congressional\ndistrict, which this year is celebrating its 35th Anniversary.\n  The committee, a local public service group, has solicited the\ninvolvement of the total Morris County community, and especially its\nyoung people, in its annual services commemorating the birth of Martin\nLuther King, Jr., since 1970. This celebration of faith, endurance, and\ncommitment is a tribute to the rich legacy of the life and works of Dr.\nKing.\n  The Observance for 2005 marks the 20th year that Dr. King's birthday\nwill be commemorated as a national holiday. As an expression of local\nunity and in recognition of this important event, the Martin Luther\nKing Observance Committee is inviting the Morris Clergy Council to\ncooperate with the committee in jointly sponsoring the commemorative\nservices on Monday, January 17, 2005.\n  The Martin Luther King Observance Committee will use for a theme\n``The Dream of Peace is Dedicated Wholly to Truth.'' Each of us still\nmakes a difference. Each of us needs to trust, to hope, to care, and to\nhave the courage to make our democracy work for all of us. Yes, today\nwe face great uncertainty and trepidation. Nevertheless, we will pull\ntogether as a community and nation during time of crisis. We are\nAmericans indeed.\n  From those individuals who spearheaded the initial celebration, the\nlate Rachel Viola Jones and Dr. Felicia B. Jamison, the planning\nefforts has broadened to include members of the Morris Area Clergy\nCouncil, with representatives from all major faith traditions. In\naddition to the two founders, other volunteers who assisted in the\nearly years included Emma L. Martin, George Dorsey, William ``Jack\nHarris, Reginald and Emanueline Smith, Flora Webb, Norman Jean\nMatthews, Woody Huff, Elizabeth Lubar, Cecelia Dowdy, Rabbi Z. David\nLevy, and the Rev. Charles Marks.\n  The core planning committee is continuing to carry on tradition of\nexcellence for this great program and has grown to include dedicated\nvolunteers. Some of those individuals include Charles Jamison, Jr.,\nJames Mack, Janet Bonar, Patricia Johnson, Esq., Barbara Klingsporn,\nMae Williams, Ronnie Rogers, Elie Sims, Nadine Alston, Rabbi Donald\nRossoff, James Vance, Horace Melton, Marian Sykes Johnson, Gerald\nMartin, Dorothy C. Parker, Agnes Boyd, Rev. Paul Ratzlaff, and the Rev.\nJerry M. Carter, Jr. Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, Minister Dr.\nDavid Hollowell, Dr. Judy L. Banks.\n  Mr. Speaker, I am quite certain that the Martin Luther King\nObservance Committee will continue in the years ahead to promote the\ncause of equality and educate our community in helping to promote\nopportunities for our young people to pursue productive, fulfilling\nlives. I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the\nMartin Luther King Observance Committee of Morristown as they celebrate\n35 dedicated years of serving our community, and especially Chairwoman,\nDr. Felicia Jamison.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2187-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "A TRIBUTE TO KEYONA DAVIS", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2187", "E2187", "[{\"name\": \"Edolphus Towns\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2187", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2187]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                       A TRIBUTE TO KEYONA DAVIS\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Keyona Davis for her\nacademic and extracurricular accomplishments as well as her commitment\nto the church and civic organizations.\n  Keyona was born and raised in the borough of Brooklyn. She is the\nsecond daughter of Brenda and John Davis. Currently, she is a senior at\nthe Brooklyn High School of the Arts, where she maintains a 3.0 grade\npoint average and has been continuously on the Honor Roll. She is now\nenrolled in a Sociology course at New York City Technical College.\nKeyona is featured in ``Who's Who Among American High School\nStudents.''\n  Keyona has been involved in many extra curricular activities that\nhave helped shaped her to become the young woman she is today. For 2\nyears, she participated in a teen dance company that performed in\ncompetitions including the Eastern Dance Association, International\nDance Challenge, and ESPN's own dance competition. She is a member of\nthe Berean Baptist Church's Ministry of Sacred Dance where dance is\nused to present God's message. Keyona is a Girl Scout of the Greater\nNew York area where she has acquired skills to assist in planning\nvarious scout activities and setting an example for young girls and her\npeers. Keyona gives back to her community by donating clothing and\nvolunteering at her church's annual Thanksgiving feed the homeless\nprogram.\n  As an independent young woman, Keyona has had many jobs since the age\nof 14. She was a camp counselor at the Professional Center for the Arts\nDance Camp, clerical assistant at the Office of Children and Family\nServices, and at the New York State Child Support Office in 2002. She\nis currently a Senior Operations Specialist at Chase Bank. These\nemployment experiences have helped Keyona grow mentally and gain an\nunderstanding of being a positive part of the workforce.\n  After graduation this June, Keyona plans to be a pre-law student at a\n4-year university. A long-term goal has always been to become a\nprosecutor and a part-time dance teacher. Iyanla Vanzant once said,\n``Faith and fearlessness fuel your dreams!'' Keyona tries to live by\nthis motto with her strong focus and dedication to things she loves.\n  Mr. Speaker, Keyona Davis, through her accomplishments and maturity,\nserves as an outstanding role model for all of our young people in the\ncommunity. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our\nrecognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this\ntruly remarkable young lady.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2187-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "RETIREMENT OF RITA THOMPSON", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RETIREMENT", "E2187", "E2188", "[{\"name\": \"Duncan Hunter\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2187", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2187-E2188]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                      RETIREMENT OF RITA THOMPSON\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Rita\nThompson upon her retirement from the House Armed Services Committee\nafter 30 years of loyal and dedicated service to the United States\nCongress.\n  Rita grew up in southwestern Virginia and before coming to work for\nCongress, she worked for the Department of the Army in the Pentagon for\n5\\1/2\\ years.\n  Rita began her career on Capitol Hill in January 1974 with the House\nArmed Services\n\n[[Page E2188]]\n\nCommittee. During her years on the committee she has worked on the\nPersonnel Subcommittee, and directly with the General Counsel and the\nStaff Director. For the past 20 years she has held the position of\nProfessional Staff Member and served as the committee's senior\nadministrator, managing a multi million-dollar annual budget, and\norganizing Congressional travel, among many other duties. As a result\nof her position and responsibilities, Rita has regularly interacted not\nonly with Members of Congress, but also with Senators, foreign\ndignitaries, and high ranking military officials.\n  Rita's committee service has spanned six presidents, seven committee\nchairmen, and seven staff directors. I speak for myself, past chairmen\nand ranking minority members, and any and everyone who has had the\nprivilege of working with Rita, in thanking her for her tireless work\nand dedication to the House Armed Services Committee.\n  Rita's charm has always been a trademark of her personality. In a\nplace where many people come and go, Rita has been a symbol of\ncommitment and dedication from which many of us could learn. I\ncongratulate her on her retirement and thank her for over three decades\nof honorable service to this Congress and her country. On behalf of the\nHouse Armed Services Committee and the United States Congress, I wish\nyou the best of luck as you begin this new chapter of your life.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2187", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2187", "E2187", "[{\"name\": \"Henry J. Hyde\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2187", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2187]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                INTELLIGENCE OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE\n\n                              of illinois\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, now that Congress is close to passing landmark\nlegislation that will help our intelligence community, it is time to\ntake a closer look at streamlining congressional intelligence oversight\nresponsibilities. I believe the time for change is now and I am pleased\nto share with my colleagues a recent editorial in the News-Leader,\nFlorida's oldest weekly newspaper, which explores some of the options\nonce again available to us:\n\n                  [From the News-Leader, Dec. 3, 2004]\n\n                  Joint Intelligence Committee Overdue\n\n       The collapse of Congressional efforts to reform the\n     intelligence community dominated the news just before\n     Thanksgiving. The proposed legislation embodied many of the\n     major recommendations of the 9/11 Commission for fixing the\n     executive branch's intelligence problems. Largely overlooked\n     in this reform debate is Congress' failure, so far, to do\n     enough to address its own problems. Yet the 9/11 panel noted\n     that ``of all of our recommendations, strengthening\n     Congressional oversight may be the most difficult and\n     important.'' The commission also pointed out that,\n     ``Congressional oversight for intelligence and\n     counterterrorism is now dysfunctional.''\n       The main reason this critically important congressional\n     responsibility is malfunctioning is because it is spread\n     amongst too many committees. That is why the 9/11 Commission\n     urged Congress to replace the current fragmented oversight\n     arrangement with either a House-Senate joint committee or\n     single panels in each congressional body with exclusive\n     oversight and legislative power.\n       Consolidation along these lines would drastically reduce\n     the time high level intelligence community officials spend on\n     Capitol Hill repeating over and over again the same briefings\n     and testimonies to the various committees now exercising\n     jurisdiction over intelligence activities. Redundant\n     congressional demands are becoming so time-consuming that it\n     is increasingly difficult for these senior officials to\n     discharge their primary duties of attending to the many\n     security issues confronting this nation.\n       The need to reform Congress' oversight of the intelligence\n     community has been recognized by some members of Congress for\n     years. Henry Hyde, currently chairman of the International\n     Relations Committee in the House of Representatives, proposed\n     legislation to create a Joint Intelligence Committee in 1984.\n     He spelled out what he had in mind in numerous forums,\n     including op ed pieces that appeared in major newspapers.\n     Nearly 17 years ago, Hyde's idea was the top recommendation\n     of the Republican members of the Iran/Contra Committee. Among\n     those endorsing the Hyde initiative were Dick Cheney, Mike De\n     Wine and Orrin Hatch, who served with Hyde on the Iran-Contra\n     Joint Committee. All of these political figures remain major\n     players in Washington.\n       The reluctance of Congress to get its own house in order is\n     politically understandable. A Joint Intelligence Committee\n     would require a number of committees and their powerful\n     chairmen to sacrifice their jurisdictions over intelligence\n     matters. But given what is at stake, it is time to\n     subordinate such parochial concerns to the national interest.\n       To really, be effective, a Joint Intelligence Committee\n     must have both oversight and legislative authority.\n     Otherwise, those committees with an interest in intelligence\n     issues will try to recapture their lost purviews.\n     Historically, those committees have been Armed Services,\n     Judiciary, Appropriations and Foreign/International\n     Relations. To mollify these traditional bailiwicks,\n     membership on the joint committee should include\n     representatives from each of these committees. The panel must\n     be small to ensure secrecy and promote individual\n     responsibility and accountability. To encourage\n     bipartisanship, neither political party should have more than\n     a one-vote edge. The committee staff should be composed of\n     apolitical professionals.\n       In summary, the time has come to think outside of the box\n     and adopt radical congressional reforms to meet national\n     security challenges in the post 9/11 world. The 9/11\n     Commission put it best when it warned that ``the other\n     reforms we have suggested--for a national counter-terrorism\n     center and national intelligence director--will not work if\n     congressional oversight does not change too. Unity of effort\n     in executive management can be lost if it is fractured by\n     congressional oversight.''\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2188-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "RECOGNIZING CHRISTOPHER EARLEY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "RECOGNIZING", "E2188", "E2188", "[{\"name\": \"Sam Graves\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2188", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2188]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                     RECOGNIZING CHRISTOPHER EARLEY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. SAM GRAVES\n\n                              of missouri\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Christopher\nEarley, 2004 graduate of Chillicothe High School.\n  This year Christopher completed a distinguished career as a wrestler\nat Chillicothe High School, under the tutelage of coaches Dave Kinnen\nand Ken Stull. Christopher was named to the All District Wrestling Team\nin 2003, and a State Wrestling Qualifier in 2003 and 2004. During his\nsenior season Christopher enjoyed a great deal of success, as he won\nthe Coach's Award, was named to the Midland Empire All-Conference, and\nwon the District Wrestling Championship. Christopher was also a four-\nyear letterman in wrestling. His academic achievements are equally\nimpressive, as he was the recipient of four consecutive academic\nletters at Chillicothe High School as well.\n  Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in congratulating\nChristopher Earley and wishing him continued success. Christopher is a\ngreat role model for student-athletes in our state, and I am proud to\nserve him in the United States Congress.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2188-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF PETER V. KILBANE", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2188", "E2188", "[{\"name\": \"Dennis J. Kucinich\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2188", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2188]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n              IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF PETER V. KILBANE\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH\n\n                                of ohio\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of\nPeter V. Kilbane--United States Veteran of WWII, thirty-six year member\nof the Cleveland Police Department; and most significantly, devoted\nfamily man; and friend and mentor to many.\n  Mr. Kilbane's life centered around his unwavering commitment to his\nfamily, to community, and to our nation. He embraced his Irish\nheritage, and embraced the values, traditions and ethics taught to him\nby his parents, Mihal Moor and Honora Joyce. Together, Peter and his\nbeloved wife of sixty-two years, Margaret Mary, offered these vital\nlife lessons to their children: Karen, Grace Ann, Peter G., Peggy, and\nMary. He will also be remembered as a loving father figure to Mary Lou\nWallish, and to the memory of Harry Spencer.\n  Mr. Kilbane served our country with honor and courage. His decorated\nservice during WWII reflected his heroic actions in France, Belgium,\nHolland and Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge. From the front\nlines fighting for liberty during the war, to the front lines fighting\ncrime along the streets of Cleveland, Mr. Kilbane exhibited the same\nunyielding dedication and concern for others. He worked in every\ndistrict within the Cleveland Police Department, and held the position\nof Lieutenant of Special Operations, Detective Bureau, when he retired\nin 1987. Beyond his professional commitments, Mr. Kilbane consistently\nreached out into our community. He held board positions and was an\nactive member of many civic organizations, including St. Malachi\nParish, the Holy Name Society, the Fraternal Order of Police, the\nEmerald Society, and the Retired Irish Police Society. In 2000, the\nRetired Irish Police Society named him the Retired Irish Police Officer\nof the Year.\n  Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor, gratitude and\nremembrance of Mr. Peter V. Kilbane--a man of heart, courage and\nintegrity, who lived life with a joyous focus on family, friends and\nhelping others. I extend my deepest condolences to his beloved wife,\nMargaret Mary, to his children, grandchildren, great-children and to\nhis extended family members and many friends. His kindness, heart and\ncourageous service has served to uplift our Cleveland community, and\nhis shining legacy, spirit and memory will live on forever within the\nminds and hearts of all whom knew and loved him well.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2188-4", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR OF ADM SAMUEL LEE GRAVELY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2188", "E2189", "[{\"name\": \"Charles B. Rangel\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2188", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E2188-E2189]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                   IN HONOR OF ADM SAMUEL LEE GRAVELY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of an extraordinary\nAmerican, ADM Samuel Lee Gravely, Jr.\n  Admiral Gravely passed away recently, but he leaves behind a legacy\nof stunning accomplishment, which undoubtedly renders him as one of the\nmost significant figures in American military history.\n  Admiral Gravely was born in Richmond, Virginia on June 4, 1922. After\nattending Virginia Union University for 2 years, he enlisted in the\nNavy Reserve in 1942 and was trained as a fireman apprentice.\n  In 1943, he participated in a Navy program known as V-12, which was\ndesigned to select and train highly qualified men for commissioning as\nofficers in the Navy. As part of his V-12 training, he attended the\nUniversity of California in Los Angeles and the Midshipmen School at\nColumbia University in New York City.\n  On December 14, 1944 Admiral Gravely successfully completed\nmidshipman training, becoming the first African American commissioned\nas an officer from the Navy Reserve Officers' Training Course, ROTC.\n  As a newly commissioned ensign, his first duty assignment was at a\nnaval training station in Illinois, where he was assistant battalion\ncommander for new recruits. Following\n\n[[Page E2189]]\n\nthat assignment, he began his seagoing career as a sailor aboard the PC\n1264, one of only two World War II ships with a predominately African-\nAmerican crew.\n  In April 1946 he left active duty, but remained in the Naval Reserve.\nHe returned to his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and completed his\nbachelor's degree in history. Soon after obtaining his degree he was\nrecalled to active duty during the Korean war. His service during that\ntime earned him a Legion of Merit Award, Bronze Star, and the\nMeritorious Service Medal.\n\n  In the 1960's, Admiral Gravely became the first African-American to\ncommand a navy warship when he was appointed executive officer, and\nlater, acting commanding officer of the destroyer Theodore E. Chandler.\nThat momentous milestone was just one of many in Admiral Gravely's\ncareer.\n  Some historic firsts that he has achieved include: the first African-\nAmerican to command an American warship under combat conditions since\nthe Civil War, USS Taussig; the first African-American to command a\nmajor naval warship, USS Jouett; the first African-American admiral;\nthe first African-American to rise to the rank of vice admiral; and the\nfirst African-American to command a U.S. fleet, commander, Third Fleet.\n  Admiral Gravely belongs to a group of African-American military\nheroes whose belief in self and country gave them strength to overcome\nincredible obstacles and reach unprecedented heights. In so doing they\nhave given hope and pride to the generations that have proceeded them.\n  Known as a quiet and unassuming man, his life exemplified the words\nof the politician Adlai Stevenson, who once said ``Patriotism is not\nshort, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady\ndedication of a lifetime.'' If this is the measure of a patriot, then\nAdmiral Gravely was one of our greatest.\n  I find it appropriate to end with Admiral Gravely's own words:\n``Perseverance is the ability to steadfastly proceed to your goal\ndespite all obstacles. It is the ability to overcome.'' The spirit of\nAdmiral Gravely will always be with us, just as his words will forever\nring true.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2188", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM NEIDIG", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2188", "E2188", "[{\"name\": \"Anna G. Eshoo\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2188", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2188]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                       TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM NEIDIG\n\n                                 ______\n\n                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor William Neidig, who was\nrecently honored with the prestigious St. Madeleine Sophie Medal by the\nSchools of the Sacred Heart in Atherton, California.\n  Bill grew up on the east coast and graduated from Princeton\nUniversity with an engineering degree before coming West to attend the\nBusiness School at Stanford University. After graduation, Bill and his\nwife Christy settled in Palo Alto because of the city's outstanding\npublic school system, and Bill began in the real estate business.\n  Fate intervened and the Neidig's enrolled their daughter Stephanie in\nthe kindergarten at St. Joseph's. Bill says that growing up he had\nnever really known a nun. But after meeting the Religious of the Sacred\nHeart he came to appreciate the well educated women who have devoted\nthemselves to educating his children, and he was sold on the school and\nwanted to help out.\n  Bill joined the Building and Grounds Committee in 1990 and joined the\nboard of trustees in 1991, where he has continued to serve ever since,\nexcept for a mandatory one year sabbatical. In this capacity, Bill\nworked diligently to maintain and upgrade the facilities and grounds at\nSacred Heart. He has been involved in upgrading St. Joseph's\nclassrooms, offices, and science lab. He developed Spieker Pavilion,\nthe Main Building, the Aquatics Center, the West Wing and the library,\nthe football field, the track and tennis facilities, and most recently\nthe Performing Arts Center. At no other time in the history of Sacred\nHeart Schools Atherton has so much been accomplished in such a short\ntime period.\n  Bill has also served on the Finance Committee, where his familiar\ncry, ``Less is more, but will it do everything you need?'' has been a\nguiding principle in the financial decisions of the school.\n  Bill knows how to ask the right questions and get the right answers.\nWhenever something needs to be done, he can be counted on to make sure\nit gets done. He has been extraordinarily giving of his time and\ntalent, and his support for Sacred Heart Schools is an inspiration to\nall.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this great\nand inspiring man, William Neidig, as he is honored with the St.\nMadeleine Sophie Medal.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2189-2", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "IN HONOR AND IN MEMORY OF LCPL BRAD FAIRCLOTH OF MOBILE, AL", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E2189", "E2189", "[{\"name\": \"Jo Bonner\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2189", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2189]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n      IN HONOR AND IN MEMORY OF LCPL BRAD FAIRCLOTH OF MOBILE, AL\n\n                                 ______\n\n                             HON. JO BONNER\n\n                               of alabama\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a young\nman from the First Congressional District of Alabama who recently made\nthe ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom abroad.\n  Lance Corporal Brad Faircloth, a native of Mobile, Alabama, was\nassigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, based at Camp Lejeune,\nNorth Carolina. In July of this year, Brad's unit was deployed to Iraq\nin support of ongoing military operations in that country. It was there\nthat, on November 25, 2004, he was killed while he and other members of\nhis unit conducted house-to-house searches in Fallujah, Iraq, looking\nfor members of that country's insurgent movement.\n  Brad set a standard of excellence and displayed the qualities of\ndiscipline, devotion, and dedication to country that are hallmarks of\nmen and women throughout the long and distinguished history of the\nAmerican military. Following his 2002 graduation from Murphy High\nSchool in Mobile, Alabama, and after one year as a student at Delta\nState University in Mississippi, Brad chose to join the Marine Corps.\nIn recent days, many members of his family said he did so in large part\nin response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, because he\nfelt he should do his part in the fight to protect his country. Brad\nwas an extremely conscientious and dedicated marine, and he was honored\nrecently with the presentation to his family of three Purple Hearts and\nthe Distinguished Service Medal.\n  Mr. Speaker, I feel certain his many friends in Mobile County and his\ncomrades in the United States Marine Corps, while mourning the loss of\nthis fine young man, are also taking this opportunity to remember his\nmany accomplishments during his brief 20 years, and to recall the fine\ngift they each received simply from knowing him and having him as an\nintegral part of their lives.\n  I urge my colleagues to take a moment and pay tribute to Lance\nCorporal Brad Faircloth and his selfless devotion to not only our\ncountry and the freedoms we enjoy, but to a people who are but now in\nthe infancy of a new life--a new freedom--in their own land.\n  We should also remember his mother, Kathleen Faircloth-Smith; his\nstepfather, Paul Smith; his grandparents, Dewey and Helen Faircloth;\nhis uncle, Tim Faircloth; and his other family members and many\nfriends. Our prayer is that God will give them all the strength and\ncourage that only He can provide to sustain them during the difficult\ndays ahead.\n  It was Joseph Campbell who said, ``A hero is someone who has given\nhis or her life to something bigger than oneself.'' Make no mistake,\nyoung Brad Faircloth was not only a dedicated marine who made the\nultimate sacrifice serving in the uniform of his country, but he was\nalso a true American hero.\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2189", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "HONORING DR. TAMMIE LEE DEMLER", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "HONORING", "E2189", "E2189", "[{\"name\": \"Thomas M. Reynolds\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2189", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2189]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                     HONORING DR. TAMMIE LEE DEMLER\n\n                                 ______\n\n                        HON. THOMAS M. REYNOLDS\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to\npay tribute to Dr. Tammie Lee Demler of Wheatfield, NY, for recently\nbeing honored as both a New York State Senate ``Woman of Distinction''\nand the ``2004 Pharmacist of the Year.''\n  Since receiving a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University at\nBuffalo School of Pharmacy, Dr. Demler has received a number of\naccolades. She became the President of the Pharmacists' Association of\nWestern New York (PAWNY), and this year was named ``2004 Pharmacist of\nthe Year'' by the association. Dr. Demler currently serves as the\nDirector of the University's Psychiatric Pharmacy Post Doctoral\nResidency Program where she mentors graduate students. She has made\nnumerous contributions to both the association and the pharmacology\nprofession.\n  Dr. Demler received another prestigious award from the New York State\nSenate this past June, being named a ``Woman of Distinction.'' The\naward was created to honor women throughout New York that have played\nan important role in ``adding strength, understanding, and inspiration\nto the diversity and quality of life'' in the state; I can think of no\none more deserving of this award that Dr. Demler.\n  Dr. Demler spends much of her free time working for the betterment of\nthe community, such as helping organize the ``Taste of Buffalo,'' a\nvery important annual event. Dr. Demler has made a considerable and\nlasting contribution to both her profession and our community, and for\nthat she deserves our deepest gratitude.\n  Mr. Speaker, I ask that this Congress join me in congratulating Dr.\nTammie Lee Demler for being named as both a ``Woman of Distinction''\nand the ``2004 Pharmacist of the Year.''\n\n                          ____________________"], ["CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2189-3", "2004-12-07", 108, 2, "150", null, "TRIBUTE TO LA HABRA HIGH SCHOOL AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "TRIBUTETO", "E2189", "E2189", "[{\"name\": \"Gary G. Miller\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "150 Cong. Rec. E2189", "Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Page E2189]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n    TRIBUTE TO LA HABRA HIGH SCHOOL AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR GOLDEN\n                              ANNIVERSARY\n\n                                 ______\n\n                          HON. GARY G. MILLER\n\n                             of california\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Tuesday, December 7, 2004\n\n  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute\nto La Habra High School in La Habra, California as they celebrate their\nGolden Anniversary.\n  For the past 50 years, La Habra High School has been more than just\nan institution for learning; it has become the pride and joy of a\ncommunity. The teachers and administration work together to inspire\nstudents to become life long learners. The school boasts alumni that\nare not only productive members of society, but have paved a path for\nfuture generations to follow. Most importantly, the students of La\nHabra High School understand the importance of learning and the value\nof a proper education. Over the years the school has earned many\ndistinctions including the coveted Blue Ribbon Award by the U.S.\nDepartment of Education.\n  Mr. Speaker, La Habra High School has proven to be a first rate\neducational institution that fosters a positive learning environment\nfor the future of our children. I ask my fellow colleagues in Congress\nto join me in congratulating the teachers, administrators, alumni,\nstudents and parents as they celebrate the school's 50th Anniversary.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 13795, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select granule_id, date, congress, session, volume, issue, title, chamber, granule_class, sub_granule_class, page_start, page_end, speakers, bills, citation, full_text from congressional_record where \"congress\" = :p0 and \"granule_class\" = :p1 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "108", "p1": "EXTENSIONS"}}, "facet_results": {"chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108&granule_class=EXTENSIONS", "results": [{"value": "HOUSE", "label": "HOUSE", "count": 13684, "toggle_url": "https://regs.datadawn.org/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108&granule_class=EXTENSIONS&chamber=HOUSE", "selected": false}, {"value": "SENATE", "label": "SENATE", "count": 109, "toggle_url": "https://regs.datadawn.org/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108&granule_class=EXTENSIONS&chamber=SENATE", "selected": false}, {"value": "", "label": "", "count": 2, "toggle_url": "https://regs.datadawn.org/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108&granule_class=EXTENSIONS&chamber=", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "granule_class": {"name": "granule_class", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108&granule_class=EXTENSIONS", "results": [{"value": "EXTENSIONS", "label": "EXTENSIONS", "count": 13795, "toggle_url": "https://regs.datadawn.org/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "congress": {"name": "congress", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108&granule_class=EXTENSIONS", "results": [{"value": 108, "label": 108, "count": 13795, "toggle_url": "https://regs.datadawn.org/openregs/congressional_record.json?granule_class=EXTENSIONS", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2004-12-07,CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2189-3", "next_url": "https://regs.datadawn.org/openregs/congressional_record.json?congress=108&granule_class=EXTENSIONS&_next=2004-12-07%2CCREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2189-3&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 189.49599099869374, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}