Expressing the sense of Congress that Kids Love a Mystery is a program that promotes literacy and should be encouraged.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I was not present for several recorded votes because pressing business required me to remain in Colorado. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows:

Rollcall No. 42--H. Res. 519--Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the earthquake that occurred in San Luis Obispo County, California, on December 22, 2003, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 43--H. Res. 392--Congratulating the Detroit Shock for winning the 2003 Women's National Basketball Association championship, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 44--H. Res. 475--Congratulating the San Jose Earthquake for winning the 2003 Major League Soccer Cup, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 45--On approving the Journal, I would have voted ``no.''

Rollcall No. 46--S. 1881: to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make technical corrections relating to the amendments by the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 47--H. Con. Res. 373: expressing the sense of Congress that Kids Love a Mystery is a program that promotes literacy and should be encouraged, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 48--Amendment to H.R. 339 offered by Mr. Scott (VA) to add a new section which provides that the bill does not apply to an action brought by a State agency to enforce a State consumer protection law concerning mislabeling or other unfair and deceptive trade practices, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 49--Amendment to H.R. 339 offered by Mr. Watt to limit the provisions of the bill only to cases brought in Federal court, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 50--Amendment to H.R. 339 offered by Mr. Andrews to permit civil liability suits to be brought in cases related to a food that contains a genetically engineered material unless the labeling for such food bears a statement providing that the food contains such material and the labeling indicates which of the ingredients of the food are or contain such material, I would have voted ``no.''

Rollcall No. 51--Amendment to H.R. 339 offered by Mr. Ackerman to expand the definitions in the act to exclude any establishment that manufactures or sells meat from downed animals for human consumption from the protections of the bill, I would have voted ``no.''

Rollcall No. 52--Amendment to H.R. 339 offered by Ms. Jackson-Lee (TX) to provide that the bill would not apply to civil actions that allege a product claiming to assist in weight loss caused heart disease, heart damage, primary pulmonary hypertension, neuropsychological damage, or any other complication which may be generally associated with a person's weight gain or obesity, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 53--Amendment to H.R. 339 offered by Mr. Watt to strike section 3(b) of the bill which provides that a qualified civil liability action that is pending on the date of the enactment of the bill shall be dismissed immediately by the court in which the action was brought or is currently pending, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 54--Final passage of H.R. 339, to prevent legislative and regulatory functions from being usurped by civil liability actions brought or continued against food manufacturers, marketers, distributors, advertisers, sellers, and trade associations for claims of injury relating to a person's weight gain, obesity, or any health condition associated with weight gain or obesity, I would have voted ``no.''

Rollcall No. 55--Final passage of H.R. 3717, to increase the penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmissions of obscene, indecent, and profane material, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 56--Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Con. Res. 15, Commending India on its celebration of Republic Day, I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 57--Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 540, as amended, expressing the condolences and deepest sympathies of the House of Representatives for the untimely death of Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 373) expressing the sense of Congress that Kids Love a Mystery is a program that promotes literacy and should be encouraged.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 373.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 373, offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller). The concurrent resolution would establish Kids Love a Mystery Month and recognize the importance of encouraging children to read books, and especially mystery stories.

I am pleased that First Lady Laura Bush has agreed to serve as honorary chair of Mystery Writers of America's Kids Love a Mystery Program. Mrs. Bush expressed the appropriate sentiment for us all when she said, ``Our love of reading is what makes us tuck a paperback under our arm on the way

to work; its bedside tables that include piles of books that we read before we fall asleep, or continue reading when we cannot sleep. Oh, the refuge we find in books and reading, and how mystery, history and intrigue draw us back again and again.''

Mr. Speaker, I would dare say there is not one of us who has not had our nose buried in a ``whodunit'' book, letting our imagination soar in wonderment about what the ending will be. Whether it is Sherlock Holmes or Dick Tracy or Harry Potter, or my childhood favorite, the Hardy Boys mysteries, our support for reading and writing mystery books is a worthy cause. Exciting mystery writers over the years have provided untold hours of enjoyment to child and adult alike. Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, Phyllis Whitney, Mickey Spillane, Mary Higgins Clark, and J.K. Rowling have enriched our lives and stimulated our imaginations.

In the Kids Love a Mystery reading program, participants can earn an Eddie Award Certificate by registering with a local sponsor and reading at least one mystery book. Or participants may write their own mystery story and have a panel selected by an author judge the entry.

I commend the Mystery Writers of America for recognizing the value and importance of reading and for observing October each year as Kids Love a Mystery Month.

Mr. Speaker, it is fitting and appropriate then for Congress to celebrate the reading for children and agree to this concurrent resolution establishing Kids Love a Mystery Month. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In closing, let me say that nothing is more important to the education of our children than the ability to read and read well. We have often heard it said that we learn to read so we can read to learn. The importance of that needs to be accomplished, indeed, as in the context of No Child Left Behind by the third grade. We will continue to have a strong emphasis on reading programs like this resolution in regard to Kids Love a Mystery. I would just encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and it is nice to have an opportunity to have a good bipartisan piece of legislation that we can all support. We are all behind trying to make sure that all our children can read and read well.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage unanimous support for House Concurrent Resolution 373.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 373, the resolution of the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) which supports and promotes Kids Love a Mystery Program throughout the United States.

Under the sponsorship of the Mystery Writers of America organization, this program brings together authors who write for juvenile and young adult readers with children, parents, teachers, and librarians in a nationwide series of events each October to celebrate mystery writing.

This year, First Lady Laura Bush will serve as the honorary chair of the Kids Love a Mystery program. H. Con. Res. 373 expresses the sense of Congress that Kids Love a Mystery is a good program that promotes literacy through the creative process and should be encouraged. It underscores our belief that learning to read is the greatest gift one generation can bestow on the next.

With this resolution, we encourage the President to issue a proclamation in support of the Kids Love a Mystery Program. This annual program has proven to be a valuable method to encourage literacy, foster deductive reasoning, and enhance critical-thinking skills for our young readers. The Kids Love a Mystery Program was developed by the Mystery Writers of America, a nonprofit entity that serves as the premier organization for mystery writers and other professionals in the mystery field. Through its chapters in all 50 States, the organization has utilized the month of October each year to orchestrate the Kids Love a Mystery Program with particular emphasis on fostering both reading and writing initiatives.

Since its inception in 1998, the Kids Love a Mystery Program has involved more than 15,000 young readers in 31 States plus the District of Columbia. Two of the most popular initiatives within the Kids Love a Mystery Program are the presentation of Eddie Awards, certificates that are given to every child who registers with a local participating library, school, bookstore or even on the Internet and reads at least one mystery book in the month of October.

In addition, young readers are encouraged to write their own mystery stories in October to earn an Eddie Award.

Mr. Speaker, we know that reading is the basis for all learning, and mystery stories have proven to be particularly attractive to young readers. I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution to encourage more young people to read.

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

Mr. Speaker, due to official business, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below.

Rollcall Vote No. 42 ``yea''; rollcall Vote No. 43 ``yea''; rollcall Vote No. 44 ``yea''; rollcall Vote No. 45 ``yea''; rollcall Vote No. 46 ``yea''; and rollcall Vote No. 47 ``yea.''

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall Vote Nos. 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 I was unavoidably detained. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea.''