Supporting the goals and ideals of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding me the customary 30 minutes.

(Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, former President Theodore Roosevelt,

one of the fathers of American conservation, said, ``In utilizing and conserving the national resources of the Nation, the one characteristic more central than any other is foresight.''

Unfortunately, in many areas H.R. 2691 is a myopic bill, lacking this essential foresight. H.R. 2691 does not protect our natural resources, America's lands and its native animals. This appropriations bill breaks promises of funds for conservation, and the bill abandons the conservation trust agreement reached and enacted into law in response to the 315 Members of the House who voted for the Conservation and Reinvestment Act.

The agreement provided for adequate funding for conservation programs that protect public lands and cultural artifacts and preserve endangered and threatened species and that assist States in their own conservation and recreation programs.

Unfortunately, this bill breaks that promise by underfunding the conservation efforts by approximately $569 million less than funding levels promised in the conservation trust agreement. Funding levels for conservation are an even $208 million less than the appropriations for fiscal year 2003. This seriously jeopardizes conservation programs like the Federal Land Acquisition, which is funded at its lowest level in 20 years. City parks are the anchors of our neighborhoods. They provide a variety of activities for youth, and the city of Rochester wrote to me requesting that Congress fund the Urban Parks Program at $50 million. The program provides supplemental funding needed by city parks and recreation departments to strengthen the recreation opportunities. But, unfortunately, the Urban Parks Program gets no funding, despite the request by 104 Members that it be restored.

We have heard a lot about the terrible plight of our national parks. This bill will do nothing to ease that. H.R. 2691 does not protect our seniors and low-income families with children. The Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program reduces the energy costs for low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. These savings are gone and they are critical because low-income households spend 14 percent of their total income on energy compared with 33.5 percent for other households.

Since the creation of the weatherization program, 395,000 homes in the State of New York have been weatherized, but 1.5 million more are eligible and waiting for assistance. I have spent more than a few winters in New York, and I know the importance of weatherizing your house against the icy gales of winter. With the weatherization program funded at $63 million below the level requested by the President, millions of Americans will literally be left in the cold.

H.R. 2691 does not protect our American culture and history. Back in 1992, funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities and for the National Endowment for the Arts reached its funding zenith, $176 million for each agency.

Over the years the NEA and NEH budgets have been slashed again and again, and for several years the body has voted to increase the funding for the arts and humanities; but, unfortunately, the strong statement of the will of the body has been ignored. Even the President requested $152 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, but the allocation in this bill is $15 million dollars less than the President's request.

The funding for NEA is only minimally increased and this insubstantial sum will pay for administrative overhead costs; no new grants will be created. The National Endowment for the Arts enriches our Nation and establishes cultural heritage by supporting the works of artistic excellence, advancing learning in the arts, and, importantly, strengthening the arts in communities throughout the country. They benefit our children and over and over the education given in art has proven to increase academic performance, regardless of socio-economic background.

The NEA provides grants for local arts activities in every State and every congressional district. In Buffalo, New York, the NEA provided a small $10,000 grant to a community arts group to support a program to offer weekend classes in visual arts and jazz music for African American children in Buffalo's low-income inner-city east side. Another small community grant to a group in Buffalo provided weekly workshops in media literacy and digital arts for girls ages 9 to 15.

In my colleague's home State of Washington, an 8-week summer residency program that provided psychiatrically and emotionally impaired children with instruction in creative writing, mask-making, and theatrical improvisation received a community arts grant from the

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), a member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

(Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

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

Mr. Speaker, shortly I will ask Members to vote no on the previous question. If the previous question is defeated, I will offer an amendment to the rule that will make in order the Obey amendment to restore funding for the conservation programs that have been shortchanged in the bill.

This amendment would add $569 million to the bill's conservation programs in order to bring them up to their authorized spending levels. The Obey amendment offsets this spending increase with a 3.21 percent reduction in the tax breaks received by taxpayers earning more than $1 million a year. This amendment was submitted to the Committee on Rules last night and rejected by the majority.

The cost of this amendment is fully paid for. The money would come by slightly reducing the 2004 tax cut for those with incomes in excess of $1 million. It seems to me these millionaires could easily spare a small part of their very large tax breaks to help protect our precious national resources.

So I will urge Members on both sides of the aisle to vote no on the previous question. A no vote will not stop the House from taking up the Interior appropriations bill. However, a yes vote will prevent the House from considering the Obey amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

I thank my distinguished colleague from California for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, as the author of H. Con. Res. 6, supporting the goals and ideals of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) who was a cosponsor of this legislation in the 107th Congress and has been my cosponsor in the 108th Congress.

I am, finally, very pleased that the committee of jurisdiction has recognized this and it is on the floor today, because, as my colleagues have pointed out earlier, awareness of COPD is very important. If unchecked, it will continue to kill.

A lot of people, perhaps my colleagues, are wondering what COPD is. It was mentioned that it is a debilitating lung disease. Many of us who serve in Congress are going to be affected by it. It causes severe breathing limitations when you run up those steps. It is characterized by airway inflammation. It simply affects everyday tasks that you do, women and men, whether it is obviously on the golf course or whether it is walking up stairs or just running to the bus.

A lot of us take breathing freely for granted, but, frighteningly, the CDC estimates that COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Of course, as was mentioned earlier, it is going to be moving up in the year 2020 to be the third largest killer in the United States.

While the exact prevalence in the United States is unknown, CDC estimates that there are 10 million diagnosed COPD sufferers and possibly as many as 24 million Americans undiagnosed who are suffering these symptoms today and have no idea what it is. The problem, Mr. Speaker, is there is no cure. Medical treatments exist to address the symptom relief and perhaps slow the progression of this disease. Besides the treatment of the symptoms of COPD, the sufferer actually is afflicted with anxiety. Their mental condition is affected through this anxiety and this stress. This also in many cases must be treated.

I would be remiss not to warn that the number-one step that one can take to prevent COPD, or at least minimize its symptoms, is simply to stop smoking, which is the primary cause of COPD, this long-term smoking by Americans. As you may know, we were pleased that President George Bush declared November, 2001, COPD Awareness Month and recognized the contribution of the COPD Coalition in November of that year. So, obviously, we would like to pass this resolution and continue the momentum of awareness for all Americans on this important problem.

It is likely that we all know somebody who has this affliction, whether we live with them personally or have a family member or friend or staff member, he or she has COPD. An awareness month would create an opportunity for all of us to familiarize ourselves with this so that we could attempt to alleviate the suffering and hopefully eventually reduce the death rate associated with this affliction.

Research is being performed on this, and we believe we are getting closer to solving some of the problem.

Let me make a plug for the University of Florida, which is in my congressional district. It has been found that individuals suffering from a genetic deficiency called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency are more likely to develop COPD later in life. In response to this finding, researchers at the University of Florida, a top-notch university and medical institution in my congressional district, have teamed up with the Alpha-1 Foundation and the State of Florida Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a multiyear screening and detection program for Alpha-1 deficiency. It is their hope that this program will serve to not only detect potential Alpha-1 deficient individuals but also to impress upon health care professionals the importance of simply screening for this Alpha-1 deficiency.

In fact, once an individual is identified with Alpha-1 deficiency, much can be done to help prevent the individual from developing COPD, that is very exciting, not only just through exercise, but a modification of your diet. If this is not enough, further steps can be taken in the form of augmentation therapy by which the Alpha-1 antitrypsin protein is actually administered to arrest one's decreasing lung function. That is very good news.

Until research yields new treatments or a cure for COPD, the best approach to stemming the growth is through prevention and early detection. Prevention and early detection can only happen with increased awareness.

I would conclude by just mentioning some facts. In 2000, COPD accounted for 8 million physician office and hospital outpatient visits; 726,000 hospitalizations; over 1.5 million emergency room visits; and over 122,000 deaths. It costs the U.S. economy almost $15 billion a year in direct medical costs. All of this, we believe, is caused by environmental exposure, including tobacco smoke and, as I mentioned earlier, genetic defects.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this. I am very pleased that it is on the floor today.

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

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 319 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

(Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 319 is an open rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 2691, the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2004. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against consideration; and under the rules of House, the bill shall be read for amendment by paragraph.

The rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI, prohibiting unauthorized appropriations or legislative provisions in an appropriations bill, except as specified in the resolution.

The rule further waives points of order against amendments for failure to comply with clause 2(e) of rule XXI, prohibiting designated emergencies in reported appropriations bills.

Finally, the rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record and provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2691 provides funding for the Department of Interior as well as various agencies and programs and Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Health and Human Services. H.R. 2691 appropriates $19.6 billion in new budget authority, which is $186 million less than last year's enacted level and $110 million more than the President's request. Almost half of the bill's funding finances the Interior Department's programs to manage and study the Nation's animal, plant and mineral resources and support programs benefiting Native Americans.

Among the bill's many provisions are several of special interest to residents of central Washington and my district, including $2.5 billion for Wildland Fire Fighting and the National Fire Plan. This funding will increase firefighting readiness, hazardous fuels reduction, and forest health restoration activities.

As a Member whose district includes significant Federal land holdings, I am particularly pleased that payment in lieu of taxes, or PILT, is funded at $225 million, which is $5 million above the current enacted level and $25 million above the administration's request.

In the area of fisheries management, the committee is to be commended for providing $113 million for fisheries, an increase of nearly $10 million over the administration's request, which includes an increase of $3 million for the Washington State Hatchery Improvement Project.

It should also be noted that the bill includes $4.6 million for the Partners of Fish and Wildlife Program, of which $1.4 million goes to the Washington Regional Fisheries Enhancement programs.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor) for his efforts to focus attention to the critically important task of maintaining our national parks.

The bill includes $682 million to attack the enormous backlog of badly needed maintenance at our national park facilities.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a bill which carefully balances a number of important objectives, including natural resources protections and providing access for the public to our Nation's many significant parks and refuges. It makes real progress in management of forests, fisheries. And rangeland; and it does so in a cost-effective way in these challenging budgetary times.

Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) a member of the committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the previous question and for the rule.

I just might add that this is an open rule. The subcommittee and the full committee made some difficult decisions at prioritizing needs to fund particularly the Department of the Interior. Of course, there are differences of opinion on how those priorities should be, but this open rule allows for a restructuring, if this body decides that is the correct way to go, to restructure those priorities.

So I think it is a good rule. It is an open rule. I urge my colleagues to vote for the previous question and for the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, in 1964 when this country decided to allow oil drilling in the offshore oil lands, the decision was made to dedicate about $900 million a year from those receipts to what was called the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And the problem is that through the years Congress then decided not to keep that commitment. And so by about 3 years ago, we had had about a $13 billion surplus built up in that fund. So about 3 years ago, 315 Members of this House, over my objection, 315 Members of this House voted for what was known as CARA. It was a proposal to take programs for Federal lands acquisition, for State wildlife grants, forests legacy historic preservation, urban parks, you name it, and turn those programs into entitlements which means that regardless of the budget conditions, they would have been funded at a specific level.

I opposed that. I thought we ought to be able to make conservation programs a priority without making them an entitlement. In the end, I won the argument; and we had an agreement that was entered into by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), who then chaired the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies; by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), who is the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies; myself and several others which said, okay, we are not going to make it an entitlement, but over the next 6 years we are going to first double the amount of money that we were providing for these activities and then provide regularly scheduled increases until that program could go up from $1.6 billion to $2.4 billion.

For the first 2 years Congress kept the agreement. In the omnibus appropriation bill last year, however, the Committee on Appropriations broke its word; and it walked away from that agreement; and this bill is now $570 million below where it would be if the committee had kept its word.

At the time that we established that agreement 3 years ago, I told the House, I promised the House that if the day ever came that the Committee on Appropriations welched on the deal that I would then, as a point of honor, change my position and support making these programs entitlements because the Committee on Appropriations would have demonstrated that you could not trust it because they would not keep their word; and I am sorry to say that that is where I am at today.

So what I am going to ask the House to do today is to turn down this rule, to vote against the previous question

on the rule, so that I may be allowed to offer an amendment which will see to it that Congress keeps its promise and would provide $570 million in additional funds into those programs.

We would pay for it by reducing the size of the tax cuts for people who have incomes of over $1 million a year. We would reduce the size of those tax cuts from the $88,000 those folks are supposed to get to $85,000. So for a $3,000 reduction in the size of the tax cut that people who are earning more than $1 million a year would get, we could have Congress keep its promise on this critical national program.

This is more than just a theoretical debate about programs. This deals with real problems. It deals with the fact, for instance, that there are nine acres in Valley Forge that will be developed and lost forever unless we do something to acquire that land this year; and it means similar problems will be faced in Yellowstone, in Grand Teton, and in a number of our other national parks. It also means that we will not be keeping our word in terms of dealing with the maintenance backlog of our national parks.

So I would ask the House very simply to follow the advice of then candidate George W. Bush who said in the Presidential debate just a few months ago, ``We ought to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and provide half of that money to the States.'' The President of the United States recognized the need to do this. The Congress itself recognized the need to do it when it signed on to the compromise agreement 3 years ago. We ought to keep our word. We especially ought to keep our word to each other.

So I would urge the House to vote against the previous question on the rule so that we can endeavor to do just that.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleague from California today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 6, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, referred to by the acronym COPD, is an umbrella term used to describe the airflow obstruction associated mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In short, COPD is a debilitating lung disease that is characterized by severe breathing limitations. This affects everyday tasks such as washing, dressing, even light housework and routine walking. COPD leaves many too breathless to leave the home. Sixteen million Americans suffer from COPD, and it is estimated that 16 million more have COPD.

The important point to understand about COPD is the effect that it has on various populations. I was shocked to learn that, between 1980 and 2000, the annual COPD death rate for African Americans nearly doubled, going from 25 percent to 43 percent. It is estimated that 1.7 million African Americans have evidence of mild or moderate obstructive lung disease. Yet, in 2000, only half of these individuals reported being diagnosed with COPD.

In addition to COPD's effect on African Americans, this disease is now disproportionately affecting women at an alarming rate. During the same period of time, 1980 to 2000, the COPD death rate among women nearly tripled, going from 20 percent to 57 percent. Currently, more women die from COPD than do men. It is estimated that 10.6 million women have evidence of mild or moderate obstructive lung disease.

Illinois is not yet listed among the States experiencing high death rates associated with COPD. However, nearly half of the United States is now experiencing high death rates from COPD. The Centers for Disease Control now estimates that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. By 2020, CDC estimates that COPD will be the third leading killer in the country. There is no cure for COPD, but with early diagnosis, treatment can ease the symptoms of patients who suffer from this disease.

Continued ignorance about COPD is costly. COPD is the only leading chronic illness that continues to show increased mortality rates each year. In contrast, mortality rates associated with seven of the ten leading causes of death have actually decreased.

Simply put, COPD takes a heavy toll on our economy. According to estimates made by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, in 2000 the annual cost to the Nation for COPD was over $30 billion. This included $14.7 billion in direct health care expenditures, $6.5 billion in indirect morbidity costs, and $9.2 billion in direct mortality costs. The sooner Americans learn more about COPD, the sooner they can take steps to combat it, and the sooner we can control the spiraling toll of this debilitating disease on our economy and human lives.

Mr. Speaker, a national awareness month will bring a much-needed focus for COPD and provide a further opportunity to educate Americans and heighten the awareness of COPD's increasing prevalence. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution, and I commend the gentleman from Florida for its sponsorship.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I had a friend who suffered from COPD. He liked to go to the Bulls basketball games. From time to time we would go together. He could not walk more than 20 or 30 feet without having to stop and rest. Again, I want to commend the gentleman from Florida for his introduction of this very important measure and urge its passage.

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