Providing for the appointment of Phillip Frost as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 81) providing for the appointment of Phillip Frost as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

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

House Joint Resolution 81 provides for the appointment of Phillip Frost to serve on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

This 17-member board, which governs the Smithsonian Institution, is comprised of the Chief Justice and Vice President of the United States, three Members each from the House and Senate, and nine citizens who are nominated by the Board and approved jointly in a resolution of Congress.

Our first regent nominee, Phillip Frost, founded Ivax Corporation, and has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board since 1987; he also served as President of Ivax from 1991 to 1995. Before founding Ivax, Dr. Frost chaired the Department of Dermatology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center of Greater Miami from 1972 to 1990. His other work involved joining the University of Miami School of Medicine faculty in 1966. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Frost was named the 2001 National Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Frost attended the University of Paris from 1955 to 1956. He received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in 1961.

Dr. Frost and his wife Patricia, who currently serves as Chair of the Smithsonian National Board, have displayed a genuine commitment to the arts through personal leadership and philanthropy. In 1986, they gave their entire 113-piece collection of American abstract art to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Dr. Frost has experience serving on a variety of boards and possesses significant fiscal experience with matters of government oversight.

I believe the Smithsonian can benefit greatly from Phillip Frost's financial, educational, and leadership experience. And I urge my colleagues to support House Joint Resolution 81.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 81, which appoints Dr. Phillip Frost as a Citizen Regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Frost and his wife Patricia have long been ardent supporters of the arts, especially in my Congressional District of South Florida.

Dr. Frost grew up living above his father's shoe store as a child in Philadelphia. While in college at the University of Pennsylvania, he traveled to Paris for a year to study French Literature. While in Paris, his life long commitment to the arts began.

Dr. Frost came to South Florida to complete a one-year senior residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Fortunately for South Floridians, he has remained for over forty years, In 1966, he joined the faculty of the University of Miami School of Medicine. From there he moved on to Mount Sinai Medical Center in 1972, chairing their Department of Dermatology until 1990.

Dr. Frost's success in medicine translated into business, and he has used his success to enhance the South Florida Community. Dr. Frost has distinguished himself nationally as a business leader. It came as no surprise that in 2001; he received the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Dr. Frost's contributions to our community in South Florida have been invaluable. Dr. Frost has been a huge supporter of the University of Miami's Music Department, which is now named after he and his wife.

In 1993, Florida International University presented him with an honorary degree for his many contributions in medicine, business, and community service. He also has been a strong advocate of the Miami Art Museum.

I would like to commend Dr. Frost for his dedication to enriching the lives of South Floridians through the arts. I urge my colleagues to support House Joint Resolution 81 and promote Dr. Frost as a Citizen Regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

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

I too rise in support of House Joint Resolution 81 to appoint Dr. Phillip Frost of Florida for a 6-year term as a citizen regent of the Smithsonian Institution.

Dr. Frost, who is a medical doctor, is a noted collector of American abstract art and a philanthropist, who, since 1987, as was mentioned, has served as the chairman of the board and CEO of the IVAX Corporation, which develops and markets pharmaceutical products.

Dr. Frost and his wife, Patricia, gave their 113-piece collection of American abstract art to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1986. In another major philanthropic donation, they previously gave a $33 million gift to the University of Miami for its school of

music. Subsequently, the school of music was named after Dr. Frost and his wife, Patricia.

Dr. Frost's broad background in medicine, science, business, and culture will be a valuable asset to the Smithsonian.

And, Madam Speaker, just as a personal aside, I have a personal relationship with Dr. Phil Frost. He is a renowned philanthropic contributor both in the community in south Florida and across this country. I have worked with him on several projects and also would like to note his deep commitment and involvement in the Jewish community in south Florida, and I am privileged to be able to stand before this House today and ask unanimous support for this resolution.

I urge my colleagues to support House Joint Resolution 81 so that this joint resolution can be signed into law before the May meeting of the Smithsonian regents.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, because of a previously scheduled event which required my attendance at a high school in my congressional district this evening, I missed the three rollcall votes under suspension of the rules today. In conjunction with the Loudoun County Public Schools' Academy of Science, I had invited Dr. Robert Ballard, founder of the JASON project, to speak to students and parents at Dominion High School in Loudoun County about the importance of science education in our Nation's schools. JASON is funded through the Science-State-Justice- Commerce appropriations subcommittee which I chair. Dr. Ballard also is the explorer-in residence at the National Geographic Society and discoverer of the RMS Titanic shipwreck.

Had I been present and voting, I would have voted ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 81, providing for the appointment of Phillip Frost as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution; H. Res. 703, recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and supporting continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and H. Res. 744, expression support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland and support for continued police reform in Northern Ireland as a critical element in the peace process.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month because of official business in Colorado I was not able to be present for three votes.

Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Rollcall No. 82, H.J. Res. 81--Providing for the appointment of Phillip Frost as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution--I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 83, H. Res. 703--Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and supporting continued efforts to control radiation and mitigate the adverse health consequences related to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant--I would have voted ``yes.''

Rollcall No. 84, H. Res. 744--Expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland and support for continued police reform in Northern Ireland as a critical element in the peace process--I would have voted ``yes.''