Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, let me thank Mr. Rangel not just for yielding me this time, but for your friendship. I have enjoyed my years on the Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Thomas, I wish you only the best. It has been an incredible experience to serve on the Ways and Means Committee.

It is interesting that the last bill that we will be considering, maybe not the last because we will have a trade bill later, but this bill causes me some trouble because of the manner in which provisions have been brought together. It seems to me that we should have had an opportunity to vote on many of these provisions separately.

Several provisions that have been incorporated in this bill I have voted against, and I would like an opportunity to do that again.

I am troubled because there are some very important provisions included in this legislation. As you know, we let expire many important tax provisions in the beginning of this year, and this bill will reinstate those provisions effective for 2006 and 2007.

I am particularly pleased that the research and development credit is extended and improved for 2007. I worked with Mr. Weller from the other side of the aisle so we could make the research

and development credit more available for businesses today. I am glad that is included.

I am glad that we have extended the deduction for higher education expenses. We need to bring down the cost for higher education for families in this country.

On the environmental front, I am very pleased we have extended the provisions for electricity-using renewable sources. That is certainly in our interest as a Nation on energy independence.

I am also pleased that on the Medicare side we have found a way to provide relief for physicians update for this year. I hope that we will be able in the next Congress to do that on a permanent basis, and I am pleased also that we have been able to extend therapy cap provisions so that the harsh impact will not be felt by Medicare beneficiaries.

Mr. Speaker, there are many provisions in this bill that are extremely important for us to enact before we adjourn sine die. I am pleased that the provisions that have come under the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee are provisions that I think are important to be enacted, and I hope we will find a way to ensure that they are enacted before we adjourn sine die.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. This legislation would extend permanent normal trade relations to Vietnam. That is necessary for the United States to be able to benefit from Vietnam's entering the World Trade Organization, and Vietnam is entering the World Trade Organization. It will give U.S. manufacturers and producers more access to the market in Vietnam, which is the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia. It also provides stronger protection for American companies in regards to intellectual property rights.

But I want to make it clear no one should interpret the passage of Permanent Normal Trade Relations for Vietnam as a clean bill of health on their human rights. Vietnam has a long way to go in dealing with human rights issues. Yes, we are pleased that the State Department has removed them from a country of particular concern as it relates to religious freedom. That is an important step forward. But when you look at the list of issues that still remain in Vietnam on human rights, it is a matter of concern for our country.

Vietnam fails to provide its citizens with any meaningful vote, and the government censors domestic media sources, blocks foreign radio broadcasts and Web sites, and denies its people the right to form independent organizations, including independent unions representing working people. The government also routinely cracks down harshly on antigovernment protesters.

We cannot let these shortcomings go unchallenged. PNTR should not be stopped. That is not the right tool for us to deal with those issues. Vietnam is entering the World Trade Organization. We need to be part of that. We need to engage Vietnam. We need to look for new ways in which we can have Vietnam deal with these human rights issues. It is a good step that Vietnam is entering the World Trade Organization. That is going to be helpful for us in dealing with the human rights issues.

I think we need to take note that Vietnam has taken some important steps in the right direction and that we need to make sure that they continue with their entry into the WTO, that more is expected, and that they will adhere to the rule of law. And countries with open economies are more likely to have more open societies.

I also support the provisions in this bill that deal with trade preferences for Haiti and Africa. Haiti is the poorest country in our hemisphere. We have a moral obligation to do all that we can to raise the standard of living of its

people, our neighbors in the Caribbean, and to support the fragile democracy. The administration of Haiti offers a hope of an improved standard of living for the Haitian people, but only if the United States is prepared to engage with trade and investment and support Haiti with assistance. We have a chance with this legislation to do exactly that.

The countries of Sub-Saharan Africa also merit and need stronger trade and investment relationship and our support. The AGOA program has had wide support in this Congress and has been highly successful since its inception more than 6 years ago. Since its passage in the spring of 2000, U.S. imports from eligible African countries have increased by more than 300 percent, AGOA has attracted over $340 million in new investment, and it has helped to create thousands of new jobs in Africa. Thirty-seven African countries now participate in AGOA. I hope that others, including Liberia, will soon be eligible. African exports to the United States under AGOA totaled $38 billion in 2005, an increase of more than 300 percent since 2002. The list goes on and on and on where we have been able to see economic progress through AGOA.

The problem is that we can do more and should do more. This bill includes a 6-year extension of the third-country fabric provision, the longest extension for this provision in the history of the AGOA program. It also extends other benefits in the textile and apparel sector from 2008 to 2015, a major improvement.

Mr. Speaker, these provisions will help the African workers and businesses compete against China and other competitors, including competitors who suppress their workers' rights and provide subsidies to their industries. That is in the interest of the United States and our manufacturers and producers to have that type of competition from Sub- Saharan Africa.

It is for all these reasons that this is a well-balanced bill that will advance U.S. interests, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), one of the senior members of the Ways and Means Committee and one of the most active on trade issues.

(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California, Maxine Waters.

Mr. Speaker, I will be glad to give my friend the 20 seconds he wanted.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, if I might first start by saying, the past 2 years I have had the honor of being the ranking Democrat on the Trade Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee. I want to thank Mr. Shaw for his help and cooperation during these past 2 years. I think that we have acted responsibly on many initiatives, but, more importantly, we have had an opportunity to talk directly with trade representatives from many other countries in an effort to move forward trade with the United States.

I want to thank Tim Reif, the staff director on the Democratic side, for his help during all this period of time. It was a new subcommittee for me, and I can tell you I could not have done it without the help of our staff, Mr. Reif and the others.

On a personal note, this will be my last opportunity to speak on the floor of this body, and I want to thank my constituents in the Third Congressional District of Maryland for giving me the opportunity to serve in this body during the past 20 years; 18 of those years I have served on the Ways and Means Committee. The voters of Maryland have now given me the opportunity to move to the other body.

I want to thank all of the Members that I have served with over these past 20 years. This is an incredible body of the people's House in which the Members truly are concerned about the traditions of this body and the work that we do.

I have had a chance to serve with many Members on the Ways and Means Committee, and we don't always agree on issues. I know that Bill Thomas will be leaving and Clay Shaw will be leaving this body also. Both carried the tradition of the Ways and Means Committee in this body of doing what they thought was right, not only to advance a policy for this Nation, but to make sure that anything that came out of our committee lived up to the highest standards of the Ways and Means Committee and was drafted properly, and there was no misunderstanding of the intentions of what we were trying to do.

Many times that was difficult to be done, and I just want to congratulate Mr. Thomas for carrying out that awesome responsibility as Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. I can tell you that I have enjoyed every moment in this body, even those difficult evenings. This is truly a unique opportunity, to be given the opportunity to serve in this great body.

Once again, I want to thank the courtesies that I have received from each of the Members, and, again, thank the people from Maryland for giving me this opportunity.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to Shoshana Shoubin Cardin, a remarkable woman and Baltimorean who will celebrate her 80th birthday on October 10.

Shoshana Cardin is known to many in this Chamber, and to many presidents and prime ministers throughout the world. She has been a tireless worker for human rights, women's rights, education, Jewish spirituality and culture, and the State of Israel.

As Chairwoman of the Maryland Commission for Women, Shoshana worked with Citicorp to help women understand their economic rights and to initiate the first women's credit ``hotline.'' She also worked with the Maryland Senate to revise rape legislation, and convened the first state conference on battered women, leading to the opening of the House of Ruth, a safe haven for victims of domestic violence. She promoted volunteerism and helped to form and then chaired the Maryland Volunteer Network.

Shoshana was the first woman to become the Chair of the Board of the Associated Jewish Community of Baltimore, the first female President of the Council of Jewish Federations, the first woman Chair of the National Council of Soviet Jewry, NCSJ, the first female Chair of the Council of President of Major American Jewish Organizations, the first female President of the National Center for Learning and Leadership, CLAL, and the first woman to Chair the United Israel Appeal.

Using her position of leadership in the Jewish community, Shoshana brought her courage and wisdom to bear on many major national issues. As Chair of the NCSJ, she succeeded in convincing Soviet President Gorbachev to denounce anti-Semitism as negative antisocial behavior. She met with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Secretary of State James Baker, Prime Ministers of Israel Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Rabin, Yitzhak Shamir and Ariel Sharon. She served as a Public Member of the U.S. delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Conference, as well as an NGO representative in numerous world conferences promoting human rights.

Currently, Shoshana serves as co-founder and chair of the Shoshana S. Cardin School, Baltimore's first trans-denominational Jewish high school.

I urge my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in honoring Shoshana Cardin, a woman who has made a difference as a wife, mother, grandmother, volunteer, professional, activist, philanthropist and humanitarian. I hope you will join me in wishing Shoshana Shoubin Cardin the happiest of birthdays and wishes for many more.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring to your attention the achievements of the Patterson Park Community Development Corporation (PPCDC), which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary.

The Patterson Park area was originally known as Hampstead Hill and played an important role in the defense of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The property was also home to the wealthy Patterson family whose beautiful daughter, Betsy, was the wife of Jerome Bonaparte. The surrounding rowhouse community offered housing for a diverse population, including immigrants from Eastern Europe. Following World War II, many families moved to the suburbs, leaving older residents behind. The community became ripe for absentee landlords and investors.

In 1996, the PPCDC was founded by residents to combat the neighborhood's decline. PPCDC concentrated on an area of 3,000 rowhouses north of Patterson Park, and 2,500 houses on the park's eastern periphery. Its goal was to recreate a stable, desirable, diverse community around Patterson Park.

PPCDC embarked on strategies to improve the neighborhood and Park image, strengthen the neighborhood's social fabric and political strength, and dramatically increase investment through control of the neighborhood's real estate. Since 1996, PPCDC has spent more than $60 million in the community, attracting tens of millions of dollars in other investment. PPCDC also maintains more than 100 affordable rental units that provide decent housing to immigrants, refugees, and other families with modest incomes.

PPCDC has accomplished all this while maintaining the ethnic, racial and economic diversity of the Patterson Park community. Investment north of Patterson Park has allowed neighborhoods to the south to gather momentum and become an engine for revitalization in all of Southeast Baltimore.

Friends of Patterson Park was formed to revitalize the Park, restore the boat lake and the Pagoda, which serves as the centerpiece for summer concerts, and build a new playground for the growing number of children who live in the community. In 2002, the Patterson Park Charter School was formed by residents to entice young families to stay in the neighborhood.

I urge my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in saluting the accomplishments of the PPCDC and its partners and in commending them for their work in East Baltimore. Their efforts to revitalize Patterson Park have become a model for other communities around the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to welcome visitors from around the country to Maryland for the Third Annual Prince George's Classic Weekend.

Hosted by the Prince George's Black Chamber of Commerce (PGBCC), this weekend celebrates black college football, educational achievement, tradition, community pride, and unity. On Saturday, September 30, 2006 at Bulldog Stadium, the Bowie State University Bulldogs will face the North Carolina Central University Eagles. These are two of the top teams in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Nation's oldest black athletic conference, and the game promises to be a first-rate contest.

Mr. Speaker, the Classic comprises much more than one football game, as an entire weekend of events throughout Prince George's County is planned, beginning tomorrow evening--including a Welcome Reception, services at Ebenezer AME Church in Fort Washington, a Black College Showcase, a Battle of the Bands, the Harlem Renaissance Golf Classic, a Fashion Show featuring the work of local and national couture designers, and a Comedy Show.

This exciting weekend would not be possible without the support of numerous individuals and organizations, and I especially want to acknowledge the new President of Bowie State University, Dr. Mickey Burnim; Dr. Calvin Lowe, BSU President emeritus, BSU Coach Mike Lynn, Jr., PCBCC President Hubert ``Petey'' Green, and Mike Little, President of the Prince George's Classic.

I want to welcome all participants to our state for the Third Annual Prince George's Classic weekend, and I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing them a wonderful celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to St. Leo the Great's Church on its 125th anniversary of service to Baltimore City's Little Italy neighborhood.

Located at Stiles and Exeter Streets, the heart of Baltimore's Italian-American community, St. Leo's served as the first worship and community center for Italian immigrants arriving in Baltimore. One of the many immigrant families to worship at St. Leo's was the D'Alesandro family, whose members would serve as mayors, members of Congress and as the first woman Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Over the years, St. Leo's provided spiritual renewal as well as community social activities and education. During the Great Baltimore Fire in 1904, the congregation at St. Leo's prayed for the fire to spare their homes and their church. Their prayers to St. Anthony were answered when, after raging for 31 hours and destroying most of downtown Baltimore, the fire stopped just short of Little Italy. Each year, the St. Anthony Society holds a festival to celebrate their good fortune and the power of faith.

After World War II, as many Italian-American families of Little Italy moved to the suburbs, St. Leo's was forced to close its school and fell on hard times, as did many of the City's older neighborhoods. But the congregation at St. Leo's was loyal and inventive and today St. Leo's and the surrounding neighborhood have been rejuvenated.

In Italy, the church was the locus of the village. St. Leo the Great's Church in Little Italy has enabled the Baltimore Italian- American community to continue that tradition. Today, St. Leo's primary school has been transformed into the The Rev. Oreste Pandola Cultural Learning Center. Thanks to the efforts of congregant Rosalie Ranieri, the Center offers classes and clubs to neighbors and former residents now scattered across the region.

I hope my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives will join me in saluting the contributions of St. Leo the Great's Church to the Italian-American community of Baltimore as well as to our Nation. I also ask that they join me in sending best wishes for many more years of service to the community. Congratulazioni.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I was unavoidably detained and missed two rollcall votes.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 487 and ``nay'' on rollcall vote 488.

Mr. Speaker, Congress has an obligation under the Constitution to enact legislation that creates fair trials for accused terrorists that will be upheld by the courts. We also have an obligation to protect our troops that fall into enemy hands, and to uphold American values and the rule of law. Finally, even during wartime, the President must work with Congress and the courts to uphold our Constitution. In June, the Supreme Court in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld struck down the President's military commissions, since they violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Geneva Conventions. The Court noted that Congress, not the president, has the authority under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution to ``define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations.''

I strongly support our government's efforts to isolate, track down, and ultimately kill or capture suspected terrorists who are planning terrorist attacks against the United States. We must bring these terrorists to justice swiftly. We must also strengthen our efforts to protect the homeland by providing additional resources to law enforcement and emergency services personnel who are charged with disrupting and responding to a terrorist attack in the United States. As a former member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have fought hard to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and to distribute our homeland security funds on the basis of actual threats and vulnerabilities.

I am therefore extremely disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that the House leadership failed to reach out to members on both sides of the aisle in crafting this legislation. We should heed the warning given by our former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who states that ``the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism.''

The 9/11 Commission recommended that ``the United States should engage its friends to develop a common coalition approach toward the detention and humane treatment of captured terrorists. New principles might draw upon Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions . . . Allegations that the United States abused prisoners in its custody make it harder to build the diplomatic, political, and military alliances the [U.S.] government will need.'' This legislation today undermines the protections of the Geneva Convention, and by weakening our moral authority makes it harder for us to work

with allies to win the war on terrorism and protect Americans.

I share the concerns of the many current and former military officers that testified to Congress that any weakening of these protections will place American soldiers at risk if they are captured overseas. I am pleased that last December Congress adopted Senator McCain's legislation and outlawed the use of torture, and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by U.S. personnel, which would endanger the treatment of our American soldiers overseas. I am disappointed, therefore, that this legislation allows the use of statements obtained by some this prohibited behavior to be admissible in court.

Finally, this legislation eliminates the fundamental legal right of habeas corpus, which would permit our government to hold detainees indefinitely without charge, trial, or the right to an independent hearing to weigh the evidence against the accused terrorist.

We must join with our allies to win the war on terrorism and bring terrorists to justice. Our Constitution contains the very values we hold dear and that makes us proud to be Americans, and which motivate our soldiers to lay down their lives in defense of this country. I have sworn to uphold and defend our Constitution and to protect our democracy. This legislation takes a step backward, is inconsistent with the rule of law, and will make it harder to work with our allies to build an effective coalition to defeat terrorism. I therefore will vote against this legislation.

Five years after the 9/11 attacks, it is inexcusable that not a single one of the terrorists who planned the 9/11 attacks has been brought to trial. I am hopeful that the Senate will improve this legislation as Congress continues to discharge its constitutional duty to create military commissions that are consistent with the rule of law and that will result in convictions of terrorists that will be upheld by our courts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Donna Paoletti Phillips, my constituent, and one of three recipients of the first annual American Civic Education Teacher Award. This award honors teachers who have demonstrated a special expertise in teaching about the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Congress, and public policy at the state and local levels. It is one of the activities of the Alliance for Representative Democracy, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education by an act of Congress.

Now in her eleventh year as an educator, Donna, a resident of Columbia, Maryland, teaches eighth grade at Robert Frost Middle Schools in Rockville. She has worked to make her classroom an incubator of democracy, believing that ``the essence of civic education lies in the people the students become while in the care of our classrooms.'' She describes her teaching style as experiential, noting that civic education cannot be a ``from the neck up'' activity.

For 6 years, Donna has coordinated We the People, the Citizen and the Constitution, a simulated congressional hearing held annually at the Robert Frost Middle School. In that time, she has witnessed a profound change in the participating teachers as they moved from direct instruction to a more facilitative role in the students' education process. She has also observed the students' progress to more self- directed research and collaboration with their peers. For these reasons, Donna sees this program as a life-changing activity for those involved.

Throughout the school year, Donna's students are able to witness her collaboration with fellow faculty and her volunteer efforts in the community. She initiates discussions on global, national, local, and school-based events, and frequently questions the causes of injustices, inspiring her students to do the same.

Donna says that she is proud to have ``the best kids in the country'' in her class, and she considers it a wonderful opportunity to teach in the Washington Metropolitan Area, where Capitol Hill can be so easily accessed. I am very pleased that she is visiting my office today, and I call upon my colleagues to join me in honoring Donna Paoletti Phillips' accomplishments and congratulating her on receiving this award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4844, the Federal Election Integrity Act.

This legislation would require individuals voting in federal elections to provide photo identification that also shows proof of citizenship in order to vote.

I am extremely concerned that this legislation would disenfranchise many eligible voters and depress voter turnout. Congress and the states should pass measures to increase, not decrease, voter turnout, and to encourage eligible voters to go to the polls.

Studies indicate that illegal voting or voter fraud is extremely rare, and such behavior is already punishable by law. However, we have numerous documented instances of actual problems in our electoral systems which are not addressed by this legislation, such as improper purging of voters from the rolls and distributing false information about when and where to vote. In my own state of Maryland in last Tuesday's primary election, we experienced numerous problems with voters being turned away because of malfunctioning computer voting machines, a lack of provisional paper ballots, and poorly trained or absent poll workers.

This legislation would have a disproportionate impact on economically disadvantaged persons--such as the homeless, the elderly, persons with disabilities, frequent movers, and

other minority groups and persons of color--who are far less likely to have current state-issued identification. Requiring voters to bring identification to the polls will serve as a poll tax for some eligible voters, who can afford neither the cost nor time to obtain a new or duplicate drivers' license, passport, or birth certificate. The bill contains weak provisions to reimburse states that cover the cost of issuing identifications to indigent individuals. Indeed, Congress has yet to fully fund implementation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, passed after the 2000 presidential election which disenfranchised many eligible voters.

Finally, proof of citizenship requirements will severely hamper the ability of nonpartisan organizations to conduct voter registration campaigns within minority communities, by limiting what documents can be accepted as valid identification for the purpose of registration.

I note that several leading voting rights groups have opposed this legislation, including the NAACP, League of Women Voters, and the U.S. Public Research Interest Group. The AARP has also opposed this legislation, which may disenfranchise older Americans.

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the National Association of Counties (NACO) also oppose this legislation. NCSL wrote that this ``ill-advised bill . . . places a potentially huge unfunded mandate on states . . . and would preempt current states' voter identification requirements.''

Just a few months ago I was pleased to co-sponsor and vote for legislation to reauthorize the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 for another 25 years. Discrimination and prejudice still exist against minority voters, in addition to disenfranchisement at the polls caused by faulty equipment or poorly trained poll workers. We must redouble our efforts to make sure that every eligible vote is counted, and that this democracy does not continue to shamefully turn away eligible voters at the polls.

Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed today that the House is once again refusing to take up substantive, comprehensive border security and immigration reform legislation which could actually be enacted into law before we adjourn for the year.

Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely critical that Congress pass meaningful and effective border security and immigration reform. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress has taken significant steps to secure our border and prevent another terrorist attack on our soil. Congress created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and a strong Director of National Intelligence, which constituted the largest reorganization of our law enforcement and intelligence services since World War II.

As a former member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I know that the United States must move rapidly to: establish operational control of all borders and ports; end our ``catch and release'' practice of aliens apprehended crossing the border illegally; effectively organize the border security agencies within the Department of Homeland Security; and promote international policies to deter illegal immigration.

I support the Motion to Recommit to this legislation, which would: create 3,000 new U.S. Border Patrol agent positions; create 2,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent positions; improve recruitment and retention of border security personnel; create 25,000 new detention beds annually, for a total of 100,000 new detention beds; and develop a comprehensive border surveillance system.

I agree with the former 9/11 Commissioners, who recently issued a report which concluded that Congress and the Administration have much more work to do to make America safer, and gave our government fair to poor grades for our current level of border security. This legislation does nothing to provide the significant new resources called for by the 9/11 Commission report.

I am disappointed, therefore, that the leadership of the House of Representatives has failed to allow the House to take up a comprehensive homeland security and immigration reform bill that addresses the pressing vulnerabilities in our border security. The House has already passed legislation in December which authorizes the creation of new fencing, and the Senate has passed a much broader border security and immigration reform measure. The House leadership should immediately proceed to a conference with the Senate to reconcile these differences. Border security is too important and should be included in legislation that can be quickly enacted into law.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I was unavoidably detained and missed one rollcall vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 438.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I was unavoidably detained and missed one rollcall vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 430.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer congratulations to one of Maryland's premier institutions of higher learning--the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)--as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Located on what was once a cow pasture, the university has risen to astonishing heights in a very short time. When UMBC first opened in 1966, it had only 750 students and three buildings. Today, the university offers first-rate education and research opportunities to more than 11,000 students, while retaining the personal contact typically found at a small liberal arts college.

In recent years, the guidance of President Freeman Hrabowski has led the university to new heights. UMBC's unique combination of undergraduate focus and graduate research reflects the dedication to balance that has led UMBC to become one of the top public universities in the nation.

The nationally recognized Meyerhoff Scholars Program, which Dr. Hrabowski co-founded, is among the most successful undergraduate diversity programs in the nation. UMBC has one of the highest rates of minority students pursuing advanced degrees in medicine and science of any school in the United States. UMBC also has been ranked first nationally in the total number of undergraduate chemistry degrees given to African-Americans.

In 40 years UMBC has become one of the nation's top independent public research universities. The numerous accomplishments of the university are all the more impressive because they have come so rapidly. In fact, UMBC is one of the youngest universities ever to be honored with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and in recent years UMBC has led every university in the nation in undergraduates receiving Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarships.

Mr. Speaker, I call upon my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in honoring the achievements and success of UMBC, one of the bright stars in American higher education.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I am really conflicted on this bill because there are good provisions in it. The provisions which I had the opportunity to work with our former colleague, Mr. Portman, provisions that would make permanent the changes in the tax law in 2001, makes it easier for people to save for their retirement, employers to provide pension plans; provisions for automatic enrollment so that employees have a better chance of having a retirement savings. The permanency and indexing of the saver's credit, I think, is a very important provision. The split tax refund, I can go on and on and on.

But I must tell you, I was listening to Mr. Andrews and I think that he raises a very valid point on the process. You have to, at times, understand that process is important so we do the right thing here.

I heard reference to approving a conference report, but this is not a conference report. We have a letter from the Senate Members of the conference report urging the House Members of the conference committee to join them in a product that is different than what we have before us today.

There are concerns in this legislation that I do not know if they have been addressed, including the airline industry, including the way we treat employers who have well-funded plans today as to whether they will continue those plans.

So, Mr. Speaker, this bill is coming up with no notice, no opportunity for us to review it, and without an opportunity for our conferees to present their report.

So I do not know what to tell the Members to do here. I doubt if we will have time to review all the provisions that are in this bill. I doubt whether we will know exactly what is involved, and we do not have the comfort of knowing that it is the product of a conference committee. It is a new bill that is before us.

So I just urge my colleagues to be very careful in consideration of this legislation. It is very important legislation. It does some very good things, but I am concerned there may be some unintended consequences.