Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to right a terrible wrong that has been perpetrated on our schools and our children in this country.

Last Congress, we passed and the President signed into law, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). I voted for that bill because the Administration promised historic new investments to facilitate education reforms and dramatically improve educational performance in this country.

Unfortunately, that promise has been broken. The Administration has refused to fund its own program and is cutting billions from NCLB. In this year's budget request alone, the Administration is proposing to shortchange NCLB by $9.7 billion. Over the first three years of the new law, the Administration cuts $20 billion from the funds that are needed to make NCLB work.

Without the promised federal funds, states and mostly localities will be forced to bear the brunt of these tough new requirements. In North Carolina and across the country, the state budget and those in our counties, towns and cities are in fiscal crisis. The administration's education cuts to NCLB will cruelly punish our children by withholding funds needed to achieve these tough new requirements. And without the promised funding NCLB will become a massive unfunded mandate on our local governments that could lead to higher property taxes, cuts in vital services like police, fire and rescue and roads. Or both.

Mr. Speaker, a promise is a promise and a deal is a deal. Because the Administration has demonstrated its unwillingness to live up to its side of the bargain and provide necessary funding, Congress should rescind its authority to implement the reforms until those funds are forthcoming.

Today, I am introducing legislation that I have been working on for several months to accomplish just that. My bill, the Fully Fund the Leave No Child Behind Act requires the federal government to fully fund NCLB or the requirements in the statute are suspended for the year in which full funds are not provided. My bill specifies Title I and Title II of NCLB, which deal with school assessments and teacher training requirements respectively. My bill does not apply to sections of NCLB on Limited English Proficient Education, 21st Century Schools, public school choice, Impact Aid and other important provisions.

Let me state that I continue to support the goals of NCLB. As the former Superintendent of North Carolina's public schools, I have led the fight for standards based education reform in the state that is widely recognized as the national leader in that effort. I want to make sure NCLB works so that every school in this country is a quality learning environment for our children. This legislation is an effort to hold the Administration's feet to the fire to make sure that its record matches its rhetoric.

Mr. Speaker, Congress must ensure that the federal government honor its commitments to our nation's children. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this vital legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to call on Congress to fully fund the President's No Child Left Behind for school reform. Last Congress we passed legislation to create tough new standards our schools must meet and vigorous assessments to measure progress in meeting those standards.

As a former superintendent of North Carolina schools, I voted for this bill because my State has led the Nation in standard-based reform, and the administration promised historic new funding to make the bill work, but the administration has broken that promise. This year's budget request shortchanges No Child Left Behind by $9.7 billion; and over the first 3 years of the new law, the administration is proposing nearly $20 billion in cuts to No Child Left Behind.

Mr. Speaker, a promise is a promise and a deal is a deal, and Congress must hold the administration accountable for its commitments. I am working with others to help make sure No Child Left Behind is fully funded before the tough new requirements take effect. If the White House is going to talk the talk, Congress had better make sure that they walk the walk. I urge Members to join me in this vital effort to do right by our schools and our children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Norman Adrian Wiggins on his retirement as President of my alma mater, Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. For 36 extraordinary years, Dr. Wiggins' leadership and vision have transformed Campbell from a small, rural school

into the nation's second largest Baptist university.

From his first day on the job in 1967, Dr. Wiggins has strengthened the undergraduate college, developed an innovative Trust Management Program, and added five new schools to the University: The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, The Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, The School of Education, The School of Pharmacy, and The School of Divinity. He also established during his tenure an ROTC Program and a number of substantial international programs, most notably with Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Indeed, Dr. Wiggins' tireless efforts have extended Campbell's sphere of influence throughout the communities of North Carolina, the nation, and the world.

During his career, Dr. Wiggins taught and mentored over 25,000 students who have gone out into the world to serve as business leaders, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and ministers. These Campbell graduates provide our people with jobs and economic opportunities, care for our nation's sick and elderly, defend our rights under the rule of law as attorneys, prepare our children to be tomorrow's leaders, and uplift our national soul.

But Dr. Wiggins' leadership extends far beyond the hallowed halls of Campbell University. He has served as president of both the Baptist State Convention and the American Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. His peers hail him as a leader who embodies a depth of experience, understanding, and passion that few will ever match.

Dr. Wiggins' innovative leadership and unique vision have earned him widespread recognition. His numerous awards include the Commander's Award for Public Service and the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal from the United States Army, and the Boy Scouts of America's Distinguished Service Award, all of which acknowledge Dr. Wiggins' unfailing commitment to improving the lives of his fellow Americans.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Wiggins is an exemplary figure of patriotism, leadership, dedication, and commitment. As a Campbell alumnus, I am proud to honor Dr. Norman Adrian Wiggins today. I ask all of my colleagues to join me and Faye in celebrating his 36 years of service to Campbell University, to the State of North Carolina, and to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, today the House considers legislation to address the susceptibility of our national forests to insects, diseases, and wildfires. In 2000, 8.4 million acres of land burned, costing approximately $1.3 billion in suppression costs. In 2001, 3.6 million acres burned, costing more than $900 million. Last year, 6.9 million acres burned, costing approximately $1.6 billion. This year, conditions are ripe for another big fire season.

From 1960 through 1990, the Southern Pine Beetle has caused $900 million in damage to pine forests. Red and White Oak Borers have devastated 33% of standing Red and White Oak timber in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. These insects and others are threatening forests throughout the South and East, including in my state of North Carolina.

H.R. 1904 proposes to give the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management authority to treat our public forests so they will be less susceptible to fire, insects, and diseases. The bill certainly is not a perfect bill; it is not everything I would have wanted. However, it is a noteworthy attempt to deal with these threats to the health of our public forests.

If used properly, the tools provided in this bill will ease the path of projects designed to reduce the risk of fire in those areas where fire would most threaten lives, homes, and water supplies. It will also allow the federal government to better respond to insect and disease infestations before they spread out of control. However, it is not my intent for this authority to be used to increase commercial logging or circumvent public interest in our national forest.

Should this bill become law, I would caution the agencies not to use their new authority for expedited treatment and review except in the most dire cases and on lands in desperate need for attention. Over 190 million acres of public forests are at risk to damage from insect, disease, and wildfire. However, the bill limits this new authority to less than 21 million acres. This clearly demonstrates Congress' interest in ensuring that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management do not use their new authority as a mandate for clear cutting or sacrificing healthy old growth forests.

The provisions in H.R. 1904 dealing with biomass, the Healthy Forest Reserve Program, the establishment of a new remote sensing program to diagnose insect and disease threats to forestry, and watershed management will benefit private landowners in my state. They also promote environmentally responsible practices, which in turn will generate healthier forests. While not perfect, H.R. 1904 will go a long way to protect our nation's forests, which is why I will vote for final passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my best wishes to Larry Combest as he embarks on a new direction in life. Mr. Combest has served the people of Texas' 19th district with distinction and honor for almost two decades.

During the last four years, I had the privilege of working with him in his role as Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. I can safely say it is probably the most bipartisanship committee in Congress. This tradition of bipartisan is long standing, and Mr. Combest exemplified this tradition as Chairman.

It is because of his bipartisan leadership that Congress was able to pass a new farm bill last year, garnering a huge bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. It was also during his tenure as Chairman that the Committee passed legislation through Congress to improve university research on agriculture and the federal crop insurance program. It is not a stretch to say that Mr. Combest made a significant impact on U.S. agriculture in brief time as Chairman. There can be no doubt that he has been a strong voice in Congress and a consistent advocate for our nation's agriculture community.

Larry, we wish you and Sharon all the best; and know that your kind of leadership will be sorely missed in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this Republican tax bill that will add a trillion dollars to the national debt, raise interest rates and will do nothing to create jobs, build schools, expand health care or jump-start our Nation's economy. The American people deserve better. The Democratic plan will responsibly create one million jobs and provide for a strong economic recovery and a prosperous America.

Let me state that I strongly support some provisions of this bill. The child tax credit increase to $1,000 has been a priority of mine, and the marriage penalty relief, expanding the lowest tax bracket and some of the small business incentives are good public policy. But, although I strongly support these provisions, they cannot overcome the fundamental flaws of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, too many people in my home state are hurting. More than 129,000 North Carolina workers have lost their jobs in the past 2 years. The Raleigh News and Observer reported this morning that as many as 60 percent of North Carolina families do not make enough money to meet even basic living standards. The story cites a report titled, ``Working Hard Is Still Not Enough'' that describes an economy split between well-paid, well-educated workers on the one hand, and low-paid, low-skilled workers on the other. We need a responsible plan to jump- start the economy now, create new jobs and provide for prosperity for hard-working Americans.

One of my first votes as a Member of this House was to put the federal government on the path to a balanced budget. I am very proud that the fiscal discipline we demonstrated in my first term helped to balance the budget for the first time in generation and contributed to the economic strength of the 1990s that included 22 million new jobs created and the greatest migration of American families from poverty to the middle class in our nation's history. Unfortunately, the record of the last several years has been a dramatic movement in the wrong direction. We've lost nearly 3 million jobs since the beginning of 2001, and a million people have fallen out of the middle class and into poverty. We can do better, and the American people deserve better than that sorry record.

I have joined my Democratic colleagues in support of a better plan. The fiscally responsible Rebuilding America Through Jobs Act will provide real help to those who have lost their jobs, help families weather this economic storm and jump-start the economy to create new jobs and generate greater prosperity for all Americans.

Specifically, the Democratic bill will continue and expand extended unemployment benefits for nine months, providing 26 weeks of federal benefits for dislocated workers. It expands the work opportunity tax credit to give up to a $2,400 credit to employs for hiring long-term unemployed workers. It increases the child tax credit and expands the number of families receiving the credit. It accelerates the marriage penalty relief and the widening of the 10 percent tax rate bracket to allow more taxpayers to pay at the lower rate.

The Democratic bill provides $18 billion in assistance to the states for Medicaid and provides $26 billion for homeland security, transportation infrastructure and education. It expands to $75,000 for 2 years the amount of new investments small businesses can deduct from their taxes, allows all firms an accelerated bonus depreciation of 50 percent for 12 months and reduces the corporate tax rate by 3.5 percentage points. And the Democratic bill maintains fiscal responsibility by suspending future tax cuts for the wealthiest few in this country.

Mr. Speaker, with the national debt spiraling out of control, the first step Congress should take is to stop the hemorrhaging. Today the national debt stands at $6.4 trillion, and this Republican tax bill will immediately add $350 billion to that debt. That $350 billion could be used to hire 32,369 teachers in my state or provide health care to 921,620 North Carolina children. Today's Charlotte Observer called the tax bill ``as Texans might say, all hat and no cattle.''

Finally, Mr. Speaker, as leaders of our national government, our job is to honor the values of the American people by being responsible stewards of our society, nurturing our children and building a stronger America. This bill fails on all counts. It is a massively irresponsible giveaway of the public treasury. It leaves our children and grandchildren a crushing national debt that condemns them to endless struggle. And it handcuffs our ability to address national priorities like providing national security, protecting the homeland, building quality schools, providing health care for our families and creating jobs for American workers.

America deserves better. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.

Mr. Speaker, as we pause to remember this week our law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, I rise to pay tribute to our Nation's finest. These are our hometown heroes, and all they ask is that we provide them with quality equipment and for someone to care for their families should tragedy strike.

Too often the families of public safety officers killed by heart attacks or strokes while performing their duties are denied the public safety officers benefit that they so richly deserve.

I have introduced, H.R. 919, the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act, to right this wrong. This bipartisan piece of legislation will provide this benefit to the families of public safety officers who are killed by a heart attack or stroke in the line of duty. H.R. 919 has 163 cosponsors, and it is endorsed by a number of organizations.

Mr. Speaker, as we observe National Law Enforcement Memorial Week, I urge all my colleagues to join me in honoring our law enforcement officers and all of our hometown heroes by supporting H.R. 919.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1000, the so-called Pension Security Act, and in support of the Andrews Substitute.

Once again, this body finds itself considering a recycled bill that is harmful to America's working families. More than one year ago, this House passed seriously flawed legislation similar to H.R. 1000. Fortunately, that bill was wisely stopped in the Senate. But instead of taking time to write a bipartisan bill to protect worker pensions, here we are again debating another terrible bill.

As I did during the 107th Congress, I will vote against this misguided bill because it does not protect employee pensions, fails to prevent future corporate scandals, and creates a new loophole in the law jeopardizing employee savings.

Among the most egregious portions of this bill are the provisions relating to retirement investment advice. Under current law, employees are allowed to receive independent, comprehensive investment information as part of their employee benefits package. H.R. 1000 would overturn current law to allow employers to offer conflicted investment advice to their workers. While the sponsors of this legislation argue these provisions would help prevent future corporate scandals like Enron and Global Crossing, nothing could be farther from the truth. Financial institutions should not be able to give out investment advice if they stand to make a profit as a result of that advice.

Instead I am voting for the Andrews Substitute Amendment, otherwise known as the Pension Fairness Act. This important amendment requires executive pensions to be subject to the same pension rules that apply to rank-and-file workers, protects older workers' pensions when their companies convert to cash balance plans, and stops secret pensions schemes that allow corporate fat cats to get rich while workers suffer after their companies goes broke.

In this era, when people are saving less, we must ensure that the pensions of our working families are protected. H.R. 1000 will not achieve that goal, Mr. Speaker. In fact, it will make matters worse.

I urge all my colleagues to oppose H.R. 1000, and to support the Andrews Subsitute.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Republican bill that will increase our national debt by hundreds of billions of dollars but will produce no stimulus for our economy.

In my state of North Carolina, people are hurting. As a result of this Administration's tax policies, more than 128,900 workers have lost their jobs in the past two years. We desperately need a fiscally responsible plan to jump-start our economy, pay down the debt, invest in our people and produce economic growth for long-term prosperity. Unfortunately, this Republican bill will blow a hole in the federal budget, drive up interest rates, eliminate millions of jobs and leave our children and grandchildren with a massive national debt to pay off.

It's really very simple. The first step to get out of a hole is to quit digging. The national debt today is $6.4 Trillion. This bill would continue to add to that national debt as far as the eye can see. We can do better.

I join my Democratic colleagues in support of the ``Rebuilding America Through Jobs Act.'' This fiscally responsible bill will provide real help to those who have lost their jobs, help families weather this economic storm and jump-start the economy to create new jobs and generate greater prosperity for all Americans.

Specifically, the Democratic bill will continue and expand extended unemployment benefits (that expire on May 31) for nine months, providing 26 weeks of federal benefits for dislocated workers. It expands the work opportunity tax credit to give up to $2400 credit to employers for hiring long-term unemployed workers. It increases the child tax credit to $800 in 2003 and expands the number of families receiving the child credit. It accelerates marriage penalty relief and the widening of the 10 percent tax-rate bracket to allow more taxpayers to pay at the lowest rate.

The Democratic bill provides $18 billion in assistance to the states for Medicaid and provides $26 billion for homeland security, transportation infrastructure and education. It expands to $75,000 for two years the amount of new investments small businesses can deduct from their taxes, allows all firms an accelerated bonus depreciation of 50 percent for 12 months and reduces the corporate tax rate by 3.5 percentage points. And the Democratic bill maintains fiscal responsibility by suspending future tax cuts for the richest people in this country.

In conclusion Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the debt- laden Republican bill and pass a real economic stimulus package for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on this House to reject the administration's education cuts. As a former superintendent of my State's public schools, I worked my entire life to improve education for our children.

Last Congress the administration promised to provide historic new funding to help our schools meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Because of these promises, I voted with the overwhelming bipartisan majority to pass that legislation.

Now, as our schools struggle to avoid being labeled failing by the Department of Education, the administration has proposed massive cuts in educational funding. For the first 3 years of No Child Left Behind, the administration is proposing to underfund it by nearly $20 billion. These education cuts will make it virtually impossible for our children and schools to meet the tough new standards imposed by the Department of Education.

Mr. Speaker, my State has led the Nation in raising performance standards in our schools, but tough requirements without real resources will amount to nothing but cruelty for our children and schools. Congress should call time out on the No Child Left Behind Act until the administration provides the funding it has promised to make it work.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak about this bill to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

As the only former State schools chief serving in Congress, I know firsthand the tremendous challenges facing our schools, teachers, parents and students when it comes to educating disabled children. Congress has an obligation to provide a fair share of funding for special education, and although this bill makes some progress toward that important goal, it unfortunately falls short.

Since 1975, the Federal Government has pledged to fund 40 percent of the costs of educating children with disabilities, but it has never made good on that promise. When I first arrived in this body, Congress was only funding its special education obligations at about 14 percent. This year that level will rise to about 18 percent, and this legislation will provide for additional increases perhaps as high as 21 percent. But Mr. Chairman, that still is not good enough. Congress must live up to its commitments and fully fund IDEA.

I also urge my colleagues to vote against the voucher amendments on this bill. Specifically, the DeMint amendment would siphon off precious public resources and funnel them to fund private schools. Vouchers are not good public policy. Taking taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition is wrong. I urge my colleagues to vote against any and all voucher amendments.

Vouchers are a bad idea because they drain needed public resources away from our public schools, where more than 90 percent of the children in this country are educated, in favor of private schools that have no accountability to the American taxpayers. Rather than siphoning funds from the public schools, we need to invest more in initiatives like school construction, teacher training, class size reduction, tutoring and in other proven methods to raise academic achievement.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, let me state that this bill is not all bad, and I am hopeful it can be improved in the upcoming conference with the Senate. If the conference can fix its shortcomings, I could support the final version of this legislation. But this House can do better than the bill before us now, and I will vote no today on H.R. 1350.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I thank him for his leadership on this committee and his leadership on the Homeland Security Committee. It has been invaluable and it is an area that we need to spend a lot of time on.

First responders are our hometown heroes. Their sacrifice and service inspire us all. When the Federal Government raises the threat level to code orange, like we have seen in the last couple of weeks, and once before that when it was raised, these are the men and women that are immediately called upon to assume the extra duties and responsibilities to help defend our hometowns from unknown threats. Congress has the responsibility to back up our local first responders with the funds that they need to make the extra security details work.

Last year I held a series of meetings with first responders across my district in North Carolina to assess what their needs were. More than 100 police officers, sheriffs, firefighters, emergency personnel, and others came to those briefings. During these meetings and in the months since then, I have heard troubling reports from our frontline forces. Despite improvements in security here in Washington at our Nation's historic sites and many urban areas, North Carolina's first responders still lack an interoperative communications infrastructure, appropriate training equipment, and the things they need to respond appropriately.

Do not get me wrong, we have made progress in coordinating responsive training and communications; but at what cost? Police chiefs and county sheriffs must decide whether to buy gas masks or bulletproof vests. Firefighters have to choose between arson training and learning about weapons of mass destruction.

Public health authorities divert resources from prenatal care to smallpox vaccination programs. The Federal Government mandated that local and State authorities take the lead in planning and coordinating response efforts, and when Congress appropriated funds for first responders, the President vetoed the first appropriation and said it was too much money. Now we are trying once again to provide additional money in the supplemental tomorrow, a bit more money to pay for the unfunded mandates ordered by the Federal Government.

The majority says it is too much money, that States may not be spending the money they already have on first responders. Yesterday I received a report from the State of North Carolina. It showed that last September North Carolina received approximately $7 million for the Office of Domestic Preparedness for first responder equipment, and the State immediately began to collect and process grant requests. This process does take some time. We want to make sure that it is not duplicated and we get the best equipment. Believe me, States all across the country can use every spare dime they can get. Our cities and States do need the money for training equipment, and they do need timely information about possible threats, and it is our responsibility to put the dollars in to help these first responders. We need to pass this amendment tomorrow to help first responders who will protect our homes, our communities, our schools and our families.

We cannot let them down and leave them unprepared.

I call on the Congress and this Administration to make the training and equipping of our nation's first responders a top priority.

Our first responders are ready and willing to do what it takes to ensure the security of their communities, our state and our country.

However, it is the responsibility of the Administration and Congress to make sure that they have the information, training and resources necessary to protect the men, women and children of America, as well as themselves.

The American people deserve to live without fear of a terrorist attack.

Parents deserve to send their children to school without fear for their safe return. Shoppers deserve to be able to walk into a crowded shopping mall without fear that a suicide bomber lurks in their midst, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Passengers deserve to be able to board an airplane without the fear that a shoulder-fired missile will bring it down.

Although no plan can guarantee every individual's safety at any given moment, all Americans deserve the right to a reasonable expectation that in their daily lives, the proper authorities have taken appropriate measures to maximize safety and security.

Unfortunately, that expectation is not being met today due to a lack of leadership.

Mr. Speaker, America was changed forever by the 9/11 attacks, and the American people accept the challenges and difficulties this new era presents.

But the American people deserve to live free from fear, and the national leadership

must provide the means to restore that hope for a secure future.

Our local first responders are absolutely key to that effort, and Democrats are working in Congress to provide the leadership necessary to get the job done.

Again, I want to thank my colleague Congressman Turner for his leadership in this most important endeavor, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as we stand here today in Washington, DC, thousands of our men and women in uniform are in harm's way, fighting for the freedom and the values that we hold dear.

They are in our thoughts and our prayers. They do not know what fate awaits them, but they know they are fulfilling their duty and serving their country.

When these brave Americans return home, they will join the ranks of over 26 million American veterans.

In my state of North Carolina, we are home to more than 150,000 veterans.

I served in the United States Army for two years. I never fought in combat or served overseas. And I'm certainly no hero, but I understand the sacrifices that our veterans have made.

Our troops fighting overseas today should know that when they come home the country that they have served will not turn its back on them.

Once the fighting is over, veterans should know that the government will fulfill its promises to take care of those injured in battle and to provide for health care and education assistance.

It is absolutely outrageous that the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives wants to push through a budget that severely cuts funding for our nation's veterans.

They passed this budget under the cover of darkness because they knew it could not stand the light of day.

That budget breaks the solemn promise made to the very men and women who fight for our freedom.

You've heard my colleagues tell you how the budget cuts would affect veterans' programs nationwide, but I want to tell you about one specific proposal that would significantly impact North Carolina's veterans.

The budget cuts mean that many North Carolina veterans won't be able to continue receiving VA health care because of new $250 enrollment fees.

The VA estimates that 1.25 million veterans who are already a part of the health care system will be forced out because of these steep new fees.

In North Carolina this could translate into over 27,000 veterans cut out of health care.

For those who can afford to stay in the VA health care system, many will be forced to pay significant new costs.

An estimated 22,000 North Carolina veterans, referred to as Priority 7 and Priority 8 veterans, will pay a new $250 enrollment fee, increased copays for physician benefits and prescription drug fees.

All in all, this will mean a total average increase of $347 each year. Others could be forced to pay even more, as much as $600 annually.

The budget passed by the House means that 4,100 veterans in North Carolina will not even have the opportunity to enroll in VA health system.

These so-called Priority 8 veterans, who were not injured in service and who make above a level between $24,450 and $38,100 depending on location and situation, will be denied care.

Our country made a promise to the men and women in our armed forces. Our troops and our veterans have fulfilled their duty to their country. Now it is our turn to make good on our promises.

Congress should reject the Republican budget and honor our commitments to our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Let me thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the majority leader and the majority whip for getting this piece of legislation to the floor.

It is my great pleasure to rise today and speak on behalf of this legislation, having authored it, along with every member in our North Carolina delegation, in honoring the City of Fayetteville of North Carolina as they begin to celebrate the 2003 Festival of Flight. As many of the Members and has already been stated today, almost 100 years ago now two brothers took a chance, believed in a dream, and made history. In just 12 seconds the world was changed forever. Man took to the skies and the world became smaller. The boundaries were pushed outward, and the impossible became possible.

Wilbur and Orville Wright, proud sons of the great State of Ohio, brought their dreams and flying machine to the windy beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the winter of 1903. The Wright brothers came to Kitty Hawk well prepared for their great achievement. They had been experimenting with aeronautics for years; and by the time they came to North Carolina in December of 1903, the men had completed more than 1,000 flights in gliders of their own design. Their diligence and perseverance paid off that year.

On a cold and windy morning on December 17, 1903, Orville Wright climbed aboard the Kitty Hawk, started the engine, and flew. Orville Wright described the experience as follows: ``The first flight lasted only 12 seconds, a flight

very modest compared with that of birds, but it was, nevertheless, the first in the history of the world in which a machine carrying a man had raised itself by its own power into the air in free flight, had sailed forward on a level course without reduction of speed, and finally landed without being wrecked.''

What many people did not realize is that the brothers completed a total of four flights that day, the longest covering 852 feet in 59 seconds. The Wright brothers' achievement stunned the world and began one of the most active periods of scientific research and experimentation in our history. However, despite all of our successes and improvements to flying machines, their basic design remains very familiar to that of the Wright brothers.

In honor of the centennial of flight, the people of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in my congressional district, and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) have planned a celebration worthy of their achievement.

The Festival of Flight will be, as the Members have heard, one of four in the United States sanctioned by the United States Centennial of Flight Commission. The 11-day festival will feature a 2-day military air show at Pope Air Force base and a general aviation show at the Fayetteville regional airport. The event will also present aviation displays and programs, educational exhibits, and an art festival. There will also be special exhibits on space flight and technology including 1 day devoted to space exploration and the Shuttle with NASA. The Festival of Flight will also feature a detailed replica of the 1903 Wright flight developed by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Aerospace.

The festival will culminate on Memorial Day, May 26, where participants will honor the brave men and women who have served in our Nation's military and those who are currently defending our Nation around the world. Fayetteville is home to Pope Air Force base and Fort Bragg's XVIII Airborne Corps, the Army's largest war-fighting organization. The XVIII Corps is the world's premier power projection force with tens of thousands of soldiers currently serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In addition to celebrating man's first powered flight, the Fayetteville Festival of Flight will have a special emphasis on aviation education. This focus is especially fitting as education played a major role in the Wright brothers' success.

Even though Orville and Wilbur Wright had little formal education, they never graduated from high school, but their parents held education in high esteem. Orville Wright once said: ``We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests, to investigate whatever aroused curiosity.''

It is our hope that the Fayetteville Festival of Flight will stimulate similar interests and curiosity in the thousands of school children scheduled to attend this event. In order to promote interest in aviation education and the Wright brothers' achievements, the State of North Carolina has developed a special curriculum on aviation history and technology that schools across the State have been using this whole year. The curriculum includes art, science, and essay competitions. Winners will be guests of the festival, which is also scheduled to host 1,000 students and 100 teachers every day of the festival.

In closing, let me thank all of the members of the North Carolina congressional delegation for joining me in sponsoring this resolution. I also want to thank the people of Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, and Pope Air Force Base for their enthusiastic support of the Festival of Flight. I also wish to invite all Members of Congress and their families and their staffs to come to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to help us kick off and celebrate one of the world's most monumental achievements: flight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support of H.R. 1307, the Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act of 2003. It is only appropriate during this time of conflict that we take every opportunity to recognize and support the brave men and women of our armed forces. The original version of this legislation provided a number of significant tax benefits for our armed forces, National Guard and Reserves, and I am pleased and relieved to see that the bill has been restored to its original form and intent.

As a veteran of the United States Army, I know firsthand the contributions our military service personnel make in defense of our nation and the tremendous burden their families are forced to bear. Here in the U.S. House, I serve on the Army Caucus, and I have worked on a bipartisan basis to support our men and women in uniform. Furthermore, North Carolina's Second Congressional District includes Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, home to many soldiers now on the ground in Southwest Asia. Our service personnel are dedicated, professional and devoted to duty. Congress must stand up for these brave men and women who risk their lives to defend our country, our ideals and our interests around the world.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1307 includes a number of provisions to reduce taxes for the members of the armed services. It provides capital gains tax relief to soldiers who invest in a home for themselves and their families but have to move due to reassignment or deployment before they satisfy the five-year qualifying period.

The bill also provides National Guard and reserve members an ``above- the-line'' tax deduction for overnight expenses when they travel more than 100 miles from home to attend National Guard and Reserve meetings, as well as filing extensions and penalty-free withdrawals from education accounts for students attending one of our service academies.

Mr. Speaker, prompt passage of this legislation is a small gesture of support to active duty personnel as well as members of the Reserves and National Guard. In these uncertain times, we must remember that many of our soldiers put their civilian lives on hold in service to our country. More than 50,000 Reservists are supplementing active duty forces for our war against terrorism, and another 120,000 have been mobilized for our conflict with Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I urge quick passage of H.R. 1307 in the House and Senate, and I hope the President will promptly sign it into law as a gesture of support and respect for our armed forces. The brave men and women of America's armed forces need to know that Congress stands behind them, and passing this legislation will demonstrate that Congress will put national interests ahead of special interests.