Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today, along with my Republican colleague, Melissa Hart, I am introducing the Osteoporosis Early Detection and Prevention Act of 2005. This bill will ensure that individuals at high risk for osteoporosis have access to screening tests for the disease. The legislation would require private insurance plans to cover bone mass measurement testing for those at risk for developing the disease.

Osteoporosis is a disease that has no symptoms and usually remains undiagnosed until a fracture occurs. Approximately 44 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis or are at risk of developing it, and 80 percent of those at risk are women. Every year, there are 1.5 million bone fractures caused by osteoporosis.

Since there is no known cure for osteoporosis, the most effective way to reduce the prevalence and cost of the disease is through prevention and early diagnosis. As a result, bone mass measurement tests are crucial to early detection because ordinary x-rays do not detect osteoporosis until the disease is so advanced that 25 to 40 percent of bone mass has been lost.

Bone mass measurement is a non-invasive, painless and reliable way to diagnose osteoporosis before costly fractures occur. By ensuring that high risk individuals have access to screening tests. The Osteoporosis Early Detection and Prevention Act will make a huge difference in defending men and women from osteoporosis.

Mr. Speaker, these are tough economic times; but our economy is resilient, and I trust that we will eventually turn things around. But even then, this administration has created structural problems that will hinder us over the long run.

This administration continues to set economic records, only they are the wrong economic records. We have set under this administration a record trade deficit of over $600 billion, a record budget deficit of over $450 billion, and they have raised the debt ceiling three times. As we stand here, our national debt is over $7.8 trillion, and that is over $26,000 for each citizen.

Mr. Speaker, let me tell my colleagues, that is not the legacy that I want to leave to my children and my grandchildren and the children of America. I hope it is not the legacy that Members want to leave.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Moran amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, this limiting amendment simply prevents the State Department from spending taxpayer dollars to restrict funding for the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA. The effect of this amendment would be to release much-needed funds to help women, children, and men in nearly 150 countries around the world.

For 3 years, the Bush administration has withheld $34 million annually from UNFPA that passed both the House and Senate. UNFPA is the only multilateral agency devoted to helping developing countries combat female genital mutilation and obstetric fistula, to helping countries advance access to family planning and quality reproductive health care, to promoting HIV-AIDS prevention, improved education and health care. These are the jobs of UNFPA. They are the world's leader in this task.

In this world in which we live, while I have been speaking, one woman has died from pregnancy-related causes, nine people have contracted HIV, and 6 have died from AIDS. All of this tragedy occurs in just one minute, and all of it can be prevented if UNFPA is funded and allowed to do its work.

This is not the way it has to be. The U.S. annual $34 million contribution could prevent 2 million unintended pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, and 77,000 infant deaths around the world. This is why we need UNFPA. We should not stand in their way, especially when women and girls are dying.

We are a government that champions tolerance, equal opportunity, life and hope. I urge my colleagues to allow the United States to join 169 countries that are already funding and supporting UNFPA. We are standing alone. We should join the world community and support this important work.

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

Mr. Chairman, I would say to the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf), who worked so hard on human rights, to punish an organization working to promote human rights absolutely makes no sense. I have great respect for the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf), and I agree with the gentleman that the stories about China are absolutely appalling. That is why we need UNFPA. The only thing that not releasing the money does is ensure the Chinese women have absolutely no place to turn. UNFPA is rights-based. It is fighting the Chinese Government's oppressive policies.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire on the time, please?

Mr. Chairman, I yield 10 seconds to the distinguished minority leader, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. Chairman, the United States is isolated; 169 countries support the important work of UNFPA.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire about the time?

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) who has been a great leader on this issue.

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire on the time.

Mr. Chairman, is that on both sides?

Mr. Chairman, I would just like to say that we may have a disagreement in some ways, but UNFPA is a world leader.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the remaining time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the achievements of the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens and its honoree, Chuck Viane, on the evening of the organization's 50th anniversary celebration. The Boys and Girls Club is a wonderful nonprofit organization that offers a wide array of services to New York City children. Our community's young people are truly fortunate to have such an effective and necessary resource at their disposal.

The Variety Boys Club of Queens was established five decades ago in response to the growing problem of youth gangs in the borough. The organization opened May 1, 1955 and registered 3,000 members that first day. Boys came from all parts of Queens to watch movies, play games and participate in sports. In 1981, the club's board of directors first extended services to girls and by 1985, all club programs were available to the young women of Queens.

Today, the club provides youths aged 6 to 17 with a wide range of educational and recreational activities. The club makes every effort to ensure that these children do not ``fall through the cracks,'' giving them a place to do their homework, providing learning assistance, promoting exercise programs, and giving them a safe place to socialize with other children their own age. In so doing, the Club offers young New Yorkers a constructive alternative to truancy, violence, street gangs, drug abuse and teenage pregnancy. Variety Boys and Girls Club members can swim in an Olympic-size indoor swimming pool, participate in a drama group or a cheerleading team, or use the club's Calder Knowledge Lab to do homework, use computers and receive tutoring. The club also provides flute, guitar, and karate lessons, along with many other stimulating and constructive programs. In short, the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens gives local kids an opportunity to succeed in whatever field inspires them.

The foregoing would not have been possible without the club's many supporters, including tonight's honoree, Chuck Viane. Mr. Viane, President of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, is the recipient of the club's 2005 Humanitarian Award for his dedication to public service. Mr. Viane has worked closely with the organization and has coordinated such activities as a Variety Club program to purchase two neonatal ventilators for St. Francis Hospital in Los Angeles. Mr. Viane's generosity has helped the club become an even stronger force in the community, a fact for which I am most grateful.

Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the staff, volunteers and friends of the Variety Boys and Girls Club.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this amendment. It is an incredibly important one, and I rise in strong support of the Freedom to Read amendment which will restore the privacy that our constituents expect and deserve.

We all agree that combating terrorism is the number one priority, but it should not be done at the expense of the fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution.

Many organizations support this, the librarians, the booksellers, the publishers, many, many organizations, but very importantly, my constituents. My constituents tell me that they feel that they cannot go to the library anymore without feeling that the government is looking over their shoulder.

So I ask my colleagues, what in the world do we gain if we deny basic privacy rights to Americans in our efforts to combat terrorism?

This is a balanced amendment. Section 215 is far too broad, and it has appropriate exemptions. It is an important amendment. I urge bipartisan support for civil liberties, for privacy. Support the Sanders amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of the Order Sons of Italy in America, OSIA, as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary. As the oldest and largest organization for Americans of Italian descent, OSIA has a rich history of making outstanding contributions to the community. The organization now has 700 local chapters across the Nation.

Since June 22, 1905 when an Italian immigrant, Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro and his five compatriots established OSIA, the organization has worked to preserve and disseminate the rich Italian heritage of 23 million Americans of Italiandescent. Men and women share equal status within OSIA. The Grand Lodge of New York founded in 1911, was OSIA's first Grand Lodge. There are now 20 Grand Lodges. Today there are 96 local chapters in New York State, with 50,000 family memberships. OSIA has also been dedicated to helping immigrants acclimate to their new country. In its early years, OSIA established free schools to teach immigrants English.

Imbued with a strong sense of patriotism, during WorId War I and WorId War II, OSIA members competed against one another to buy the greatest amount of war bonds and war stamps to raise money for the American Red Cross. To date, OSIA members have given more than $83 million to educational programs, disaster advancement and medical research. Additionally, the organization has created The Sons of Italy Foundation, which has given over $38 million for scholarships, medical research, cultural preservation and disaster relief. Today, OSIA researches Italian-American culture and history, promotes the study of Italian in the United States, provides scholarships to Italian Americans and organizes grassroots campaigns in support of legislation, as well.

Not only have the members of the OSIA dedicated themselves to charitable funding, but they have also actively promoted social justice through their anti-defamation arm, the Commission for Social Justice. The Commission has actively fought for equal treatment of people regardless of their race, religion or culture.

Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro gave an inaugural address the day the OSIA was founded. He stated, ``Today I have a dream and a hope that some day even if it takes 100 years before we are ever fully accepted, our children, even if they carry a single drop of Italian blood, will be able and proud to carry on our traditions, our culture and our language. It is up to us, and what we do today.'' Vincenzo Sellaro would be proud to see what the Order Sons of Italy in America has accomplished for Americans of Italian descent over the past 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, the Order Sons of Italy in America has been an asset to the New York City community and our Nation as a whole for a hundred years. It has been my pleasure to work with this outstanding organization for many years, and I wish them another century of success. Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in honoring the Order Sons of Italy in America on their 100th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of Ed Horn, who on June 17, 2005 will receive the Christopher Santora Scholarship Fund's Man of the Year Award. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Horn last year on the 9/11 Queens Firefighters' Memorial; I will never forget sharing that beautiful and touching memorial service with Mr. Horn and many others who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001.

Mr. Horn grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Watching his mother take college courses at the age of 40 gave Mr. Horn a strong appreciation for education, which led him to pursue several college degrees and many courses of study in art and art history. Following his college career, Mr. Horn served our country by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. Since then, Mr. Horn has raised six children and remains close to his extended family.

Mr. Horn's love of his family, friends and community might account for his dedication to ensuring that the idea of a Queens Firefighters' Memorial would become a reality. His involvement with the memorial began when Chief Alexander Santora and his wife, Maureen, came to St. Michael's Cemetery to make their pre-need arrangements. The Santoras and Mr. Horn immediately became friends. On September 11, when the Santoras lost their son, firefighter Chris Santora, the three dedicated themselves to creating a memorial not only for Chris, but for all Queens firefighters that were lost on that tragic day. As a friend of the Santoras and as a memorial counselor at St. Michael's Cemetery in Queens, Mr. Horn began planning the firefighters' memorial. The Santoras and Mr. Horn along with many other community members spent two years creating, planning and finding funds for the memorial. On September 10, 2004, 76 firefighters who died on September 11 were remembered at a beautiful and poignant memorial service in St. Michael's Cemetery.

In addition to the memorial service, the Santoras honored their son through the Christopher A. Santora Educational Scholarship Fund. The Santoras grant scholarships to those students who attend schools at which Chris Santora was a student or a teacher. Mr. and Ms. Santora have already awarded over $38,000 in academic scholarships.

Ed Horn's hard work and warm heart helped create a ceremony and place of remembrance for the brave firefighters who died on September 11, 2001. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in paying tribute to The Christopher Santora Scholarship Fund and its honoree, Mr. Ed Horn.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Lippman family and their donation of a restored Torah scroll to the residents of Warsaw, Poland. I understand that Harley and Marie Lippman obtained the Torah in November 2004 to commemorate their daughter Juliet's Bat Mitzvah. On June 17, 2005, the Torah will be dedicated to the Jewish communities in Poland and will be made available for the public to enjoy.

Mr. and Ms. Lippman tell me that their decision to restore and donate a Torah scroll was prompted by a story told to Ms. Lippman by a close friend, Rabbi Adina Lewittes. Rabbi Lewittes learned that a group of Israeli girls stumbled upon fragments of a Torah scroll during their visit to Poland in 1990. The girls determined that the fragments were part of a complete Torah that had been split into two segments: the first three books of the Torah were still intact, but the other two books had been used to decorate dolls depicting Hasidic men and sold at a local marketplace. For 14 years, the girls raised money to purchase the remains of the Torah and make necessary repairs. Once their work was complete, the girls dedicated the Torah to a synagogue in Israel that was attached to the school they attended.

Inspired by the girls' efforts, the Lippmans set out to find another European Torah in need of both repair and a permanent home. Soon, Rabbi Lewittes located a unique Torah that was originally made in Strasbourg, Austria. Following this discovery, the Lippman family brought the Torah to an artisan in New York City who carefully restored the fragile document. I am happy to report that later this month, the Lippman family will return the Torah to Eastern Europe.

``Why Poland, and not Israel or the States?'' said Harley Lippman, whose maternal family hails from Poland. ``In her Torah portion, Juliet talked about the importance of gravesites. Poland is certainly an immense Jewish gravesite that we must not abandon. We are Jews of the Diaspora and as long as there are Jews in Europe who want to celebrate their Judaism, we will be there for them. When the Israel girls discovered a Torah scroll in Poland, the Torah was brought home to Israel. In Juliet's Torah portion, Abraham has to bring Sarah home to the land designated for her. In our story, my family is bringing this Torah home to the Jews of Poland--restoring it not only physically, but to its rightful place.''

``This Sefer Torah is unique, as it will be available for all Jews to use,'' remarked Poland's Chief Rabbi, Michael Schudrich. ``Most Sifrei Torah are given to a specific synagogue or community. This is being donated to meet the needs of locals or visitors as the need arises anywhere in Poland. It is a greater honor to be the caretaker of this special Torah.''

Mr. Speaker, I request that my distinguished colleagues join me in paying tribute to the Lippman family for their generous and thoughtful donation. I trust that the citizens of Warsaw will enjoy this gift for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 504 Democratic Club on the occasion of its annual banquet and award dinner. I am pleased to offer my best wishes to the club's members, friends and honorees for another year of outstanding public service.

The 504 Democrats derive their name from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which mandates that all federally funded programs must be accessible to people with disabilities. This landmark legislation was the precursor to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For 21 years, the members of the 504 Democratic Club have been vocal advocates for people with disabilities. The club's membership works within the democratic process to promote policies that recognize the barriers faced by people with disabilities. Furthemore, the group strives to remind the people of New York to remain vigilant in the effort to improve access to housing, health care, education, voting, jobs, public transportation and other areas.

I am pleased to congratulate the club's distinguished awardees: my esteemed colleague Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who has always worked to promote the rights of the disabled; James Weisman, chairman of the American Association of People with Disabilities and counsel to the United Spinal Association; Alexander Wood, executive director of the Disabilities Network of NYC; Pamela Bates, president of 504 Northstar; and Micah Kellner, New York State Democratic Committeeman and former member of my staff. These five individuals are outstanding advocates. Individually, they have made significant contributions to improving the lives of the disabled. Collectively, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

Mr. Speaker, I request that my distinguished colleagues join me in paying tribute to the 504 Democratic Club for its longstanding tradition of advocacy and public service.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. Taking money away from the census and the American community survey is very shortsighted. I support very much the hard work and intent of the gentleman's amendment, but it truly is shortsighted and inappropriate to take money away from the census. Too many decisions that we make in government have to be based on census data. Federal and State funds for schools, employment services, housing assistance, day care, hospitals, emergency services, programs for seniors, and much more will be distributed based on census data.

In this information age that we live in, we need reliable information in order to make good decisions for this Nation. Without good data, you cannot administer the laws of this country fairly. Without good data, money will flow to communities with powerful allies as opposed to where the need truly is. The census is important for the planning of our government.

I rise in very strong support of this amendment, the work of the committee, and the administration's and OMB's allocation for the census.

I, for one, will continue to do all I can to make sure that the Census Bureau has the capabilities to provide the Congress, and this Nation, with the ability to provide all of us with high quality data needed by the public and its elected representatives to make informed public policy decisions.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I have amendment at the desk, and I will offer it and withdraw it.

My amendment designates $1.2 million out of the overall census budget for research on migration to improve demographic analysis and population estimates.

When the 2000 census count was announced, there was a great deal of confusion at Census Bureau. Demographic analysis, which has been the gold standard for measuring error in the census, and which had showed a substantial net undercount in the census for 50 years, showed an overcount. The population estimates, which had been used to distribute funds throughout the decade, missed almost 8 million people. There was a simple explanation for this. The Census Bureau assumptions on net migration into the country were wrong. The Census Bureau is now asking Congress for additional funds to do the research necessary to correct these estimates.

Measuring error in the census and providing population estimates for the distribution of funds are part of the core mission of the Bureau. Improvements in those activities should be funded before anything else. I am disappointed that this research has not been funded. I will, however, withdraw this amendment, and I hope that the chairman and ranking member will work to see that the necessary research gets done before the 2010 census.

The Census Bureau has at times wasted money on gadgets and promotional items instead of basic research. We need to direct their efforts back to basic research, such as the demographic analysis.

Offered By: Mrs. Maloney

Amendment No. 6: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, today I am reintroducing the Cancer Screening Coverage Act, a bill that will ensure that a greater number of Americans are covered for breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer screening. This legislation will increase the access to cancer screening exams for patients of private insurance and the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1,500 Americans die of cancer everyday. Cancer screening allows for the detection of cancer in its earliest form, when the cost of treatment is the least.

Many advances have been made, but the key to survival is early detection. It is estimated that the rate of survival would increase from 80 percent to 95 percent if all Americans participated in regular cancer screening. By providing increased access to screening procedures, the Cancer Screening Coverage Act would help save the lives of many Americans from this deadly disease.

Mr. Speaker, today, I, along with Representatives Crowley and Rush, am reintroducing the ``Repairing Young Women's Lives Around the World Act,'' which would ensure that the entire $34 million U.S. contribution to UNFPA would be dedicated to the prevention, repair and treatment of obstetric fistula.

Obstetric fistula is a devastating condition that results when young adolescent girls are left to deliver their babies unassisted or with limited medical intervention. After several days of painful labor, the baby is delivered stillborn and the young mother's insides are literally ripped apart leaving tears or fistulas in her rectum and bladder. Without medical treatment, these young girls are relegated to a life of shame and misery as they are no longer able to control their bodily functions and are left unable to have another child. They are almost always abandoned by their husbands and shunned by their families. About two million women suffer this condition worldwide.

The good news is that fistula is preventable and treatable. A preventive Caesarean section costs a mere $60. Surgery to repair fistula has a 90 percent success rate even after a woman has had the condition for several years. Once cured, a woman can reclaim her life.

Since its launch in 2003, the UNFPA-led Campaign to End Fistula has grown remarkably to include more than thirty countries. The Campaign works to prevent fistula from occurring, treat women who are affected, and support women after surgery. It is imperative that we in Congress support these efforts to eradicate the devastating condition of obstetric fistula.

Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

I rise in support of the Weiner/McCotter amendment and really urge all of my colleagues to join them in this important issue. Their amendment would merely add $19 million to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and raise it to the level that the President put in his own budget.

This would attack all types of invasive species, including the sudden oak death, the glassy-winged sharpshooter; but I would like to focus on this terrible Asian long-horn beetle, which has had a devastating economic and environmental impact in New York State. The Asian long- horn beetle was first discovered in 1995 in Green Point, Brooklyn, in the district that I represent.

We had to cut down every single tree in one of our beautiful parks in Brooklyn, and really cut down trees in a whole section of Brooklyn in an attempt to contain this terrible invasive species, which we do not know how to get rid of. The one approach that we have now is once you discover it, you have to literally chop down the tree, cut it into small pieces and burn it.

That is the only way they know how to get rid of this terrible bug. Regrettably, the Asian long-horn beetle moved into Queens and into Manhattan. There was a tremendous effort from the city, State and Federal Government to contain it, to keep it out of Central Park, which is many people's favorite spot in New York; yet, regrettably, 2 months ago, the beetle was spotted in Central Park.

We have had to chop down over 4,000 trees in New York City in our attempts to contain this invasive species.

We need to contain it in New York City. If it moves into upper New York and to the Northeast, it could destroy literally all of the trees; and it is a problem that really all of us should be concerned about. Believe me, my colleagues do not want this invasive species in their State. Work with us in supporting this amendment to contain it and other invasive species that are found in our country.

Our amendment merely raises the amount to the amount that President Bush put in the budget, and it is an investment in the economy and the environment of our State. I urge my colleagues to support the Weiner- McCotter amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my opposition to Mr. Hunter's Manager Amendment to H.R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.

Like so many of my colleagues, I was concerned about the original language in H.R. 1815, language that would have excluded women from 20,000 positions in which they have already served to great acclaim.

However, while the Manager's Amendment is an improvement upon the original language, it is still flawed.

First of all, the Hunter Amendment extends the notification period for changes to women's assignments from thirty to sixty legislative days, a period that could last as long as 4 to 5 months.

Mr. Chairman, I know how long debates on this floor can last, and I guarantee you, an Iraqi insurgent is not going to hold his fire until we have reached agreement on which positions women can fill.

In addition, the Hunter Amendment requires Army commanders to send more detailed reports to Congress about the kinds of enlisted jobs, or Military Occupational Specialties, they would like to open to women. Unfortunately, this will also have the effect, intended or not, of limiting women's roles in the military. Our generals are swimming in paperwork as it is. By burdening them with even more paperwork, the new provisions in the Hunter Amendment create an unnecessary and dangerous delay.

Now is the time to be praising women for their contributions to the war effort, not curtailing their roles. Army spokesperson Elizabeth Robbins recently declared, ``Women soldiers are performing magnificently in all formations in which they are permitted to serve.''

Mr. Chairman, this is high praise! Why are we trying to fix a problem that does not exist?

Today, women comprise a quarter of our available soldiers. As General Claudia Kennedy, the highest ranking woman ever to serve in the Army said to me, ``Numbers matter! Why should we prohibit our brave soldiers from doing their jobs when the Army is having trouble recruiting?''

We should devote our time to enhancing soldiers' protections, not restricting women's roles.

Several months ago we learned that soldiers were digging up rusted scrap metal to protect unarmored vehicles. This is a problem worth fixing! The best way to protect our women and men in uniform is to guarantee them the armor, supplies and resources they need.

In April 2003, a soldier named Jessica Lynch captured our hearts. She also taught us an important lesson. Jessica Lynch was a member of the 507th Maintenance Company. Her convoy, a supply unit, was not supposed to be in the line of fire. But, Mr. Chairman, as Jessica Lynch's terrifying ordeal taught us, everywhere in Iraq is a potential combat zone, and every soldier is serving on the front lines.

I would like to thank Representatives Skelton and Wilson for their hard work on this issue and for their advocacy for women's rights in the military.

I stand here in support of the military. My husband, brother and father all served with honor on our country's behalf. I am grateful for the sacrifice of each of our service men and women. But I did not come to Congress to restrict the roles of women anywhere.