Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on December 4, 2005, a dear and beloved member of the Jackson, Mississippi community passed away.

Mike Kountouris has been as much the landmark to Jackson as his famous restaurant the Mayflower Cafe, where he had worked since 1935.

An immigrant from Greece, Mike and his family lived the story of America. They came to this land and worked hard to become honored citizens. Mike served in World War II, fighting in the United States Army in his home country of Greece where he was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart. He and his family--those before him and now his children--poured their sweat and passion for life into their family business. The Mayflower has been for generations a place where families and celebrities, politicians and journalists, the young and old have come for good food and fellowship. From first dates to wedding anniversaries, Mike made this a center of the Jackson community by making family the focus of his business.

Mr. Speaker, Mike began his journey in this world on the island of Patmos and we in Mississippi were blessed that he ended the journey not only in Jackson, Mississippi, but the hearts of his family, friends and customers. I take this time to remember Mike Kountouris and to remind my fellow Mississippians of the impact that one man can have on a community. He was a special man that we will all miss.

Mr. Speaker, for many who attend and serve Mississippi State University, the university is more than an institution, it is a family. Today I would like to recognize and honor one of the most dedicated members of that family who is retiring from work, but never as a Bulldog.

This summer, John Correro retired from his position as Alumni Director of the MSU Alumni Association after serving the school for over 35 years and being associated with Mississippi State for over four decades.

He began his partnership with MSU as a student earning academic honors with three years as Varsity Football Letterman. John was President of the Campus ``M'' Club; President of the Kappa Delta Pi (National Honor Society in Education); and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership and Scholarship Society), Blue Key (National Leadership and Scholarship Society), Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, President's and Dean's Scholar and was chosen Mr. Mississippi State University. He earned a B.S. Degree in Physical Education from MSU in 1962 and stayed at the school to conduct graduate studies, earning a Masters in Educational Administration and Counseling in 1964. During that time he served as a graduate assistant and as freshman football coach at Mississippi State.

John served as Executive Director of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association since 1994. Previously he served as Associate Director of the Alumni Association (1975-1994) and Field Secretary of the Alumni Association (1969-1975).

John is a dedicated member of the community serving on numerous Starkville City and Oktibbeha County boards and organizations. He and his wife Gloria Collum Correro are committed members of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Gloria, like their two children Kimberly Ann Fandel of Tupelo and Chris of New Orleans, is a Mississippi State graduate.

Mr. Speaker, John Correro's legacy and dedication to Mississippi State University is a family tradition and an example for Bulldogs old and young. We are proud and thankful of his lifetime of service and Mississippi State University is a better institution because of his hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize one of

Starkville, Mississippi's great citizens, in fact, an outstanding businessman recognized across the entire state and a family man of great reputation. Lewis F. Mallory, Jr., is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the National Bank of Commerce, now known in Mississippi as Cadence Bank. He was inducted this year into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame.

Lewis has been a leader in Mississippi banking circles for decades, and has been very successful in leading his bank through a period of tremendous growth. When Lewis began his career, his bank had about $8 million in assets, two locations and 20 employees. Today, he has $1.4 billion in assets in 32 offices in 12 communities throughout Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. The company provides jobs for more than 475 people with earnings to exceed $14 million.

Lewis grew up on the campus of Mississippi State University where his father served as Vice President for Business Affairs. He graduated from MSU with special honors in 1965 with a degree in Banking and Finance and a minor in Economics. While in college, Lewis was a member of Phi Eta Sigma, Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa.

Currently, Lewis is a member of the Board of Directors, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Mississippi Economic Council, Mississippi State University Foundation, Mississippi Catholic Foundation, Greater Starkville Development Partnership and is on the Senior Executive Advisory Council for the College of Business and Industry at Mississippi State University.

Lewis is a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Starkville and he and his wife Pie are the parents of two sons, Marcus and Lewis F. III.

Mr. Speaker, Lewis Mallory is a highly respected businessman and community leader and he thrives on promoting Starkville and Oktibbeha County. I commend him on his selection to the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame and I am proud that he is one of my constituents.

Mr. Speaker, small and family businesses are the backbone of America's economy. Today I want to recognize one of these family institutions that serve a community in Newton County, Mississippi. In this day of international mergers and billion dollar telecommunication deals, it is wonderful to see a small and stable company continue to provide telephone service to customers after sixty years in the same family. If I may, let me quote from The Newton Record's November 23, 2005 issue and article titled ``Decatur Telephone marks 60 years'' by Kenneth Billings.

Few enterprises are fortunate enough to reach a milestone

one local business will celebrate next month when its owners

celebrate more than half a century of operating the business.

On Dec. 5, Bill and Louise Bailey will mark their 60th year

as owners of the Decatur Telephone Company and the

continuation of a family legacy begun in 1945.

``In a way it seems like any other day,'' Louise Bailey

said of the upcoming anniversary. ``Sometimes I can't believe

it has really been that long. The office has been a part of

home so long it is sort of an ,extension of what we do

everyday.''

The Baileys purchased the company shortly after Bill

returned home from the military and began seeking a vocation.

They purchased the company and all 46 customers from Katie

Perkins in 1945 and began what would grow into a family

legacy.

Over the years they nurtured the business and in 1976

earned the distinction of becoming the first telephone

company in the world to be completely digital. Today, Decatur

Telephone boasts more than 2,500 customers in the central

part of Newton County.

Bill, 84, and Louise, 83, still take an active part in the

business, but in recent years have begun to cut back. No

longer is all day spent at the helm of the business as they

prepare to pass the reins to other family members to carry on

the legacy of the business.

Although their son, Mark has gone on to a career in

medicine after spending summers at the company as he grew up,

their daughter and company Vice President Esther Smith is

preparing to take control when time comes for her parents to

fully retire. Smith said taking up the family business seemed

the natural thing for her to do having spent most of her life

inside the offices of the company.

``I have grown up here,'' she said. ``I remember when I

would walk `home' this is where I came. While momma and daddy

worked I went into the storeroom and played. I even one time

tried to memorize the entire phone book because I thought

that was what I had to do.

``Daddy was always so good to look into future. He was a

real visionary business person. In the world, technology

changes so fast and he was making advances for the company at

a critical time. I just hope I can continue on the path daddy

started.''

The Bailey's said an all-day open house is set for Dec. 5

at the Decatur Telephone Company for customers and friends to

join with them in celebrating their anniversary with finger

foods and refreshments available.

Mr. Speaker, this month marks 60 years of Bailey Family telephone service to Decatur, Mississippi and hope they will continue for many more decades to come. They make it possible for my constituents to call here to Washington, DC and participate in the great American experiment, the democratic debate of our Congress. They are able to call around the world and down the street. It may be technology that makes it possible, but it could not be done without the hard work of folks like Bill and Louise Bailey and their family.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 634 and 635, I was unavoidably detained. I would have voted ``nay'' on recommit and ``aye'' on passage.

Mr. Chairman, some might not know this, but my State of Mississippi has a great history of boxing. Archie Moore, from Benoit, Mississippi, participated in professional boxing for over 27 years, holding the title of light heavyweight champion, and facing the likes of Rocky Marciano and Cassius Clay, during his career. While he went on to train Foreman and Ali, he will probably be best remembered as holding the record for the most knockouts in a career at 141. What I think is more important and that he may not be remembered as much for was his integrity in such a scandalous and corrupt sport during the years he boxed from 1936 to 1963. While we would have hoped boxing would have progressed and reformed over the years, it has not. The sport is still riddled with many problems, not the least is the exploited nature of its athletes. Muhammed Ali once said this: ``I say get an education. Become an electrician, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer--anything but a fighter. In this trade, it's the managers that make the money and last the longest.'' This seemingly benign statement illustrates one small problem among the multitude of problems the sport of boxing faces.

Today, many fans are saddened and upset by the lack of integrity they see in professional boxing that has significantly weakened the sport-- the most deplorable problem of which is the treatment of the sport's athletes. Without a doubt, professional boxers are the most exploited athletes in our Nation. While Congress has made efforts to protect professional boxers before, through the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000, these are not enough. The real problem today is the ineffective and inconsistent oversight of professional boxing, which has led to continuing scandals, controversies, unethical practices, and unnecessary injuries and deaths in the sport. That is why we are here today.

Mr. Chairman, through the leadership of members of Congress like Senator John McCain, Representative Cliff Stearns and Representative Peter King, Congress is addressing and hopefully rectifying this harrowing situation. In order to better protect boxers and the integrity of professional boxing, we must establish a Federal regulatory entity to oversee professional boxing and set basic uniform standards for certain aspects of the sport. Consider this--professional boxing remains the only major sport in the United States that does not have a strong, centralized association, league, or other regulatory body to establish and enforce uniform rules and practices. And because a powerful few benefit greatly from the current system of patchwork compliance and enforcement of Federal boxing law, a national self- regulating organization--although preferable to Federal government oversight--is not a realistic option.

Mr. Chairman, I was an original co-sponsor to Representative King's bill, ``The Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2005,'' which would also establish a United States Boxing Commission that perform substantially similar functions. I am very pleased that this idea is finally being considered on the House floor. The troubles that plague the sport of professional boxing undermine its credibility in the eyes of the public and--more importantly--compromise the health and safety of boxers. The creation of a Federal boxing commission would effectively curb these problems. The Senate has passed Senator McCain's boxing bill, S. 148, the Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2005, and I think it will be a travesty if the House does not do the same. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I rise in great support of this legislation today and urge my colleagues to swiftly and expeditiously approve this legislation.

House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the

Workforce,

Washington, DC, September 28, 2005.

Hon. Joe Barton,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Barton: I am writing to confirm our mutual

understanding with respect to consideration of H.R. 1065, the

United States Boxing Commission Act, which was referred to

the Committee on Energy and Commerce and in addition the

Committee on Education and the Workforce. The Committee on

Energy and Commerce reported this bill on July 28, 2005.

As you know, provisions within H.R. 1065, directing a

United States Boxing Commission to establish health and

safety standards and a licensing registry for boxing

personnel, fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on

Education and the Workforce. In addition, section 11 of the

bill requires the Commission to study and report to Congress

on health and safety standards in the boxing industry; this

provision likewise falls within the jurisdiction of the

Committee on Education and the Workforce.

I do not intend to delay consideration of H.R. 1065, nor

will I object to the scheduling of this bill for

consideration in the House of Representatives. However, I do

so only with the understanding that this procedural route

should not be construed to prejudice the Committee on

Education and the Workforce's jurisdictional interest and

prerogatives on these provisions or any other similar

legislation, and will not be considered as precedent for

consideration of matters of jurisdiction to my committee in

the future. Further, this understanding is based on the

agreement reached between our staffs to provide that the

study commissioned in section 11 of the bill is transmitted

to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as

your committee. Finally, we would expect you to support our

request for appointment of conferees on these provisions

should a conference arise with the Senate.

I would ask that you include a copy of our exchange of

letters in the Congressional Record on this bill. Thank you

for your consideration and cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,

John A. Boehner,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Stupak substitute and in support of the underlying legislation.

I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the chairman of the committee, my friend, for his leadership. We have seen this year that we have passed comprehensive energy legislation, but that legislation did not address really the linchpin of the need in our country for greater refining capacity and greater pipeline security, redundancy and reliability. Katrina exposed that fundamental weakness in our Nation's energy security and in our Nation's economic security.

For 30 years, we have done nothing. We have not had a new refinery come into our Nation. No one has invested. And much of that reason is that the cost of doing business, a refinery investment in this country, is so much higher than offshore. If we can streamline the regulatory process, give new incentives so that companies will invest in our country and new pipeline security and redundancy and reliability, as well as a new refining capacity, then we can do something about high gas prices and the disruptions that occur in a natural disaster like Katrina.

We must act. We cannot fail to act. We have seen the fundamental flaw and weakness. It has been exposed with Katrina, and the other side reminds me of those who, when a barn is burning and the fire truck is wanting to come and put the fire out and do something about it, they stand in the way and block the road and then want to blame the fire department for failing to put the fire out.

Now is the time to act. The chairman of the committee has shown remarkable speed in getting this legislation to the floor. We need to act. It is what the American people want. They would agree with us. Give us a chance to do something to make it better.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, July 21, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives considered numerous amendments to H.R. 3199, a bill to reauthorize the Patriot Act. While I did vote on a number of these amendments earlier in the day and week, I had to depart D.C. on the afternoon of July 21, 2005, and travel to New Orleans to attend and testify before a Base Realignment and Closure meeting. I was granted an official leave of absence by unanimous consent on July 22, 2005 (see 151 Cong. Rec. H6376-01). I was absent during consideration of the following votes. If present, I would have voted the following:

1. Rollcall vote No. 409 (Berman Amendment)--No.

2. Rollcall vote No. 410 (Schiff Amendment)--Yes.

3. Rollcall vote No. 411 (Hart Amendment)--Yes.

4. Rollcall vote No. 412 (Jackson-Lee Amendment)--No.

5. Rollcall vote No. 413 (Boucher Amendment)--No.

6. Rollcall vote No. 414 (Final Passage)--Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, September 6, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives considered the following pieces of legislation: (1) H. Res. 360--Commemorating the 60th anniversary of V-J Day and the end of World War II in the Pacific; and (2) S.J. Res. 19--A joint resolution calling upon the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Unfortunately, I was absent and unable to vote for these two pieces of legislation, as I was attending to and assisting my constituents and their needs in the Third Congressional District of Mississippi after the devastating destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina on Monday, August 29, 2005. I have requested an official leave of absence for this time. If present, I would have voted ``aye'' for both resolutions.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce legislation today calling attention to the essential work of America's community health centers in providing quality affordable health care to people served by the Medicaid program and the nation's uninsured. I am pleased to be joined today by my colleague, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Towns, and a number of my House colleagues in supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, community health centers will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year as will the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Among these programs, Medicaid and community health centers enjoy a special relationship, as twin pillars of a broad effort to improve health care for poor, minority, and underserved Americans. The two programs in fact are specifically designed to work in tandem with one another to make access to quality health care a reality for the nation's most vulnerable populations.

Recognizing the importance of this unique relationship, the Congress in 1989 made health center services a guaranteed benefit under Medicaid. In 2000, I joined with a bipartisan majority of colleagues in the Congress to once again reaffirm the importance of this relationship by supporting legislation that created the health center Medicaid Prospective Payment System. As the Congress intended, this payment system has allowed health centers to provide and expand primary care and preventive services to more people in need, while promoting efficient operation of and ensuring adequate Medicaid reimbursement for these centers.

Today, because of Congress's wise actions, community health centers help to form the backbone of America's health care safety net, providing quality health care to 15 million underserved individuals nationwide, nearly 6 million of whom are enrolled in Medicaid.

In my own State of Mississippi, health centers are the family doctor and medical home for more than 300,000 individuals, more than a third of whom are covered by Medicaid.

However, health centers are doing more than just providing affordable quality health care to and improving the health status of the Nation's vulnerable populations, they are also delivering cost savings to taxpayers and to all payers of health center services. To be sure, health centers' costs rank among the lowest, and health centers are effectively reducing the need for more expensive hospital in-patient and specialty care. In addition, dozens of studies over the past three decades have found that health centers save the Medicaid program 30 percent or more in total annual spending per beneficiary, compared to other providers. Studies have also shown that the cost of treating Medicaid patients through health centers is 26 to 40 percent lower for prescription drugs costs.

Mr. Speaker, I believe health centers are a top priority of President Bush and this Congress because they undoubtedly are providing cost- effective, high-quality health care to the Nation's poor and medically underserved and because they are a vital safety net in the Nation's health delivery system. I urge my colleagues to show their support for America's community health centers by supporting this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation. It is a good step forward to increase our energy supplies, diversify our energy supplies, provide cleaner air, help our farmers, and strengthen our economy.

I first want to commend the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), who has done a tremendous job of leading us to a great accomplishment, along with the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell). It is an honor to serve on the committee where we have had an open process, a bipartisan process, to reach an agreement to move our country forward.

It is a bill that will give us clean coal, nuclear, new technologies for the future, fuel cell, hybrid, as well as increasing the production of our traditional fuels. It is a well-balanced bill, it is a well- crafted bill, and I am proud to support it and urge all the Members to support.

And to my friend, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), he has been a happy warrior. It is good to know that in that bastion of capitalism, Boston, that we do have a proponent for Adam Smith.

Mr. Speaker, my very strong support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, July 11, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives considered two bills under suspension of the rules: H. Con. Res. 168--Condemning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the abductions and continued captivity of citizens of the Republic of Korea and Japan as acts of terrorism and gross violations of human rights; and H. Res. 333--Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur, Sudan. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to travel to Washington, DC on Monday because the Jackson-Evers International Airport in Jackson, Mississippi, from which I usually travel to DC, was closed due to the recent landfall of Hurricane Dennis. However, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' in favor of both resolutions.

Mr. Speaker, today in Amite County, Earl Alford is retiring after 39 years with the Mississippi Forestry Commission--all of them in Amite County. He is the longest serving county forester in the history of the commission. He has a great knowledge of Mississippi and Mississippi trees and has been honored and praised by friends, neighbors and colleagues in Southwest Mississippi.

He is one of our great tree farmers who possesses not only an understanding of the operations of the timber business, but also a love for the land. He is a conservationist who wants to balance timber and the environment so we can produce the wood our industries need while protecting the land that gives birth to these forests. His service to the community includes managing the school system's 16th Section timber land of which he has managed the harvest of, replanting of, growth of, and harvest of once again.

I would like to share with the House some of the comments on Earl Alford recorded recently in McComb's Enterprise-Journal newspaper.

``He birthed the association . . . If it wasn't for him I don't think it would still be operating.''--Bryant Barron, president of the Southwest Mississippi Forestry Association.

``He's forgotten more than most of us will ever know about forestry. Humble, common as peas, but a very learned man.''--James Copeland, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Amite County School Board.

``The Mississippi Forestry Commission and the people of Amite County are gong to lose tremendously because we're not going to have him on the job every day.''--Richard Hay, Extension Service.

``He's never asked us to do anything he wouldn't do--except boot up a computer.''--Charlotte Reynolds, Earl's secretary.

``Having known him on a professional level, I've learned what a highly qualified forester he is, what a great people person he is, what a great asset he is to Amite County.''--Lee Wilson, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Earl was born in Walthall County into a logging and farming family, the grandson of a tree farmer and sawmill operator. His father worked for the forestry commission and after school he would follow in the family legacy. He graduated from Salem High School, Southwest Mississippi Community College and finally Mississippi State University. In 1966 he went to work as the Mississippi Forestry Commission's Amite County forester; he retires today.

Mr. Speaker, Earl and his wife Pauline, a retired Extension Service home economist, have reared two children. Holly Alford is a sonographer at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center. Mac Alford recently received a Ph.D in plant biology at Cornell University and has taken a position at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has served his family and community for many years and I am proud to take this time to honor him on this day of retirement. Though I know, his service to God and family and man will continue for years to come.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

I rise today with an amendment at the desk. I want to thank the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations subcommittee for his work on this. I want to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her attention and help. I also want to thank the responsiveness of the Mayor's office and the city council.

I will submit into the Record at this point letters from the Mayor's office and from Carol Schwartz, council member on the District of Columbia council.

Quickly, let me tell my colleagues the issue that was brought to my attention by one of my constituents in the last week, and as we come to the 4th of July, when millions will come to the District, when thousands of veterans, many of whom are disabled, will be visiting our Nation's capital and going to our monuments, what was brought to my attention by Viola Cupit from Bogue Chitto, Mississippi, who called my office last week.

She had come to our Nation's capital. She happens to be disabled. She has a disabled license plate from the State of Mississippi. She parked on Constitution Avenue. The parking sign says disabled, 4 hours free parking. She thought that she was correctly parked and would not face any fine or ticket.

She returned to discover that it is free for D.C. residents, but not free for those who travel to our Nation from other States. If you are from Mississippi or from Tennessee or from California, if you were to come to the District, you are disabled and you were to park, you would either have to pay or go to the DMV, which can be a long, difficult and frustrating process in the District of Columbia to get a District disabled placard card.

Now, we know in our Nation's capital that we want equal treatment. We do not want discriminatory treatment, especially for our disabled citizens and veterans. We do not want to see them differently. I do not think it was the intent of the District of Columbia and their regulations to have this unequal, discriminatory treatment; but it nonetheless is.

I think the intent of the letters of the Mayor and the city council member indicate that they want to correct this inequity.

I also want to submit for the Record a letter from the Paralyzed Veterans of America who have also asked that this discriminatory practice cease, and they stand willing and ready to work with the District of Columbia to have a fair policy.

I will insert the letters that I have referred to into the Record at this point.

Paralyzed Veterans of America,

Washington, DC, June 29, 2005.

Hon. Charles W. Pickering, Jr.,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Pickering: Paralyzed Veterans of

America (PVA) is pleased to support your efforts to correct a

policy of the District of Columbia to charge people with out

of state placards for accessible parking. PVA expressed our

concerns to the D.C. government before this policy went into

effect. We oppose paying for accessible parking when in fact

the parking is provided on a discriminatory basis. While we

understand the need to curb abuse, we do not believe that the

city made sufficient parking truly accessible or gives

adequate notice to those who need it.

The current policy is confusing and discriminatory.

Disabled drivers with D.C. placards or plates are allowed

four hours of free parking. Drivers with a valid placard from

any other jurisdiction must pay, but the only notice of the

requirement to pay is on the sidewalk side of each meter.

Simply finding that notice may require the person to get out

of the car, wheel through traffic to a curb cut (assuming

there is one), then wheel back on the sidewalk to the meter.

At that point, the visitor can only hope that the meter

itself is accessible.

PVA believes the District's policy violates the

``reciprocal agreements'' under Public Law 100-641 (23 CFR

1235). The law established guidelines for states and

jurisdictions to follow in designing accessible parking

spaces, placards and license plates and urged reciprocity in

enforcement and parking privileges granted by other

jurisdictions.

Again, thank you for your leadership on this issue. PVA is

ready to work with you to ensure accessible parking

privileges in the District of Columbia are equally available

to all disabled drivers, regardless of jurisdiction.

Sincerely,

Lee Page,

Associate Advocacy Director.

I yield to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.

Mr. Chairman, if I could strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding, based on our conversations, that the gentlewoman would encourage the city to do something similar to what they did when the World War II memorial was opened, and that is, to grant an emergency status to make sure that the disabled had free parking in the district. Is it the gentlewoman's intention to do so, and during the interim, until they are able to clarify the regulations, that no one would be ticketed that is disabled from out of the District who would come to visit our Nation's capital?

Mr. Chairman, if the gentlewoman would further yield, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the District for her very effective representation, her advocacy for her constituents. All politics is local. Nothing is more local than parking tickets; and as we go into the 4th of July, I thank the gentlewoman for her help for those who are disabled, especially our disabled veterans, to make sure that they do not face unequal or discriminatory treatment as they find their place to park on Constitution Avenue or by our monuments or wherever it may be.

Again, I thank the gentlewoman for the spirit in which we have worked together and look forward to other opportunities in the future.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 236 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Amendment Offered by Mr. Garrett of New Jersey

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 237 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''