Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today the Guard and Reserve Education and Training Act of 2004. GREAT would bring VA educational assistance opportunities for Guard and Reserve members--often referred to as the Selected Reserve--more in line with those of their active duty counterparts. In the post-9/11 environment, active duty and Guard/Reserve members often serve side-by-side as part of our Total Force concept. I believe it's an issue the Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services Committee can work on together because the Department of Veterans Affairs administers the program determining eligibility and pays educational assistance allowances.

This year America celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the original World War II GI Bill. Due to the GI Bill, college enrollment grew dramatically. In 1947, GI Bill enrollees accounted for almost half of the total college population. In the decade following World War II, more than 2 million eligible men and women attended college using GI Bill educational benefits. The result was an American workforce enriched by 450,000 engineers, 238,000 teachers, 91,000 scientists, 67,000 doctors, 22,000 dentists and another million college-educated men and women. Indeed, the GI Bill is arguably our most successful program ever due to its profound effect on our economy and our workforce.

In 1985, under the visionary leadership of our former Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman, G.V. ``Sonny'' Montgomery, Congress designed the modern version of the GI Bill, fittingly now called the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB). In Public Law 107-103, the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001, Congress significantly increased MGIB purchasing power for veterans and servicemembers. I was privileged to author this legislation which increased the MGIB basic benefit from $672 to $800 per month in January 2002, to $900 in October 2002 and to $985 in October 2003--a 46 percent increase. These increases are the largest in the MGIB's remarkable history. With the annual cost of living increase for fiscal year 2005, the MGIB now pays $1,004 per month.

GREAT would continue the progression of improvements to the MGIB by providing a greater benefit to our Guard and Reserve members.

First, this legislation would increase the VA monthly educational assistance allowance rate for Guard/Reserve members from $288 to $400. When Congress first created the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)-Selected Reserve educational assistance program in 1985, it established the monthly benefit level at about 47 percent of the active duty rate. However, the education benefit rate for Selected Reservists has lagged significantly behind the original 47 percent figure. Today, the $288 per month that members of the Selected Reserve receive under chapter 1606 of title 10, United States Code, is only about 28 percent of the $1,004 per month that regular active-duty servicemembers receive under chapter 30 of title 38, United States Code. My proposed increase to $400 per month would be a first step to bring the Selected Reserve education benefit closer to the amount Congress envisioned when it initially created the MGIB.

Second, GREAT would establish a new, higher benefit for Guard and Reserve members who have accumulated 180 days within a 5-year period of active duty service in a contingency operation since September 11, 2001. This new benefit would be equal to the benefit for servicemembers who enlist for 2 years of active duty and 4 years of Reserve duty--$816 per month. These Reservists and Guards members would not incur a $1,200 pay reduction to be eligible for the new benefit. In my view, the current pay reduction simply represents a kind of tax. The House did not originally contemplate such a pay reduction for either active duty or Selected Reserve members. In fact, the 1999 report of the bipartisan Congressional Commission on Servicemembers and Veterans Transition Assistance recommended that Congress repeal the $1,200 pay reduction.

Third, to establish greater equity in the Selected Reserve and active duty educational assistance programs, my bill would allow beneficiaries to use entitlement during a 14-year period that would begin on the date of their last day of active duty, the same as the policy currently in effect for active duty servicemembers. This new, 14-year delimiting date would be available to members of the Selected Reserve on or after September 30, 2004. Currently, Selected Reserve members may use VA educational assistance benefits under the MGIB only while still serving in the Reserves.

Finally, GREAT would give service branch secretaries the discretionary authority to allow Selected Reserve members to transfer any unused VA educational entitlement to dependents if the member has completed at least 20 years in the Reserves. Many Reservists are married and have families. My bill would furnish them an additional tool to finance a child or spouse's education or training to compete in the workforce. The Congressional Commission on Servicemembers and Veterans Transition Assistance also made this recommendation.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. The role of Guard and Reserve members in our national defense has changed dramatically under the Total Force concept. Guard and Reserve members can be mobilized for up to 2 years. They often experience some of the same types of issues in transitioning from military to civilian life as do their active duty counterparts. My bill would help facilitate that transition through increased training opportunities in a highly competitive civilian economy. Further, my bill fundamentally acknowledges

that Reserve component servicemembers who incur the same risks as other servicemembers in protecting our everyday freedoms indeed have earned a more comparable benefits package.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, section 3006 would make one of the most sweeping, unfair changes in immigration policy in the last decade and, if enacted, would pose life-threatening consequences for asylum seekers, trafficking victims, men, women and children. Section 3006 would radically alter existing law with respect to expedited removal, and it would mandate that any noncitizen found in the U.S. be summarily deported if an immigration officer determined that the person had not been inspected upon entry to the country and could not prove to the immigration officer that he or she had been living in the U.S. for more than 5 years.

This mandate, Mr. Chairman, effectively transforms what was a discretionary program managed by Homeland Security and requires them to impose this procedure anywhere, including in the interior of the U.S.

Section 3006 would be especially harmful for women and children who are escaping a range of gender-related persecutions such as rape, sexual slavery, trafficking and honor killings since persons scarred by such trauma often require time before they can step forward to express their claims.

Mr. Chairman, section 3006 would provide for a super-expedited process of removing these people from the United States, with virtually no right of review, thus eviscerating protections that Congress has provided over the last several years for such victims in the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act which I was the prime sponsor of and is the law of the land.

Mr. Chairman, I want all of my colleagues to know that President Bush, in his SAP which came out yesterday, made it very clear that he is against this provision. The Bush administration wants this out. I call on Members on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, to vote for my amendment which would strip it. Also, there are some 40 organizations, the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops; National Association of Evangelicals; Refugees International; and Human Rights First--a whole array from the left, right, middle, and everywhere else, who say this is an unwarranted change, an unfair change in our immigration policy. It does not belong in here. The 9/11 Commission did not ask for it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to my good

friend and colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, section 3007 would make sweeping changes, again, to our asylum law that the drafters erroneously contend would stop terrorists from being granted asylum. I think Members should remember that under the Immigration and Nationality Act, terrorists are ineligible for asylum. Worse than being unnecessary, Mr. Chairman, this section would erect a number of brand-new barriers to winning asylum claims that are likely to prevent bona fide refugees from receiving the protection of asylum in the United States, and they will result in bona fide refugees being returned to their persecutors. This stacks the deck against refugees.

Let me just point out to my colleagues that in section 3007, asylum officers and immigration judges would be encouraged to deny an asylum claim simply because the applicant was unable to recall or recount information later in the process that she did not mention when she initially encountered an immigration officer. Asylum applicants, particularly survivors of torture, rape, forced abortion or sterilization may not be comfortable telling this information to a uniformed male inspection officer at an airport. Asylum applicants in that setting may not be provided with appropriate interpreters and may be understandably fearful of discussing their problems about their home countries in detail. They are frightened people, especially trafficking victims.

In section 3007 there is also, amazingly, a demeanor standard which flies in the face of our American standards. If somebody looks down during the asylum interview and does not somehow convey honesty, when one has been tortured, when they have been a victim of trafficking, when they have been hurt emotionally, psychologically, and physically, they could be denied asylum. Sometimes, talking to somebody who is a uniformed member of our service, they may be intimidated.

Also, and this is the central problem with this language, Mr. Chairman, it changes what is in the Refugee convention. There are five reasons why people can get asylum: race, nationality, religion, the Members know what they are. This changes it so that the applicant must prove it is the central reason. Asking asylum seekers to read the minds of their persecutors is absurd on its face. This will mean many people who are true asylum seekers, that should get it, will not get it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie).

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

Mr. Chairman, because I have so many requests for time and will not get to all of them, I ask unanimous consent to extend this debate by 5 minutes equally divided between the proponent and opponent.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), who is the vice chairman of the Helsinki Commission, on which I serve as well.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 4175) to increase, effective as of December 1, 2004, the rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4175, as amended

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that today our amended version of S. 2292, the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004, is on the floor of the House for consideration. Senator Voinovich is to be commended for introducing and securing successful passage of S. 2292, as he is a tireless ally in our efforts to eradicate anti- Semitism. In support of his efforts, I introduced the House version, H.R. 4214, in April.

Realizing now is the time to act, Senator Voinovich, Congressman Lantos and myself have since discussed ways to further strengthen the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act. Working in concert, we amended the text to add mechanisms to improve and strengthen the ability of our government to combat the evil of anti-Semitism.

The amended version, Mr. Speaker, maintains the State Department report on global anti-Semitism envisioned by Senator Voinovich. This report will set a benchmark as to the individual records of countries around the globe. The report, due for release no later than November 15, 2004, will examine the number of acts of physical violence against Jews or vandalism of Jewish community institutions and government responses to such actions. In addition, the report will detail steps taken by governments to protect the religious freedoms of Jewish people and describe governmental efforts to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.

Recognizing the role of media in encouraging anti-Semitic acts, the amended version also adds coverage of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to incite acts of violence against Jews. The importance of this issue was hammered home by James Tisch, Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, at a Helsinki Commission hearing on governmental responses to anti-Semitism in the OSCE region. He said: ``[T]he Arab man in the street . . . doesn't stand a chance of being anything but [fiercely anti-Semitic], considering the barrage of hatred and venom about Jews to which he is constantly exposed. This river of lies flows from his leaders, his newspapers and his television set. The Arab media and the governments that sponsor and tolerate this flood of poison are to blame. This isn't about politics; it's about an ocean of hatred.''

Mr. Speaker, we must push all governments to ensure their media are not adding fuel to the fire of anti-Semitism. By including coverage of domestic media, we make the one time global report on anti-Semitism more complete by exposing the source of an enormous amount of anti- Semitic vitriol.

The amended version of S. 2292 is stronger in other ways, foremost by mandating the creation of the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti- Semitism in the State Department and creating the position of Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism. A point person specifically tasked with focusing on anti-Semitism will increase our ability to respond quickly and effectively when incidents arise. In addition, the Special Envoy can be double-hatted with another position, thereby giving the Department flexibility in its appointment. The office will also be involved in the drafting of the appropriate sections of the human rights and religious freedom reports. Considering anti-Semitism plagues all regions of the world, this special office will ensure that the United States resolutely denounces acts of anti- Semitism whenever and wherever they occur.

Concerning State Department reports, our amended version of S. 2292 will establish standards for the reporting on anti-Semitism when appropriate in the human rights and religious freedom reports. While our embassy staff labor tirelessly to ensure the human rights and religious freedom reports accurately cover the issue of anti-Semitism, I was concerned with the unevenness of reporting. The amendment will standardize coverage in the two reports, requiring the examination of: physical violence against Jews or vandalism of Jewish community institutions; propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to incite acts of violence against Jews; governmental responses to violence or propaganda; governmental actions to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of religious freedom of Jews; and governmental efforts to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.

By setting forth criteria for the Department, it will aid our embassies in more thoroughly covering the issue of anti-Semitism and ensure it receives the attention it deserves.

Again, I want to thank our leadership for making passage of this bill a priority. Their steadfast support, as well as the unwavering support from the Bush Administration, has greatly aided our efforts to fight anti-Semitism across the globe.

The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Chairman, at the appropriate time, I intend to offer amendments to strike two provisions of H.R. 10, section 3006 and 3007, which, if enacted, would radically alter U.S. immigration law and put true refugees, bona fide refugees, at risk of injury or harm.

My amendments are supported by approximately 40 religious, refugee and human rights organizations, including the Catholic Bishops Conference, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Human Rights First, Boat People SOS, Refugees International, and many others.

I want to point out to my colleagues that the Bush administration in its statement of administration policy, SAP, which I just received a few minutes ago, makes clear that the administration strongly opposes the overbroad expansion of expedited removal authority which is contained in the underlying bill. These sweeping changes that I would strike, Mr. Chairman, were not recommended by the 9/11 Commission nor have these provisions been sufficiently vetted and analyzed to fully understand their effect.

What we do know is that section 3006 drastically alters and expands existing authority known as ``expedited removal'' and it could put hundreds of thousands of refugees at risk of immediate deportation.

What we do know is that section 3007, among other things, replaces a clear, longstanding defined ``burden of proof'' standard for proving an asylum claim with a brand new unfair test that will almost certainly result in deportation regardless of merit.

One might ask, what is wrong with expanding expedited removal? A lot. Expedited removal takes away the rights of legitimate asylum seekers to a fair hearing before the proper authorities.

Tomorrow, we will take this up or perhaps later on tonight. I hope Members will support the amendments.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4248) to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to expand or modify existing comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 4248, as amended, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2004.

I point out to my colleagues that this legislation builds on the historic law signed by President Bush, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2001. I also want to point out to my colleagues and remind them that as we wrote those provisions and held several hearings to ascertain the need, the best practices, the policies that are more likely to work to try to mitigate the problem of homelessness, all of us, on both sides of the aisle, were utterly struck by the large number of veterans who were indeed homeless. The number that seemed to be most accurate at the time was something on the order of 275,000 homeless veterans on any given night.

Many of these men, some are women, but most are men, had post- traumatic stress disorder or some problem with alcohol or drugs or both or all three. We decided working with the VA, working with the NGOs, with the VSOs, Veterans Service Organizations, and others, to devise legislation that would comprehensively try to mitigate and hopefully end this terrible problem of homelessness among our veterans.

The good news is that the number, and it is still unconscionably high, has dropped precipitously over the last several years since enactment of the law. Secretary of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Tony Principi, testified at the beginning of this year that he believes that the number has dropped to about 200,000. Still too high, but far less than the 275,000, again, on the streets on any given night.

The legislation we have before us is a bipartisan piece of legislation, and I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), who has played a key role in working with us on this. I also want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), who has also played a very important role, and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the chairman of our Subcommittee on Health, and all of the Members who have tried to contribute to make this an important piece of legislation.

Let me point out to my colleagues specifically on the legislation that the VA's Homeless Grant and Per Diem program is authorized to provide competitive grants to community-based, including faith-based, organizations that offer transitional housing or service centers for homeless veterans. This program has proven to be the most economical, flexible, and innovative method to provide time-limited or transitional housing with supportive services for homeless veterans in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Over 6,000 transitional housing beds are now available to veterans through the grant and per diem program.

In 2003, 66 percent of the veterans discharged from these programs were discharged to either independent housing or residential program housing, and 43 percent of all treatment episodes were documented as successful. This successful rate is the highest combined level of success ever achieved and ever recorded and remarkable, given the serious psychiatric disorders or substance abuse problems that often challenge recovery for homelessness.

The current authority for the grant and per diem program expires on September 30, 2005. In testimony before the Subcommittee on Health earlier this year, however, the administration stated that the total amount of grants made under this program was expected to exceed the current $75 million authorization in fiscal year 2005. To meet this growing demand for services for homeless veterans, the President's budget proposal requested an increase in the authorized level from $75 million to $100 million for the 4 years. Section 2 of H.R. 4248, as amended, would increase the authorization to $99 million for 2005. It will be up to the next Congress to extend the authorization beyond its September 30 expiration date.

Mr. Speaker, in 2003, the VA reported that more than 31,000 males and 27,000 female veterans responded to relevant screenings indicating unwanted sexual experiences that occurred during their military service time. Under current law, the authority to provide sexual trauma counseling for eligible veterans expires on December 31 of this year. H.R. 4248, as amended, would recognize the continuing need for these programs within the VA by permanently authorizing the counseling and treatment authority.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the Members again who have worked on this.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4658) to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to make certain improvements and technical corrections to that Act, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise again in strong support of H.R. 4658, as amended, the Servicemembers and Veterans Legal Protections Act of 2004. This measure has a number of important provisions for servicemembers, veterans and their dependents.

H.R. 4658, as amended, would further strengthen the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act that was enacted just last year and signed by President Bush. There were several new issues that arose while we were considering that legislation, but their solution required further research and discussion. That discussion led to this legislation.

Most significantly, the bill would clarify that the Servicemembers Relief Act's lease termination protection under section 305 applies to military dependents who are on joint leases with servicemembers. This has always been the intent of Congress, but some landlords have recently tried to argue there is a loophole, leaving the servicemember's spouse liable if the servicemember is relieved from liability under the lease. That was pointed out most definitively in an oversight hearing we held very recently.

H.R. 4658 would make several other improvements to the SCRA, including strengthening protections relating to waivers of servicemembers rights. Additionally, it would provide motor vehicle lease termination protections for servicemembers stationed in Alaska and Hawaii.

Mr. Speaker, under title II of 4658, this title would strengthen the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, or USERRA, the law which protects the jobs and employment benefits of Guard and Reserve members who are called to active duty. I want to highlight the major provisions for my colleagues.

The bill would increase from 18 to 24 months the maximum period of employer-sponsored health coverage during active military service to reflect the longer deployments of Guard and Reserve members. It would also establish a 3-year demonstration project at the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel to improve enforcement of the act in cases involving Federal executive branch employees.

Additionally, the bill contains a requirement for employers to provide notice to employees of their rights. Title III of the bill would make a number of changes to strengthen the program which authorizes benefit payments to fiduciaries of veterans unable to manage their financial affairs. It would require greater scrutiny by VA fiduciaries to make fiduciaries subject to civil penalties for misuse of a veteran's assets.

Mr. Speaker, this measure would also require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an inventory of medical waste management activities in the VA, and to assess what methods of medical waste disposal are desirable from an environmental perspective. He would then report to Congress on plans to modernize or improve the management of medical waste and disposal programs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

I want to thank the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) for his leadership on this legislation as part of the Benefits committee and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) as well. Again, this and the bill that was passed and signed by the President last year was a historic rewrite and expansion of the Servicemembers Relief Act, as we called it. It is a rewrite of the old Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act first enacted back in 1940. It provided significant upgrades and made for consistency and uniformity across the country when it came to adjudicating the protections for our servicemen who are deployed overseas. This is especially important to so many Guard and Reserve now serving so ably and so honorably in Iraq as well as in Afghanistan.

I also want to say that I deeply regret the loss of the newborn provision. As my colleagues might recall, I worked with my good friends on the other side of the aisle and on our side to put that in. We will be back hopefully and we can regain that sometime in the future. But I do thank him for bringing that up.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 108) congratulating and commending the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 108 which would congratulate and commend the Veterans of Foreign Wars on its 105th anniversary. Tracing its roots back to the Spanish-American war, the VFW is one of the Nation's oldest, largest and one of the most respected veterans service organizations. The VFW has a proud history of directly supporting America's veterans and their families. Over 100 full-time service officers work directly with veterans on claims for VA benefits and oversee VA's programs around the country as well. VFW's ``Buddy Poppy'' program is a symbol of their continuing tradition of caring for fellow veterans, and their community service programs have made VFW a valued partner for thousands of charitable and civic organizations around the country.

Mr. Speaker, I can attest to the valuable contributions of the VFW's legislative specialists who continue to provide expert advice and counsel to help us develop State and national veterans priorities and policy. Over the past 4 years, I have had the privilege, and before that for 6 years as vice chairman of the committee and the last 4 as chairman, of working closely with numerous VFW leaders both on the national level and on the State level back in my home State of New Jersey. My colleagues and I have benefited from the candid advice of VFW's Executive Director Bob Wallace from New Jersey, Legislative Director Dennis Cullinan, and past Commanders in Chief Ed Banas, Ray Sisk and John Gwizdak. We also look forward to working with the new Commander in Chief John Furgess.

I would also like to thank the leaders of the VFW in my home State of New Jersey, especially longtime leader and friend Mike Wysong. For the entire 24 years that I have served in Congress and on Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have always been able to count on my State VFW leaders to lend their support and offer their ideas to help our State's veterans and also with national issues as well.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this resolution. It is a fine one.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 195) expressing the sense of Congress that a minute of silence should be observed annually at 11:00 a.m. on Veterans Day, November 11, in honor of the veterans of all United States wars and to memorialize those members of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in the defense of the United States.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 195, legislation expressing the sense of Congress that a minute of silence should be observed annually at 11

a.m. on Veterans Day, November 11, in honor of the veterans of all United States wars and to memorialize those members of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in defense of our country.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution recounts a particularly moving event from World War II. On February 3, 1943, a German U-boat torpedoed the American transport ship, the USAT Dorchester, sinking it off the coast of Greenland. Among the nearly 1,000 American soldiers aboard the Dorchester were four chaplains whose selfless acts of courage have left a distinguished legacy.

The four chaplains, Reverend Fox, Rabbi Goode, Reverend Poling, and Father Washington worked to help save their fellow soldiers. They distributed life jackets until no more were available. Then the four chaplains removed their own life jackets and gave them to four other soldiers.

True to their faiths and to their fellow men until the end, they were last seen arms linked in prayer on the hull of the ship as it went down.

The sacrifice of the four chaplains stands as a testimony to all heroic veterans who have fought for the United States. A stained glass window on the third floor of the Pentagon's A-ring honors these brave Americans.

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 195 would provide the people of the U.S. with an opportunity to honor the veterans of all the United States wars and to memorialize those members of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in defense of our Nation.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

I want to rise and really pay tribute to the leadership of the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) in bringing this legislation not just to the floor today, but to what will be its ultimate enactment into law. I thank the gentleman for his leadership on human rights in North Korea, as well as human rights in the Asian Pacific region. The gentleman has been a stalwart and a real leader, and this is just another important product of that work; and I, and I know many others, are very grateful for his leadership.

This bill is the culmination of a concerted bipartisan effort to act against the unspeakable cruelties occurring under the Kim Jong Il regime. In this regard, I want to commend the efforts as well of the North Korean Freedom Coalition which sponsored, as many Members know, the historic North Korea Freedom Day rally in Washington on April 28, as well as the Korean-American Church Coalition, which built strong support for this bill out in the grass-roots.

Madam Speaker, since the mid-1990s, as many as 2 million North Koreans have died because of failed North Korean economic policies. Despite the loss of nearly 10 percent of the country's population to a man-made famine, Kim Jong Il's regime uses food as a weapon to control its population by rewarding loyalty and withholding food from enemies of the regime. In North Korean society the entire population is divided into three class labels assigned on the basis of loyalty to the regime: ``core,'' ``wavering,'' and ``hostile.'' These labels continue to be used to prioritize access to jobs, region of residence, and entitlement to items distributed through the Public Distribution System.

Humanitarian relief organizations such as the U.N. World Food Program are prohibited by North Korea from distributing food and relief supplies directly to starving victims. Instead, the brutal dictatorship siphons off food aid and gives it to the Communist leadership and to the Army. H.R. 4011 authorizes increased funding for assistance for North Korean refugees, orphans, and trafficking victims outside of North Korea and conditions additional humanitarian assistance inside North Korea upon significant improvements in transparency and monitoring. It is the sense of Congress that future assistance to North Korea should be prohibited unless the government ensures that internationally recognized human rights standards are met and Pyongyang makes substantial progress towards respecting basic human rights such as decriminalizing political expression, providing for family reunification, and reform of its prison camp system.

Madam Speaker, North Korea's human rights abuses, as we now know, are a nightmare of epic proportions. Its regime restricts every basic freedom of its people. It attempts to control all information, brainwashes citizens into

following a cult of personality, and threatens international security through the reckless use of its nuclear weapons program. President Bush was clearly correct in labeling North Korea as a nation as part of the ``axis of evil.''

An estimated 150,000 to 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea are held in camps where they are subjected to torture, forced labor, starvation, and execution. Prisoners in these camps include thousands who attempted to flee the country to avoid starvation, but were returned to North Korea, regrettably, by the Chinese. Eye witnesses from these camps have testified before a hearing that the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Leach) held on the subcommittee and told us horrific stories of savage torture, forced abortions, and persecution of Christians. Mothers have seen their newborn children killed right in front of their very eyes by North Korean prison guards.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 4011 also provides additional support and protection for the courageous North Koreans who have been able to escape by clarifying that North Koreans are eligible to apply for U.S. refugee and asylum consideration, and designating North Koreans who have been persecuted or mistreated by the North Koreans as a priority 2 group of special humanitarian concern to the United States. H.R. 4011 also underscores China's obligation to provide UNHCR with access to North Koreans in China and urges the UNHCR to assert its right to arbitration with China in an effort to secure access to North Koreans in China.

This is a very, very important human rights bill. Again, I want to commend the chairman for his extraordinary leadership in bringing it to the body today.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the House moved to the timely consideration of H. Con. Res. 415, which calls upon the government of Ukraine to ensure a democratic, transparent and fair election process for that country's presidential elections that are about to take place on October 31. As chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I join the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) in sponsoring this important resolution. H. Con. Res. 415 makes clear the expectation that Ukrainian authorities should, consistent with their own laws and international agreements, ensure an election process that enables all of the candidates to compete on a level playing field.

International attention, Mr. Speaker, is now rightly focused on ensuring free, fair, open and transparent presidential elections on October 31, with a second round likely on November 21. These elections are critically important to the future of Ukraine, yet we see on a daily basis an election campaign that seriously calls into question Ukraine's commitment to OSCE principles.

Without exaggeration, Ukraine is facing a critical election, a choice not only between Euro-Atlantic integration versus reintegration into the former Soviet Eurasian space, but a choice between further development toward a European-style democracy, such as in Poland or Hungary, versus the increasingly authoritarian system that prevails in Russia today.

Unfortunately, the pre-election environment in Ukraine gives great cause for concern. Ukrainian voters clearly are not receiving balanced and objective information about all of the candidates in the race. Ukraine's state-owned television channels are heavily biased against the democratic opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, who is leading in the polls nevertheless.

Independent media providing Ukrainians with objective information about the campaign, including channel 5, are being shut down in various regions. Journalists who do not follow the secret instructions from the presidential administration, it is called temnyky, are harassed and even fired. Given the stakes in these elections, Mr. Speaker, we should not be surprised that the ruling regime has launched an all-out campaign against the free media and against the opposition, the most recent of numerous examples being the highly suspicious poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko.

In addition, numerous obstacles to a free and fair political campaign have been placed by the national authorities, including intimidation of citizens, candidates and campaigns, the harassment of citizen expressions of political views, and the illegal use of State resources to promote the candidacy of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich.

Equal conditions for candidates, including unimpeded access to media, and an end to the intimidation and harassment of candidates and citizens must be provided during the remainder of the presidential campaign and will be key in determining whether or not the Ukrainian presidential elections will be judged as free and fair by the OSCE and the international community.

The elections will be a watershed for the future direction of that country.

Ukraine has tremendous potential. An independent, democratic Ukraine where the rule of law prevails is vital to the security and stability of Europe. Ukrainian authorities need to radically improve the election environment, however, if there is to be hope for these elections to meet those standards.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution urges the Ukrainian government to guarantee freedom of association and assembly, and it is not guaranteed now; ensure full transparency of the election process; free access for Ukrainian and international election observers; and unimpeded access by all candidates to the media on a nondiscriminatory basis.

I urge all Members to support this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge passage of H.R. 854, the Belarus Democracy Act. With important parliamentary elections in Belarus scheduled for October 17, it is essential that we pass the Belarus Democracy Act. This Congress must demonstrate its strong support for pro-democracy forces in Belarus and advance U.S. interests in the region. Now is the time to send a strong signal.

Since his election in 1995, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenka has steadily undermined democratic institutions through a series of unfair elections and a seriously flawed constitutional referendum. The U.S. State Department, Helsinki Commission which I Chair, as well as the OSCE, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union and other international entities have all chronicled the appalling state of human rights and democracy there. Located in the heart of Europe, Belarus is juxtaposed to our NATO allies and will soon border the European Union.

The Lukashenka regime has repeatedly violated basic freedoms of speech, expression, assembly, association and religion. Since I introduced the Belarus Democracy Act last year, the situation in Belarus has only become more difficult.

Just within the last few months, the independent media, non- governmental organizations (NGOs), independent trade unions, religious groups, and democratic opposition leaders have faced increased harassment, arrest, detentions, and even violence. Opposition leaders have been imprisoned and beaten. NGOs have been closed down with increasing frequency. Independent media outlets continue to feel the wrath of the powers-that-be, including closures, defamation lawsuits, exorbitant fines, confiscations of newspapers or the suspension of their distribution, censorship and the deportation of an independent journalist from Ukraine who had lived in Belarus since 1990. Independent trade unions are subject to a pattern of obstruction, harassment and intimidation by the authorities.

In short, the situation in Belarus continues its downward spiral with daily reports of growing repression and human rights violations.

Here in Washington and at various OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meetings, I've had occasion to meet with the wives of the disappeared. The cases of their husbands--Yuri Zakharenka, Victor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, and journalist Dmitri Zavadsky who disappeared in 1999 and 2000 and are presumed to have been murdered--are a stark illustration of the climate of fear that pervades in Belarus. I am pleased that just last week the United States, together with the European Union, has decided to restrict admission to four top Belarusian officials implicated in these politically motivated disappearances. Reports of arms and weapons deals between the Belarusian regime and rogue states continue to circulate. Lukashenka and his regime were open in their support of Saddam Hussein. On August 24, the Treasury Department charged that Infobank of Belarus has been involved with money laundering involving fraudulent transactions pertaining to Iraq, where funds laundered by Saddam Hussein's regime were derived from schemes to circumvent the UN Oil-for-Food program.

provisions of BDA

Mr. Speaker, the main purpose of the BDA is to demonstrate U.S. support for those struggling to promote democracy and respect for human rights in Belarus despite the onerous pressures they face from the anti-democratic regime. This bill authorizes necessary assistance for democracy-building activities such as support for NGOs, independent media--including radio and television broadcasting to Belarus--and international exchanges.

The bill also encourages free and fair parliamentary elections, conducted in a manner consistent with international standards--in sharp contrast to the 2000 parliamentary and 2001 presidential elections in Belarus which flaunted democratic standards. As a result of those elections, Belarus has the distinction of lacking legitimate presidential and parliamentary leadership, which contributes to its self-imposed isolation. Parliamentary elections now have an added dimension, with Lukashenka's September 7 announcement of a referendum to take place on the same day, that would pave the way to extend his rule beyond 2006, when his tenure is due to expire, to potentially join the ranks of ``presidents for life'' like President Niyazov in Turkmenistan and others in Central Asia.

As matters stand now, the deck appears to be stacked in Lukashenka's favor, as the Belarusian Government has almost total control of the electoral process. Opposition parties have been allocated a negligible percentage of seats on district and precinct election commissions, and many candidates proposed by Belarusian democratic opposition parties have been denied registration. To their credit, the embattled opposition and non-governmental organizations have not given up. I have met with the leaders of the Belarusian opposition and have been impressed with their determination to participate in the coming elections and their courageous work to advance democracy, human rights and the rule of law, despite all of the obstacles placed in their way by the Lukashenka regime.

In addition, this bill includes ``sense of Congress'' language that would impose sanctions against the Lukashenka regime. U.S. Government financing would be prohibited, except for

humanitarian goods and agricultural or medical products. The U.S. Executive Directors of the international financial institutions would be encouraged to vote against financial assistance to the Government of Belarus except for loans and assistance that serve humanitarian needs. This bill also requires reports from the President concerning the sale or delivery of weapons or weapons-related technologies from Belarus to rogue states and on the personal assets and wealth of Lukashenka and other senior leadership in Belarus.

I hope that the Belarus Democracy Act will help support those who desire a genuinely independent, democratic Belarus and serve as a catalyst to facilitate Belarus' integration into democratic Europe. The measure is designed to be a counterweight to the pattern of clear, gross and uncorrected human rights violations by the Lukashenka regime. The Belarusian people--who have suffered so much both under past and present dictatorships--deserve to live in a society where democratic principles and human rights are respected. We must stand firmly on the side of those who long for freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge passage of H. Con. Res. 304, expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the People's Republic of China should cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in the United States and in China. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, I commend you for introducing this legislation and for speaking out against human rights abuses throughout the world.

Members of Congress need to be aware of the brutal suppression of human rights and religious freedoms being carried out by the People's Republic of China. From forced abortion and labor camps, to the imprisonment and sometimes even execution of brave Chinese who dare to stand up for their faith or political beliefs, Hu Jintao's regime, like that of Jiang Zemin before, is one of the worst violators of human rights in the world.

While Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, and Muslim Uighurs are all being persecuted for the faith, the suffering of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners has been especially intense. In 1999, China's dictators launched a brutal campaign to completely eradicate Falun Gong from their country through whatever means necessary, claiming that Falun Gong was a threat to ``social order'' in China. The reason behind this campaign of brutality is clear: by the mid to late 1990s, the number of Falun Gong practitioners began to exceed the number of members of the Communist Party. Like all dictators and totalitarian terror systems, the PRC fears and hates what it cannot control. So it sought to destroy and intimidate those who practice Falun Gong. I would also note that the regime has labeled as ``cults'' and is now oppressing other groups with followings comparable to that of the Falun Gong, such as the Xiang Gong, Guo Gong, and Zhong Gong qigong groups.

Falun Gong is not a religion, per se, but rather more like a philosophy. Based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, Falun Gong uses a series of five physical and mental exercises to assist its members to purify themselves spiritually and peacefully resolve conflicts. Whatever one may say about the merits of their beliefs, the evidence is very clear that Falun Gong practitioners are peaceful individuals who want to be left alone to practice their beliefs as they see fit.

To carry out the task of smashing those who practice Falun Gong, the Beijing dictatorship created ``610'' offices throughout China to oversee and direct the persecution of Falun Gong through brainwashing, torture, and murder.

The State Department Human Rights Report for 2003 has several pages documenting the plight of the Falun Gong. We know at least 250 Falun Gong members have died as a result of torture thus far. For instance, in only a three-month period from June to August last year, more than 50 Falun Gong died in custody, many from torture in detention camps. Other estimates place the total body count higher. Bodies of the tortured victims are often cremated immediately to conceal evidence of torture. The report indicated that Falun Gong adherents sent to mental health institutions have been administered psychiatric drugs and electric shock treatments by Chinese authorities.

Several thousand Falun Gong practitioners--estimated at 125,000 or higher--are held in labor camps, prisons, and mental hospitals, where they are forced to endure torture brainwashing sessions. For example, in December 2003, Liu Chengjun, sentenced to 19 years in prison in March 2002 for involvement in illegal Falun Gong television broadcasts, was reportedly beaten to death by police in Jilin City Prison.

The government continues to find new ways to crack down on Falun Gong. Over the past year, the Government initiated a comprehensive effort to round up practitioners not already in custody and sanctioned the use of high-pressure tactics and mandatory anti-Falun Gong study sessions to force practitioners to renounce Falun Gong. Even practitioners who had not protested or made other public demonstrations of belief reportedly were forced to attend anti-Falun Gong classes or were sent directly to reeducation-through-labor camps, where in some cases, beatings and torture reportedly were used to force them to recant. These tactics reportedly resulted in large number of practitioners signing pledges to renounce the movement.

At the National People's Congress session in March, Premier Wen Jiabao's Government Work Report emphasized that the Government would ``expand and deepen its battle against cults,'' including Falun Gong. Thousands of individuals were still undergoing criminal, administrative, and extrajudicial punishment for engaging in Falun Gong practices, admitting that they adhered to the teachings of Falun Gong, or refusing to criticize the organization or its founder.

During April to June 2003, the Government launched fresh accusations that Falun Gong practitioners were disrupting SARS-prevention efforts. State-run media claimed that, beginning in April, Falun Gong followers ``incited public panic'' and otherwise ``sabotaged'' anti-SARS efforts in many provinces by preaching that belief in Falun Gong will prevent persons from contracting SARS. Authorities detained hundreds of Falun Gong adherents on such charges, including 69 in Jiangsu Province during May and 180 in Hebei Province during June.

But Beijing is not confining its disgusting torture and brainwashing campaign to its own people. Chinese-American citizens and permanent residents are also victims. One American citizen, Dr. Charles Li, was arrested January 22, 2003 in China upon his arrival at an airport. A Falun Gong practitioner, the Chinese government alleges he attempted to sabotage television and radio equipment, even though he had just arrived in the country. Dr. Li has gone on continual hunger strikes to protest his

arrest but been subject to forced feedings. There are reports that he is being subjected to brainwashing and anti-Falun Gong propaganda. At least 37 other Falun Gong practitioners who have family members that are residing in the U.S. are also in prison in China. Authorities also detained foreign Falun Gong practitioners from other countries. For example, in January 2003, two Australian citizens were deported for engaging in Falun Gong activities in Sichuan Province.

As my colleagues know, a sizeable number of Falun Gong practitioners reside here in the United States. They attempt to raise awareness about the horrors their fellow believers are subject to through meeting with government officials and through holding peaceful protests. Just this past August, Falun Gong members gathered on the Mall to pass out literature and inform Americans of the great suffering those in their faith are enduring. When Hu Jintao and other state leaders responsible for this purge are visiting foreign countries, Falun Gong members travel overseas to protest and raise awareness of the brutal persecution.

In response, China's persecution against the Falun Gong has moved outside of China's own borders. Large numbers of Falun Gong in the United States have reported to have been harassed. The FBI is currently investigating beatings of Falun Gong practitioners in Atlanta and Chicago. On June 23, 2003, Falun Gong practitioners in New York were harassed and physically violated by Chinese nationals associated with the consulate. Charges have been filed with the authorities. Li Li and some of her friends were involved with this incident.

Persecution of Falun Gong in China is horrific enough itself. The fact that China is now exporting its repression to weaker foreign nations under the guise of ``safety'' and ``public order'' is even worse. The cancer of China's repression is spreading all over the world. The PRC is not content to beat and torture and silence those inside its own borders. Now it is seeking to bully other nations into doing its bidding. When will this country wake up and stand up to this kind of nonsense?

I call upon all members of this body to support H. Con. Res. 304. I call on the administration to step up its efforts to speak up for the Falun Gong and out against the actions of the Chinese government immediately.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4768) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into certain major medical facility leases, to authorize that Secretary to transfer real property subject to certain limitations, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support and urge colleagues to support and embrace H.R. 4768, the Veterans Health Programs and Facilities Enhancement Act of 2004. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), ranking member, who has been a very strong partner in helping shape this legislation. And I particularly want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), chairman of the Health Subcommittee, who is the prime sponsor of this legislation, for his leadership. It has been extraordinary, and I do want to acknowledge that. I also want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), who likewise has worked as a good partner in a bipartisan effort to craft this very important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help address the need to modernize aging veterans health-care facilities, make better use of existing properties and dispose of unneeded VA properties over the next several years. The Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset, and Business Improvement Act of 2003 gave the Secretary of Veterans Affairs wide latitude to spend funds to improve, restore, or replace those VA health-care facilities most in need of such work. Congress instructed the Secretary to approve individual products based on recommendations of an independent capital investments board, and we placed a premium on projects to protect patient safety as well as privacy, improve seismic protection, and provide barrier-free accommodations. Moreover, we also put an emphasis on improving specialized-care facilities. Thus, even though the VA's budget request of $400 million for fiscal year 2005 to carry out approved modernization projects, the necessary authorization legislation is already enacted.

For the benefit of the many Members who are interested in the plans to improve VA health-care facilities, I will insert a summary of the capital projects which the Secretary listed as the VA's highest priorities when he announced his CARES decision in June of

this year. The cost of the projects for fiscal year 2004 totals $623 million, while the projects listed for fiscal year 2005 total $401 million.

Mr. Speaker, after a multi-year drought in available funds to improve VA's extensive hospital and outpatient network, this long list of OMB- approved projects marks the beginning of a multi-year effort to modernize those facilities that will be needed to serve veterans in the first half of the 21st Century. VA Secretary Principi anticipates that the just-completed CARES process will require additional investment of approximately $1 billion per year for the next 5 years in order to bring the VA's infrastructure up to contemporary standards and meet veterans' expectations of accessible care.

In addition, it should be noted that the CARES process is not complete, and there will undoubtedly be further fiscal consequences when the VA has fully assessed its current and future obligation to veterans who need long-term care as well as mental health care. Honoring these commitments may well mean additional investments in the VA facilities which are not included in the Secretary's $5 billion figure.

This legislation, Mr. Speaker, authorizes major medical facility leases at 16 locations for community-based clinics at a cost of approximately $24.4 million in fiscal year 2005. Most of these leases are for replacement facilities, although some expansion into new locations is also proposed and approved by this bill.

This bill would also provide the Department authority to enter into a unique long-term lease for up to 75 years for the land to construct a new medical facility on the Fitzsimons Campus at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. It is anticipated that this new VA facility will share many services with the university and also provide services to Air Force beneficiaries. I want to recognize and thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez) for helping to identify the need to provide this authority to support the Fitzsimons project as well as the close attention he has given it as we have worked on this in the 108th Congress. And I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez) so much for that.

This legislation, Mr. Speaker, will also facilitate the Secretary's authority to transfer unneeded real property currently in the VA's portfolio. The bill would require fair-market value for disposals, except when a property would be transferred to a provider of homeless veterans' services under a grant under section 2011 of title 38, U.S. Code.

This bill would also establish a new fund to be known as the Capital Asset Fund. The purpose of the new fund would be to defray VA's cost of transferring real property, including demolition, environmental restoration, maintenance, repair, historic preservation, and administrative expenses. This bill would authorize appropriations of $10 million in seed money to launch the fund and support the capital planning initiatives developed through the VA's capital planning process.

Mr. Speaker, VA controls the fourth largest inventory of owned, leased and operated federal real property. It is estimated that more than half of the VA's facilities are over 50 years old. Many structures date from the 19th Century, and many more were constructed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Portions of the 24 VA medical center campuses are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another 61 sites have been determined eligible or potentiality eligible for this designation. Given this array of heritage assets, H.R. 4768 would also allow the Secretary to enter into partnerships or agreements with public or private entities dedicated to historic preservation and to use resources from the Capital Asset Fund to facilitate the transfer, leasing or adaptive uses of these historic properties that no longer serve useful purposes as health-care facilities.

The bill would also require an inventory and series of reports on the status of each historic property. The bill would also require the Department's annual budget submission to include information on each proposed and completed transfer of VA real property, including historic property, using this authority, as well to report deposits and expenditures from the new fund.

Mr. Speaker, the Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act requires the VA to maintain long-term care programs, sustain a defined number of nursing home beds, and enhance other long-term programs, such as geriatric evaluation, domiciliary, and adult day health care, and respite, palliative and hospice programs, in both institutional and noninstitutional settings. The Congress' interest in these programs is strong and ongoing, as evidenced by our decision last year to extend many of the provisions of the 1999 Millennium Health Care Act for another 5 years. Since VA has struggled to meet many of these requirements of the Act, this bill would make the new property transfer authority contingent on the Secretary's certification that the VA is maintaining the long-term-care facility required in that Act.

The bill also includes additional provisions endorsed by the administration, including one to clarify that the Veterans' Canteen Service can serve all enrolled veterans, not just hospitalized veterans. Congress established the Canteen Service in the late 1940s at a time when the VA health-care system was hospital-based and many patients were hospitalized for months at a time at facilities that were far from commercial centers. This restatement of the Canteen's mission is consistent with the shift of VA care over the past 10 years from hospital-based care to an outpatient-based health-care system. Veterans enrolled in the VA health care ought to be able to obtain the products and services available in VA canteens without any restrictions in law.

Below are the FY 2004 and 2005 projects for which VA is

requesting authorization and appropriation approval from

Congress to proceed.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), the prime sponsor of the Millennium Health Care Act referenced earlier in the debate.

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure and delight to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), the prime sponsor of this bill and the chairman of our Subcommittee on Health.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Beauprez), who was instrumental and really took the lead on this Fitzsimons Hospital. I congratulate him on his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, we likewise yield back the balance of our time, and ask for a ``yea'' vote.