Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I take offense to the words that were used by the chairman when he talked about fraud and abuse when you talk about the widows of these individuals. Their husbands have worked 30, 40 years of their life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss my disappointment with the provisions of this bill that affect many of the public service employees in Texas. Although the legislation has a number of good provisions, and I agree there are some good provisions in it, it does not correct the injustice that is hurting many of the firefighters, the policemen, officers and our teachers.

This act fails to correct the unjust Government Pension Offset, the windfall elimination provisions in the Social Security Act. These two sections of the Federal law take billions of dollars in earned Social Security benefits away from public service employees that have dedicated their lives to our communities; and often it is not until retirement age that these employees find out that their Social Security benefits will be cut, in some cases even eliminated.

Currently, the Government Pension Offsets can completely wipe out the amount these public service employees expect to receive based on Social Security contributions made by their spouses. In addition, the windfall elimination provision can dock their retirement benefits and their Social Security by as much as $303 dollars a month.

The original intent, Mr. Speaker, of the GPO was not to hurt public service employees. Rather, its purpose was to prevent higher paid workers from reaping extra benefits, and it was not the intent to have such a drastic effect on low-paid workers. Health insurance premiums and other out-of-pocket health costs alone can easily eat up more than half of a retiree's State retirement annuity. In some circumstances, it is sufficient to throw the worker into poverty. So we have got to look at this issue. It is critical.

By targeting the pensions of teachers and other school employees, the offset discourages qualified individuals from serving in our public schools, precisely at a time when our Nation faces a severe shortage in teachers. This is going to discourage someone who has worked out there for 20, 30 years in one job and chooses to go into education on the offset because they know that they are going to lose money because they have earned that Social Security. This is not the way to go about it.

Mr. Speaker, I am not alone in expressing my opposition to the Government Pension Offset; and my Republican friends know this. In fact, 285 House Members on both sides of the aisle have added their support to the legislation which would repeal their unjust provisions. So they know that if it is allowed most people will support it and vote for it. The thing is that they are not allowing this to occur, which is unfortunate.

If you agree that this provision is unfair, which 285 people have indicated that it is, then I would strongly urge you to vote in favor of the amendment that will be brought forth.

In addition, let me say we have an opportunity to take care of this. Let us take care of it. We are only working with the Republican leadership two days out of the week. My God, we can at least take care of this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the Harlandale High School Cheerleaders as the 2003 National Cheerleading Association's Senior and Junior High School National Champions. In addition to this great accomplishment, this star team also placed first in the Large Co-ed Division and won the Innovative Choreography Award.

Angie Pina, cheer director, Delilah Loredo, captain, and Felicia Campos, co-captain, deserve praise for leading and motivating the squad to such a high level of accomplishment. Their hard work and athletic ability have made this team an impressive success, and their tireless dedication has been well rewarded. Not only am I proud of the team, but also of each individual member for her commitment to achieving such high goals. They have set a new standard for achievement.

As an alumnus of Harlandale High School, I would like to thank these students for bringing acclaim to Harlandale and keeping the school spirit strong. I know they will continue to excel this year and in their future endeavors--both in athletics and academic studies.

Mr. Speaker, seventy-five years ago, in 1929, the consul general of Mexico in San Antonio, then as today a center for trade between the United States and Mexico, formed what was to become the highly successful San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This week the Hispanic Chamber celebrates its 75th anniversary with pride in its past accomplishments and optimism for its future successes.

As the oldest organization of its kind, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce continues to be a leading advocate for Hispanic, minority, and woman-owned businesses in San Antonio through individual business advice, networking, and advocacy. Widely respected today as a positive force in the business life of our community, the Hispanic Chamber, like its membership, had to overcome social and economic barriers on the path to success.

Chartered in 1929 by Don Enrique Santibanez, the chamber focused on improving political and economic ties between the United States and Mexico. That mission remains central to the 21st Century Hispanic Chamber, which plays a lead role in promoting trade between the United States and our neighbors to the south in Latin America. The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has helped make San Antonio the gateway to the Americas.

Facing active discrimination, the early chamber had to do more than the typical chamber of commerce. Not only did it seek to promote business growth, it sought to develop Hispanic civic participation in the power centers of our community. As we continue to the battle against negative stereotypes the chamber continues its mission of training its members to become community leaders.

And it has met with great success. For those of us in Congress, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce serves as a great resource and source of inspiration. Locally, the Hispanic Chamber provides leadership, expertise, and encouragement to the vibrant and growing Hispanic business community. Their success is our success.

I would like to commend Chairman Leo Gomez and the 2003 Board of Directors for their leadership over the past year. They have continued the Chamber's tradition of molding Hispanic community leaders and advancing minority business interests. I know that the chamber's new chair, Elaine Mendoza, will take the chamber to new levels of success. Of course, the Hispanic Chamber's achievements reflect the hard work, dedication, and leadership of its staff, headed by chamber president Rita Elizondo. Our thanks to all of you for what you give to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to recognize the achievements of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as it marks 75 years of progress.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of reauthorizing the Breast Research Stamp Act (H.R. 1385). The public has widely supported the stamp, and their voluntary purchases have generated over $35 million dollars for breast cancer research. The National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program use this donation to help the 2 million women nationwide who are daily battling this disease.

The Breast Cancer Research Stamp was developed by Dr. Ernie Bodai, designed by Ethel Kessler, and introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein in 1998. Since its introduction, over 485 million stamps have been sold with 8 cents of each purchase price going toward breast research. The stamp expired December 31, 2003 and there has been overwhelming support to extend the stamp's production through 2006. Congressman Joe Baca proposed the stamp's extension with 148 cosponsors and numerous groups including the American Cancer Society and the American Medical Association supporting H.R. 1385.

The revenue created by the sale of this stamp will help fight the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, and it will be used to educate women and encourage early detection practices in Texas and across the country. The Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF) is a San Antonio based organization that supports awareness, treatment, and counsels those receiving cancer treatments. In Texas alone, 13,700 women will be diagnosed and 2,600 lives will be lost to this disease in the coming year. In the entire country, 40,000 people a year will die from breast cancer.

Mr. Speaker, breast cancer will touch 1 out of every 8 women in America. This statistic is far too high and includes mothers, grandmothers, college students, and their loved ones. I urge my fellow Representatives to support the Breast Research Stamp Act and to continue to present the public with a simple method to donate to a worthy cause.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment that the omnibus appropriations package before us, H.R. 2673, does not include provisions passed by both houses of Congress to protect workers' overtime pay, nor does it extend the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program.

Mr. Speaker, here we are again, the holiday season is upon us and once more, it is time to buy presents for our loved ones. Whether we are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or simply the holiday season, it is a time for sharing gifts, festive meals and caring for others. Unfortunately, the appropriations package before us will strip workers of their overtime rights and does not extend TEUC benefits, possibly resulting in Santa Claus not making stops at everyone's house next year.

Millions of families continue to struggle through the rough fringes of our economy. Currently the official U.S. unemployment rate is at 5.9 percent, representing more than 8.5 million unemployed workers, and the rate for Hispanics has moved up to 7.4 percent. As much as these can be seen as mere figures, we must realize that they are more than just numbers. They represent human beings: someone who needs work and whose family may need food and clothing. These are not luxuries; they are the essentials.

Too many Americans are going to wake up New Year's morning to find out that their unemployment insurance has run dry. In the past 2 years, we've seen some 3 million jobs disappear.

Mr. Speaker, we had an opportunity to extend the reauthorization of the TEUC program and we failed to do it.

I joined the efforts to extend those benefits so that working families still looking for jobs can enter the New Year with some peace of mind. The leadership in this House, however, saw it differently and blocked our efforts to extend help to out-of-work Americans. They reportedly said the economy's doing so much better that unemployed workers don't need any extra help. Sadly, this failure not only hurts families but also the economy. Worse yet, it comes just a few weeks after these same leaders approved a $12 billion handout to insurance companies.

That's not all. Even those who are fortunate to have jobs have come under attack by the leadership of this House. On March 31, 2003, the Bush administration proposed changes to the overtime pay rules that require additional pay for workers who put in more than 40 hours per week. These changes will impact up to 8 million employees who could find themselves working longer without any additional pay.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, we had an opportunity to include provisions in this massive appropriations package to ensure that the rights of over 8 million workers to receive overtime for their hard work were protected, and we failed.

The new rules will impact workers who make between $22,101 and $65,000 per year. These middle class workers, from journalists to medical technicians, often rely on the extra money they get from overtime and appreciate there being some limit on the time they are expected to work.

Congress voted to stop this change in labor policy, though the vote was particularly close. Despite this action from Congress, the Bush administration has continued to push for the changes. The President even issued a veto threat against this massive appropriations bill if it included any attempt to maintain the overtime protections for these workers and their families.

As we enter the holiday season, it's sad that there's so little compassion for Americans struggling to find jobs and make ends meet. Clearly, the battle for America's working families is not over.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Monday, December 1, 2003 as World AIDS Day. Worldwide 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, including 3.2 million children under the age of 15. AIDS kills more people worldwide than any other infectious disease and infects 15,000 people each day.

World AIDS Day was established in 1988 to raise awareness about HIV/ AIDS and tackle the tough issues related to the disease. This year the focus is on stigma and discrimination, two major obstacles in preventing HIV/AIDS.

When people living with HIV/AIDS are discriminated against they are less likely to acknowledge their disease or seek treatment. They may be denied housing, employment, or health care services. We must do everything possible to reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS through worldwide and local efforts.

Congress can fight stigma and discrimination by continuing monetary support for the International AIDS Vaccine Inititaive (IAVI) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. IAVI focuses on accelerating scientific progress, mobilizing public support through issue advocacy and education, encouraging industrial involvement in AIDS vaccine development, and working to ensure global access to a vaccine. I greatly support this program and urge the largest funding amount.

Congress should provide the maximum allowable contribution of $3 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The Fund makes grants in developing countries aimed at reducing the number of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria infections, as well as the illness and death that result from such infections. Over five years, the Fund hopes to fund anti-retroviral therapy for 500,000 patients over five years and to be supporting programs to provide care for 500,000 children orphaned by AIDS.

However, these large international organizations would be meaningless without people at the local level to provide care and support to those living with HIV/AIDS. In Texas, 60,078 people are living with HIV/AIDS, and many groups and individuals are working hard to address their needs.

I would like to recognize the efforts of the following people and organizations for their contributions in combating the AIDS epidemic:

Charlene Doria Ortiz, Executive Director--Center for Health Policy Development; Dr. Fernando Guerra, Director of Health--San Antonio Metropolitan Health District; David Ewell, Executive Director--San Antonio AIDS Foundation; Yolanda Rodriguez Escobar, Diector--Mujeres Unidas Contra El SIDA; Pastor E. Butch Seward, Chairman of the Board and Michelle Durham, Executive Director--Black Effort Against the Threat of AIDS (BEAT AIDS, Inc.).

By providing medical care, educational programs, housing and financial assistance, caseworkers to help with government benefits, and support groups, these programs help those living with HIV/AIDS get through each day. I am proud to recognize them for their year round and tireless commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS.

We may only recognize World AIDS Day once a year, but by providing adequate funding and support for programs that encourage treatment and education we can create lasting effects on the fight against AIDS.

Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 82nd annual celebration of American Education Week, a time for us to acknowledge and praise the important role of education for our social and economic future. In the United States, the public school system provides the backbone of our youth's education, a system that deserves our active support and continued respect.

In 1919 the American Legion and the National Education Association joined together in concern over illiteracy rates among World War I draftees. The two groups agreed to support a national effort to increase awareness of the importance of education. The first American Education Week was observed from December 4-10, 1921. In many parts of our state, literacy remains a great challenge, and the need for a strong public education system is more important than ever.

Each year American Education Week focuses on a different issue; this year's theme is ``Great Public Schools for Every Child-America's Promise.'' The week's co-sponsors include the United States Department of Education, National PTA, and various national educator associations.

Every child deserves the opportunity to attend a quality public school where he or she can learn and excel in a safe, stable environment. Students should receive an education that teaches not only practical skills and specific knowledge, but that also passes down our nation's core values. Public schools nurture American traditions such as tolerance, freedom, and equality that create productive citizens.

Public schools in Texas continue to show great progress in many areas. According to statistics compiled by the NEA, Texas ranks in the top ten states for 4th graders scoring well in math tests. More and more Texas schools are offering advanced placement courses, and Texas now ranks first in the nation for the proportion of students taking advanced math courses. Texas stands among the top four states nationally for the percentage of public primary schools offering foreign language immersion. Excellence in math and language are not only important personal education skills, but they are critical to our future economic growth.

At the same time, challenges remain. The Administration and the Congress have failed to make the financial investments needed to expand the areas of progress and provide the quality education needed by all of America's children. Elementary schools in Texas are overcrowded and many are desperately in need of major repairs. Quality teachers, our most valuable educational resources, are becoming more and more difficult to recruit and retain.

Despite the promise to leave no child behind, the current federal leadership has adopted policies that break the commitments to reform and accountability in the No Child Left Behind Act. Rural and inner city schools will suffer the most, as will children with special needs and challenges. The President's budget and congressional appropriations are underfunding the No Child Left Behind Act by as much as $8 billion. Similarly, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) remains woefully underfunded, leaving states and school districts with the burden of complying with the important federal goal of providing a public education to all students.

This lack of funding contributes directly to the problems facing Texas schools and schools across the Nation: larger classes, schools closing earlier, cutting out after school and summer programs, and laying off teachers and staff. What is the response to this starvation diet by the Administration and congressional leaders? Private school vouchers . . . Blame the public schools for meeting standards without providing resources to comply . . . Failure to make the commitment to provide all students, of all backgrounds and needs, with the education they deserve and we as a society need.

The best investment in America's future is an investment in our children's education. We should take this week to give special attention to promoting quality in our nation's public schools; however, our vigilance should not end this week, but continue until every child has the chance to realize his or her educational potential.

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to reintroduce the Camino Real de los Tejas National Historical Trail Act. This legislation would recognize the historical significance of the oldest highway system in Texas.

Translated, camino real means ``royal road'' and was used exclusively to describe roads between economically important Spanish towns and Spanish capitals. In keeping with its roots, the Camino Real de los Tejas was the first overland route from the Rio Grande to the Red River Valley in Louisiana, and contributed enormously to the settlement and development of the Texas frontier. First traveled in 1689, for the next 300 years the road was worn by traders, immigrants, mail carriers, missionaries, cattlemen and their herds, soldiers, and settlers into an early-day ``superhighway''.

We would not only pay homage to our ancestors by designating the Camino Real as a National Historic Trail, but also develop a positive tool for economic development and historical preservation in the many towns and cities along the route. By promoting the preservation of this historic resource, the public will gain an opportunity to learn and small, rural communities will have greater opportunity for cultural tourism.

The bill I am introducing today contains special provisions to ensure that trail designation will not impair private property rights. Unlike prior versions of the bill, this one designates the trail only on public lands. Land condemnation is prohibited, and only willing sellers will be approached for acquisition purposes. No private lands will be included in the trail designation unless the private property owner affirmatively opts in.

Spanish conquistador Cabeza de Vaca, the first European to explore Texas, ventured up and down this trail. Both Davy Crockett and General Santa Anna journeyed to battle at the Alamo by way of the Camino Real.

The trails deserve national recognition for their tremendous historical and cultural value. In marking the trail, we honor our history and heritage.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support and cosponsor the reintroduction of the Camino Real de los Tejas National Historical Trail Act. Join me in building up communities rich in history and economic opportunities.

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

I rise in support of S. 1152, the United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act. I want to thank all the Members who had a part, including the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert). The gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) is on her way. I know she has worked on this very diligently.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I want to take this opportunity to commend the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) on this specific legislation. I know that she has been working on this diligently. We recognize that there are a great number of deaths as a result of fire. We need to continue to work in this area. We know we have had natural disasters also in this area. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Members that have played a role.

Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) and ask unanimous consent that she be permitted to control that time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1156, as amended, the Veterans Health Care, Capital Assets and Business Improvement Act of 2003.

This legislation draws the best from provisions offered in this body and the Senate. I have worked closely on the bill with the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons). I want to thank him for his graciousness and the hard work. I would also like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and also the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for their assistance in finalizing this bill.

I am very pleased that the bill includes important provisions from H.R. 2433, as amended, a bill I introduced with the support of the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons). I also appreciate the persistence of the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), who will be speaking, in ensuring that these tests were brought to light in the items that we would be bringing before in this piece of legislation.

This bill will take important steps to remedy the serious wrong done to some of our veterans during the Cold War era. The military conducted a series of about 50 tests over almost a decade to determine the effects of the number of biological and chemical exposures to military operations and whether such exposures could be adequately protected. Many of these veterans participated without their knowledge, and too often veterans who participated in these tests were not properly protected from exposure to the number of stimulants as well as, occasionally, live agents. These agents included sarin and VX nerve gas, as well as biological war agents including Q fever and rabbit fever.

The military has now completed a number of investigations into the operations of the Deseret Test Center and concluded that as many as 6,000 veterans may have been involved. Veteran participation is unacceptable, and we recognize this, and we are concerned; and we want to assure them that if they are suffering lasting health consequence that we will do something about this.

I am very pleased that this legislation does something about that. This bill provides high-priority eligibility for the next 2 years to allow them to seek and receive VA treatment for the health problems including those that may be related to the problems, especially to the exposure of these hazardous agents.

This authority will allow them, and it will not adequately compensate them for what they have gone through, but we are at least beginning to try to correct the situation that we find ourselves in. Allowing them to have their health care concerns addressed may begin to give them the peace of mind this Nation owes them.

I am also pleased the final bill includes many provisions on the bill H.R. 1720, as amended. Madam Speaker, this bill authorizes many worthy construction projects to which the VA has given high priority. Unfortunately, the VA major medical construction has suffered for years as Congress has waited for the results of the CARES program, which is Capital Assets Realignment for Enhanced Services. I hope now that VA is about to approve a final plan, Congress will see fit to provide the appropriations VA requires to invest in its outdated infrastructure that we know is lacking. So we are hoping that we can do more as the report comes out.

A provision in our bill is designed to assure Congress that we are also adequately informed of some less positive developments that may result from this process, facility closures, staff realignments, as well as consolidations that may affect many veterans.

I am also pleased that this bill would give us both the assurance of this notification and the time to respond to these developments. Regardless of its outcome, CARES gave us at least one thing of value and that is the information that it has provided us. Last fall, the VA came forward with data that confirmed the ongoing concerns. I, along with my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), have talked about the veterans of south

Texas. I know the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) will be speaking today. They suffered long, miserable journeys, up to 6 hours one way, to receive hospital care and some specialized services. And I do not think that anyone knew many of our veterans had the worst access to acute hospital care in the Nation like in south Texas.

I am pleased this bill will require the VA to report to us on the steps it intends to take to resolve this long-lasting problem in south Texas.

This bill will also provide new benefits to former prisoners of war. Under the current law, neither Jessica Lynch nor her comrades who suffered internment in Iraq would be eligible to receive outpatient dental care from the VA. Why? Because they were in captivity for fewer than 90 days. Veterans who have experienced the trauma associated with being prisoners of war deserve dental care regardless of the time of the captivity.

This bill will also do away with these veterans medication co- payments. Surely we can all agree that these veterans have paid enough. This bill will extend and enhance long-term care and mental health programs. The VA continues to study how it will provide care in the future. Congress must remain vigilant about the programs that are needed by some of the most vulnerable veterans in the system.

I am pleased we have continued to support two internal watchdogs to monitor and report to Congress on the methods of improving mental health programs within the VA for the seriously mentally ill and for victims of post-traumatic stress disorder.

With troops who have seen the consequences of combat still in the field, we need the VA permanent programs to be available to both men and women who have trouble readjusting to civilian life.

Madam Speaker, there are numerous additional provisions in the bill that will allow the VA to provide better care to our veterans. I would like to thank the committee leadership and the staff for their hard work on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1156, as amended, the Veterans Health Care, Capital Asset And Business Improvement Act of 2003. The bill draws the best from provisions offered in this body and in the Senate. I have worked closely on this bill with the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, Mr. Simmons. I would also like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Evans for their assistance in finalizing this bill.

I am most pleased that the bill includes important provisions from H.R. 2433, as amended, a bill I introduced with the support of my Chairman, Mr. Simmons. I also appreciate the persistence of the gentleman from California, Mike Thompson in ensuring that these tests were brought to light. This bill will take important steps to remedy a serious wrong done to some veterans during the Cold War era. The military conducted a series of about 50 tests over almost a decade to determine the effect of a number of biological and chemical exposures on military operations and whether such exposures could be adequately detected. Too often veterans who participated, sometimes unwittingly, in these tests were not properly protected from exposures to a number of stimulants and, occasionally, live agents. These agents included Sarin and VX nerve gas as well as biological war agents including Q fever and rabbit fever.

The military has now completed a number of investigations into the operations of the Deseret Test Center and concluded that as many as 6000 veterans may have been involved. Veteran participants are understandably concerned and want assurances that they are not suffering lasting health consequences related to these tests. This bill provides high-priority health care eligibility to these veterans for the next two years to allow them to seek and receive VA treatment for any health problems, including those they believe may be related to exposures to these hazardous agents. This authority will never adequately compensate veterans for their participation in dangerous tests, but allowing them to have their health care concerns addressed may begin to give them the peace-of-mind the nation owes them.

I am also pleased that the final bill includes many of the provisions from H.R. 1720, as amended. Madam Speaker, this bill authorizes many worthy construction projects to which VA has given high priority. Unfortunately, VA's major medical construction has languished for years as Congress has waited for the results of the Capital Assets Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) study. I hope now that VA is about to approve a final plan, Congress will see fit to provide the appropriations VA requires to invest in its outdated infrastructure. If so, this will be a positive outcome of CARES. A provision of our bill is designed to ensure Congress that we are also adequately informed of some less positive developments that may result from this process-- facility closures, staff reassignments and consolidations that may affect many veterans. I am pleased that this bill will give us both the assurance of this notification and the time to respond to these developments.

Regardless of its outcomes, CARES gave us at least one thing of value--information. Last fall, VA came forward with data that confirm ongoing concerns I, along with my good friend Solomon Ortiz, have had about the veterans of South Texas. We knew they often suffered long, miserable journeys--up to 6 hours one way--to receive hospital care and some specialized services, but I don't think anyone knew many of our veterans had the worst access to acute hospital care in the nation! I am pleased this bill will require VA to report to us on steps it intends to take to resolve this longstanding problem.

This bill will provide new benefits to former prisoners-of-war. Under current law, neither Jessica Lynch nor her comrades who suffered internment in Iraq would be eligible to receive outpatient dental care from the VA. Why? Because they were in captivity for fewer than 90 days. While this limitation on eligibility was based on a rationale, it now seems capricious. Veterans who have experienced the trauma associated with being a prisoner of war deserve dental care regardless of their time in captivity. This bill will also do away with these veterans' medication copayments. Surely we can all agree that these veterans have paid enough.

This bill will extend and enhance long-term care and mental health problems. As VA continues to study how it will provide health care in the future Congress must remain vigilant about these programs that consume many resources but are needed by some of the most vulnerable veterans in the system. I am pleased we will also require two internal watchdogs that have made solid recommendations for improving mental health programs to continue to report to Congress on the VA's services for the seriously mentally ill and for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. With troops who have seen the consequences of combat still in the field we will need VA's pre-eminent programs to be available to the men and women who have trouble readjusting to civilian life.

Madam Speaker, there are a number of additional provisions in this bill that will allow VA to provide better care to our veterans. I thank the Committee leadership and the staff for their hard work on the bill and want to commend it to all of my colleagues.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking Democrat.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), who has been in the forefront of the issue of Project SHAD and Project 112.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), whom we consider our dean, who is also responsible for some of this legislation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity, first of all, to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Simmons) for their hard work on this particular bill.

I also want to take time to also recognize our leading Democrat, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for his hard work on this specific bill. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the Members who participated to make this happen, such as the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), as well as those on the Republican side.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong opposition to the Medicare Prescription Drug Conference Report that we will be forced to vote on today. This bill has been crafted behind closed doors with the help of those corporate interests which will most benefit. Unfortunately, the bill they have created offers nothing more than empty promises to our Nation's seniors.

Medicare was built on the principle that all seniors should have access to health care, regardless of how much you make or where you live. And for over forty years, this program has successfully worked to provide access to health care, offering hope and security to America's seniors. As the nature of health care has changed over the years, however, we recognize there is a need to improve upon the program and address the prescription drug price crisis.

Seniors that I have met with back home have asked that I fight for a prescription drug benefit under the traditional Medicare plan and that is exactly what I have done. Over the years, I have worked to enact legislation that would establish a guaranteed and affordable prescription drug benefit for all Medicare beneficiaries.

The industry-backed bill that Congress will vote on today falls far short of a benefit that will truly fit seniors' needs. While the bill provides $112 billion to entice managed care companies to participate in the program, seniors will receive little assistance with their drug costs. For the first $2,000 of coverage, the consumer will pay over $1,100; for the first $5,100 of coverage, the consumer will pay approximately $4,000. Put another way, if a consumer buys approximately $5,100 of drugs a year, the consumer will pay nearly 80 percent of that cost.

Despite the $400 billion price tag, millions of retirees and low- income beneficiaries will find themselves in an even worse situation. Up to 6.4 million of the poorest and sickest Medicare beneficiaries, including close to 390,000 Texans, could have drug coverage reduced. The bill prohibits Medicaid, the nation's low-income health insurance program, from helping with co-payments or paying for prescription drugs

not on the formularies of the private insurers administering the new Medicare benefit. And 2 to 3 million seniors could lose retiree prescription coverage, including at least 132,000 Texas retirees, due to a provision that lowers Medicare assistance to employer-sponsored retiree health plans.

Furthermore, by relying on private companies to deliver a benefit, we force seniors into the arms of the health insurance industry. We have learned all too well that private Medicare insurance plans do not work. In the early 1990s, Medicare HMOs were touted as the way to control escalating costs, but by the end of the decade, private plans abandoned thousands of seniors in rural regions. Over the past couple of years, Medicare+Choice beneficiaries in metro areas have faced dramatic increases in premiums and co-payments, and reduced benefits. Given that the Republican Medicare bill does not guarantee a defined premium and plans will have substantial flexibility to create their drug benefit, millions of beneficiaries will face the same situation in the years to come.

Lastly, this bill forces us down a path towards privatization. By employing measures like the voucher-type premium support system and the creation of an overall budget cap, we end Medicare as we know it. Congress established Medicare to rescue seniors from the failure of the private sector to offer insurance or health coverage. Now we are going back.

This 600-page measure will produce the biggest change to our safety net system in over forty years. The crafting of the legislation was done behind closed doors with the help of special interest groups. Incredibly, most Members of Congress have had less than twenty-four hours to pore through the pages and analyze how the bill will truly impact America's seniors.

I understand there are important provisions in this bill for certain hospitals and providers such as increased Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians and an increase in the Medicare DSH cap for rural hospitals. I have supported similar measures in the past either by cosponsoring legislation or voting in support of such legislation.

However, there are also provisions in this bill that will hurt patients tremendously. The Medicare bill still contains drastic cuts to our nation's cancer care system. Despite several efforts by the cancer community to reach a compromise, the bill will deprive America's cancer care system of $1 billion a year. A cut like this will be devastating to cancer care. If this happens, many cancer centers will close, others will have to admit fewer patients, and still others will lay off oncology nurses and other critical support staff.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill. I do not agree with those who say something is better than nothing. I say a bad bill is worse than no bill at all. This proposal goes against the fundamental principles of a program created to serve all seniors. Let's not give America's seniors more bad medicine. Reject the Republican plan and adopt one that provides real coverage for all seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of retired Brigadier General Paul Roberson. Today, Paul was brought to his final resting place at our Nation's most hallowed ground, Arlington National Cemetery. Our friend and colleague now rests with America's national heroes.

Although born a Californian, Paul's first assignment as an Air Force officer brought him to Texas, and he spent much of his career in the San Antonio area. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Paul's military honors included the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

After a long, distinguished career with the United States Air Force, Paul led efforts in San Antonio to avoid the closure of Kelly AFB during the 1995 BRAC process. With the BRAC decision to close and realign Kelly AFB, Paul wasted no time in working to transform the largest base to be closed in the BRAC process into a productive and vibrant center for aerospace maintenance and international trade. Under his leadership, Kelly AFB became KellyUSA, which now boasts thousands of new jobs and a bright future as a leading industrial and trade center in South Texas. He has left a legacy of success.

Creating KellyUSA was no easy task, and Paul approached it with both determination and optimism. I worked closely with Paul during these years after I came to Congress. Paul always had his list of priority action items and gently, but firmly, made his case. He met obstacles resolutely and with confidence. More often, he welcomed success with humility and appreciation. This is how I will remember Paul.

Paul leaves behind a loving family and a community in San Antonio which he helped shape for the future. We all owe Paul our thanks and appreciation for his life of service to our Nation, to the United States Air Force, to KellyUSA, and to the people of San Antonio. Paul made public service an art, and we all thank him for the tapestry of his life's work.

I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey, and I want to thank him personally for what he has done in the area of health care. I know that when we heard the other gentlemen, the Republican from Texas talk a little bit about the history, I know that one of the reasons for Medicare is the fact that as our seniors reach their twilight years, we have forgotten the previous history, and, that is, that one of the difficulties was that

the existing insurance companies and health providers, as soon as you got ill, you were being dumped. Concerning LBJ, there is a little story that I tell that was written up that one of the things that he had gotten the insurance companies into the White House and the medical profession into the White House and he had basically got them in there and told them, look, I'm even going to be doing you a favor. You can go ahead and insure the young people while they're healthy and take care of them, and I know that as soon as they get ill, you're dumping them. So allow me the opportunity to establish Medicare, and I'll take them off your hands.

We have forgotten that history. We are going back to allowing the private sector to come in. It would be great if that could work out, but the reality is that my seniors do not have the resources and the profit margins are not there for the private sector to profit from it because our seniors do not have the resources and they are the ones most likely to get ill. So most of the companies do not even want to touch that. But now, of course, they do because there is some benefits that they are going to be receiving. I know that there are some tax cuts also included in this effort.

You know they do not want a free enterprise, especially when they put specific language in the bill that does not allow an opportunity, and I cannot understand this. If you really want a free enterprise, here you have it with our veterans, the VA has been able to get a contract where they can get lower prices. In this bill, I cannot believe that they have gotten language in there that does not allow that to occur. In fact, it makes it against the law for them to even try to negotiate. So it is a protection of the pharmaceutical companies. It is apparent that this bill is definitely being supported by the pharmaceutical companies, definitely being supported by the special interests. It is unfortunate, but our seniors are the ones who are going to suffer.

I wanted to briefly talk a little bit, because I know that when we talk about Medicare prescription drug coverage, our seniors in our rural communities throughout this country are hit even harder. I share that with the gentleman because I know he is well aware that this same effort has been tried in terms of the privatization of Medicare. They came to us some years ago and said, we can provide Medicare cheaper. We tried that. We know now that it did not work. In fact, in my counties in south Texas, Wilson County, Atascosa County, they were not making the profits that they wanted so they dropped. We do not see the HMOs in rural Texas and probably throughout rural America. There is a lack of access to services. If they do not see those huge profits, then they do not drop the individual but they drop the whole county.

It is unfortunate. I want to give you some figures from Texas alone.

Texas has close to 530,000 Medicare beneficiaries that are in rural Texas, and 20 percent of them live in the rural communities. I can attest to the gentleman that those individuals are specifically going to have difficulties. This promise was given to us in the 1990s about Medicare HMOs that were touted as a way to control escalating cost; but by the end of the decade, as we well know, provided plans have abandoned thousands of seniors and they have left them out there in the cold. And I expect that the same thing is going to happen.

I want to give an example also of a study that was done in the San Antonio area in Texas like it was done throughout the country. For instance, in San Antonio, Zocor, which is a cholesterol medication, runs approximately $110 for 30 tablets. Right now in the communities of Pearsall, Texas, in Atascosa County, where I have a population of 15,000, that prescription costs 25 percent more. So even prescriptions now in rural communities are even more costly. So as we can see, the costs will add up quickly and force rural seniors with this proposal to really not be able to benefit. It is unfortunate, but what we see now is basically a dismantling of Medicare.

And we recognize that. Because there is not a sincereness. The money that is coming to provide Medicare for seniors and for prescriptions is coming from cancer patients. Almost 1 billion per year, it is estimated; that those women with breast cancer, other people who suffer from cancer, it is just like taking education programs for kids to provide after-school programs. Both are in need. So we are taking from patients who suffer from cancer and then providing prescription drugs for our seniors. They are both in need of the service. So it is really unfortunate that they are unwilling to provide resources to really beef up the program the way it should be. And what I see is the beginning of a dismantling of Medicare in a way that is very dishonest, a push on this effort. And I know that we have people here who basically believe, and it is hard to comprehend that, that when it comes to health care that we do not have an obligation or a responsibility. But we need to understand that this country ought to be just in terms of how we treat our most vulnerable, how we treat our seniors in the twilight years; and this is no way to do that.

So I am hoping that we will be able to get the votes to kill this proposal because I think that all it is is a way of basically beginning to look at dismantling Medicare as we know it. It is a program that has worked. What we need to do is fund it appropriately and make sure that prescription drug coverage is part of that. If I can just share with my colleagues, this administration, when it comes to heath care, they have gone after Medicaid, which is the program that responds to the most needy of our country. They have gone after the CHIP program that funds the kids in this country, working Americans who are out there working their hearts out and paying their taxes and yet find themselves unable to insure their own kids and themselves. And this administration is the same administration that is trying to destroy

those same programs; and now they come up with a Medicare program that has a prescription drug coverage where they have taken money from the cancer patients? So when we look at a picture like that, we know that there is something wrong, and we know that their sincerity in trying to meet the problems that confront us is not there.

Once again I want to thank the gentleman for being here tonight and talking about this critical issue, and I am hoping that Americans are out there listening because this is a serious issue that is before us. It is an issue that confronts all our seniors, and we all have elderly in our communities that are impacted by this, and we are playing games.

The gentleman just mentioned something that is extremely important. If it is so great, why not do it now? And the reason why is because it is a hollow promise. There is nothing there. And when it does happen, it is going to be devastating and it is going to be a nightmare.

Mr. Speaker, if I can just close, it does make sense in a political year where they can get political contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of thousands of Americans, millions of Americans that suffer from lack of access to health care. Our Health Care Equality and Accountability Act of 2003 would expand health care coverage by providing States the option to increase eligibility and streamline enrollment in Medicare and the CHIP program.

This piece of legislation, this landmark legislation, addresses the significant gap in health care coverage and accessibility provided to Americans. This bill is endorsed by the African American Caucus, the Hispanic Caucus, as well as the Native American Caucus and the Asian Pacific Caucus and a lot of Democrats. But it is also not a Democrat or Republican; it should be a united effort in addressing the needs of our constituencies when it comes to health care.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to health care we recognize the fact that there is a great gap that exists out there among our constituency. For example, in the Latino community, 19 percent of all Hispanics depend on Medicare for their health care. So it becomes important that Medicare continues to be there for us. And I am concerned that at this time we continue to look at dismantling Medicare as we know it now.

Minorities disproportionately suffer from high rates of life- threatening diseases and are less likely to have health insurance. We recognize that and that is why we need to be responsive, not just as Democrats but also as Republicans, working together to meet the needs of our constituencies that are out there.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes time for them to be fighting and defending our country in Iraq, we do not look to whether they are Hispanic or whether they are black. We work together and we ought to do the same here in making an effort to respond to their needs. As we look at the piece of legislation that we have drafted, it is a piece of legislation that looks at all the disparities. It looks at the number of uninsured and provides appropriate safeguards to protect privacy. This bill also helps in those areas.

The bill begins to look at those who are uninsured out there. And once again we have a large number of Latinos uninsured, as well as African Americans and other populations that are having a rough time getting access to health care.

Not to mention, Mr. Speaker, the fact that when it comes to prescription drug coverage, shame on us. We need to begin to look in terms of how do we meet that need. The bill that is before us this week on Medicare is a bill that begins to dismantle Medicare, two proposals, one in the Senate and one in the House, that are not worth the paper that it is written on.

So it becomes important for us to really solve the problems that confront us. I urge all Members, both Republicans and Democrats, to begin to look at addressing this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bell) for authoring this legislation in honoring the National Champion Rice University baseball team. I commend the hard work of the players and their coaches. Their years of training and preparation, combined with their ability to work together as a team, led to an outstanding and overwhelming victory.

It is also important to recognize the unwavering dedication of the Rice supporters who cheered the team to victory. All Texans are proud of Rice University. Rice University, its alumni, the city of Houston, the Houston Astros and others have honored the Rice baseball team, and now the Congress is joining the local community and the State to show our support for their achievement.

I have the great honor of being a father of a Rice Owl. My daughter Xochil

attends Rice University, and I am proud that she has chosen to be a part of this outstanding academic institution. Not only is Rice University one of the Nation's top-ranking schools, Rice University students have distinguished themselves by creating a unique academic atmosphere that provides a well-rounded educational experience.

The win at this year's College World Series marks the first national championship for a Rice University sports team, but with the hard work and the discipline shown by the group of student athletes, I have no doubt that this is only the first of many accomplishments and championships. Congratulations, Rice University.