Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I come here tonight to set the record straight because last night the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Mr. Mark B. McClellan, made some statements in a speech before the National Press Club that I think need to be corrected.

One of the big problems that we face as a Nation is that pharmaceutical products and the cost of them is totally out of line with the rest of the world. For instance, and I have used this example many times on the floor of the House, a woman who has breast cancer, a doctor will tell her the drug of choice is Tamoxifen, and Tamoxifen in Canada costs about one-sixth or one-seventh of what it does here in the United States. There are a number of other pharmaceutical products that cost five, six, or seven times what they cost here in the United States. The same thing is true in Germany, in Spain, and France and a lot of other countries in the world. So the American people are paying five, six, or seven times what it costs in other parts of the world for the very same pharmaceutical product.

The big issue has been whether or not these products, if they are reimported into the United States, are safe. Over 1 million, probably a million and a half, American citizens have been buying their pharmaceutical products from Canada because they can get them so much cheaper up there than they can here in the United States. So there was a question of safety, are these people being injured by reimporting these pharmaceutical products from Canada?

I had four hearings before my committee and subcommittee on this very issue, and we had people from the Food and Drug Administration, Mr. Hubbard who is a deputy over there, come and testify before our committee about the safety of the reimportation of these pharmaceutical products. I asked him on four separate occasions to give us any examples of where people had been injured by pharmaceutical products, FDA-approved, that had been reimported into the United States. He could not find one example, not one, and yet the FDA continues to say that there is a safety issue about the reimportation of these pharmaceutical products.

They do not mention that they are supposed to check the food supply and the importation of foods from around the world, but 40 percent of our orange juice comes from around the world, and that is not checked, maybe 1 percent of it is, and raspberries are imported from Guatemala. We had 1,024 people either get sick or die from those that we know of, and yet we do not mention those, and yet they talk about the safety of pharmaceutical products when we have not had one case of people being damaged by reimportation of pharmaceutical products from Canada.

Yet, last night, Mr. McClellan said in his speech, ``But at the same time, these Members,'' talking about Members of Congress, ``at the same time, these Members'' of Congress ``are clearly out of touch with the realities of keeping our drug supply safe, and the clear and present dangers to America's drug supply that their bills would create.''

He is talking about a bill that we passed overwhelmingly here in the House that would allow American citizens to buy pharmaceuticals at lower cost from other parts of the world because they are costing so much here in the United States.

Now, the Food and Drug Administration, in my opinion, is marching in lockstep with the pharmaceutical industry, which is making huge profits here, while in other parts of the world they are making very small profits. The big profits and the big costs are to the American consumer, while the rest of the world does not bear those expenses. I just think that is dead wrong.

The safety issue is a bogus issue. And there is another example that I would like to cite that shows that it is not a safety issue. The FDA has approved 949 different sites where they produce FDA approved drugs in the world. That is 949, and in places like Haiti and India and China and elsewhere. There are 949 sites. When they produce drugs in those sites, they send them out in large containers. Now, if there is a safety issue, it would be at those sites, because they are sending these drugs out in large containers where there could be some tampering taking place. But when they are sent in in very small amounts from Canada or Germany to United States citizens, they are usually in containers that are tamper proof, or could be made tamper proof so that the people would have absolutely no safety issue to be concerned about.

So I am very disappointed that the Food and Drug Administration continues to say to the American people and is trying to scare senior citizens and others that they should not buy their pharmaceuticals from Canada or Germany or elsewhere, because the safety issue simply has not manifested itself. As a result, many Americans, who cannot afford prescription drugs, are going to the pharmacist and saying, How much is it? And the pharmacist says, Well, it costs this much; and they say, Well, maybe I will come back tomorrow, or they buy half a prescription and split the pills, while at the same time they could go to Canada and buy the same prescription product at one-sixth or one-seventh what it costs here in the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration ought to be doing everything they can to make sure Americans get the best product, the best prescription drug at the best price in the world marketplace. World class drugs at world class prices. They should not be trying to say there is a safety issue when none exists.

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

If this amendment were put to a vote tonight, it would pass overwhelmingly; I am just confident of that. But the Committee on Rules chose not to make this amendment in order. Yet we are allowing the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) and those who oppose this amendment to debate this for an hour. And I would just say to my colleagues, this is nothing more than a facade. It is something that we should not be doing, because this amendment is going to be ruled nongermane.

The American people overwhelmingly would support this as a loan to Iraq, a noninterest loan that could be paid back in 20 or 30 years; but at least when the oil comes in and they start making money over there, it could be repaid.

So the only thing I wanted to say tonight is that I am very disappointed that this was not made in order, number one; and, number two, I am disappointed that we are debating this for an hour when everybody knows we are not going to have a chance to vote on it. It is just not right to do business that way.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my esteemed colleagues of the contents of their influenza vaccines. As we approach the flu season, many of you will visit the doctor's office and receive an annual influenza vaccine. This might prevent the flu, but what else will it do? You should be aware that the vaccine you are about to receive contains thimerosal--a mercury-laden preservative. Scientific evidence continues to accumulate regarding the biologically plausible connection between this preservative and certain neurological disorders.

The influenza vaccine is not the only vaccine that contains thimerosal. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), several currently manufactured U.S. licensed vaccines also contain thimerosal. From Anthrax to Hepatitis, from Influenza to Lyme disease, numerous vaccines exist that contain this preservative.

During my chairmanship of the Government Reform Committee, we held numerous hearings on the adverse effects of thimerosal. According to scientists, these hearings clearly demonstrated the potentially dangerous effects of vaccines containing mercury, and how easy it would be to save thousands of victims from the preservative's effects. Furthermore, some scientists have attributed the growth in Alzheimer's Disease and autism to the mercury found in these vaccines. In April 2000, when the Committee on Government Reform held its first hearing on the dramatic rise in the rates of autism, Federal agencies were estimating that autism affected 1 in 500 children in the United States. A recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that ratio may actually be as high as 1 in every 150 children, and the problem continues to grow.

What is most shocking about these vaccines is that the pharmaceutical companies no longer need to use thimerosal as a preservative. They could easily eliminate all mercury from these vaccines. Experts believe that if single-shot vials were used for vaccines, then the thimerosal preservative would no longer be necessary. Moving to single-shot vials could have an enormously positive impact in helping to minimize the debilitating effects of mercury-laden thimerosal.

I am submitting to the Congressional Record for my colleagues' review a letter that I recently sent to corporate leaders in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

You may already be aware that scientific evidence continues

to accumulate regarding the connection between thimerosal,

autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, and that many

parents have become understandably concerned about the safety

of pediatric vaccines. Although the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) asked vaccine manufacturers to begin

removing the mercury-laden preservative thimerosal from

vaccines in 1999, they were not ordered to do so. As a

result, we now have a situation where concerned parents who

do not wish their children to be exposed to thimerosal are

unable to determine which vaccines currently on the market

contain thimerosal and which are thimerosal-free.

During my tenure as Chairman of the House Government Reform

Committee (1997-2002), a myriad of scientists testified at a

series of hearings before the Committee that the mercury in

vaccines is a contributing factor to developing neurological

disorders, including autism and Alzheimer's Disease. Numerous

scientists testified that there is a simple way to prevent

doing further harm. Experts believe that if single-shot vials

were used for vaccines, then thimerosal would no longer be

necessary. Moving to single-shot vials could have an

enormously positive impact in helping to minimize and perhaps

even eliminate some of the cases of autism, Alzheimer's

Disease, and other neurological disorders linked to mercury.

Unfortunately, several well-known and firmly-established

pharmaceutical companies continue to put thimerosal into

vaccines for both children and adults, even though the

pharmaceutical industry knows it is a highly toxic substance.

Reports still continue to surface concerning the marked

increase in neurological disorders and a possible correlation

to mercury-laden vaccines. In May of this year, the

California Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

released a report entitled, ``Autistic Spectrum Disorders,

Changes in the California Caseload: 1999-2002.'' The findings

of this report are truly alarming. California's autism

population has nearly doubled in 4 years--from 10,360

reported cases in 1998 to 20,377 cases in December of 2002.

This astounding growth rate represents a 97 percent increase

in just four years, and nearly 100 percent increase in

California's caseload since 1999. And California is not

alone. The rate of growth in the population of persons with

autism in California is commensurate with reported increases

all across the Nation, in such diverse States as Georgia,

Minnesota, and Massachusetts. We have an absolute epidemic on

our hands. If this trend is allowed to continue at a constant

rate, we could have up to 4 million autistic children in

America within the next decade.

As you may already know, many pharmaceutical companies in

your industry are concerned that they may be held liable in

potential class-action lawsuits for brain damage caused by

thimerosal, which is still found in at least three childhood

vaccines. It is my belief that because of these concerns,

language was inserted--at the last minute and under the cover

of darkness--into last year's ``National Homeland Security

Agency Act'' (H. R. 1158). This language would have protected

pharmaceutical companies from future classaction lawsuits;

however, the language was ultimately removed after being

discovered by several deeply concerned Members of both the

House and Senate.

As a leader of your industry, I implore you to eliminate

mercury from your vaccines immediately. Mercury-free medicine

protects and promotes the health of the world, as well as

protecting your industry from future lawsuits. Thank you for

your prompt and personal attention to this urgent matter.

For a chart of those vaccines that contain thimerosal, I invite my colleagues to visit the

Food and Drug Administration's website at www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/ thimerosal.htm.

Madam Speaker, the big issue that is being raised on the front page of USA Today, which I hope all of my colleagues will have a chance to read, is the very large price disparities between prescription drug costs here in the United States and what they cost elsewhere in the world. I was amazed that the media is really finally jumping on this issue, because the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht), who has been leading the fight on this issue, has been working on it a long time.

It shows very clearly that the people in the USA pay 58 percent more for prescription drugs than people in Switzerland do, 60 percent more than they spend in Great Britain, 67 percent more than Canada, 74 percent more than Germany, 78 percent more than Sweden, 102 percent more than France and 112 percent more than Italy.

This is a fact. The American people are paying so much more for pharmaceutical products than other countries and people who are buying prescription drugs in other parts of the world that Americans are going across the border into Canada in droves to buy their pharmaceutical products because it saves them so much money. When you have a little old lady who cannot afford her pharmaceutical products and her health is at risk, you cannot blame her for going across the Canadian border to buy the very same prescription drug for one-fourth or one-fifth or one-sixth of what it costs here in the United States.

It is very important that this message be gotten out to all of our constituents around this country, so that we can bring about some positive change that will make sure that Americans pay a fair price for world class drugs.

I just would like to say to my colleague who has been leading the fight on this issue, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht), what do you think about this?

Mrs. Speaker, reclaiming my time, one of the things that bothers me is the gentleman has been talking about how safe it is to buy pharmaceutical products from other industrialized nations.

There are some 940 FDA approved facilities around the world that produce these products. They are sent around the world in bulk, so the safety issue appears to be a bogus issue. But today, in USA Today, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, Mr. Mark McClellan, said that the seniors and others who are buying their pharmaceuticals from Canada are buying under ``buyer-beware'' conditions, which indicates he thinks they are at great risk.

Would the gentleman explain to us why that is not accurate?

The thing that is interesting is there are containers that are tamper-proof, and you just showed one of them there. But these 940-some production sites around the world that are FDA approved, they send these pills around the world in bulk, in huge containers, and it seems to me if there was any threat of sabotage or messing around with those, it would be in those bigger containers, not in a tamper-proof vial like that.

So it boils down to why is the Food and Drug Administration trying to protect the huge profits that are being made here in the United States by the pharmaceutical companies, when at the same time in other parts of the world it is not that great.

Madam Speaker, as we approach the flu season, many of my colleagues will visit the doctor's office here on Capital Hill and receive a flu shot. And before they go, I think all my colleagues ought to know that that flu shot contains mercury, which is a substance that is toxic to the human brain. That is not to say you should not get your flu shot if you want to, but there is a lot of neurological disorders that have been caused by mercury, and I think everyone should know there is mercury in that vaccine.

That is not the only vaccine that contains thimerosal. From anthrax to hepatitis, from lyme disease to DTaP, which is given to infants to protect against diptheria, tetanus and whooping cough, numerous vaccines exist that contain mercury, a harmful preservative. And parents around this country, I am sure, would be very upset if they knew that.

Scientific evidence continues to accumulate regarding the biologically-plausible connection between mercury and thimerosal, autism, and other neurological developmental disorders. Yet several well-known and firmly established pharmaceutical companies continue to put mercury into vaccines as a preservative, and it has never been tested. That is very interesting. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked vaccine manufacturers to begin removing the mercury-latent thimerosal from vaccines in 1999, they did not order them to do it. So the pharmaceutical companies continue to put that in our vaccines.

During my tenure as chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, a myriad of scientists testified at a series of hearings before the committee that mercury in vaccines is a contributing factor to developing neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and autism in children. Fifteen years ago, one out of every 10,000 children were autistic. Now it is one out of 150. And many scientists believe that is because of the mercury in vaccines.

In May of this year, the California Department of Developmental Services released a report entitled ``Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Changes in the California Caseload: 1999 to 2002.'' And the findings are very alarming. California's autistic population has nearly doubled in 4 years, from 10,360 cases in 1998 to over 20,000 cases in 2002.

This growth rate represents a 97 percent increase in just 4 years and a nearly 100 percent increase in California's case law since 1999. And they are not alone. The rate of growth in the population of persons with autism across this country is really horrible, and it is very bad in States such as Georgia, Minnesota, and Massachusetts. We have an absolute epidemic on

our hands. And if this trend is allowed to continue at a constant rate, we could have as many as 4 million autistic children in America in the next 10 years.

Despite a growing body of science linking autism to mercury and thimerosal, and the protests of hundreds of thousands of concerned parents across the country, the pharmaceutical industry continues to put mercury into vaccines for both children and adults even though they know mercury is toxic to the human brain. Pharmaceutical companies are concerned that they may be held liable in potential class action lawsuits for brain damage caused by the mercury-based preservative, which is still found in childhood vaccines diptheria, hepatitis B and the flu shots. Because of these liability concerns, language was inserted at the last minute under the cover of darkness in the homeland security bill to protect the pharmaceutical industry from class action lawsuits. However, because we caught it, we were able to get it out of there because a lot of Members of the House and Senate thought it was terrible what they did.

Numerous scientists have testified there is a simple way to prevent this, and that is to go to single-shot vials. Those little glass containers. They would not have to put thimerosal or any preservative in if they did that. Moving to single-shot vials could have an enormously positive impact in helping to minimize, perhaps even eliminate, some of the cases of Alzheimer's and autism and other neurological disorders linked to mercury.

This is something that the pharmaceutical companies must address. Our Food and Drug Administration and our health agencies are asleep at the switch. They are letting children and adults be damaged day after day after day by allowing mercury to continue to be put into vaccines for adults and children.

We have a growing number of people who are becoming Alzheimer's patients, a dramatically growing number. We have one in 10,000 children 10 years ago that were autistic, now it is one in 150. And scientists before my committee say it is in large part because of the mercury in the vaccines. We have to get the FDA on the stick. They have to demand that pharmaceutical products having mercury be taken out of them very, very quickly. If not, we are going to continue to have an epidemic on our hands that America does not need and should not tolerate.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 678) to amend chapter 10 of title 39, United States Code, to include postmasters and postmasters organizations in the process for the development and planning of certain policies, schedules, and programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 678.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 678, the Postmasters Equity Act, was introduced by the distinguished Senator from Hawaii, Senator Daniel Akaka, and it gives our Nation's most valued postmasters the same options available to postal supervisors when negotiating pay and benefits with the U.S. Postal Service. My colleague on the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), who is the chairman of the special panel on Postal Reform and Oversight, introduced an identical bill, H.R. 2249, which passed this House back in July; and I am proud to be a cosponsor of that bill, and I am pleased the House is considering the Senate version of that bill today.

This legislation extends to postmasters and other nonunion postal employees the fact-finding procedures already established under current law for postal supervisors. This process allows for an unbiased review of issues in dispute during negotiations, as well as the ability to issue nonbinding recommendations to resolve those issues. Currently, without this right, postmasters lack any form of recourse when pay talks under the consultation process fail.

Based on the 38,000 post offices across the country, postmasters provide an essential link to the Federal Government and to other nations' citizens. This bill provides essential fairness to postmasters, and this legislation has already unanimously passed the Senate

and unanimously passed the House in its House version. I am very pleased that this legislation will soon be on the President's desk and enacted into law, and I want to commend the Senator from Hawaii and the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) for their diligence on the Postmasters Equity Act and for their support. I urge all Members to support its passage.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for cosponsoring this bill and for all of the hard work he has put in on this and a lot of other pieces of legislation before the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Akaka for introducing this important bill and the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) for his hard work. I urge all Members to support the passage of Senate bill 678.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 369) expressing the profound sorrow of the House of Representatives for the death of Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon and extending thoughts, prayers, and condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.

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

Mr. Speaker, I met Frank O'Bannon, our now-deceased Governor, I met his father back in the late 1960s when I served with his father in the Indiana State Senate. His father was editor and publisher of a newspaper in Corydon, Indiana; and he was one of the finest men I ever served with. He was a real gentleman. Even though we had our differences, Governor O'Bannon's father was a wonderful man.

Mr. Speaker, we know a lot about people by their children. And although I knew Senator O'Bannon, Governor O'Bannon's father, very well, I was not sure about what kind of family man he was. But then I met his son who became Senator after his dad retired, and Senator Frank O'Bannon was also one of the finest men I ever served with in the Indiana State Senate. His brother, Bob, who is a businessman in Indianapolis, is also fine man. We know a lot about people by their children, and Governor O'Bannon was a wonderful man, and I am sure his mother was a wonderful woman as well.

Governor O'Bannon was revered by everyone who knew him, whether it was a Republican or a Democrat. He was a very fine public servant, a man who really cared about his fellow man and his civic responsibilities. He learned that from his father and mother and worked hard in both the Indiana State Senate and as Governor.

Although we had political differences, I always admired him because he was a man of honor. If he gave you his word, you could take it to the bank. He always said what he meant, and he meant what he said. We are going to miss him in Indiana.

I will tell one little anecdote. Senator O'Bannon sat directly in front of me when I was a freshman when he was a State Senator. I was seated on the Democrat side, and he was the minority leader for the Democrats in the State Senate. He was such a nice guy we would kid each other. One day I said, Senator, you are such a nice guy and so intelligent and you read papers, I know you can read, I do not know why you do not become a Republican. And he turned around and looked at me without batting an eye; and he said you

have the same qualities, I do not know why you do not become a Democrat. That was one of the more interesting and funny anecdotes I remember about Governor O'Bannon.

He was a wonderful man. We are going to miss him in Indiana. I wish his wife the very best. I know she is suffering a great deal, as well as the rest of his family right now; but I hope that Judy O'Bannon is doing well, and we wish her the very best. She and her family have our prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the Eighth District of Indiana (Mr. Hostettler).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Chocola).

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

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

Let me just end by saying that in the 1997 inauguration speech, Frank O'Bannon made some very poignant remarks that I think are appropriate at this time. He said: ``Life is no brief candle for me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as I can before turning it over to future generations.'' Frank O'Bannon did just that, and we all miss him, and we wish his family the very best, and they are in our prayers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 369, the resolution just agreed to.

Mr. Speaker, for the past 2 or 3 years, I have held hearings on the issue of autism in America. We used to have one out of 10,000 children that were autistic. That is where they will not focus on things, they will not talk, they yell, they stamp their feet, they have chronic diarrhea and constipation, they have all kinds of physical problems; and their parents lose either complete control over them or they cannot communicate with them, and it hurts these children for the rest of their lives, and ultimately they are going to be a burden on the taxpayers of this country.

It used to be one out of 10,000. Now it is one out of 150. We have an absolute epidemic of autism in America.

Many scientists who appeared before my committee believe and have substantial evidence that the mercury that is in vaccinations is a major contributing cause of this autism.

It used to be you only got one or two vaccinations. When I was a kid, if you had measles or mumps or anything like that, they would quarantine the house. Now they give vaccinations for all of that, and these vaccinations can contain a substance called Thimerosal. Thimerosal is 50 percent mercury, and children who are going to school get as many as 25 to 30 vaccinations before the school will let them enter the front door.

The mercury has a cumulative effect. Once it gets in the brain, it starts destroying brain tissue and causes all kinds of neurological problems including autism. Yet the Food and Drug Administration has never, ever tested Thimerosal. It is used as a preservative. It is 50 percent mercury, they have never tested it, and yet it has been in vaccines for years.

We fought with them and our health agencies for some time to get that out of these children's vaccines, and they said they would do it. So this last week I wrote a letter to the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, the Secretary of HHS; and I asked him to give me a list of those vaccinations that still contain mercury, Thimerosal. We found that 20 of the 43 vaccinations that are manufactured here in the United States still contain mercury. People are still having that injected into their bodies, adults as well as children.

Three or four of the major vaccinations that children get still have mercury in them, and vaccinations that have not been used, the serum that has not been used that is still on shelves in many of the doctors' offices, predate the dates they started taking mercury out of the children's vaccinations. So the FDA has not ordered them to take the mercury out, nor did the FDA notify doctors that Thimerosal-free vaccinations were preferred and that pediatricians should take the mercury out of their stocks of vaccines.

Recently, I wrote to the Secretary of HHS. I got the list. Twenty of the 43 currently manufactured vaccines in the U.S. still contain mercury, still are poisoning our children and adults. Our troops over in the Persian Gulf and Iraq were getting as many as 11 shots in one day, and most of those contain Thimerosal-mercury.

We have a rise in Alzheimer's as well, an epidemic of that; and I believe that that, in large part, is caused by the neurologically damaging mercury that is in vaccines.

Anyhow, HHS is still allowing vaccinations containing mercury to be given to children, such as the flu vaccine given to children 6 years old down to age 23 months. Hepatitis B, diphtheria, and tetanus still contain Thimerosal. Those are being given to children. Those lots that are still on the shelves that contain mercury are still being given to children. The Food and Drug Administration is not doing anything about it, and everybody in this country ought to be raising cain, not just because their children have not been damaged, but because all of those children who are being damaged are going to be a burden in one way or another on the taxpayers of this country, and it is going to cost us literally trillions of dollars if this is not stopped.

We have to do everything we can to hold HHS and the vaccine manufacturers' feet to the fire to get mercury out of vaccinations. Mercury is a toxic substance. It is toxic to the brain. It hurts neurologically anybody that has it injected into them. Yet they are still using it as a preservative. This is something that has to end.

These are the faces of children who have been damaged, just a small number of them; and we have got to do something about that. How would you like to have a child, like my grandson, who got nine shots in one day, seven of which contained mercury, and two days later he became autistic, a perfectly normal child.

These are things that cannot and must not be tolerated. We need to do everything we can to put all the pressure we can on our Health and Human Services agencies, FDA, CDC, and all the rest. Our Secretary of HHS, Tommy Thompson, who is a fine man, needs to pay attention to this and get this mercury out of these vaccinations as quickly as possible. It is hurting us all; not just the children, but the adults as well.

Scientific evidence continues to accumulate regarding the biologically plausible connection between mercury containing Thimerosal in vaccines, autism and other neurodevelopment disorders.

As a result, many parents have become understandably concerned about the safety of childhood vaccines.

And they should be considering that Thimerosal is 50 percent mercury by weight and mercury is one of the most toxic substances on the planet.

Even though the FDA asked vaccine manufacturers to remove Thimerosal from vaccines in 1999, they did not order them to do so.

Nor did FDA notify doctors that Thimerosal-free vaccines were preferred nor did they recommend that pediatricians remove Thimerosal vaccines from their stocks.

Recently, I asked the Secretary of HHS, Tommy Thompson and the FDA Commissioner, Dr. Mark McClellan to provide me with a list of all commercially available vaccines, including routinely prescribed pediatric vaccines, which currently contain Thimerosal.

Although they both assured me that none of the routinely recommended pediatric vaccines contain Thimerosal as an additive, 20 of the 43 currently manufactured and U.S. licensed vaccines still contain this dangerous substance.

FDA says it recognizes and supports the Public Health Services goal of reducing exposure to mercury.

If this is so, then they have to do more to ensure that all 43 vaccines currently manufactured and licensed in the United States are free of Thimerosal.

The most shocking example of a vaccine that still contains Thimerosal is the Influenza vaccine, commonly known as the Flu Shot, which is given to millions of Americans every year, adults and children alike.

In fact, last year, the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement saying that the Academy encourages that the flu vaccine be given to all healthy children aged 6-23 months.

The harm that mercury could potentially inflict on such children is incalculable.

In addition, commonly administered vaccines such as the Hepatitis B, and the Diphtheria and Tetanus shot still contain Thimerosal.

In closing, I would like to enter into the Record a letter from the FDA Commissioner dated September 11, 2003, listing all of the Thimerosal containing vaccines.

I urge all Americans to contact the FDA to obtain this information to ensure that the vaccines that you and your children are getting are as safe as possible.

I strongly urge the FDA to finally eliminate this dangerous preservative from all vaccines and destroy any remaining stocks of Thimerosal containing vaccines in the interest of public safety.

Department of Health & Human Services, Food and Drug

Administration,

Rockville, MD, September 11, 2003.

Hon. Dan Burton,

Chairman, Subcommittee on Wellness and Human Rights,

Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter is in response to your

letter of July 30, 2003 in which you requested that the Food

and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) provide you with a

list of all commercially available vaccines, including

routinely prescribed pediatric vaccines that currently

contain thimerosal.

The enclosed table provides the information you requested.

In an effort to keep the public advised on this issue, we

have posed this information on our FDA website since 2001 at:

www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm. We have been

updating the website as new information becomes available.

We wish to assure you that FDA is committed to help ensure

the safety and effectiveness of all vaccines. Vaccines

continue to prevent serious illness and death, and the

benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks.

Furthermore, FDA does recognize and support the Public Health

Services' goal of reducing exposure to mercury. At this time,

none of the routinely recommended pediatric vaccines (for

children 5 years of age or under) contain thimerosal as a

preservative. The routinely recommended vaccines are:

Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Hib), Inactivated Polivirus

Vaccine (IPV), Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular

Pertussis Vaccine (DTaP), Hepatitis B Vaccine (HepB),

Measles, Mumps and Rubella Virus Vaccine (MMR), Varicella

Vaccine, and the Pneumococtal Conjugate Vaccine.

Thank you again for your continued interest in the safety

of vaccines. If you have further questions, please let us

know.

Sincerely,

Mark B. McClellan, M.D., PhD.,

Commissioner of Food and Drugs.

Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues are paying attention to this 5-minute Special Order because there are a couple of things that should be brought to Members' attention in this body and the other body. The first one is the Saudi Arabian government has been and continues to be, in my opinion, complicitous in terrorist activities involving Americans abroad and here at home. The Saudi Royal Family, according to reports I have been made aware of, have been conduits or had conduits give money to terrorists and funded terrorist activities. And I think everybody in America knows that 15 of the 17 terrorists that attacked the World Trade Center were Saudis.

It seems to me incumbent upon our government to put pressure on the Saudi government to be a friend of the United States instead of an enemy. We should do everything we can to stop the Saudis from funding terrorist activities on the West Bank and Gaza in Israel. Toward that end, I hope that our Secretary of State, Colin Powell, might be paying attention to what I am saying tonight because it is important that our State Department deal with that on an every day, ongoing basis, to keep pressure on the Saudis to bring about positive change.

I know that we get an awful lot of our energy supplies from that part of the world, and Saudi Arabia supplies a lot of that, but that does not give them the right to support terrorism that threatens our friends in Israel or the people of the United States.

The second thing I would like to say is that there was a story, an editorial comment printed in Al Akhram, the official Egyptian daily newspaper this last week, and I would like to read what was said by the Egyptians toward the United States about the United States, and this is the official organ of the Egyptian government, their newspaper. This piece attacks the Americans over Iraq calling Americans cannibals. This is the government of Egypt speaking, prehistoric animals who feel

they have the right to dismember and eat their enemies and to make sure they are dead. The Egyptian newspaper says Americans are wallowing in blood and death and disembowelment, and for the crimes of the U.S. troops, the paper says, this is the Egyptian newspaper, an organ of the government, the proper response is to kill American troops.

What does the Egyptian government do? Right now it is encouraging the America-hating because it takes the heat off of the government itself. This is how American-hating works around the world. Call us cannibals, and what we will do is, we will support you.

We give Egypt $2 billion a year to help their economy; $2 billion a year. And we have been doing it for a long, long time, ever since the Camp David accords were signed when Jimmy Carter was the President.

If we are going to be giving money to the Egyptians, then we ought to demand that they show respect for our troops and our involvement in the war in Iraq. Our troops went over there to liberate that country, to save those people from a tyrant, to stop terrorism in that part of the world and around the world. And for that our Egyptian friends, whom we give $2 billion to a year, are calling us cannibals and saying that American troops should be killed and slaughtered.

This is something that we should not tolerate. And so I would say to our State Department and our fine Secretary of State, take a message to the Egyptian government, tell them to cut this out. If they want support from the United States, let them treat us with respect and treat our troops with respect who are laying their lives on the line for the people of Iraq and the people of this world on a daily basis.

Secondly, I hope our State Department will continue to talk to the Saudi Arabian government and tell them to get with the program and stop supporting terrorism around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following:

Ellis Island, NY, May 17.--Standing on the hallowed grounds

of Ellis Island--the portal through which 17 million

immigrants entered the United States--a cast of ethnic

Americans who have made significant contributions to the life

of this nation were presented with the coveted Ellis Island

Medal of Honor at an emotionally uplifting ceremony. This

year's event was dedicated to our armed forces.

This year's ceremony date coincides with National Armed

Forces Day. As such, we would like to pay special tribute to

the men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces both here

and abroad. Several of our Medalists also serve in the armed

forces; many more are honored veterans.

NECO's annual medal ceremony and reception on Ellis Island

in New York Harbor is the Nation's largest celebration of

ethnic pride. Representing a rainbow of ethnic origins, this

year's recipients received their awards in the shadow of the

historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps were taken by

the millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. in the latter

part of the nineteenth century. ``Today we honor great ethnic

Americans who, through their achievements and contributions,

and in the spirit of their ethnic origins, have enriched this

country and have become role models for future generations,''

said NECO Chairman William Denis Fugazy. ``In addition, we

honor the immigrant experience--those who passed through this

Great Hall decades ago, and the new immigrants who arrive on

American soil seeking opportunity.''

Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of

Honor pay tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise

America's unique culture mosaic. To date, approximately 2000

American citizens have received medals.

NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S.

serving as an umbrella group for over 250 ethnic

organizations and whose mandate is to preserve ethnic

diversity, promote ethnic and religious equality, tolerance

and harmony, and to combat injustice, hatred and bigotry.

NECO has a new goal in its humanitarian mission: saving the

lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

NECO has founded The Forum's Children Foundation, which

brings children from developing nations in need of life-

saving surgery to the United States for treatment.

Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients are selected each

year through a national nomination process. Screening

committees from NECO's member organizations select the final

nominees, who are then considered by the Board of Directors.

Past Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients have included

several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes,

entrepreneurs, religious leaders and business executives,

such as William Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald

Ford, George Bush, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, Mario Cuomo,

Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Michael Douglas, Gloria Estefan,

Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, Muhammad Ali,

Mickey Mantle, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Barbara Walters,

Terry Anderson, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Senator John McCain,

Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Janet Reno.

Congratulations to the 2003 Ellis Island Medals of Honor Recipients

Ruth J. Abram, President, Lower East Side Tenement Museum,

Romanian/Irish/Russian; Danny Aiello, Actor, Italian; Hon.

Hagop S. Akiskal, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University

of California at San Diego, Armenian; Hon. William Vollie

Alexander, Managing Partner, Alexander & Associates,

Scottish/English/Irish; Menelaos Anastasios Aliapoulios,

M.D., Medical Director, General Electric Company, Hellenic;

Hon. Hushang Ansary, Parman Group, Iranian; Angela Susan

Anton, CEO & Publisher, Long Island Community Newspapers,

Czechoslovakian/Italian; William Austin, Chairman & CEO,

Starkey Laboratories Inc., English; Robert P. Badavas, Chief

Operating Officer, Atlas Venture, Hellenic; Peter Balakian,

Professor, Colgate University, Armenian; Roger Ballou,

President & CEO, CDI Corporation, English/Scottish/French;

Salvatore A. Balsamo, Chairman, Tac World Wide Companies,

Italian; Peggy L.S. Barmore, Assistant to the President,

NYSUT, African/Irish; Peter J. Barris, Managing General

Partner, New Enterprise Associates, Hellenic; Anthony J.

Bifaro, Assistant to the President, NYSUT, Italian; Michael

Bolton, Bolton Music Company, Russian/English; Capt. Craig E.

Bone, Commanding Officer & Commander of the Port NY & NJ,

Coast Guard Activities, English/Irish/German; George

Boyadjieff, Chairman, Varco International, Inc., Bulgarian/

Russian; Albert A. Boyajian, President & CEO, Global

Bakeries, Inc., Armenian; Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., President

Emeritus, Bronx Community College--CUNY, African; Bishop

William Brown, Pastor, Founder & Chairman, Salvation &

Deliverance Church, South African; John A. Canning, Jr.,

President, Madison Dearborn Partners, Irish/Italian; Terrel

L. Cass, President & General Manager, WLIW 21--NY Public

Television, Irish/English; Myron Z. Chlavin, CEO, Desser Tire

& Rubber Co., Austrian/Latvian; Msgr. Eugene V. Clark,

Rector, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Irish/Dutch; Maj. Gen.

Richard S. Colt, Commander, 77th Regional Support Command US

Army Reserve, Scottish; Francis X. Comerford, President &

General Manager, WNBC, Irish/Italian; Leo P. Condakes,

President, Peter Condakes Co., Hellenic; Alexander A. Conti,

Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual Financial

Network, Italian; Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr., President & CEO,

FelCor Lodging Trust Inc., English; Thomas M. Coughlin,

President & CEO, Wal-Mart Stores & Sam's Clubs USA, Irish;

Hon. Anthony J. Cutrona, Supreme Court Justice--NYS Supreme

Court, 2nd Judicial Department, Italian.

Salvatore A. Davino, President, Fidelity Land Development

Corp., Italian; Commander Carlos Del Toro, US Naval Forces,

Cuban; Vincent DeMentri, Anchor/Correspondent, WPIX-TV,

Italian; John E. Durante, President, Rockledge Equities,

Italian; Umberto P. Fedeli, Jr., President & CEO, The Fedeli

Group, Italian; Charles A. Feghali, President, Interstate

Resources, Inc., Lebanese; John J. Flynn, President, Int'l

Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers, Irish; Colonel

Warren J. Foersch, Commander, First Marine Corps District--US

Marines, French/German/Irish; Hon. James S. Gallas, US

Magistrate Judge, US District Court--Northern District of

Ohio, Eastern Division, Hellenic; Luther R. Gatling,

President, Budget & Credit Counseling Services, Inc.,

African; Richard A. Goldstein, Chairman & CEO, International

Flavors & Fragrances Inc., Russian; Hon. Joseph G. Golia,

Associate Justice, Appellate Term, 2nd & 11th Judicial

District, Supreme Court of the State of NY, Italian; John

George Gonis, D.D.S., Chairman & President, Dental

Associates, LTD, Hellenic; Andy Granatelli, Former CEO &

President (Retired), STP Corporation, Italian; James T.

Hackett, Chairman, President & CEO, Ocean Energy, Inc.,

Irish/German; Val J. Halamandaris, Esq., President, National

Association for Homecare & Hospice, Hellenic; Thomas E.

Hales, Chairman, President & CEO, Union State Bank, Italian/

Irish; Taek Sun Han, Founder & CEO, Han Yang Supermarket/Han

Yang Cultural Center/Morning Glory Stationery World, South

Korean; Michael J. Handy, Director, Mayor's Office of

Veterans Affairs, African/English/Native American; Russell

Hotzler, Interim President, York College, CUNY, Italian/

German; Sayed Jemal Houssein-Afghani, Inc., Humanitarian,

Afghan/English; Ronald C. Jones, Secretary, United Federation

of Teachers, Italian.

Georgia Kaloidis, CEO, Diskal, Inc., Hellenic; Frank S.

Kamberos, Former VP Operations, Treasure Island Foods, Inc.,

Hellenic;

I. Pano Karatassos, Founder/President, Buckhead Life

Restaurant Group, Hellenic; Bruce E. Karatz, Chairman & CEO,

KB Home, Russian; Elaine Kaufman, President, Elaine's

Restaurant, Russian; Stella Kim, Executive Vice President, By

Design, L.L.C., South Korean; Michael B. Kitchen, President &

CEO, CUNA Mutual Group, Canadian; Thomas M. Lamberti, Esq.,

Partner, Putney, Twonbly, Hall & Hirson, LLP, Italian; Lou

Lamoriello, President, CEO & General Manager, New Jersey

Devils, CEO, NJ Nets, Italian; Henri Landwirth, Founder &

Chairman, Give Kids the World & Dignity-U-Wear Foundation

Inc., Belgian/Polish; Stewart F. Lane, President, Theatre

Venture, Inc., Russian/Polish; A. Alexander Lari, Founder &

Chairman, Claremont Group, LLC, Iranian; Denis Leary,

President, The Leary Firefighters Foundation, Irish; Chung

Wha Lee, President, Lee Chung Wha Diamond Corporation,

Korean; Howard H. Lee, President & CEO, World Journal,

Chinese; Simon S. Lee, CEO & President, STG, Inc., South

Korean; James P. Lemonias, Chairman & CEO, Whitman

Company, Inc., Hellenic; Lt. Gen. William J. Lennox, Jr.,

Superintendent US Military Academy, Scottish/Irish; Hon.

Phil Leventis, State Senator, State of South Carolina,

Hellenic; Michael Yi-Sheng Liao, VP/Chief Information

Officer, GM Asset Management, Chinese; Tony Lo Bianco,

Actor, Director and Producer, Italian; Richard A.

Loughlin, Vice Chairman, Willis, Irish; Constantine S.

Macricostas, Chairman, Founder, Photronics, Hellenic;

Sheldon Harris Malinou, DDS, Assistant to the Director,

Cabrini Medical Center, Russian/Ukrainian; Anastasios E.

Manessis, President, Manessis Marketing Corp., Hellenic;

Puzant A. Markarian, Principal (Retired), Arlington

Textiles, Inc., Armenian; John L. Marks, Chairman & CEO,

Mark IV Realty, Inc., Hellenic.

Patrick F. Martin, Chairman, President & CEO, StorageTek,

Irish; Stanley Matthews, Founder, Matthews Diner & Pancake

House, Hellenic; Hon. Roslynn R. Mauskopf, US Attorney,

Eastern District, New York, Czechoslovakian; Hon. James E.

McGreevey, Governor--State of New Jersey, Irish; Raymond

Melville, Assistant Business Manager, Local Union #3,

I.B.E.W., Irish; Robert G. Miller, Chairman & CEO, Rite Aid

Corporation, Russian/English; Veronica Montgomery-Costa,

President, Local 372 NYC Board of Education Employees Union,

African; Patrick J. Moore, President & CEO, Smurfit-Stone

Container Corporation, Irish/Scottish/Swedish; Donal J.

Murphy, President, D.J. Murphy Assoc, Irish; Albin D. Obal,

President, Condor Contracting Company, Inc., Owner, Midland

Enterprises, Polish; James E. O'Connor, Chairman & CEO,

Republic Services, Inc., Irish; James F. Orr, Chairman,

President & CEO, Convergys Corporation, Scottish/Irish/

English/German; Nacy Panzica, Chairman, Panzica Construction

Company, Italian; Steven Peter Papadatos, President,

Papadatos Associatesn PC Architects, Hellenic; Frank

Pellegrino, Sr., CEO, Rao's Specialty Foods, Italian; Stan

Pelofsky, M.D., President, Neuroscience Speciahsts, Polish.

James Tung Chiang Pi, President, Pi Trading Company, Inc.,

Chinese; John Politis, President & CEO, Apartment Realty

Group, Inc., Hellenic; Gerry Puccio, Sr., Founder, Rockleigh

Country Club/CEO Carrin on Real Estate & Investment Group,

Italian; Lewis S. Ranieri, Founder & Chairman, Hyperion

Partners, LLP, Italian; Subash Razdan, Advisor, Procurement

Advisory Council, Coca Cola Company, Indian; Paul V. Reilly,

President, Chairman & CEO, Mail-Well, Inc., Irish; Mary Lou

Retton, U.S. Olympic Gold Medallist, Italian; Richard

Romanoff, President, Nebraskaland, Inc., Russian; E. John

Rumpakis, Owner, N.E.W.S., Hellenic; Michael Schenkler,

Pubhsher, Queens Tribune, Russian/Polish; Martin Scorsese,

President, Cappa Productions, Italian; Myron P. Shevell,

Chairman & CEO, New England Motor Freight Inc./The Shevell

Group, Russian/German; David J. Shitn, Chairman CEO,

Riverside Park, Inc./Kiku Restaurant Inc., Korean; Richard

Silverman, Vice-Chairman, Fleet National Bank N.A., Romanian/

English; Hon. Nirmal K. Sinha, Commissioner Ohio Civil

Rights, Assistant Director Department of Pubhc Utilities,

Columbus, Ohio, Indian; Curtis Shwa, Founder and President,

The Alliance of Guardian Angels, Itahan/Polish; Thomas A.

Smith, President & CEO, Oglethorpe Power Corporation,

Norwegian/Scottish/German; Ralph Snyderman, M.D., Chancellor

for Health Affairs, President and CEO, Duke University Health

System, Russian; Rajesh K. Soin, Chairman & CEO, Soin

International, Indian.

Hon. Maria Sotiropoulos, Protocol Officer, The White House/

US Department, of State, Cypriot; Sy Sternberg, Chairman &

CEO, New York Life Insurance Company, Romanian/Polish/

Lithuanian; Nicolas Tabbal, M.D., F.A.C.S., Plastic Surgeon,

Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hosp-NYU, Lebanese; Hon. Patrick

N. Theros, Ambassador, President & Executive Director, US

Qatar Business Council, Hellenic; Demetrios E. Tsintolas,

President, Tsintolas Realty Company, Hellenic; Ben Vereen,

Vereen Productions, Afiican; Nicholas S. Vidalakis,

CoFounder, Chairman & CEO, VFP LLC, Hellenic; Vuksan

Vuksanaj, President, New York Travel Agency, Inc., Albanian;

Mike Wallace, Senior Correspondent, CBS News/60 Minutes,

Russian; Donald Washkewicz, President & CEO, Parker-Hannifin

Corporation, Polish/Czechoslovakian; Hon. Jim Wright, Speaker

of the House 1987-1989, Texas Christian University,

Australian/Irish/Scottish; Jeffrey Yarmuth, President & COO,

Sonny's Franchise Co., Russian/Polish; Pan A. Yotopoulos,

Distinguished Professor, University of Florence, Hellenic;

Xenophon Zapis, Radio Broadcaster, Zapis Communications

Corporation, Hellenic; Detective Sergeant Wallace R. Zeins,

Commanding Officer, Manhattan Night Watch, NYPD, Russian.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Millie Cox on her retirement from the Indiana Credit Union League, and to congratulate her for her many years of dedicated and tireless service.

Over the years, Millie has displayed an indomitable spirit in her work and efforts on behalf of Indiana's credit unions. She has taken time to educate and encourage credit union leaders about the legislative process and the importance of political participation. Clearly, Millie's passion for her work on behalf of Indiana's credit unions bespeaks her monumental efforts here in Washington D.C.

Millie Cox's impressive career began in February 1977, when she joined the staff of the Indiana Credit Union League. She was promoted several times, ultimately rising to Vice President of Governmental Affairs in 1986. Millie and her staff have been responsible for analyzing regulations and legislation, as well as serving as liaison between credit unions, regulatory agencies, and other government entities.

On a personal note, Millie is a long-time Hoosier, having grown up in the New Castle area with her two brothers and three sisters. She has one son, Curt, and was married for more than twenty years to her late husband Jim. Millie and I share a great interest in history and reading in addition to our Hoosier roots.

Millie Cox's dedication to her career is evident in her own words as she states that ``I believe in credit unions, I love what I do and I can't imagine working in any other industry.'' Millie, I congratulate you and wish you all the best. Capitol Hill won't be the same without you.

Mr. Speaker, due to excessive flooding in North Central, Central and South Central portions of Indiana, I was unable to be in Washington during rollcall vote Nos. 460-462. Had I been here I would have voted ``aye'' for rollcall vote Nos. 460-462.

Mr. Speaker, since 1974, Cyprus has been divided de facto into the government-controlled two-thirds of the island, the Republic of Cyprus, and the Turkish Cypriot one-third, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The anniversary of the events of July 1974 in Cyprus gives rise to misrepresentation of historical events. As the cliche goes, there are two-sides to every story. That is why I would like to share with my colleagues, the Turkish Cypriot point of view regarding the current situation on Cyprus.

The island of Cyprus gained its independence from Great Britain in 1960 and has been divided since 1974. At independence, the Republic's constitution defined elaborate power-sharing arrangements. It required a Greek Cypriot president and a Turkish Cypriot vice president; each elected by their own community. The Treaty of Alliance among the Republic, Greece, and Turkey provided for 950 Greek and 650 Turkish soldiers to help defend the island.

Cyprus' success as a new Republic lasted from 1960-63. After President Makarios proposed constitutional modifications in favor of the majority community in 1963, relations between Turkish and Greek Cypriots deteriorated. In 1964, Turkish Cypriots withdrew from

most national institutions and began to administer their own affairs. Violence between Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities occurred in 1963-64 and again in 1967. Since the 1964 crisis, U.N. peacekeeping troops have been a buffer between the two communities.

In 1974, a military junta in Athens supported a coup against President Makarios, replacing him with a hardline supporter of enosis. Turkey, citing the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, sent troops in two separate actions and, by August 25, was in control of more than 36 percent of the island. The Athens junta fell and civilian government was restored. The legitimacy of the Turkish intervention was confirmed, among others, by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, by resolution 573, dated July 29, 1974, in which it is stated, ``Turkey exercised its right of intervention in accordance with Article IV of the Guarantee Treaty of 1960.'' Greece withdrew from NATO's military command to protest NATO's failure to prevent Turkey's action.

According to Turkish Cypriot leaders, the Turkish intervention of July 1974 did not come about as an unprovoked invasion but in response to a coup d'etat; was in accordance with the Treaty of Guarantee of 1960; and therefore, was legal and legitimate. Furthermore, the Turkish Cypriot community saw the 1974 coup attempt as the culmination of a campaign to annex Cyprus to Greece.

Turkish Cypriots celebrate July 20 as their day of liberation. Since Turkey's arrival in Cyprus, peace has prevailed on the island, and the biggest beneficiaries of this atmosphere of peace and tranquility have been all Cypriots, Greek and Turkish. However, the Greek Cypriots enjoy a high level of economic prosperity, while the Turkish Cypriot economy continues to suffer from the embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot North by the Greek Cypriot South.

Turkey's presence in Cyprus is within the confines of a security role and far from preventing a political settlement. Turkey has always supported a just and lasting settlement on the island, within the mission of the good offices of the United Nations Secretary-General. Recently, Turkish Cypriots, with the full support of Turkey, demonstrated their good will by undertaking a series of confidence- building measures, including the opening of the borders to people and traffic from both sides. This has allowed, by Turkish Cypriot estimates, thousands of Turkish and Greek Cypriots to cross over to each other's territory.

This measure was followed-up by an offer to the Greek Cypriot side for the resettlement of the vacant town of Varosha in return for the re-opening of the now-defunct Nicosia International Airport. President Denktas also proposed to meet with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos directly in order to discuss these and other related issues.

However, it appears that the Greek Cypriot side has shown little interest in a negotiated settlement. In a speech made on July 17, Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos again made clear that his side does not accept the ``Annan Plan'' for a settlement as it is, claiming that doing so would mean ``legitimizing the gains accomplished by the occupation'' and that if they did so, the (the Greek Cypriots) ``would become accomplices in the destruction of the Republic of Cyprus.''

It is my hope that efforts to reach a settlement will continue between Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders. I know there are two sides to the Turkish and Greek Cypriot conflict, and that is why it is important for Congress to adopt a balanced, even-handed approach to the issue of facilitating a just and lasting settlement between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following:

Ellis Island, NY, May 17.--Standing on the hallowed grounds

of Ellis Island--the portal through which 17 million

immigrants entered the United States--a cast of ethnic

Americans who have made significant contributions to the life

of this nation were presented with the coveted Ellis Island

Medal of Honor at an emotionally uplifting ceremony. This

year's event was dedicated to our armed forces.

This year's ceremony date coincides with that of National

Armed Forces Day. As such, we would like to pay special

tribute to the men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces

both here and abroad. Several of our Medalists also serve in

the armed forces; many more are honored veterans.

NECO's annual medal ceremony and reception on Ellis Island

in New York Harbor is the Nation's largest celebration of

ethnic pride. Representing a rainbow of ethnic origins, this

year's recipients received their awards in the shadow of the

historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps were taken by

the millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. in the latter

part of the nineteenth century. ``Today we honor great ethnic

Americans who, through their achievements and contributions,

and in the spirit of their ethnic origins, have enriched this

country and have become role models for future generations,''

said NECO Chairman William Denis Fugazy. ``In addition, we

honor the immigrant experience--those who passed through this

Great Hall decades ago, and the new immigrants who arrive on

American soil seeking opportunity.''

Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of

Honor pay tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise

America's unique cultural mosaic. To date, approximately 2000

American citizens have received medals.

NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S.

serving as an umbrella group for over 250 ethnic

organizations and whose mandate is to preserve ethnic

diversity, promote ethnic and religious equality, tolerance

and harmony, and to combat injustice, hatred and bigotry.

NECO has a new goal in its humanitarian mission: saving the

lives of children with lifethreatening medical conditions.

NECO has founded The Forum's Children Foundation, which

brings children from developing nations needing life-saving

surgery to the United States for treatment.

Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients are selected each

year through a national nomination process. Screening

committees from NECO's member organizations select the final

nominees, who are then considered by the Board Directors.

Past Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients have included

several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes,

entrepreneurs, religious leaders and business executives,

such as William Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald

Ford, George Bush, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, Mario Cuomo,

Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Michael Douglas, Gloria Estefan,

Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, Muhammad Ali,

Mickey Mantle, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Barbara Walters,

Terry Anderson, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Senator John McCain,

Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Janet Reno.

Congratulations to the 2003 Ellis Island Medals of Honor

Recipients:

Ruth J. Abram, President, Lower East Side Tenement

Museum, Romanian/Irish/Prussian; Danny Aiello, Actor,

Italian; Hon. Hagop S. Akiskal, Professor of

Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego,

Armenian; Hon. William Vollie Alexander, Managing

Partner, Alexander & Associates, Scottish/English/

Irish; Menelaos Anastasios Aliapoulios, M.D., Medical

Director, General Electric Company, Hellenic; Hon.

Hushang Ansary, Parman Group, Iranian; Angela Susan

Anton, CEO & Publisher, Long Island Community

Newspapers, Czechoslovakian/Italian; William Austin,

Chairman & CEO, Starkey Laboratories Inc., English;

Robert P. Badavas, Chief Operating Officer, Atlas

Venture, Hellenic; Peter Balakian, Professor, Colgate

University, Armenian; Roger Ballou, President & CEO,

CDI Corporation, English/Scottish/French; Salvatore A.

Balsamo, Chairman, Tac World Wide Companies, Italian;

Peggy L.S. Barmore, Assistant to the President, NYSUT,

African/Irish; Peter J. Barris, Managing General

Partner, New Enterprise Associates, Hellenic; Anthony

J. Bifaro, Assistant to the President, NYSUT, Italian;

Michael Bolton, Bolton Music Company, Russian/English;

Capt. Craig E. Bone, Commanding Officer & Commander of

the Port NY & NJ, Coast Guard Activities, English/

Irish/German; George Boyadjieff, Chairman, Varco

International, Inc., Bulgarian/Russian; Albert A.

Boyajian, President & CEO, Global Bakeries, Inc.,

Armenian; Albert A. Boyajian, President & CEO, Global

Bakeries, Inc., Armenian; Roscoe C. Brown, Jr.,

President Emeritus, Bronx Community College--CUNY,

African; Bishop William Brown, Pastor, Founder &

Chairman, Salvation & Deliverance Church, South

African;

John A. Canning Jr., President, Madison Dearborn

Partners, Irish/Italian; Terrel L. Cass, President &

General Manager, WLIW 21--NY Public Television, Irish/

English; Myron Z. Chlavin, CEO, Desser Tire & Rubber

Co., Austrian/Latvian; Msgr. Eugene V. Clark, Rector,

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Irish/Dutch; Maj. Gen. Richard

S. Colt, Commander, 77th Regional Support Command US

Army Reserve, Scottish; Francis X. Comerford, President

& General Manager, WNBC, Irish/Italian; Leo P.

Condakes, President, Peter Condakes Co., Hellenic;

Alexander A. Conti, Financial Representative,

Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Italian; Thomas

J. Corcoran, Jr., President & CEO, FelCor Lodging Trust

Inc., English; Thomas M. Coughlin, President & CEO,

Wal-Mart Stores & Sam's Clubs USA, Irish; Hon. Anthony

J. Cutrona, Supreme Court Justice--NYS Supreme Court,

2nd Judicial Department, Italian;

Salvatore A. Davino, President, Fidelity Land Development

Corp., Italian; Commander Carlos Del Toro, US Naval

Forces, Cuban; Vincent DeMentri, Anchor/Correspondent,

WPIX-TV, Italian; John E. Durante, President, Rockledge

Equities, Italian; Umberto P. Fedeli, Jr., President &

CEO, The Fedeli Group, Italian; Charles A. Feghali,

President, Interstate Resources, Inc., Lebanese; John

J. Flynn, President, IU Bricklayers & Allied

Craftsworkers, Irish; Colonel Warren J. Foersch,

Commander, First Marine Corps District--US Marines,

French/German/Irish; Hon. James S. Gallas, US

Magistrate Judge, US District Court--Northern District

of Ohio, Eastern Division, Hellenic; Luther R. Gatling,

President, Budget & Credit Counseling Services, Inc.,

African; Richard Goldstein, Chairman & CEO,

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., Russian; Hon.

Joseph G. Golia, Associate Justice, Appellate Term, 2nd

& 11th Judicial District, Supreme Court of the State of

NY, Italian; John George Gonis, D.D.S., Chairman &

President, Dental Associates, LTD, Hellenic; Andy

Granatelli, Former CEO & President (Retired), STP

Corporation, Italian;

James T. Hackett, Chairman, President & CEO, Ocean

Energy, Inc., Irish/German; Val J. Halamandaris, Esq.,

President, National Association for Homecare & Hospice,

Hellenic; Thomas E. Hales, Chairman, President & CEO,

Union State Bank, Italian/Irish; Taek Sun Han, Founder

& CEO, Han Yang Supermarket/Han Yang Cultural Center/

Morning Glory Stationery World, South Korean; Michael

J. Handy, Director, Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs,

African/English/Native American; Russell Hotzler,

Interim President, York College, CUNY, Italian/German;

Sayed Jemal Houssein-Afghani, Inc., Humanitarian,

Afghan/English; Ronald C. Jones, Secretary, United

Federation of Teachers, Italian;

Georgia Kaloidis, CEO, Diskal, Inc., Hellenic; Frank S.

Kamberos, Former VP Operations, Treasure Island Foods,

Inc., Hellenic; I. Pano Karatassos, Founder/President,

Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, Hellenic; Bruce E.

Karatz, Chairman & CEO, KB Home, Russian; Elaine

Kaufman, President, Elaine's Restaurant, Russian;

Stella Kim, Executive Vice President, By Design L.L.C.,

South Korean; Michael B. Kitchen, President & CEO, CUNA

Mutual Group, Canadian; Thomas M. Lamberti, Esq.,

Partner, Putney, Twonbly, Hall & Hirson, LLP, Italian;

Lou Lamoriello, President, CEO & General Manager, New

Jersey Devils, CEO, NJ Nets, Italian; Henri Landwirth,

Founder & Chairman, Give Kids the World & Dignity-U-

Wear Foundation Inc., Belgian/Polish; Stewart F. Lane,

President, Theatre Venture, Inc., Russian/Polish; A.

Alexander Lari, Founder & Chairman, Claremont Group,

LLC, Iranian; Denis Leary, President, The Leary

Firefighters Foundation, Irish;

Chung Wha Lee, President, Lee Chung Wha Diamond

Corporation, Korean; Howard H. Lee, President & CEO,

World Journal, Chinese; Simon S. Lee, CEO & President,

STG, Inc., South Korean;

James P. Lemonias, Chairman & CEO, Whitman Company, Inc.,

Hellenic; Lt. Gen. William J. Lennox, Jr.,

Superintendent US Military Academy, Scottish/Irish;

Hon. Phil Leventis, State Senator, State of South

Carolina, Hellenic; Michael Yi-Sheng Liao, VP/Chief

Information Officer, GM Asset Management, Chinese; Tony

Lo Bianco, Actor, Director and Producer, Italian;

Richard A. Loughlin, Vice Chairman, Willis, Irish;

Constantine S. Macricostas, Chairman, Founder,

Photronics, Hellenic; Sheldon Harris Malinou, DDS,

Assistant to the Director, Cabrini Medical Center,

Russian/Ukrainian; Anastasios E. Manessis, President,

Manessis Marketing Corp., Hellenic; Puzant A.

Markarian, Principal (Retired), Arlington Textiles,

Inc., Armenian; John L. Marks, Chairman & CEO, Mark IV

Realty, Inc., Hellenic; Patrick F. Martin, Chairman,

President & CEO, StorageTek, Irish; Stanley Matthews,

Founder, Matthews Diner & Pancake House, Hellenic; Hon.

Roslynn R. Mauskopf, US Attorney, Eastern District, New

York, Czechoslovakian; Hon. James E. McGreevey,

Governor--State of New Jersey, Irish; Raymond Melville,

Assistant Business Manager, Local Union #3, I.B.E.W.,

Irish; Robert G. Miller, Chairman & CEO, Rite Aid

Corporation, Russian/English; Veronica Montgomery-

Costa, President, Local 372 NYC Board of Education

Employees Union, African; Patrick J. Moore, President &

CEO, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, Irish/

Scottish/Swedish; Donal J. Murphy, President, D.J.

Murphy Assoc, Irish;

Albin D. Obal, President, Condor Contracting Company,

Inc., Owner, Midland Enterprises, Polish; James E.

O'Connor, Chairman & CEO, Republic Services, Inc.,

Irish; James F. Orr, Chairman, President & CEO,

Convergys Corporation, Scottish/Irish/English/German;

Nacy Panzica, Chairman, Panzica Construction Company,

Italian; Steven Peter Papadatos, President, Papadatos

Associates PC Architects, Hellenic; Frank Pellegrino,

Sr., CEO, Rao's Specialty Foods, Italian; Stan

Pelofsky, M.D., President, Neuroscience Specialists,

Polish; James Tung Chiang Pi, President, Pi Trading

Company, Inc., Chinese; John Politis, President & CEO,

Apartment Realty Group, Inc., Hellenic; Gerry Puccio,

Sr., Founder, Rockleigh Country Club/CEO Carrington

Real Estate & Investment Group, Italian;

Lewis S. Ranieri, Chairman, Hyperion Partners, LLP,

Italian; Subash Razdan, Advisor, Procurement Advisory

Council, Coca Cola Company, Indian; Paul V. Reilly,

President, Chairman & CEO, Mail-Well, Inc., Irish; Mary

Lou Retton, U.S. Olympic Gold Medallist, Italian;

Richard Romanoff, President, Nebraskaland, Inc.,

Russian; E. John Rumpakis, Owner, N.E.W.S., Hellenic;

Michael Schenkler, Publisher, Queens Tribune, Russian/

Polish; Martin Scorsese, President, Cappa Productions,

Italian; Myron P. Shevell, Chairman & CEO, New England

Motor Freight Inc./The Shevell Group, Russian/German;

David J. Shim, Chairman & CEO, Riverside Park, Inc./

Kiku Restaurant Inc., Korean; Richard Silverman, Vice-

Chairman, Fleet Bank N.A., Romanian/English; Hon.

Nirmal K. Sinha, Commissioner Ohio Civil Rights,

Assistant Director Department of Public Utilities,

Columbus, Indian; Curtis Sliwa, Founder and President,

The Alliance of Guardian Angels, Italian/Polish; Thomas

A. Smith, President & CEO, Oglethorpe Power

Corporation, Norwegian/Scottish/German; Ralph

Snyderman, M.D., Chancellor for Health Affairs,

President and CEO, Duke University Health System,

Russian; Rajesh K. Soin, Chairman & CEO, Soin

International, Indian; Hon. Maria Sotiropoulos,

Protocol Officer, The White House/US Department, of

State, Cypriot; Sy Sternberg, Chairman & CEO, New York

Life Insurance Company, Romanian/Polish/Lithuanian;

Nicolas Tabbal, M.D., F.A.C.S., Plastic Surgeon,

Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hosp-NYU, Lebanese; Hon.

Patrick N. Theros, Ambassador, President & Executive

Director, US Qatar Business Council, Hellenic;

Demetrios E. Tsintolas, President, Tsintolas Realty

Company, Hellenic; Ben Vereen, Vereen Productions,

African; Nicholas S. Vidalakis, Co-Founder, Chairman &

CEO, VFP LLC, Hellenic; Vuksan Vuksanaj, President, New

York Travel Agency, Inc., Albanian; Mike Wallace,

Senior Correspondent, CBS News/60 Minutes, Russian;

Donald Washkewicz, President & CEO, Parker-Hannifin

Corporation, Polish/Czechoslovakian; Hon. Jim Wright,

Speaker of the House 1987-1989, Texas Christian

University, Australian/Irish/Scottish; Jeffrey Yarmuth,

President & COO, Sonny's Franchise Co., Russian/Polish;

Pan A. Yotopoulos, Distinguished Professor, University

of Florence, Hellenic; Xenophon Zapis, Radio

Broadcaster, Zapis Communications Corporation,

Hellenic; Detective Sergeant Wallace R. Zeins,

Commanding Officer, Manhattan Night Watch, NYPD,

Russian.