Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding time. I was thinking last Thursday as I listened to Tony Hall as the keynote speaker for the national prayer breakfast, and as I was rooted to my seat, that I had never heard a more eloquent rendition of a speech. I had never heard a more passionate speech. I had never heard a more meaningful speech. So I simply rise in support of the naming of this courthouse.

Tony Hall is one of the most distinguished and nonpartisan Members this body has ever experienced: protecting human rights, working on behalf of the poor, seeking peace. All of those have been his trademarks.

All of us who have had the opportunity to know and work with him; our individual as well as collective lives have been enriched. And so I urge strong support of the naming of this courthouse for Tony Hall and could think of no better name that it could have.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Mr. Speaker, the announcement was made last week that a high school in my congressional district, Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in Westchester, Illinois, would be closing its doors at the end of this school year. This closure indicates the end of an era in the Chicago western suburbs and for single-sex education due to a record low enrollment in 2004, and a significant drop in the number of people sitting for the entrance exam in January of 2005.

The school administration made the difficult decision to close this spring.

Since 1961, Immaculate Heart of Mary has offered a rigorous, single- sex, college preparatory education for young women throughout Chicago and the western suburbs. Over 6,000 women have benefited from the education offered by IHM since its inception. Teachers and staff have dedicated themselves to fostering a diverse community aimed towards achieving academic excellence and building a Christian community made up of empowered young women.

IHM has been successful both academically and in its extracurricular activities. Athletic successes include a State championship in basketball in 1987. The students of IHM have been involved in many other extracurricular activities such as Model United Nations and Students Against Drunk Driving. In 1996, IHM received the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Award in recognition of their academic superiority. IHM is the only all-women school in the State of Illinois to receive this award.

The school's president, Karen Ristau, has led a dedicated staff of approximately 30 teachers and administrators in fulfilling IHM's motto: ``Every student has the need to become what she has the ability to become.'' I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to both Ms. Ristau and the entire staff of IHM for their years of dedication to the education of young women in Illinois. The community, current students, and past graduates are grateful for the commitment of the administration and staff.

By deciding to open its doors to women next fall, St. Joseph High

School has offered the students of IHM the opportunity to continue striving for academic excellence in a Catholic environment right next door. These two high schools have always shared a special relationship in which students from both schools have shared some specialized classes and extracurricular activities. As a result of this relationship, the transition into creating a coeducational environment should be relatively smooth. For any of the remaining 238 students who choose not to attend St. Joseph High School in a coeducational environment, IHM officials and counselors will help them and their parents to choose an alternative school.

Although IHM is closing its doors, it has left an indelible mark on today's world through the actions and successes of its graduates. It will be sorely missed by the community and by the entire Illinois 7th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor one of my constituents, Hazel J. Lewis. Hazel Lewis embodies the American dream and then some.

Born and raised in England, she and her mother, Dorothy Lewis, immigrated to the United States in 1948. In 1953, she married Lester Leventhal of Chicago and today they live in the 7th Illinois Congressional District in Chicago.

Hazel Lewis began working for the Women's Auxiliary of the American Medical Association 52 years ago. In 1963, she became its Assistant Executive Director and in 1973 became the Executive Director of the AMA Alliance, as the Auxiliary came to be known, a position she holds today.

Throughout her tenure, Ms. Lewis worked to support the health care and charitable missions of the American Medical Association, tirelessly enhancing the role and health of women and children in our society, setting an example as to professionalism in her field.

She has been responsible for such innovative public health programs, including the AMA Alliances unique ``SAVE'' program, Stop America's Violence Everywhere,'' and an extraordinarily successful schoolroom project, ``Hands Are Not For Hitting,'' to name just two.

Under her direction, millions of dollars were raised to support medical education across the country. And, throughout her 52 years, Ms. Lewis has handled her responsibilities and work in such a way as to enhance the reputation of the AMA Alliance, the American Medical Association, the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois and this great country.

On April 8, 2004, she will retire from her current position, but not retiring from her involvement in making things better for us all. She intends to make her skills and time available to volunteer organization to help the people of Chicago.

Mr. Speaker, I join the AMA Alliance and the American Medical Association in thanking Ms. Lewis for her great contributions and wish her well in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, during the period when we were away, the Nation lost one of my favorite people, Father Ignatius McDermott, better known as Father Mac.

Father Mac was a Catholic priest who, when Chicago had an area known as Skid Row, used to walk among the men who were basically alcoholics, out of work, and would minister to them at night, and became known as the Skid Row Priest.

Later on he founded Haymarket Center, which has become one of the most effective substance abuse treatment centers in the country today. Father Mac worked right up to the moment when he gave his last measure of life.

Mr. Speaker, I commend him for his work and for his efforts. There are thousands who are living rejuvenated lives because of the work of Father Mac.

We thank you, Father Mac.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I represent an area in Chicago known as Ukrainian Village, and last fall, I was privileged to visit Ukraine with my friends from the Self-Reliance Credit Union to celebrate Ukrainian independence and to assist with the development of credit unions in that country.

I left impressed with the passion and commitment of the people of the Ukraine to the development of democracy in their homeland. They have been rewarded with a massive victory for their notions of the democratic process.

I congratulate President Yushchenko on his election as President of Ukraine and commend all of the diverse forces who assisted in bringing about this triumph of the democratic process.

Ukraine is emerging as a vigorous and forward-looking member of the European community, recognized for stepping away from nuclear weapons, and acknowledged for a flourishing, developing economy.

I trust that relations between the Ukraine and the United States will continue to strengthen. The elections in the Ukraine mark a kind of fork in the road for U.S. foreign policy. We can move down the road toward mutually beneficial relations with Russia and all of the former Soviet republics and allies in Eastern Europe, or we can return to the kind of relationships which characterized the Cold War.

I believe our choice ought to be clear: strong and peaceful relationships, rejecting all interference in the internal affairs of other states; mutually beneficial relationships based on fair trade; strict observance of international law; cultural and scientific cooperation; and people-to-people interaction.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I commend the people of the Ukraine for demonstrating what democracy can and should really mean, and that is rule by the people.

Mr. Speaker, on February 23, 1905, Paul Harris, a Chicago attorney, invited three friends to a meeting: Sylvester Schiele, a coal dealer; Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor; and Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer. All four men gathered in Loehr's business office in room 711 of the Unity Building at 127 North Dearborn Street in downtown Chicago, which is my district. They discussed Harris' idea that business needed to meet periodically to enjoy camaraderie and to enlarge the circle of business and professional acquaintances.

The club met weekly. Membership was limited to one representative from each business and profession. Though the men did not use the term ``rotary'' that night, that gathering is commonly regarded as the first Rotary Club meeting. The name ``rotary'' was suggested later on by Paul Harris as meetings were rotated from office to office in the early days of the organization.

During the early days, the Rotarians realized that fellowship and mutual self-interest were not enough to keep a club of busy professionals meeting each week. Reaching out to improve the lives of the less fortunate proved to be an even more powerful motivation. The Rotary commitment to service began when the Rotary Club of Chicago donated a horse to a preacher so that he could make the rounds of his churches and parishioners. A few weeks later, the club constructed Chicago's first public lavatory. These actions of service and improvement of communities continued in 1967 to support the pediatric program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Of course, through the years, these services have continued and they have continued to make valuable contributions to the most needy members of our society.

So, Mr. Speaker, I warmly congratulate the Rotary Club of Chicago for 100 years of service, making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate and showing the true commitment of business leaders to strengthen our local and global communities. I wish the club another 100 years of service and Tuesday lunches in downtown Chicago.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an admirable citizen, respectable public servant and a generous, kind man. Congressman Robert Matsui served the people of California and his nation in the House of Representatives for 26 years.

Bob gave our country and Congress years of his knowledge and dedication to fighting for civil rights after beginning his life in 1942 in a detention camp for Japanese-Americans. He embraced his heritage as well as the hardships Asian Americans faced and channeled it to positive change to make our nation formally apologized for the interment of Japanese Americans and provide financial compensation to the survivors.

Bob was a true inspiration: as a Member, he was a vital member of the Democratic Party and worked to make his Party stronger but never let his dedicated ties refrain him from working with his Republican colleagues; as an American, he listened to President Kennedy to give to his country a life of service and commitment to making life better for all Americans; and as an Asian American, he served as a role model to young Asian Americans that the impossible is never that far away and that they too can become active in government to serve the American people.

Mr. Speaker, Bob Matsui's loss will leave a large void to this chamber. Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife Doris and his son Brian.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House.

Mr. Speaker, the most basic and fundamental principles of any democracy are equal opportunity, equal protection under the law and guarantee of the right to participate, to have that right protected and to have that participation count.

Unfortunately in the last two Presidential elections, an increasing number of elections across the country are being marred with allegations of manipulation, chicanery, trickery, intimidation and outright illegal acts of fraud, thievery, and violence.

All of these acts and actions have served to undermine confidence in our electoral system, disrupt the process of normalcy, and are beginning to shake the very foundation of our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, Thomas Paine once said, ``The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which all rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery.'' Therefore, Mr. Speaker, based upon an inordinate number of allegations suggesting gross voter rights allegations and misconduct, I join with my colleagues and object to counting the State of Ohio's electoral votes and urge that we pass a strong Voting Rights Protection Act to guard against any further attempts to manipulate and erode our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and reflect the life of Monsignor Ignatius McDermott, who many called Father Mac, a Chicago Priest who helped thousands of people with drug and alcohol abuse.

Father Mac was born on Chicago's South Side in 1909 to an Irish Catholic family. He attended St. Gabriel Catholic School and then graduated from the former Visitation Catholic School. He was ordained in 1936 after studying at Quigley Preparatory Seminary and Mundelein's St. Mary of the Lake Seminary.

During his leave from the seminary in 1930, Father Mac traveled daily through ``Skid Row'' to get to his job at Arlington Park racetrack. From his daily encounters of seeing the despair of alcohol and substance abuse, he

began ministering to the homeless and alcoholics--the forgotten populations. Working toward a solution, Father Mac founded the Addiction Counseling Education Services in 1961, which provided counseling to alcoholics and other substance abusers who had no other means to get help. He would later expand his work to the Chicago schools system, where he developed an alcohol education curriculum and fostered Alternatives to Expulsion, a program to help teachers salvage addicted teenagers who were willing to give up drinking and drugs and resume their studies.

After serving as a parish priest and Chicago Archdiocese administrator, Father Mac devoted full time to helping those who could not help themselves and co-founded Haymarket Center. This Center is the largest drug abuse treatment center in Chicago serving an average of 18,000 clients annually. Haymarket truly changes individuals' lives with providing integrated treatment services, job training and serves as one of the few facilities that assist addicted mothers through pregnancy seeing the delivery of over 900 drug free babies. Haymarket Center serves as a model for other treatment programs throughout the Nation.

Ironically, on New Years Eve, as Haymarket Center celebrated its 29th year, Father Mac passed at the age of 95. Sadly, we lose a man of unwavering faith, deep compassion, and tireless devotion to helping those who are among the most desperate and needy.

The Chicago Sun-Times call him Chicago's Living Saint. Others call him the patron saint of the addicted. It is hard to find words to describe the care, love and compassion Father Mac had for all people-- especially those that everyone else forgot about.

Last Congress, I introduced a resolution with my colleagues from Illinois, Speaker Hastert, Congressman LaHood, and the former- Congressman Lipinski to honor Father Mac with the Congressional Gold Medal. I would like to thank my 114 colleagues who cosponsored this legislation. In memory of Father Mac, one of his favorite quotes read: ``When you no longer burn with love, others will die of the cold.'' St. Vincent DePaul,

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me this time. I also want to commend him and the chairman of the committee, my colleague from Illinois, and all of those who have spoken. I rise in strong support of this resolution. I also want to commend the people of my district and people throughout America who have risen to the occasion.

I noted with pride on New Year's Eve African-American churches in my district who had turned their traditional watch meeting night into an appeal for the people who have been affected. I took great pride in Chinatown in my district a few days ago when my Chinese constituents, Chinese Americans, were organizing relief efforts to send money and medical aid. I also took great pride when my Tamilian friends from Sri Lanka came to express the support that they not only were seeking but were also giving. This is a tremendous effort on the part of not only organized governments but organized citizens throughout America. I am pleased to be a part of it. Again I commend Chairman Hyde, Ranking Member Lantos and all of those who have spearheaded this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) in consideration of S. 2657, the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004.

Visual health and oral health are integral to our general health. Eye and oral diseases are progressive and become more complex over time. Our ability to eat, see, read, learn, and communicate all depends on good visual and oral health.

Periodic eye and dental examinations are an important part of routine preventive health care. Many visual and oral conditions present no obvious symptoms. Therefore, individuals are often unaware that problems exist.

There are safe and effective measures to prevent the most common eye and dental diseases, and that is why early diagnosis and treatment are important for maintaining good visual and oral health, and why a vision and dental benefit should be made available to Federal employees and annuitants.

We know that in 1987, the Office of Personnel Management stopped plans in the Federal health benefits program from adding new visual and dental packages. OPM did so for various reasons. However, that decision was made over 15 years ago, and it is time to take a fresh look at how we can meet the visual and oral health needs of Federal employees.

In the long run, preventive care through periodic examinations and doctor visits will help keep down long-term visual and dental costs due to early detection.

I am happy to support S. 2657 because it permits OPM to contract with qualified companies to offer dental and vision benefits to Federal employees and retirees under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.

Unfortunately, however, this bill does not include a provision that would require OPM to study the feasibility of providing hearing benefits to Federal benefits and retirees. Currently, over 28 million Americans suffer hearing loss, half of whom are under the age of 50. Hearing loss is not just a problem affecting adults. Thirty-three children are born every day with some form of hearing loss. With early detection and treatment, these children can be taught in regular classes, saving the school system as much as $500,000 during a 12-year education.

I included similar language in H.R. 3751, which passed the House in June. Like vision and dental benefits, most insurance plans do not provide hearing benefits, such as coverage for hearing aids.

To address this omission, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) and I, along with the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) and the Senate sponsors of this bill, sent a letter to the Director of the office of OPM requesting that the agency assess current hearing benefits available to FEHBP participants and explore the feasibility of expanding hearing benefits to enrollees and their dependents.

Director James has already replied that such a study will be conducted and completed by September 30, 2005. I am pleased that we have received this commitment from OPM and look forward to reviewing the finished report.

I would urge my colleagues to support passage of Senate bill 2657.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

(Mr. MORAN of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a man who can be described in many ways. A good son, a husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, friend, churchman, community leader and much more. I simply call him a giant who has devoted more than 50 years of his life to helping human-kind.

Sam was one of the early African Americans who moved into the North Lawndale community. He did not just move in, he jumped in with both feet and immediately began to help organize block clubs, became an active member of the Presentation Church and helped to anchor many of its activities. In Sam's community many of the people could not get bank loans or mortgages and were buying their homes on contract. They discovered that they were being ripped off and thus formed the Contract Buyers League. Sam played an active role.

In the 1960's the Lawndale Peoples Planning and Action Conference was formed, Sam was an active member, later on Pyramidwest Development Corporation was formed. Sam became a member of its board. Out of these groups and organizations came the California Gardens nursing home, Community bank of Lawndale, the Martin Luther King, Jr. shopping center and plaza.

Sam eventually helped develop the Garfield Counseling Center, formed HICA and is currently involved with a housing development project for low and moderate income people. When you drive down Independence Boulevard you can see these buildings going up between Arthington and the Eisenhower Expressway. Sam was a tireless worker who never gave up. He gave every ounce of his strength and devotion that he could muster to his beloved family of which the North Lawndale Community is an integral part. Well done our good and faithful servant, you have moved to another community where peace will forever be present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a woman who has stood as a giant in her community and all throughout the country. Ms. Katie Patterson Booth at the age of 95 is still mentoring, nurturing, and leading in her community of Gulfport, Mississippi.

Ms. Booth has earned a reputation of fighting for those that society would call the dispossessed, disenchanted, and brokenhearted. Ms. Booth through her boundless energy and passion continues to volunteer in her community--often she can be found encouraging young people to stay in school and avoid gangs. She is a woman on a mission to improve the quality of life for the residents in her community.

Ms. Booth spent many years in Chicago where she also made her presence known by fighting for justice, equality and opportunity for African Americans and poor people. She worked to help establish Bethune-Cookman College. In addition, she organized and founded Jobs Corps of America while serving as the Program Developer for National Church Women United.

Ms. Booth has received numerous awards and accolades. Including the Laurel Wreath Award presented annually to an individual that made significant contributions in the community, the Admiral Award, a high honor given to a Gulfport citizen, the Harriet Tubman Award, and the Frances Hooks Award given by the NAACP.

I am pleased to honor and recognize the work of Ms. Katie Booth. She is a shining example of doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbling with God. On behalf of the constituents of the Seventh Congressional District of Illinois I commend Katie Patterson Booth for her commitment to education, courage, perseverance, and can do spirit.

Mr. Speaker, as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Government Reform's Special Panel on Postal Reform and Oversight, I rise to urge support for Postal Reform.

The United States Postal Service is a vital part of a $900 billion industry that employs more than 9 million people.

However, the Postal Service is experiencing a downward economic spiral. First Class mail volume continues to decrease with the use of technology, such as e-mail and faxes; operating costs as well as the number of addresses to which the Postal Service must deliver every day are increasing; and the Postal Service is additionally hampered by an untenable debt load.

In recognition of the dire situation of the Postal Service--the President in December 2003, created a bipartisan Commission to examine the operation and financial challenges faced by the Postal Service, the first such action taken in over 30 years. Using the Commission's recommendations as a foundation, I am proud to have been a part of the Government Reform Committee's bipartisan effort to unanimously pass The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2004, which will help ensure a viable future for the United States Postal Service.

This bill protects collective bargaining rights, allows the Postal Service flexibility in ratemaking, releases escrow funds of $73 billion to be used to fund health and pension obligations and transfers military service obligations back to the Treasury. The result of all of provisions is postage rate stability, which will maintain a strong customer-base, preserving the universal service provided by the Postal Service.

The President has displayed commitment to advancing postal reform legislation by the creation of his commission. I am now calling upon the White House to fulfill that commitment and to work productively with the Congress to achieve postal reform and rate stability for American ratepayers and businesses.

We have worked tireless to craft a strong bipartisan bill that address many of the challenges facing the United States Postal Service. But we cannot advance without the direct engagement of the White House. With an impending double-digit rate increase set to go into motion in the Spring of 2005, it is imperative that Congress, as well as the White House, follow through on our commitment to enact postal reform.