Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the bicentennial of the Voyage of Meriweather Lewis and William Clark. As you know, Lewis and Clark were true pioneers who are integral to the history of my home state of Oregon. The final destination of their journey, was, after all, the Pacific Coast of Oregon. In fact, they spent a winter, and discovered a beached whale, just a few short miles north of my district. One might say that, if there were not so courageous and brave to make the difficult journey that they did, neither I nor the other representatives from the Pacific Northwest would be here in Congress today! Well, I for one am very thankful that they completed that journey!

I'm excited and encouraged by the legislation before our committee today to honor the bicentennial of the Voyage of Lewis and Clark. In these troubling times, when fear seems all too commonplace, I believe it is important for all of us to look to those great adventurers that helped make this country what it is, and to take heart in the courage, perseverance, and dedication with which they overcame their own obstacles.

Thank you again Mr. Speaker for the opportunity to offer my support for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of privacy protections for consumers nationwide as we consider the Do-Not- Call Implementation Act. My home state of Oregon is one of a growing number of states that have recognized the growing importance of protecting consumer privacy. Oregon's legislature has parlayed its respect for individual privacy into legislation regulating telemarketing calls. Like those in more than two dozen other states, Oregon's lawmakers have seen fit to compile a list of individuals who no longer wish to receive unsolicited telemarketing calls. And, they have vested the attorney general with the power to levy harsh sanctions on those firms who call listed consumers anyway. Oregon's law is powerful and effective because it allows for the local enforcement of telemarketing rules with narrow exceptions. Only political organizations and a few not-for-profit groups are exempt from the restrictions on calls placed to listed consumers.

It is important to me that Federal legislation authorizing the creation of a national ``do not call'' registry does not unnecessarily widen the carefully carved exceptions of state laws like Oregon's. States that have developed strong protections on privacy should not see their rules watered down. I sincerely hope and expect that FTC will show deference to determinations made by states as it coordinates the national ``do not call'' registry with existing state lists. Consumers deserve the continued benefit of well-designed state laws. Though Oregon has a strong ``do not call'' system in place, I realize that many consumers live in places without state law protections. It is for these consumers that creation of a national ``do not call'' database is most vital. In Oregon, more than 125,000 people have added their names to the state managed ``do not call'' list. This is evidence of the widespread public appeal of being able to vastly reduce the number of sales calls to which one is subjected. Subsequently, I have no doubt that many Americans would consider a national ``do not call'' list a welcome weapon in fending off nightly invasions of their peace and privacy by telemarketers.

In short, a national ``do not call'' registry would extend to all Americans the benefits already realized by subscribers to similar lists in varying states. I've heard firsthand from Oregonians about the success of their ``do not call'' list. I would very much like the expanded opportunity for privacy of ``do not call'' lists to be available nationwide. In the twenty-first century, our names, addresses, phone numbers and spending habits have all become commodities for commercial trade. Our telephones often function as much as a marketing tool for salesmen as a tool for our convenience. As a rule, unwanted sales calls come at the most inopportune time, steal our time from our families and children, and reduce the quality of our lives. We should make sure that Americans have real tools for mitigating the damage that telemarketing calls can have. That is why I support a national ``do not call'' registry that respects strong state privacy protections. That's why I support the recognition of those state lists by the FTC. And that's why I support the rights of consumers to control telemarketer access to their phones.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to recognize someone in my district, John O'Brien, who is the sheriff of Lincoln County. It is in honor of his 30 years of law enforcement in Lincoln County. I extend a sincere thank-you to Sheriff O'Brien on my own behalf and on behalf of all of the citizens of Lincoln County.

Our laws are of little utility if no one makes sure they are followed. Seldom do we take the time to recognize the routine achievements that allow our Nation to function as it should. Many times it is only the pitfalls, the unfortunate breakdowns in our system, that draw attention to law enforcement. Such fickle evaluation of our law enforcement officers is manifestly unjust. The fact is that the grand majority of our days are without incident. The rule of law reigns. The people reject upheaval.

These points demonstrate that the greatest victories of law enforcement are its contributions to regularity. We never recognize the people who give us plain, old, ordinary days. Perhaps we should.

Accordingly, it is with great pride that I congratulate Sheriff John O'Brien. His bravery, dedication and service in building a safer and stronger community have provided the people with Lincoln County with thousands of wonderfully uneventful days.

Sheriff O'Brien's career demonstrates a commitment to public service to which every officer of the law should aspire. John O'Brien began his career as a sheriff's deputy on February 6, 1973. The people of Lincoln County elected him to the office of Sheriff in 1994 and have subsequently seen fit to elect him to second and third terms. As all of us are aware, voters are properly cautious in selecting the people who represent them.

An official's first election often indicates a willingness in the people to chance their own best interests on someone who has shown that he has the ability to succeed. That official's second election is very often a barometer of the official's contact with the electorate during his term of service. With his third election comes proof that he has served his constituents to their satisfaction.

This is the satisfaction of Lincoln County reflected in its overwhelming choice of Sheriff O'Brien as the public face of law enforcement in their community. The confidence of Lincoln County's voting public in Sheriff O'Brien attests to the success of his efforts and his responsiveness to the people he serves.

I would like to tell a little story about John O'Brien. Every time, at the coast, at Lincoln County, John is always at my meetings. And I keep asking him, ``John, you are always here.'' He says, ``I just want you to know that we are here, what our needs are, and I want you to understand about our community.''

To this day, John O'Brien remains an active protector of Lincoln County's public safety. He has risen to meet the challenges of an increasingly difficult job. Changing times have altered the issues with which Sheriff O'Brien is faced, but he has shown the ability to adapt and battle new problems with modern solutions.

Lincoln County has in recent years encountered an increase in the manufacture and sale of methamphetamines. Sheriff O'Brien has turned this growing problem into an opportunity to spearhead innovative new crime-reduction strategies. Through his work with the federally supported Lincoln Interagency Narcotics Team, Sheriff O'Brien has encouraged the sharing of resources and information between county agencies with an interest in reducing drug traffic. This work not only demonstrates Sheriff O'Brien's desire to get results, but also his complete disregard for who receives credit for those results. His willingness to work with other agencies in facing down a dangerous trend is evidence of a cooperative spirit and a will to succeed that we honor here today.

Mr. Speaker, Sheriff O'Brien is worthy of recognition today for more than simply putting in his time. While 30 years of service in the public interest is a feat in itself, Sheriff O'Brien's true contribution has been in its effect on Lincoln County. Today we recognize that Lincoln County is a better place to live, to work and raise a family because of the devotion of Sheriff John O'Brien.

I thank John for his 30 years of service given in the pursuit of safety, justice and peace.

Mr. Speaker, today we rise to congratulate the University of Portland women's soccer team and Coach Clive Charles, on their 2002 Division I national title. As a former coach of young women athletes in Oregon, I recognize the commitment to endless practice and debilitating repetition that winning requires.

The University of Portland Pilots women, in addition to making the sacrifices necessary for victory, represent the competitiveness, resolve, and success that collegiate athletics exist to foster. I urge the recognition of their recent feats as evidence of the triumph of the American spirit through sporting achievement, as well as the positive influence of Title IX on American society.

The Pilots' road to the national championship required them to defeat seven squads that held coveted national rankings, proof that their opponents were among the Nation's finest.

Those seven wins serve as a testament to the Pilots' collective commitment to playing hard, even against competition of the highest caliber. Surely there is no greater evocation of the collegiate athletic spirit than the competitiveness exhibited by the University of Portland women in those hard-fought wins against well-respected opponents.

After a solid regular season, the Portland women entered the championship playoff as an eighth-seeded longshot to earn the eight- seeded longshot to earn the title. Nevertheless, they emerged as the lowest seeded team ever to win the tournament.

The resolve necessary to prove rankings obsolete and critics wrong does not come without effort. In fact, many of us encourage our daughters and sons to participate in athletics with the express hope that they might develop a touch of that trait. With the University of Portland's women's soccer championship, we are reminded that resolve, the persistence in a goal despite exorbitant odds, is at least as important as size, talent, or experience. Undoubtedly, the Portland women have drawn on the strength and perseverence of their coach and leader, Clive Charles, whose battle with illness illustrates the victory over circumstance that we admire in collegiate athletics.

Finally, in developing a national championship program, the University of Portland women's soccer team was animated by the desire to stack the building blocks of victory upon one another, to complete a project born of the architecture of accomplishment. A national title came to the University of Portland not through unprecedented fortuitous circumstance, but from the execution of a plan for success. Concentration on conference titles and tournament

berths provided the women's soccer program a foundation of achievement on which it has placed a structure of greatness. In doing so, the Portland women have made the most important point about collegiate athletics.

These women display the character built by extended effort, the satisfaction reaped by the tireless pursuit of a goal, and the success within reach of all who are given an opportunity.

Let us also take this moment to remember that opportunity seized is dependent upon opportunity granted. Without Title IX, our discussion of women's soccer at the University of Portland might center on its lack of a team, rather than on its team's national championship. When women have the chance to compete in scholarship athletics at the collegiate level, we introduce into society a more competitive, balanced, and healthy universe of graduates.

Title IX has extended the opportunity to compete to thousands who would not have had it otherwise. The University of Portland women attest to the potential of opportunities granted by Title IX.

Again, I ask that we salute the 2002 National Champion University of Portland women's soccer team. May we look to them, now and in the future, as an exemplary symbol of what we hope to gain through our commitment to collegiate and scholastic athletics.