Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. I am delighted to be here. I want to certainly extend my commendations to the Committee on Armed Services. This is a very important bill, and I rise to support this measure wholeheartedly and very strongly.

In my district of Georgia, I represent Fort McPherson and I also represent Fort Gillam, two very critical bases that play an important role.

We need to pass this measure as a strong, strong vindication and a way of showing great appreciation to members of our Armed Forces, who put their lives on the line and brought victory in Iraq. But also, as we look ahead into the future, we see a time and we see issues developing of unknown certainty.

Let nobody misunderstand: we want the world to know that the United States of America is going to and must always have the foremost and strongest military presence in the world. This bill, H.R. 1588, goes a long measure to doing that.

Also, Mr. Chairman, as one of those strong supporters of this measure, I do want to call attention to this issue of civil service, where we are taking away the collective bargaining and employment rights of 700,000 employees.

The issue here is not whether we do it or not, but the issue is, in this legislative body, is it not our function to ask the questions? This should not be done in the quiet of night in a back room. We are affecting employees, defense employees in this country. We need to ask the question why. Is it needed? Is it a matter of national security that we allow changes for the Pentagon civilian personnel system to allow the Secretary of Defense to strip from the Department of Defense employees their most basic workers' rights, including collective bargaining, due process, appeal rights, and the annual congressional pay raise?

These are very important questions. All we ask for is the opportunity to do our job as Congressmen and Congresswomen, to ask the questions, and to get the answers. If this is a measure that must be passed, then we will do so.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. John W. Pace faithfully serves as Pastor of Red Oak United Methodist Church in Stockbridge, Georgia. Pastor Pace, affectionately known as ``Big Daddy'', is a native of the state Georgia. He is married to the lovely First Lady, Reba Pace. They have eight children, eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Pastor Pace has one brother who is also a minister/pastor.

Dr. Pace and First Lady Pace came to Red Oak U.M.C. in 1989 from Golden United Methodist Church in Douglasville, GA. Upon their arrival, they were truly united in God's mission and as a result of much hard work, many prayers and many sacrifices made under his fine leadership, the ``New'' Red Oak was built along with the Christian Life Center.

Certainly, Red Oak U.M.C. has served all congregation members and many others

under the leadership of its pastor Dr. Pace and his lovely wife. They continue to work diligently as they serve others. I commend them at this celebration of their over 14 years of service to Red Oak United Methodist Church, and I encourage congregation members and friends to join in their appreciation celebration as Dr. and Mrs. Pace continue in their mission.

Mr. Speaker, I think the fundamental question here this morning is what do the American people want. We know what we want; we know what my colleagues want. But what do the American people want?

I will tell my colleagues what the American people want. The American people want a tax plan that will create jobs immediately, stimulate the economy immediately, and is paid for immediately, now, and will not add to the debt of our younger generations to pay for.

The Republican plan does that. It adds to that debt. They cannot argue that. Is it fair to have that generation that went over in Iraq to fight so bravely, for those young men and women to come back here and to have to pay for the war, to pay for the debt?

The Democratic plan that we support gives fair and balanced tax cuts. It gives immediate, targeted tax cuts for working families. It expands the 10 percent income tax bracket. It increases the child tax credit, ends the marriage penalty and, yes, extends unemployment benefits for those that need it.

The American people are hurting. We have more people out of work than we have had in over 20-some years. Under the Republican administration, unemployment has skyrocketed. We need help for those that need it the most. We need help to give to our States.

Under our Democratic plan, for our States' struggling economies, we give $44 billion; for the small businesses and the small manufacturers, $29 billion; and for those employers who will dare go and do the right thing and hire an unemployed person, we give a tax credit of $2,500. That is what is meaningful. That is what our people want, and I urge this House to reject and to vote for the Democratic plan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Military In-State Tuition Act of 2003.

Currently, there is a patchwork of state laws regarding residency requirements for in-state tuition rates for military personnel and their families. When service members are given transfer orders that relocate them to a different state, college students in the family must often face tough choices regarding tuition costs at the college or university in their home state.

There are three residency requirement issues that have been identified by military leaders in my state. First, it is difficult for some families to maintain their eligibility for in-state tuition within their state of legal residence, if they have been assigned outside of that state. For example, a military family may be stationed in another country or state while maintaining residency in the member's home state. Upon return to their state of residence, they find they are not eligible for in-state tuition. My legislation would ensure that soldiers and their families are always eligible for in-state tuition rates in their state of legal residence.

Second, some dependents of military personnel have trouble maintaining in-state tuition at their current college or university, if their sponsoring active-duty parent is transferred out of state. My legislation would address this concern by ensuring that students receive in-state tuition even if the military parent or guardian is reassigned out of state.

Last, most active duty military members who are transferred out of state while enrolled in a state college or university do not qualify for in-state tuition in their new state of assignment until a lengthy residency requirement is met. My legislation would ensure that soldiers, who have been reassigned due to military orders, and their families are eligible immediately for in-state tuition.

Given the sacrifices that active-duty military personnel make for our country, I believe that it is only fair that if they and their families enroll at state colleges and universities, they should qualify for in- state tuition. These active duty members should not be penalized by having to pay higher tuition rates when they are reassigned to another military facility in a different state.

I hope my colleagues will join me by supporting and cosponsoring this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to discuss legislation that I am introducing today that will coordinate government agencies and non profit organizations that provide education counseling to consumers who have been victims of predatory lending practices. This legislation is intended to improve consumer literacy, reduce harmful mortgage lending practices, and provide borrowers with a nationwide toll-free telephone number to receive complaints regarding predatory lenders and create a resource database of information.

While expanded access to credit from both prime and subprime lenders has contributed to the highest homeownership rates in the nation's history, there is growing evidence that some lenders are engaging in predatory lending practices--excessive front-end fees, single premium credit life insurance, and exorbitant prepayment penalties--that make homeownership much more costly for families that can least afford it. Predatory loans are said to have grown rapidly in minority neighborhoods, often stripping away wealth that may have taken homeowners decades or a lifetime to accumulate. Some communities which lacked access to traditional institutions were being victimized by second mortgage lenders, home improvement contractors, and finance companies who peddled high interest rate home equity loans with high loan fees to cash-poor homeowners.

A joint report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Treasury Department, issued June 21, 2000, Curbing Predatory Home Mortgage Lending, urged Congress to adopt legislation that would restrict abusive terms and conditions on high-cost loans, prohibit harmful sales practices in mortgage markets, improve consumer literacy and disclosures, and prohibit government-sponsored enterprises from purchasing loans with predatory features and establishing predatory lending as a factor in CRA evaluations.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that will assist borrowers who already have predatory loans, educate consumers about the dangers and pitfalls of entering into a home loan, and refer consumers to appropriate governmental agencies or consumer protection organizations for assistance.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation and my statement are printed into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to give some remarks about one of those noble heroes who gave his life, Private First Class Diego Fernando Rincon, who is from my 13th Congressional District in Georgia, whose funeral will be held today in just a few hours from now at 2 p.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church located in my district in Conyers, GA.

As we see on television the joyous faces of Iraq who have been liberated we must never forget the precious price that was paid by our brave and courageous soldiers who gave their lives so that Iraq could be free.

In his last letter to his mother, dated February 22 and received by his family on March 22, Private First Class Diego Rincon wrote:

Hola, Mother,

How are you doing? Good, I hope. I'm doing OK, I guess. I

won't be able to write anymore starting the 28th of this

month. We are moving out. We are already packed and ready to

move to a tactical Alpha-Alpha (in Iraq). Once that happens,

there will not be any mail sent out. We will only receive

mail that is less than 12 ounces. At least that's what they

said.

I'm not sure where exactly we're going [to] be yet, but it

is said to be a 20-hour drive in the Bradleys [fighting

vehicles].

So I guess the time has finally come for us to see what we

are made of, who will crack when the stress level rises and

who will be calm all the way through it. Only time will tell.

We are at the peak of our training and it's time to put it to

the test.

I just want to tell everybody how much you all mean to me

and how much I love you all. Mother, I love you so much! I'm

not going to give up! I'm living my life one day at a time,

sitting here picturing home with a small tear in my eyes,

spending time with my brothers, who will hold my life in

their hands.

I try not to think of what may happen in the future, but I

can't stand seeing it in my eyes. There's going to be

murders, funerals and tears rolling down everybody's eyes.

But the only thing I can say is, keep my head up and try to

keep the faith and pray for better days. All this will pass.

I believe God has a path for me. Whether I make it or not,

it's all part of the plan. It can't be changed, only

completed.

``Mother'' will be the last word I'll say. Your face will

be the last picture that goes through my eyes. I'm not trying

to scare you, but it's reality. The time is here to see the

plan laid out. And, hopefully, I'll be at home in it. I don't

know what I'm talking about or why I'm writing it down. Maybe

I just want someone to know what goes through my head. It's

probably good not keeping it all inside.

I just hope that you're proud of what I'm doing and have

faith in my decisions. I will try hard and not give up. I

just want to say [I'm] sorry for anything I have ever done

wrong. And I'm doing it all for you, Mom. I love you.

Tuesday, I talked with Diego's father, George, on the telephone and I expressed all of our feelings as a grateful Nation when I assured him that his son's contribution will forever be remembered. In addition, we would present him with the Record of this tribute to his son along with a U.S. flag that is flying over the Capitol today--the day of his son's funeral. This father of this genuine American hero was touched and moved and we both were in tears and he said, ``Thank you, Congressman Scott.'' I said, ``No, thank you, Mr. Rincon, we thank you. The Nation and the world thank you and your son because your son gave us the greatest gift of all, which is this: The gift that someone would lay down his life for his friend and those friends we see joyously celebrating their freedom on television today; friends who are thankful and grateful to 19-year-old Private First Class Diego Rincon.''

Rincon fought the good fight, he finished his course, he kept the faith, and most assuredly

for Private First Class Diego Rincon there is waiting for him an extraordinary crown of righteousness. Rincon has been awarded posthumous U.S. citizenship and I am proud to cosponsor pending legislation that will grant automatic citizenship for all foreign-born soldiers killed fighting for the United States.

God Bless Diego Rincon and God Bless America.

Mr. Speaker, as we watch television today, we see the wondrous and joyous faces of Iraqi citizens who have been liberated. But we must pause now and never forget the precious price that was paid through our brave and courageous soldiers who gave their lives so that Iraq could be free.

Today, I rise to give some remarks about one of those noble heroes who gave his life, Private First Class Diego Fernando Rincon, who was from the 13th Congressional District in Georgia and whose funeral will be held today, in just a few hours from now at 2 p.m., at the Seventh Day Adventist Church located in my district in Conyers, Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, this is the second funeral in my district in the last 4 days, and not only from my district but from the same town in my district, Conyers, Georgia. Specialist Jamal Addison, on Monday, we funeralized; and I was privileged to be there. And today, again, Diego Rincon. Unfortunately, I am not able to be there, but it is very important that we pause for a moment and give our respect to this fallen, but great, hero.

Private First Class Diego Fernando Rincon was the second Metro Atlanta soldier killed in the war in Iraq. Mr. Speaker, he was 19 years old. Private Rincon served as a member of the 3rd Infantry Division of the 3rd Army Mechanized. Private Rincon was killed in a suicide bombing attack at a U.S. Army checkpoint in Iraq on March 29, with three other soldiers from Georgia's Fort Stewart.

Private Rincon was born near Bogota, Colombia, and moved with his family to the United States when he was 5 years old. Private Rincon graduated from Salem High School in Rockdale County, Georgia, in 2001. He was a gifted actor, musician and cheerleader. A very creative and talented person.

Private Rincon has been awarded posthumously United States citizenship because, Mr. Speaker, this 19-year-old gave his life for this country, and yet he was not a citizen of this country. That is why we are here at this time putting legislation pending that will grant automatic citizenship for all foreign soldiers. What a great story.

I conclude, Mr. Speaker, with this: this great soldier fought the good fight, he finished his course, and he kept the faith. There is surely put up for private Diego Rincon an extraordinary crown of righteousness. God bless this great soldier, Private Rincon of the United States Army, a United States citizen, and God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a very, very special occasion. The very first soldier to be killed in the war in Iraq from the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area was from my district, the 13th district of Congress in Georgia. His name was United States Army Specialist Jamaal Addison. He died on March 23 during an ambush attack on his unit, the 507th Maintenance Company in central Iraq.

Oh, what courage, what bravery, and here we are in the United States so proud and so grateful for his service. He was just 22 years old, and he is survived by his wife and high school sweetheart, Takla, and their two children, 3-year-old daughter, Christian, and a 23-month-old son, Jamaal Addison, II.

Army Specialist Addison was laid to rest today at a funeral service held in my district at White's Chapel Methodist Church in Conyers, Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, this was a great hero. Greatness, what a word, that comes to mind today.

When Aristotle, the great philosopher was asked, what is greatness, he said, in order to be great, you must first of all know yourself. Well, Jamaal Addison knew who he was and he knew whose he was. He was a child of God.

When that question was put to the great Roman General, Marcus Aurelius, what is greatness, he said, in order to be great you must first of all discipline yourself. Well, this soldier, Jamaal Addison, disciplined himself on the battlefields of Iraq and paid the ultimate sacrifice.

But then the question was put to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, what makes a great person? And Jesus replied and said, You must first of all sacrifice yourself. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Jamaal Addison did that. Because he gave the greatest love of all, and that is this: he laid down his life for his friends, his friends and this Nation and around the world who want liberty and love peace.

God bless this great soldier, Jamaal Addison.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

This has been a very heated debate and a welcome one, especially for me. As I look at this body, both sides of the aisle are right; but here is my problem.

My problem is respect. I think that the core of the gentleman from Minnesota's (Mr. Kennedy) amendment is about respect. Every once in a while a person has to stand up and get some respect.

However one feels about this war, I want my colleagues to think about World War II; and I want my colleagues to think about a country, France, a country that would not pick up a rifle to defend its ownself, when 10,000, 10,000 of our troops hit the shores of Normandy and gave their life in one day to stand for a country's freedom, that would not stand and fight for its own freedom. That is the price that many of our American soldiers pay.

Maybe that would not be so bad with me if it were not for what they did. It is one thing to have your say, but it is another thing to go and help a country visibly with weapons, with arms, with their support at a time when we are sending our boys and girls into battle.

That World War II landing was very personal with me because one of those troops that put their lives on the line in World War II, to go help free France, was my own father. That is amazing, but that is important.

This amendment may or may not go anywhere. We are all here to stand up to say a word in support for our troops. I am going to vote for this amendment. I am going to vote for it for the respect of those World War II veterans who fought and thousands died for France, but France did not come to our aid, for those who are giving their lives and dying in Iraq today.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1040.

Mr. Chairman, I certainly appreciate those kind words that the gentleman had to say.

It is very important for us to understand exactly where we are right now, and let me start by setting the stage of my remarks by sharing with my colleagues the words of William Shakespeare, who said in Julius Caesar, when Julius Caeser was being stabbed, he said, ``O, Brutus, yours is the meanest cut of all.'' That is what these veterans are saying today.

To my friends from the Republican Party and their alternative in their budget, it is the meanest cut of all, to cut our veterans at this time, at this day, at this hour when we are watching television and we see over in the Middle East where our men and women in uniform are putting their lives on the line, and what are we doing here? What is the Republican answer to that, to our military veterans? To cut them by $15 billion. Indeed, the meanest cut of all.

My colleagues talk about conservative compassionism. I am here to tell my colleagues, this is not conservative compassionism. This is downright conservative meanness. It is mean to cut our military and our veterans, by any amount. They need help.

Fifteen billion dollars is going to eliminate 200,000 of our veterans off the rolls. It is going to fold and close up 400,000 hospital beds. That is meanness. We need to turn it around and follow our Blue Dog coalition budget, which is very responsible. We are not cutting the budget for Veterans Affairs by $15 billion. No. We are adding to that by $24 billion. That is what the American people want, and at no time is it better to send the right message.

I conclude my remarks by simply saying, what better time is there to stand and give our veterans respect than at this important moment in our history?

Mr. Chairman, the Nussle budget focuses on fiscally irresponsible tax cuts, while failing to address priorities and commitments to

working families, the elderly, and veteran. What concerns me is that future generations will pay for the deficits created by this budget, while our veteran's will pay now.

On Monday the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans called on Congress to scrap proposed budget cuts in disability compensation, pensions, and healthcare to offset the costs of tax breaks and huge spending increases on defense and homeland security.

The Nussle budget cuts approximately $15.1 billion from veterans programs, of which $844 is cut from veterans health care programs. This could eliminate enrollment for 168,000 veterans, necessitate 400,000 fewer hospital bed days of care, or reduce the number of nurses by 8,700.

Further, according to the VA's own national data, over 200,000 veterans are waiting 6 months or more just to get in the VA Medical System and it can take over 18 for certain types of specialty treatments.

Our Nation cannot commit men and women to fight overseas while reducing the health care and benefits that our veterans have earned risking their lives serving their country.

It is unbelievable that the Nussle budget cuts funding for veterans' programs to offset the costs of tax cuts for the wealthy.

The Blue Dog budget, which I support, contains $24 billion more funding for veterans programs than the Nussle budget. It contains $9 billion more for discretionary veterans programs such as VA health care, and does not require the Veterans Affairs Committee to reduce spending on veterans benefits and other mandatory veterans programs by $15 billion as the Nussle budget would do.

I support the President and his efforts to oust Saddam Hussein from power. I want to give him as much support as possible to help pay for this conflict. This budget resolution contains no funding for a military conflict with Iraq or the post-conflict occupation and reconstruction costs that will follow.

The costs of the war with Iraq will largely be borne by the United States taxpayer and prudent fiscal policy requires that these costs must be included within the budget resolution.

Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) mentioned not tonight, we do not walk the talk about what is happening to our veterans and military tonight. What better time to pull the covers off and show exactly what this Republican Party is doing for our veterans.

How in the name of any degree of decency and respect can we, on a day that will certainly live in infamy in the hearts of veterans, on a day and a time that we are sending our men and women into battle, what reward do we want to give our veterans who had to remember a day in infamy 60 years ago? What do we want to give them? A $17 billion cut for veterans.

I represent the State of Georgia. I say to my friends in the Republican Party, and I want you to know that every weekend I go home that my office is lined with veterans with tears in their eyes, saying, how could they be so mean? Every year in campaigns my Republican friends run around the country, and they talk about conservative compassion. This is not conservative compassion. This is downright conservative meanness. These veterans do not appreciate it. This is why I say, let us support the Democratic budget.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking leader for yielding time to me.

I stand with great pride and respect in support of this resolution. I support our brave and courageous troops. I support their mission and their Commander in Chief. It is very difficult for me to stand here and say I support the troops and not their mission, and not the Commander in Chief that sent them in harm's way.

Mr. Speaker, we did not ask for this war. It was brought to us unexpectedly, without warning, savagely, tragically by terrorist suicide bombers, terrorists who are desperately trying to get their hands on weapons of mass destruction. Biological and chemical weapons, biological and chemical weapons are being manufactured by the tens of thousands of tons by Saddam Hussein of Iraq. What other choice would we have?

The least this Congress can do on a night when we are losing our military men, with their lives on the line, is to stand here together, Democrat and Republican, and support this resolution, and send a proud message to our men and women in uniform that we are here to stand with them, and stand in the evil day, and stand.

God bless America, God bless our troops, and thank God that we have got these courageous men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line. It is with great pride that I stand here to support this very worthwhile and important resolution.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for yielding that time.

I am very delighted to stand before a distinguished House of Representatives to make this plea.

I support this measure. I come from Georgia and represent a new Congressional district that represents one of the fastest growing areas in this country. It is the 13th Congressional District. I am here because of that growth, and I am also here to tell my colleagues that there is no greater pressing issue facing my district and the people of Georgia than this health care crisis that we are faced with today in medical liability insurance.

Our doctors are suffering immensely, not only in terms of having to cut back on the quality of services that they have to offer but also in our medical schools, where they are preparing our doctors for the future. Many of the medical schools in my State are saying now that many of the students are having second thoughts about even coming into the medical profession; 17.8 of the 2,800 physicians in Georgia are already reporting that they are contemplating, contemplating cutting back in their critical services for at-risk procedures, and nearly 2 percent have even indicated that if things do not change they are moving out of the State of Georgia.

I think we all know that Georgia is one of 18 States that has the highest, most significant medical malpractice insurance premium costs, and it is costing our State dearly. I am here to speak for those doctors and the dentists and the hospitals in that 11-county area that I represent around the City of Atlanta that is faced with this crisis, and I hope that this Congress will hear us as we cry out in Georgia on behalf of our physicians, our dentists, all of our health care providers, give us some relief.

I know this H.R. 5 before us is not a perfect bill. Nothing is perfect. Who amongst us or what amongst us is perfect? But it is a start. It is a beginning, and it is not incumbent upon us to complete the task, but neither are we free to desist from doing all we possibly can. That is what the American people are expecting of us.

Take this first step. Let us move this process forward. When it gets to the Senate we can work to perfect it even better. I urge my colleagues' vote on this very important matter, and let us bring better health care to our people of Georgia and the Nation.

I am here representing the patients, doctors, hospitals, and health care providers in the 13th Congressional District in Georgia. This is a new district, which encompasses parts of eleven counties due to the tremendous growth in this part of the state. It is also a diverse district, including county, regional, and private hospitals, several health care facilities, and hundreds, if not thousands of physicians and dentists, and other health care professionals. Georgia has been designated as one of 18 states facing a medical liability crisis and since Georgia's health care industry is being threatened by this crisis, I have decided to support the patients . . . and the doctors . . . and the hospitals . . . by supporting H.R. 5.

Earlier this year, the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce, the state agency responsible for advising the Governor and the Georgia General Assembly on physician workforce and medical education policy and issues, released a study showing the effects of the medical liability crisis on access to health care for Georgia's patients. For example, the study shows that 17.8 percent of physicians, more than 2,800 physicians in Georgia, are expected to limit the scope of their practices which is by far the largest effect of the medical liability insurance crisis on access to medical care. These physicians are expected to stop providing high risk procedures in their practices during the next year in order to limit their liability risk. Nearly 1 in 3 obstetrician/gynecologists and 1 in 5 family practitioners reported plans to stop providing high-risk procedures, indicating that access to obstetrical care may be significantly reduce during the next year as a result of the medical liability insurance crisis.

In addition, nearly 11 percent or 1,750 physicians reported that they have stopped or plan to stop providing emergency room services. 630 physicians plan to stop practicing medicine altogether or leave the state because of high medical malpractice insurance rates. About 13 percent of doctors reported that they had difficulty finding malpractice insurance coverage. In fact, at one particular Georgia hospital, the hospital could not give credentials to a surgeon and add that physician to its staff because the surgeon could not afford to buy medical malpractice insurance. In another instance, an obstetrician- gynecologist had to close his Georgia practice and work for a health care agency because he could not afford to buy medical malpractice insurance. What happens to the patients that his hospital could have treated but now it cannot because it does not have the surgeons that it needs? What happens to the mothers who need a doctor to provide pre- and post-natal health care but cannot find one because doctors are leaving the profession due to the high cost of medical malpractice care?

I support H.R. 5 because doctors, hospitals, and the health care industry are caught in the middle between insurance companies and lawyers. Doctors are being squeezed by their medical malpractice insurance premiums and by the high amounts being awarded to injured patients. Doctors need to see results; they need to know that if this bill becomes law that their insurance premiums will go down. The message must reach the insurance companies that premiums have to go down so that the medical profession can survive and access to health care is improved. The health care industry must have relief and this bill, although not the final answer is the first step in addressing the problems that affect doctors and the health care industry.

We have to address the issue of medical malpractice insurance and the extremely high cost of health care. We have to do something. This bill is not the complete answer. It is not the final answer. It is not the best answer but it is a start. We do have to do something and we have to do it now. In 2000, Georgia physicians paid more than $92 million to cover jury awards. That amount was the 11th highest in the nation despite the fact that Georgia ranks 38th in total number of physicians in the United States. Forty percent of the state's hospitals faced premium increases of 50% or more in 2002. St. Paul, the state's second largest insurance carrier, stopped selling medical liability insurance last year. Remaining insurers have reportedly raised rates for some specialties by 70 percent or greater. Some emergency room physicians, OB-GYNs and radiologists have not yet found a new carrier.

In addition, Georgia is heavily dependent on other states to train physicians. Approximately 70% of participating physicians in Georgia completed training in another state. High costs of medical malpractice liability insurance may reduce the attractiveness of Georgia as a location for medical practice. High professional liability insurance costs are a significant financial problem for teaching hospitals, reducing the already limited funding available for faculty, residents, and other medical education costs. The high cost of medical malpractice insurance for doctors and hospitals harms mostly those communities who serve minorities and low income patients. The physicians and hospitals who depend on Medicare reimbursements and who serve the 44 million uninsured Americans everyday cannot afford to pay higher insurance premiums. We need to ensure that these communities have access to quality health care and the best physicians or the health disparity that currently exists will continue to deepen and create a 2 tier health care system. We must do something now. We must support the patients who cannot speak for themselves. We must support our doctors and hospitals and we must pass relief for them today.

It is important for the House to pass a bill that can go to the Senate for consideration. I hope to perfect the bill even more as it moves through the legislative process. It would be a mistaken not to do anything. In fact, I have never seen a problem solved by doing nothing.

We must help doctors, physicians and dentists, hospitals, other health care providers,

and American patients who are suffering in untold ways. Immeasurable damage is occurring in our nation's health care delivery system because of the high cost of medical malpractice insurance. With the passage of this bill, we are sending a clear and salient message to the insurance industry, which sets the premium rates for medical malpractice insurance and that message is: Bring Down the Cost of Medical Malpractice Insurance for Physicians and Hospitals.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to discuss legislation that I am introducing today that would establish a moment of quiet reflection in our public schools. I am pleased to be joined by Representatives McIntyre, Tanner, Shimkus, Stenholm, Lipinski, Frost, Lucas (KY), Meek, Pearce, Isakson, Renzi, Bordallo, and Bishop (GA) as cosponsors of my legislation.

My legislation will provide for a period of quiet reflection at the opening of school on every school day. In today's hectic society, all too few of the country's citizens are able to experience a moment of quiet reflection before plunging headlong into the day's activities. The country's young citizens are particularly affected by this absence of an opportunity for a moment of quiet reflection. Therefore, the nation's youth, and society as a whole, would be well served if students were afforded a moment of quiet reflection at the beginning of each day in the public schools.

In Georgia, I observed that after several killings on school campuses around the country, students came together to have a moment of quiet reflection. Noting that this moment of silence seemed to be beneficial and calming, I believe that providing students with an opportunity for quiet introspection at the beginning of each school day would help to combat violence among our students. Similar legislation in Georgia has been upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit which ruled that a moment of quiet reflection does not violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

On February 7, 2003, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance on constitutionally protected prayer in public elementary and secondary schools. The Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools clarifies that as a condition of receiving Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds, state and local school agencies must certify that if a school has a ``minute of silence'' that students are free to pray silently, or not to pray, during these periods of time. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation providing a moment of quiet reflection at the beginning of each school day.