Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker I rise today to recognize two very special constituents, I.W. ``Spud'' and Mary Wood. On August 2 in Merced, CA. Spud and Mary will be celebrating with family and friends their 90th birthdays and their 70th wedding anniversary. These monumental events are being memorialized by their family who are traveling from both near and far.

Spud and Mary came to Merced, CA, in 1936 from Wheeler County, TX. In Merced, they made their home and have lived on their ranch for the past 64 years. They are the parents of three--Annetta Meyer, Myrna Aikins, and Kenneth, who is now deceased. Both Annetta and Myrna have a total of 5 children between them. Spud and Mary are the proud great grandparents of 8 which also includes one set of triplets.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to honor this wonderful family on this auspicious occasion. Our community benefits greatly from the splendid example they have set for us all. Marriages such as the Wood's form a sound foundation for our country and contribute greatly toward making this a better world in which to live. I wish both Spud and Mary my sincerest congratulations as they share these milestones in their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, on June 24 of last year, President Bush unveiled a new vision for bringing peace in the Middle East. I support that vision. But that vision is one that we must support through a fairness situation where we do not make equivalency between what has happened by Mr. Sharon going to the Temple Mount and the death and destruction that have been wrapped upon Israel with the terrorist threat. I support the Lantos resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, which condemns recent terrorist attacks against Israel and expresses solidarity with the citizens of Israel during this turbulent time.

On June 24 of last year, President Bush unveiled a new vision for bringing peace to the Middle East. He stated that the Palestinians must develop a new leadership, which must be committed to peace with Israel and to destroying the terrorist infrastructure. Only then would the United States consider recognition of a Palestinian state.

Since that time, the Palestinians have taken steps to establish a new leadership structure. Abu Mazen was appointed the first Palestinian Prime Minister following a bitter struggle with Yasser Arafat.

And I'm pleased to hear that--just this morning--Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Asqa have agreed to 3-month cessation of attacks against Israelis. That's a very positive step. But we've heard positive talk many times before. The proof will be borne out over time through deeds. Just this morning, the Israeli Defense Force disabled a large bomb in northern Israel. Clearly, the vigil for peace and security will have to be maintained.

I believe the key to the ``Road Map'' or any other effort to achieve lasting peace is to stay true to the principles outlined by the President last June; particularly, the necessity of combating terrorism as the first of a sequence of events.

And I believe the U.S. must remain supportive of Israel in its fight against terror until the Palestinian Authority is willing and able to carry out this responsibility.

Like my colleagues here today, I welcome the positive steps the Palestinians have taken, but we must also see decisive action to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.

As Americans, we understand the fight against those who seek our destruction. We

stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel in their fight against those who oppose their existence.

The citizens of Israel are our allies, and we will continue to support their fight against terrorism and their government's efforts to provide safety and stability for its people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, which condemns recent terrorist attacks against Israel and expresses solidarity with the citizens of Israel during this turbulent time.

On June 24 of last year, President Bush unveiled a new vision for bringing peace to the Middle East. He stated that the Palestinians must develop a new leadership, which must be committed to peace with Israel and to destroying the terrorist infrastructure. Only then would the United States consider recognition of a Palestinian state.

Since that time, the Palestinians have taken steps to establish a new leadership structure. Abu Mazen was appointed the first Palestinian Prime Minister following a bitter struggle with Yasser Arafat. Since assuming office, Abu Mazen has refused, however, to take concrete steps to rein in the terrorists in any way. And despite the change in leadership, Yasser Arafat maintains a high degree of control, including authority over major elements of the Palestinian security apparatus.

And I am pleased to hear that, just this morning Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Asqa have agreed to 3-month cessation of attacks against Israelis. That is a very positive step. But as we have seen many times before, the proof will be borne out over time. Also just this morning, the Israeli Defense Force disabled a large bomb in northern Israel. So clearly, the vigilance for peace and security will continue.

I believe the key to the ``Road Map'' or any other effort to achieve lasting peace is to stay true to the principles outlined by the President last June, particularly the necessity of combating terrorism as the first of a sequence of events.

Since the Aqaba summit earlier this month, 22 Israeli civilians have been killed and many others have been injured in three separate suicide bombings. Like every other sovereign nation, Israel has the right to self-defense. Israel must act against terrorism if the Palestinian Authority does not. As long as Palestinian leaders do not aggressively go after the terrorist infrastructure, the Israeli government has a responsibility to protect its citizens against further terrorist attacks. I believe U.S. policy must be supportive of Israel in its fight against terror until the Palestinian Authority is willing and able to assume this responsibility.

We must also wholly reject the concept of a ``cycle of violence.'' Use of that term implies a moral equivalence between those who commit terrorist acts and their victims. Israel's targeting of terrorist leaders is not the moral equivalent of targeting of innocent civilians, including women and children.

Like my colleagues here this morning, I welcome the positive steps the Palestinians have taken, but we must also see decisive action to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. Without such action, the Road Map or any other effort, however well intentioned, will fail.

The Palestinian people deserve a leadership that looks beyond the narrow goal of nationalism and works toward bettering the lives of its people. Regrettably, the current leadership has shown no signs of embracing those goals. As Americans, we understand the fight against those who seek our destruction. We stand should to shoulder with Israel in their fight against those who oppose their existence.

The citizens of Israel are our allies, and we will continue to support their fight against terrorism and their government's efforts to provide safety and stability for its people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Mape's Ranch in Modesto, California.

Mape's Ranch was founded by E.T. Mape in 1923. The historic 10,000 acres of farmland and wetlands is nestled against the Stanislaus, Toulumne and San Joaquin Rivers, about ten miles west of Modesto. The primary crops produced by Mape's Ranch include wheat, corn, almonds, watermelons, tomatoes, and plums. The ranch also raises beef cattle, and is known as ``The Home Of One-Ton Bulls,'' and has as its famous slogan, ``Breed the Best, and Forget the Rest.''

These days, Mape's Ranch is owned and operated by the nephew of E.T. Mape, William ``Bill'' Lyons, Sr., his wife Mary Lynn Houghtaling Lyons, and their six children. Bill and Mary Lyons were both born in Minnesota, and married in 1949. This third generation family ranching business has built itself on family values, hard work, and dedication, and is looking forward to celebrating eighty years of active involvement with the California agriculture community.

The Lyons family, encompassing Bill and Mary, their six children, twenty-one grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, is recognized throughout the state as community leaders. Bill Sr. has been honored with the following community awards: Modesto Chamber of Commerce President's Award, 1991, the ``Fred Prince Memorial'' Good Egg Award, and the Stanislaus/San Joaquin County Cattlemen of the Year Award, 1984.

I am honored to personally know each member of the Lyon's family and it is with great honor that I commemorate the 80th anniversary of Mape's Ranch, a true icon of the Central Valley of California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Bill K. Tilley, who has served the people of Merced for fourteen years as superintendent of the Merced Union High School District. Under his leadership, the Merced Union High School District has developed into a place where people share a vision that all students have a right to the highest quality and most rigorous education possible.

Dr. Tilley was born during the summer of 1939 in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia, and moved to Washington State in 1953, He attended Western Washington State University where he earned his Bachelors of Arts in Education and subsequently his Masters Degree in School Psychology and Education in 1967. Dr. Tilley then moved to Iowa City where he completed his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and School Administration and spent the most of the next twenty years working as a school administrator in Minnesota. Wisconsin, Illinois, and Washington.

In 1989, Dr. Tilley moved to Merced and joined the Merced Union High School District as superintendent. Under his leadership, the District has forged the first high school partnerships with the University of California at Merced, the District's college preparatory and Advanced Placement course offerings have more than tripled, disabled students are incorporated into the daily life of the school and enjoy a rich, meaningful educational experience alongside their peers, and the District has achieved one of the lowest dropout rates in the state. Dr. Tilley has worked to ensure that the District has acquired and developed a top quality faculty, a faculty that is knowledgeable of the state standards and is fully committed to assuring that all students meet those standards.

Perhaps Dr. Tilley's most notable accomplishment is that he was able to secure the last fully funded state high school in California for the people of Merced and then a few years later engineered a successful bond campaign that built another. Dr. Tilley's lasting devotion to the students of Merced has left a lasting impression on the community, two state of the

art high schools. In addition, Dr. Tilley's sound leadership has left the school district fiscally sound in a time when school districts across the state are struggling to survive.

Through all of these accomplishments, Dr. Tilley sends a clear message that our children count, that poverty is not a barrier to the American dream, and that our children have a right to the very best education.

As Dr. Tilley's family and friends joined him to celebrate his retirement as superintendent of the Merced Union High School District, we as residents of Merced County will never forget the lasting impression he has made on the education of our youth. I ask all of my colleagues to join me and recognize my friend, Dr. Bill K. Tilley for his service to the United States as an educator, builder, and citizen.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 252 supporting the United States' effort to end the European Union's discriminatory trade practices regarding agriculture biotechnology.

Biotechnology is critically important for the future of U.S. agriculture, not just the farmers in my district. Genetically enhanced crops have increased yields, decreased production inputs, and reduced pesticide usage. In the near future, this technology will allow U.S. farmers to produce healthier, fresher, and more nutritious food products for consumers.

Throughout its lifetime, agricultural biotechnology has been the subject of the strictest testing by USDA, FDA, and EPA prior to consumption, and has made considerable contributions to protection of the environment by reducing the application of pesticides.

However, amongst this growing climate for innovation, the European Union has continued to pursue a path of opposition. The EU moratorium has cost U.S. farmers almost $300 million a year in corn exports alone and goes directly against the WTO mandate that the regulation of imports be based on ``sufficient scientific evidence.'' As such, their policies have resulted in a slowdown of development and support of genetically engineered products around the world.

I believe that the EU's opposition to agriculture biotechnology has much more to do with the discriminatory trading practices that they employ, rather than environmental science. I applaud the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative to challenge the EU's moratorium on this technology, and I am happy to lend my support to this important resolution. I urge Members' ``aye'' votes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ceres High School Future Farmers of America as they celebrate their 75th anniversary. The Ceres, California Chapter of Future Farmers of America was chartered into the California Future Farmers of America Association in the 1928. It was the 28th Chapter chartered in the State of California.

After the Chapter became chartered, they became very competitive at local, state and national levels in various competitions winning several and holding titles such as Master Champion throughout their 75 years.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I stand before my colleagues today to pay tribute to the Ceres High School Future Farmers of America and to their current as well as past members. They have served our community well and are a tremendous asset to Ceres High School. They are our future in agriculture and are very deserving of this recognition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, Mr. Lazar C. Piro, as he is inaugurated for his second term as President of the Assyrian National Council of Stanislaus. Lazar was again chosen by the community to continue the Council's work to provide social, cultural and spiritual welfare to our Assyrian and non-Assyrian communities. As one of the founders of the Assyrian National Council of Stanislaus, Lazar interacts with local, state and federal agencies on behalf of the Assyrian community.

With 20 local Assyrian organizations as members of the Council, our community is fortunate to benefit from their leadership and guidance on matters concerning the community. I consider Lazar and members of the Council invaluable resources in the 18th Congressional District. The Council has provided a voice to so many who have made America their home.

I am honored to recognize the Council's achievements under Lazar's direction. Lazar has never shied from community involvement. In addition to his work at Piro Trading International, Lazar is a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of California. He is also actively involved with the Assyrian American Civic Club, the Assyrian Church of the East and the Assyrian Welfare Committee to name a few. Lazar and his wife, Francia, reside in Turlock and have three children and three grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian on his third anniversary in office and for Taiwan's continued support and friendship with the United States.

Since his election three years ago, President Chen has continued to make strides toward full democracy by guaranteeing greater constitutional and human rights to the citizens

of Taiwan. Today, Taiwan is home to more than ninety political parties, and virtually every political office is actively contested through free and fair elections. In fact, President Chen is a former political dissident himself. Taiwan's constitution guarantees its citizens extensive political, personal and religious freedoms. Further, President Chen has committed Taiwan to many international human rights treaties.

Under President Chen's strong leadership, Taiwan has remained true to its democratic values and has continued to be a model for its neighbors in the region. But as the Taiwanese people celebrate the third anniversary of their President's election, they also are struggling to contain the recent outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, in their country. The SARS outbreak is a good demonstration of what Secretary of State Colin Powell said recently--that the deadly virus recognizes no international borders. Taiwan is a part of the world that has been deeply affected by SARS and needs to play its proper role in preventing further spread of the virus. For these reasons, Taiwan urgently needs representation in the WHO.

I also strongly support Taiwan's democratization at home and its campaign to join international organizations abroad. Taiwan is a strong ally which stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States after the events of September 11, 2001. We in the United States Congress appreciate Taiwan's support for our nation--a solid partnership that has endured for many years.

Taiwan is making significant contributions to the international community and I know that our bilateral relations will only grow stronger in the coming years. Again, congratulations to President Chen and to the people of Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Kenneth Mitchem, who is one of the Central Valley's most outstanding citizen leaders. As a doctor he has dedicated himself to increasing the availability of medical services to his community and as such he has touched many lives. As his friends and family gather to celebrate Dr. Mitchem's numerous achievements, I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in saluting his most accomplished career.

After Dr. Mitchem graduated from the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine he opened his practice in Mokane, Missouri. In 1957 he moved his practice to Camdenton, Missouri. There in the midst of the Ozark Mountains he was the only full time doctor. With the nearest hospital 65 miles away he opened his practice as a clinic, two-bed emergency hospital, and birthing center. This clinic was complete with a laboratory, X-ray capabilities, and pharmacy. In his clinic he treated everything from broken bones and car accidents to delivering babies.

In 1969 he moved to Turlock, California where he joined the office of Drs. Stanley Todd and Hugh Washburn. As a general physician and surgeon, Dr. Mitchem was able to provide medical care for thousands of patients in the Central Valley at a time when there were few doctors in this area.

Not only is Dr. Mitchem widely respected as a very important and competent physician but he is also widely respected in the community for all of his public service. In the past Dr. Mitchem has served as a board member to the Stanislaus County Medical Society. Currently he serves as a member of the Board of Directors to the Stanislaus Foundation for Medical Care. Not only has he displayed an incredible amount of integrity and dedication to his colleagues, but he has worked to increase the availability of medical services to patients throughout our community.

As a Medical Advisor to the Elness Convalescent Hospital, the Bel Air Lodge, and the Hale Aloha Convalescent Hospital, he has demonstrated his commitment to seniors and the important medical care they need.

Dr. Mitchem also serves his community as a Board Member of the Creative Alternatives Board. As a member of this board he helps run three separate programs in our community. These programs include a foster family agency, a residential care program, and non public schools. This board was established in 1976, and with Dr. Mitchem's assistance, has helped hundreds in our community. His dedication to children, families, and seniors is astounding. Dr. Mitchem is truly an invaluable member of our community.

Mr. Speaker, on May 29th, as Dr. Kenneth E. Mitchem's friends and family gathered to honor his years of incredible service to the medical community and his patients, he was honored as the recipient of the John Darroch Memorial Award by the Stanislaus Medical Society. His successes are considerable, and it is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to pay tribute to his contributions. I ask all my colleagues to join with me in wishing Dr. Kenneth E. Mitchem continued success in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the economic challenges facing our Nation's working families. The latest unemployment figures make it official: We are now in the longest period of job losses in America since the Great Depression. America

has lost half a million jobs in just the last 3 months. Today 8\1/2\ million Americans are out of work, and millions more are working in part-time jobs because they cannot find full-time employment.

Let us look at the facts. Since January 2001, when this administration took office, we have seen a massive shift in policy away from fiscal discipline in favor of a record of deficits. The results of this policy could not be any clearer. We have seen 2.2 million lost jobs and an economy spiralling out of control.

As I talk to the people in my district in California, I find a high level of anxiety because of this economy. In my district, and in the surrounding region, we have the highest unemployment rates in the entire Nation. It is a terrible situation, and it is not an overstatement to say that my constituents are going through an economic depression.

We have thousands of people in central California who are suffering through no fault of their own. The unemployed need our help. That is why we are here today on this floor. These people who are intelligent, hard-working and educated folks are out on the street. They are running out of unemployment benefits, and some of them have already run out.

The fact is the good people in my State and across the Nation need this House's help, and we have only 17 days until we reach May 31, the day the last extension of unemployment benefits will expire.

That is why so many Democratic Members from across all ideological spectrums are upset. We want to make sure that the people's voices from our districts are heard. That is why this House ought to be a place where the people's voices are heard.

What do we say to the long-term unemployed whose checks have already run out, who do not know where they are going to get the money to pay for the rent, who do not know if they will get evicted, who do not know how they will be able to feed their children? Instead of listening to the voices of the unemployed, the administration and the majority in Congress have focused solely on the need for additional tax cuts, completely ignoring the dangers posed by higher deficits.

Twenty-four years ago when I was an intern to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost) who spoke earlier on this floor, I sat at my desk and listened for hours as the Republican Party railed against high deficits. In the last 24 years, it seems that they have forgotten those speeches, and now they have forgotten the philosophy in favor of fiscal irresponsibility.

A short-term deficit is certainly understandable given the recession and the need to respond to last year's terrorist attacks, but the tax cut package approved by this House last week would do serious harm to the long-term fiscal health of this Nation. The proposal centers on permanent changes that would further worsen an already poor long-term budget outlook and risks increasing long-term interest rates, which I call the debt tax.

In my district it would do nothing to help the vast majority of working families. In fact, I recently commissioned a study that showed that most families in the central valley of California would see little or no benefits from the Republican proposal to reduce taxes on capital gains or dividends. The report also showed that the full tax cut package handily favored only 1 percent of the taxpayers of the 18th Congressional District of California.

Mr. Speaker, the tax cut bill offers nothing to help the unemployed and those truly struggling in our stagnant economy. It squeezes important programs out of the budget, forcing cuts in Medicaid, in child care assistance, in veterans benefits and more. In short, this bill compromises the long-term solvency of both the Federal budget and the American economy, and it also further strains the California budget, devastated by the weak economy in our State.

Instead of enacting the reckless provisions of this Republican tax bill, I believe our economy would be best served by pursuing a strategy of responsible planning and fiscal discipline that will shrink, rather than grow, our national debt. These guiding principles are good for the economy, the government, and, most importantly, for American families.

We need a stimulus plan that creates jobs and puts people to work now, instead of the majority and the administration's proposal being to trot out more of the same failed economic policies that have failed time and time again.

There is a case for considering a stimulus package, and I strongly support the alternative stimulus package offered by the Democrats. This economic plan offers exactly the kind of stimulus our economy needs. I hope we have the chance to vote for it in the near future.

Mr. Speaker, let us fight for those unemployed folks in my district and throughout America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Max Hallman. Max Hallman has dedicated his life to education and the community of Merced has benefited greatly from his efforts.

Max Hallman was instrumental in starting the Honors program at Merced College thirteen years ago, bringing the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society to the campus. Max was a founding member of the Califomia/Nevada Region of the Honors Society, and has received several awards recognizing his achievements. Max Hallman has been named Merced College Instructor of the Year, is the recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development's Teaching Excellence Award, six different Phi Theta Kappa recognitions and is prominently featured in the directory, Who `s Who Among America's Teachers.

Max Hallman has spent his life teaching the young to think, to question, to aspire for something greater. Max Hallman has become an expert in the works of Frederick Nietzsche, who once wrote, ``Out of damp and gloomy days, out of solitude, out of loveless words directed at us, conclusions grow up in us like fungus: one morning they are there, we know not how, and they gaze upon us, morose and gray. Woe to the thinker who is not the gardener but only the soil of the plants that grow in him!'' Professor Hallman has long been teaching his young students to garden--to be responsible for their minds and lives, and many of them are the better for it.

It is my honor and privilege to recognize Max Hallman for his service to the community. Throughout his career, he has distinguished himself as a leader and mentor. I am delighted to recognize his service and his retirement as I wish him the best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of Reverend Nuel Brown, who will be retiring after the close of the California State Association of Free Will Baptist Convention on May 2, 2003.

Nuel Brown has been the Free Will Baptist Ministries in California since 1953. He began his work as a pastor and community leader with youth in the California League Youth Organization of the Golden State in Mountain View, California. By selling diversified church bonds, he secured the property for the First Free Will Baptist Church of Mountain View, California where he served five years before moving to Kerman, California. Nuel served the Kerman Free Will Baptist Church for twenty years. He also worked as a chaplain for the Kerman Police Department, served on the Planning Commission and worked with youth. He continued to serve the community through the Ministerial Alliance, Kerman High School Boosters Club and serving youth throughout the surrounding areas. All of Nuel's children are graduates of Kerman High School.

In 1986, Reverend Brown accepted the position of Executive Secretary Promotional Director for the Free Will Baptist State Association. During his tenure, Reverend Brown served all the Free Will Baptist Churches in the State of California. Reverend Brown has served in the State Office for the past 17 years. He has continued to be an activist in the community and a voice for the people. He has great working relationships with elected officials throughout the region and is considered a source for information to the community.

Nuel will now enjoy his retirement with his wife, Yvonne, their children and their grandchildren. Please join me in honoring Reverend Nuel Brown's distinguished career as he enters the next chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to proceed with my special order at this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the lack of Federal resources being allocated to local law enforcement officials, our front line in our war on terrorism.

Several weeks ago, I sent out an e-mail asking first responders from my district to attend a brown bag lunch to discuss the challenges they face. With less than 24 hours' notice, nearly 60 law enforcement officials and fire professionals changed their schedules and attended this meeting.

While in nearly every case they support the administration's efforts on terrorism, as do I, to an individual they were disappointed in the lack of resources provided by their Federal

Government. These men and women are made of the same mettle as the first responders who were on the scene September 11 in New York City and in Washington, D.C., but they need the tools to do their jobs. They have communication systems that are woefully inadequate for the jobs they need to do.

Fire and police are unable to communicate on the same radios. Regrettably, the supplemental the administration just sent over does not address these needs. While it provides overall increases for homeland security, it contains no funds to provide interoperable communication equipment so that police, firefighters and emergency workers can talk to one another during an emergency.

I am hopeful that these concerns are addressed as the debate on the supplemental bill progresses. Our first responders must have enhanced communications equipment to respond adequately to emergencies. If police, firefighters and other first responders are unable to communicate with each other, lives will be lost due to lack of coordination; and that simply should not happen.

Let me also say that I am sympathetic to the needs of our big cities, especially those that have suffered from terrorist attacks in the past. We should work together to make certain that law enforcement and other first responders in those cities have the resources they need to respond to future threats and attacks.

At the same time, we should not neglect the needs of first responders in smaller communities. Let us not forget, the second largest act of terrorism committed in the United States soil occurred in Oklahoma City, which did not rank high on any list of targets that we have seen recently.

Quite simply, acts of terrorism, by either domestic or international sources can occur anywhere at any time, and our local first responders must have the tools necessary to respond.

In my district, preparing for potential attack also means recognizing the threat posed by agriterrorism or the use of disease or outbreak to cripple the agricultural industry. As we have seen with the outbreak of bovine TB, exotic Newcastle disease, the introduction of an organism that can be devastating to the industry and a threat to the Nation's food supply.

To further highlight the challenge facing our first responders, I want to focus on one of the local law enforcement agencies in my district, the sheriff's department in Stanislaus County.

I recently spoke with our sheriff, Les Weidman, who has got his hands full, not only dealing with the threat posed by future terrorist attacks but also trying to deal with the methamphetamine crisis in California's central valley. Like sheriffs across the country, Sheriff Weidman has seen a dramatic increase in meth labs in our area.

Sheriff Weidman recently held a news conference where he uncovered a link between drug production and terrorist groups. Mr. Speaker, this is a disturbing turn of events. He announced that millions of dollars of profits from drug deals had been diverted to Middle Eastern terrorist organizations. While his efforts are laudable, his small force of 450 officers is barely enough to do the job.

No matter how dedicated they are, without adequate tools they will not be able to get the job done alone. In fact, Sheriff Weidman recently told me that his department cannot afford the most basic protective gear for his deputies because of the cost. Only 35 out of the 450 officers that he has on duty have been issued protective kits against the use of chemical or biological weapons.

Addressing the threats posed by terrorism is a Federal issue with national implications, but dealing with the immediate effects of a terrorist attack will most likely be performed by local law enforcement officers and other first responders. What sort of message is the Federal Government sending to the local men and women on the front lines in our home districts if we cannot even provide them with the basic tools and resources necessary to carry out the most pressing national concern?

I would submit today that we are not doing nearly enough, Mr. Speaker. As we move forward this year and in this session of Congress, I hope we can work together to provide our law enforcement officials with the resources they need to protect our communities. This is not, nor should it be, a partisan issue.

I have been pleased to meet with a number of administration officials since taking office, and I am impressed with the level of commitment and dedication they place in protecting our homeland; but when local law enforcement officials tell me that communications capability is locally inadequate, it is clear to me that we must do more.

Working together, I am confident that we can, in fact, do this. If we mean what we say about providing homeland security for our Nation, we must start by providing support to our local first responders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sybil N. Crookham. Mrs. Crookharn was born on an Indian reservation on November 12, 1911. She moved to Merced County and enrolled in Winton School. She graduated from Merced High School in 1930, and received her Bachelor of Arts in education from San Francisco State in 1934.

Mrs. Crookham received a teaching job upon returning to Winton, California in 1934. However, she had to leave her job after marrying Mr. Paul Crookham in 1937, as the school district had a policy against employing married teachers. Mrs. Crookham then went to work at the Bloss Hospital Sunshine School to teach children suffering from rheumatic fever.

In 1943, the Winton School Board revised its policy on married teachers, and reinstated Mrs. Crookham. Soon after, she began serving as a teacher-principal, and then as principal-superintendent. After receiving an administrative credential from Fresno State University, she served as the district's full-time superintendent until her retirement in 1974.

Even after her retirement in 1974, Mrs. Crookham stayed very active in the local community. She was elected to the Merced County Board of Education on which she served seven terms. Mrs. Crookham was instrumental in the Virginia Smith Scholarship Program, and was involved with well over fifty organizations in Merced County. When the Bloss House, a historical landmark in Atwater, California, was threatened, Mrs. Crookham helped to found the Atwater Historical Society to save and preserve the home. She remained on the Historical Society board until 2001.

In 1986, the first elementary school she attended was renamed ``Sybil N. Crookham Elementary School.'' Mrs. Crookham's main priority was to ensure every student in Merced County receive a quality education. She played a vital role in locating the tenth University of California campus to be built in Merced. Her friends and coworkers described Mrs. Crookham as a tireless worker, and a champion of the youth.

Our community has been greatly strengthened by the efforts of Paul and Sybil Crookham. She never ceased to work on behalf of the children even after her retirement. Sybil was always called upon by community leaders for advice and counsel. Sybil set an example for others to follow. I am honored to have called Sybil Crookham my friend and am saddened for our community's loss. May God Bless Paul and the entire Crookham family.