Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Vasilios ``Bill'' Kavadias, owner and manager of the Greek Taverna Restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue, for his 41 years of service to the Capitol Hill community. For 41 years, Bill has opened his doors to thousands of Members of Congress, Senators, Capitol Hill residents and visitors.

Bill arrived from the Greek Island of Kefalonia on the USS Independence on December 30, 1956, with his brother. Soon after his arrival, Bill met and married his wife, Ifigenia. Two years later in 1965 around the same time Bill was starting his new business, the couple gave birth to their one and only child, Gregory.

Starting Taverna with his brother in 1965, rocky times would soon befall on him. But being the man that Bill is, he would not allow the initial shortcomings interfere with his desire to succeed. Changing the menu 3 times in 10 years to meet customers' requests, Bill and his brother noticed that people really enjoyed Greek food, and in 1977, Taverna went all Greek. From here on, Bill turned Taverna into a culinary palace it is today. Even though he would insist that it was his customers who made it happen, we all know that it was Bill who transformed his modest establishment into the symbol it is today. Along the way, he befriended many people including former Speakers of the House Tipper O'Neil and Newt Gingrich. Among the many other Members of Congress that frequent this iconic restaurant, Bill has warmly served the President of Brazil, former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, the Greek Ambassador during the Reagan years and Secretary of State Madeline Albright to name a few.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bill about 10 years ago shortly after I was elected to Congress. Day after day, I would make my way to his extraordinary establishment and each and every time, Bill was there to greet me. Over time, he and I forged a remarkable friendship that I am so grateful for. Taverna is like my home, but it would not be so without Bill. I am saddened by his retirement but am very thankful for the time I have had with him.

Aside from his business accomplishments, Bill always made sure that he devoted his heart, mind and time to his surrounding community, his customers and his family. This was made evident when many of his friends and long-time customers showed up on the Thursday before his retirement to pay him homage.

This man is truly one to be honored and emulated as he has touched the hearts of so many of his customers and friends during his time at Taverna. His immense kindness and overwhelming generosity is something that is not often seen in today's society. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as he embarks on his new path. And like everything else Bill has done, I am certain that he will be enormously successful.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Vasilios ``Bill'' Kavadias, whose dedication and 41 years of service to his customers and community will be missed, but never forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Reverend Ralph Emerson Leach, devoted husband, father, grandfather, United States Veteran, prolific journalist, spiritual leader, social activist, and friend and mentor to countless people, across the southwest and far beyond.

Reverend Leach was born and raised in Massachusetts. He attended the University of Texas School of Journalism until WWII interrupted his studies. In 1943, he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in the Yunnan Province of China. After 3 years of decorated service, he was honorably discharged. In 1947, Reverend Leach and his wife, Gloria, were married. He began his editorial and reporting career, working at a series of newspapers throughout Texas and Arkansas. As News Editor of the Arkansas Gazette in the mid-50s, Reverend Leach was a frontrunner in exposing the injustice of racism by working on a series of articles that highlighted the historic Central High School integration crisis. The Gazette was later awarded the Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of this benchmark event in the civil rights movement.

Personally moved by the racial intolerance that he witnessed overseas and at home, Reverend Leach ended his career in journalism and began building a spiritual ministry that existed to raise the poor and struggling out of the shadows of poverty and hopelessness, and to free the soul of our Nation from the chains of human injustice. He graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest, was ordained into the Episcopal ministry, and became firmly entrenched in the civil rights movement. Reverend Leach's work led him to collaborate with

our Nation's foremost heroes in the civil rights crusade, including the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Reverend Leach also served as the Manpower Director with Total Action Against Poverty (TAP). Even in his later years, Reverend Leach's dedication as a grassroots activist was as energized and focused as ever, and is reflected in his contribution and leadership within grassroots political campaigns, including my own.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor, remembrance and gratitude to Reverend Ralph Emerson Leach, whose life was defined by his steadfast commitment to his family and by his limitless passion to make his community, our Nation and our world, a better place. I extend my deepest condolences to his daughters and their spouses: Laura and Don, Rebecca and William, Naomi and Paul; to his son and his fiancee, Stephen and Sally; to his grandchildren, extended family members and many friends. His kindness, integrity, gentle guidance and service to others has made a difference in my life and in the lives of countless families and individuals, and he will be remembered always.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Erma Ora Byrd, loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and dear friend and mentor to many. Her passing marks a great loss for her family and friends, and also for the people of West Virginia, whom she served with the highest level of commitment, concern, integrity and honor.

The daughter of a coal miner, Mrs. Byrd remained deeply connected to the foundation of her childhood--one based on family, faith and community. Whether greeting kings at state dinners or meeting with neighbors at the town hall, Mrs. Byrd reflected a certain grace, kindness and warmth. She shied away from the harsh glare of politics, preferring instead to focus on family and close friends, gently inspiring and teaching by example. Mrs. Byrd and Senator Robert Byrd were married for 68 years. They met in grade school and married at the tender age of 19.

Together, they raised two daughters, Mona and Marjorie. Mrs. Byrd's limitless love for her daughters, grandchildren and great-children extended to every child in West Virginia, upon whose behalf she advocated. Though awards and accolades held no significance to her, Mrs. Byrd's outreach and advocacy work has been honored numerous times. Both West Virginia University and Marshall University have established academic scholarship programs in her name.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance of Mrs. Erma Ora James Byrd. I extend my deepest condolences to her husband, United States Senator Robert Byrd; to her daughters, Mona Carole Byrd Fatemi and Marjorie Ellen Byrd Moore; to her sons-in-law, Mohammed Fatemi and Jon Moore; and to her grandchildren, great- grandchildren and extended family members and many friends. Mrs. Byrd's boundless love for her family, friends and for the people of West Virginia will be remembered always.

Mr. Speaker, I sent the attached letter in support of compulsory licensing for Avastin on February 21, 2006.

February 21, 2006.

Mike Leavitt,

Secretary; Department of Health and Human Services,

Washington, DC.

Dear Secretary Leavitt: I request that you issue a

compulsory license for Avastin in order to bring the price

under control and to send a clear signal to the

pharmaceutical industry that price gouging will not be

tolerated.

As you know, the New York Times reported on February 15,

2006 that Roche and Genentech plan to charge $100,000 for a

year's supply of Avastin to late stage lung and breast cancer

victims. This represents a price increase over the already

astronomical $50,000 price tag for its current use for colon

cancer. These exorbitant prices bear little on the cost of

production, which is ``a fraction of what Genentech charges

for it.''

Roche and Genentech's pricing decisions will force many

cancer victims to choose between extending their lives and

leaving their family a burden of irreconcilable debt. In

fact, the Times reports that some are already opting for less

life for cost reasons. Furthermore, the poorest and sickest

among us will be the most likely to refuse the treatment.

Even those patients with insurance are not protected because

the copays are likely to approximate $1000 per month for

Avastin alone, to say nothing of the cost of chemotherapy

pharmaceuticals that often accompany it.

Pricing schemes like these will have ripple effects. They

will make it easier for other companies with similar drugs to

charge higher prices. Insurance companies will pass on much

of the cost, accelerating already out of control health care

costs. If the trend of this legal price gouging proceeds

unchecked, Medicare's own future is imperiled, especially in

the absence of the ability to negotiate prices with drug

manufacturers.

In the past, the pharmaceutical industry's excuse for

charging substantially higher prices for their drugs as

compared to the cost of generics in the U.S. has been that

they needed to recover their research and development costs.

But Roche and Genentech cited a different reason: it is what

they can get away with charging. `` `As we look at Avastin

and Herceptin pricing, right now the health economics hold

up, and therefore I don't see any reason to be touching

them,' said William M. Burns, the chief executive of Roche's

pharmaceutical division and a member of Genentech's board.''

Roche and Genentech have the legal latitude to act in this

way through the patent system, which gives pharmaceutical

companies a monopoly on drugs they bring to market. But it is

not an absolute, unchecked right to extort.

You have the authority to issue a compulsory license. Doing

so would allow other manufacturers to compete with Roche/

Genentech and therefore drastically lower the price of

Avastin. Roche and Genentech would be guaranteed ``reasonable

and entire compensation'' as required by law (28 USC 1498). A

compulsory license would also send a clear signal to the

pharmaceutical industry that abuse of the patent system,

especially when at the expense of health, will not be

tolerated.

I look forward to your immediate response.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich,

Member of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, later today the Committee on Rules will decide what modifications to the budget bill Congress may consider. In the spirit of the remarks of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) with respect to how we need to concentrate on research, I want to offer these remarks. I hope that the Rules Committee does not deny this House the opportunity to correct the mistreatment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration which is occurring in this budget.

I am not as optimistic about this rule, so I rise to draw Members' attention to the underlying issue. NASA's contributions in the field of research, in the field of aeronautics to this Nation and the world are profound. From surveillance systems that monitor aircraft flight paths to the development of secure communications systems, NASA's research has been instrumental in improving our national security.

NASA's research and NASA's aeronautics programs have also contributed substantially to the Nation's economy. Civil aeronautics is the major contributor to this sector's positive balance of trade, more than any other industry. We have a positive balance of trade in aeronautics, and we can attribute that directly to the work of research and development at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and this enables a new generation of service based industries, like e-commerce to flourish by performing the research that leads to inexpensive and reliable flights.

Congress recognizes the value of aeronautics, which is why it restored cuts that were proposed in the administration's fiscal year 2006 budget. Once in the CCJS appropriations bill, and again in the NASA reauthorization bill, Congress protected aeronautics with strong bipartisan support bringing funding back to fiscal year 2005 levels. And I am proud to have played a role in that and working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in focusing in on the necessity of protecting our ability to do basic research and research which leads to developments in aeronautics.

Now, in spite of this, this administration is proposing an even bigger aeronautics cut, $179 million, or 25 percent of the aeronautics budget they are trying to cut. I mean, if this was farming, it would be like throwing away your seed corn.

This shortfall is a direct result of the administration's consistent and inexplicable failure to fund the very vision for space exploration that it launched. Now, in order to keep this vision alive, NASA is forced to take the money from other essential programs like aeronautics.

About a month ago our colleagues in the Senate passed a budget amendment with four Republican cosponsors that increased funding for aeronautics at fiscal year 2005 levels. I tried to introduce the same amendment with bipartisan support, but it has not been approved by the Rules Committee. We cannot afford to stand by and watch the erosion of research of aeronautics and the erosion of these NASA programs that are connected. If the Rules Committee produces a rule that lets Congress have the ability to focus on protecting NASA's aeronautics research, then we ought to support the rule.

However, if the Rules Committee denies Congress the ability to debate the mistreatment of NASA, then I will ask that we vote ``no.'' And later, at the appropriate time, I will ask my colleagues to urge conferees to agree with the Senate's position on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This is about our ability to grow America's future, and vitally connected to that is the work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. And let's not forget national aeronautics, aeronautics, aeronautics, research, research, research. Fund it.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the Miller motion to instruct conferees. This motion to instruct supports the bipartisan Senate compromise language that will protect older workers.

Now, H.R. 2830 does a great disservice to older workers by denying the reality that conversions from traditional defined benefit plans to cash balance plans harm older workers. A report released in early November by the GAO found that a majority of older workers experienced deep cuts in their pension when converted from a traditional plan to a cash balance plan without transition protections. This is not only unfair, it is wrong. Providing transition protections for older workers should not be a choice for employers. It should be a requirement. Any change in plans must protect the accrued benefits of employees, and the conference report should reflect that reality.

It is a myth to believe that cash balance plans are innocuous. For older workers especially, these plans are hazardous. A pension plan is worth nothing if it does not provide security for employees, and these plans translate into increased vulnerability for workers as they retire.

Hard working employees should not be rewarded for their service with a denial of pension benefits. I urge my colleagues to help ensure that workers' pensions are protected by supporting the Miller motion to instruct conferees. Let's stand up for people who work a lifetime and were told at the beginning of their work experience the money was going to be there to enjoy their golden years. Support the Miller amendment and put some teeth behind that guarantee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

I rise in support of this resolution honoring the Space Shuttle program at NASA on the anniversary of its test flight.

Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen flew Space Shuttle Columbia on its first low-earth orbit flight for 3 days. Such a feat was made possible by the world-class workers and supporters of NASA, who are also commended in this resolution.

The Space Shuttle was remarkable in part because it was the first spacecraft to launch with wings, using solid rocket boosters. It was also the first reentry spacecraft to land on a conventional runway. Notice that both these firsts are visual, if not literal, reminders of the strength of the agency itself: NASA excels in both spaceflight and flight in the atmosphere, or aeronautics. It is proof of the value of having an agency that is strong in both fields.

It is unfortunate, then, that the Vision for Space Exploration, which has the potential to build on the Shuttle successes, has not been adequately funded. Instead, the proposed budget pits the Vision against aeronautics in an internal battle for insufficient funding. In fact, ever since the Vision for Space Exploration was released, there has not been adequate funding for it in the Administration's budget. The result is that other critical NASA programs lose money to the Vision as NASA is forced to pick one important program over another. For example, in FY06, there was a proposed cut in aeronautics of roughly $60 million. In FY07, that number is $179 million, despite Congress' clear support in both the appropriations and authorization bills last year. That is a 20 percent cut in 1 year.

This resolution before us today will send a message that Congress is proud of what NASA has accomplished. I urge my colleagues to prove their reverence by working to fund it.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Chair and the ranking member for this opportunity to speak and thank them for bringing this resolution forward.

I think it is important that this Congress take a stand and make noteworthy the achievements of many men and women of science who in this case have been accorded the highest award of a Nobel Prize in physics and in chemistry. It is manifestly clear that this country needs to put forth an emphasis on scientific achievement.

It is this emphasis on scientific achievement which characterized the Kennedy administration, which gave America vision to shoot for the stars, and it is an emphasis on scientific achievement which will cause more Nobel Prize winners in future to come forward from the United States, not only in physics and chemistry but in economics and literature.

We need to emphasize our quest for knowledge, and in this resolution we are helping to confirm our belief that the quest for knowledge needs to be recognized nationally.

I want to add one more note. Recently the Nobel Prize winner for economics and peace a few years ago, Joseph Stiglitz, made an assessment of what the economic cost would be of the United States' continued presence in Iraq. I think that we need to look at what our Nobel Prize winners tell us about the world in which we live.

They have achieved a level of excellence which can be communicated to Members of Congress and our constituents. They have achieved the level of credibility which we should give credence to, which we are doing this evening with this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, a number of Members of Congress from the Democratic side have come together in a process known as an e-hearing where we have solicited from people across the country their concerns in particular about the auto industry, trade law, labor law and Delphi Corporation filing for bankruptcy.

This evening, a number of us will come before this House to make a presentation on behalf of people who participated in the e-hearing and to make clear the direction this country must go in with respect to our trade law, labor law and with respect to the Delphi case.

I want to begin by thanking the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) who is the ranking member on our committee for his work in helping to organize this hearing, and hopefully he will be here himself to participate,

but you will be hearing shortly from the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) as well as other Members with respect to the results of our e-hearing.

Much of the talk surrounding the current crisis facing U.S. automakers revolves around the toll that wages, health insurance and pensions place on companies. A loss of these benefits would be a devastating blow for workers and their families. Consider what my constituent, Betty Payer of Parma, Ohio, said during our committee's recent e-hearing.

She said, ``The way the auto industry is going affects us in so many different ways. If my husband was to lose his job, we would not be able to raise our children properly. I don't even know how we would be able to give them the proper education. We can barely afford to buy them clothes and get them the things they truly need the way it is. My oldest son is getting ready to turn 3 and he needs speech therapy and physical therapy the way it is. Without insurance, we would not be able to take him to those because we cannot afford to pay for them. He has to go once a week until they see an improvement in him.''

That is from Betty Payer of Parma, Ohio.

But the discussion about the auto industry is not served when certain individuals mischaracterize the actual labor costs. There is a myth put forward by the CEO of Delphi about the overpaid auto workers. He is claiming that $65 per hour is a typical wage Delphi pays for blue color labor. The problem is Delphi doesn't pay $65 an hour. Rather, this figure is a creation of Delphi's media consultants and it lumps together all of Delphi's labor costs and payments to unemployed and retired workers, but falsely allocates them only to Delphi's much smaller workforce. That inflates the average labor cost.

Actual average wage for current Delphi workers is about $23 per hour. So whatever Delphi's financial problems, one thing that is not a cause is workers earning $65 per hour. And it is misleading of Delphi's CEO to say otherwise.

But bad faith characterizes the Delphi CEO. It was bad faith that he filed motions in bankruptcy court to break his labor contracts. Negotiations with the union had not reached an impasse. Rather, the opposite was true. GM and Delphi had just reached an agreement with the union on a Special Attrition Program. Don't you think that one agreement could lead to another?

If Delphi's CEO is notorious for his drive to beat down the wages and benefits workers have won through their unions and impose a wage scale that is more in line with that of China, then he has been greatly helped by the official policy of the United States, both in terms of trade law and labor law.

We have a trade policy that actually permits foreign based companies to export an infinite number of goods and services to the United States, with no expectation that goods and services made in the United States will find buyers overseas. So companies locate in low wage countries, such as China, and export without limit to the U.S. Predictably, the U.S. is, in turn, suffering from a record-sized widening trade deficit with China and the world. Our trade deficit is approaching $750 billion. Workers are threatened by plant closures, and plant owners can plausibly threaten they are going to move to Mexico where they can find lower wages, lower legal standards, and export to the U.S. what they used to manufacture in the U.S. What is needed is balance. There should be some kind of a balance between our imports and our exports. What we import from China, for example, should be roughly in line with the value of what we export to China. Our trade policies should be guided by what you could call a principle of reciprocity.

We also have a labor policy that enables foreign-owned companies to threaten and intimidate American workers when they try to organize themselves into unions. The leading foreign automakers have plants in the U.S., but they are all non union, thanks to the anti worker slant of U.S. law. That gives them an unfair advantage over the unionized American auto companies. Why do we tolerate giving Honda and Toyota such an advantage in our own country? If workers were allowed join unions, as they do in Canada, when a majority signed cards attesting that that is their wish, foreign auto companies would be less able to squash an organizing effort. Then GM and Toyota would be on a level playing field as far as labor costs were concerned.

Here in Congress, we cannot compel automakers to design cars people want to buy. We hope that they can find the people to design such vehicles. Clearly, the American automakers have made serious errors. Auto workers didn't make the errors because they are told what cars to make.

But we can make sure that the playing field is level so there is fair competition in the auto industry.

Our trade policy, Mr. Speaker, and I am speaking of NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, for starters, has had a consistent effect. Know what that effect has been? To deindustrialize the United States. We are losing our industry, not because of the laws of nature or the invisible hand, but due to trade policy established here in Congress.

Our labor law is also responsible. American-owned companies are losing market share to foreign-owned transplants because of the viciously anti-worker environment this Congress has unfortunately established.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to hearing my other colleagues about what we can do to protect American industry and American auto workers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Kathleen's Kitchen, located in the heart of Cleveland's Westside neighborhood, as they are closing their doors on April 1, following a twenty-four year run of great food, great service, laughter and lively conversation.

The restaurant, located in Kamm's Corners, is owned by sisters Kathleen Verrell, Cindi Condol and Micki Speck. The sisters took over the business when their mother, founder Kathleen Finnerty, passed away. Mrs. Finnerty opened Kathleen's Kitchen in 1982, and her kind heart and generous nature was continued on through her daughters, whose collective goodwill consistently extended out into the neighborhood, as they offered hot meals or coffee to those in need.

Kathleen's Kitchen's warm and inviting atmosphere evolved from a corner diner into a favorite gathering place for residents, families, business owners, and people in all lines of work, from plumbers to presidents. President Bill Clinton visited Kathleen's Kitchen several times during his presidency. Though customers came from differing backgrounds, everyone was connected by a common quest--a familiar place to relax, enjoy a great meal, connect with others and capture the viewpoints of the day's events.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and gratitude of the owners, staff and customers of Kathleen's Kitchen, whose energy, warmth and friendship served as a daily reflection of real life in America. Although Kathleen's Kitchen will be missed by countless people, including myself, our wonderful time spent there will remain in our memories forever.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute and recognition of the 45th Anniversary of Eugenia Stolarczyk's Polish Radio Program, broadcast every Sunday morning on Cleveland's WCPN 90.3 FM and WERE 1300 AM, as she is honored by the Polish American Cultural Center of Cleveland, established in 2001.

The native language, music and news of Poland streams from the radio on Sunday mornings, here in Cleveland and around the country, connecting Americans of Polish heritage to their beloved homeland. The music and song of Poland, from classical to polka, serves as a living bridge that transcends time and distance, connecting the memories, history, spirit and culture of Poland.

Eugenia Stolarczyk's talent, passion and joy in promoting Polish music, culture and news brings the soul of Poland into the kitchens and living rooms of people living on Fleet Avenue in Cleveland and along avenues across the country. American citizens who emigrated here from Poland add significant depth, richness and brilliant color to the diverse fabric of nations that comprise the cultural fabric of Cleveland, reflecting the heart and soul of our nation--a nation founded on, and unified by, the grit and struggle for freedom--a nation of immigrants.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Eugenia Stolarczyk, whose dedication, talent and energy has illuminated the radio waves from Cleveland to California every Sunday morning for the past 45 years, echoing the spirited melodies and language of Poland. This vital radio broadcast serves as a guardian of ancestry, protecting and preserving the song and spirit of Poland for every new generation to come to embrace--with just a turn of the dial.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 703, but I feel compelled to qualify my support to ensure the people of Ukraine continue to receive support in the wake of this tragedy.

To understand the gravity of the worst nuclear accident in history, let's review what happened on April 26th, 1986. While testing the reactor, a series of mishaps led to a large chemical explosion that resulted in the 1,000-ton cover blowing off the top of the reactor.

Ultimately, fifty tons of uranium fuel from the reactor core vaporized immediately, and were blasted high into the atmosphere; a further 70 tons of uranium and 900 tons of highly radioactive graphite were dispersed into the area around the reactor, starting more than 30 fires; the 800 tons of graphite that remained in the reactor core caught fire at once, creating a radiological inferno that would burn for 10 days, sending a continuous plume of lethal radionuclides roiling into the sky.

The Soviet government would wait nearly three full days before acknowledging that an accident had taken place, and did so only after the drifting plume set off radiation alarms in a nuclear plant in Sweden. Nine million people were exposed to radiation in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

The contaminants, which included plutonium isotopes with a half-life of 24,360 years, eventually traveled around the globe, depositing radioactive material as far away as the lakes of Japan and the hill farms of north Wales. The long-lived radioactivity released was more than 200 times that of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The economic consequences of the accident remain a massive burden on the countries most affected; Belarus and Ukraine continue to spend around 6% of their Gross National Product on trying to deal with the consequences of the accident.

I have concerns with the following clause in H. Res. 703 because it sanctions an attempt to downplay the health effects on millions of innocent people.

``Whereas the findings of the Chernobyl Forum, issued in September 2005, significantly added to the understanding of the health consequences and economic impact caused by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster;''

The Chernobyl Forum study understates the health consequences of Chernobyl. The authors excluded more than 30,000 anticipated cancer deaths from the collective doses in all other countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Over 6,000 thyroid cancer cases have been diagnosed so far in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, and more are anticipated. Recent scientific studies are revealing an increased incidence of solid cancers, including breast cancer, as well as cardiovascular and ophthalmic effects. These effects have long latency periods of more than 20 years.

In the Rivne region of Ukraine, 310 miles west of Chernobyl, doctors say they are coming across an unusual rate of cancers and mutations. There is a 30 percent incidence rate amongst people in the highly radiated areas that have physical disorders, including heart and blood diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. Nearly one in three of all the newborn babies have deformities.

It took some 600,000 workers for recovery and clean-up operations, all of them exposed to high levels of radiation. Studies show that almost 35,000 people who took part in the cleanup of Chernobyl have died in the years since the catastrophe. The rate of death from cancer was nearly three times as high as in the rest of the population.

The conflicting scientific studies suggest much more research needs to be done. But it is essential that we do not minimize the effects of this disaster without cause.

I am concerned that any effort to downplay the effects of this disaster may jeopardize the U.S. financial commitment to Ukraine and the innocent victims. I cannot support anything that might permit the U.S. to abandon the Belarus, Russia and Ukraine victims of Chernobyl.

Mr. Speaker, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Sherrod Brown, Marcy Kaptur, Ted Strickland, Tim Ryan, and I rise today in tribute and recognition of Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson, as he was honored by the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party on March 26, 2006.

Mayor Jackson was elected last November to lead the City of Cleveland--a continuation of his lifelong activism and devotion on behalf of our Cleveland community. He is a United States veteran, having served our country in Vietnam. After being honorably discharged, he returned to his East 38th Street neighborhood--where his commitment to making a difference would only grow stronger.

Following his military service, Mayor Jackson armed himself with a focus on educational achievement. He attended classes at Cuyahoga Community College and in 1975, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University. In 1977, Mr. Jackson earned a Master's degree in Urban Studies from CSU. In 1983, after working his way through law school as a night clerk at Cleveland Municipal Clerk's Office, Mr. Jackson earned a law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He worked as an assistant county prosecutor until his 1990 election to Cleveland City Council, representing Ward 5. For 15 years, Mayor Jackson focused his efforts on revitalizing the housing and commercial aspects of the Ward 5 community. He did so by forming vital bonds with neighborhood leaders and development organizations, and by setting a tone of integrity, diligence, commitment and cooperation among City Council members and City administrators--a vital relationship that remains strong today.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join us in honoring Frank G. Jackson, Mayor of the City of Cleveland, in recognition of his outstanding service and leadership focused on the people of the City of Cleveland. Mayor Jackson's integrity, energy, vision, unwavering service and complete devotion to his constituents continues to illuminate hope and strength throughout the streets of Ward 5 and throughout every Cleveland neighborhood--offering a vision for a brighter tomorrow for every one of us along Ohio's north shores.

Mr. Speaker, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Sherrod Brown, Marcy Kaptur, Ted Strickland, Tim Ryan and I rise

today in tribute and recognition of City of Cleveland Council President Martin J. Sweeney, as he is being honored by the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party on March 26, 2006.

Councilman Sweeney was born and raised in Cleveland. After graduating from St. Ignatius High School, he enrolled at Cleveland State University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in political science. A natural athlete, Councilman Sweeney was a member of the 1986 Cleveland State Basketball team that reached the ``Sweet 16'' in that year's NCAA tournaments. He also graduated from the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2004--an organization that unites community leaders from a myriad of fields and areas with a focus on improving the overall quality of life throughout the Cleveland community.

The residents of Ward 20 have entrusted Councilman Sweeney with the direction and well being of their neighborhood by voting him as their representative for four consecutive terms. Last December, Council Representatives also reflected their unwavering faith in his leadership by unanimously electing him as President of Cleveland City Council. Councilman Sweeney also serves the City as Chair of the Finance Committee.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join us in honor of Martin J. Sweeney, Ward 20 Cleveland Councilman and President of Cleveland City Council, as we join with the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party in recognition of his dedicated service and contribution focused on the residents of Ward 20. Councilman Sweeney's steady leadership and focus on uplifting the quality of life for his constituents serves to elevate the well being of our entire community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of George Becker, former International President of the United Steelworkers of America, a former marine, steelworker, and noble and fine worker for labor who has helped to build a greater United Steelworkers of America throughout his membership.

Mr. Becker was raised in Granite City, Illinois as a second- generation Steelworker. Later he went to work at American City Steel in the summer of 1944.

In 1965, he was named as a USWA staff representative and came to the International headquarters in 1975. In the Safety and Health Department, he was instrumental in establishing some of the first national health standards adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for workers exposed to lead, arsenic and other toxic substances.

Mr. Becker served as administrative assistant to Lynn Williams, after Williams became international secretary in 1977 and international president in 1983. Becker served two terms as international vice president for administration, having been elected to that position in 1985 and re-elected in 1989.

As vice president, Becker chaired the United Steelworkers of America's Aluminum Industry Conference and guided the union's collective bargaining in the aluminum industry. He led major corporate campaigns, including the campaign against Ravenswood Aluminum Corporation that achieved the significant firing of 1,300 permanent scab replacement workers and the return to work of 1,600 steelworkers after a 20-month lockout.

In November 1993 he was elected United Steelworker's sixth international president and reelected in November 1997. George Becker's presidency was marked by many major achievements. He restructured the union efficiency and political strength. He led the successful merger of the United Rubber Workers into the USWA in July 1995. And in January 1997, he finalized the merger of the Aluminum, Brick and Glass Workers with the United Steelworkers of America.

He also worked as a crane operator at General Steel Castings, and as an assembler at Fisher Body. Becker became active in the United Steelworkers of America as a member of Local 4804 at Dow Chemical's aluminum rolling mill in Madison, Illinois. Working as an inspector in the mill, he was elected successively as a local treasurer, vice president and president.

Becker was a vocal advocate for the United Steelworkers of America in Washington, testifying before Congress and meeting with Congressional leaders and members of the Administration. On the world stage, he was an executive committee member of the International Metalworkers Federation and chairman of the world rubber council of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions.

This man is truly one to be honored and emulated as a great president of the United Steelworkers and a representative of labor who worked tirelessly for workers everywhere.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of George Becker, whose dedication and hard work in representing workers everywhere has helped the growth of the United Steelworkers of America.