Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kleczka), for his leadership on this matter to protect consumers in this country and also to protect the rights of farmers.

The fact of the matter is that this action would harm U.S. farmers. EU consumers have clearly expressed their desire to buy non-genetically engineered foods. However, the weak U.S. biotech regulations prevent U.S. exports of non-genetically engineered foods because of fears they are contaminated. H. Res. 252 fails to address weak agriculture regulations that leave non-GE food vulnerable to contamination by genetically engineered foods.

EU consumers are clamoring for non-genetically engineered food. All we need to do is to sell them what they want and U.S. farmers will have a strong market again.

When you think about it, U.S. agriculture has been the pride of the world. We have been the breadbasket of the world. Our agriculture is second to none. But of course, when you have these corporate agribusinesses come in with a different agenda, then you see the interests of farmers undermined.

Now, several farm organizations oppose H. Res. 252 because it supports a complaint to the World Trade Organization challenging the EU's authorization system on approving genetically engineered food. H. Res. 252 is a gift to corporate agribusiness. That is why the National Family Farm Coalition, the American Corn Growers Association and the Soybean Producers of America all oppose H. Res. 252.

Family farmers have suffered a great deal of damage to their trade markets because agribusiness pushed a product on U.S. farmers that the people of the world rightfully refused to accept.

The recently completed national survey of corn producers by the American Corn Growers Foundation, conducted as farmers began planting corn in April, shows that farmers do not support this complaint to the WTO. Seventy-six percent of farmers stated that the U.S. should not file a WTO lawsuit against Europe regarding genetically engineered food. Seventy-eight percent of farmers believe in keeping your customers satisfied and in keeping world markets open to U.S. corn, and that means planting traditional non-GMO corn varieties instead of biotech GMO corn varieties. Eighty-two percent of farmers believe that the U.S. Government must respect the rights of Europeans, Japanese, and all consumers worldwide so they are able to make a choice as to whether they and their children consume foods containing genetically engineered commodities.

Only, and I say only, large agribusiness supports the bill and this bill will increase the profits of large agribusiness, and it will do it at the expense of farmers and at the expense of consumers.

This is a time for us to stand up for the American farmer who is having difficulty surviving. Family farmers are having trouble surviving because they cannot get their price and they cannot get access to markets. Both of these are occasioned by the problems brought about by agribusiness and by monopolies in agriculture.

We should stand up for the family farmers and oppose H. Res. 252. We should create policies which enable our family farmers to get those markets in Europe, that we know have belonged to them for so many years, but have been precluded because of the practices of agribusiness.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of issues at stake here, including one that has been mentioned by my colleagues, the gentlemen from Ohio, Mr. Brown and Mr. Ryan, with respect to the WTO and the fact that it strips all nations of sovereignty. That is an issue that this House inevitably will have to deal with when, at once, legislation should come before us to in effect cancel our relationship with the WTO.

Now, House Resolution 252 falsely argues for a solution to world hunger, but its prime motive is to garner bigger profits for biotech companies looking to dump GE foods on poor countries. This is really about hungry biotech companies, because the basic cause of hunger is money, not food. The facts of world hunger lead to a much different conclusion.

Currently, 800 million go hungry every day. Malnutrition and related illnesses are the cause of death for 12 million children each year, but a lack of food is not the reason. Enough wheat, rice, and other grains are produced each year to provide 3,500 daily calories per person. So why do so many people go hungry each day? Much of this food goes to those who have the money and the ability to transport it. Food and other farm products flow from areas of hunger and need to areas where money is concentrated, in the northern hemisphere.

While at least 200 million Indians go hungry, in 1995 India exported $625 million worth of wheat and flour and $1.3 billion worth of rice, the two staples of the Indian diet. Only one-quarter of the food produced in Ethiopia reaches the market because of the high cost of marketing transactions.

There are hungry kids in this country, Mr. Speaker. What has biotech done for them?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Frank G. Jackson, President of Cleveland City Council, as he was honored by the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party on May 18, 2003.

Mr. Jackson is a United States veteran, having served our country in Vietnam. After being honorably discharged, he returned to his East 38th Street neighborhood and began attending classes at Cuyahoga Community College. In 1975, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University. In 1977, Mr. Jackson was awarded 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 was awarded a law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, and worked as an assistant county prosecutor until his 1990 election to Cleveland City Council, representing Ward 5.

For the past 13 years, Mr. Jackson has focused his efforts on revitalizing the housing and commercial aspects of the Ward 5 community, and has done so by working closely with neighborhood leaders and development organizations, and by setting a tone of integrity, diligence, commitment and cooperation among City Council members and City administrators.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor of Mr. Frank G. Jackson, President of Cleveland City Council, as we recognize his outstanding contribution to our community. Mr. Jackson's work, expertise and dedication have served to improve and strengthen our urban neighborhoods, bringing light and hope to the citizens of Ward 5, and to our entire community.

Mr. Speaker, let us all be clear: the bill before us is unconstitutional because it does not contain an exemption for the health of the woman who seeks to exercise her reproductive rights. There is no doubt about that. This is because the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled on very similar legislation in Stenberg v. Carhart. Opponents of the right to reproductive choice should know that.

This bill likely will not prevent a single abortion, but it does defeat the rights of women. I believe that equal protection under the law and the right to privacy should be freedoms enjoyed by women as well as men, but women will not be equal to men if this constitutionally protected right is denied. This bill infringes on those rights for women. That is why I will oppose it.

Throughout my career, I have worked to reduce the need for abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies through comprehensive sex education, birth control, and increased access to health care. I think that all of my colleagues would agree that we should work to prevent unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortions.

I will continue those efforts, but the bill before us today is the wrong way to do that. Advocates of this bill who want to stand in defense of life would be helpful if they worked to support families with adequate child care funding, child tax credit relief for vulnerable families, and peace.

For some, this debate is only about politics. The fact that other abortion legislation, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, has been advanced on the publicity of the Laci Peterson tragedy shows the unfortunate politicization of this debate.

I know there are many who are sincere in their desire to reduce the need for abortions. In leading this Nation towards this goal, we must preserve constitutional rights. We must respect the freedom and equality of women. The best path for our country is not to escalate the divisiveness and political nature of this debate. Rather, it is to remember the principles of this Nation and refrain from undermining freedom of choice. We must respect the basic human dignity of women to make personal decisions.

This House can do better to truly work to reduce the need for abortions while respecting the freedom of choice. For these reasons, I will oppose the bill today.

Mr. Speaker, was the dramatic rescue operation of Private Jessica Lynch staged for domestic propaganda purposes? The administration portrayed Private Lynch as receiving bullet and knife wounds, experiencing mistreatment by Iraqi officials, and being spirited away amid harsh enemy fire. But nothing the administration has said about Private Lynch and the circumstances of her rescue have been verified by independent news reports.

Specifically, Private Lynch sustained no bullet or knife injuries. U.S. forces knew in advance of the operation, that no Iraqi forces were guarding the hospital. Iraqi medical staff treated Private Lynch humanely, even donating their own blood. Iraqi medical staff actually tried to deliver Private Lynch in an ambulance 2 days earlier, but they were fired upon by U.S. forces. U.S. forces participating in the rescue of Private Lynch were not fired upon by Iraqi forces.

Last week I sent a letter which requested that the administration order the public release of the unedited footage taken by the military cameramen, and a letter follows. It is time to find out the truth. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the letter I referred to.

The letter referred to is as follows:

Congress of the United States, House of Representatives,

Committee on Government Reform,

Washington, DC, May 30, 2003.

Hon. Donald H. Rumsfeld,

Secretary, Department of Defense,

The Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC.

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld: I am writing to request your

assistance in resolving the controversy surrounding the

rescue of Private Jessica Lynch.

In the days following Private Lynch's rescue from an Iraqi

hospital by U.S. Special Forces, numerous U.S. officials

described to national media outlets the circumstances

surrounding this event. They portrayed Private Lynch as

receiving bullet and knife wounds, experiencing mistreatment

by Iraqi officials, and being spirited away amid harsh enemy

fire. Although U.S. officials requested anonymity, their

stories were widely reported without correction or

qualification by the Defense Department. Indeed, the

Department appeared to confirm the veracity of these reports,

releasing for reporters an edited section of videotape taken

by a military cameraman using night vision equipment. Indeed,

in introducing this clip, General Vincent Brooks, the U.S.

spokesman in Doha, reportedly said: ``Some brave souls put

their lives on the line to make this happen.''

More recently, however, contrary media accounts have

emerged. At their core, these accounts argue that the rescue

was essentially staged. Specifically, these accounts have

reported that, in fact, Private Lynch sustained no bullet or

knife injuries. They have also reported that U.S. forces knew

in advance of the operation that no Iraqi forces were

guarding the hospital. They have reported that Iraqi medical

staff treated Private Lynch humanely, even donating their own

blood. They have reported that Iraqi medical staff actually

tried to deliver Private Lynch in an ambulance two days

earlier, but they were fired upon by U.S. forces. And they

have reported that U.S. forces participating in the rescue of

Private Lynch were not fired upon by Iraqi forces. Perhaps

the harshest account claimed that the Pentagon's staging

of this event was ``one of the most stunning pieces of

news management yet conceived.''

As you can see, there is a wide gap between the facts as

reported initially and the manner in which they are being

reported now. As I understand the Defense Department's

position, these recent accounts are ``outrageous, patently

false and unsupported by the facts.'' At the same time,

Defense Department officials now seem to be qualifying their

earlier statements. For example, Bryan Whitman, a Department

of Defense spokesman, reportedly said ``the U.S. military

never claimed that the troops came under fire when they burst

into the hospital.''

In this case, I believe the best course of action is not to

rely solely on omissions and gaps in past statements by

Department officials. Instead, I believe the better course is

to provide as much information as possible.

Only by disclosing all the facts will the credibility of the

Defense Department be maintained. For this reason, I have

several questions I would like you to answer formally;

Did U.S. forces encounter any Iraqi forces in the hospital?

Were U.S. troops fired upon during the rescue operation? If

so, please describe specifically the nature of the

interchange.

Did U.S. have any information suggesting that Iraqi forces

had abandoned the hospital?

Did Private Lynch sustain any gunshot or knife wounds?

Did U.S. officials have any information suggesting that

Iraqi medical staff were trying to deliver Private Lynch to

American forces?

Did U.S. forces at any time fire on any ambulances?

In addition to posing these questions, I would like to make

two additional requests. First, there has been a great deal

of commentary on the manner in which the Department edited

and aired a videotape of the rescue operation. Several media

representatives have requested that the full tape be released

so the American people can make an independent assessment of

these conflicting claims. I see no reason for the Department

to reject this request. Therefore, I request that you order

the public release of the unedited footage taken by the

military cameraman. Of course, if you have security or other

concerns, I would be happy to review the tape myself and

discuss those issues with you personally.

Finally, I understand the Department has ordered an

investigation into the facts surrounding Private Lynch's

capture by Iraqi forces. I also understand, however, that

investigators were not asked to examine the circumstances

surrounding Private Lynch's rescue. In light of the

controversy that has arisen regarding this case, I suggest

that the Pentagon's ongoing investigation also include the

facts surrounding Private Lynch's rescue, as well.

If you have any questions about this request, please call

my Chief of Staff, Jaron Bourke, at (202) 225-5871. I look

forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich,

Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on National Security,

Emerging Threats, and International Relations.

Mr. Speaker, as the House debates defense authorization, it is fair for the American people to ask what is happening to their tax dollars going for defense. Over $1 trillion in Department of Defense accounts remains unreconciled. Audits have been suspended.

Worse, this administration led this Nation into a war based on the pretext that Iraq was an imminent threat, which it was not. The President described Iraq as an imminent threat. It was not. The Secretary of State presented pictures to the world which he offered as proof. But as of today, with the administration having total control over Iraq, nothing that has been said has been substantiated.

Where are the weapons of mass destruction? What was the basis for this war? How can we spend $400 billion for defense if we cannot defend the truth? How do we defend the truth if we do not demand answers from an administration which took this Nation into a war on a pretext?

Mr. Speaker, this budget is 13 percent higher than Cold War levels, with money for a missile defense system which does not work, money for previously prohibited research on low-yield nukes and $626 million for a space-based laser. From Star Wars to fear wars, this administration led this Nation into a war based on a pretext that Iraq was an imminent threat, which it was not. The Secretary of State presented pictures to the world he said was proof. Today, despite having total control in Iraq, none of the very serious claims made to this Congress, this Nation and the world have been substantiated.

Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Indeed, what was the basis for the war? We spent $400 billion for defense. Will we spend a minute to defend truth? The truth is that this administration led America into a war with such great urgency and still is refusing to account to the American people for the false and misleading statements which brought America into war. The American people gave up their health care, education and veterans benefits for this war. And for what? Answer the questions, Mr. President.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Carole Rogers. Ms. Rogers spent two decades as a tireless advocate for women's rights as the Director of Public Policy

at Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio. Her diligent work to protect reproductive freedoms has improved the lives of countless women.

Carole Rogers has a long record of commitment to the state of Ohio. She received a Masters Degree in History from Ohio State University. She worked as a consultant for the state and took part in ``The Columbus Still Cares About Schools Committee,'' a Blue Ribbon Task Force which was established to peacefully desegregate schools and pass a school district levy. She also worked on numerous political campaigns ranging from Campaign Manager for City Council candidate to State Campaign Chair for a presidential candidate.

Ms. Rogers is the author of many writings. She has written ``Weatherization in Ohio'', for the General Assembly, published by the State of Ohio, and co-authored ``Battelle Memorial Institute Foundation, A History and Evaluation'', published by the Ohio Historical Society. She has also written for the Planned Parenthood Affiliation of Ohio.

Ms. Rogers has led countless campaigns to protect women's rights. In 1986 she fought for the first ever family planning fund in the state of Ohio. She has helped organize the influential March for Women's Lives in Columbus. For many years she provided coordination for the statewide Freedom of Choice Ohio Coalition and for the statewide Ohio Family Planning Association. Recently, Ms. Rogers has fought to increase state family planning funding to its current level of over $1.95 million annually.

Most recently, Ms. Rogers was instrumental in forming the Alliance for Contraceptive Equity, a coalition whose mission is to advocate for passage of legislation that would require insurers to cover prescription contraception in the same way they cover other prescription medication.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the accomplishments of Carole Rogers for her courageous and dedicated work on behalf of women's rights.

Mr. Speaker, this is a bad rule and this is a bad bill.

Today the bulk of the Nation's pension plans have less than 100 participants, and a gap in ERISA enforcement and in ERISA law leaves these workers' retirement savings at grave risk. Yet H.R. 1000 does nothing to correct this problem, and the majority refused to even consider a common-sense amendment I offered to protect workers' pensions through the most basic of means, simply by ensuring that plan fiduciaries actually file their forms.

Eclipsed by the high-profile pension scandals at large corporations such as Enron, WorldCom and Global Crossing, thousands of other employees around the country have been no less harmed by gross fiduciary malfeasance at smaller, less notable companies.

In my own district a group of 19 employees saw their retirement funds vanish as their employer, Lakewood Manufacturing Company, repeatedly dismissed employee requests for the release of plan documents, and ultimately closed, having lost over $2 million in pension funds, the entire pension plan.

Later investigation revealed that over a period of 3 years, the plan's fiduciary, also the owner of the company, used funds from the employee pension plan to make dangerous and poorly diversified investments in companies for which he had a personal stake, such as the Psychic Discovery Network, now bankrupt. Even worse, the Department of Labor failed to investigate the plan even though the company did not file the most basic plan summary document, Form 5500, required by law, for 3 consecutive years. Though we may never see the case of Lakewood Manufacturing featured on the nightly news, its former employees face a financial future no different than that of Enron's employees.

For small pension plans, Form 5500 is the only avenue for the Department of Labor to monitor compliance with ERISA. Yet, as the Lakewood case highlights, and a GAO report has confirmed, ERISA enforcement is such that fiduciaries of small plans may simply fail to file a Form 5500 while mismanaging or stealing money from the plan, knowing they will likely slip through the cracks.

As a result, I proposed an amendment to fix this egregious enforcement gap in ERISA law. My amendment would have required plans to submit their forms within 3 months of the end of the plan year, not the 9.5 months as is allowed in the current law. It also insists that the first priority of the Department of Labor should be to identify those companies that have not filed their documents by the deadline and give them the power to freeze assets of the plan fiduciary until the documents are submitted or the plan is thoroughly investigated.

This bill does not fix that gap, this H.R. 1000, and, in fact, the majority even refused to consider this basic change in law. They did not want the opportunity to take a stand to protect workers whose retirement security is predicated on their boss' willingness to submit a form.

I am going to introduce an amendment today to try to amend the bill at the correct time, and I appreciate the support of the Members for that. This rule will not correct the problem.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Terri Hamilton Brown, upon the occasion of her retirement as Executive Director of the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA).

Ms. Brown's significant impact on the CMHA organization in less than 5 years has positively shifted the focus of housing in Cleveland where it should be--on the people who seek and depend upon affordable housing in Cuyahoga County. Her focus on revitalization, reorganization and renewal of the CMHA agency helped to build bridges within our community to make available quality and affordable homes for low-income families and individuals who are trying to break free of the devastating cycle of poverty.

Because of her leadership, integrity, and outstanding ability to connect easily with others, the CMHA organization has been raised to new levels of administrative efficiency, inter-community partnership, accountability and true achievement that can be readily seen along our city streets. Ms. Brown's persistence, expertise and complete commitment on behalf of CMHA has produced profound strides in allowing CMHA to carry out its goals and mission as never before.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Terri Hamilton Brown whose vision, hard work and dedication on behalf of CMHA and all the people it serves has left an indelible and significant impact upon our community. Ms. Brown has rebuilt the foundation of a housing agency that successfully serves our most vulnerable citizens, and her work will have a lasting impact on every CMHA tenant and our entire Cleveland neighborhood for years to come. Please join me in wishing Ms. Brown our very best as she moves on to new challenges as Executive Director of University Circle Incorporated in Cleveland.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak out against H.R. 1261, a bill that represent an enormous missed opportunity for this Congress to help the growing millions of Americans looking for work or needing additional training.

The dismal job situation in this Nation could not be more clear. The unemployment rate moved back up to 6 percent in April as the private sector lost another 80,000 jobs, adding to the over 400,000 jobs lost in February and March. In all, 2.7 million private sector jobs have vanished from the economy since January of 2001. And of the 8.8 million unemployed workers in this Nation, almost 2 million are long-term unemployed and 4.4 million have been looking for work for so long that they have simply given up looking. The plight of the long-term unemployed is so bad that the New York Times has reported that in some cities support groups for unemployed workers have started holding two separate sessions: one for those who have recently lost jobs, and the other to offer special counseling needed to support those unemployed for 27 weeks or longer.

And yet in astonishing fashion, rather than invest in new jobs or extend benefits for the estimated 3.9 million out of work Americans who will be directly effected when the extended unemployment program ends this month, this bill unravels our Nation's job training system.

At a time when efforts should be made to match unemployed workers with jobs, H.R. 1261 would eliminate the Employment Service which provides these services. The bill also eliminates dedicated funding for job training assistance to dislocated and unemployed workers. Instead, H.R. 1261 block grants this funding, diluting services for millions of workers who need help to find new jobs or retrain to support their families.

As our country remains in the midst of stagnant economic growth with few jobs being created, we need a job assistance and training system that meets the needs of America's unemployed workers. H.R. 1261 is not the bill. America's workers deserve much better. I urge my colleagues to vote against final passage, so that as we understand that unemployment continues to persist that we challenge these cuts, that we challenge the reduction in job training programs, and that we move to protect those who have worked for this Nation and now deserve our help, not our contempt.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Father William Gulas, beloved Pastor of St. Stanislaus Parish in Slavic Village and beloved mentor, leader and friend of many.

For nearly a decade, Father Gulas gently led his flock at St. Stanislaus Parish, offering spiritual and emotional guidance to every parishioner. Moreover, Father Gulas reached out, with caring and compassion, to residents of Slavic Village and neighborhoods beyond, providing a helping hand or kind counsel whenever needed. Father Gulas was ordained as a Franciscan priest in 1961. He was head of the Franciscan Order for the Assumption Province, which spans several states, including Ohio. His service to our Cleveland community began in 1993, when he joined the parish of St. Stan's as pastor. Reflecting a strong desire to connect with parishioners, Father Gulas learned to speak Polish to be able to communicate with every parishioner.

Father Gulas was an articulate and graceful liturgist. His sense of timing and wit, combined with his kindness and warmth, defined his ministry. Father Gulas leaves behind a rich legacy of a life dedicated to spiritual guidance, leadership, and helping others. For our Cleveland community, Father Gulas leaves behind a legacy of healing and uplifting our Slavic Village neighborhood, which radiates throughout his congregation, and resounds throughout our entire community. Father Gulas was instrumental in the renovation of the historic St. Stanislaus church. His dedication to restoring this magnificent, century-old structure equaled his dedication and success in restoring the heart and soul of this Cleveland neighborhood--one struggling family at a time, one lonely neighbor at a time, one troubled child at a time.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join us in tribute and remembrance of Father William Gulas, whose compassion, understanding and inspiration, through his words and his deeds, kept hope and faith alive in everyone he knew. His presence among us was a gift, and he will be deeply missed by the countless lives he touched, including ours. We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Father Gulas, to the parishioners of St. Stanislaus, and to the entire Slavic Village community. Throughout his tenure along Fleet Avenue, Father Gulas was deeply committed to helping those in need--young and old, black and white, believers and non-believers. Father Gulas was a living light for everyone in this community, and as deeply as he loved the people of Slavic Village, they in turn, loved him. Most significantly, the love and light that Father Gulas gave so freely to the people of St. Stanislaus and streets beyond, will be a guiding force within our community always, and will live within our hearts forever.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Joseph J. Golubski--beloved family man, community leader, and friend and mentor to many.

Mr. Golubski graduated from South High School in 1946 He earned a Bachelor's degree from John Carroll University, and a law degree from John Marshall College. In 1950, he married Rita D. Krysinski. Together they raised seven children. In 1952 Mr. Golubski became a licensed funeral director, continuing the family business that his father established in 1913. With a keen intellect and high energy for learning, Mr. Golubski became a licensed attorney in 1953.

Despite his exceptional scholastic and business achievements, Mr. Golubski's foremost priorities were his family and native community-- the Slavic Village neighborhood. His family, community, faith and heritage were central within his life. Mr. Golubski was very active in and supportive of the community along Fleet Avenue. He supported many projects at several area churches, including St. Stanislaus, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, St. Hyacinth Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, and the former Transfiguration Church. Additionally, Mr. Golubski was an active member of the St. Stan's Dad's Club, Knights of Columbus South East Council, Cleveland Society of Poles, Slavic Village Merchant's Guild, and the National Funeral Director's Association, among many others.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance of Joseph J. Golubski, beloved husband of Rita; beloved father of Linda, Joseph E., Robert, Nancy, Steven, Cheryl, and Pamela; and adoring grandfather of Stephanie, Denise, Rita, Anne, Matthew, Adam, Martha and Joseph. Mr. Golubski's joyous life was defined by his deep dedication to family and friends, and his exceptional service to his community. His strong spirit, integrity, energy and good works have served to uplift the lives of countless individuals, families--and the entire Cleveland community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Polish American Congress, Ohio Division, as they celebrate their 54th anniversary--sharing their cultural gifts along a parade route lined with food, song and joyous celebration.

On May 18, 1949, the Ohio Division of The Polish American Congress was founded. The Polish American Congress is composed of individuals of Polish ancestry as well as Polish organizations. The group serves as a unifying force for both Polish Americans and Polish citizens living in America. Taking a positive stand on issues concerning the people of Poland, the group strives to attain a free market economy within the framework of a democratic society.

The goal of The Polish American Congress is to make Americans of Polish heritage more successful U.S. citizens by encouraging them to assume the responsibilities of citizenship. In addition, the group supports fraternal, professional, religious, and civic associations dedicated to the improvement of the status of all Americans of Polish heritage.

It is evident that the Polish American Congress has played a crucial role in the Polish Community, and in its many years of service has been an invaluable contribution to the Cleveland Community.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and celebration of the Polish American Congress, as they celebrate 54 years of service to their members and to the Cleveland community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the members of Teamsters Local No. 436. This racially and ethnically diverse group of salt miners constitutes the bargaining unit at Cargill's Cleveland salt mine in Ohio's 10th Congressional District. Many of them are locked out of the mine in a labor dispute, the outcome of which will have major implications for working men and women everywhere.

In May 2002, the salt miners went on strike. Between May and August, the miners and the company met on several occasions to resolve the dispute and draft a mutually agreeable labor contract. On August 13, 2002, while still engaged in good faith negotiations with Cargill, the union miners made an unconditional offer to return to work. When the miners attempted to return to their jobs, they learned that Cargill hired permanent replacement workers who were either hired before August 13, or their dates of hiring were backdated prior to August 13. All but 26 of the union miners were locked out. The hiring of replacement workers in this manner violates the National Labor Relations Act as an act of bad faith in labor negotiations.

Shortly after the lockout, one of the replacement workers filed a decertification petition with the National Labor Relations Board. In a strong show of support, the working and locked out union miners showed up at the mine at 6:00 in the morning on April 10, 2003, to support the union. One locked out miner drove 150 miles from Columbus for the vote while another left his hospital bed to vote. The result of the election was a 63-58 victory for the union. Even though the Cargill-supported replacement workers appealed the election, the union workers again rallied to oppose the decertification and voted 64-61 to retain the union.

The union workers have my full support. The replacement workers, too, should understand that the good pay and benefits they enjoy at Cargill were hard-fought by the Teamsters locally and the national organized labor movement in general. Once the union is gone, no one will be there to represent them in gaining and retaining their pay, rights, and benefits. Unions are good for workers and companies alike. I support the union workers' efforts to stop the decertification of their union and to end the lock-out so they can return to work as soon as possible. I call on Cargill to accept the democratic process built into our nation's labor law, accept the will of the workers to retain union representation, and return immediately to good faith negotiations with the Teamsters.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Mr. Mike Reineri--family man, friend, and outstanding radio personality.

Mr. Reineri had a long and distinguished career within the broadcasting industry. He was sworn into the Radio & Television Broadcasting Hall of Fame in November of 2001, and throughout his career, he served in every aspect of broadcasting in cities across the country.

Mr. Reineri's first major appearance on radio was in 1959 with WFVG in North Carolina. He stayed there for about a year and soon moved to WKIK, where he did a rock-n-roll show from 7-I1 pm at a remote studio at the Piggy-Park Drive-In in Raleigh. His highly entertaining style of broadcasting drew crowds from across the Carolinas.

Besides his natural ability to entertain, Mr. Reineri also possessed a kind and generous heart. While broadcasting in Cleveland, he created and promoted the very successful ``Shoes for Kids'' program that provides underprivileged and homeless children with footwear. This annual campaign grows stronger every year, and continues to assist Cleveland's neediest children.

Wherever he's lived, Mr. Reineri always sought to be of service to others. He was deeply dedicated and civically active in Miami. For more than two decades, Mr. Reineri served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Miami and was awarded the Service to Youth Award and Service Bar. In 1991 he was awarded the Easter Seals Man of the Year Award in Miami and the Miami Power Squadron Award for Outstanding Contribution to Safe Boating.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Mr. Mike Reineri. I extend my sincerest condolences to his family and friends, especially to wife Barbara. Mr. Reineri's exceptional broadcasting talents and achievements will be known for generations to come. Moreover, his exceptional sense of kindness and compassion for others--through word and deed--will live on forever.