Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this morning I will be introducing a resolution of inquiry which demands the President transmit to the House of Representatives the complete Iraqi declaration on its weapons of mass destruction, that was provided to the United Nations on December 7, 2002.

If the administration is intent on taking this country into a war, I believe it is incumbent upon them to make the document which was portrayed as evidence of an Iraqi threat available for all to evaluate. As of today, neither Congress nor the media nor the American people have seen the full Iraqi declaration of weapons of mass destruction. Instead, we have only heard interpretations of the document from the White House and the United Nations.

Let the American people and we, their elected Representatives, who under our Constitution have the power to declare war, determine the justification for war, let the primary documents be transmitted in their complete and unedited form and be brought to the light of day.

Mr. Speaker, the American people have the right to see this information. Congress has the right to see this information, and the administration has an obligation to show it before sending any of our sons and daughters into battle.

Mr. Speaker, these brave men and women, representing the best of America and the world, gave the greatest sacrifice for the betterment of humanity. They knew the risks of their heroic enterprise. Their courage is the finest example of human aspirations, of reaching up to create an undreamed-of future. They are true heroes. They pushed the limits of technological and human potential and in doing so inspired our Nation and the world. Their memories will long endure.

Imagine a world with less air pollution, less dependence on oil, new fire suppression technologies, better earthquake resistant buildings, better weather prediction models, and better medical techniques to fight cancer, diabetes, and antibiotic resistance. This is the world the astronauts aboard Columbia were striving for. By carrying out more than 80 scientific experiments to expand our knowledge in these and other fields, the seven astronauts were tackling today's big issues with big science. They were pushing scientific boundaries to provide clues to issues we have been unable to resolve here on Earth.

In my district resides the NASA Glenn Research Center, whose scientists were well acquainted with the seven shuttle astronauts who we lost in this tragedy. The crewmembers had traveled to Glenn several times a year for training on the scientific experiments. They were family to our NASA researchers in Cleveland.

In their memory, we will push forward. We will continue to apply big science to resolve our big challenges. The scientists in Cleveland's NASA Glenn Research Center and across the Nation will strive for better solutions out of respect for the crew of Columbia. May they rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Bishop Bertha Mable Massey, resident Of Cleveland, on the joyous occasion of the celebration of her 106th birthday.

For over a century, Bishop Massey has devoted her life to her family, her faith, and her community. Well ahead of her time, Bishop Massey paved the way for women within the hierarchy of organized religion. She is the presiding Bishop of The House of God, and has jurisdiction over two states--Ohio and New Jersey.

While committing herself to helping others in rural and urban America, Bishop Massey also kept focused on her studies. At Trinity College in Springfield, IL, Bishop Massey earned her Doctorate degree. In 1976, Bishop Massey was appointed presiding Bishop over New Jersey and Ohio. Her passion for spirituality, faith, history and community has not faltered with the passing years. Rather, her devotion has grown stronger.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Bishop Bertha Mable Massey--a remarkable woman, leader, and spiritual guide. Bishop Massey's work and service continues to give hope, faith, wisdom and comfort to countless individuals and families, and serves to uplift our entire Cleveland community. Together we wish Bishop Bertha Mable Massey a wonderful 106th Birthday, and many more to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the Cleveland Chapter of the World Federation of Hungarian Veterans, on the occasion of their 50th Annual Charity Ball.

U.S. veterans of Hungarian heritage founded the organization in 1946, just after WWII. A Cleveland Chapter was formed in 1951, with objectives mirroring those of the national organization--to promote patriotism, and to honor and keep alive the memories of those who suffered and gave their lives to preserve our freedoms and democratic ideals.

Additionally, the Cleveland Chapter has focused on the preservation of the Hungarian culture, customs and history for the younger members of our community, and for generations to come. Moreover, the membership has consistently demonstrated a willingness to lend a helping hand. Over the years, the Cleveland Chapter of the World Federation of Hungarian Veterans has assisted other members and their families with moral and financial support whenever needed.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in tribute and recognition of the Cleveland Chapter of the World Federation of Hungarian Veterans as they celebrate their culture once again at the 50th Annual Charity Ball. Today we honor the significant sacrifices each of you has made to preserve our freedoms, and we also pay tribute to your organization for preserving the rich fabric of Hungarian culture and tradition within our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit, as they celebrate their 70th anniversary in holy ministry and service to others.

Founded in 1932 by Mother Josephine Finatowicz, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit began their legacy of caring for our most vulnerable citizens in two humble homes. Within those walls, the Sisters lovingly cared for the parentless children of our community. Later, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland approached the Sisters with a request to provide a home for older adults who could not afford adequate housing.

This vision was the dream of Monsignor Gilbert Jennings, who left his specific request on the pages of his last will and testament. After his death, the Sisters agreed to fulfill his vision of the creation of a caring home for seniors. The 13 dedicated women of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit moved from their Cleveland neighborhood to their new convent built on the rolling farmland of Granger Road in Garfield Heights.

The Jennings Center for Older adults has evolved from a single story wood frame building to an extensive senior housing campus. From the beginning, the Sisters ran everything from the cooking to the nursing, to the administrative work. As in years past, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit continue to heal the hearts and souls of the residents of the Jennings Center.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit. Their commitment, kindness and caring for our children and our elderly have served to lift the spirits of countless individuals, families, and our entire community. We are blessed to have these angels--the Sisters of the Holy Spirit, bringing us light and hope, and asking nothing in return.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Vietnamese New Year: Tet, 2003--Year of the Goat. In celebration of the new year, the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland, Inc., will gather at St. Helena Catholic Church to rejoice with family and friends and enjoy Vietnamese culture and performances.

The Tet celebration will include recognition of volunteer leaders, Vietnamese food, and dancing and entertainment by the Vietnamese youth of Cleveland. As Tet is the time of year to pay homage to ancestors, visit with friends and family, and celebrate, it is with great honor that I pay tribute to the Vietnamese Community of Greater Cleveland.

This year marks the 27th year of the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland's outstanding service to the Vietnamese community in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Vietnamese heritage has long been important to Cleveland, and the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland has played a vital role in ensuring that important cultural traditions continue to be embraced.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to honor and thank Le Nguyen, President of the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland, for coordinating this wonderful evening of festivities. I would also like to honor the members of the Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland for their dedication to the Cleveland area.

Best wishes to all celebrating the Vietnamese Lunar New Year: Tet, 2003--Year of the Goat. I wish everyone a joyous and prosperous new year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Libera Pilla--beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many.

For forty-nine years, Mrs. Pilla was the devoted wife of George Pilla, who died in 1978. Together they raised their two sons, Bishop Anthony Pilla and Joe Pilla. As immigrants from Italy, Mr. and Mrs. Pilla understood the importance of family, faith, and hard work. Although they were not formally educated, Mr. and Mrs. Pilla coveted the educational opportunities for their sons, and ensured that they both received an excellent education. Moreover, they instilled in their sons the value of service and compassion toward others--clearly evidenced in their sons' chosen vocations--Bishop Anthony Pilla's vocation of spiritual leader; and Joe Pilla's commitment to public service in law enforcement.

Mrs. Pilla was the light, warmth and center of the Pilla family. Mrs. Pilla was known for her deep sense of compassion and concern for others, and she consistently reached out to others with grace, kindness and dignity. Mrs. Pilla took great pride and joy in caring for her family and friends, especially through her culinary talents. She delighted many with her wonderful recipes from her Italian homeland, and enjoyed planning and preparing for family and friends during the holiday season.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance of Libera Pilla--a remarkable woman who, along with her dear husband George, rose above the hardships of assimilating into American culture, sculpting a wonderful life for herself and her family, filled with love, warmth, encouragement and support. Although Mrs. Pilla will be deeply missed, her life was joyously lived--and is a life worthy of celebration. I offer my deepest condolences to Mrs. Pilla's sons, Bishop Anthony Pilla and Joe Pilla; to her grandchildren and great- grandchildren; and to her extended family and many friends. The light and love that Mrs. Pilla so freely gave to others, especially to her family, will live on forever in the hearts of those who knew and loved her well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 26, honoring the contributions of Catholic schools. As a Catholic school graduate, I know the value of a Catholic education. I know first hand that Catholic schools teach students discipline, pride and respect for learning. I am so grateful to the priests, nuns and lay persons who taught me at St. Peter's Elementary, Holy Name Elementary, Parmadale, St. Aloysius Elementary, St. Colman Elementary and St. John Cantius High School for their love and guidance through my formative years.

I especially wish to recognize the delegation of students, teachers and parents who will make the National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools a special day this coming Wednesday. Their commitment to ensuring an exceptional education and maintaining quality Catholic schools ensures that Catholic students in the future will continue to benefit from outstanding educational opportunities. An overwhelming percentage of Catholic high school graduates attend college, which is a sign of the excellent work of our Catholic School system.

I would also like to recognize the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) for their efforts to promote educational and catechetical goals. By sponsoring programs like the Seton Awards, which recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Catholic education, the NCEA works diligently to insure better education across America.

Providing quality educational opportunities for all children is one of the most important goals of our society. I wish to congratulate Catholic schools, students, parents, and teachers across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education. They play critical roles in promoting and ensuring a stronger and brighter future for America.

Mr. Speaker, the U.N. process of inspections can work if the administration will let it; and yet we see, despite the efforts of the United Nations, the administration is preparing for war, preparing to send as many as 300,000 of our young men and women into battle. Stories of up to 800 missiles, poised for an attack on Baghdad, a city of over 3 million people. Reports of a new military strategy which plays off of this big missile attack which would attack water systems and electrical systems to totally destroy any infrastructure in Iraq, even news reports that the use of nuclear weapons is being considered.

Americans need to think about it. We have a country here which is dedicated to liberty and justice. But where is the justice if we are the first ones to use nuclear weapons? Where is the justice if we are going to attack a nation that has not attacked us? Where is the justice? It is time to stand for peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Anthony Mazzochi, a champion of the labor movement. Through his compassion, dedication, and commitment he improved the lives of the working men and women of the Nation. His hope brought those who toil in the factories and fields across the country together and gave them a voice and the empowering recognition that they cannot go unnoticed in the social, economic, or political arenas.

Anthony Mazzochi began his life in Brooklyn, New York. The struggles of the working class were brought to his attention at a young age when his father, a unionized garment worker, lost the family home due to medical bills for his wife who died of cancer when Anthony Mazzochi was 6 years old. Anthony Mazzochi served in World War II as an Army combat veteran, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and was one of the first soldiers to reach the Nazi death camps. Upon returning to the U.S. he worked as a steelworker, an autoworker and in construction.

In the 1950s Anthony Mazzochi began his work in the labor movement with the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union and fought for one of the first dental insurance contract for workers. He later became the local OCAW president. Over the years he took on more roles within the union and eventually became the union's health and safety director from 1979 to 1981 and the secretary-treasurer from 1988 until he retired in 1991.

Anthony Mazzochi was instrumental in the fight to create the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and pass the National Gas Pipeline Safety Act, among other legislation. He also led the effort to highlight the plight of Karen Silkwood, a worker who blew the whistle on health and safety problems at a Kerr-McGee nuclear facility.

He was innovative in extending the labor cause to art, education and activism. To educate union members he established Alice Hamilton College. Anthony Mazzochi was the publisher of ``New Solutions'' an environmental and occupational health policy publication. He helped commission a play about Karen Silkwood performed at the Attic Theatre in Detroit in 1993. He also created an internship program that brought awareness to medical and public health students about workplace conditions.

Anthony Mazzochi established the Labor Party Advocates in 1991 in an effort to build support for a national labor party. In 1996, with 1,400 union leaders, he organized a meeting in Cleveland to establish the Labor Party. He never lost hope that support for a national movement to improve conditions of workers was present in the country.

Anthony Mazzochi received the Presidential Citation for outstanding contributions to public health from the American Public Health Association in 1983; the Alice Hamilton Award from that organization in 1987; and was cited by Ms. Magazine in 1982 as one of the ``40 Male Heroes of the Decade'' for his work organizing the effort that exposed the forced sterilization of women workers at American Cyanamid.

Anthony Mazzochi was a working class intellectual and a renaissance man. While the country underwent unsteady and unpredictable periods over the last several decades his vision and optimism remained unwavering. Anthony Mazzochi embraced the human spirit in its totality and invited people to join in fighting for justice. Countless have joined and will continue to join as his indelible and inspirational legacy lives on. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Anthony Mazzochi.

Mr. Speaker, the America I envision seeks world unity instead of unilateralism. It gains its power through being the first to help, not the first to strike. It extends itself to the peoples of the world to lift their burden. It is an America which, when asked for help, dispenses bread instead of bombs, medical assistance instead of missiles, and food instead of fissile materials.

There is a role for America in the world. It is in working with the community of nations to achieve the security of all nations. It is in restoring the promise of the nonproliferation treaty to lead the way to get rid of all nuclear weapons. It is through strengthening and abiding by international treaties. It is in assuring control and eventual elimination of chemical and biological weapons and land mines. It is in protecting our global climate.

America can help protect the world. America can help save the world. But America cannot control the world, nor should we want to do so.

Yet our administration would project American power for the purpose of domination. Their national security doctrines call for America to strike anywhere it pleases and to be the first to use nuclear weapons.

Our Nation is now poised to go to all-out war against Iraq. Iraq has not committed any act of aggression against the United States. Iraq was not responsible for 9/11. No credible evidence exists linking Iraq to Al Qaeda's role in 9/11. Iraq as not responsible for the anthrax attack on our Nation. The United Nations has yet to establish that Iraq has usable weapons of mass destruction. There is no intelligence that Iraq has the ability to strike at the United States. According to the CIA, Iraq has no intention to attack America, but will defend itself if attacked.

Why then is our Nation prepared to send 300,000 of our young men and women into house-to-house combat in the streets of Baghdad? Why is our Nation prepared to spend $200 billion or more of our hard-earned tax dollars for the destruction of Iraq?

Why is our Nation preparing to use the most powerful military machine in history to wage an assault on the people of Iraq, to destroy their houses and buildings, to wipe out their water and electrical systems, and to block their access to food and medical supplies? There is no answer that can separate itself from oil economics, profit requirements of arms trade, or distorted notions of empire building.

War with Iraq is wrong. But if war is prosecuted further in Iraq, we must be prepared to advance the cause of peace in this country. We must be prepared to stand up, to speak out, to organize, to march, to demand an end to the war, or to demand an end to an administration which insists on war.

It is urgent we oppose this war. It will dominate our Nation's priorities. It will threaten Social Security and Medicare and block a prescription drug benefit for the elderly. It will stop America from providing jobs for all, health care for all, education for all.

There are some who believe that it is unpatriotic to challenge the administration on the war. They believe it is politically wiser to debate the economy. But how can one reasonably separate war from the budget, war from the economy, war from America's ability to meet the needs of the people of this Nation?

The administration's own top economic adviser said the war would cost up to $200 billion. Our Federal budget is already close to huge tax cuts for the wealthy. Remember when we had a budget surplus?

Each time the administration talks about war, fear is created and when fear goes up, the market goes down. War will mean a sharp increase in oil prices, which will hurt jobs in manufacturing and transportation. One economic study with a worst-case scenario puts the cost of an all-out war plus long-term occupation of Iraq at $1.6 trillion.

We cannot separate war from the economy. We cannot separate war from America's ability to meet the needs of her own people here at home.

We need to ask the questions: Why does America have hundreds of billions to ruin the health and take the lives of innocent people in Iraq but no money to provide health care for all Americans? Would why America spend hundreds of billions to retire Saddam Hussein, but no money to protect the retirement security of its own people? Why does America have money to blow up bridges over the Euphrates River in Iraq, but no money to build bridges over the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio?

The path America must take is one of peace that leads to prosperity. It is one which understands that creating a structure of peace ensures that economic structures can be sound, affirmative of human needs and restorative of human values.

This is the dream of a Department of Peace to making nonviolence an organizing principle in our society, making the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reality, and working to make war itself a thing of the past. It is the ethic of peace building which will cause us to take down weapons from the heavens and work to create a heaven on Earth.

Peace and prosperity shall be as two pillars in a newly rebuilt America which provides for the economic and Social Security of its own people as a cause of nationhood and for the economic and social progress of people of other lands as a cause of brotherhood.

This confirmation of the purpose of Nation was the dream of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal, Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society, and John F. Kennedy and the New Frontier. This shall continue to be our dream in the days ahead, that no matter the darkness, we shall hold up the light of America's higher purpose which calls to us across the ages from Washington, Jefferson and Adams, through Lincoln to the present day. Our Nation has a higher calling.

[Ceremonial Swearing-In Jan. 5, 2003, Cleveland, Ohio]

Iraq and the Economy

(By Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich)

The America I envision seeks world unity instead of

unilateralism. It gains its power through being the first to

help, not the first to strike. It extends itself to the

peoples of the world to life their burden. It is an America,

which when asked for help, dispenses bread instead of bombs,

medical assistance instead of missiles, and food instead of

fissile materials.

There is a role for America in the world. It is in working

with the community of nations to achieve the security of all

nations. It is in restoring the promise of the Non

Proliferation Treaty to lead the way to get rid of all

nuclear weapons. It is through strengthening and abiding by

international treaties. It is in assuring control and

eventual elimination of biological and chemical weapons, and

landmines. It is in protecting our global climate.

America can help protect the world. America can help save

the world. But America cannot control the world, nor should

we want to do so.

Yet our Administration would project American power for the

purpose of domination. The National Security doctrines call

for America to strike any where it pleases and to be the

first to use nuclear weapons.

Our nation is now poised to go to all-out war against Iraq.

Iraq has not committed any act of aggression against the

United States. Iraq was not responsible for 911. No credible

evidence exists linking Iraq to Al Queda's role in 911. Iraq

was not responsible for the anthrax attack on our nation. The

United Nations has yet to establish that Iraq has usable

weapons of mass destruction. There is no intelligence that

Iraq has the ability to strike at the United States.

According to the CIA, Iraq has no intention to attack

America, but will defend itself if attacked.

Why then, is our nation prepared to send three hundred

thousand of our young men and women into house to house

combat in the streets of Baghdad. Why is our nation prepared

to spend $200 billion or more of our hard-earned tax dollars

for destruction of Iraq?

Why is our nation preparing to use the most powerful

military machine in history to wage an assault against the

people of Iraq, to destroy their houses and buildings, to

wipe out their water and electric systems and to block their

access to food and medical supplies?

There is no answer which can separate itself from oil

economics, profit requirements of arms trade, or distorted

notions of empire-building.

War with Iraq is wrong. But if war is prosecuted further in

Iraq, we must be prepared to advance the cause of peace in

this country. We must be prepared to stand up, to speak out,

to organize, to march, to demand an end to the war, or to

demand an end to an administration which insists on war.

It is urgent we oppose this war. It will dominate our

nation's priorities. It will threaten Social Security. It

will threaten Medicare. It will block a prescription drug

benefit for the elderly. It will stop America from providing

jobs for all, health care for all, education for all.

There are some who believe that it is unpatriotic to

challenge the Administration on the war. They believe it is

politically wiser to debate the economy. But how can one

reasonably separate war from the budget, war from the

economy, war from America's ability to meet the needs of the

people of this nation?

The Administration's own top economic adviser said the war

could cost up to $200 billion. OUr federal budget is already

close to a $200 billion deficit due to huge tax cuts for the

wealthy. Remember when we had a budget surplus?

Each time the administration talks about war, fear is

created and when fear goes up, the market goes down. War will

mean a sharp increase in oil prices, which will hurt jobs in

manufacturing and transportation. One economic study with a

worst-case scenario puts the cost of an all-out war, plus

long-term occupation of Iraq at $1.6 trillion.

You cannot separate war from the economy. You cannot

separate war from America's ability to meet the needs of our

own people here at home.

We need to ask the questions: Why does America have

hundreds of billions to ruin the health and take the lives of

innocent people in Iraq but no money to provide health care

for all Americans?

Why would America spend hundreds of billions to retire

Saddam Hussein, but no money to protect the retirement

security of its own people?

Why does America have money to blow up bridges over the

Euphrates River in Iraq, but no money to build up bridges

over the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland?

The path America must take is one of peace which leads to

prosperity. It is one which understands that creating a

structure of peace ensures that economic structures can be

sound, affirmative of human needs and restorative of human

values.

This is the dream of a Department of Peace making

nonviolence an organizing principle in our society--making

the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a reality--working to

make war itself a thing of the past. It is this ethic of

peace building which will cause us to take down weapons from

the heavens and work to create a heaven on earth.

Peace and prosperity shall be as two pillars in a newly

rebuilt America which provides for the economic and social

security of its own people as a cause of nationhood and for

the economic and social progress of peoples of other lands as

a cause of brotherhood.

This confirmation of the purpose of nation was the dream of

Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal Lyndon Johnson and the

Great Society, and John F. Kennedy and the New Frontier. This

shall continue to be our dream in the days ahead, that no

matter the darkness, we shall holdup the light of America's

higher purpose, which calls to us across the age from

Washington. Jefferson and Adams through Lincoln to the

present day.

Our nation has always had a higher calling, despite the

darkness of 911 and the official response to it. It is a

calling to maintain the quest for democracy, for freedom and

liberty at times of peril as well as in times of peace. That

higher calling is our heritage. The words of Francis Scott

Key still echo:

``Oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the

land of the free and the home of the brave?'' he celebrated

the link between freedom and bravery: it takes courage to

live in a democracy. It takes courage to stand up to

terrorists and maintain basic liberties. It takes courage to

lead the way toward global disarmament while some are bent on

destruction.

It takes patience to face dictators around the world and

not be tempted to bomb them into submission. It takes wisdom

to have great power and to make gentle its presence in the

world.

And it takes compassion to understand the plight of peoples

world wide who themselves are trying to survive, to live out

their own humble lives despite having conditions which are

challenging or governments which are oppressive.

My friends. This is still your government. You have a right

to have a say in how its destiny is being charted. That right

derives from our very Declaration of Independence, which

claimed self-governance as a basic right. Government does not

just happen in Washington, DC. It is the result of a process

that takes place in thousands of cities, villages and

townships. It is also a process which also takes place in our

hearts, which is brought to life by our love of country, and

our love of each other.

There has been talk in recent months that if there is to be an economic recovery in our future, it will be a so-called ``jobless recovery.'' I would submit that for the 8.5 million Americans who are currently unemployed, an economic recovery that does not provide jobs is no recovery at all. The Economic Policy Institute has reported that using even optimistic projections of the gross domestic product, the unemployment rate is expected to remain at 6 percent for all of 2003. An analysis projecting less optimistic growth numbers suggests the unemployment rate will climb to 6.4 percent by the last quarter of this year.

However, there is one factor that impacts the severity of the current downturn for American workers more than any other. That is, significantly more workers have exhausted their Federal benefits since the Federal extension of benefit program began in March than ran out of Federal benefits over a comparable number of months in the recession of the early nineties. Under the Federal extension program of the early nineties, each worker was eligible for 20 to 26 weeks of benefits some 10 months after the program was enacted. Under the program which just expired at the end of December, most workers were eligible for a maximum of 13 weeks of benefits. As a result, by the end of December, an estimated 2.2 million workers had exhausted all of their Federal benefits. And without congressional assistance, the new year brings these 2.2 million unemployed a job market that is stripped bare. It is a job market with 1.5 million fewer jobs than in March of 2001.

It is for this reason that it is critical that the Federal unemployment insurance system be extended now. However, the majority plan and the Democratic proposal, which was disallowed, offer two very different levels of compensation to American families. The majority plan would provide for 13 weeks of extended benefits over the next 5 months to the estimated 90,000 workers a week who will exhaust their State benefits without finding work. The Democratic plan would have offered 26 weeks.

I want to say that there is a difference in the economic benefit to families. We need to make sure that families have some of this uncertainty lifted from them. It is not enough to just say, well, another 13 weeks. This country has the money for a longer extension. Families should not have to wonder if they are going to have the ability to pay their mortgage or to buy clothes or to put food on the table. We have an obligation to the unemployed, and that is why I am supporting our Democratic proposal.

Mr. Speaker, there has been talk in recent months that if there is to be an economic recovery in our future, it will be a so- called ``jobless recovery''. I would submit that for the 8.5 million Americans who are currently unemployed, an economic recovery that does not provide jobs is no recovery at all.

The Economic Policy (EPI) has reported that using even optimistic projections of GDP growth, the unemployment rate is expected to remain at 6 percent for all of 2003. An analysis projecting less optimistic growth numbers suggest the unemployment rate will climb to 6.4 percent by the last quarter of this year. However, there is one factor that impacts the severity of the current downturn for American workers more than any other. That is, significantly more workers have exhausted their federal benefits since the federal extension of benefit program began in March than ran out of federal benefits over a comparable number of months in the recession of the early nineties.

Under the federal extension program of the early 90s, each worker was eligible for 20 to 26 weeks of benefits some ten months after the program was enacted. Under the program which just expired at the end of last December, most workers were eligible for a maximum of 13 weeks of benefits. As a result, by the end of December, an estimated 2.2 million workers had exhausted all of their federal benefits. And without Congressional assistance, the New year brings these 2.2 million unemployed a job market that is stripped bare. It is a job market with 1.5 million fewer jobs today than in March of 2001.

For this reason it is critical that the federal unemployment insurance system be extended now. However, the Republican plan, and Democratic proposal which was disallowed, offer two very different levels of compensation to American families.

The Republican plan would provide 13 weeks of extended benefits over the next five months to the estimated 90,000 workers a week who will exhaust their state benefits without finding work. The Democratic plan would have offered 26 weeks. The Republican plan will also provide the remainder of 13 weeks of benefits to the nearly 800,000 workers who were cut off from federal unemployment benefits on December 28th when the program was allowed to expire. The Democratic plan offered workers those 13 weeks and adds 13 more for a total of 26 weeks.

In an even starker comparison, even in the face of economic data suggesting the current economic conditions are no better, and maybe even worse than when the current program began in March, The Republican proposal mysteriously provides no extension of benefits to the 1 million workers who exhausted their federal benefits by December and remain jobless.

The Democratic proposal gave those workers an extra 13 weeks of job- hunting cushioned by unemployment insurance. Indeed, the Democratic plan did not selectively pick and choose which group of unemployed workers id deemed worthy of coverage. For in a so-called ``jobless recovery'' millions of Americans will remain jobless. But under the Republican's so-called unemployment plan, 1 million

Americans will also be without unemployment insurance.

In covering these 1 million Americans, the Democratic proposal did not ignore the over $24 million sitting unused in the Federal Unemployment Trust Fund. Instead it honors the basic purpose of the trust funds: to build large resources when work is plentiful in order to provide relief to the unemployed when they need it most. The Republican proposal ``writes off'' 1 million people. Contrary to the thinking behind the Republican proposal, there is no reason 1 million unemployed workers should be denied unemployment compensation when they need it the most. The Democratic plan suggest the time for them to receive it is now. So do I. Vote for the Motion to Recommit.

Mr. Speaker, last fall it took weeks for the Members of the House, the press and the public to figure out who inserted a special interest provision in the homeland security bill to exempt Eli Lilly and other manufacturers of thimerosal. We did not know the provision was in the bill before we voted on it. After it was found we could not figure out how it got there. Now that is no way to make law.

This is why I am supporting the motion to commit which would mandate that conference reports are made available to Members at least 24 hours before a vote. This requirement would not be permitted to be waived.

Members of this body deserve to know what they are voting on. The practice of sneaking in unrelated provisions in thick conference reports in the dead of night is unacceptable. The reason it is done is to cause Members who normally would not support a provision to do so by burying it in a conference report at the last minute when there is little chance for it to be found.

The thimerosal exception that was slipped into the Homeland Security bill is a prime example. The thimerosal exemption was a big Christmas gift to Eli Lilly and other thimerosal manufacturers. In the last election cycle is it any surprise that Eli Lilly was one of the top pharmaceutical contributors, giving $1.6 million? In return, they got a thimerosal exception that they have been lobbying for all year. Eli Lilly's first attempt was last spring when it placed the exemption in the comprehensive bill, but since the bill did not get anywhere in the Subcommittee on Health, it switched tactics to get the exemption in Homeland Security.

The exemption effectively shields Eli Lilly from all lawsuits from claimants injured by thimerosal. One of the concerns being expressed is that there is a possible link between thimerosal and autism. The exemption even closed the door on litigation that was ongoing at the time the legislation was passed. It is time to open the conference process and stop the back room political maneuvers that lead to secret provisions. We must stop the abuses of the congressional process. We must allow Members to know what they are voting on. Support the motion to commit.