Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the funding levels in H.R. 3010, the FY 2006 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Title VII Health Professionals programs.

I voted for NCLB because I believe in increased accountability for our nation's public schools to ensure that the promise of a high- quality public education can be realized for each student in our nation. Before the vote on NCLB, I heard reservations from local educators and my constituents that NCLB not become another unfunded mandate like IDEA for special education. When Congress approved and the President signed NCLB, however, I believed that the federal government would provide the promised funding to enact these reforms.

Since 2002, Congress and the Administration have not fully funded NCLB. In H.R. 3010, Congress and the Administration cut NCLB overall funding by $806 million (3.3 percent) below the current level. Under this bill, the NCLB funding shortfall will be $13.2 billion for FY 2006 and over $40 billion since the law's enactment.

In addition, H.R. 3010 cuts the $603 million increase the Administration proposed for Title I to help low-income children improve their reading and math skills to only an $100 million increase. The Administration's request was already inadequate, but these additional cuts put Title I funding $9.9 billion under what is promised under NCLB for FY 2006.

Congress and the Administration have not fully funded IDEA, a program that helps local schools and school districts pay for the costs of providing educational services to special needs children that are mandated by federal law. The federal government has never provided 40 percent of the costs it initially promised when it enacted this important law. H.R. 3010 provides $3.9 billion less than Congress promised in the IDEA Improvement Act of 2004. In addition, this bill even cuts the $508 million increase proposed by the Administration to only $150 million. Under this bill, the federal share of special education costs will actually drop from 18.6 percent to 18.1 percent next year.

In the 2004-2005 school year, 10 states and 7,194 school districts saw cuts in Title I funding, including my state of Kansas. For the 2005-2006 school year, Kansas along with nine other states will again receive less Title I funding. For my home state of Kansas, the combined funding shortfall for NCLB and IDEA for FY 2006 is $240 million, which is shifting the burden of meeting these new requirements back to Kansas taxpayers. With the deadline of expanding assessment to grades 3 through 8 scheduled for the 2005-2006 school year and more districts being identified under Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), Congress and the Administration are not keeping pace with increasing demands at the local level.

The federal government must provide our school with the resources and tools necessary to help them meet the new standards imposed by NCLB. It is simply a matter of fairness and common sense. This is why I have introduced H.R. 2694, the Keeping our Promises to America's Children (KPAC) Act of 2005. This legislation would suspend implementation of NCLB until the law is fully funded.

I would also like to express my concerns about the cuts to Title VII Health Professions programs included in H.R. 3010. The elimination of the programs will have an immediate impact on the training and recruitment of health professions students and the educational opportunities developed and supported by Title VII.

Title VII programs are unique in that they are the only federal investment in interdisciplinary training, which is vitally important, as care is often provided in several different settings.

The programs are also designed to enhance minority representation in the health care workforce and reduce shortages of health professionals in underserved areas, such as inner cities and the many rural regions throughout

the country. Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps, for example, rely on graduates of Title VII programs to fill their ranks.

Congress talks a lot about values. I think a true measure of values is not what people say, but where Congress decides to spend our money or make budget cuts. Funding for these important programs must be restored in the final FY 2006 Labor-HHS bill. These cuts account for almost $6 million in Kansas and $5 million for the K.U. Medical Center.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for having this Special Order and for giving us an opportunity to talk to the American people about what is happening in our country.

Mr. Speaker, on February 17, 2004, the national debt of the United States of America exceeded $7 trillion for the first time in our Nation's history. Sixteen months later, our national debt now stands at $7.8 trillion. In that time, our country has added $800 billion to our national debt, which I believe is unconscionable.

Two months ago, this House approved an increase of $781 billion in the statutory debt limit, raising that figure to a record $9 trillion.

Mr. Speaker, enough.

The out-of-control rise in the national debt over the last year and the rise in our debt demonstrated in the fiscal year 06 budget resolution conference reports are further signs of the dangerous position I think in which we find our country and our future. In 2001, this country had 10-year projected surpluses of $5.6 trillion, and now we have likely 10-year deficits of, deficits instead of surpluses, of $3.8 trillion. That is a $9.4 trillion reversal.

Whether intentional or otherwise, our country's current fiscal policies are depriving the Federal Government of future revenues at a time when unprecedented numbers of people are going to start to retire, the baby boomers, and that is going to put a tremendous strain, a tremendous strain on our country and our ability to pay for Social Security and Medicare.

Our current fiscal irresponsibility is going to land squarely on the shoulders of our children.

Mr. Speaker, we talk so much here in Washington, D.C. and in Congress about values, and I say to my colleagues, putting our children deeper and deeper and deeper in debt is not a family value. My dad taught me when I was a little kid that you should live within your means, live within a budget, and do not spend more money than you have, and I think that truly is a value that we should teach our children. It is truly a value that we should follow here in Congress for our country. Because if we put our country and our children and grandchildren in a hole so deep we will never be able to climb out, we will not have done them any favors, and I think we will have committed an immoral act on them.

A true measure of values is not always what people say; it is where people decide they are going to spend their money. Congress is all about setting priorities, and part of the priorities, if we decide the priorities in this country are going to be more tax cuts, the permanent elimination of the estate tax is going to cost $280 billion over 10 years, as opposed to raising the credit to $3.5 billion, or $3.5 million, which is only going to cost $80 billion over 10 years; $80 billion versus $280 billion over 10 years. If we decide that is what is important, then we are going to have to make cuts in other domestic spending, such as children nutrition programs or not funding No Child Left Behind, which we shortchanged $9 billion the first year it was implemented, and other important domestic programs.

I think values need to be discussed in real terms and we need to understand that again, a true measure of values is where we decide we are going to spend our money. If tax cuts are the most important thing for us, then that is the way it is going to be. But if we decide other things are important to us, children's nutrition programs, education,

and all the other domestic programs, then we need to make those decisions.

I thank the gentleman for providing the time this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and career of Federal District Court Judge for the District of Kansas G. Thomas VanBebber, who died on May 26th.

U.S. District Judge G. Thomas VanBebber, 73, died unexpectedly and peacefully at home in Overland Park, Kansas. He was born to Roy VanBebber and Anne Wenner VanBebber in 1931 and grew up in Troy, Kansas, where he established a law practice after his graduation from the University of Kansas and its School of Law in 1955. There, he was a member of the editorial board of the Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Kansas for 2 years, and he was the Doniphan County, Kansas, Attorney for 6 years as he established a 25-year private practice in Troy. Before he entered the judiciary, Judge VanBebber was active in politics and was Chairman of the Doniphan County Republican Central Committee. He served 2 terms in the Kansas House of Representatives before being appointed chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission, the state's utility regulatory agency, by Governor Robert Bennett. Among his memberships was tenure as a Director of the Kansas State Historical Society. In 1982, he was appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Kansas, in Topeka, and he was appointed as U.S. District Judge for the District of Kansas in 1989. He sat in Kansas City, Kansas, and became Chief District Judge in April 1995, a position he held until he elected to assume Senior Judge status in December 2000. He had continued to carry an active workload of federal cases until his death.

Judge VanBebber was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Virginia Anne Henry. He leaves his wife, Alleen, at home; and his stepson, David Castellani, of Los Angeles, California. He also leaves his brother, John Gregory, and his wife, Vondell; his brother, William and his wife, Yvonne; his brother-in-law Ward Henry, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, and cousins. I have known Alleen and the Judge for many years. They are wonderful people. We all will miss Tom VanBebber.

On May 28th, the Lawrence Journal-World carried an article reviewing the notable moments of Judge VanBebber's judicial career. I include it with this statement and thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to pay tribute to a jurist who was described in the Kansas City Star as a man who ``forged a legal career that defines the principles of fairness, courage and intelligence . . . He was known for his gregarious warmth outside the courtroom, but when he put on the black robe he was all business and expected litigants to have the same attitude.''

[The Lawrence Journal-World, May 27, 2005]

Federal Judge VanBebber Dies at 73

Rulings included OKC bomb case, South Lawrence Trafficway, Phelps

U.S. District Court Judge G. Thomas VanBebber died

Thursday. He was 73.

``He was an indomitable spirit . . . a wonderful judge,''

said Steve McAllister, dean of the Kansas University School

of Law.

VanBebber, who lived in Overland Park, called in sick

Wednesday.

``He died peacefully in his sleep, sometime between 6 and

6:30 a.m.,'' said Ralph DeLoach, clerk/administrator for the

U.S. District Court of Kansas.

``He was respected not only by his peers, but by all court

staff who worked for him--highly respected,'' DeLoach said.

VanBebber was perhaps best known for sentencing Michael

Fortier, a key witness for the prosecution in the Oklahoma

City bombing trial that led to convictions of Timothy McVeigh

and Terry Nichols.

Fortier admitted knowing about the plot to bomb the Alfred

P. Murrah Federal Building and choosing not to warn

authorities.

VanBebber sentenced Fortier to 12 years in prison and

ordered him to pay $200,000 in fines.

Fortier's attorneys appealed the sentence, arguing it was

excessive given his cooperation with prosecutors. A federal

appeals court upheld the sentence.

Other VanBebber rulings:

1997--Issued an injunction halting work on the proposed

South Lawrence Trafficway until after completion of an

environmental impact statement.

1999--Denied the Rev. Fred Phelps' attempt to sue Shawnee

County Dist. Atty. Joan Hamilton for allegedly prosecuting

him in an attempt to limit his anti-homosexual picketing.

2004--Denied an attempt to force Washburn University to

remove a statue from campus that some considered anti-

Catholic.

The sculpture, entitled ``Holier Than Thou,'' depicted a

scowling, heavyset clergyman wearing ceremonial headgear that

some said was shaped like a penis.

``The court cannot conclude that a reasonable observer

would perceive the university's display of `Holier Than Thou'

as an attack on Catholics,'' VanBebber wrote in his ruling.

VanBebber grew up in Troy, Kan. (population 1,000). He

earned a bachelor's degree from Kansas University in 1953; a

law degree in 1955. In 2001, he received the KU Law Society's

distinguished alumnus award.

He practiced law in Troy until 1959, when he became an

assistant U.S. attorney. He returned to private practice in

Troy in 1961, serving as Doniphan County attorney from 1963

to 1969. He was elected to the Kansas House, serving one term

from 1973 to 1975.

He served on the Kansas Corporation Commission, from 1975

to 1979.

VanBebber was appointed a federal magistrate in 1982. Seven

years later, he was appointed to the federal bench by

President George H. W. Bush.

He served as chief judge from 1995 to 2000, assuming senior

judge status on Dec. 31, 2000.

``He was a wonderful judge and an even better person,''

said U.S. Chief Judge John W. Lungstrum, who lives in

Lawrence.

``He was a great student of history and literature,'' he

said. ``He had a tendency to relate to anecdotes and people

he knew while growing up in Troy--I say that not to imply

that he was homespun in character; I say it because he

related to small-town values in a way that brought a lot of

wisdom and common sense to the bench. He was truly

brilliant.''

Lungstrum succeeded VanBebber as the federal court's chief

judge in Kansas.

As a child, VanBebber contracted polio and often relied on

crutches and, in recent years, a wheelchair.

``He was in pain every day, but he never let on that there

was a problem,'' Lungstrum said. ``His courage and stoicism

were tremendously inspirational to the court.''

VanBebber is survived by his wife, Alleen, an attorney.

Mr. Speaker, for 12 years, I had the honor of serving as Johnson County District Attorney. I was proud of the accomplishments of our office during my tenure, including establishing the first Victim Assistance Unit, and beginning programs to protect the victims of family violence--spouse abuse and child abuse.

When I left office to enter private practice, one of my Assistant District Attorneys, Paul Morrison, was elected and was sworn in as Johnson County District Attorney in 1989. This year Paul is celebrating 25 years of working in the Johnson County District Attorney's office, the last 16 as District Attorney.

As my Assistant D.A., Paul headed up our county's narcotics prosecution efforts, and tried many homicide cases. As District Attorney, he and his office have been tough, but fair. His professionalism is unquestioned. Paul has continued the tradition of personally prosecuting many of Johnson County's most difficult and serious cases. During his 25 years as a prosecutor, Paul has tried over 100 jury trials, including many complex homicide cases. Among the accomplishments during his years as D.A., Paul has established a gang task force, successfully promoted ``hard 40'' legislation to increase sentences for murder, and helped establish D.A.R.E. programs in our county.

All of Paul's friends enjoyed this story: two years ago, on his 49th birthday, Paul was driving down a suburban street when he witnessed a burglary. Paul followed one of the suspects in his car, and ended up chasing him down on foot. Two youths were charged with burglary, theft and possession of alcohol.

Paul is a past president of the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association and of the Johnson County Bar Foundation. He is a past recipient of the Clarence M. Kelly Award for Excellent in Criminal Justice Administration in Kansas City, and was named 2001 Prosecutor of the Year by the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association.

Paul has actively supported community organizations, serving as board president of Sunflower House and Safehome, Inc., two organizations that began during my term as D.A. Paul has also been active in the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA), where he served on the board and chaired the Johnson County Advisory Council. He has also chaired the Johnson County United Way campaign.

Paul and his wife Joyce are the proud parents of three children, and are active in their church, Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Shawnee, Kansas.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, June 3rd, a reception in the Johnson County Courthouse will celebrate Paul Morrison's career in the District Attorney's office. Although I am unable to attend, I am proud of Paul and I want to recognize my friend for devoting his career to protecting our families and our community. The citizens of Johnson County hope his career continues for many more productive years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mark Elmore of Olathe, who worked and guided Johnson County Developmental Supports, JCDS, for 27 years. Sadly, Mark Elmore died Sunday, May 15, at the age 61. I knew Mark Elmore. He was a good and decent man.

Based in Lenexa, JCDS is a comprehensive community service agency that supports Johnson County people of all ages with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, along with their families. It provides direct services to more than 500 individuals daily. Elmore joined the agency as executive director in 1978. His leadership moved the agency from a period in the late 1970s, when staff cutbacks were a reality and financial stability was threatened, to the steady growth and fiscal solvency JCDS enjoys today.

Annabeth Surbaugh, chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, led the Johnson County community in mourning the death of this dedicated and well respected leader. As she stated publicly on learning of his death, Mark Elmore's commitment to JCDS was total. He took tremendous pride in the accomplishments of JCDS, leading the highly recognized agency through nine consecutive 3-year national accreditation awards. His self-imposed job description included doing whatever was needed to provide the best services and programs to consumers with special needs to enhance their overall quality of life.

Chairman Surbaugh noted that in the early years of developing JCDS, Elmore was known to have taken clients into his own home, to visit them in their homes and at work, and to even shovel snow off sidewalks outside the facility to ensure the safe arrival of both staff and consumers. ``Johnson County has lost a great man with a great heart and a great friend. Mark Elmore was a man of high principles. His encouragement, dedication, and compassion for the special-needs community set an example for all of us,'' Surbaugh said. ``He was the heart and soul of JCDS.''

Mark Elmore also was well known throughout the state of Kansas, becoming a driving force in creation of developmental disability programs and legislation in the state. Elmore was a key player in the development and implementation of the 1995 Developmental Disability Reform Act, which emphasized opportunities for integration and inclusion in community life. Changes ushered in by the Act have resulted in a continued expansion of services and supports at the local level, and the advance of what has now become a coordinated network of individual and agency service providers, which in Johnson County now serves nearly 1,000 individuals and families.

In a statement, Gayle Richardson, chairperson of the JCDS Governing Board, spoke

on behalf of the agency in reacting to Elmore's death. ``If you wish to learn how to leave this world a better place, I commend Mark Elmore to you. He was not only a skilled professional, but a man beloved by his family, staff, and the folks he served at JCDS. He gave his heart and his mind to his job, and his legacy to us is a flourishing agency, whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with disabilities--not a glamour job, but a most satisfying one,'' Richardson said. ``He made us proud and eager to fulfill this mission. One of his last gifts was to work with the Board to ensure the health of JCDS beyond his term, which came all too soon.''

County Manager Michael B. Press agreed. ``His life truly exemplified the spirit of public service: to help the needy, to succor the distressed, and to serve the community without regard to the necessary personal sacrifices required,'' he said. ``Our hearts and prayers are with his family at this time. He will be missed.''

Mark Elmore is survived by his wife, Jeanette; son and daughter-in- law, Brenton and Kirsten Elmore; daughter and son-in-law, Tracie and Raymond Kaiser; and two grandsons. The couple would have celebrated their 40th anniversary next month.

Mr. Speaker, Johnson County has suffered a tremendous loss with the untimely death of Mark Elmore. I join with all Johnson Countians in mourning his loss, and place in the Congressional Record two articles from the local news media reporting on Mark Elmore's life and legacy:

[From the Kansas City Star, May 18, 2005]

Advocate for the Disabled Dead at 61

Mark Elmore, the Olathe man whose dedication and passion

for those with developmental disabilities spanned more than

three decades, died Sunday of a brain tumor. He was 61.

As executive director of Johnson County Developmental

Supports, Elmore helped create landmark legislation in

Kansas. The new laws allowed those with mental and physical

challenges to live in their own homes and learn life skills

vital to landing a job, making friends and finding meaning in

life.

``He gave his heart and mind to this job,'' said Gayle

Richardson, chairwoman of the support group's board of

directors. ``His legacy to us is a flourishing agency.''

``Flourishing'' was not the adjective Elmore would have

chosen 27 years ago.

In 1978, he was hired to turn around the agency facing deep

federal cuts that threatened to close its doors.

He streamlined the agency and improved services by

listening to parents and their children about their desire to

live at home, away from sterile and impersonal institutions.

He found money to hire expert workers and expand services.

When Elmore started, the agency served 66 persons. Today,

Johnson County Developmental Supports, also known as JCDS,

serves 530 clients daily and oversees aid for more than 1,300

residents. Its annual budget is $20 million.

``Johnson County has lost a great friend with a great

heart,'' said Annabeth Surbaugh, chairwoman of the Johnson

County Commission. ``Mark Elmore was the heart and soul of

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Cleaver and I join today to pay tribute to William T. Reed, the President and CEO of KCPT, Kansas City's public broadcasting station, who has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2005. He steps down after 13 years as head of Kansas City Public Television.

Bill Reed joined KCPT in 1992 and emphasized education, local programming and outreach. The station received numerous awards from PBS, the National Educational Telecommunication Association NETA, and community organizations for its local programming and services, including 21 regional Emmy awards and one national Emmy for the documentary, ``Be Good Smile Pretty''. Four of the station's signature program series, ``Ruckus'', ``Rare Visions'', ``Roadside Revelations'' and ``Kansas City Week in Review'', began under Reed's leadership. He also introduced viewers to the beautiful writings of Kansas City Star columnist Charles Gusewelle, who this spring will produce his fourth documentary for KCPT, called ``Stories Under the Stone''. Reed's collaboration with Gusewelle also launched KCPT's home video library venture. Later this year, children and their parents also will benefit from the development of an interactive reading program called ``Bark Park Place''.

Bill Reed made partnerships and collaborations an important part of the station's business plan. In 2003, KCPT was named Best Place to Work for Community Partnerships by the Kansas City Business Journal. Many of those partnerships, like Chalkwaves, a digital instructional media service for elementary and secondary schools now used across the country, changed the education landscape. Additionally, the Kansas City Regional Access Consortium for Higher Education, KC REACHE, a distance education effort partnering KCPT with nine area colleges and universities, began under Reed's stewardship long before distance learning was commonplace. Other successful partnerships include Network KC, an in-depth news partnership with the Kansas City Star, KCUR-FM, KPRS-FM and UMKC's Back Channel, a student production for the web; and Speaking of Women's Health, a partnership with Shawnee Mission Medical Center to conduct a yearly health symposium for 1,700 women. The TV Dinner and the KCPT Holiday Auction were also created, and a partnership developed with the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority for the Antiques, Garden and Home Design Show to raise additional funds for the station.

From 1997 to 2001, KCPT successfully conducted a capital campaign that raised $10 million to renovate its facilities on 31st Street and to purchase digital television equipment. The station was among the first stations to go on the air with digital television and was cited by PBS as one of seven Digital Pioneers in public television.

Reed began his public broadcasting career in 1967 as General Manager of KIXE, the public television station in Redding, California. He joined the Public Broadcasting Service, PBS, in Washington, DC, in 1974, where he was promoted to Senior Vice President in 1978 and worked until 1991. While at PBS, Reed led the planning and implementation of PBS Home Video and the PBS Adult Learning Service and the development of PBS VIDEO--a service for educational institutions. After leaving PBS, he also served as a consultant to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, CPB. Reed served the boards of a number on local and national organizations: the Public Broadcasting Service Board of Directors from 1972 to 1974; the Association of America's Public Television Stations', APTS, Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2001; and American Public Television, APT, Board of Directors from 1997 to 2003. He was elected as the National Educational Telecommunications Association's, NETA, first chairman in 1997. Reed served as President of the Jackson County Historical Society from 1996 to 1998, President of the Public Television Association of Missouri, PTAM, from 1994 to 1998 and 2002 to present, and Chairman of the Kansas Public Broadcasting Council, KPBC, from 1997 to 1998. Reed also served on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's, CPB, Digital Television Task Force from 1998 to the present, and was a member of Video Advisory Committee to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from 1993 to 2000.

In 1991, the Pacific Mountain Network Board honored Reed with its Governor's Award for Distinguished Service to Public Television. He also served as a private sector representative in telecommunications for the U.S. Department of State to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1989-London; as Chairman of the Broadcast Panel for U.S.-U.S.S.R. Bilateral Information Talks, 1988-Moscow; and as President of the Western Educational Network, 1972.

Bill Reed was born in Los Angeles, California. He received his B.A. in History and, following a year of graduate studies, his General Secondary Teaching Credential from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. From 1963 to 1965, he served in the U.S. Army, including one year in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Army Commendation Medal for Valor.

Mr. Speaker, Bill Reed and his wife, Mary Ann, will continue to live in Kansas City after his retirement. A nationwide search is underway for his replacement and his shoes will be very difficult to fill. Mr. Cleaver and I commend Bill Reed for his many accomplishments on behalf of the Kansas City community during his tenure at KCPT and wish him and Mary Ann all the best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, on February 17, 2004, the national debt of the United States exceeded $7 trillion for the first time in our country's history. One year later, our national debt is $7.7 trillion. In the past year, our country has added $700 billion to our national debt.

The conference report for the FY06 budget resolution that is before us today would increase the statutory debt limit by $781 billion to a record $9 trillion. Mr. Speaker, enough is

enough. The out-of-control rise in our national debt over the last year and the rise in our debt envisioned in this conference report are further signs of the terrible fiscal position in which we now find ourselves.

In 2001, we had ten-year projected surpluses of $5.6 trillion [2002- 2011]. Now, over that same time period, we have likely ten-year deficits of $3.9 trillion. That's a $9.5 trillion reversal in our ten- year fiscal outlook.

Whether intentional or otherwise, our country's current fiscal policies are depriving the Federal government of future revenue at a time when we ought to be preparing for an unprecedented demographic shift that will strain Social Security and Medicare. Our current fiscal irresponsibility will eventually land squarely on the shoulders of our children and grandchildren, who will be forced to pay back the debt we are accumulating today. The ``debt tax'' that we are imposing on our children and grandchildren cannot be repealed. It can only be reduced if we take responsible steps now to improve our situation.

Both parties need to work together in a bipartisan fashion to bring our budget back into balance so we can avoid the higher long-term interest rates and weakened dollar that are the inevitable consequences of rising deficits and a high national debt. We are witnessing on a daily basis the reaction of the global financial markets to our fiscal irresponsibility, and as we can see in this conference report, Congress has not yet gotten the message that deficits and debt matter.

For starters, Congress needs to reinstate PAYGO rules for the entire budget, including spending and revenue measures. Budget enforcement rules that apply to only certain parts of the budget will not have a significant impact on our rising deficits, as Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan mentioned in his recent testimony before the Budget Committee.

This fiscal year alone, interest on the national debt is expected to rise to $178 billion, and the administration projects that that figure will increase to $211 billion during the next fiscal year. To put that figure in perspective, projected interest on our national debt next year will be $75 billion more than projected spending on education, public health, health research, and veterans' benefits combined [$138 billion].

Further, the budget conference report before us today, which was filed only three hours before the House began to consider it, would require the House to cut Medicaid funding by as much as $15 billion over the next five years. Just two days ago the House voted, by a vote of 348-72, to reject harmful cuts to the Medicaid program, and this conference report blatantly ignores the will of the House.

In addition to assuming an ever-larger share of our annual budgets, the interest on our debt, and the debt itself, are increasing our reliance on foreign borrowers, which will weaken our position in the world and increase the risk that another nation will be able to assert greater leverage over America. Over the last year, our country has borrowed nearly $400 billion [$389 billion] from foreign countries, and almost half [44 percent] of our publicly-held debt is held by foreign creditors [$1.96 trillion, out of $4.4 trillion of publicly held debt].

Finally, our deficits and debt threaten the Social Security and Medicare programs that have raised so many of our seniors out of poverty and helped sustain the strongest middle class in history. With a projected 75-year unfunded liability of $3.7 trillion, both parties in Congress need to work together to address Social Security's solvency problem, and this conference report does nothing to protect Social Security. In fact, it continues the practice of raiding the Social Security trust funds to pay for other expenses of the Federal Government.

It is time for Congress to stop playing games with our national debt, with Social Security, and with our kids and grandkids' futures and take a commonsense, bipartisan approach to solve our budget problems.

Mr. Speaker, we join today to pay tribute to William T. Reed, the President and CEO of KCPT, Kansas City's public broadcasting station, who has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2005. He steps down after 13 years as head of Kansas City Public Television.

Bill Reed joined KCPT in 1992 and emphasized education, local programming and outreach. The station received numerous awards from PBS, the National Educational Telecommunication Association, NETA, and community organizations for its local programming and services, including 21 regional Emmy awards and one national Emmy for the documentary, ``Be Good Smile Pretty''. Four of the station's signature program series, ``Ruckus'', ``Rare Visions'', ``Roadside Revelations'' and ``Kansas City Week in Review'', began under Reed's leadership. He also introduced viewers to the beautiful writings of Kansas City Star columnist Charles Gusewelle, who this spring will produce his fourth documentary for KCPT, called ``Stories Under the Stone''. Reed's collaboration with Gusewelle also launched KCPT's home video library venture. Later this year, children and their parents also will benefit from the development of an interactive reading program called ``Bark Park Place''.

Bill Reed made partnerships and collaborations an important part of the station's business plan. In 2003, KCPT was named Best Place to Work for Community Partnerships by the Kansas City Business Journal. Many of those partnerships, like Chalkwaves, a digital instructional media service for elementary and secondary schools now used across the country, changed the education landscape. Additionally, the Kansas City Regional Access Consortium for Higher Education, KC REACHE, a distance education effort partnering KCPT with nine area colleges and universities, began under Reed's stewardship long before distance learning was commonplace. Other successful partnerships include Network KC, an in-depth news partnership with the Kansas City Star, KCUR-FM, KPRS-FM and UMKC's Back Channel, a student production for the web; and Speaking of Women's Health, a partnership with Shawnee Mission Medical Center to conduct a yearly health symposium for 1,700 women. The TV Dinner and the KCPT Holiday Auction were also created, and a partnership developed with the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority for the Antiques, Garden and Home Design Show to raise additional funds for the station.

From 1997 to 2001, KCPT successfully conducted a capital campaign that raised $10 million to renovate its facilities on 31st Street and to purchase digital television equipment. The station was among the first stations to go on the air with digital television and was cited by PBS as one of seven Digital Pioneers in public television.

Reed began his public broadcasting career in 1967 as General Manager of KIXE, the public television station in Redding, California. He joined the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in Washington, D.C., in 1974, where he was promoted to Senior Vice President in 1978 and worked until 1991. While at PBS, Reed led the planning and implementation of PBS Home Video and the PBS Adult Learning Service and the development of PBS VIDEO (a service for educational institutions). After leaving PBS, he also served as a consultant to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Reed served on the boards of a number of local and national organizations: the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Board of Directors from 1972 to 1974; the Association of America's Public Television Stations' (APTS) Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2001; and American Public Television (APT) Board of Directors from 1997 to 2003. He was elected as the National Educational Telecommunications Association's (NETA) first chairman in 1997. Reed served as President of the Jackson County Historical Society from 1996-1998, President of the Public Television Association of Missouri (PTAM) from 1994-1998 and 2002 to present, and Chairman of the Kansas Public Broadcasting Council (KPBC) from 1997-1998. Reed also served on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's (CPB) Digital Television Task Force from 1998 to the present, and was a member of the Video Advisory Committee to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from 1993 to 2000.

In 1991, the Pacific Mountain Network Board honored Reed with its Governor's Award for Distinguished Service to Public Television. He also served as a private sector representative in telecommunications for the U.S. Department of State to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (1989-London); as Chairman of the Broadcast Panel for U.S.-U.S.S.R. Bilateral Information Talks (1988-Moscow); and as President of the Western Educational Network (1972).

Bill Reed was born in Los Angeles, California. He received his B.A. in History and, following a year of graduate studies, his General Secondary Teaching Credential from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. From 1963 to 1965, he served in the U.S. Army, including one year in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Army Commendation Medal for Valor.

Mr. Speaker, Bill Reed and his wife, Mary Ann, will continue to live in Kansas City after his retirement. A nationwide search is underway for his replacement and his shoes will be very difficult to fill. We commend Bill Reed for his many accomplishments on behalf of the Kansas City community during his tenure at KCPT and wish him and Mary Ann all the best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, on February 17, 2004, the national debt of the United States exceeded $7 trillion for the first time in our country's history. One year later, our national debt is $7.7 trillion. In the past year, our country has added $700 billion to our national debt.

The conference report for the FY06 budget resolution that is before us today would increase the statutory debt limit by $781 billion to a record $9 trillion. Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. The out-of-control rise in our national debt over the last year and the rise in our debt envisioned in this conference report are further signs of the terrible fiscal position in which we now find ourselves.

In 2001, we had ten-year projected surpluses of $5.6 trillion [2002- 2011]. Now, over that same time period, we have likely ten-year deficits of $3.9 trillion. That's a $9.5 trillion reversal in our ten- year fiscal outlook.

Whether intentional or otherwise, our country's current fiscal policies are depriving the federal government of future revenue at a time when we ought to be preparing for an unprecedented demographic shift that will strain Social Security and Medicare. Our current fiscal irresponsibility will eventually land squarely on the shoulders of our children and grandchildren, who will be forced to pay back the debt we are accumulating today. The ``debt tax'' that we are imposing on our children and grandchildren cannot be repealed. It can only be reduced if we take responsible steps now to improve our situation.

Both parties need to work together in a bipartisan fashion to bring our budget back into balance so we can avoid the higher long-term interest rates and weakened dollar that are the inevitable consequences of rising deficits and a high national debt. We are witnessing on a daily basis the reaction of the global financial markets to our fiscal irresponsibility, and as we can see in this conference report, Congress has not yet gotten the message that deficits and debt matter.

For starters, Congress needs to reinstate PAYGO rules for the entire budget, including spending and revenue measures. Budget enforcement rules that apply to only certain parts of the budget will not have a significant impact on our rising deficits, as Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan mentioned in his recent testimony before the Budget Committee.

This fiscal year alone, interest on the national debt is expected to rise to $178 billion, and the administration projects that that figure will increase to $211 billion during the next fiscal year. To put that figure in perspective, projected interest on our national debt next year will be $75 billion more than projected spending on education, public health, health research, and veterans' benefits combined [$138 billion].

Further, the budget conference report before us today, which was filed only three hours before the House began to consider it, would require the House to cut Medicaid funding by as much as $15 billion over the next five years.

Just two days ago the House voted, by a vote of 348-72, to reject harmful cuts to the Medicaid program, and this conference report blatantly ignores the will of the House.

In addition to assuming an ever-larger share of our annual budgets, the interest on our debt, and the debt itself, are increasing our reliance on foreign borrowers, which will weaken our position in the world and increase the risk that another nation will be able to assert greater leverage over America. Over the last year, our country has borrowed nearly $400 billion [$389 billion] from foreign countries, and almost half [44%] of our publicly-held debt is held by foreign creditors [$1.96 trillion, out of $4.4 trillion of publicly held debt].

Finally, our deficits and debt threaten the Social Security and Medicare programs that have raised so many of our seniors out of poverty and helped sustain the strongest middle class in history. With a projected 75 year unfunded liability of $3.7 trillion, both parties in Congress need to work together to address Social Security's solvency problem, and this conference report does nothing to protect Social Security. In fact, it continues the practice of raiding the Social Security trust funds to pay for other expenses of the federal government.

It is time for Congress to stop playing games with our national debt, with Social Security, and with our kids and grandkids' futures and take a commonsense, bipartisan approach to solve our budget problems.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with you and my colleagues outstanding news that, for the second straight year, the Kansas City Kansas Community College [KCKCC] debate team, coached by Darren Elliott, has swept both community college national championships.

Even more impressive, the 2005 KCKCC team won with an almost entirely new team--just two sophomore returnees from last year's 2004 national championship team.

The KCKCC team completed its sweep by winning both the team and Lincoln-Douglas debates at the Phi Rho Pi national championships in Philadelphia after winning the CDEA [Cross-Examination Debate Association] Community College National Debate Championship title at San Francisco State University in late March. KCKCC dominated the Phi Rho Pi championships by putting both teams in the finals of the Policy Two-Person Debate and since both finalists were from the same team, sophomores John Bretthauer of Tonganoxie and Peter Lawson of Leavenworth shared first place honors with freshmen Clay Crockett of Emporia and Garrett Tuck of Overland Park. In addition, the KCKCC duo of Blue Valley freshmen Laura Koslowsky and Ashley-Michelle Papon took second.

Lawson then went on to become the first debater ever to repeat as National Policy Lincoln-Douglas One-Person Debate champion by finishing undefeated throughout the tournament. KCKCC entered 4 persons in the event with all 4 making it to the elimination rounds, with Tuck and Koslowsky closing out the finals with Crockett finishing third. In winning the CEDA title, Tuck, Bretthauer and Crockett were named to the All-American first team and Lawson to the second team. They were joined on the national championship team by Kyle Bragdon, Papon and Koslowsky. At an open meet that debated the topic, ``How the U.S. should reduce fossil fuel consumption,'' KCKCC won the title by defeating 4-year teams from West Virginia, Vanderbilt, San Francisco State, Towson, Eastern New Mexico, Vermont, Rochester, Cal-State Chico, and Georgia State.

With all 5 freshmen returning next year, I look forward to the KCKCC debate team winning 3 in a row! The team was honored at a

reception hosted by Governor Kathleen Sebelius at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka, and I am proud to have this opportunity to add to their well-deserved accolades by entering this statement into today's Congressional Record.

Mr. Speaker, I was once talking with a group of constituents from Wyandotte County, and asked who they looked up to in Kansas City, Kansas.

A gentleman said, ``I can't say I look up to her because she is barely five feet tall, but I do admire and respect Carol Marinovich.''

As Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Carol Marinovich established a record of achievement that inspired awe throughout the Kansas City area and beyond. Whether as a teacher, special education coordinator, or Kansas City Councilwoman, she has brought a sense of hope, pride and progress to Wyandotte County.

First elected as Mayor of the City of Kansas City in April 1995, she served as Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government since its establishment in April 1997, stepping down from that post on April 20th of this year.

During that time, Carol provided leadership in a period of unprecedented change and growth that has transformed Wyandotte County into a place with much to celebrate. She spearheaded the city/county consolidation process, taking two separate entities and bringing them together into one more effective and efficient government. House by house, she worked with neighborhood groups to reinvest in our neighborhoods. Evidence of that success is everywhere: the Mount Zion Estates, Turtle Hill, Cathedral Pointe, Mission Cliffs, Rainbow Park, Mount Carmel Place, Carmelle Estates, River's Edge East, Jersey South, Nehemiah, and the Strawberry Hill Townhomes and St. Peter/Waterway. In 2004, 500 housing permits were issued in Wyandotte County--a 40 year high. In the same year, crime dropped by 7 percent and Wyandotte County experienced the fewest murders in ten years and unemployment dropped for the first time in five years.

With Carol's guidance, downtown revitalization has been spurred by projects such as the Hilton Garden Inn with the adjacent, renovated Reardon Center, the new Board of Public Utilities building, and the federal Region VII Environmental Protection Agency headquarters. She has helped make dreams of developing western Wyandotte County a reality, where the Village West project is still expanding. Today we are all proud it is home to the Kansas Speedway, Cabelas, the Nebraska Furniture Mart, and the Great Wolf Lodge. As she left office, $1,000,000 of redevelopment projects were under construction in the city's urban core, and the mill levy had dropped 18 percent during her tenure.

In 1989, Carol became the first woman elected to the City Council of Kansas City. Six years later, she was the first woman elected Mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. During her tenure, she received the Excellence in Local Government Award from the League of Kansas Municipalities and has been recognized by Governing Magazine as one of the Public Officials of the Year in America. She was picked by Kansas City Magazine as ``Best Local Politician'' and was awarded the Excellence in Community Service Award by the Points of Light Foundation.

Mr. Speaker, I'm 6'2'' tall, but I look up to Carol Marinovich. Mayor/CEO Carol Marinovich turned our community into a place where you would want to work, shop, live and raise a family. I am proud of everything she has accomplished and even more proud to call her a friend. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record for review by the House of Representatives an article that was carried by the Kansas City Star on the day Mayor Marinovich concluded her tenure in office.

[From the Kansas City Star, Apr. 20, 2005]

Marinovich Leaving Driver's Seat

With KCK transformed, mayor's term ends

(By Mark Wiebe)

A bleak landscape confronted Carol Marinovich when she was

elected mayor of Kansas City, Kan., in 1995: high crime,

plummeting population, a crumbling retail base.

Today, violent crime has been cut in half, record numbers

of housing permits are being issued, and Wyandotte County

boasts the largest tourist attraction in Kansas with its

Village West retail district.

One constant throughout that decade of change has been

Marinovich, the former schoolteacher who once said she

decided to run for mayor because ``it was my town--and it was

going down the tubes.''

Tonight, Marinovich ends her political career in local

government when Joe Reardon is sworn in as the Unified

Government's second mayor and CEO. After 16 years in public

service, she leaves behind a county that has shed its image

as the area's beleaguered stepchild.

During that time, she's made countless tough decisions, but

the ones she believes will shape her legacy are often

overlooked in the narrative of the county's success:

consolidation of the city and county governments in 1997, and

neighborhood revitalization.

The latter helped Marinovich, 54, cultivate allies at the

grass-roots level. Consolidation was but one issue that

created political enemies for her, and some complained of her

unyielding style. Even among some of her most vocal critics,

though, there is a grudging respect for the change she helped

usher in.

That stubbornness, supporters said, was a decided asset.

``Has she upset people? Made them mad? Yes,'' said Cindy

Cash, president of the Kansas City Kansas Area Chamber of

Commerce. ``When you're doing what you think is best for the

community, you do run the risk. . . . But she does have the

best interest of the community at heart.''

Progress, not polish

Marinovich isn't a highly polished politician. Her

extemporaneous moments are sometimes peppered with unfinished

sentences. She is not adept at working a crowd. Put her in a

cocktail party where she doesn't know anyone, she says, and

``I'd probably stay five minutes then get in my car and go

home.''

The issue that secured her first political victory, to the

City Council in 1989, is one that remains close to her heart:

the revitalization of the city's urban neighborhoods. She

kept that emphasis through her six year tenure on the council

and then into the mayor's office.

``Neighborhood groups weren't heard of'' before Marinovich

became mayor, said Patty Dysart, executive director of the

Armourdale Renewal Association. ``I can remember five or six.

But they would ride in parades and that was about it.''

Today, the county boasts more than 130 neighborhood groups,

many of them active in crime watches and cleanups, reporting

code violators and organizing community events.

As soon as she was elected, Marinovich established ``impact

teams'' that made cleanup sweeps through neighborhoods. Such

efforts demonstrated to neighborhood leaders like Dysart--

tough-talking and demanding grassroots supporters--that

Marinovich meant business.

``She didn't have my respect at first,'' Dysart said. ``I

just didn't think she cared, especially about Armourdale.''

Her opinion changed when Marinovich participated in an

impact team and attended some of Dysart's meetings. She

realized then that Marinovich was ``just quiet and shy but

has this big heart.''

Hard-won respect

Despite her supporters' admiration, Marinovich leaves a

city that is not entirely enamored of her. In her 2001 run

against Elmer Sharp, she grabbed what many considered an

unimpressive 53 percent of the vote. In this month's mayoral

election, she supported former state Rep. Rick Rehorn; he

lost by an 18 percent margin.

Former Unified Government Commissioner Joe Vaught, who

backed Marinovich in 2001,

said her stubborn and uncompromising leadership style had

alienated some people.

Still, he said, ``our city moved forward, and she was in

charge. So whether I liked her or didn't like her, the city

moved forward and that was important.''

Then there's the county's Achilles heel: high property

taxes. Despite an 18 percent reduction in the Unified

Government's rate of taxation since 1997, most property tax

bills continue to rise as property values surge.

State Sen. David Haley, who lost to Marinovich in a

landslide in 1997 and who later sparred with her on many

legislative matters, accused the mayor of not doing more to

lower taxes. ``I just think she had the power to be a

catalyst for progress for the taxpayers,'' he said. ``It's

not an abuse of power; it's just an underutilization of all

that office could have done.''

Despite that criticism, Haley insisted that Marinovich

``does have a track record that is enviable. And at the end

of the day, she accomplished a tremendous amount for

Wyandotte County.''

Marinovich acknowledges that the Unified Government, which

came with the promise of more efficient government, needs to

rein in spending. In 1997, county and city spending stood at

$168.8 million. In 2003, the last year available for the

government's actual expenses, that figure had jumped 24.6

percent, to $210 million.

Wage increases, rising health-care costs, the addition of

nearly 100 employees--many of them hired to form a new

emergency medical service--account for much of that increase.

But with a budget that stands at more than $250 million this

year, the government's expenses aren't going down.

Marinovich, who attributes many of the budget issues to the

plight of an aging city, said one of the biggest challenges

for the next administration would be to get that spending

under control. If it can't, she said, ``That doesn't bode

well for the future.''

a lasting mark

If Marinovich controlled her legacy, she would place

revitalization and consolidation of the city and county

governments above economic development. County Administrator

Dennis Hays seconds that.

Consolidation ended decades of local Democratic Party

machine politics. But, Hays said, it also gave the community

a single body to make decisions. ``We could not have done

what we did with the speedway and Village West without it,''

Hays said. ``Our community needed a single voice to take a

risk and move forward.''

Consolidation also gave Marinovich immense power. With a

veto threat in hand, the ability to break tie votes and the

authority to hire and fire the administrator (with the

commission's support), the Unified Government's mayor

occupies a position of strength that other mayors around

Kansas City can only dream of.

It's a government with true executive power, said real

estate agent Mike Jacobi, co-founder of the consolidation

movement. And Marinovich has used that power responsibly, he

said: ``She restored our integrity. Taxes were skyrocketing;

values were falling. ``When you restore the integrity of the

community,'' he said, ``it's OK to invest here again. It's OK

to live here again.''

the marinovich legacy

The most visible evidence of Wyandotte County's economic

resurgence under Carol Marinovich is Kansas Speedway and

Village West commercial district.

To make way for that massive complex in 1998, Marinovich

and the Unified Government Commission displaced 150 families

in western Wyandotte County--the most difficult moment of her

political career, she has said.

Other hallmarks of her tenure: Consolidation of the city

and county governments. Voter approval of consolidation in

1997 quelled the influence of a powerful Democratic Party

machine that had overseen decades of economic decline.

As a city councilwoman, she teamed with District Attorney

Nick Tomasic to take on the city's adult entertainment

industry, eventually wiping it out.

With the Unified Board of Commissioners' support, she

stepped up the demolition of blighted structures and cracked

down on code violators, angering landlords who viewed the

measures as too harsh.

left undone

The unfinished business that Marinovich had hoped to

address: Furthering economic development to broaden the tax

base and lower tax bills for property owners.

Creating plans for an ambitious development near the

confluence of the Missouri and the Kansas Rivers.

Bringing more commercial and residential development to the

urban core.

what's ahead

Marinovich insists she doesn't know what she will do next.

Her immediate plans are to take a brief vacation and to spend

more time in her garden and with her husband, Wyandotte

County District Judge Ernie Johnson.

Is another run for higher office looming? ``Not at this

point,'' she says. ``I don't enjoy the politics. Never have.

I don't think I ever will.''

career highlights

1989: Becomes first woman elected to the Kansas City, Kan.,

City Council.

1995: Becomes the city's first woman elected mayor,

defeating incumbent Joe Steineger.

1997: Wins voter support for consolidation of the city and

Wyandotte County governments; elected first mayor and CEO of

the county's Unified Government, defeating state legislator

David Haley.

2001: Wins second term as mayor and CEO, defeating former

City Councilman Elmer Sharp; plans are announced to use tax

incentives to bring Cabela's, Nebraska Furniture Mart and

Great Wolf Lodge to the city.

2002: Named one of the nation's top 11 public officials by

Governing magazine.

2004: Announces she won't seek re-election, becoming the

first mayor in decades to leave voluntarily.

April 20, 2005: Hands over office to Mayor-elect Joe

Reardon.

Mr. Chairman, our country needs to reduce its dependence on foreign oil and increase its national energy independence. Increasing our energy independence will stabilize future energy prices, benefit American consumers and businesses, and enhance both our energy security and our national security.

As a member of the House Renewable Energy Caucus, I have supported measures to encourage and increase the use of renewable and alternative energy sources. H.R. 6 included tax incentives for energy efficiency programs and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar production that I would like to vote for. As a co-chair of the Biofuels Fuels Caucus, I also support the renewable fuels standard which I have promoted to decrease our dependency on foreign oil, help U.S. farmers and protect the environment.

There are several issues, however, that concern me about H.R. 6, and these issues have continually blocked congressional passage of comprehensive energy legislation over

the last few years. It has become clear that removing these provisions would ensure that the Senate will pass, and the President will sign, this measure.

Section 22 of H.R. 6, provides for drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). While some consider this area to be one of the most promising U.S. onshore oil and gas prospects, studies indicate that this area could only provide six month's supply of oil, 10 years from now, and consequently have no significant effect on our nation's dependence on foreign oil. This 1.5 million acre coastal plain, however, is an area often referred to as ``America's Serengeti'' because of the presence of caribou, polar bears, grizzly bears, wolves, migratory birds, and many other species living in a nearly undisturbed state. In fact, the Refuge and two neighboring parks in Canada have been proposed for an international park, and several species in the area are protected by international treaties or agreements. In the 108th Congress, I supported a conference agreement on H.R. 6 that eliminated the provisions opening up ANWR for drilling. A future conference agreement needs to eliminate this controversial section from this bill to ensure its passage.

Title 15, Section 1502 of H.R. 6, contains a safe-harbor provision protecting producers of methyl tertiary butyl ether [MTBE] and other fuel oxygenates from product liability claims. This provision includes language applying the safe-harbor retroactively, potentially barring several pending suits against some of the worst environmental polluters in our country.

Under this provision, cities and towns would be prevented from bringing against potential offenders ``defective product'' lawsuits, which some cities have employed to recapture the cost of MTBE clean ups. Approximately 130 lawsuits have been filed by states, cities, water districts, and businesses over MTBE contamination. The trade association for the MTBE industry conservatively estimates that a nationwide cleanup of MTBE will cost between $500 million and $1 billion. The U.S. Conference of Mayors, however, maintains that those costs could run higher than $29 billion. Our states and localities, which are struggling with budget deficits, should not be forced to pay the tab for these clean ups. If our states and localities are forced to pay these costs, the real costs will be borne by taxpayers, who should not be responsible for the actions of a few MTBE producers.

I also cannot support provisions in this legislation that do nothing to safeguard electricity consumers from unscrupulous utility companies that abuse market power and manipulate electricity prices. Rather than holding these electricity companies accountable, this bill would weaken consumer protections regarding electricity. I supported Representative John Dingell's amendment that would have protected electricity consumers by increasing penalties for violations of the Federal Power Act and would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to refund electricity overcharges. Unfortunately, the House defeated this amendment that would have helped safeguard electricity consumers.

I urge my colleagues to work together to pass a true comprehensive energy legislation that is fiscally responsible and that protects consumers, our communities, and environmentally sensitive areas. Our national energy situation should not be a partisan issue, and I hope that both parties can come together to do the right thing for America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association in paying tribute to two of the Kansas City metropolitan area attorneys of distinction, James Borthwick and Edward Boyle. Today the Bar Association is presenting them with its Deans of the Trial Bar Award at their Bench-Bar & Boardroom Conference at the Lake of the Ozarks. Both of these gentlemen are longtime leaders of both the Kansas City metropolitan area's bar and of their home communities.

James (Jim) Borthwick is a partner with the firm of Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP, of Kansas City, Missouri. A magna cum laude graduate of Central College with a J.D. from the University of Michigan, he joined the Blackwell firm as an associate in 1964. With a practice focused on litigation in the areas of business and commercial activity, insurance and intellectual property, Jim defended accounting firms against claims of professional liability and manufacturers against products liability claims. He has handled more than 75 accountant and lawyer malpractice cases to conclusion over the last 20 years and was lead trial counsel in defense of a suit by the Resolution Trust Corporation/Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation against the former directors of Franklin Savings Association; the jury verdict for the defendant was described as one of the biggest defense wins of 1996 by the National Law Journal.

Just as importantly, Jim Borthwick has been active in a wide variety of community and charitable organizations, including: the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Friends of Art, the Friends of the Zoo, the Johnson County Democratic Party, the State Committee of the Kansas Democratic Party, Kansas City Consensus, United Community Services of Johnson County, and the Village Presbyterian Church. Professionally, he is affiliated with: the American Bar Association and its Tort and Insurance Practice Section, the Defense Research Institute, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, and the Lawyers Association of Kansas City, where he has served on the Board of Directors and as President.

Edward Boyle is of counsel with the firm of McCormick, Adam & Long, of Overland Park, Kansas. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame and an Order of the Coif graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law, where he was editor in chief of the University of Kansas Law Review, Edward Boyle also served as LTJG in the United States Navy from 1960-62. His practice areas include: complex litigation, land use and zoning, medical malpractice, medical products and devices, wrongful death and motor vehicle accidents. Prior to entering private practice, he served as Special Assistant Attorney General of Kansas for Antitrust from 1971-74.

Edward Boyle also has been actively involved in professional activities, serving as secretary of the Kansas State Board of Discipline for Attorneys from 1978-80, member of the Johnson County, Kansas and American Bar Associations (including as secretary of the Johnson County Bar in 1967), the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association and the Kansas Inns of Court.

Mr. Speaker, both of these distinguished gentlemen reflect creditably upon their profession and their communities. I am pleased to take note of the honors they are being awarded by the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and I commend them to you and to our colleagues in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished leader in the fields of higher education and community service who soon will be stepping down after 15 years of valuable service as president of MidAmerica Nazarene University, which is located in the Third Congressional District.

Dr. Richard Spindle is a visionary leader who oversaw significant expansion of MidAmerica Nazarene University during his tenure as president, including a major enrollment increase, construction of two new dormitories, the Cook Center and the Bell Family Arena. Founded in 1966, MidAmerica Nazarene University is a private, liberal arts university offering undergraduate and selected professional and graduate degrees. Since the initial semester of operation, enrollment has increased dramatically and now totals approximately 1,400. A Christian community in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, MidAmerica Nazarene University seeks to transform the individual through intellectual, spiritual and personal development for a life of service to God, the church, the Nation and the world.

During the past 2 years, I have been privileged to work with Dr. Spindle in a successful effort to obtain federal funding for MidAmerica Nazarene's criminal justice instruction program. He has been a major force for positive change and advancement in the Olathe community and throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. I join with many of our neighbors in wishing Richard and Billy Spindle all the best as they prepare to move to Brazil in August in order to consult with Brazilian Nazarene College.

Mr. Speaker, I am placing in the Record a recent news article from the Olathe News, which details a celebration that was held in Dr.

Spindle's honor at MidAmerica Nazarene, highlighting many of the personal qualities which made him a popular and effective administrator. I commend him to you, Mr. Speaker, and to our colleagues in the House of Representatives.

[From the Olathe News, Apr. 24, 2005]

Spindle Preps for His `Transition'

(By Arley Hoskin)

Leaders don't retire, they transition. And that's the way

MidAmerica Nazarene University president Richard Spindle

views his departure in May. The community gathered Thursday

at the university's Cook Center to celebrate Spindle's

transition. As leaders in the community spoke of Spindle

during the gathering, it became clear that Spindle had both

their respect and admiration. ``We've been fortunate here to

have a leader like Dr. Spindle,'' Olathe Mayor Michael

Copeland said. In Spindle's honor, Copeland deemed the day

``Richard Spindle celebration day.''

MNU experienced extraordinary growth during Spindle's 15

years as president. But the focus of the evening was not on

MNU's all-time high enrollment, the development of Cook

Center, the ground breaking for the new dormitory or the

plans for a new cultural arts center.

When people spoke of Spindle, they spoke not just of a man

with many accomplishments, they spoke of a friend. ``Some

people you feel good about and relate to,'' said Ron Wimmer,

Olathe school district superintendent. Spindle was that kind

of man, Wimmer said, and he also brought credibility to the

university.

Many of the school districts new employees graduate from

MNU, but Spindle contributed more to the community than a

pool of employees.

Wimmer enjoyed his presence at the Olathe Chamber of

Commerce meetings and Spindle is someone whom Wimmer

considers a friend. Wimmer is not alone.

A video shown during the celebration was filled with

accolades from faculty, staff and alum. Spindle is the kind

of leader who knows students by their first names, MNU alum

Bryan Beaver said. Others agreed. ``I really did not expect

to be able to call the president a friend. I feel like I can

say that,'' said Allison Bartholomew a 2002 graduate.

Students were not the only ones who noticed Spindle's

caring personality. A person's handshake says a lot and

Spindle's spoke of confidence and care. Frank Devocelle, CEO

of Olathe Medical Center recalled the first time that Spindle

shook his hand. Both men extended their right hands, and

Spindle reached out and cupped Devocelle's hand with his

left hand. ``It left (me) with a feeling of warmth, a

feeling of caring and a feeling of concern for others,''

Devocelle said.

Spindle was known for his concern for others. ``He was a

role model of servant leadership,'' said MNU chaplain Randy

Beckum. ``Not by power, (but) by integrity.''

Spindle took pride in beautifying the campus--he not only

helped developed plans for campus renovations, but

participated in some of those ventures.

Alumni president Jill Kenney remembers planting trees along

Mur-Len Road with Spindle and his wife, Billy. It was cold

and the trees were puny she said, but the Spindle's had a

vision.

The trees were just part of the Spindle's vision. Spindle

developed a 100-year plan during his time as president and he

was able to see the two new dorms, and the Cook Center and

Bell Family Arena built.

More importantly he saw the lives of students change.

``These 25 years have been filled with joyous

opportunities,'' Spindle said. The students were always his

main concern, said academic dean Frank Moore. He was the same

man inside the office as he was outside, Moore added.

Billy, who shared her husband's passion for students, was

also honored at the celebration. Billy served on the women's

auxiliary and generated more than $150,000 worth of

scholarships through the sale of birthday cakes and the MNU

country store, now MNU mercantile and diner. Billy also is

known for leading by example. ``She is a part of everything,

heart and soul,'' said Kathy Smith, who served with Billy on

the women's auxiliary.

The Spindles plan to move to Brazil in August where Richard

Spindle will serve as a consultant for Brazilian Nazarene

College.

Mr. Speaker I rise today to mourn the recent passing Andrew Rollins, Jr., of Kansas City, Kansas.

Andy Rollins was a longtime civic activist in Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, who spent over 40 years working to improve the lives of his neighbors and the conditions within his community. I am placing in the Congressional Record with this statement two recent news articles, from the Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Kansan, detailing Andy Rollins' 88 years of good works. He served for 16 years as the president of the Kansas City, Kansas, chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, continually worked to bring economic development funds and strategies to Kansas City, Kansas, and actively supported local efforts to assist drug addicts and alcoholics. Additionally, he served our country with distinction as a member of the U.S. Army during World War II, receiving European, African, and Middle Eastern Theater Ribbons, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Mr. Speaker, Kansas City, Kansas, is a much stronger and richer community for having Andrew Rollins, Jr., as a member of the community. I commend him to you and to the members of this House and I join with his family and his many, many friends in mourning his loss.

[From the Kansas City Star]

Andrew Rollins' Passion for Growth Left Mark on KCK

(By Robert A. Cronkleton)

City and county leaders fondly remembered Andrew Rollins

Jr., a long-time Kansas City, Kan., activist, who died last

week at the age of 88. Rollins helped secure private

financing for community projects and had worked for years to

promote economic development in Kansas City, Kan., and the

metropolitan area. ``I don't know anyone who cared about the

community more than Rollins did,'' said Don Denney, a

spokesman for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and

Kansas City, Kan. ``He was a very caring individual and he

did a lot of work behind the scenes.''

Rollins' community work dated back to 1962, when he founded

the Depth Rehabilitation Alcohol Group. Over the years, he

helped secure private financing for various community

projects including the Kansas City, Kan., Police Cadet

Program, a housing project in Nicodemus, Kan; the Mid-America

Regional Council; the Gateway I and II office complex, and

the construction of the current Kansas City, Kan., City Hall

and the joint city-county public health department.

Rollins had owned a security company and for 16 years had

served as the president of the Kansas City, Kan., chapter of

the National Association for the Advancement of Colored

People.

He worked over the years to bring a hotel to downtown

Kansas City, Kan., next to the Jack Reardon Civic Center. At

one time he was associated with a Saudi Arabian group that

was presented as investors for hotel projects that never

materialized. ``I loved the city and I loved to see the city

grown,'' Rollins said in a 1991 interview.

Dennis Hays, county administrator Unified Government, said

Rollins worked tirelessly to find the developers and

financing to make the hotel project happen. The Hilton Garden

Inn was eventually built at the site and opened in September

2002. While Rollins was not involved in the final financing

for the project, Hays said, Rollins was very active in

searching for financing and should be credited for his work.

``Andy was amazing,'' Hays said. ``He had friendships dating

over more than 60 years, back to the days of World War II.''

Those friendships included federal, state and local

officials, Hays said. ``He had access to those folks and an

uncanny ability of getting the right people together to

address issues and solve problems,'' Hays said. ``He was

able to pull the right people together.''

Police Chief Ron Miller said he had known Rollins for many

years and worked with him on several issues. He always

supported the Police Department, Miller said, and was a good

conduit for information on issues facing the community.

``Andy Rollins loved Kansas City, Kan., and always supported

this community,'' Miller said. ``He had national exposure in

various groups, but he was always proudest of Kansas City,

Kan.''

LaVert Murray, director the Unified Government's

development department, said Rollins was a mixture between a

community activist and a community booster. ``He worked hard

to better his community,'' Murray said. ``His desire was to

make Kansas City, Kan., the best community that existed in

the U.S. and to improve the entire metropolitan area.''

In 1992, Rollins received four medals and ribbons he earned

in the U.S. Army during World War II. The decorations were

the European, African, Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon; the

Good Conduct Medal; the American Campaign Medal; and the

World War II Victory Medal.

Survivors include his two sons, Rev. Andrew J. Rollins III

of Topeka and Edward T. Rollins of Mission; two ex-wives,

Margaret Louise Hutchinson of Mission and Patience O'Hare of

Kansas City, Kan.; a brother and his wife, Henry C. and

Geraldine Rollins of Seattle; and two grandchildren.

Rev. Rollins said his father loved Kansas City, Kan.,

because it was his hometown, he had spent his entire life

there. ``One of the things he shared with me was that when he

was born, he was born in an impoverished situation, the wrong

side of the track you could say,'' Rollins said of his

father.

That didn't stop his father from being determined to leave

his mark and contribute something positive to the community,

Rollins said. He said his father believed that anyone could

have a significant impact in life, despite their humble

beginnings. ``Sometimes you can be dealt a worse hand than

the person you are playing against, but if you play your

cards better, not even the best hand will still win,''

Rollins said.