Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my congratulations to the Palestinian people who recently elected Mahmoud Abbas as the new President of the Palestinian Authority.

Mr. Abbas has been given a historic opportunity to alter the direction of the Palestinian leadership from one of terror under Yasser Arafat to one of peace. It is critical that Mr. Abbas capitalize on this opportunity to deal with Israel which has long been searching for a partner in peace and not revert to the terrorist ways of his predecessor.

Accomplishing this goal will not be easy. Mr. Abbas must actively work to dismantle the terrorist organizations that plagued the hopes of the Palestinian people, using all means of force if necessary. He must recognize and acknowledge that no progress towards peace can be made until the terrorist organizations that operate freely amongst the Palestinian population stop the killing of innocent men, women, and children on the streets of Israel.

Mr. Abbas must end incitement against Israel. Only by ending the multi-generational hate can the Palestinian Authority begin the painful path towards peace. The task that stands before Mr. Abbas may seem daunting, but these are crucial steps towards improving the life of the Palestinian people. We cannot afford to return to Palestinian leadership that one day disavows terror and the next day stands shoulder to shoulder with the terrorist organizations that carry out murder. This double standard is unacceptable.

Again, I congratulate Mr. Abbas and encourage him to tackle these problems head on and avail himself of this historic opportunity to work with the Israeli Government to improve the lives of the Palestinian people.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 65) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 66) and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, today we mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, a component of the murderous network used by the Nazis in World War II. Throughout their network of evil, the Nazis slew the blameless and pure, men and women and children, with vapors of poison and burned them with fire.

For many of the survivors, the Holocaust did not end with liberation. Those who survived faced the enormous challenge of rebuilding their lives. Many succeeded, others did not, but all would remember the horror of the crimes that they were forced to witness. Survivors who suffered this hell are a living testament to the depths of evil to which men can fall. We must never again allow such a heinous crime of man to be committed against his fellow man.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the countless people who have devoted their lives to ensuring that the history of the death camps has not been forgotten by following generations.

Today marks the Jewish holiday of Tu'Beshvat. Tu'Beshvat is considered the New Year for nature in the Jewish calendar and marks the first signs of spring in Israel. On this day of spring and hope, let us renew our commitment to hope in man and rededicate ourselves to those words, ``never again.''

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful nation and the citizens of the Seventh District of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I would like to personally thank Staff Sergeant Christopher B. Wilson for his honorable service to the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

I celebrate his return from service abroad, and this country will forever be grateful for his leadership, unwavering dedication to the mission, and the bravery he demonstrated each day in the face of danger. Staff Sergeant Wilson, a proud member of the Virginia National Guard's 229th Military Police Company, returned home to his family and friends in April of 2004. He served two tours of duty defending our homeland and liberating the people of Iraq. He defended our nation's capital during Operation Noble Eagle. Again he answered our nation's call-to-arms, spending 14 months in the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

We will never forget his service as he has set an enduring example for all Americans. His service is a perfect model for all men and women in uniform who wage the daily war on terror. His family and community, the American Military, and the United States of America should be proud of his service.

His actions are consistent with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America. Staff Sergeant Christopher B. Wilson, I again thank you for your selfless service and welcome you home.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns on this legislative day, it adjourn to meet at noon on Saturday, October 9, 2004.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority whip for yielding me this time and congratulate him for bringing this bill forward. I also thank the minority whip, the gentleman from Maryland, for his work on this piece of legislation. I, too, rise in support of this bill. I think I, too, have been a hugger. I know many of our colleagues in this House have attended several Special Olympics events and have seen firsthand the limitless capabilities of these athletes. I am encouraged just about the prospects of how many more athletes will be drawn to these events because of the passage of this legislation.

A few years ago, Special Olympics Virginia received a grant that allowed the organization to implement a program specifically aimed at Richmond's inner city and giving individuals there otherwise bound to a life without physical athletic competition just a whole new outlook. Over a period of 4 years, the program grew to serve over 1,000 athletes. I am hopeful that this legislation will serve as a catalyst for the same type of growth all across the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout our country.

I would like to recognize Paul Marretti from my district who is a Special Olympics global messenger. Paul educates individuals around the world about the mission, philosophy and benefits of Special Olympics. He is a true leader who is committed to educating people, including Members of Congress, about this incredible program as well as introducing it and attracting more athletes to it.

I would also like to recognize Mr. Roy Zeidman, Mr. Rick Jeffreys and everyone at Special Olympics Virginia who make such a difference in so many lives. I am hopeful that this legislation will further help all of them in their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Nation's dentists who provide free oral health care services to thousands of low-income children across the country. One day each year dentists take time out of their busy schedules and away from their practices to provide important dental care to children who do not have access to that kind of care.

I have seen first-hand the tremendous generosity of dentists and the excitement of the children when Give Kids A Smile day came to Richmond, VA. A local museum was turned into a full-service dentists' office, with children being provided much-needed dental work. The children were excited, and I think the dentists and dental hygienists got an ever bigger kick out of it.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this resolution has come to the floor today, as over

40,000 members of the American Dental Association are together this week at their annual session. I know they must take pride in their generosity and knowing that they have provided so many children with access to important dental care that they otherwise would not receive. I am pleased that Give Kids A Smile day will keep kids smiling.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time.

The increased cost of insuring youth athletic leagues is of great concern to me and the constituents of the Seventh Congressional District of Virginia. Millions of youngsters around the country participate in soccer, football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse and other sports. They learn discipline and teamwork, and most importantly, they have fun.

As a parent of three, I have spent countless hours on the football, soccer, lacrosse fields and other athletic facilities watching my children compete and grow from their athletic experience. It is something that I am very concerned about.

As has been said, we are now facing a very real prospect of a chilling of the desire for parents to form athletic associations to give their children an opportunity to compete on the athletic field. This bill takes on the prospects of this chilling.

It addresses the fact that there is increasing costs playing sports in a voluntary way, cost-prohibitive for American families. That is why I am here.

I thank the gentleman from Indiana for his sponsorship of this important legislation. I urge its passage and return to common sense so that we can see our children continue to play on the fields.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member, for bringing this bill forward in such an expedited fashion.

As the chairman suggested, many States in this country, especially in the Southeast, have felt the effects of devastating hurricanes and tropical storms. On August 30, which was Tuesday of last week, Tropical Storm Gaston unleashed 10 to 14 inches of rain on Richmond, Virginia, over the span of only 4 hours. This massive rainfall was responsible for the loss of eight lives, heavy flooding, and millions of dollars of property damage.

As Richmonders began the long clean-up, the costs are beginning to mount. The storm caused 20 blocks in Richmond to be condemned as uninhabitable and did what is expected to be $60 million to $80 million of damage. Business owners and residents in Richmond lost their homes, companies and cars because of the rapid flooding. One of the hardest- hit areas, Shockoe Bottom, is a busy commercial area of Richmond, and its destruction will dramatically affect the area's economy.

Last week I wrote the President to ask that Virginians affected by Tropical Storm Gaston be given immediate Federal assistance. Friday, President Bush responded swiftly by declaring these hard-hit areas of central Virginia Federal disaster areas, allowing them to be eligible for loans and grants through FEMA and the Small Business Administration.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I am here in support of the chairman's bill for the supplemental funding for FEMA and SBA to respond to the storm. Disaster relief and emergency aid that FEMA and SBA are providing in Richmond is one of the best and most appropriate functions of government, and one in which Congress should fully invest. These additional grants will allow these individuals, homeowners, business owners and local governments, who are, again, as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) has said, now as we speak, are facing the damaging and flooding rains of Hurricane Frances, to quickly get back on their feet. That is why I am here to support its swift passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chairman Bill Young and Chairman Jim Kolbe for including the International

Rule of Law Center at the University of Richmond as a program that will be actively considered by the U.S. Agency for International Development. This is an important step forward in our effort to enhance fair and judicial systems internationally.

Today, one of the most pressing needs in emerging democracies is to educate leaders who administer justice in the traditions of due process, transparency, accountability, consistency, and judicial independence. Only with an understanding of such values can leaders within a society go forward to create stable and sustainable justice systems that are critical to democracy.

With the aim of international stability in mind, it is in our national interest to foster a crosscultural exchange and understanding of the importance of law. The International Rule of Law Center at the University of Richmond will play a constructive role in accomplishing this goal by supporting the education of future judges in emerging democracies.

The International Rule of Law Center will educate approximately 20 foreign students in a 1-year program that culminates with the students earning a master of laws degree. The program will include many practical field experiences and trips, in addition to a curriculum that focuses on judicial administration, constitutional law, the theory of a sound and fair system of justice, and elements of international law.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Chairman Bill Young and Chairman Jim Kolbe for their efforts, and I look forward to working with them in the future.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Arizona for bringing this bill forward. And I rise in support of the amendment by the gentleman from California.

As he has stated, Egypt has embarked on a major military buildup of a sort one would expect from a nation under dire and imminent threat. Last year, the Egyptian Navy created 11 new battle units. At a time of 30 percent illiteracy and a per capita income of less than $1,000, Egypt is pouring its money into cutting-edge military equipment rather than schools, hospitals, and economic development.

The United States has a vital stake in Egypt's stability and prosperity, and the U.S. can best serve that goal and the strengthening of the relationship with Egypt by supporting educational and economic development, as well as political freedom, that contributes most effectively to Egyptian stability.

The amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman), and others will not, as the gentleman from Wisconsin suggests, preclude Egypt's ability to help the United States in brokering the pull-out from Gaza which Israel has embarked upon. It will not weaken Mr. Mubarak in the eyes of his military. My goodness, as the gentleman from California has stated, we have given Egypt $30 billion over the last 20 years. This will not preclude our ability to work with Egypt, a moderate Arab ally.

Instead, Mr. Chairman, this amendment supports the Egyptian people and the U.S. interests by transforming approximately 25 percent from the Egyptian military, changing that into economic assistance that will improve the quality of life of the Egyptian people and contribute to the overall prospects for peace in the Middle East.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this amendment; and I would say, Mr. Chairman, that this amendment to me makes no sense to be even part of this debate because if we are talking about a buyout provision to end the Depression-era program that is in the FSC bill that has passed this House, this language will have no bearing on that because, in fact, there is no money coming from the Agriculture Department to fund the provisions that we called for in the FSC bill, Mr. Chairman. So that is why I am standing here in opposition to the amendment, because it has no place on this bill. It does not impact anything we did on the FSC bill to try to effect the tobacco buyout.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding me time, and I want to congratulate her and thank her for her

leadership on this and many other issues, and also the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for his steadfast support of human rights across the globe, and as well thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), for bringing this resolution to the floor.

I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 460 because I think it recognizes the tremendous accomplishments of the Bush administration, in particular President Bush, as far as the U.S.-Israel relationship is concerned. Make no mistake about it: this President, more than any other, has done more to strengthen that U.S.-Israel relationship, to recognize the importance of our relationship with our democrat ally in the Middle East, the State of Israel and its people. It is his policies under the Bush doctrine that I think reflect a very strong moral courage that again transcends into a moral clarity as he begins and as he continues to implement his foreign policy.

I think across the country what we see are Americans who now understand the fact that Israel has been fighting the same war against the terrorists that we are fighting today, and Israel has been doing it for decades. The bombings on the streets of Tel Aviv are no different than the bombings that occurred on September 11 in New York or here in Washington or in Pennsylvania. The absolute scale of a suicide bomber on a bus may be different than those planes running into those towers on September 11; but make no mistake about it, they were morally equivalent.

This resolution recognizes that this President and this House will never, ever accept terrorism under any, any situation and for any reason whatsoever.

In this resolution, we also keep the onus where it belongs, and that is on the Palestinian people and their leadership. We have for too long seen that they have failed to live up to the obligations that we continue to set forth in the road map for peace and other instances where we ask that they stop the terrorist attacks, that they dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and they institute political reform so they can ultimately achieve what their dream is, a state living alongside the Jewish State of Israel.

But it is not until we reach the point that we see the Palestinians recognizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state that this Congress or this President will ever allow Israel to go without secure borders and the ability to secure its population.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4372) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the carryforward of $500 of unused benefits in cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements for dependent care assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, families today shoulder tremendous financial burdens. The USDA's 2003 report estimates two-parent middle income families spend between $9,000 and $10,000 a year to raise one child. With 61 percent of working families relying on some form of child care, costs add up very quickly especially in families with more than one child. But it is not just child care expenses that families face. Many families have non-child dependents, including disabled parents or spouses living at home.

Dependent care accounts were created to assist families with two working parents to care for the young children or help these families who care for a disabled spouse or parent. These accounts allow up to $5,000 to be withheld pretax to help pay for this important care. Unfortunately, these accounts are not being utilized to their fullest extent. They were created in a use-it-or-lose-it fashion which often causes its users to underestimate the amount of money they need to put away, shortchanging the very people it was intended to help.

In 2002, the average contribution to these accounts was $3,024 with a net tax savings of $690, but this average contribution is almost $2,000 below the allowed contribution limit. The result is most families are missing out on almost 40 percent of the benefit.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4372, the Working Families Assistance Act, gives families peace of mind by allowing them the flexibility to roll over up to $500 of their money into the next year flexible savings account. So if you overestimated the amount you would spend on dependent care, you will now have a cushion to ensure your flexible spending account investment does not completely disappear.

The Working Families Assistance Act gives families the chance to realize the full tax benefit of this important program.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the remarks of the gentleman from Maryland. I think this, again, is a tremendous step forward in giving working families the ability to project what their dependent care expenses would be for the upcoming year and then to give them some flexibility if they do not quite hit the mark, so to speak. And this provision, this legislation echoes what we have done in the health savings accounts arena a few weeks ago in this House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) for their remarks, and I yield back the balance of my time.