Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the killing continues in Darfur and the United Nations has become paralyzed and unable to stop it. I am submitting for the Record a copy of a letter sent this week to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan signed by 33 members of the House of Representatives asking him to return to Darfur and to report back to the Security Council on the conditions there.

The Security Council must take immediate, effective measures to stop the bloodshed. If the Security Council fails to act, Kofi Annan should resign out of protest. The time is now for bold action. The people of Darfur can wait no longer.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, February 7, 2005.

Hon. Kofi Annan,

Secretary General, United Nations,

New York, NY.

Dear Mr. Secretary General: As you are aware, the

Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army

recently

signed the much anticipated peace agreement which ended the

cruel war that lasted over 20 years and claimed the lives of

over two million people.

We commend you for your efforts in support of this peace

agreement. However, it is vital that as the world looks

toward the future of Sudan, it does not forget the tragedy

which is unfolding in Darfur. Villages are still

systematically burned, women continue to be raped, men are

still being murdered and children continue to die from hunger

and disease.

The situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate with

recent attacks. We are very much concerned that if the

security situation does not improve, the remaining NGOs will

be forced to scale down or pull out, leaving the people of

Darfur helpless.

The recently released Commission on Inquiry serves as a

necessary tool in holding accountable those who have

committed horrible atrocities in Darfur. But it is also

essential that firm action immediately be undertaken by the

United Nations to improve the situation on the ground and

save lives. We urge you to return to Darfur to confirm with

your own eyes that the situation has not improved. We cannot

continue to status quo. A strong, meaningful resolution

should be put forward and the Security Council should act

immediately. Only in this manner the situation in Darfur can

be changed.

We are certain that this will have an immediate impact on

Darfur. We ask that you use your power and prestige to make a

passionate plea to the Security Council to deal effectively

on Darfur. If the Security Council fails to take meaningful

action, we ask you to resign in protest. Your resignation

would be an act of moral leadership which the world would

greatly admire.

Great men in history have given up their posts to force

change. William Wilberforce's commitment to justice and the

abolition of slavery in Great Britain superseded his pursuit

of political advancement and many believe his outspoken fight

against slavery cost him the opportunity to be Prime Minister

of England.

We can and will not allow the world to remain a bystander

while this horrific tragedy unfolds. The situation in Darfur

is being described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the

world today. Immediate action has to be taken. We are

confident that anything that you can do to put an end to this

situation will be admired greatly.

The powerful movie Hotel Rwanda was recently released. It

highlights how the world failed the people of Rwanda. The

lead actor, Don Cheadle, is nominated for an Oscar and the

movie is nominated as best original screen play. People will

be moved by this movie and people will remember our pledge of

``never again.''

Sincerely,

Frank R. Wolf, Roscoe Bartlett, Dan Burton, Wm. Lacy

Clay, Elijah E. Cummings, Robert Aderholt, Mary Bono,

Lois Capps, Tom Davis, Trent Franks, Michael M. Honda,

Peter T. King, Michael R. McNulty, James P. Moran,

Joseph R. Pitts, J. Randy Forbes, Mark R. Kennedy,

James McGovern, Michael H. Michaud, John W. Olver, Rick

Renzi, Lucille Roybal-Allard, John J.H. Schwarz,

Christopher Shays, Rob Simmons, Mark E. Souder, James

T. Walsh, Tom Osborne, James F. Sensenbrenner, Jr.,

John Shimkus, Christopher H. Smith, Edolphus Towns and

Zach Wamp, Members of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Mr. Walter L. Mess, on the occasion of his retirement after 46 years of service with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Walter is a good man who has made invaluable contributions to our area through his dedicated public service.

I am proud to call attention today to Walter's achievements. He spent 30 years as chairman of the park authority and under his leadership the park authority has become a thriving organization. I would like to share an article from a recent edition of the Washington Post which highlights Walter's many accomplishments and contributions.

[From the Washington Post, February 3, 2005]

Area Parks Pioneer Earns a Rest

(By Leef Smith)

He was the longest-serving public official in Northern

Virginia, overseeing the area's regional park authority as

chairman for 30 years.

In December, Walter L. Mess stepped down from that post at

the age of 90--his hearing, not his age, the deciding

factor--having devoted more than 46 years of his life to

preserving land in the area.

Under his leadership, the Northern Virginia Regional Park

Authority preserved more than 10,000 acres while operating 19

regional parks in the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls

Church, as well as in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun

counties.

Today, the authority's assets are valued at more than $1

billion.

``His contributions have been immense,'' said Barry

Buschow, a member of the park authority board since 1990, who

represented Falls Church along with Mess. ``He's taken a

struggling organization from nowhere to a billion-dollar

corporation.''

Asked this week to name his proudest achievement, Mess did

not mention the development of the 45-mile Washington & Old

Dominion Railroad Regional Park trail, or the acquisition of

the 5,000-acre Occoquan Reservoir shoreline.

Instead, he talked about his family.

He told a story about one of his 10 grandchildren,

Christine, now a schoolteacher with two children of her own.

Just a teenager at the time, she confronted a manager at

Upton Hill Regional Park in Arlington and demanded to know

why a plaque honoring her grandfather was not being

displayed.

``That's what I'm the proudest of,'' said Mess, who also

has 10 great-grandchildren. ``That's where the pride comes

from.''

Mess and his wife, Jean, met in business school in 1934.

They were married for 62 years and raised four children. She

died in 2002.

The parks agency was a voluntary, time-consuming sideline

to Mess's career as a land economist and mortgage banker.

As a child he canoed, hiked, hunted and fished with his

father and uncle throughout the area, in the days when it was

still undeveloped.

As a young man hard at work on a law degree in 1939, Mess

signed on with a U.S. government covert operations unit and

was sent to Europe, where he traveled behind German lines.

He would receive an honorary green beret more than half a

century later to honor his military intelligence service.

Mess returned to the United States in 1940 and returned to

school to complete his degree. He married and started a

family. Two years later, he enlisted in the Quartermaster

Corps and was on his way to Asia when he caught his first

glimpse of the future. Stationed in San Diego for a month, he

got a chance to see the area's regional system of parks, golf

courses and swimming pools, available to the public at no

cost.

He came home in 1946 to his wife and a 4-year-old daughter

he had never met. He brought with him four Bronze Star

Medals, malaria, blackwater fever and the knowledge that he

was lucky to be alive.

It was time, he decided, to help his native Washington

benefit from the kinds of land preservation and recreational

opportunities he had seen in California.

What the area needed, he decided, was a regional park

system. Others agreed, and together they embarked on a

decades-long journey to make it happen.

``When you start to do something, and you don't have any

money and you have to get it from the public, you have to be

very patient,'' Mess said. ``We were very patient. That was

part of the game.''

It was also part of their success.

It took about 10 years to persuade legislators in Richmond

to grant their approval. In 1959, Mess was Falls Church's

first appointee to the Northern Virginia Regional Park

Authority Board.

Since then, the park authority has spent $120 million on

land, including parcels along the Occoquan Reservoir and

Potomac River and on the environmentally fragile Mason Neck.

``Our whole idea was to protect the watershed and give

people access to the water,'' Mess said. ``Back in the early

days, much of that land was land that developers weren't

going to use.''

In 1975, Mess became the authority's second chairman. In

1999, the agency honored his 40 years of service by naming

its headquarters in Fairfax Station for him.

``This whole thing I'm being given credit for I didn't

do,'' Mess said. ``The people around me did.'' The authority

``gets credit for planning and starting it, but we couldn't

have done it without everyone.''

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) for doing this. It is a tremendous symbol of bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats coming together, nothing to gain. Mr. Hall is gone. And yet the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) does this. I want to thank him. Also it is interesting that we have Members from both sides, Republican and Democrat, who have come together to agree on the impact that Congressman Hall has had not only on this institution, but also the poor and the hungry of the world.

Tony has said many times that when you give to the poor, and it is from Proverbs, you really lend to God. And no one that I know has taken their faith into the world and into the community, if you will, and had a greater impact on the lives of the poor and the hungry and the naked. His life was almost a kind of symbol of the Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about the poor, the hungry, the naked, and those in prison. Tony has taken that.

He has also had an impact on the lives of a lot of Members in this body. There is a statement by Francis of Assisi that, I would rather see a sermon than hear a sermon. And by watching Tony Hall, and not listening but watching it, we have seen the sermon whereby he has taken his life, as the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) has said.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Tony and his wife, Janet, and their daughter Jill for the life here, but the life is just kind of beginning.

Tony has now left this institution and is in Rome and doing as much there, and we are going to hear a lot more about Tony Hall. This is not like we get some bills whereby somebody has come to the end and is moving back to their district, they are buying a retirement home down in wherever they are. This guy is just kind of moving out. He is a young man, just beginning, and we will see a lot from Tony.

Lastly, I want to personally thank Tony Hall. He asked me to go to Ethiopia in 1984 and took me to Romania in 1985, which literally changed the direction of my life in this institution. So on behalf of all the Members on both sides of the aisle, we thank Tony for the impact he has had on this institution and on our lives, and particularly for taking care of the poor and hungry around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 548, to designate the Federal Building and United States courthouse at West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the ``Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''

Our former colleague Tony Hall, the representative of the 3rd District of Ohio for nearly 24 years, continues to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations food and agriculture agencies located in Rome, Italy, since his appointment by President Bush in 2002. As you may recall, Tony resigned his House seat to take up the ambassadorial post in Rome, where he is continuing his passionate work as a leading advocate for ending hunger and promoting food security around the world.

I want to thank Congressman David Hobson of Ohio for introducing H.R. 548 to honor Tony in his hometown of Dayton by attaching his name to the Federal building and courthouse there. It is an appropriate recognition

for the nearly 24 years of service in the House and the 10 years of service in the Ohio General Assembly that Tony Hall provided to the people of Dayton and surrounding areas.

I miss my dear friend Tony very much as our colleague in the House, but I know that he is absolutely the right person to be serving as the United States Representative to the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development, all agencies of the United Nations which assist international hunger-relief efforts.

Tony Hall's name is synonymous with the cause of alleviating hunger both domestically and worldwide. He believes that food is the most basic of human needs, the most basic of human rights.

He passionately worked to convince others that the cause of hunger, which often gets lost in the legislative shuffle and pushed aside by more visible issues, deserved a prominent share of attention and resources to assist people who are the most at risk and too often the least defended.

He also worked as a tireless advocate for the cause of human rights around the world and focused his attention on the illicit diamond trade in Sierra Leone. He convinced me to travel with him to Sierra Leone in late 1999 to see how the machete-wielding rebels there intimidated men, women and children by hacking off arms, legs, and ears. He led the effort in bringing to the attention of Congress the conflict diamond trade and authoring legislation to certify that the diamonds Americans buy are not tainted with the blood of the people of Sierra Leone and other African nations.

We also traveled together in January 2002 to Afghanistan with Congressman Joe Pitts as the first congressional delegation to that country after the launch of the war on terrorism. We visited hospitals, an orphanage, schools, and refugee camps. We met with U.S. diplomats and soldiers; with local leaders and officials with direct responsibility for humanitarian problems and refugees; with representatives of the United Nations and private relief organizations; and in Pakistan with refugees and members of religious minority groups.

Tony is never deterred in his effort to help make a positive difference in the lives of suffering people. In his years in Congress, he traveled to wherever the need arose and met with whomever he could to effect change, taking risks few would take, with his own comfort and safety never entering his mind.

I believe Tony's life destiny is to be a servant. During 1966 and 1967, he taught English in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer.

He returned to Dayton to work as a realtor and small businessman for several years, but before long, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives where he served from 1969 to 1972, and then to the Ohio Senate, serving from 1973 to 1978. On November 7, 1978, Tony was elected to the House of Representatives from the 3rd District of Ohio and served with distinction for over two decades.

Tony Hall is an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know him. He has a wonderful combination of compassion and passion filled with spiritual purpose--compassion to see the suffering in the less fortunate in the world and the passion to work to do something about it.

I urge a unanimous vote in support of H.R. 548, to recognize the dedicated public service of Tony Hall by naming the Federal building and courthouse in Dayton, OH, in his honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 548, to designate the Federal Building and United States courthouse at West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the ``Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''

Our former colleague Tony Hall, the representative of the 3rd District of Ohio for nearly 24 years, continues to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Nations food and agriculture agencies located in Rome, Italy, since his appointment by President Bush in 2002. As you may recall, Tony resigned his House seat to take up the ambassadorial post in Rome, where he is continuing his passionate work as a leading advocate for ending hunger and promoting food security around the world.

I want to thank Congressman David Hobson of Ohio for introducing H.R. 548 to honor Tony in his hometown of Dayton by attaching his name to the Federal building and courthouse there. It is an appropriate recognition for the nearly 24 years of service in the House and the 10 years of service in the Ohio General Assembly that Tony Hall provided to the people of Dayton and surrounding areas.

I miss my dear friend Tony very much as our colleague in the House, but I know that he is absolutely the right person to be serving as the United States representative to the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development, all agencies of the United Nations which assist international hunger-relief efforts.

Tony Hall's name is synonymous with the cause of alleviating hunger both domestically and worldwide. He believes that food is the most basic of human needs, the most basic of human rights.

He passionately worked to convince others that the cause of hunger, which often gets lost in the legislative shuffle and pushed aside by more visible issues, deserved a prominent share of attention and resources to assist people who are the most at risk and too often the least defended.

He also worked as a tireless advocate for the cause of human rights around the world and focused his attention on the illicit diamond trade in Sierra Leone. He convinced me to travel with him to Sierra Leone in late 1999 to see how the machete-wielding rebels there intimidated men, women and children by hacking off arms, legs, and ears. He led the effort in bringing to the attention of Congress the conflict, diamond trade and authoring legislation to certify that the diamonds Americans buy are not tainted with the blood of the people of Sierra Leone and other African nations.

We also traveled together in January 2002 to Afghanistan with Congressman Joe Pitts as the first congressional delegation to that country after the launch of the war on terrorism. We visited hospitals, an orphanage, schools, and refugee camps. We met with U.S. diplomats and soldiers; with local leaders and officials with direct responsibility for humanitarian problems and refugees; with representatives of United Nations and private relief organizations; and in Pakistan with refugees and members of religious minority groups.

Tony is never deterred in his effort to help make a positive difference in the lives of suffering people. In his years in Congress, he traveled to wherever the need arose and met with whomever he could to effect change, taking risks few would take, with his own comfort and safety never entering his mind.

I believe Tony's life destiny is to be a servant. During 1966 and 1967, he taught English in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer.

He returned to Dayton to work as a realtor and small businessman for several years, but before long, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives where he served from 1969 to 1972, and then to the Ohio Senate, serving from 1973 to 1978. On November 7, 1978, Tony was elected to the House of Representatives from the 3rd District of Ohio and served with distinction for over two decades.

Tony Hall is an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know him. He has a wonderful combination of compassion and passion filled with spiritual purpose--compassion to see the suffering in the less fortunate in the world and the passion to work to do something about it.

I urge a unanimous vote in support of H.R. 548, to recognize the dedicated public service of Tony Hall by naming the Federal building and courthouse in Dayton, Ohio, in his honor.

Mr. Speaker, this month we witnessed the signing of the peace agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The signing of this agreement has ended Africa's longest running war, a brutal civil war that spanned 21 years where 2 million people died. I congratulate the parties for reaching this agreement.

I also want to commend President Bush, Secretary of State Powell and his team, Ambassador Danforth and all the outside groups for their unrelenting efforts in the support of peace.

I also want to commend all the countries that played a critical role in the

peace, particularly Norway and Kenya. Now all parties have to live up to the agreement and begin the task of rebuilding the lives of millions of people.

This would be a good time for the administration to appoint a strong acting ambassador to immediately go to Khartoum to help implement the peace agreement. This would not be to reward Khartoum, but to keep pressure on all parties to make sure the agreement sticks and to speak out on the issue of Darfur. There is nothing like being on the scene every day, all day. So much has gone into getting this agreement. We must do everything to make sure that it lasts.

It is also important as we look forward that we do not forget the tragedy still unfolding in Sudan. As I speak, women continue to be raped, children die from hunger and disease, men continue to be murdered by the government-sponsored Janjaweed, and new attacks continue to be launched against defenseless villages.

Many of these people have been huddled in camps for over a year. Put yourself in their shoes for a minute. You are uprooted from your home. You live in a refugee camp where conditions are terrible. You do not know if your family members are dead or alive. You are sick, weak, watching people die all around you from hunger and disease. Now picture you have been there for over a year.

The tsunami in South Asia demonstrates how quickly and effectively the world can respond to such terrible disasters. Once again, we are reminded that the world has failed the people of Darfur. I commend the quick and generous response to the tsunami, but we must not only focus on disasters as they occur, but also to respond to disasters like in Darfur that have gone on for decades.

The peace agreement between the north and south opens new doors for a comprehensive peace throughout the country; and Dr. John Garang, who will now be vice president of Sudan, has an opportunity to play a positive role and should go to Darfur to help bring about peace.

I have strongly supported the United States commitment to the United Nations. Since I became chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations, all U.S. assessments to the U.N. have been paid in full. But over the past year, we have seen the United Nations fight an uphill battle on Darfur. Resolution after resolution has failed to have any impact. At least two Security Council members, China and Russia, have threatened to veto strong resolutions from being passed.

Secretary General Kofi Annan continues to report that the situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate and the Government of Sudan has violated the previous Security Council resolutions by failing to disarm and prosecute the Janjaweed.

NGOs are leaving the region. Secretary General Annan has sent a Commission on Inquiry to Darfur to investigate if genocide has occurred, and he has the report in his hands as I speak. Most people believe there is genocide. But whether or not they use that term, it still is horrible what is taking place. And no matter what you call it, the facts remain, innocent civilians are systematically being murdered, raped and displaced; and the world has failed to stop it.

It is time for the United Nations and the international community to respond in a meaningful way. I ask Secretary General Annan to go to Darfur to confirm with his own eyes that the situation has not improved. Then Secretary General Annan should make bold recommendations and call on the Security Council to immediately implement them, because a strong, meaningful resolution should be put forward and could make a difference.

It is now time for Secretary General Annan to use his strong moral leadership. He is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and surely the Security Council would take his recommendations. He should use his power and prestige to plead for the people of Darfur. And if the Security Council fails to take meaningful action, Secretary General Annan should resign in protest.

I am not blaming Kofi Annan for Darfur. He does not control the Security Council. But I ask him to use his leadership to demand a new course of action from them. I believe these actions could turn the attention of the world back to what is taking place in Darfur.

Resigning under protest is an act of great moral leadership, and this world would respect his actions. Great men in history have given up their posts to force change. In 1973 at the height of the Watergate scandal, President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliott Richardson to fire the special prosecutor. He refused and resigned in protest and later got the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

William Wilberforce, a member of the British Parliament, he could have been Prime Minister, but spoke out to abolish the slave trade, and gave up being Prime Minister of England. Anything Kofi Annan can do to get the world to focus on Darfur would be greatly admired.

Mr. Speaker, if in the year 2005 the Security Council cannot deal with genocide, the raping of women and the systematic burning of villages now occurring, then I believe it is fair to ask, what purpose is the United Nations serving in the 21st century?

Mr. Speaker, I close by adding that just yesterday the New York Times reported that villages continue to burn and that civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence in Darfur. Just last week fresh attacks killed over 100 people and drove thousands more from their homes.

Where is the international community? Something needs to be done now.

This past weekend I watched the movie ``Hotel Rwanda.'' I urge you all to go see it. It is a movie about how the world stood by as almost a million people were slaughtered in Rwanda. The lead actor, Don Cheadle is nominated for an Oscar and the movie is nominated as best original screen play.

No one who sees that movie can leave not thinking about what is happening in Darfur. I end by asking the question . . . Who will play the leading role in Hotel Sudan?

Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of the House the recent passing of Walt Starling, who many Members who have been serving in the House for a while will remember as the first traffic reporter in the Washington metropolitan area who took to the air to report on rush hour traffic conditions.

For over 20 years, twice each workday, Walt circled the Washington skies at 1,200 feet in a Cessna plane that he piloted himself to let us know where the traffic jams were and how to avoid them. I was one of the fortunate ones to ride on a tour around the region. I got the bird's eye view, including the highway network in my district located just outside the nation's capital in Virginia.

I also got to know Walt and to rely on his advice on ways to improve transportation in our region. Walt and two airborne traffic reporters in Washington that he trained--Bob Marbourg and Andy Parks--saw the big traffic picture every day from their unique vantage points and gave their professional insight at a town meeting I held in the 1980's on reducing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) rules on I-66.

Walt was a caring, dedicated professional who touched the lives of so many people. He also was a devoted husband and father. To

his family, we send our deepest condolences and also our thanks for their sharing of Walt with us all.

Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record two articles from the Washington Post of January 5, and January 13, about the life of Walt Starling.

On-Air Traffic Reporter Walt Starling Dies

(By Joe Holley)

Walt Starling, a flying traffic reporter whose live radio

reports of Capital Beltway jams, fender benders and

bottlenecks helped Washington area commuters get to work

every morning and home every night, died Jan. 4 of colon

cancer at his home in Laytonsville. He was 52.

Mr. Starling was one of the first traffic reporters in the

area to become a radio personality. From 1974 until 1995, he

folded his 6-foot-4 frame into the cramped cockpit of a

Cessna 172 and circled the Beltway at 1,200 feet, looking for

ways to keep traffic flowing and commuter frustrations to a

minimum, tasks that grew increasingly difficult as the

population boomed and traffic increased. He reported traffic

twice a day for a succession of area stations, flying an

estimated 2.2 million air miles.

In recent years, he had been working for WRC-TV (Channel 4)

in the District.

Mr. Starling's career as an air-traffic radio reporter

began as a class project at the University of Maryland in

1973. As he explained to The Washington Post in 1994, he was

a senior in the radio and television program, and his

assignment was to create a job for himself. He was taking

flying lessons at the time and came up with the idea of using

a fixed-wing plane to monitor traffic and provide regular

radio reports. Fuel, maintenance and insurance would be less

expensive than for a helicopter, and a plane would be safer,

he maintained.

The instructor, also a pilot, was not convinced. ``That's

about the dumbest thing I've ever read,'' he told Mr.

Starling.

Undaunted, Mr. Starling dropped out of school and pitched

the idea to WAVA (105.1 FM). The station agreed to give it a

try, and on March 4, 1974, he began delivering 10 reports

during morning drive time and 10 during the afternoon rush.

In the early days of his venture, he was allowed to sell his

own sponsorships, so he traded commercial spots for, among

other things, eyeglasses, meals, cars and carpeting for his

home.

Mr. Starling was one of the few traffic reporters in the

country who both flew the plane and did the reporting, dual

duties that made insurance companies anxious. Circling above

the snaking lines of traffic, he managed to work the controls

of his plane, spot where the traffic was snarled and then

deliver up-to-the-minute information in smooth one-minute

reports.

He had only two emergency landings during his career, but

he knew the location of every swath of green in the area,

just in case.

His voice had a calming effect on often-harried commuters.

At sunset during the winter, he would gently remind drivers

to switch on their headlights, and he knew the area so well

he could offer alternatives to drivers coming up on

bottlenecks. He also trained other traffic reporters,

including Andy Parks of WMAL (630 AM) and Bob Marbourg of

Mr. Speaker, I am on an official leave of absence for today because of knee surgery. Had I been present and voting, I would have voted yea on rollcall 543, to suspend the rules and pass H. Con. Res. 528, directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 4818.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on today and on Wednesday, December 8, 2004.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 115, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Appropriations be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 115) making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2005, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House concur in the Senate amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 529 with the amendment that I have placed at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 27, 2004, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 529, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a distinguished member of this chamber, Congressman Phil Crane. Since 1969, Rep. Crane has served his constituents in the 8th District of Illinois with distinction and dedication. I join my colleagues in celebrating his career in the House.

Born in the midst of the Great Depression, Phil served his Nation in the Army, and went on to earn his doctorate degree from Indiana University. He then began a career in academia, before being elected to Congress. He continued his intellectual interests, going on to write three books, and contributing to various publications.

Congressman Crane's interest and extensive knowledge of economic issues is well known. He is a champion of free trade, and played a pivotal role in the House passage of NAFTA and the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. As vice chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Crane has taken a leadership role on issues of great importance to all Americans, such as Social Security, taxes, and Medicare.

As a leader in the conservative movement and as the senior Republican member in the House, Phil Crane has created a record of accomplishment for his constituents and his Nation during his tenure in the House. His legislative accomplishments have made a lasting and positive impact on our Nation, and his leadership in the House has inspired his colleagues.

Although Congressman Crane will soon leave this chamber, his accomplishments and his legacy will continue to live on. All of us who have had the opportunity to serve with Phil Crane are better for the experience, and I congratulate him on his distinguished career.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Great Falls Freedom Memorial, which was dedicated on November 13 on the Great Falls Community Library grounds. I was pleased to join in the dedication of this memorial, honoring those residents of Great Falls, Virginia, who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

The memorial was proposed by a 17-member Freedom Memorial Committee, headed by retired U.S. Marine COL Pete Hilgartner, to honor local residents who have given of themselves in service while defending liberty. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project's concept in September 2003.

The plaza on the Great Falls Community Library grounds has a three- stone monument as the centerpiece. The large center stone will be inscribed with the words: ``The Community of Great Falls, Virginia Honors Those Who Have Given of Themselves in Service to the Cause of Liberty and Freedom.'' In addition, the granite curb encircling the memorial plaza will be inscribed with words that highlight some of the principles and virtues held by those who give of themselves in the cause of liberty and freedom every day.

A book on permanent display in the library, titled ``Great Falls Freedom Honor Roll,'' includes the names of members of the armed forces, firefighters, police officers, the six Great Falls residents who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and others dating from the Civil War who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the cause of liberty. The common thread among them is residency in the Great Falls community. The stand which houses the honor roll book was created by Glenn Sjoblom, a resident of the Great Falls community.

The dedication ceremony included presentations of thanks to those who made the project possible, musical performances by the Amadeus Brass Ensemble and the King Ringers from Christ the King Lutheran Church, presentation of national, state and county flags that will fly over the memorial, and the reading of names of those honored with this memorial. The Honorable Theodore Olson, former U.S. solicitor general who resides in Great Falls, addressed the gathering. Ted's wife Barbara, whose name is among those on the Great Falls Freedom Honor Roll, was on flight 77 which crashed into the Pentagon the morning of September 11, 2001.

I would like to share the names of those inscribed on the Great Falls Freedom Honor Roll:

Civil War: Private James Ballenger; Thomas Coleman, Civilian; Second Lieutenant Arthur W. Follin; Sergeant William R. Follin; Private Joseph Gunnell; Private Samuel Jenkins; Private F. Thomas Reid; Second Lieutenant George W. Swink; Major James W. Thrift; Private W. T. Tucker; Private John T. Walker; Private George L. Williams, and Private James W. Williams.

World War II: Sergeant (USAAF) George Frame; Private (USA) Robert Girard; Private First Class (USA) Harry Kanmermier; Second Lieutenant (USMC) Eugene Niswander, and Private First Class (USA) Ross Robey Poole.

September 11, 2001, Attack on the Pentagon: First Lieutenant Richard P. Gabriel, USMC, Retired; Ann C. Judge; Barbara K. Olson; Lisa J. Raines; Diane M. Simmons, and George W. Simmons.

In addition to Ted Olson, I also would like to recognize the following individuals who were part of the dedication ceremony: the Honorable Joan M. DuBois, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Honor Guard; the Honorable Stu Mendelsohn, former member, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Amadeus Brass Ensemble and their director, Paul Ward; Reverend Paul Gysan of the Christ the King Lutheran Church; Pete Hilgartner, chairman of the Great Falls Memorial Committee; Mike Kearney, Co-Committee Construction chair; Milburn Sanders; Glen Sjoblom; Sam Clay; Roger Sudduth; Honorable Vince Callahan, Virginia House of Delegates; Honorable Gerald E. Connolly, chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Boy Scout Troop No. 1577, led by Grant Johnson, Eagle Scout candidate and Co- Committee Construction chairman, and the Kings Ringers and their Director, Jane Cooper.

I would also like to recognize the hard working individuals who are responsible for the creation of this memorial. The members of the Great Falls Freedom Memorial Committee are Pete Hilgartner, chairman; Beau Dietrich, Marge Gersic, Paul Gysan, Sara Hilgartner, Ellen Johnson, Grant Johnson, Michael Kearney, Linda Lammersen, Bob Pattavina, Janet Pattavina, Andrew Pendergrass, Milburn Sanders, Katayoon Shaya, Glen Sjoblom, Bill Ten Eyck, Nancy Wilson, and also Merritt Peters, with Paciulli Simmons & Associates, who

created the design for the logo; Dave Jackson with Zadmer Enterprises, the general contractor, and Luis Lopez with Fairfax County Department of Public Works, who will be responsible for maintaining the plaza.

Finally, I would like to recognize the sponsors who contributed to making the memorial possible. Benefactors were Fine Landscaping, William and Gina Luraschi, Pete and Sara Hilgartner, the Allen Family, Luck Stone, Elizabeth S. Hooper Foundation, Totaro & Associates, William and Mary Callan, Seneca Excavating, M. Sheila and Torn Rabaut, and Foley Construction. Patrons were Thomas Hoffman, Turner Construction, Virginia Ground Cover, Hanover Architectural Products, Zadmer Enterprises, Great Falls Electric and Legg Mason Wood Walker Inc.

I am inserting for the Record a news article from The Times Community Newspaper which reports on the dedication of the memorial and the ceremony held last week.

[From the Times Community Newspaper, Nov. 16, 2004]

Freedom Memorial dedicated in Great Falls

(By Beverly Crawford)

The long-awaited Freedom Memorial in Great Falls was

dedicated Saturday with an hour-long celebration that

featured government officials and comments by former U.S.

Solicitor General Ted Olson.

Dranesville Supervisor Joan DuBois (R) presided over a

ceremony that included U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th), Del.

Vincent Callahan (R-34th), Fairfax County Board of

Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly (D), Dranesville Library

Board Representative Roger Sudduth, Fairfax County Library

Director Sam Clay and former Dranesville Supervisor Stuart

Mendelsohn, who launched the initiative during his second

term. Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin was also among

the guests.

``My mission here today is to tell you a little bit about

this committee,'' said Pete Hilgartner, a former U.S. Marine

officer who proposed the memorial and chaired the 20-member

committee that designed the memorial and raised some $100,000

to pay for it.

Hilgartner thanked each of the committee members

individually: vice chairman Mike Kearney; Luis Lopez, of

Fairfax County's Department of Public Works; Katayoon Shaya,

of the Department of Planning and Development; Mark Peters;

Linda Lammersen; Paul Gysan; Beau Dietrich; Marge Gersic; Boy

Scout Grant Johnson and his mother, Ellen; Bob and Janet

Pattavina; Nancy Wilson; Bill TenEyck; Glen Sjoblom; Milburn

Sanders; Hilgartner's wife, Sara; and Andrew Pendergrass.

Hilgartner said that, when he organized the committee, ``We

recognized fairly quickly that we had a unique group of

people'' whose patience and ability to work together saw the

project through.

``I am so proud of you on my committee that I can't see

straight,'' Hilgartner said. ``You have forever made a

difference in my life.''

``This project would not have happened without Mike

Kearney,'' he said.

Kearney thanked the Allen family on River Bend Road for

donating the rock that forms the centerpiece of the memorial,

and he thanked Betty Nalls Swartz, their neighbor, for

proposing that it be used.

Kearney said the money raised by Brogue Charities was

topped off with a $15,000 matching donation from the

Elizabeth S. Hooper Foundation. Local businesses donated

money and in-kind services for the memorial.

Sanders, one of Dranesville's representatives to the

Fairfax County History Commission, identified the names for

an ``honor roll'' of 13 Civil War soldiers who died at the

Battle of Dranesville on Dec. 20, 1861; five people who died

in World War II; and the six people from Great Falls who died

Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into

the Pentagon.

Mendelsohn read each of their names as a member of the King

Ringers, a handbell choir, sounded a bell for each name.

``They gave all they had to keep us free,'' Mendelsohn said.

Hilgartner and DuBois placed a wreath at the memorial, and

a ribbon was cut to symbolize its opening.

The flags of the United States, Virginia and Fairfax County

were raised by members of Boy Scout Troop 1577.

Olson said his wife, Barbara, and the five other people

from Great Falls were ``viciously wrenched from ordinary acts

of living'' on Sept. 11, 2001.

``They were instruments of monstrous acts of violence,''

wrought by people who slaughtered ``the most innocent and

vulnerable among us to show their anger,'' Olson said.

Six weeping cherry trees were planted at the entrance to

the memorial to commemorate their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report, and I want to associate myself with all the remarks with regard to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young). No Member in this history of this Congress has ever done a better job with appropriations than Mr. Young.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this conference report. Division B of this Omnibus bill is the conference report on the fiscal year 2005 Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations Act, which represents the work of the subcommittee that I chair.

I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. Serrano, for his support throughout this process. He helped us to get a strong bill through the House, with a vote of 397 to 18.

I would also extend my thanks to our Senate counterparts Chairman Gregg and Senator Hollings.

Within a very tight allocation, we were able to provide funding for a variety of critical national priorities.

The bill includes $20.6 billion for the Department of Justice, $975 million above fiscal year 2004 and $804 million above the budget request to address terrorism, drugs, violence and white collar crime. The bill addresses recommendations of the 9/11 Commission by enhancing the FBI's personnel and retirement authorities to attract and retain critical intelligence staff and provides an increase of $625 million to improve training and information technology and provide additional agents, analysts, translators, and support staff.

For Federal law enforcement overall, the conference report represents a 6.2 percent increase over last year to strengthen counterterrorism and crimefighting capabilities.

The conference agreement provides $3 billion for State and local law enforcement, $906 million above the administration's request, including $634 million for Byrne Justice Assistance grants, $305 million for State Criminal Alien Assistance, $110 million to addresses critical DNA backlogs, $387 million for violence against women prevention, and $384 million for juvenile justice.

The conference report includes $913 million for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $102 million above last year, to provide the necessary resources to protect investors from corporate abuse.

For the State Department, we have provided $8.7 billion, $693 million above last year, including $1.6 billion, the full requested level for worldwide embassy security upgrades. It also includes $1.28 billion for public diplomacy programs including international broadcasting, focusing on expanded programs for the Arab and Muslim world.

For the Department of Commerce, the conference report provides $6.7 billion for the Department of Commerce and other trade agencies, $761 million above last year. Increases will result in more accurate economic statistics, improved weather forecasting, better management of the Nation's fisheries, and more accurate and timely census data. The bill also includes a 4.5 percent increase for the Nation's trade agencies to negotiate, enforce and verify free and fair trade agreements.

For the Federal judiciary, the conference report provides $5.16 billion, $315 million above last year. This includes funding to process all-time high numbers of criminal and bankruptcy cases, and to fund the judiciary's security requirements.

Overall, Mr. Speaker, this conference agreement represents a sound and fair resolution of the multitude of issues that we faced in conference, and it does so in a fiscally responsible manner. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the members of my subcommittee staff who have put in very long hours to produce the FY 2005 C-J-S appropriations bill. All members of the staff have worked long, hard hours to produce a bill that I believe will help our country.

I would like to particularly thank Mike Ringler, clerk of the subcommittee, who has led the subcommittee through the House Appropriations process. I would also like to thank Christine Kojac, John Martens, and Anne Marie Goldsmith for their tireless efforts. Their work is much appreciated.

I also would like to thank the detailee, Jonathan Mattiello, who has also lent his support to the bill.

In my personal office, I would like to thank Dan Scandling, Janet Shaffron, J.T. Griffin, Samantha Stockman, and Neil Siefring for their efforts and work with the subcommittee.

From the minority staff, I would like to thank David Pomerantz, Lucy Hand, Linda Pagelsen, and Rob Nabors who have worked with my staff in a bipartisan manner to produce this bill.

Thank you all very much.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) and his staff for this bill. I also thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for his efforts, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), Senator Brownback, and many others that have been involved in this. Also, all of the NGOs, Andrew Natsios, Roger Winter, and all of the people who have been involved and very caring with regard to this issue.

As we pass this bill today, we have to remember the 2.1 million people that have died in the war north-south, mostly Christian but a large number of Muslim and a large number of animists who have paid a tremendous price.

Also, we have to remember that Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan from 1991 to 1996, so these people in the south have been on the front line in fighting the war against terrorism more than most people realize.

By passing this bill, we send hope to the men, women and children in Darfur who have been pushed out of African villages which have been burned, husbands who have been killed, women who have been raped and children who have been abducted. As we pass this bill today, we honor and recognize and send some hope to those in the IVP camps today that the United States Congress cares.

I am going to leave it to other Members to explain what this bill does and just say that, without this bill passing today, there would be no hope for women in the camps, no sense or sign to the people in the Khartoum government for all of the bad and evil things that they have done but for the efforts of the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), who has been involved in this for so long, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).

Secretary Powell also deserves to take some credit for this, as does President Bush. I thank both sides of the aisle for the great work they have done.

By passing this, it gives hope if there is an agreement signed and something positive comes out of Nairobi, Kenya, there is some lasting push behind it so there can be peace someday for the people in the north, in the area of Khartoum, and in the south, and also for the men, women and children in the Darfur region.