Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 281, 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, was nominated by President Bush to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations food and agriculture agencies located in Rome, Italy, and resigned his seat as the representative of the Third District of Ohio last September to take the post in Rome, where he has continued his passionate work as a leading advocate for ending hunger and promoting food security around the world.

I want to especially thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson). It was interesting to always watch the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) and Tony Hall together, a Republican and a Democrat, side by side, different voting districts, but very good friends. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.

Hobson) for introducing this and moving this so quickly, and also for the relationship they had, to honor Tony in his hometown in Dayton by attaching his name to the Federal building and courthouse. It is an appropriate recognition.

I personally, as we all do, miss Tony very much, our colleague in the House, but I know he is absolutely the right person to serve as the United States representative to the World Food Program. No one else could do a better job.

Tony Hall's name is synonymous, as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) was saying, with the cause of alleviating hunger, both domestically and worldwide, as a result of his faith. He believes that food is the most basic of human needs, the most basic of human rights. He has passionately worked to convince others that the cause of hunger, which often gets lost in this legislative shuffle and pushed aside by more visible issues, deserved the prominent share of attention.

He worked as a tireless advocate for the cause of human rights, and he actually led the effort in bringing to the attention of this Congress the conflict diamond trade in authoring legislation, which has since been passed, to certify that diamonds Americans buy are not tainted with the blood of the people of Sierra Leone and other African nations.

Tony has never been deterred in his effort to help make positive differences 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.

I believe Tony's life destiny was to be a servant. He is an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know him. He has had a wonderful combination of compassion and passion, filled with a spiritual purpose; compassion to see the suffering in the less fortunate in the world, and the passion to do something about it.

I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) again and all those who cosponsored this bill on both sides of the aisle, and look forward to seeing this building named with Tony Hall's name.

Mr. Speaker, Africa is on the brink of a crisis of biblical proportions. I traveled to Ethiopia and Eritrea earlier this year to see the famine conditions, and never imagined that I'd see conditions as bad as I saw in 1984.

In 1984, 8 million were in need of food aid. In January, more than 11 million people struggled for their next meal. I saw women and children that were too weak to feed themselves. This is absolutely tragic in a world with food as plentiful as ours.

Today, the situation is even more distressing. I recently read a cable from the American ambassador in Ethiopia describing a grimmer outlook for the coming months than had previously been expected. I will be submitting into the Record the cable and the latest NOAA weather forecast, which revises expectations for crop viability downward. This paints a bleak outlook for millions more Ethiopians for months to come.

In March, I wrote U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urging him to appoint a special envoy for hunger. Many European news outlets have run stories in recent days on the growing number of Africans, whose lives are now in jeopardy. The Ethiopian Government is planning another ``Live-Aid'' concert to re-energize the donor community and draw international attention to the situation. The momentum of this concert, coupled with the appointment of a U.N. special envoy, may help draw enough attention and resources to the continent and save the lives of millions of women and children.

In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about the obligation to feed the hungry. The United States has responded to this crisis with an enormous amount of compassion. Many countries have the ability to give more, and may just be waiting to be asked. Time, resources and attention must be devoted to mobilizing and coordinating the resources required. This is a crisis that will require enormous coordination between international aid agencies, religious leaders and governments from every corner of the globe.

The war in Iraq has demanded our attention, but we can not allow this silent emergency to grow worse. The lives of millions of women and children depend on this story being shared loudly and boldly. I hope you'll do your part.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize James A. Wilding on the occasion of his retirement as president and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). Jim has been responsible for the management of two of our most important airports in the country--Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The very first bill I introduced when I came to Congress sought to move control of Dulles Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration to the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1987, that idea took a new and expanded form. After several years of work with the administration, Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol, President Reagan signed into law legislation getting the Federal Government out of the airport business. The new law established the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and placed both Dulles and the now-named Reagan National airports under local control.

As a career Federal employee at the Federal Aviation Administration, Jim Wilding had been the general manager of the FAA's Metropolitan Washington Airports organization. He was on the ground floor laying the foundation for the milestone event of 1987 and some could even say working hard to eliminate his job.

But, when it was time to turn over control of the airports to a local authority, there was no question about who should lead the new operation. Through Jim's vision and expertise, both Dulles and Reagan National airports have thrived. He has led the airports through the transition away from Federal operation, through rapid growth, and now into the new post-September 11 security framework. His success is the result of intimate knowledge of the workings of modern airports and his total dedication to his craft.

Jim began his career with the Federal Aviation Administration soon after graduating from the Catholic University of America in 1959 with a graduate degree in civil engineering. At the FAA, he participated in the original planning and development of Washington Dulles International Airport.

Following the opening of Dulles in 1962, Jim held progressively responsible positions in all phases of engineering for the two federally owned airports, eventually becoming the organization's chief engineer. He served as chief engineer until becoming the airports' deputy director in 1975, and then its director 4 years later, a position he held until the airports' transfer in 1987, when he assumed his current position.

As president and CEO of the Airports Authority, Jim has overseen passenger activity at National and Dulles Airports nearly double to 31 million passengers in 2002. With this growth, he has managed a massive capital development program at both airports totaling well over $3 billion. Under Jim's leadership, Reagan National Airport was modernized in 1997 with a new terminal building including major improvements to airport traffic management and Metro system connections. At Dulles, he directed the expansion and construction of new concourses and the building of the airport's first parking garages, and has under way now a $3.2 billion capital improvement project. In tandem with the airport's growth, the Smithsonian Institution will open its new Air and Space Museum annex later this year located at Dulles Airport.

Dulles Airport has been called the fuel that drives the northern Virginia economy. It is no mystery why so many businesses occupy land along the Dulles Toll Road which, when Dulles was built, was farmland. Dulles provides convenient access for business as well as leisure travelers to destinations all over the United States as well as the entire world.

Jim Wilding could very well also have the title of ``Mr. Washington Airports.'' But his career hasn't just been highlighted with local accolades. His outstanding performance has earned him a national and international reputation as an aviation industry expert.

Jim has been such an integral part of Washington's airports that it will be hard to imagine Dulles and Reagan National without him. On behalf of all members of Congress throughout the years who have used these airports, all the citizens of northern Virginia and the entire metropolitan Washington region, and the entire aviation community, I extend congratulations and best wishes to James A. Wilding on the occasion of his retirement and express deepest gratitude for his exemplary career in public service.

Madam Speaker, I cannot believe it is happening again. A famine worse than the one that devastated Ethiopia in 1984 threatens the lives of millions of Africans. This is happening right now, today, and tragically, very few people are even aware of the gravity of the situation.

This month's edition of Christianity Today includes an article detailing the imminent devastation. Africa is on the brink of a crisis of Biblical proportions, yet regular readers of The Washington Post, The New York Times, and nearly every other major news outlet would have no idea.

In 1984, 8 million people were in need of food aid. This past January, more than 11 million people struggled for their next meal. When I visited Ethiopia in January, I saw women and children, one, this young girl, who were too weak to feed themselves. Today, the situation is even more distressing.

The war in Iraq has demanded our attention, but we cannot allow this silent emergency to grow worse. The lives of millions of women and children depend on this story being shared loudly and boldly. How will history judge our response if millions die while more could have been done.

Madam Speaker, I include a copy of a letter I sent to President Bush regarding this matter, and factual information regarding Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced in the House legislation which concerns a problem that has been ignored by too many for too long: prison rape. I am pleased and grateful that my colleague from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Rep. Robert C. Scott is an original cosponsor of this legislation.

I believe in vigorous prosecution of criminals and tough sentences on offenders. However, prison rape has nothing to do with being tough on crime; it has to do with making our communities safer, reducing recidivism, and controlling the spread of communicable diseases. This bill would require prisons to establish tough standards to address the issue of prison rape. Experts have established that roughly 13 percent of the over 2 million prisoners in the United States have been victims of rape in prison. Many of these inmates who are raped contract HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases. Upon release, these individuals may then spread these diseases and their rage--contracted in prison as a result of prison rape--to individuals in their community.

Prison rape causes psychological trauma, which may lead its victims to act out in an aggressive manner upon leaving prison, possibly committing further crimes which will result in their reincarceration in an already overcrowded prison system. Additionally suicide is the leading cause of death behind bars and sexual harassment, such as rape, is the leading cause of prisoner suicide.

Last year on Capitol Hill, a mother of a 16-year-old-boy, who was repeatedly raped in a Texas prison, offered a grim tale of her son's abuse. She said her son reported the attacks to prison officials but was told ``(rape) happens every day, learn to deal with it. It is no big deal.'' The boy ultimately hanged himself in his cell. He had been arrested for starting a fire in a dumpster.

The trauma caused by prison rape cannot be underestimated. No matter where the survivor ends up, severe psychosis is the most common outcome of prisoner rape. Sexual assault can often break a prisoner's spirit. In the advanced stages of rape trauma syndrome, for example, a survivor's mood often swings between deep depression and rage. Prisoner rape may be the quickest, most cost-effective way of producing a sociopath.

According to researchers, the fact that most men on death row were sexually abused earlier in life should come as no surprise. Indeed, it is a fact that society ignores at its own peril. Prison rape perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence and trauma which starts with a prisoner being raped and that prisoner often committing acts of aggression and sexual harassment either within prison or in the community upon his release. Indeed, prison rape survivors often become rapists themselves in a demented attempt to regain what they think of as their ``lost manhood.''

Some prison rape victims retaliate by murdering their rapists, receiving added years to their sentence and further burden the prison system. Studies show that prison rape costs the taxpayer in recidivism and increased violent crime. Inmates--often nonviolent, first-time offenders--will come out of a prison rape experience severely traumatized and will often leave prison more violent than when they entered. Prison rape costs raped prisoners their dignity and costs society monetarily and psychologically.

Combating prison rape is also an issue of human rights and basic humanity. A nation cannot turn its back on thousands of people who are under the care of the state, and being raped and traumatized while under that care. Prison rape is a form of torture. The body of a rape victim may heal, but the emotional damage caused by prison rape may never be ameliorated. As a nation which rightfully stands up for human rights around the world, and which has the best human rights record in the world, we must act now to remove this blight from our record; we must act now to stop the inhumane and degrading practice of prison rape.

The nation has ignored prison rape for too long. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that deliberate indifference to prison rape is a violation of the Constitution. In order to be true to our nation's founding principles, in order to end the cycle of violence and degradation, in order to further the safety of our prisons and society, the passage of this legislation to address prison rape is vital.

I urge my colleagues to join in support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to say thanks to the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Trade, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane), and their staff, Angela Ellard and Dave Kavanaugh, with the help of Viji Rangaswami from the minority staff for their efforts on the bill. In addition, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton) and his staff, Bob Van Wicklin for pulling this bill together and staying very faithful during this difficult time; also, Frank Record and Joan Condon from the Committee on International Relations for their important contributions.

The passage of this bill is really a tribute to a former Congressman, Tony Hall, who brought this issue to the body and asked me to go with him several years ago to Sierra Leone. So, Tony, this is really because of your work. And who says one person cannot make a difference?

Mr. Speaker, millions of people have died in Africa because of the bloodshed surrounding conflict diamonds. The bill we consider today may finally bring hope and justice to the millions of Africans who have suffered. In addition, major media organizations, the Washington Post and the BBC, have reported direct connections between blood diamonds and the al Qaeda terrorist network. Addressing the issue of conflict diamonds is not only essential for the millions dying and suffering in Africa but also for America's national security.

This version of the bill before the House is a good one, and I am confident the President has the tools to ban trade of rough diamonds that fund terrorists and other groups that commit despicable actions against innocent people. The al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and many other groups have been funded through this diamond trade.

This bill is an important improvement over other drafts we have seen this year. For example, the bill language has established the Kimberly Process Coordination Committee. The committee would coordinate the implementation of the act. Both the Secretaries of State and Treasury would be chairs of the committee. With the assistance of the Secretaries of Commerce, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Trade Rep, there would be greater pressure to be sure the process is implemented as the Congress intends.

Further, a former Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Melrose, has told us that the ability to maintain statistical information is vital to make a determination as to whether or not the Kimberly Process is being successful or circumvented. This will take care of that.

The bill prevents illicit conflict diamonds from entering the United States. This is a tribute not only to former Congressman Hall, but also as a sign that we care deeply about the young men and women and children who had their arms cut off and all those activities that took place. And I just want to thank all the Members and the staff that have been involved in bringing this bill here.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to the attention of the House the passing of Luther Eldridge ``Ikey'' Miller. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Miller during his service as the clerk of the Page County Circuit Court and chairman of the Page County Republican Party when Page County was a part of Virginia's 10th District between 1992 and 2002.

Mr. Miller, age 71, died at his Rileyville home March 17 after suffering a heart attack. Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 19, at Bradley Funeral Home, and he was interred in Luray.

Many grieve the loss of this man who was known as fair, straight- talking, dedicated and driven by integrity. According to a longtime friend, ``Ikey was looked at by other [party] chairmen in the area as a person with a lot of experience, who they could go to for advice.''

``He was always that wise man that had advice. He'd already been through whatever was coming up,'' according to Brian Plum, the current Page County Republican chairman.

In addition to his court and political careers, Ikey Miller was a dedicated father and husband, a military veteran, a solid baseball player in his youth, a talented musician, an active civic leader, a member of the Masonic Lodge, and a successful farmer. He also loved to hunt for coon and squirrel.

It was an honor to have known and worked with Ikey Miller, who not only lived according to his beliefs, but he was driven by them to excel. My condolences go out to his family and friends as they mourn the loss of such an exemplary public servant.

Mr. Speaker, last week I wrote U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan requesting he appoint a special envoy to respond to the hunger crisis throughout the world. U.N. special envoys have been appointed to respond to

crises over the years, and what could be more compelling than millions of lives endangered?

Hunger is devastating Africa, North Korea, Argentina, and has reached into all corners of the globe. One of the worst cases is the current situation in Africa. Africa is on the brink of a crisis of biblical proportions. Thirty million people, 30 million, are at risk of malnutrition and starvation in Africa alone. This is on top, Mr. Speaker, of the HIV/AIDS crisis that is consuming resources that would otherwise be devoted to famine relief.

When I traveled to Ethiopia in January and Eritrea earlier this year, I saw firsthand the bloated bellies and the weak limbs of the children, and I was reminded of the devastation I saw when I was in Ethiopia with former Congressman Tony Hall in 1984 and 1985 during that famine. African countries in particular are suffering from donor fatigue and a lack of attention. The flood of international news has kept the reality of this situation away from people in many Western countries. When I think of some of the stupid shows that some of the networks run, like Joe Millionaire, Survivor, and these things, and how little time they are actually spending on the hunger and the starvation of people in every continent, it is very, very discouraging.

North Korea and Central Asia also teeter on the brink of crisis. In North Korea there are reports that up to 80 percent of the humanitarian relief never even reaches the North Korean people. If left unchecked, thousands and millions of North Korean lives will be in jeopardy.

Even in Argentina, once a middle class Latin American country, hunger is now widespread. Hospitals are regularly treating diseases caused by lack of protein and poor nutrition. Children in Argentina are dying of malnutrition, and in some communities relief organizations have classified 90 percent of the children as undernourished. Yes, in Argentina. This is especially tragic for a country that has more livestock than people.

This, Mr. Speaker, is a global crisis and it demands a global response. No one country can meet these needs. We in the United States should be proud, for in the year 2002 the United States Government, the American people, contributed 51 percent of all the food, compared to the EC and Europe's combined contribution of only 27 percent of the donations of the U.N. World Food Programme. Many countries have the ability to give more and may just be waiting to be asked. Time, resources and attention must be devoted to mobilizing and coordinating the resources required.

The lives of millions of women and children hang in the balance. A special representative, a special envoy under the leadership of the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan can mobilize the financial and material resources required, coordinate the international organization to achieve mutual relief and unity of effort, develop an integrated plan and provide operational direction and remove obstacles. This position is critical to reenergizing the global community, refocusing attention on this situation, and, most importantly, saving millions of lives.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to contact the U.N. directly and encourage them to adopt a strategy to save the lives of the millions of women and children that hang in the balance. Attention by this Congress will send a loud and clear message. Otherwise, many of these 30 million or more will die.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to recognize the 60th anniversary of Interstate Worldwide Relocation, headquartered in northern Virginia, a worldwide relocation and transportation management company specializing in household goods moving and storage.

A sterling example of the American dream fulfilled, Arthur E. Morrissette started the company on March 15, 1943, with a used truck worth $450, a dolly and a few furniture pads. His first move was billed at $12.50, and in the winter of that year he sold bundles of firewood just to keep the business going. Today, Interstate is a multi-million dollar enterprise, operating a fleet of approximately 300 vehicles, employing more than 300 people in northern Virginia and consisting of over 500 representatives worldwide.

Interstate, ranked in the nation's top twenty for relocation and transportation management companies, is committed to its motto of providing ``Top Hat Service.'' The company has been recognized by both industry and community organizations for its outstanding customer service and safety efforts. To mention a few, American Moving and Storage Association honored Interstate in 2001 with a first place Safety Initiative Award and Fleet Safety Award. Fairfax County Economic Development Authority awarded its 2001 Blue Diamond Quality First Award to Interstate distinguishing the company as a business that provides high quality customer service above and beyond industry standards.

In addition, Interstate was awarded the 2001 National Capital Ethics Award by the Greater Washington and Northern Virginia Chapter of the Society of Financial Services Professionals as a business that exemplifies a strong commitment to business excellence and to the highest standards of civic and social responsibility, integrity and ethical conduct.

Interstate also has become the U.S. Department of Defense's second- largest mover, and has provided a superior level of service to military families moving domestically, and internationally.

The company also has a long standing commitment to serving the needs of the community, both locally and across the Commonwealth. Interstate's dedication to the support of education from the elementary school level through and including endowed scholarships at universities in the Commonwealth is commendable.

It is an honor to present Interstate Worldwide Relocation as an example of the business values America holds dear and as an example of an outstanding corporate citizen. On behalf of the northern Virginia community, we wish the entire Interstate family of management and employees another 60 years of ``Top Hat Service.''

Mr. Speaker, yesterday a United Nations war crimes tribunal headed by an American in Sierra Leone indicted seven people, including rebel leaders and a powerful figure in that country's decade-long civil conflict.

The indictment is for crimes of murder, rape, extermination, acts of terror, enslavement, and attacks on humanitarian workers; and all, if not most of these crimes, are directly related to atrocities committed to gain control of and profit from conflict diamonds.

These indictments are an important and necessary milestone in the long road to securing justice and restoring the human rights of the people in that part of Africa.

Mr. Speaker, 75,000 people died in Sierra Leone. But not until one actually sees someone, this young girl that Congressman Tony Hall and I visited when we were in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone, when you see someone who had their arms and legs and hands cut off by rebels to scare and intimidate the local population to gain control, do these numbers mean something.

My colleagues might also know, as reported in the press, that the rebels, these people that have been indicted, have been selling conflict diamonds to al Qaeda that have been funding the al Qaeda efforts.

So we want to salute the men and women that are working for us in Sierra Leone to bring about these indictments.

[From the Associated Press Worldstream, Mar. 10, 2003]

International War Crimes Tribunal Indicts Sierra Leone Rebel Leader

(By Clarence Roy-Macaulay)

Sierra Leone's international war crimes tribunal issued its

first indictments Monday against seven former warlords,

including imprisoned rebel leader Foday Sankoh whose

followers gained infamy with a campaign of chopping off

hands, legs, ears and lips of innocent civilians.

Also charged was Internal Affairs Minister Samuel Hinga

Norman, who was arrested and cuffed Monday by police who

surrounded him in his office in the capital.

Hinga Norman, the former deputy defense minister,

orchestrated attacks by a pro-government militia of

traditional hunters called the Kamajors whose alleged human

rights abuses during the country's 1991-2000 civil war

included torturing and summarily executing opponents and

recruiting child fighters.

Three others were also arrested Monday while two remained

at large.

Sankoh, whose Revolutionary United Front launched a vicious

insurgency to control the country's government and diamond

fields in 1991, will be among the first to go to trial, said

David Crane, the court's American chief prosecutor.

The rebels' signature atrocity was cutting off the

appendages of civilians in a tactic to spread fear among

opponents.

Sankoh has been in prison since being captured in early

2000 after his fighters gunned down more than a dozen

protesters outside his Freetown home.

``Today the people of Sierra Leone took back control of

their lives and their future,'' Crane told reporters. ``The

dark days of the rule of the gun are over.''

Crane said crimes alleged within the indictments include

murder, rape, enslavement, looting and burning, sexual

slavery, conscripting children and attacking humanitarian

workers and U.N. peacekeepers.

Crane did not reveal when the cases would be heard. Court

officials have been reluctant to give many details in advance

for fear of jeopardizing the safety of trial participants.

The court was launched by an agreement between the United

Nations and Sierra Leone to try serious violations of

international and Sierra Leonean humanitarian law since Nov.

30, 1996, when Sankoh's rebels signed a peace accord with the

government that was supposed to end five years of war.

The peace deal was followed by a military coup and several

more years of fighting until the end of 2000.

Also indicted Monday was Johnny Paul Koroma, a former junta

leader who is wanted by Sierra Leone's government in

connection with a failed January coup attempt--the first

since peace returned to the country.

Koroma, who allied himself with Sankoh's rebel in

overthrowing Sierra Leone's civilian government in 1997, is

currently at large.

Since elections were held last year, in which Sankoh's

rebels stood for parliament without winning a single seat, a

shaky peace has emerged, protected by nearly 17,000 United

Nations troops--the world body's largest deployment anywhere.

Sierre Leone's war crimes tribunal differs from those of

Rwanda and Yugoslavia as it will be held in the country and

have a mix of local and international prosecutors and judges.

The court is expected to operate for three years on a

budget of just under US $60 million paid for by contributions

from about 20 countries, including the United States and

Britain.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share with our colleagues a recent article from The Loudoun times-Mirror which honors my constituent Mr. Andrew Pitas of Lucketts upon his receipt of the Glenn Gilbert Award from the Air Traffic Control Association for his lifetime commitment and leadership in the field of aviation.

I am proud to call attention to the achievements of Mr. Pitas as he is honored with this prestigious award. On behalf of the people of Virginia's 10th Congressional district, I congratulate Mr. Andrew Pitas for his outstanding efforts in the field of air traffic control.

[From The Loudoun Times-Mirror, Feb. 12, 2003]

Lucketts Man Honored for Aviation Leadership

(By Scott Cissel)

Lucketts resident Andrew Pitas first experienced air

traffic control in 1941 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

One day a supervisor at the Anacostia Naval Air Station in

Washington, D.C., asked the 17-year-old to work in the

control tower.

``It looked warm up there,'' recalled Pitas, who had been

working outside in the chilly air, inspecting airplane

propellers for cracks.

Now more than 60 years later, the Air Traffic Control

Association, an organization cofounded by Pitas in 1956 and

based in Arlington, is honoring him with the Glenn Gilbert

Award for his lifetime commitment and leadership in the field

of aviation.

Only 15 people have received the award, including U.S.

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and Najeeb Halaby,

father of Queen Noor of Jordan. Pitas' name will be added to

the Glenn Gilbert trophy, which is kept on permanent display

in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

``It's kind of humbling,'' Pitas said. ``Air traffic

controlling is a team effort. There are so many people you

can get in trouble and who can get you in trouble. There are

no cowboys in this business.''

The 80-year-old, raised on a dairy farm in Rhode Island,

learned air traffic control when it was a fledging

technology. He was stationed in England during World War II

as a controller.

After the war he worked at the Washington Tower in D.C.,

now Reagan National Airport. Returning to the farm, where as

a boy he had watched planes fly overhead en route to Boston,

wasn't an option.

``There were better ways to make a living,'' he said. ``I

had to milk cows morning and night.''

Before radar became a standard practice after the war, some

pilots refused to take radar readings from controllers,

according to Pitas. Others liked it so much they played the

radar position he broadcast to their passengers in the cabin.

And some pilots and crews had enough time to sing a

greeting song to him as their planes neared landing.

Controllers knew many of the pilots by name then.

``In the early days we knew a lot of them,'' said Pitas.

As air traffic increased, so did the stress on controllers,

which prompted Pitas to develop a system that is now

universally used--the automated terminal information system.

The service sends a recording with continuously updated

information on flight conditions to pilots. Before, pilots

had to radio the tower for updates.

Pitas later brought his talent and expertise to the Federal

Aviation Administration, where he rewrote the handbook used

by air traffic controllers.

In 1956 he and some colleagues founded the Air Traffic

Control Association, perhaps his most lasting contribution to

the industry. Air traffic controllers did not have retirement

benefits or adequate insurance and pay in the 1950s, recalled

Pitas, and they could suffer the blame of plane collisions

even if they had performed their jobs well.

``It was almost like you were on your own,'' he said. ``The

ATCA was instrumental in getting the government to beef up

protection. After all, we were agents of the government.''

Through lobbying efforts and representation in Congress,

the ATCA gained better benefits for its members and has

become a source of international recognition for controllers.

``It gives people all over the world an outlet for their

views,'' he said.

Stanley L. Seltzer, chief controller at Washington Tower in

the late 1940s, remembered Pitas not only for his technical

innovations, but also for his leadership in the ATCA.

``He was the live wire and the real go-getter,'' said

Seltzer, who now lives in Florida. ``He was always saying

that people didn't care enough about the controllers' point

of view. . . . ATCA really made it possible for an exchange

of thought on technical improvements, and put a voice there

that was never heard before.''

Aviation was viewed as a safer way to travel by the public,

according to Seltzer, because of the early air traffic

controllers' work in preventing midair collisions and

improving communications.

``Had it not been for them I don't think that air transport

would have been as widely accepted,'' he said.

After retiring from the FAA in 1983, Pitas has pursued his

interest in the history of air traffic control, including

research on the first women controllers.

He raised cattle on his farm in Lucketts before swelling it

in 1990, and once stored a three-ton radio navigational

device in one of his barns for the National Air and Space

Museum.

Since 1986, Pitas has been assistant vice president of ATCA

and has been active in securing funds for U.S. 15 road

improvements between Leesburg and Point of Rocks, Md.

Mr. Speaker, our former colleague, the Honorable John Miller, who served as a member of the House of Representatives from the State of Washington from 1984-92, was sworn in today by Vice President Dick

Cheney as the director of the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. John also serves in the Bush Administration as a senior adviser to the Secretary of State.

Sex trafficking is a growing problem of slavery both abroad and at home. John Miller is an excellent choice by the President for this job and we wish him well in this important position.

I insert for the Record the remarks John gave at his swearing-in ceremony.

Speech given by the Honorable John R. Miller at his swearing in as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, at the Capitol on March 4,

2003

Vice President Cheney, I feel honored and appreciative that

someone who I respect as much as you has taken the time to

swear me in. Thank you.

It is so good to see many of my former colleagues in

Congress. House Majority Leader Tom Delay, House Minority

Leader Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Frank Wolf and Chris Smith

who have been such leaders on the slave trading issue, my

class mates Howard Coble, Jim Saxton, Joe Barton, and from

the neighboring district to mine in Seattle, Jim McDermott .

. . thank you all for joining my family and me on this

occasion.

Undersecretary Paula Dobriansky, thank you for your kind

words and thank you for your work on human rights over the

years and for your support, your counsel and your guidance.

And my thanks to all of you today who come as friends, or

relatives, or advocates in this cause.

Most of all, I want to thank my wife, June, and our son,

Rip, for supporting me in this effort.

When one takes on a challenge of modern day slavery, one

benefits from the work of others, past and present. Some came

long before, such as the English opponent of the slave trade,

William Wilberforce, the American abolitionist, William Lloyd

Garrison; the Quakers with their Underground Railroad, or the

men and women of the Salvation Army who started the fight

against sex slavery in the 19th century.

Others whose shoulders I stand upon are less well known and

more recent. But they are here in attendance today. I see

Laura Lederer, who outside and now inside government, has

labored to raise the public consciousness of trafficking

around the world through her research, writing and speeches.

I see Amy O'Neill-Richard, who, with her seminal study on

trafficking of women, influenced many inside government to

understand that modern day slavery is a great emerging

womens' issue.

I see Michael Horowitz, my friend and also welcome critic,

who has been present and active at the creation of just about

every important piece of human rights legislation this past

decade.

I also see here many committed people from my office. Would

you all please raise your hands. These are the people who

travel thousands of miles and labor thousands of hours in

their efforts to fight the slave trade.

The dimensions of the modern day slavery challenge that we

face are vast. There are not thousands or hundreds of

thousands but over a million people who are trafficked and

enslaved every single year. That's right-over a million every

single year.

Many of our fellow Americans believe slavery ended here

after the Civil War. And, indeed, slavery based on color did

end then in our country. But we know that today slavery based

on color still exists in countries such as Mauritania.

We know that today slavery based on bonded labor still in

the brick kilns of Pakistan and in exists on the farms of

India, the charcoal camps of Brazil.

We know that today slavery based on military impressment of

children goes on from Sri Lanka to Uganda.

And most of all, we know that today the fastest growing and

And most of all, most hideous form of modem day slavery, sex

slavery, reaches into most countries of the world, including

these United States. We know that sex slavery makes billions

for organized crime every year. We know at the same it time

physically, mentally, and spiritually ruins millions of

children and women.

Mr. Vice President, the struggle we wage to abolish modem

day slavery will decide the fate of millions of human beings.

But this struggle is also tied to the United States' role in

the world. We live in a time when many people abroad do not

know or have forgotten the idealism that led Americans to

sacrifice over and over so that others might enjoy the God-

given, inalienable right to liberty enunciated in our

Declaration of Independence. They do not know what moves

America; what makes us tick.

Now with many grave challenges facing us at home and

abroad, the President and Congress have asked that we take on

the ultimate issue of liberty: freeing people from slavery.

It is an issue that cries out for national and international

leadership. And as is so often the case, while many nations

will cooperate in this fight, one nation must lead the way.

Which country will put its power and resources into this

fight to help the world's weakest achieve freedom? Which

country will risk alienating others by reporting openly

what's going on and holding out the possibility of aid

sanctions to encourage action? There is only one answer to

the question of which country must lead: it is the United

States of America.

We lead not because we are perfect--we have our

imperfections--including on this issue. We lead because we

alone have the idealism, the power, the history and the

commitment to freedom to lead the world in this new

abolitionist struggle.

Yes, some abroad and even at home will view this effort

with alarm and cynicism. They do not understand that on this

as on many issues, our interests are reflected in our values.

They will also ignore the fact that the fight against slavery

is premised not only on our own values but universal values

and UN covenants. Such people will still ask why are you

trying to impose American values on the world? Two hundred

years ago similar people asked the English evangelist and

member of Parliament, William Wilberforce, as he fought to

end the slave trade based on color, why are you trying to

impose British values on the world? But Wilberforce persisted

and persevered and millions who emerged for slavery to live

in freedom thanked him and Great Britain. And just as today

the people of Eastern Europe thank us for freeing them from

Soviet tyranny, in the future, if we are successful, millions

of men in forced peonage and millions of women and children

forced into prostitution and sex slavery will thank the

United States for their freedom.

Just last week President Bush issued an executive order

that showed anew his determination that the U.S. lead the

fight to abolish modem day slavery. President Bush became the

first American President to challenge government agencies to

make the fight against modem day slavery a priority in

planning and deeds.

I am proud to serve an administration and a President who

will make this issue of human rights and freedom an integral

part of United States foreign policy.

I accept this position humbly, Mr. Vice President, and I

ask for the prayers and help of those in this room and

elsewhere. I have learned enough in my few weeks here to know

that I truly need such prayers and help.

This struggle will not be short or easy. Wilberforce only

succeeded in abolishing the 19th century slave trade after

over 25 years. We will need his spirit and the spirit of our

own nineteenth century abolitionists if we are to defeat this

modern scourge.

But we all should know this: As we pursue this struggle, we

will serve God, we will serve mankind, and we will serve our

country well. And that is all we can and should ask of

ourselves.

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, on January 31, 2003, America opened its 388th park in the National Park Service: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. The establishment of this park represents years of hard work by many dedicated individuals and institutions. I am inserting into the Record an editorial by Adrian O'Connor, ``History at Belle Grove'' which appeared in the Winchester Star on February 1, 2003. This piece outlines the unique partnership which helped create this park and the plans for its future. Following this editorial is a list of those who played a seminal role in bringing this park into existence.

History at Belle Grove--Now There Are 388 National Parks

History was made--or, should we say, further history was

made--on a chilly, muscle-tightening morning near the front

steps of Belle Grove Plantation.

With a gentle snow falling, cattle contentedly lowing in a

distant pasture, and a late fog rolling across the

surrounding fields--the latter a historical symmetry not lost

on Virginia's senior senator, Republican John W. Warner--

Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove Plantation because

the 388th star in the National Park Service constellation.

Observing the pristine carpet of snow around Belle Grove,

Dr. Stanley Hirschberg, former president of the Cedar Creek

Battlefield Foundation, likened it to a ``fresh beginning''

for the historic acreage and manor house near Middletown.

And so it is--a ``fresh beginning'' born of a partnership

to preserve or, as Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th, called it, ``a

new way to protect and preserve.'' On Friday, the National

Park Service officially joined the Cedar Creek Battlefield

Foundation, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation, and

Belle Grove Plantation as caretakers of this historical gem--

now known as the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National

Historical Park.

These four entities are now partners in a new-model

national park, one whose very approach to land acquisition

plows virgin ground in this field. Suffice it to say, at a

time when rampant development is threatening the

Chancellorsville battlefield park near Fredericksburg and

dollars for such new endeavors are scarce in the federal

budget, this is soil that needed to be furrowed in such

fashion. And a steadfast combination from Virginia's

congressional delegation--legislators eager to set a new and

different precedent in the creation of national parks--saw

that it was done.

What is new and different about this national park? For

starters, the approach to acquiring land. There will be no

acrimonious condemnation by the Federal government in this

process; it will only purchase private property inside the

3,000-acre park when owners express a willingness to sell.

Such guidelines, Mr. Warner said, need to be ``replicated''

across America.

``There's little money left for national parks,'' he said,

after noting the weather and the fact that Confederate Gen.

Judal A. Early attacked the Union Army ringing Belle Grove

under a similar cover of fog on Oct. 19, 1864.

``Uncle Sam doesn't have to buy every square foot of land

to bring about preservation.''

In addition, all three lawmakers on hand for the ceremony--

Messrs. Warner and Goodlatte as well as Rep. Frank Wolf, R-

10th--noted that current residents and businesses will be

able to live and work within the park's boundaries, and will

be free to change or renovate their property as they see fit.

And, as Mr. Wolf pointed out, this will be the first national

park to allow historical re-enactments--i.e. the annual

Battle of Cedar Creek--within its confines.

``There will be a partnership with the community, a

reaching out beyond our boundaries,'' said Fran Mainella,

director of the National Park Service.

Significant as well is the broad historical scope of this

park. Though known primarily as the site of the climactic

Civil War battle in the Shenandoah Valley, Cedar Creek/Belle

Grove is more than just a Civil War battlefield. Much as its

current watchwords--``Back Country to Breadbasket to

Battlefield and Beyond''--duly suggest, the park will embrace

a wide swath of our blessed heritage. Emphasis will be placed

on Native American and French and Indian War history in

addition to that of the Civil War. Central to these themes

will be the Belle Grove manor house designed, so local lore

has it, by Thomas Jefferson.

Thus, Mr. Wolf had it right when, taking in the panoramic

surroundings Friday morning, he said that ``we stand on the

shoulders of giants.'' Now, however, it is time for us, as

residents of this Valley, to build on the vision of these

latter-day statesmen who strove so diligently to craft a new-

model national park, one of which we can all be proud.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for yielding me this time, and I congratulate the chairman and all the people, the leadership and everyone else involved in this bill. I rise in strong support of the 2003 bill.

I will be very brief, but there is $4.3 billion for the FBI, an increase of $773 million above last year to help stop what we are concerned of, what may very well happen to this country, counterterrorism, counterintelligence. There is additional money for the DEA. There is $6.16 billion for INS, for Entry-Exit, funding additional border patrol, land patrol, immigration, and so many other very, very positive things.

With regard to local law enforcement, $1.4 billion to prevent violent crimes and acts of terrorism, including $500 million for the Byrne formula grant, $400 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program.

With regard to domestic preparedness for equipment, training, and exercises for fire, EMS, HAZMAT, and law enforcement, all of that is in this bill.

There is $2.1 billion for crime control. Again, very important.

Also, the body should know the conference report includes $716 million for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $150 million above the request and $248 million above fiscal year 2002 to provide the necessary resources for corporate abuse.

For the State Department, we have adequately funded embassy security and diplomatic readiness.

There are a lot of positive things in here with regard to the Supreme Court and others.

I want to close, Mr. Speaker, by one, commending the chairman and the full committee staff for an outstanding job, and also to personally thank the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary staff for their tireless efforts, requiring long nights away from their families while preparing this legislation.

Mike Ringler, clerk of the subcommittee, Christine Ryan Kojac, John Martens, Leslie Albright, Butch Davisson, and Nisha Kumar have worked night and day to finish the CJS portion. And Rob, on the other side, and many others have been involved.

I think this is good legislation that will save a lot of lives and good for the country.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to finally bring to the House Floor the conference report on the fiscal year 2003 Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations. Within a very tight allocation, we were able to provide funding for a variety of critical national priorities.

For Federal law enforcement, the Senate bill was over $700 million below the House. We were able to restore those funds in the conference report, including; $4.3 billion for the FBI, an increase of $773 million above last year and $45 million above the request, to continue efforts to modernize the FBI's IT infrastructure, and to improve the FBI's counterterrorism and counterintelligence capabilities; $1.65 billion for the DEA, an increase of $15 million above the request, and $80 million above last year to continue to fight the scourge of illegal drugs; 6.16 billion for the INS, Including $362 million for Entry Exit, and funding to hire an additional 570 border patrol agents, 460 land border immigration inspectors, and 760 additional airport and seaport inspectors and support personnel.

The conference agreement provides $4.6 billion for State and Local law enforcement, including: $1.4 billion to prevent violent crime and acts of terrorism, including $500 million for the Byrne formula program, $400 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program, and $515 million for law enforcement hiring, overtime, equipment, training, and technologies; $1 billion for the Office of Domestic Preparedness for equipment, training, and exercises for all types of first responders, fire, EMS, hazmat, and law enforcement; and $2.1 billion for other crime control programs, including $391 million to prevent violence against women, $57 million for methamphetamine enforcement and clean-up, $7.5 million for a prescription drug monitoring program to combat the abuse of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, and $465 million for juvenile delinquency and accountability programs.

The conference report includes $716 million for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $150 million above the request and $248 million above fiscal year 2002, to provide the necessary resources to protect investors from corporate abuse.

For the State Department, we have maintained the higher House funding level of $7.8 billion to fully fund the request for embassy security, to provide second year funding for the Department's Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, and to fully fund estimated current year assessments for the United Nations and United Nations Peacekeeping.

For the Department of Commerce, the Conference Report provides $5.73 billion for the Department of Commerce and other trade agencies, over $400 billion above the level in the House bill. This funding will allow the Department to generate timely and accurate economic statistics, negotiate and verify fair trade agreements, improve weather forecasting, and manage the Nation's fisheries.

For the Federal Judiciary, the conference report provides $4.9 billion, $199 million above fiscal year 2002. This includes funding to process an all-time-high number of criminal and bankruptcy cases, to continue the renovation of the Supreme Court building, 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.

We have come a long way toward constructing an acceptable bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.

I would like to thank the Commerce-Justice-State subcommittee staff for their tireless efforts and long nights away from their families while preparing this legislation. Mike Ringler, clerk of the subcommittee, Christine Ryan Kojac, John Martens, Leslie Albright, Butch Davisson, and Nisha Kumar have worked night and day to finish the CJS portion of the Omnibus Bill and I want to personally thank them for their work and efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I want to call to the attention of our colleagues the passing of the Honorable John Henry Kyl, who served as a member of the House of Representatives for six terms in the 1960s and 1970s from the state of Iowa. He was 83 years old and the father of Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, and I know firsthand how proud he was of his son's own public service.

I count myself fortunate to have known and worked with John Kyl. He was a hardworking, decent, and honorable man who was widely respected on both sides of the aisle, especially for his work on the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. I met him in that capacity when I served as an assistant to then Interior Secretary Rogers C.B. Morton in the early 1970s.

The Interior Committee was a perfect fit for John Kyl, who deeply respected America's public lands and Native Americans. In Congress, he sponsored a bill that ultimately led to the creation of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. When his service in Congress ended in 1972, he was named assistant secretary for congressional and legislative affairs at the Department of the Interior, where I was proud to work by his side. He served there from 1973 to 1977. Before retiring to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1985, he was executive vice president of Occidental International Corporation. He also had been a public school teacher before beginning his political career.

Mr. Speaker, I will include following my remarks an obituary from the January 6, 2003, edition of Roll Call, headlined, ``Kyl Viewed Life Through Lens of Camera.'' In addition to his dedication to public service, John Kyl was an accomplished amateur photographer who captured on film the everyday scenes of life that we often overlook in what has become our too hurried paces.

We offer our condolences to John's wife, Arlene, of Phoenix, daughters Jayne Kyl, of Phoenix, and Jan Martin, of Des Moines, and, of course, his son, Senator Kyl. He is also survived by a brother and a sister, six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

[From Roll Call, Jan. 6, 2003]

Kyl Viewed Life Through Lens of Camera

(By Bree Hocking)

When it came to appreciating life's simple beauties, no

aspect was too small for the gimlet eye of former Republican

Rep. John Kyl (Iowa).

The 83-year-old Kyl, the father of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz),

died in his sleep just two days before Christmas from

complications of heart disease and diabetes.

During his decades-long career in Washington--first as a

Hawkeye State Congressman and later as an assistant secretary

at the Interior Department--Kyl was seldom without his Canon

camera, snapping everything from the monuments at night to

the

ordinary scenes that make up the day-to-day Washington

tableau.

While his photographs of the capital's loftier sites still

warm the walls of the Capitol Hill Club's Grill Room--and a

picture he took of the Capitol holiday tree once graced the

cover of the National Republican Club's magazine--it was the

quotidian that particularly intrigued him.

``He was always a photographer . . . and a lot of [his

subjects] were the out-of-the-way places that most people

probably never realized existed. We whiz by these things as

we are driving or walking, but we don't stop to take a

look,'' said Sen. Kyl.

``I just came across an album as we were looking through

his things--a very large album of all Washington, D.C.,

photos and most of them, probably 80 or 90 percent, were

street scenes: street people, storefronts with a lot of

graffiti on them, or just a park bench right after a

snowstorm,'' Kyl added.

While his father initially advised him against running for

Congress, Sen. Kyl credited the lessons learned at the feet

of the elder Kyl with his own political success. For example,

the former public school teacher insisted his son be equipped

to operate effectively in the public arena.

``He got some of my friends and me together when we were in

high school . . . and he said, `You all need to learn to do

public speaking, so I'll teach you what I can here.' ''

``My father was [also] a kind of frustrated farmer. We

always lived in town but we always leased land and we always

had livestock. He was really proud when I showed the grand

champion steer at the county fair,'' the Senator recalled

fondly.

The elder Kyl--who lost his first bid for Congress in 1958

but won a special election for a seat in 1959--went on to

serve five additional terms, though not consecutively.

While in Congress, Kyl devoted himself to his work on the

Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, which included

significant contributions to the genesis of the Lewis and

Clark trail project, the younger Kyl said.

``He always stressed to me his ability to work on a

bipartisan basis. . . . He was proud that Wayne Aspinall

[then Democratic chairman of the Interior and Insular Affairs

Committee] would turn the gavel over to him or turn a bill

over to him to manage on the floor as if it were not a

partisan matter.''

After losing his 1964 re-election bid, Kyl came back to

triumph in 1966, then won seats in the two succeeding

Congresses and served as a deputy to then-Minority Leader

Gerald Ford (R-Mich.).

However, in 1972, redistricting forced him to run in a more

Democratic district, and he was bested in a Member-versus-

Member Contest by Rep. Neal Smith (D-Iowa).

``If he was defeated, he understood,'' noted Kyl. ``It

wasn't the end of his life.''

Soon after, the Nixon administration tapped Kyl as

assistant secretary for Congressional and legislative affairs

at the Interior Department, where he served from 1973 to

1977.

In 1977, he joined the Occidental International Corporation

as executive vice president, a post he held until retiring to

Phoenix, Ariz., in 1985.

Shortly thereafter, he had the pleasure of seeing his son,

now the junior Senator from Arizona, win a seat in the House

of Representatives.

``There aren't many father-son combinations from different

states. Most of the father-son combinations are from the same

state,'' Kyl noted.

In addition to his Senator son, Kyl is survived by his wife

Arlene, two daughters, one sister, one brother, six

grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.