Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Richard F. Furia, the 2004 Man of the Year of the Ivy Ridge Lodge 251, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, of the Order of Sons of Italy in America, for his dedication to the people of the greater Philadelphia area and for his work in the Italian-American community.

A resident of Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Rick Furia has practiced as an attorney in Southeastern Pennsylvania since 1971. He succeeded his father, the late U.S. Magistrate Edward W. Furia, Sr., into the profession and has served as a leader in many professional, fraternal and community organizations. Currently, he serves on the Philadelphia Bar Association's Board of Governors, Executive Board of Volunteers for the Indigent Program (VIP) and is Co-Chair of their Solo and Small Firm Committee. Rick is also a member of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation's Hamilton Circle, the charitable wing of the Association. He is an active member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and American Trial Lawyers Associations and the American Bar Association. He is also a member of several other local organizations and institutions, including the Executive Board of the Lawyers Club of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Defense Institute, Russell Conwell Society of Temple University School of Law, the Amici Society--Center for Italian Studies of the University of Pennsylvania and the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Bravi Circle Advisory Board.

As a proud member of the Italian-American community, Mr. Furia has served on many committees and organizations to which he has so tirelessly volunteered time and support. He has not only played an active part in the rejuvenation of Ivy Ridge Lodge 251, but he has held national and state offices within the Order of Sons of Italy in America, including President of the Pennsylvania Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), the anti-defamation arm of the OSIA. The CSJ was founded to fight the stereotyping of Italian-Americans by the entertainment, advertising, and news industries. Rick is past Chancellor of the Justinian Society of Italian-American Lawyers and has served as a board member since 1984; and as board member of the Justinian Foundation since 1996. Additionally, with the Order of Sons of Italy in America, Rick served as National Orator, Chairman of the By-Law Committee, National Secretary for the Commission for Social Justice, and Ivy Ridge Orator for more than a decade. He is also a member of the National- Italian American Foundation, Counsel of 1000.

Richard Furia is an active member of the community in supporting the arts, education and culture. He is an active member of The Pennsylvania Society, Barnes Society of the Barnes Foundation, Free Library of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Union League. He was honored with the Millay Club Alumni Achiever Award from the Southeast Catholic/Bishop Neumann/Saint John Neumann High School Alumni Association in 2000.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Richard F. Furia for all his years of exemplary service to the Order of Sons of Italy in America, his community and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lieutenant Francis R. Bason for his 14 years of service with the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania District Attorney's Detective Bureau.

Lieutenant Francis Bason has been employed by Montgomery County since July 9, 1990 as Supervisor of the Narcotics Enforcement Team. He has served a total of 42 years in law enforcement; 14 with Montgomery County and 28 years with the Pennsylvania State Police.

In 1958, Francis Bason began his proud service in the United States Army Dental Corps before being honorably discharged in 1961. He returned to Pennsylvania and started his career in law enforcement as a traffic officer. In 1965, he became part of the State Police's Criminal Intelligence Unit, Youth Aid Division, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1971, Frank was promoted to Corporal and assigned to the Patrol Division that he ultimately supervised. That same year, he became the Pennsylvania State Police's, Drug Law Enforcement Division Regional Supervisor where he was the director of undercover operations for a six-county area in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

During his years with the Pennsylvania State Police, Francis Bason continued his education and, in 1977, graduated magna cum laude from West Chester State University with a bachelor of science degree. Two years later, he received his master in science degree from West Chester as well.

In 1990, Frank became a Narcotics Enforcement Detective for the Montgomery County District Attorney's office, in March of 1993, he was promoted to Detective-In-Charge of the Narcotics Enforcement Team. One year later, he was promoted to Lieutenant.

Over the years, Lieutenant Francis Bason has been recognized by his peers, both locally and nationally, for his tremendous achievements in law enforcement. In 1982, he received the Award for Exceptional Service from the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration. In 1988, he was recognized as the Outstanding Police Officer of the Year by the Pennsylvania State Police and, one year later, received the Pennsylvania State Police Commendation Medal. His tremendous knowledge and experience was also recognized by the United States Congress in 1980 when he was asked to testify before the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control on various drug-trafficking and law enforcement issues.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing Lieutenant Francis R. Bason for his many years of exemplary service to his community, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the importance of the new Medicare-endorsed prescription drug discount card. Starting in May, seniors across America will have the choice to enroll in a drug discount card plan. At this time, over 100 companies have applied to offer a prescription drug discount card. In June, older Americans can begin using those cards to save anywhere from 10 to 25 percent on their prescription drugs. Low-income seniors who choose to enroll in a drug discount plan will receive $600 of Federal assistance in 2004 and 2005 to further defray the costs of their medications.

The discount cards enable seniors to save money on their prescription drugs now while work is being done to implement the new Medicare Part D benefit. For those older Americans with no prescription drug coverage, waiting is not an option.

It is vital that we communicate to seniors their options regarding prescription drug assistance. I encourage all of my colleagues to reach out to seniors in their districts to explain the choices and benefits that older Americans now have.

I encourage seniors to visit Medicare on the Web at www.medicare.gov or to

call Medicare's 24-hour toll-free information line at 1-800-MEDICARE to get the answers to any questions they may have about their benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the American Legion's Eighth District Commander and Wawassan Post 422 Post Commander Alfred P. Gerhardt, Jr.

Alfred P. Gerhardt, Jr. received his draft notice on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1966 and spent three months and ten days at Fort Lewis, Washington when he was honorably discharged on April 27, 1967.

In 1968, he went to Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summitt, Pennsylvania as a part-time student during the spring semester and eventually went on to work as a nursing assistant at the Coatesville Veterans Administration Hospital in Coatesville. He subsequently retired from there after 15 years of service on March 28, 1998.

In the summer of 1977, Mr. Gerhardt transferred his American Legion membership to Wawassan Post No. 422 in Honey Brook. He was elected and installed as Post Chaplain on the night of his official transfer and held that post until he became the 43rd Post Commander on September 15, 1980. He then was appointed Post Adjutant and served in that office continuously for all but two years. Even during his tenure as Post Commander, he more than often handled many of the responsibilities of the Post's Adjutant.

On September 13, 1982, Alfred Gerhardt became the 55th Chester County Commander and was only the second member of his Post to hold this office. He later served as Chester County Adjutant and as Deputy District Commander for many years. His service as Post Commander resumed again on two separate occasions from September 19, 1994 through September 16, 1996 and from September 21, 1998 through September 18, 2000. Throughout many of his years of service, Alfred was the acting Post Service Officer and Post Historian. It was in July of 2002 that he became the Eighth District Commander.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Alfred P. Gerhardt, Jr. for all his years of dedicated and exemplary service to the American Legion and his fellow veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rabbi Jay Stein, the newly installed Rabbi at Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania.

Rabbi Jay M. Stern received his ordination, an M.A. in Jewish Education and a B.A. in Jewish Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In addition, he received a B.A., Sociology from Columbia University. From 1990-1991, he served as an Alef-Alef Fellow in Jewish Education at Tel Aviv University. In 1993, Rabbi Stein was awarded The Lowenfeld Prize in Practical Theology from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In 1995, Rabbi Stein was named a Wexner Rabbinic Fellow. He served as Rabbi at Temple Beth Ahm and currently serves as Senior Rabbi of Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania. He is also the Vice President of and has written the constitution for, the New Jersey Region of the Rabbinical Assembly. He has co-published articles on the subject of domestic violence in the Rabbinical Assembly Newsletter and Outlook Magazine, as well as authored a chapter in the Resource Guide for Rabbis on Domestic Violence published by Jewish Women International. Rabbi Stein serves as a national consultant in the area of Jewish supplemental high school education, as well as the Rabbinic Advisor to the Israel's Ministry of Tourism. Currently, he heads up a regional think tank for rabbis serving as spiritual leaders in Solomon Schechter Day Schools, and is a certified counselor in chemical dependence.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues join me today in recognizing Rabbi Jay Stein and wish him the best of luck in his new position.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in an effort to dispel continuing myths which have been propagated with regard to the role of Iraq in the larger war on terrorism. While many Democrat Members have worked hard to promote these myths, it is time that we who know and understand the truth come forward to fully explain it.

Let me be perfectly clear. The war against Iraq is a central component in the global fight against terrorism. The Hussein regime's support for terrorism, within and outside of its borders, its appetite for the world's most dangerous weapons, and its openly declared hostility to the United States were a combination that was a gathering and growing danger to our country.

In light of the September 11 terrorist attacks, ending this regime was central to the war on terrorism and central to ensuring that more attacks on American soil, like the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, never occur again.

The Hussein regime established significant and numerous ties with terrorist organizations like al Qaeda for over a decade prior to September 11, 2001. This included the provision of training, financing and sanctuary. In fact, the Iraqi foreign minister admitted in March 2003 that Iraqi funds were sent to families of Palestinian suicide bombers who attacked and killed innocent Israeli citizens, and also 12 Americans in Israel in 2003. Even the Clinton Administration agreed and repeatedly asserted connections between al Qaeda and Iraq, and explicitly said that Hussein posed a threat to the United States itself.

By ending the Hussein regime, the United States has taken away yet another incubator of terrorism. Terrorist groups benefited for years from support of Saddam Hussein and his regime. Further, by acting decisively in Iraq, the United States has sent very strong signals to other nations that have been or could be terrorist sympathizers. Had the United States not acted in Iraq, Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi would likely not have declared his weapons programs, submitted to international inspections and voluntarily dismantled its programs. In addition, it is very likely that United States action in Iraq caused Iran to open its nuclear facilities for international inspection and suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

The list goes on and on, from Syria to North Korea. We are seeing changes in the way these nations deal with terrorism because of our actions in Iraq.

Those who like to spread misconceptions and myths often point to the fact that no weapons of mass destruction have yet been found in post- war Iraq. They say the President and his administration deceived the American people and the international community.

However, David Kay, our chief weapons inspector, has stated repeatedly that it was prudent to attack Iraq, and that as the inspection process continues, as it does, we will find that Iraq was more dangerous than we actually understood at the time because the regime was collapsing and Iraq was a country that had capabilities to develop weapons of mass destruction that terrorist groups have sought repeatedly.

Had the Hussein regime lost control completely, Iraq would have become a breeding ground for international terrorism, much like Afghanistan was under the Taliban, the only difference being that Iraq had the wealth and the resources necessary to build weapons that could have been directly threatening to the United States and our allies.

Further, not only the United States, but the French, British, Germans and the United Nations all thought Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction before the United States intervened.

There is also the myth that the United States and our allies intervened in Iraq solely based only evidence of weapons of mass destruction. This is not true. Again, according to David Kay, Iraq clearly was in violation of United Nations Resolution 1441. This resolution required Iraq to come clean and report on all of its activities.

To date, hundreds of cases have been found that show Iraq was engaged in activities that were prohibited under that resolution and under the initial resolution, 687.

Our case for war was and remains clear. The majority of the American people understand that, the House of Representatives understood that when this body agreed in the 107th Congress by passing H.J. Res. 114 by a vote of 296 to 133, and our allies around the world understood that and continue to share our resolve.

Clearly, there are those Democrat candidates who are using this election year for partisan politics to cloud the truth. These tactics will ultimately fail because we all understand that the United States is safer today and our citizens are far less likely to be victims of domestic terrorist attack because we have removed the Hussein regime and are on the way to helping establish and ally in the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, it is also important to remember that who made this security possible. The thousands of American sailors, soldiers and airmen who drove the once powerful dictator to cower in a hole are owed the praise of the entire Nation.

I would ask that all Americans take a moment to think about our friends, sons, daughters, mothers and fathers who are serving proudly in Iraq and around the world as part of the global war on terrorism. They are ensuring our safety and working hard to make sure that another day like September 11 never happens again. To Members of our armed services, I say thank you. I would also remind them that no matter what they hear to the contrary from Democrat politicos, their actions in Iraq are justified and necessary.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 39 and 40, I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to ask for my colleagues' support on a bill I recently introduced. The bill will remedy a great injustice inflicted upon numerous taxpayers as a result of the operation of the Alternative Minimum Tax, AMT, system on the sale of shares of stock acquired by the exercise of incentive stock options, ISOs.

Many companies offer ISOs to reward the innovation and loyalty of their employees. Instead of being a reward, however, this generosity can result in an exorbitant tax burden on the employee. To illustrate, imagine an employee chooses to exercise his or her ISO to purchase 1,000 shares at $10 each when the fair market value of those shares is $100 per share. On paper, the employee just made $90,000. At the end of the tax year, the AMT forces the employee to pay a tax on the $90,000 gain of more than $25,000, based on a taxpayer earning $75,000 per year and supporting a family of four.

ISOs often require an employee to hold shares for a certain period of time. In my illustration, the employee is finally able to sell his shares a year later when, as has been the case many times over during the recent years, the unpredictability of the market forces the stock price down to $40 per share. The employee gains $30 per share for a total gain of $30,000. The employee, however, already paid taxes on a $90,000 gain. The tax liability on a $30,000 gain is just over $9,000-- approximately $16,000 less than what was paid in the year the ISOs were exercised. Due to the complicated nature of the AMT tax system, it could take the employee up to 11 years to recover that additional money paid to IRS on a liability that he did not really owe. That is money that our economy badly needs to be reinvested.

My bill will rectify this injustice in our tax system by amending the Internal Revenue Code to allow an immediate refundable credit in the tax year a taxpayer sells his or her shares, when that sale is made at a fair market value which is less than the fair market value used to determine the tax in the year the ISO was exercised. This refundable credit will merely be a return of money that the individual taxpayer paid into the general revenue but which he or she did not actually owe.

I ask all Members to join me in this effort to rectify this unbearable and unjustified tax burden from many middle-income families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Matthew J. Burns, the ``2004 Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year,'' and commend him on his tremendous achievements in the field of engineering.

Matthew Burns is the President of Burns Engineering Inc. and a resident of Exton, Pennsylvania. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth and has over 20 years of professional experience in the Philadelphia area.

Matt oversees the activities at Burns Engineering, a Philadelphia- based engineering design and construction management firm which was founded by his father, Robert C. Burns. Under Matt's guidance, the company has expanded to five offices in the mid-Atlantic region. Burns Engineering was recognized as the ``Service Company of the Year'' by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce in 2002. In addition, the company has been named as one of Philadelphia's ``100 Fastest Growing Companies'' for the past three years.

Matt's service to his profession and community is extensive. His professional service includes the following leadership roles: President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania (ACEC/ PA), President of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) and Delaware Valley Engineers Week Council (DVEWC), and Chairman of the Engineering Achievement Awards. He is also an active member in several other technical and professional societies. In his community, he is involved in the Saint Phillip and James Church, serves as a volunteer leader with the Boy Scouts, and is a chief for the YMCA's Indian Guides/Princess program.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Matthew J. Burns for all the work he has done in the field of engineering and as an active member and leader in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dentists in my district, as well as

those throughout the nation, who will be participating this week in the ``Give Kids a Smile!'' program.

On Friday, February 6, 2004, the nation's dentists are providing free oral health care services to thousands of low-income children across the country. The ADA's second annual ``Give Kids a Smile!'' national children's dental access day, during National Children's Dental Health Month, will enhance the oral health of large numbers of needy children. The ``Give Kids a Smile!'' initiative is designed to nationally promote the numerous charitable education, screening, prevention and comprehensive treatment programs already in existence by having many of them coordinated and occurring on the same day. At the same time, the campaign has provided a framework for identifying, cataloging and recognizing the many access programs that take place throughout the year.

In Chester County, Pennsylvania over 30 local dentists will be doing their part to provide a wide range of dental services for underserved children. These dentists and their staff members will be volunteering their time in the dental clinic at the Community Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) facility in West Chester. They will be providing much-needed free dental care to between 75 and 100 uninsured or underinsured children in the County.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the dentists in Chester County, as well as those throughout our country, who are volunteering their time and services so nobly on Friday to provide dental care to thousands of uninsured and underinsured children.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize Colin A. Hanna for his eight years of service as commissioner of the Chester County Board of Commissioners.

Colin Hanna was first elected Chester County Commissioner in November 1995 and ran successful races to serve as Chairman of the Chester County Board of Commissioners in 1998, 1999, 2001 and this year, 2003. After only six months, he was elected by his colleagues to represent the County on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, which he chaired for two terms spanning four years from 1996 to 2000. He was also appointed Chairman of the Housing Authority of Chester County where he saved the agency from insolvency by undertaking an extensive reorganization process. During his tenure, the nationally-acclaimed County comprehensive plan, ``Landscapes,'' was adopted and Chester County achieved its first bond-rating increase in 28 years, bringing it to the second highest in the Commonwealth. Mr. Hanna is a two-time recipient of the Governor's Award for Local Government Excellence--once with his commissioner colleagues and once individually.

Mr. Hanna has lived in Chester County virtually his entire life and chose to attend college at the University of Pennsylvania in nearby Philadelphia where he met his wife Pricie in 1967. After graduating from the University in 1968, Colin was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy. When his military service ended, he became employed with the CBS network in New York before returning to Chester County in 1972. He continued his work with CBS in Philadelphia before becoming President of Industrial Advertising Incorporated, which at the time was Chester County's largest advertising agency. Eventually, he would sell his ownership in the agency and pursue work in the marketing field as a management and executive search consultant. He continued his consulting work until 1991 when he founded PC Helper, a computer support and maintenance firm specializing in small business networks. In 1996, Colin Hanna sold his firm and chose to devote his time and energy to public service and the job of County Commissioner where he has remained a tremendous asset to the community. Mr. Hanna brings with him to the Chester County Board of Commissioners years of hard work, experience and leadership that has allowed him to be a driving force in making Chester County a better place for all of its residents.

I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing Colin Hanna for his exemplary citizenship and service to our community. His enduring devotion and unwavering support has made him a man for which Chester County and our entire nation can be proud.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize Karen L. Martynick for her twelve years of service as Commissioner on the Chester County Board of Commissioners.

Karen Martynick has been a Chester County Commissioner since 1992 and has served as Chairman of the Board for five years. As Commissioner, Ms. Martynick oversees a budget of $450 million and a workforce of 2500 employees and is responsible for administering and funding a wide array of departments, programs and services.

Under Commissioner Martynick's leadership, Chester County implemented a new comprehensive land development plan called ``Landscapes'' which has received numerous awards and been cited as a model for other counties around the Commonwealth and the country. Her land use work resulted in her selection by Governor Ridge to participate on his Sound Land Use Advisory Committee. Ms. Martynick was also selected by her colleagues to chair the Sustainable Communities Task Force, a special initiative of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. In addition, she also serves on the Board of Directors of the Association and has chaired the Legislative and Community and Economic Development Committees. In 1999, Commissioner Martynick was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Counties. During her tenure, she has been named to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's ``Honor Roll of Women'' and in 1998 was selected by her colleagues throughout the state

as the Outstanding County Commissioner of the Year.

In addition to her duties as County Commissioner, Karen Martynick has served for ten years as a member of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). As a SEPTA Board Member, Commissioner Martynick has been an advocate for increased public transit in the suburbs and pushed for improved service to Chester County. She has served on the Operations Committee and the Budget and Planning Committee of SEPTA and currently chairs the Administration Committee. In 2001, Ms. Martynick was named by Administrator Christie Todd Whitman as one of 15 local officials from around the country to serve on the EPA's Local Government Advisory Committee.

Karen Martynick has been active in her community for many years. She has served on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Chester County, the People's Light and Theatre Company and as President of the Friends of Historic Goshenville, where she was instrumental in raising money to preserve two historic buildings. She was active for many years with the Boy Scouts of America, most recently serving as a Merit Badge Counselor and as a member of the District Executive Search Committee. She also served on the Capital Campaign Committee for the Goshen Fire Company, the Women of Achievement Dinner Committee for the March of Dimes and has taught Sunday school at her church.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues join me today in recognizing and honoring Karen L. Martynick for the hard work and civic dedication she has demonstrated over the years in making Chester County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a better place to live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Walter J. Styer, retiring Supervisor of Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and commend him for his life-long service to our community.

When Walter Styer first took office as Supervisor, Upper Uwchlan Township was a rural farming community with only 1,200 residents. Today, after three decades of continuing growth and development, there are now 7,000. As the community has grown, so has the job of supervisor. Mr. Styer's primary responsibility during his time in office has been to make sure that Upper Uwchlan grew responsibly and that the needs and desires of its citizens were continually met. In the beginning, his meetings would take 20 min, and would revolve around paying the bills and reading the road report. In recent years, it has not been uncommon to have multiple meetings in a single week for several hours at a time. His participation in the supervising of a rapidly growing community is a true testament to his commitment and his willingness to adapt to the increasing demands of the position. Over the years, as more and more time was required as supervisor, Walter Styer still found time to run his own businesses, remain active in his church and raise four children. What has kept him going all these years was his desire to see all of his projects and undertakings to a successful conclusion--a testament to his character and drive. His tremendous leadership and experience as been an enormous asset to Upper Uwchlan Township and has allowed it to grow responsibly and successfully for all these years.

Mr. Speaker. I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing and honoring Walter J. Styer for his lifetime of exemplary citizenship and civil works to make Upper Uwchlan Township a better place to live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Owen J. Roberts High School Girls Soccer Team on their victory in the 2003 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class AAA State Championship game on November 15, 2003.

The Owen J. Roberts Wildcats set a school record for victories in a season on their way to capturing the school's first state championship. In the seven year history of the program, all under the guidance of Coach Joe Margusity, the Wildcats have compiled an amazing 138-31-6 record. The team allowed only 11 goals in 28 games this season, which was enough to earn them gold medals by shutting out Butler High School, 1-0, in the championship game at Hersheypark Stadium.

Led by Head Coach Joe Margusity, and assistant coaches Josh Hoyt, Joe Baccille, and Chris Strango; the members of this championship team include Laura Ginnona, Becky Lesh, Brittany Bench, Julia Cupp, Jen Michener, Jess Carbo, Anna Bevan, Brooke Dotterer, Kristen Kaufman, Kim Roncase, Beth Stephens, Heather Manorak, Kristi Moltz, Kate Moltz, Ashley Nespor, Amber Cumins, Gayle Exley, Amber Hawkins, Rachel Michener, Jillian Morgan, Kristine Preski and Megan Levengood.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in congratulating the Owen J. Roberts High School Girls Soccer Team, the 2003 PIAA Class AAA State Champions.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize Chester County Chapter 377 of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and all of its members on the 50th anniversary of its founding.

The National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), an organization of former workers of the United States government, was established in 1921 and has grown to over 420,000 members--each of whom is affiliated with one of 1,591 chapters nationwide. They perform an advocacy role at the national level in promoting and protecting the annuity and health insurance rights of all former employees. It also provides significant services to all United States government retirees by aiding them in understanding and utilizing their individual rights under current directives.

Much like other national advocacy groups, NARFE is separated into state organizations which are further subdivided into a number of local chapters based on population and geography. In Pennsylvania, there is a statewide federation of approximately 22,000 members who likewise are affiliated with Chester County Chapter 377 or one of the 56 other local chapters.

The Chester County Chapter 377 of NARFE encompasses the entire county and has a membership of over 400 retirees. The Chapter holds ten meetings a year hosting outside speakers on a variety of issues important to its members. I am honored to be speaking at their 50th Anniversary luncheon on December 2, 2003. In addition to the meetings, NARFE members are informed on retirement issues through a national monthly magazine and from periodic chapter newsletters.

I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing Chester County Chapter 377 of the National Association of Retired Federal

Employees, its President Stewart F. Taylor, and all of its members on the 50th Anniversary of the its founding. Half a century of hard work and dedication has led to great success in protecting the benefits of retired federal employees in Chester County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across the United States.