Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) for arranging this special order. It is an important time to say thanks to a friend who has been helpful to me and one whom I have gotten to know and appreciate serving together.

As I have said earlier this evening, one of the great benefits of being elected to Congress is to say, ``Gosh, Phil Crane's my colleague. I work with him.'' I appreciate that. That is one of the great benefits we have.

Phil, as has been said, was elected to Congress in 1969 to replace Donald Rumsfeld. He is currently the longest-serving Republican Member in the House of Representatives.

Phil, you will be sorely missed.

During Phil's 35 years in Congress, he worked tirelessly to reform our Nation's tax system and expand free trade around the world. Whether it has been to reduce the taxes employers pay or lower the tax burden on hardworking Americans or to expand markets for our Nation's manufacturers and, being from southern Illinois, my farmers, Phil has been a champion for the American taxpayer.

As a leader in the House on trade issues, Phil has authored legislation signed into law to open trade barriers for countries in Africa and the Caribbean, led the fight to grant China normal trading relations and helped expand duty-free trade with the Andean nations of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. In recent years, Congressman Crane has shepherded other major trade policies to successful passage in Congress, and we all know that is not always easy to do. We say it as if it is easy, but it is not, including the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Prior to Congress, Phil served in the Army and was a professor at a number of colleges. He has always fought the fight for smaller government, and he has written books on the subject and has voted to reduce the size of government every chance he has gotten. Some believe that Phil is a vanishing breed, but I think that Phil will find out tonight, as was said so eloquently by Mike Pence and I am sure others, that

there is a shadow cast on the conservative movement, a wake, a wash, these are great terms, that will have the ideas and values of Phil Crane live on long after your official departure from the Chamber.

But I will say one thing. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane) will be sorely missed in this Chamber. It has been an honor to serve with him over the last eight years, as I said before, as a friend and a mentor, helpful in my campaign, being another Illinoisan.

I would like to thank him and his wife Arlene, who has always been by his side. And because he has been helpful to me, I want to thank her for allowing him to spend some time with me away from the family.

Few people know that there were actually three presidential candidates from Illinois in the 1980 presidential race: Ronald Reagan, John Anderson, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane). For those people who thought President Reagan was the true conservative, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane) actually ran to the right of him. The people of Northern Illinois should be proud to have had a man like the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane) serving them in Congress, and we in Congress are proud to have him here. I thank him.

Mr. Speaker, in October, we will have fair and free elections in Afghanistan. Ten million Afghans are registered to vote, one-half being women. When they go to the polls. There will be threats, intimidation and violence, but the Afghans will go.

Compare that to other elections in October held in the European country of Belarus. Candidates have been intimidated, but the people will still go to the polls. The problem is, the dictator will count the votes and the ballots.

If the international community can help ensure fair and free elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, surely they can help enforce fair and free elections in the Nation of Belarus. I call upon them to do so, and I hope they will ensure fair and free elections in Belarus.

Mr. Speaker, on September 29, an article in the Centralia Sentinel reads, ``Former Centralia policeman finds hope in Iraq.''

Joe Phoenix ended his 11-year career in February to join 1,000 other law enforcement officers from the U.S. hired by the Federal Government to train Iraqi police officers. In a brief visit home he states about the Iraqi people, ``They are good people with good hearts and they love working with Americans,'' he said. ``They consider it such an honor that we come over here and that we leave home and work with them. I have had nothing but cooperation from the people I am working with.''

About the current challenges he states, ``We are trying to get people trained and fortified so they can stand their ground. We need to get the Iraqi police in a better position to fight these guys.''

And about the future, ``Right now it is dangerous and it is probably going to get worse between now and January. They are going to try and stop the elections and show people we are not in control, but that is not going to happen. After the elections, I think things will slow down and get better.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank Officer Phoenix for his service. God bless him, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of fellow West Point graduate LTC (Ret.) William Bowers. LTC Bowers was recently killed in Iraq while traveling between meeting locations. His vehicle was hit by an RPG, and then followed by small arms fire. LTC Bowers was killed in action as a result of the ambush.

LTC Bowers was a graduate of the United States Military Academy, Class of 1979. He was originally from the Chicago area but after retiring from the Army he moved to Huntsville, Alabama where he had become a Vice President and Program Manager at the SEI Group, INC.

Through his military career he served in a variety of engineering, training and leadership assignments. These assignments include, but are not limited to, combat engineer command and staff positions with the 5th Infantry Division, the 25th Division, and the 2nd Engineer Group. In other assignments he worked as a reserve component advisor, military instructor, and observer-controller at the Army National Training Center. Not enough can be said about the great sacrifice this man made for his country, he made the ultimate sacrifice. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and his two children, Brian and Jennifer. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and all of his loved ones.

LTC Bowers gave his life in an effort to improve the lives of others. This has been evident throughout his entire career and this sacrifice should never be forgotten. LTC Bowers, along with so many other brave men and women, put their lives on the line day in and day out. My sincere thanks go out to them all. God bless them, and may God continue to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the life of Birdella Storment, known as ``Birdie'' to those of us who knew and respected her.

``Birdie'' was born on April 22, 1912 in Weston, Illinois, the daughter of Edgar and Kathryn. She married Eugene Lester Storment on December 25, 1936 in Peoria, Illinois.

Birdie's life consisted of her love of family, friends, her church, and her country. She was an active member of the New Bethel Presbyterian Church and chaired the Presbyterian Women's Club.

She was a lifelong member of the Republican Party, a precinct committeeman in Stevenson Township for more than 50 years, a county chairwoman, and the President of the Salem Women's Republican Club.

Her civic contributions were secondary only to her devotion to her family. She and Eugene were the parents of Nita Rae Wadley and Larry Storment. They have seven grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren.

At her passing on September 9 of this year, Birdie was recognized as one of the people who helped to pioneer the involvement of women in today's political arena. More important though, she was recognized as a beloved mother, grandmother and friend to all who had the privilege to know her.

My condolences go to her family and friends. May God bless Birdie and Eugene and may God continue to bless this country that they loved so much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit the 9th Annual Memorial Day Service Address by Jim Wham of Centralia, IL. The address was given by Mr. Wham on May 31, 2004 at 10 a.m.

As usual, readers will find an address filled with the hopes and challenges of our Nation's veterans. Jim Wham's love of his country is clear on each page and in each line of his address.

We are grateful to him for his continued service to his country and for the inspiration he provides in reminding us that freedom is never free.

Ninth Annual Memorial Day Service, Brownstown VFW Post 9770, Brownstown

Central Park

The greatest crusade for freedom against tyranny in the

history of the World was commemorated last Saturday at the

dedication of the National World War II Memorial. It will

stand forever between the Washington and Lincoln monuments.

The costs of that crusade was monumental--400,000 Americans

were killed.

Six days from now the 60th anniversary of the Normandy

Invasion will command world-wide attention--the greatest

invasion of all time had to be made and succeed if the free

world was to win the war.

Today in Brownstown and in thousands of towns across the

country each Memorial Day is a day of memories. Each Memorial

Day is to honor and pay tribute to all Americans who fought

and died for their country in the cause of peace and freedom

in every war from the Revolution to the present day. Every

one of their deaths are special beyond compare.

As Lincoln said at Gettysburg, it is for us, the living

``to highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in

vain.''

Each Memorial Day is also a day to look to the lessons of

the past to meet the dangers of the future. During my

lifetime, the Armed Forces of the United States have been

engaged throughout the world in eight wars: World War I,

World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, the Balkans,

Afghanistan and now Iraq.

In all of these wars Americans fought against the forces of

tyranny and now against the new and vicious barbarians who

cut off the heads of living men and crash planes full of

innocent people into buildings full of innocent people.

The fanatical terrorists, suicide bombers, and their

manipulators who are fueled by a hatred for every American.

Fanatical kamikazes with no concern for the miracle of life--

even their own. Full of diabolical cunning--cut from the same

cloth as those monsters of history--spawned by the likes of

Hitler and his gang of criminal degenerates.

Nine-eleven was just the beginning. Today we confront that

same brand of terrorist in Iraq. And the terrorists we

destroy in Iraq will never assault innocent people. A

terrorist killed in Iraq will kill no one over here or

anywhere else. But yet, we still hear those ominous words of

Plato: ``That only the dead have seen the end of war.''

Is the human race to be forever victimized and dominated by

demented and depraved tyrants and terrorists? Is there no end

in sight? The forces of evil won't go away. They never have

and they never will. So, what are the forces of good to do

about it? Plenty--yet, many self-proclaimed good ones never

have learned that you cannot negotiate with mad dogs,

terrorists, or tyrants of any stripe. Never have they learned

that the good cannot wait for the bad to quit being bad. And

quitting the fight in mid-stream is the road to disaster. We

cannot quit--even if we wanted to.

The United Nations never learned the lesson from the League

of Nations which sat idly by while Hitler overran Europe and

for 4 long years the whole world was engulfed in devastation

and bloodshed to a depth never before seen in the history of

the world.

And now, 60 years later, a new cult of second-guessers of

our national fight against tyranny and terrorism has arisen--

there are those who seek to sow doubt and discord among

Americans, and there are those who have never learned the

lesson that they do not really support the troops while

publicly condemning and disparaging their Commander. Such

only gives encouragement to the enemy. What happened to

the doctrine of World War II that politics stops at the

water's edge? The talkers and the shouters on national

television have ignored that vital doctrine. Every day

they criticize every decision of those who are trying

their best to lead and protect the Nation in an all-out

war against tyrants and terrorists that would destroy the

American spirit, as well as lives.

If the Commander in Chief moves forward, the second-

guessers say he should have stopped. If the Commander in

Chief stops, they say he should have moved forward--or maybe

even backward. What would these talkers do if the

responsibility to act was theirs? They speak from the

sanctuary of nonresponsibility.

Legitimate differences by knowledgeable persons are to be

brought to the Commander in person and not by carping critics

who sit on the sidelines and jeer. Sometimes I wonder whose

side they are on.

There was the same brand of criticism leveled at Abraham

Lincoln, the Commander in Chief in that war that preserved

the Nation and destroyed the malignancy of slavery. But

Lincoln, unshaken in the midst of that war, at Gettysburg

summed up the duty of Americans through all ages: ``. . . it

is for us the living . . . to be . . . dedicated to the great

task remaining before us . . .''

The power of Lincoln is felt on every Memorial Day. And he

left us this as he concluded his second inaugural address to

the Nation at war a month before he was shot from behind by a

terrorist named Booth. And these few simple words are vital

to all Americans today: ``. . . let us strive on to finish

the work we've begun.''

And that work is always at hand. Each generation must

fulfill the destiny of this land of liberty which is all

wound up in the cause of peace and freedom. Never can there

be peace and freedom without conquering the barbarians of the

world--the enemies of peace and freedom.

I have with me today a highly significant painting and I

want to give it to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9770 of

Brownstown. I have done the same at other veteran

organization ceremonies. I do this because of the message it

conveys.

It is a picture of a wall, as you can see. It is entitled

``reflections'' and the reflections are of combat soldiers

from a wall of names--the names of all Vietnam veterans who

fell in battle. But, that picture tells the story of all

American veterans--not just the Vietnam veterans--it tells

the story of all American veterans who have made the supreme

sacrifice for their country.

Soldiers who did all they could and now pass on to us the

unfinished work--the continuing responsibility to preserve

this country and its meaning to the world.

Those soldiers of Vietnam in that picture symbolize the

passing of the torch--the torch of duty, honor, country--to

the living from the dead of every war.

I hope you will hang this picture on the wall of the post

because it tells the story of the American veteran of all the

wars--veterans who never returned--veterans who pass the

torch to those of us who did return--the torch to carry on

the fight of good against evil--the fight for peace and

freedom against tyranny and terror. The torch that must be

kept lit and carried forward by every generation for as long

as the star-spangled banner shall wave.

What a shameful epitaph any generation of Americans would

write about themselves if they let down these heroes who died

to preserve this land and its destiny.

Nations have come and gone. Great empires and nations have

eventually ended up on the ash heap of history. They had

their day in the sun, and then almost imperceptibly, the

twilight creeps in, and before the generations realize it,

the sun is gone and that empire and nation has receded back

into the darkness of oblivion. This must never happen to the

United States of America.

It would be a monumental tragedy for us in the grip of

multiple frustrations of today's world to tolerate for an

instant a retreat back from the confrontation by free men

against terror and tyranny. Such a lack of national resolve

would be the rankest of insults to every man who gave his

life so that the Nation might live in honor and achieve its

destiny of leading the world to freedom.

Television land is saturated with apologizers and cynics.

But thank God for the inspired writers of the past and their

words of inspiration and appreciation for their native land

and the heroes we honor today.

Here is a composite of their great words. We have heard

them before, but it is always good to hear them again:

``We sit here in this promised land, but t'was they that

won it sword in hand''

``By the rude bridge which arched the flood . . . they

fired the shot heard 'round the world . . .''

``They had a rendezvous with death at some disputed

barricade on some scarred slope of a battered hill at

midnight in some flaming town . . .''

And now: ``On fame's eternal camping ground their silent

tents are spread and glory guards with silent round the

bivouac of the dead . . .''

``Oh wave, banner, wave above each hero's grave . . .''

``In Flanders Field where poppies grow . . .''

And: ``From these honored dead we take increased devotion

to that cause for which they gave their last full measure of

devotion . . .''

``There's a graveyard near the White House where the

Unknown Soldier lies''

And then it concludes with this famous line:

``I am the unknown soldier and maybe I died in vain, but if

I were alive and my country called, I'd do it all again.''--

for my country

``My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty . . . long

may our land be bright with freedom's holy light. Protect us

by Thy might, great God, our King.''

My friends, since I came home from World War II I have

spoken at many Memorial Day services like this one. And

always echoing from the sounding of taps among the crosses of

this Nation's heroes is the hope that when this Nation has

lived 1,000 years, it can be

said of each generation that the Stars and Stripes went

forward forever and no discordant bugle ever dared to sound

retreat.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for yielding to me.

I am going to focus on two issues dealing with the telecommunications arena, and these are very, very important, as we have found since September 11, especially in the arena of communicating between all the different levels of the first responders. This is something the Committee on Energy and Commerce has been focused on for the last few years, especially, as I said, since the terrorist attacks.

We have begun debating legislation that will implement many of the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission report. A number of these recommendations focus on public safety communications. The 9/11 Commission noted in its report that the inability of first responders to talk to each other at the World Trade Center, at the attack on the Pentagon, and at the crash site in Pennsylvania were a critical element in impeding rescue work.

A recent report by the GAO said that the Federal Government still does not know how extensive the lack of effective emergency communication is, mostly because there is no comprehensive policy within the Federal Government that addresses spectrum assignments and plans for interoperable communications technology for public safety.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge just announced that his department was establishing an office to set national standards for emergency communications so first responders can talk to each other. This office will receive the wide range of public safety interoperability programs and efforts currently spread across Homeland Security. These programs address critical interoperability issues relating to public safety and emergency response, including communications, equipment, training and other areas as needs are identified.

The term ``interoperable communications'' means the ability of emergency response providers and the relevant Federal, State and local government agencies to communicate with each other. Oftentimes, this is a very difficult task. More and more often, when a public safety officer responds to a call, he or she will arrive at the call site and find out their radio does not work because a private wireless carrier operating in the same spectrum band has a tower close to the call site. The interference is generally a result of the carrier's signal either overpowering or mutating public safety's signal.

The 9/11 report recommends that Congress expedite the increased assignment of radio spectrum for public safety purposes. I believe, as do other Members, that full public safety communications interoperability within the decade should be a national goal. H.R. 10 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, working with the Secretary of Commerce and the Chairman of the FCC, to establish a program to enhance public safety interoperable communications at all levels of government and to establish a comprehensive national approach to achieve public safety interoperable communications.

There are some 60,000 first responder organizations in the United States, and each one purchases its own equipment. These organizations control more than 40,000 spectrum licenses. Neighboring communities that need to communicate in an emergency often start out with vastly different communication systems and different capacities to fund new equipment, but this is a difficult problem to correct. Many localities are not willing to give up their system so they can have the same one as a neighboring community. They feel the systems they have work best for them in an emergency and feel the cost of switching to a new system is too high. Some first responders worry that a fully integrated system could compromise command-and-control in an emergency by fostering a confusing set of instructions.

States are looking for low-cost solutions that will enable better communication, while avoiding the danger in which the chain of command breaks down in emergencies. We do not want everyone talking to everyone else all the time.

One key is to set a date for the availability of new spectrum. It gives States and cities an incentive to move more quickly on the investments in new equipment needed for interoperability, especially in urban areas where the volume of users can quickly overload the system in an emergency, as it did in New York and the Pentagon on September 11.

There is a lot of uncertainty out there about how Congress and the FCC should acquire this spectrum. Congress passed legislation that included providing some of the needed frequencies. Congress mandated that channels used to broadcast analog television were to be clear, and spectrum at 700 megahertz was to be reallocated for wireless communications, including public safety.

In the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress established 85 percent as the threshold for the percentage of households, by market, that must be able to receive digital signals in order for the FCC to end the licenses for analog over-the-air broadcast and then use those analog licenses for public safety. In this scenario, the 15 percent that lacked digital equipment would, presumably some 16 million homes, quickly lose access to all television programs.

A proposal by the FCC media bureau chief, Kenneth Ferree, known as the Ferree Plan, would include cable and satellite set-top boxes that can accept digital signals and evaluate whether at least 85 percent of a TV market has either digital TV or converters. Such an action would make it possible for the FCC to begin reclaiming spectrum from broadcasters as early as January 2009, but this has been met with some criticism by broadcasters across the country. To date, over 1,400 of the 1,600 plus over-the-air broadcast stations are broadcasting a digital signal.

Another issue I wish to address is the communication problems we are having when people need to call 911 in an emergency, especially on their cell phones. The critical numbers 9-1-1 is our first link to getting lifesaving help or thwarting a terrorist attack. Only a small percentage of the Nation's PSAPs are capable of processing wireless 9/ 11 calls. Those are public service answering points; most of us know them as the 911 call centers. They are really the government-run answering locations for public safety. An estimated 130 million wireless phones are in use, generating an average of 150,000 calls to 911 each day. Our Nation's communications technology has changed, but our emergency response infrastructure has not been updated. Too many remain needlessly at risk.

The most significant remaining hurdle to ubiquitous E-911 services is PSAP readiness. However, most of the remaining PSAPs lack the funding necessary to upgrade their systems, and many States, like my home State of Illinois, have aggravated the situation by using the subscriber fees collected on phone bills for E-911 services to help cover budget shortfalls.

To address this growing problem, I joined with my colleague in the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), she is a Democrat from California, and two U.S. senators, Senator Conrad Burns from Montana and Senator Clinton from New York, to form the Congressional E- 911 Caucus. Together, we have pushed legislation that will enhance coordination of E-911 implementation in each State, discouraging the raiding of E-911 funds, and give local PSAPs additional funding to help them finally achieve enhanced 9/11 capability.

I joined the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) in introducing H.R. 2898, the E-911 Implementation Act of 2003. The bill passed the House last November and is currently waiting action in the Senate. I believe the 9/11 Commission report legislation would be the perfect vehicle to attach this legislation. The legislation will do four major things to advance E-911 deployment.

First, it authorizes $100 million for 5 years to provide PSAPs with matching grants to help them with much-needed upgrades.

Two, it penalizes States for diverting their E-911 funds. Under the legislation, PSAPs will not be eligible for matching grants until their States certify that they have stopped using their E-911 moneys for other purposes.

To make a long story short, what States are doing are taxing our phone bills, and that money is supposed to be going to implement 911 call services and now enhanced 9/11. States are raiding that fund to pay for budget shortfalls. If the States do not clean up their act, they are not going to be eligible for any grants to help them meet the E-911 requirements.

A third thing it does is creates an E-911 office at the National Telecommunication Information Administration that will serve as a clearinghouse for best practices in the deployment of E-911 and administer the grant program.

Number 4, it also directs the FCC to review its E-911 accuracy requirements for rural areas to determine if they adequately address the complexities associated with providing E-911 services.

E-911 stands for enhanced, and what we are trying to do is make sure that when you use your cell phone and you call 911, people know where you are at, that you can identify yourself or they can be identified on a map. There are countless stories of people not doing that. How it translates into the 9/11 Commission report is that what we have also found is the ability to forward calls from cell phones so that if you had a major terrorist attack and if it was a weaponized anthrax or if it was a radiological, a dirty bomb, and we knew the disbursal area and we knew the wind direction, you could plot that, and then, in essence, use cell phones and call people who are, in essence, downwind and say, go this direction or go that direction and get out of the path of the cloud which is coming your way. That is how this is all tied to the 9/ 11 Commission report.

And accuracy is very, very important. Accuracy in urban areas is a challenge with high rises. Accuracy in rural areas is a challenge because you have long distances with isolated sectors of the population. So in a rural area you may get away with being accurate up to 100 feet, but in an urban area you may need a more specific and precise location.

What I am highlighting here tonight is a need for Congress and the SEC to act on public safety communication problems. H.R. 10 starts that process moving. There are other fixes like E-911 legislation that could help first responders respond quicker to emergencies and possible terrorist attacks.

These solutions are not easy. Congress and industry are going to have to make difficult decisions, but our goal should be to improve public safety communication systems and ensure that first responders are equipped with the necessary tools to respond to terrorist attacks and other emergency situations.

This is an important time in our country as we are moving forward to address numerous concerns. I really personally applaud the 9/11 Commission report. I think they have done a good job outlining many of the needs that we have to address to make sure that, as the commission so precisely put it, we are as a Nation safer today than we were on September 11; but we are still not safe. So we have to make needed improvements.

I have just talked about the communication aspects and dealing with some of the vague issues of spectrum and then how first line responders can free up spectrum for them to be able to communicate, and also how in using telecommunications we can help the individual citizens as more of our country moves to cell phone communications.

With that, I wish to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana, for yielding to me; and I look forward to following his discussion on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons why I became a Republican is because of the Republican Party's consistent support for the military.

Since 2000, base military pay has increased by 29 percent. Mid-grade noncommissioned officers, who represent the core experience and talent in the Armed Forces, have seen their pay increase an average of 35 percent. Congress under Republican control provided $6 billion for repair, maintenance, and operations of the military houses and bases. Congress increased the basic allowance for housing and eliminated servicemembers' out-of-pocket housing expenses, increased family separation allowance, and increased the amount for imminent danger pay.

I am proud that the Republican Party stands for strong support for the military, and I am sure we will consistently support our men and women serving in dangerous places around the world and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Cpl. Christopher Belchik, who was recently killed in the Iraq Province of Anbar.

Cpl. Belchik was a 30 year old native of the Godfrey-Alton area in southern Illinois. He was killed on August 22nd in what is believed to be an ambush that resulted in a mortar detonation killing him and two other soldiers.

Cpl. Belchik was a 1992 graduate of Alton High School, in Alton Illinois. Not enough can be said about the great sacrifice this man made for his country, he made the ultimate sacrifice. He is survived by his wife, Mary Belchik; his mother, Lynn Lenker of Godfrey; his father, Stephen Belchik of Staunton; his brother Brian Belchik of Alton and his sister, Julie Prats of Chicopee, Massachusetts. My thoughts and prayers go out to his families and loved ones.

Cpl. Belchik gave his life in an effort to improve the lives of others. This sacrifice should never be forgotten. Cpl. Belchik, along with so many other brave men and women, put their lives on the line day in and day out. My sincere thanks goes out to them all. God bless them, and may God continue to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, it is great to be down here on the floor with my friends and colleagues who want to continue to push for freedom and democracy. I dabble in this as not a professional on the committee, but I cannot think of a better way to spend one's additional free time than to work with the colleagues and friends that I have on the Committee on International Relations in promoting freedom and democracy. If the United States is not about freedom and democracy for ourselves and for other countries, then what are we for?

The great words of the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) and, of course, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), I cannot really add to them. I just want to add my voice to the chorus of many, as Chair of the Baltic Caucus and concerned about that region of Europe, and, really, the last dictator in Europe and his oppression of the democratic movement, that he needs to be placed on notice.

They have upcoming elections. They are not being conducted fairly and freely, and there is harassment, there is intimidation, there are beatings. Even by their own rules, they are not allowing fair coverage by the state-run television media. It is important for us here to let them know publicly, through this debate and through passage of this resolution, that we are watching and that we are not going to go away; and we are going to join with our friends in the international community. We are going to join with our friends in Western and Eastern Europe and the NATO countries, and we are going to continue to say, for the sake of your own people, for the sake of freedom and democracy and economic growth and vitality, join the Western free countries. Tear down your borders, open up your system, allow your people to choose.

There are very credible organizations and groups of committed citizens of Belarus joined in the Party of Five, very disparate elements, different ideologies. They so much want freedom and democracy that they have put aside the ideological debate on how to run a government, to say, let us have democracy. Let us first get to the basic, fundamental principles of democracy and freedom, and then let us, in a peaceful setting, sometimes probably as rancorous as we have on the floor of the House, let us then, in open debate, decide how we are going to do that.

I have met with them. They are patriots, and they are again from the far right and the far left, and they only want one thing. They want access to the political system and the democratic process.

We are watching. This resolution continues to put Mr. Lukashenko on notice that we are not going to go away. The international community is here, we are behind not only the people of Belarus, not only the people of the region, but the whole international community in calling for free, fair, and honorable elections this October.

I thank the members of the Committee on International Relations, especially the chairman and the ranking member, for making sure that this is put on record and that we have a chance to speak on it on the floor tonight. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize Ann and Lydia Endrejatis of Collinsville, Illinois.

Ann and Lydia are recipients of this year's ``Spirit of Excellence'' award annually awarded by the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce. Ann and Lydia are being recognized for their lifelong commitment to making Collinsville a better place for all of us.

In nominating them, Diane Meyer wrote the following:

Diakonia. If you think diakonia is Greek to you, well you're correct. Diakonia is Greek for service, an ancient art still being practiced today in Collinsville. The number of people volunteering their time and talent for the good of the community is unrivaled. These ``servants'' exemplify the ancient meaning of the word mercy--concrete acts of kindness. Although most neither seek nor desire the spotlight, they certainly deserve our sincere thanks.

Ann and Lydia Endrejatis.

While many who volunteer specialize in one or two things, Ann and Lydia do about everything and through their many specific acts of kindness, truly define the word ``volunteer.'' Since retiring, one or the other or both have worked for the following entities:

Anderson Hospital Auxiliary, Miner's Theater, Collinsville office of the American Cancer Society, Downtown Collinsville, Inc., Collinsville Senior Citizens, Cahokia Mounds Visitor's Center, City of Collinsville Shuttle Bus Dispatchers, senior citizen income tax preparations, Fox Theater usher, Holy Cross Lutheran Church Altar Guild and senior citizen worship meal, city historic researchers for Lucille Stehman's newspaper series, Meals on Wheels, schools library aid. The amazing thing about this extraordinary list is that it is a partial list.

The story of Ann and Lydia does not end with the work that they do. It continues with their encouragement and support of others who volunteer for the community. If someone is receiving an award, they are there. If something is being dedicated, they are there. If someone puts on a parade, they are there. If there is a civic ceremony, yes, they are there. With encouragement comes hope and with hope comes the wherewithal a city needs to tackle its future. Ann and Lydia Endrejatis provide Collinsville with concrete acts of kindness and to them we give our heartfelt thanks. Diakonia.

I offer my personal congratulations to my friends Ann and Lydia as well as my thanks to the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce for being as moved by Diane's nomination as I was.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Assistant Fire Chief Michael Lehnen of Bethalto, Illinois. Chief Lehnen passed away at the age of 57 after 29 years of service to his community. His funeral held in Bethalto drew large crowds of grateful citizens.

I rise today to honor more than simply one life of one man from my home district. I rise to honor a man, Michael Lehnen, whose work as a fireman represents what's truly good in America. He lived his life, day in and day out, always ready to rush into burning buildings to save the lives of whoever was in danger. Firemen and women, like Mike don't get many monuments, they don't get much in the way of recognition, but they should; because they represent the best that we should all aspire to be ourselves.

We live in a time where sports stars, rock stars and pro-wrestlers are our children's heroes. I hope that we might also commit ourselves to showing our children and grandchildren who are the real heroes in their lives--the many Michael Lehnens who serve their communities each day.

At Michael's funeral there were tears, particularly when the fire alarm sounded again in his honor. But more than sadness it was a celebration. Michael had lived a life of service to others. He put himself at risk of death every day for his fellow man. He is a man who we, while reflecting on his life, can honestly say made a difference.

What greater tribute can there be to a man than when his wife and family looked out at the huge crowd paying their respects, they may have asked themselves who in that crowd wouldn't be there today had Michael not lived. The incredible impact of saving lives has a power that far outlives the hero who makes it happen.

I'm sure some might find it trivial to pay respects to an Assistant Fire Chief from a small town in Illinois. But, Mr. Speaker, I would argue that there are few greater heroes we can praise from this noble House. I extend condolences and our thanks to the family of Michael Lehnen.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #2055. Every year the third weekend in September is set aside as National Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Day. For the last six years, the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post #2055 has honored the 196 soldiers from Illinois that are considered to be a prisoner of war or missing in action. I join the Ladies Auxiliary in honoring these brave individuals.

As well, I commend the auxiliary for their efforts to honor these men and their families. May God bless not only these 196 that will be honored by VFW Post #2055 but also those serving today. May God continue to bless America.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. As he knows, and he has spoken so eloquently about the need for a national repository at Yucca Mountain, and I can remember that in the appropriation bill there is $131 million, and this amount is grossly inadequate for the Yucca Mountain project. At that funding level, the Department of Energy would have to lay off 70 percent of its Yucca Mountain workforce, the license application would be delayed, and the repository opening would be delayed beyond the year 2010. All of the spent nuclear fuel would stay at the 77 field facilities spread out across the country, and this is unacceptable.

Yesterday, the Committee on Energy and Commerce passed a 5-year authorization bill, H.R. 3981, that authorizes

offsetting collection over 5 years from fees paid into the Nuclear Waste Fund. Our proposal could help solve the funding problem and provide the much-needed funds for Yucca Mountain.

The amounts authorized in H.R. 3981 would be sufficient to keep the Yucca Mountain project on track and keep the hundreds of key technical staff employed in the Las Vegas office of the DOE's Yucca Mountain office.

Again, I know of the chairman's strong support for the repository in Yucca Mountain.

I ask the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) if he would work with us as we proceed on this bill and find a way in the conference report to move to increase the funding level for Yucca Mountain.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague, and I would just also remind people and place in the record for this debate, the ratepayers have paid billions of dollars to make this thing move forward, and my ratepayers want to see a return on that investment.

So I thank the gentleman and I thank the chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. David Werner's 36 years of service to students and colleagues at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

David Werner first came to SIUE as a faculty member in the School of Business. He would go on to serve as Dean of the School of Business, and eventually, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Effective September 1, 1997, Dr. Werner was named Chancellor of SIDE.

In addition to his position at SIUE, Dr. Werner serves as an advisor and board member for groups such as the Southwestern Illinois Higher Education Consortium and the Board of Governors of the Illinois Council on Economic Education.

On June 30 of this year, Dr. Werner will retire as Chancellor of SIUE, bringing an end to nearly four decades of devotion to higher education in southern Illinois. As an educator, I share the same passion for teaching and nurturing the next generation, and I wish to not only commend Dr. Werner for his dedication, but to thank him for his commitment to excellence through education.