Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, unlike many other Members of this body, I never had the great privilege of serving with Ronald Reagan. When President Reagan was elected in 1980, I was raising my four children and running a law practice out of my home in Hinsdale, Illinois. Back then I did not follow world events or political developments like I do now. In those days, it was all I could do to keep up with kids' soccer games, make it to the school board meetings on time, and ensure that I did not miss a court deadline for an important client.

This week, like most Americans, I revel in the stories that my colleagues and others who knew him well have recounted about their special moments with our 40th President. Like most Americans, I cannot get enough of Ronald Reagan.

What strikes me as I think back through the years of those Reagan times of the 1980s are two very important things. They are the things that he said that touched my life and my interests as a busy mother and a died-in-the-wool Republican.

First is what later became known as the Reagan 11th commandment. Ronald Reagan said, and practiced this principle, ``Speak no ill of a fellow Republican.''

Second was the Reagan rule for success: ``There is no limit to the good a man can do in this world if he does not care who gets the credit.''

Mr. Speaker, tonight my thoughts and prayers go out to the Reagan family. It is true I never met him, but they will never know how much his words, his deeds and his common sense have influenced and will continue to positively affect the generations of leaders that will follow him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 4516, the Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004, which outlines how the Department of Energy will help ensure that America remains a leader in the development and use of supercomputers.

On April 27, I introduced H.R. 4218, the High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2004. H.R. 4218 addresses the need for an on- going, coordinated interagency process to guide federal decision-making in high-performance computing investments. That bill strengthens the interagency process by requiring the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) at the White House to ``develop and maintain a research, development, and deployment roadmap for the provision of high-performance computing systems for use by the research community in the United States.'' By putting OSTP in charge of developing the program's long-term vision, this provision will help ensure a robust planning process so that our national high-performance computing effort is not allowed to lag in the future.

H.R. 4218 lays out the foundation for a planning process involving several Federal agencies. It also makes clear that the Department of Energy, through its Office of Science, and the National Science Foundation, are the two lead agencies within the Federal Government responsible for providing U.S. researchers with access to the most advanced computing facilities in the world.

The legislation I am offering today complements H.R. 4218 by addressing in more detail the high-performance computing activities at the Department of Energy. This new legislation authorizes the implementation of a specific program that the Department will need to meet the mandate laid out in H.R. 4218.

More specifically, the bill I offer today requires the Secretary of Energy to establish and operate high-end computing facilities that are among the most elite machines in the world--truly ``leadership-class'' machines, sometimes referred to as ``ultrascale'' computers. My bill directs the Secretary to conduct advanced scientific and engineering research and development using these leadership class systems, and to continue to advance the capabilities of high-end computing hardware and software. These leadership-class computing facilities will be available on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to researchers in U.S. industry, institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and other Federal agencies.

Last fall, the Department of Energy's Office of Science released its 20-year facilities plan, a prioritized list of the most important scientific facilities needed to advance multiple fields of scientific endeavor over the next two decades. The second highest priority identified on the Department's list was ``ultrascale computing.''

Ultrascale computing ranks highly on the Department of Energy's priority list because these computers are essential tools for achieving the next suite of scientific breakthroughs in a variety of disciplines. These powerful machines are used in the development of pharmaceuticals, in modeling the Earth's climate, and in applications critical to ensuring our national and homeland security. Computational science complements theory and experimentation in fields such as plasma physics and fusion, astrophysics, nuclear physics, and genomics. In many cases, dramatic breakthroughs will require increasing computing power by a factor of a hundred, or in some cases, by a factor of a thousand. While attaining these increases may seem daunting, the history of computer development has taught us that with a sustained commitment to research, such gains are within our reach.

I am pleased that the legislation I am offering today also complements a new initiative recently advanced by the Department. Last month, Secretary Abraham announced the selection of a team including Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and other partners to develop and build a new, ultrascale computing facility. When completed, this new facility will outpace the world's current ``number one'' computer, Japan's Earth Simulator. By renewing our commitment to high-end computing research and development at the Department of Energy and other

Federal agencies, the United States can regain its distinction as home to the world's most powerful computer.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution, which appropriately honors American women who responded to our Nation's call during World War II.

At a time when many men left to serve our Nation on foreign shores, the jobs that had long been held by these men fell to the responsibility of women. Women were propelled out of their traditional roles as housewives and mothers as they readily filled the void created by the departure of their fathers, sons, and brothers.

Putting on their hard hats, they embraced a new life as riveters and welders, assembling bombs, building tanks and ships and making ammunition. It is no wonder that the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter has become synonymous with World War II. That singular woman represents the more than 6 million women in America who aided the war effort and changed forever the role of women.

Without these women, the Allied victory could not have been a reality. Today, we honor their patriotism and their unwavering dedication to their country. I take off my hard hat to them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Neuqua Valley High School's Music Department. Recently, the Neuqua team was named as one of the top high school music departments in the country by the GRAMMY Foundation's 2004 Signature Schools program.

Neuqua Valley High School was chosen out of 20,000 public high schools from across the country. The GRAMMY Foundation judged applicants on the basis of sample concert programs, repertoire, and recordings of school concerts. In recognition of its achievement, the music department will receive a $5,000 check from the GRAMMY Foundation.

Being honored for excellence in music is nothing new to Neuqua Valley High School. Although the school opened its doors only 7 years ago, this is the second straight year, and the third time overall, that its music department has been recognized by the GRAMMY Foundation as part of the Signature Schools program.

But Neuqua Valley High School's successes are not confined to its great music department. During the current school year, students have earned a number of honors for academic and athletic achievements, including the state championship for the boy's soccer team, National Scholastic Arts Competition scores for four students, National Merit Scholarship awards for two outstanding students.

Congratulations, Neuqua Valley High School, for the outstanding achievements of the boys and girls and men and women of your excellent music department and for all of

your other outstanding accomplishments. You have our best wishes for continued success in all you do.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and I congratulate him for bringing this important legislation to the floor today.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my strong support for H.R. 2432, the Paperwork and Regulatory Improvements Act. Today, Federal paperwork and regulations are stifling American business. The Small Business Administration estimates that Americans spend over 8 billion hours a year on Federal paperwork, costing our economy an estimated $843 billion, an amount far exceeding Canada's GDP and even the pretax profits of all U.S. corporations.

Small businesses are especially hard hit. Those businesses employing 20 people or less face regulatory costs of almost $7,000 per employee, compared to $4,500 for larger companies, SBA data shows.

In 2002, the Federal Register topped 80,000 pages, one of the highest totals ever, leading the Cato Institute to affectionately refer to these regulations as the 10,000 commandments.

Instead of making it easier for our economy to create and sustain good paying jobs, burdensome Federal regulations are an incentive for U.S. companies, large and small, to find other ways to do business, including relocating to places with less burdensome regulations. This wasted time and money is hurting America's ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Mr. Chairman, let us make sure Federal agencies are not placing an unnecessary burden on workers and businesses. Let us make sure Congress has the tools and information it needs to hold regulatory agencies accountable.

This Congress has a responsibility to get the Federal Government out of the way of private enterprise and let it do what it does best, create jobs. Let us pass the Paperwork and Regulatory Improvements Act.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Brown versus the Board of Education. Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled the doctrine of ``separate but equal'' unconstitutional, and the doors of education were opened to every child.

Sadly, although schools were open to every child, a tremendous learning gap opened up. Some students received a great education, while others--largely poor and minority--slipped through the cracks of the system. The achievement gap between African-American and Caucasian fourth-graders is 28 percentage points, and 29 points between Hispanic and Caucasian students.

This is not equal access to education.

The No Child Left Behind Act continues Brown's legacy. Under NCLB, every child, regardless of race or national origin, is given the same opportunity to learn. Schools are required to ensure that every child is learning.

No longer can students shuffle through the system without learning. We are already seeing positive results. According to a 2004 study by the Council of Great City Schools, the achievement gap is narrowing between minority and Caucasian students in both reading and math. These results are due, in large part, to NCLB.

The No Child Left Behind Act is the second step of Brown. The ruling in Brown may have given students equal access to the classroom, but NCLB ensures that they are given equal access to an education in that classroom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4281, the Small Business Health Fairness Act.

Sixty percent of those who are uninsured are employed. Their employers either cannot afford to offer health insurance, or the premiums are so high, employees cannot afford to pay their share.

When small companies are allowed to band together, they can take advantage of the same economies of scale that large companies have enjoyed for years. The costs of insurance are spread out over a larger pool of individuals. By spreading the cost of insurance among a larger number of employees, we make health insurance affordable for working families.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that small businesses that participate in AHPs will save an average of 9 to 25 percent of their healthcare costs. CBO also concluded that AHP legislation would cover up to 2 million uninsured American workers, with no cost to the government.

It is simply not fair that individuals who work for a small business do not have the same access to healthcare that they would if they worked for a large corporation. I am proud to support this fair, common-sense bill and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor five outstanding teachers in my district: Virginia Bojan, Cate Nufer, Beverly Oliveri, Nancy Taylor, and Patricia Trudicks.

Virginia Bojan, a language arts and science teacher at Elm Elementary School in Burr Ridge, is retiring after 33 years of dedicated teaching. She is well respected among her peers for her excellent teaching methods and pleasant demeanor. Her students also love and respect her. It is obvious that Mrs. Bojan loves teaching, and this love is reflected in her devotion to her students. She will most certainly be missed.

Elm Elementary School also will be losing Cate Nufer, who is retiring after 36 years. Ms. Nufer is a talented teacher who is recognized for her leadership in the areas of writing and social studies. Her students have consistently excelled on all state tests. She has made a positive impact on hundreds of students in both their academic and personal development.

Beverly Oliveri is also retiring after 34 years of teaching and directing curriculum for School District 181 in Burr Ridge. Her work in mathematics led to a revision in curriculum to improve the way math is taught in the district. Her students always look forward to her unique style of story telling as a teaching method. Her love of life and of teaching is evident to all who encounter her.

Nancy Taylor is retiring after 34 years teaching language arts and mathematics. She has contributed to both the academic and social development of hundreds of children throughout her career. Her students thrive on her soft-spoken, gentle approach that helps her students. Her care and understanding of each child as an individual will be remembered.

Last but most certainly not least, Patricia Trudicks is retiring after 36 years of dedicated teaching. Ms. Trudicks is recognized in District 181 for her leadership in developing the Media Resource Center, which has become the hub of the school. It is continually updated to reflect the season, upcoming holidays and community events, and ongoing teaching units and student interests. Ms. Trudicks has shown how to make the library an exciting place for students and to encourage them to learn through the resources it provides. Her ability to provide children with hands-on experiences they will not forget has been greatly respected and will be deeply missed.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct privilege to honor these five teachers for their countless hours of hard work and dedication. They have positively impacted the lives of thousands of children, and their contributions to education will be recognized for many years to come. Teaching may be the most difficult profession, and these five outstanding educators are among the best. I know the students, parents and faculty of Elm Elementary are sad to see them retire, but join me in offering these outstanding teachers our heartfelt thanks and congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4280, the HEALTH Act.

My home State of Illinois is in the midst of a crisis. Will County, part of which I represent, no longer has any practicing neurosurgeons. A recent survey found that 11 percent of OB/GYNs no longer practice obstetrics in Illinois. And more than half of OB/GYNs in the State are considering dropping their obstetrics practice entirely in the next two years due to medical liability concerns.

Women and children are the first to suffer in a crisis like this. As a mother and a grandmother, I don't want to see pregnant women driving to another State because they can't find an OB-GYN in their own area. I don't want to see injured children transported miles away from their homes because there are no pediatric neurosurgeons left to treat head injuries. And I don't want to see health insurance premiums climb so high that employers can no longer afford to provide benefits to their workers. We need reform and we need it now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the High- Performance Computing--or HPC--Revitalization Act of 2004, which will ensure that America remains a leader in the development and use of supercomputers. When we think of how computers affect our lives, we probably think of the work we do on our office desktop machines, or maybe the Internet surfing we do in our spare time. We do not normally think of the enormous contribution that supercomputers, also called high-performance computers, make to the world around us. These powerful machines are used in the development of pharmaceuticals, in modeling the Earth's climate, and in applications critical to ensuring our national and homeland security.

High-performance computers also are central to maintaining U.S. leadership in many scientific fields. Computational science complements theory and experimentation in fields such as plasma physics and fusion, astrophysics, nuclear physics and genomics. But the top computer in the world today, the Earth Simulator, is not in the United States. It is in Japan. Some experts claim that Japan was able to produce the Earth Simulator, a computer far ahead of American machines, because the U.S. had taken an overly cautious or conventional approach. Beginning in the 1990s, the U.S. focused on a single architecture for high-performance computing and emphasized the use of commercially available components over custom-made components. In hindsight we see that this approach has meant lost opportunities. Japan's Earth Simulator is an example of a road not taken.

The U.S. is still a leader in supercomputing. In fact, 10 of the top 20 most powerful computers in the world today are in the United States. Even so, the Earth Simulator is nearly three times as fast as the most powerful computer in the U.S., The ASCI Q computer at Los Alamos National Laboratory. But for security reasons, most U.S. scientists are unable to conduct research on the Los Alamos machine, or at machines at other similarly secure facilities that do defense and weapons work. That is why we must commit to providing sustained support for high- performance computers at our civilian Federal agencies. To achieve this aim, my bill ensures that the U.S. research community has access to high-performance computing systems that are among the most advanced in the world, and provides technical support for users of these systems.

But it is not enough to simply buy big machines. We need to have a balanced, comprehensive approach to maximize the benefits these machines can bring to science and to our Nation. My bill provides support for all aspects of high-performance computing for scientific and engineering applications.

The original legislation that my bill amends, the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, gave rise to an interagency planning process that was initially highly successful. Unfortunately, that planning process has lost the vitality it had in its early years. Congress must find a way to reinvigorate the interagency process.

My bill does so by requiring the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House

to develop and maintain a research, development and deployment roadmap for the provision of high-performance computing systems for use by the research community in the United States. By putting OSTP in charge of developing the program's long-term vision, this provision will help ensure a robust planning process so that our national high-performance computing effort is not allowed to lag in the future.

Let me close by reflecting for a moment on how much things have changed in the past 13 years since Congress first passed legislation on high-performance computing. Incredibly, all of the power of the world's top supercomputer in 1991, the Cray C90, is now available to us in a desktop PC. Hearing a comparison like that, it might be tempting to think that today's supercomputers are so powerful that we could not possibly need anything with greater capabilities. But technological advances make new things possible, things that were literally unimaginable before. As we meet in this Chamber today, we cannot imagine the kinds of problems that the supercomputers of tomorrow will be able to solve. But we can imagine the kinds of problems we will have if we fail to provide researchers in the United States with the computing resources they need to remain world class. I believe that the High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act will guide Federal agencies in providing needed support to high-performance computing and its user communities. Our Nation's scientific enterprise, and our economy, will be the stronger for it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 578, which my colleague the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) and I introduced to designate April as Financial Literacy Month. We did so in order to raise the public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that come when young people and adults lack basic understanding of personal finances and economics.

Today, 60 percent of preteens do not understand the difference between cash, checks, and credit cards. We need to teach basic financial literacy skills so that they can understand the difference. But financial literacy is only part of the problem.

It is equally important they understand basic economic concepts, such as supply and demand, opportunity costs, what drives interest rates, and other economic principles. Why? Well, it is because financially literate students may learn what the credit card is, but the lesson will be meaningless if they do not understand the concept of compound interest.

Just look at the pay-off. Financial education, including economics, has been linked to lower delinquency rates for mortgage borrowers, higher participation and contribution rates in retirement plans, improved spending and savings habits, higher net worth, and more positive attitudes towards money.

If our young people learn how to manage money, credit, and debt, they can become responsible workers, heads of households, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and citizens. It is through financial education these young consumers will learn to capitalize on the choices and flexibility that this new world has created. And financially literate children grow up to be financially savvy adults. And we need more of them.

Today, more than 42 million Americans participate in 401(k) plans. But a 2002 retirement confidence survey found that only 32 percent of workers surveyed have calculated how much money they will need to save by the time they retire. And less than one-third of those surveyed are confident in their ability to make the right financial decisions for themselves and their families. One-quarter of those workers, over 10 million Americans, have done no specific financial planning.

Many programs already exist in both the public and private sectors to address economic education and financial literacy; but no matter what their specific target, they all recognize that the most effective time to impart basic financial and economic knowledge is during a student's formative years through the K through 12 education system.

Many States have introduced outstanding financial literacy programs for children. In my home State of Illinois, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka created the Bank At School program, which helps children learn the fundamentals of money management through the operation of an in- school bank. Schools are partnered with financial institutions which conduct a monthly bank day at the school where students open savings accounts and make regular deposits.

I believe that these kinds of programs provide the guidance that is desperately needed; but we need more, and we need them now. For instance, while 40 States have set standards for personal financial education in 2000, only 31 States renewed their standards in 2002. Of these 31 States, only four States, Idaho, Kentucky, Illinois, and New York, implemented a course that covers personal finance during a student's K through 12 education. In 2002, Jump$tart released a survey that showed high school seniors know even less about credit cards, retirement funds, insurance, and other personal finance basics than they did 5 years ago. This is a trend that we must reverse.

With only seven States currently recognizing financial literacy month, there is obviously a great deal of work to do. But if we take the time to take on this challenge, we can begin to turn things around and excite students about becoming the next generation of investors.

Mr. Speaker, the state of financial literacy among our children may not garner much in the way of headlines, but it is an issue nonetheless that should command our attention. While it is a problem that is serious and urgent, it is one that can be solved through education. This body would like to call special attention to that need during the month of April. It is our duty to help our youth succeed in today's increasingly sophisticated world of finance.

We must continue to keep the pressure on in terms of public awareness of the problem. I hope that we will use this month as a springboard to raise public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States.

I want to thank my distinguished colleague and friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), for his strong support and cosponsorship of this resolution. I would also like to thank the chairman of the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), and especially the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), also members of the Committee on Government Reform, for managing this resolution and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) for his long-term work on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution to designate April as ``Financial Literacy Month''. It is important that we raise public awareness about the importance of financial education in the United States and the serious consequences that may be associated with a lack of understanding about personal finances and economics.

The financial world has dramatically changed over the last 20 years. The passage of complex laws--like Gramm-Leach-Bliley--has created a new world of integrated financial service products and possibilities.

Mr. Speaker, with all these new choices, there is a new responsibility on our part to educate our youth. Why? Because teaching them about personal finance and economics is the best way to prepare them for a financially rewarding adulthood as contributing members of society.

They need to know how to manage money, credit, and debt, and become responsible workers, heads of households, investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and citizens. It is through financial education that these young consumers will learn to capitalize on the choices and flexibility that this new world has created.

The most effective time to impart basic financial and economic knowledge is during students' formative years, through the K-12 education system. In introducing this resolution it is my hope that public officials and educators will focus on this critical learning area.

A survey released in 2003 by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) illustrates accomplishments and challenges in the areas of economics and personal finance education. NCEE's 2002 ``Survey of the States'' found that 48 states and the District of Columbia had economic education standards in place, up from 38 states in NCEE's first ``Survey'' in 1998. Testing for economics increased from 25 states in 1998 to 27 states in 2002.

However, in the area of personal finance, less progress has been evident. While 40 states had set standards for personal finance education in 2000, only 31 states renewed such standards in 2002. Of those 31 states, only 14 require the standards to be implemented.

As a Member of both the Financial Services Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee, I have come to recognize the importance of integrating financial literacy and basic economics into the K-12 curricula, and the positive impact this can have on millions of future investors. I believe that April should be used to educate all age levels on the importance of financial literacy but most importantly, our youth.

More than 42,000,000 people in the United States currently participate in qualified cash or deferred arrangements known as 401(k) plans. A Retirement Confidence Survey conducted in 2002 found that only 32 percent of workers surveyed have calculated how much money they will need to save for retirement, and 25 percent of workers have done no specific planning for retirement.

Make no mistake--personal finance and economics are the key to helping our youth avoid in later years, as adults, the pitfalls of foreclosure, predatory lending and credit counseling and better prepare them for retirement.

Mr. Speaker, the state of financial illiteracy among our children may not garner much in the way of headlines, but it nonetheless is an issue that should command our attention. It is a problem that is serious and urgent, but it is one that can be solved through education. I would like to call special attention to that need during the month of April. It is our duty to help our youth succeed in today's increasingly sophisticated world of finance.

I want to thank my distinguished colleague and friend from Texas, Mr. Hinojosa, for his strong support and cosponsorship of this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a report recently issued by the Council of Great City Schools that showed solid improvement in test scores among the most disadvantaged students. Fourth graders scored an impressive 4.9 points higher in reading and 6.8 points higher in math than in previous years. Eighth grade reading and math scores increased by 1.1 and 3 points respectively.

No Child Left Behind is working. Before the act, many of these disadvantaged children might have been allowed to slip through the cracks. Now schools are accountable; no one can slip behind.

These successes and others like it are due to massive increases in education funding and an additional $1 billion in title 1 money in fiscal year 2004, and we hope another $1 billion increase this year.

Congratulations to these students and their teachers who demonstrate that with the increased accountability and funding under No Child Left Behind, every child can succeed.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our fellow citizens, Thomas Rutecki, who displayed an act of great courage when he put himself in harm's way to save the life of another.

His story reads like a scene from a movie. From a distance, a passerby sees a woman in a motorized scooter. One wheel has become lodged in the train tracks. He walks on to the tracks to help her, when, all of a sudden, the warning lights at the train crossing begin to flash.

Seeing the lights from an Amtrak train barreling down on them, he frantically tries to dislodge the wheel of the scooter. Unable to free the motorized scooter from the tracks, he picks her up and shields her with his leather coat, only inches from the track, leaving only 5 seconds until the train shatters the motorized vehicle.

A daring scene from a movie? No, it was just what occurred on Tuesday, March 2, in my district in downtown Downers Grove, Illinois. Thomas Rutecki, a Navy veteran, risked his own life to save the life of Rosetta Wiedemann, a wheelchair-bound blind woman on her way to a local deli to buy a loaf of bread.

Not concerned with his own safety, he placed his life in the path of a high-speed train to save the life of another. It was an act of utter selflessness and heroism.

I would like to honor this hero today. He may be retired from the Navy, but he continues to honor all of us with his kind and selfless act of bravery. Our hats are off to you, Thomas Rutecki.