Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3034, the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry Reauthorization Act.

I want to commend the work of the co-sponsors of this legislation, the Representative of Florida, and Representative of New York. Your leadership on this issue has been remarkable and I commend your efforts.

It is a tragedy for Americans in need of bone marrow or stem cell donation to remain unconnected with willing donors. The National Bone Marrow Donor Registry has helped connect thousands of Americans in need of assistance with donors across the country. The additional resources this bill authorizes will help us expand this network and save even more lives.

I want to particularly commend the Registry's effort to recruit minority donors for their database. Blood diseases extract an especially heavy toll on minority populations, and improving the diversity of the donor pool should be an important part of our response to this problem.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the efforts of St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City. Their Kansas City Blood and Marrow transplant program recruits new donors, finds matches, and coordinates the donation process. Since its inception in 1996, the Transplant Center at St. Lukes has performed over 450 transplants and connected thousands in our region with needed care. As a result of their hard work, the Center has been named a member of the United Resource Network centers of excellence program. These courageous efforts save thousands of lives each year. I congratulate them for being a model to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation is vital. I urge my colleagues to join me today in support of H.R. 3034.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise to recognize the historic appointment of Sharon K. Valasek as the first Honorary Consul for the Czech Republic to represent Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Czech Republic Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Martin Palous, who officially announced her appointment, will take part in the installation ceremonies September 24-26, 2003, in the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan area. Sharon K. Valasek holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Avila College. As Honorary Consul, she will incorporate her education and her expertise in business and trade to facilitate United States commerce with the Czech Republic. She has valuable telecommunications and marketing experience from working for a global provider of broadband and wireless services. Her marketing and developmental skills will be of great value to the business partnership between the United States and the Czech Republic.

Honorary Consul Valasek is committed to supporting local relationship building initiatives. She has a strong base for fostering new partnerships in the Czech Republic since her relatives live in Moravia. She serves as a board Member for the People to People International, Club President of the Czech and Slovak Club of Greater Kansas City, member of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences, and Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International.

Ms. Valasek will serve as an advocate of educational and cultural initiatives while preserving customs and traditions.

The importance of an Honorary Consul in our region stems from shared heritage and our

combined histories that provide a foundation for exchange. Immigrants from the region of Czechoslovakia migrated to the United States since the 1800s, many finding their way to Missouri and a home in the Kansas City area. In the Fifth District, Sugar Creek has a rich heritage fostered from their Czechoslovakian immigrants, many who found work at the oil refinery.

In 1989, we witnessed the overthrow of communist totalitarian rule in Czechoslovakia with the Velvet Revolution, a modern day revolution for independence, which brought a new beginning for the people of Czechoslovakia.

In 1993, Czechoslovakia evolved into two independent states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. On March 12, 1999, the Czech Republic became an international member of NATO. Today, Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, a tourist destination with its rich architectural treasures, educational opportunities and the center of activities and events.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in proudly recognizing Honorary Consul Valasek's appointment as an opportunity for cultural exchange and economic advancement to further our shared goals for both of our nations.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Kingston and Ranking Member Moran for giving me the opportunity to speak this morning.

Today's legislation includes funding for dozens of important projects, and I want to thank the Conference Committee for their work.

I rise today to express my disappointment that this Congress was unable to fund one of our nation's most successful programs--the AmeriCorps program.

AmeriCorps provides educational opportunities for young people who serve their communities in myriad ways.

In my district of Kansas City, AmeriCorps members have partnered with professional and non-profit agencies to provide children from low income families with badly needed educational assistance, revitalize and clean up inner city neighborhoods, and install smoke alarms in the homes of the elderly.

One of my constituents has served for two years as a Kansas City Jumpstart volunteer.

The children involved in the Jumpstart program enter with skills rated lower than their peers, but through the dedication and leadership of volunteer mentors, these deficiencies are often eliminated by the time they complete the program.

This AmeriCorps Jumpstart volunteer recently wrote a letter to our hometown newspaper urging support for full funding of the AmeriCorps program so that other children can achieve as much as a child he mentored, who entered almost ``completely non-verbal and is now talking in complete sentences.''

Failing to adequately fund AmeriCorps will deprive thousands of children and young volunteers in my district and across the Nation this experience, and leave many children behind.

Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that this Congress could not find the additional funds to continue these successful programs.

President Bush has supported AmeriCorps in the past. In the coming months, I would hope that we can work with the Bush Administration to resolve AmeriCorp's funding shortfalls and leave no child behind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the birthday, life and legacy of the late Senator Claude Denson Pepper.

I first met Congressman Pepper in 1984 when we worked together to craft the National Democratic Platform. Even then, at age 84, his energy and passion for making life better for others was clear. During his near 90-year career, Pepper played a leading role in American politics. Pepper won vast victories for all Americans, notably our country's elderly population.

Pepper was elected to the United States Senate in 1935, where he gained the respect and friendship of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He stayed in the Senate for 3 terms and served in the House, where he represented the greater Miami area. He served his House district for almost 30 years, becoming Chairman of the House Select Committee on Aging and of the House Rules Committee.

Claude Pepper did so much for so many, but is best remembered for his work on behalf of older Americans. He was their voice and their advocate. He led the battle to pass legislation that erased mandatory retirement laws. He authorized the bill that created the National Institute on Aging. His leadership made passage of Medicare a reality.

Near the end of his life, Chairman Pepper fought for the enactment of a prescription drug benefit in Medicare. Concurrently, he worked to enact a long-term home benefit in Medicare to assist the growing number of Americans who needed help performing essential activities of daily living in their homes. Pepper came away a few votes shy of enacting these bills, but his visionary actions shaped the path for future generations.

Pepper's life work was firmly routed in his personal principles. His passionate advocacy and unquestionable integrity made him a role model for public servants and generations of young men and women to invest their lives in giving back to their communities.

Claude Pepper is a hero to senior citizens and all Americans, and I am proud to have known him. As Congress continues to debate the futuer of Medicare and other programs, we would do well to remember his legacy and his simple philosophy: ``Make it better. Do all you can to make life better for others.''

Thank you, Senator Pepper, for your service to our country, and for making our Nation a better place for generations of senior citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support for H.R. 13, legislation to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act.

I want to thank my colleagues, Mr. Hoekstra, from Michigan, and Mr. Hinojosa, from Texas, for their efforts on behalf of our nation's museums and libraries.

As a former teacher, I have witnessed firsthand the power of libraries.

Libraries in my district and across the Nation offer citizens the tools they need to stay informed, keep in touch with people far and wide, and be an active part of this community

and world. They are critical to our efforts to educate our citizens.

In my own district, thanks to the help of thousands of volunteers and donors, the main branch of the Kansas City library will soon open a state of the art facility in the newly renovated First National Bank Building located in downtown Kansas City. When it opens in the spring of 2004, the new library will feature expanded community meeting spaces, 107 more networked public computers, and 110 network ports for public use. In addition to its historical preservation, what is especially exciting about this project is the amount of public-private collaboration that has gone into the process. And that is what this bill today is all about.

The Institute for Museum and Library Services has been a model for collaboration between the Federal government and local communities and libraries. Since its inception in 1996, IMLS has provided more than $16.7 million to support library and museum activities in Missouri. The Kansas City Public Library has received considerable support, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has also benefited from IMLS funding. The Museum and Library Services Act has made a difference in libraries and communities all over America and this reauthorization will help us continue that legacy.

Since this legislation was first passed in 1996, our nation has continued to lead the digital revolution. The Internet, e-mail, and wireless technologies have transformed the way we work and communicate. Unfortunately, many Americans are cut off from the jobs and economic benefits that these amazing technological advances offer.

Libraries are an important part of our efforts to bridge this divide. They offer networked public computers, access to the Internet, and personalized assistance. Today's legislation will provide funding for local communities to improve and expand these efforts.

Mr. Speaker, all of us agree that our libraries and museums are an integral part of our communities. Unfortunately, in these tough economic times, these vital community resources are often slated for funding cuts. The legislation we approve today offers a helping hand. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two great Missourians, Governor Warren E. Hearnes and his wife, State Representative Betty Cooper Hearnes on their birthdays.

I salute the accomplishments of Governor Hearnes and Representative Hearnes. I worked alongside Betty in the General Assembly. In true fashion, she does not want to be recognized for her accomplishments, but I would be remiss not to mention her great contributions to our State as an elected official and First Lady. The Hearnes have shared significant roles in the State of Missouri, shaped and crafted sound public policy, and served as beacons of light for our citizens and our party.

The Hearnes celebrate the same birthday and today marks Warren's 80th birthday and Betty's 76th birthday. I salute the remarkable longevity of their lives together and their lifelong commitment to public service.

Warren Hearnes is renowned for his tenacity and principles as a public official. Governor Hearnes is a graduate from West Point Military Academy, as well as from the University of Missouri Columbia Law School. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives the following year, and later went on to serve as Secretary of State. He will long be remembered for his unwavering stance to promote state autonomy. Governor Hearnes' fight with the Johnson administration often made him disliked by the presidency but admired by his colleagues in the National Governors Conference throughout the sixties and seventies.

During his time in office, the state legislature overwhelmingly approved and the people ratified a constitutional amendment to allow future Governors of Missouri to serve two consecutive four year terms. Thus, Governor Hearnes ran for and won a second term with the largest percentage of popular votes in Missouri history. In his second term he facilitated reforms to improve universities and colleges, ushered in massive road improvements, and supported the troops in Vietnam but questioned the administration's plan to pursue such a war. Following his term in office, he continued his public advocacy by spending sixteen years working as the Executive Director of the Southeast Missouri Legal Services, an agency to assist people with low incomes in dire need of legal counseling.

Like her husband, Betty Hearnes is an amazing mentor and friend to everyone she meets. She was an excellent model and confidante during the seventies and eighties when the Missouri legislature had very few women in office. In 1979, Betty won the same Missouri House seat her husband held years prior. In addition, she served as Chairwoman of the Democratic State Committee, President of the Mississippi County Industrial Development Authority, as a major facilitator of the Warren E. Hearnes Museum, and a volunteer currently involved in countless civic and charity projects. Today Warren and Betty continue to spend time in Charleston, Missouri serving those most in need. Their endless generosity is an inspiration to us all.

I congratulate Warren and Betty Hearnes on this meaningful occasion and shared birthday. I am grateful for their friendship and am honored to recognize them for their vast personal accomplishments and lifetime of public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Democratic motion to provide adequate funding for AmeriCorps, one of our Nation's most important volunteer programs.

I applaud President Bush for his support of community service. It is essential to provide volunteers with the means to do so. AmeriCorps has been a shining example of the difference volunteers can make in communities across the country.

Because of AmeriCorps, more than 38,000 people of all ages and backgrounds are helping to solve problems and strengthen communities through 108 national service projects across Missouri. Serving with national and community nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and local agencies, these individuals tutor and mentor children, coordinate after-school programs, build homes and community gardens, conduct neighborhood patrols, organize local homeland security efforts, respond to disasters, and recruit and manage volunteers, to name a few of their contributions. These programs reach thousands of children, many of whom will be left without mentorship opportunities and after school guidance if AmeriCorps is not fully funded.

Mr. Speaker, I support the $100 million in additional funding for AmeriCorps, and it should be provided for in this bill. The National and Community Service announced in June that there would be cuts of 50 to 90 percent to State AmeriCorps budgets and corps member slots. This must be remedied so that AmeriCorps and its volunteers can continue their selfless contributions to our country.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 458, the Toomey amendment, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 459 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I believe the rule to H.R. 2210 will dismantle Head Start which, in these desperate economic times, should be strengthened, not weakened.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule on the School Readiness Act, which would seriously jeopardize the Head Start early education program.

For decades, Head Start has been a successful program dedicated to helping disadvantaged children receive the preparation they need to succeed in school and to lead better lives. This bill would leave our neediest children behind by shortchanging the Head Start program and putting its federal funding at risk in States that are mired in their own budget woes.

In my district of Kansas City, MO, over 3,800 children are enrolled in Head Start programs and they depend on help from the Federal Government. Head Start is one of the oldest and most thoroughly studied early education programs in America. Studies find that children involved in Head Start programs are less likely to repeat a grade and to require special education services than disadvantaged children who are not lucky enough to experience Head Start. Furthermore, Head Start students are more likely to graduate high school and to attend college.

This past Fall a young mother named Michelle enrolled her son, August, in a Head Start program in Kansas City. Her two older daughters had already successfully completed the program, but Michelle worried that her son's speech and physical disabilities would put him far behind his classmates when he started kindergarten. The Head Start Mental Health and Disability Consultant coordinated his efforts with the County Health Department and the North Kansas City School District to insure that Michelle's fears would not become a reality. An Individualized Education plan was put into place and August was enrolled in speech therapy classes. Today, all of Michelle's children are doing well academically and socially, and she stays involved in Head Start as a volunteer so that she can give back to the program that meant so much to her and her children.

The measure before us (H.R. 2210) authorizes barely enough funds to even cover the cost of inflation, let alone expand Head Start

programs. It will actually reduce the number of children in the program. It provides no resources for teacher training and will allow discrimination in hiring practices. But the part of this legislation that concerns me the most is that it puts Head Start money into the hands of States that will be able to use these block grant funds to defray their own deficits rather than expanding the program to reach students.

Governor Holden of Missouri shares my concern that resources usually suffer when a federal program becomes a block grant. It is his fear, and mine, that federal mandates will be shifted to deficit wracked states such as mine, forcing them to do more with less money.

Head Start works in Missouri, and it works all over the country. Let's put federal dollars into education programs such as Head Start that have been proven to make students ready for a successful school experience and a productive life. It's the best investment we can make for our Nation's future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

(Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Slaughter-Shays-Dicks- Leach Amendment to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). These endowment programs are vital to supporting the creation, preservation and presentation of the arts and humanities in America. In my district of Kansas City, Missouri, NEA and NEH grants have brought partnership projects such as the Coterie Theater and the Friends of Alvin Ailey's AileyCamp that help provide collaborative artist and youth activities which have enriched the local economy and educational experiences of our children.

Studies have demonstrated that reading and math scores improve with participation in arts education classes. A U.S. Department of Justice study found that arts education reduced student delinquency in San Antonio by 13 percent and increased the communications skills of students in Atlanta by 57 percent. Test Results from the College Board have shown that college bound students involved in the arts and humanities have higher overall SAT scores than other students.

There is no excuse for funding for the NEA at a level that is 30 percent below the 1994 level. Adopting the amendment before us would increase funding by $10 million for NEA and $5 million for the NEH. This would bring NEA and NEH funding to the level that the House approved last year by a vote of 234-192, but was later stripped from the bill in conference. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Investment in the arts and humanities has proven to be an invaluable contribution to American economy and the future success of our children.

Mr. Speaker, the Republican Medicare bill fails to provide seniors with meaningful prescription drug coverage and is an attempt to end Medicare as we know it. With their plan seniors will have no assurance from 1 year to the next on what plan will be available to them, what drugs will cost them nor what doctors will serve them. Under their plan many seniors will have to pay a premium without receiving any assistance with their drug costs.

Seniors deserve affordable prescription drugs without gaps in coverage. Our seniors should not be forced to pay more to keep their choice of doctors. Not only would the plan before us limit or charge extra for choice, it would force seniors to go to a primary care physician before seeing a specialist.

The Republicans have produced a plan that fails to make prescription drugs more affordable and, disturbingly, ends the Medicare system that has been an irreplaceable safety net to millions of people for the past four decades. Instead they are creating a plan that costs seniors a lot and gives them very little.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 1, the so-called Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, and to support the Democratic motion to recommit which will preserve Medicare and provide our seniors with the affordable prescription drugs they need.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to commend the collaborative efforts of my colleagues who serve on the Permanent Select Committee in crafting the FY2004 Intelligence Authorization,

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

(Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I want to commend both the majority and the minority members and the appropriations staff for their hard work on this first homeland security appropriations bill. I realize that this has been a formidable task.

Never the less, I am concerned that we have not given enough debate to issues raised by our state and local government officials and our local first responders.

For instance, fire fighters in Kansas City have told me that we must develop and fund an infrastructure to communicate effectively with agencies in the same community as well as surrounding communities during times of crisis.

Moreover, our local public health officials must have the necessary resources to be adequately prepared to cope with emergencies, particularly bioterroist attacks.

As the ranking member of the subcommittee on intelligence and counterterrorism of the select committee on homeland security, I question the Department of Homeland Security's ability to provide accurate and timely intelligence assessments, including bioterrorism threats to this country with the limited resources provided in H.R. 2555.

I thank the chair for the opportunity to address these important issues, and hope that in conference the additional funds called for by the ranking member, Mr. Obey (the gentleman from Wisconsin) will be included.

The American people deserve such protection. Our first responders deserve such resources to assure the protection of the people they serve.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and respect that I rise today to honor Miss Lucile Bluford, editor and publisher of The Call newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri. Miss Bluford passed away Friday, June 13. She had been an employee of The Call for 71 years and editor/publisher since 1955. She would have been 92 years young this July 1.

Miss Bluford, as she was known by everyone, was a trail blazer and pioneer for civil rights and equality for African-Americans. She fought both personally and professionally to end segregation and advance opportunities for our community. Through her fight to access graduate journalism school for herself and other minorities and her leadership in the civil rights and journalism communities, Miss Bluford left an enduring mark in her advocacy for equality.

Miss Bluford graduated from the University of Kansas School of Journalism in 1932 and joined The Call shortly thereafter as a reporter. In 1938, she filed a mandamus suit against the University of Missouri Graduate School of Journalism for being denied admittance because of her color. Miss Bluford wrote and fought for racial and social justice ever since. She reported about the plight of those unfortunate enough to help themselves, the poor and disenfranchised. Miss Bluford had an effect on making our community and nation better aware of the inequalities existing.

Miss Bluford had the ear of those who were wealthy and those who were not, and conversed with the common citizen or those of stature. I met with Lucile many times and I always treasured her company and conversation. I invariably would leave with a much more valuable insight on the issues of the day as well as the rich history she lived--especially her struggles in the civil rights movement.

Miss Bluford's leadership and accomplishments have been recognized on numerous occasions, including receiving the Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism from the University of Missouri. Last fall she was honored by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as ``Kansas Citian of the Year for 2002.'' Awards she received throughout her career include the Distinguished Service Award from the national NAACP, an Honorary Doctorate degree from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Martin Luther King Award, University of Missouri Distinguished Service Medal of Honor, and the Recognition Award for Unsurpassed and Dedicated Service to the Community by the Northwest Missouri Division of the African Methodist and Episcopal Church.

One of the honors she cherished most was the University of Kansas establishment of the Lucile H. Bluford Scholarship Fund for students interested in studying journalism. This lasting legacy to Miss Bluford will provide future generations with the opportunity to fulfill their dream of journalism.

Miss Bluford has been recognized for her service to our community and nation. She had served as a juror Pulitzer Prize for Journalism, was a member of the National Board of Directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and had been selected to make a trip to Israel in 1972 with a group of American newspaper editors. Miss Bluford served on the Governor's Committee for ``Jobs for Missourians,'' was a board member and Secretary of the Missouri Commission of Human Rights from 1957 to 1969, and served on the Governor's Task Force on the role of Private Higher Education in Missouri. She served on local boards of United Way, NAACP, Kansas City Council on Crime Prevention, Kansas City Cancer Society, Kansas City Area Hospital Association, Model Cities Day Care Corporation, Legal Aid and Defender Society, and the University of Missouri at Kansas City Cockefair Chair Board of Directors.

As publisher and editor of The Call newspaper, she elevated the awareness of the African-American community in relation to its role in the broader majority society. Miss Bluford was a dedicated journalist from her humble beginnings as a reporter to the position of publisher and editor--she never forgot her roots. I fondly remember how she would dutifully take notes on her reporter's pad with her ever present red pen. As a role model and a journalist, I remember Miss Bluford for her fairness and unassuming manner. She was never one to seek out the spotlight or glory. She spoke her mind to the powerful and stood by her beliefs without hesitation.

Miss Bluford has been an inspiration to me. Her dedication and commitment to public service served as an example to all of us who work to make our community better. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring her for her service to our community and the nation.

Miss Bluford can never be replaced, but her ideals and principals will remain as a fundamental foundation for our community. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family members, co-workers, and friends. All of our lives are richer for having known Miss Lucile H. Bluford.

Mr. Speaker, the issue today is fixing a mistake of the last round of tax cuts: the inherent bias of the Child Tax Credit. Although the Child Tax Credit was a great victory for the families of America, it was not perfect. It created an inequality between the poor and rich by excluding 6 million members of the working class from the tax breaks.

Recognizing this error, the Senate, with support of the President, passed a bill correcting this inequality. This bill extends the tax breaks to those 6 million previously left out, while also providing an effective way of paying for the breaks. It solves the problem facing us while also being fiscally responsible.

By accepting the Senate's bill, the House could get the legislation quickly on the President's desk, expediting financial aid to those who most need it. If only it was that easy. Instead of moving to accept this legislation, the House Leadership has seized this opportunity to further their cause of additional tax relief for the wealthy. They have taken this bill and manipulated it into a tax cut with an $82 billion price tag, which will further contribute to the exponential rise of our nation's debt. Additionally, in a rarely used political maneuver, they have attached this bill to a vote upon the rule governing consideration, not the measure itself.

I urge this House to stop these political games, defeat the rule and address equity in the Child Tax Credit by passing the measure agreed to by the Senate and President Bush.