Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Easy Lift Transportation as they celebrate their 25th anniversary of providing transportation services to the disabled and elderly in the Santa Barbara area.

Easy Lift Transportation is a charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to helping the disabled and frail elderly live independently while remaining in their own homes. Easy Lift has been providing wheelchair accessible transportation services in southern Santa Barbara County since 1979. Beginning with one motor home in 1979, Easy Lift Transportation has grown to operate eighteen vehicles, eighteen hours a day, 363 days per year.

Easy Lift Transportation provides door-to-door transportation to individuals in the communities of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria. Easy Lift Transportation is preparing to serve its one-millionth rider. They currently provide over sixty thousand rides a year.

In addition to helping many Santa Barbara area residents gain independence by ensuring that they can get to doctor's appointments and other events, Easy Lift helps the broader Santa Barbara community as well. Easy Lift Transportation provides transit services and driver training to other non-profit organizations in the Santa Barbara area. I would like to commend Easy Lift Transportation of Santa Barbara for their work and congratulate them on their twenty-fifth anniversary of operation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to a very special resident of the 23rd Congressional District, Ann Rudolph, as she retires from Hollister School. As Office Manager, Ann has touched the lives of countless Hollister School students, parents and faculty over the past 18 years.

One of the Principals who worked with Ann described her as the centerpiece of the school. Her caring nature and generosity extended well past her job description as she corralled stray dogs, helped paint office walls and provided after-school academic assistance to students in need. In addition to providing countless hours of her time to school projects and to helping each student succeed, Ann assisted in jog-a- thons, created a scholarship fund for sixth grade science camp and contributed to the school band. Ann provided for the Hollister School community as if each child were her own. She valued every individual, working with parents and teachers to make each student's experience at Hollister the best it could be.

When talking about Ann to students, one might hear a story of Ann waiting until late afternoon with a student until her parents arrived, or inviting a child to her home for after school tutoring. In addition to her extensive work with the students, Ann also assisted members of the Santa Barbara community by washing all of the school's unclaimed ``lost and found'' clothes so that they could be given to needy families.

Ann Rudolph has served the Hollister School community in so many ways over her 18 years of employment. She has touched the lives of many and will be missed by each parent, teacher and student who had the privilege of knowing her. Dedicated and devoted people like Ann are what make our community so special. I wish Ann the best as she begins retirement and thank her for all that she has done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 417 and in recognition and gratitude for the lifetime of service provided to his country by Central Coast resident and Tuskegee Airman, Mr. Art Hicks.

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of brave Americans who volunteered to become this country's first African-American military pilots. These courageous men flew airplanes for their country in the war against fascism, while enduring and waging their own struggle against racism and segregation here at home. Despite the predictions of many defenders of segregation that the Tuskegee Airmen would end in failure, they developed a record of unparalleled skill and courage.

One hundred fifty brave Tuskegee Airmen were lost during training or combat, but they destroyed more than 1,000 German aircraft. Unbelievably, despite flying over 200 bomber escort missions during the war, they never lost a single bomber under their escort.

No one exemplified the honor and service of the Tuskegee Airmen more than Art Hicks. He was born in Georgia in 1922 and grew up under the dark cloud of segregation and its daily dangers, indignities, and humiliations. During World War II, he volunteered to become a Tuskegee Airman.

He eventually served 28 years in the military, retiring in 1971. But after the War, he continued to encounter the racism that also greeted so many of his fellow comrades.

In 1989, nearly single-handedly, he fought and won a battle to remove a barrier to integration at the Elks Lodge and eliminate a stain from this venerable and honorable institution. Doubtless fueled by the same courage and commitment to fight wrong that had propelled him to sign up to be a Tuskegee Airman some four decades earlier, Mr. Hicks fought to eliminate the rule that allowed any three members of the Elks Lodge to block admission of potential members. In many cases, this rule helped to continue a pattern of exclusion based on race or religion. Mr. Hicks began a local letter-writing campaign, was eventually joined by the NAACP, and saw the rule abolished at the Elks national convention later that year.

Mr. Speaker, the Tuskegee Airmen exhibited bravery, skill and sacrifice for their country, while often facing mistreatment from the

society they were defending. They showed the best of America, and we are all so proud of their accomplishments. I am privileged to count one of them among my neighbors on the Central Coast of California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday.

This Memorial Day is particularly poignant as hundreds of thousands of brave American service men and women are serving their country and putting their lives on the line in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.

Our service men and women--including many from my community on the Central Coast of California--have left their homes, jobs, and families to serve in Afghanistan and Iraq.

While we honor those who are currently serving and pray for their safe return home, today we remember and pay tribute to the Americans who have fought and given their lives for us, from Lexington and Concord to the beaches of Normandy, the jungles of Vietnam, the mountains of Afghanistan, and the desert of Iraq.

Every casualty on the battlefield is a blow to our nation, but we are mindful that it is an unspeakable loss to the family and friends of the one who has been lost.

We know too that the qualities embodied by our fallen soldiers-- heroism, honor, bravery, and sacrifice--cannot always be of great comfort to those who knew them best.

My thoughts and prayers are especially with the loved ones of fallen soldiers who hail from Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties on California's Central Coast.

The very least the Federal government can do for those who did their duty and served our nation is to provide them quality health care and retirement benefits. This is our duty.

Today, we pause and remember those who have died to preserve American values. We honor those who fought, and who fight today to protect American freedoms.

I will do everything I can to keep our troops safe and to preserve the quality of life of our veterans. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, the President recently said that he unambiguously opposes oil and gas drilling off the coast of Florida, but 2 years ago, he proposed weakening the very law that Florida and California used to protect their valuable coastlines from new drilling.

Then the President threw his support behind an energy bill that undermines the bipartisan agreement against new drilling off Florida, California and other coastal States.

Now the President is considering a report from the National Petroleum Council, a group composed mainly of energy executives, which has recommended drilling off Florida, California and coastal States.

Mr. Speaker, these actions show how out of step the President's policies are with coastal communities. By contrast, Senator Kerry has a long record opposing offshore oil drilling.

He passed legislation to impose a moratorium on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, blocking oil and gas companies from drilling in environmentally sensitive areas; and he has sought long-term solutions that make sense for energy development and that balance environmental protection and economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, the President should be supporting policies to protect our valuable coastal communities. In short, he should be doing what Senator Kerry is doing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary accomplishment by one of the Central Coast's finest educational institutions: Santa Maria High School (SMHS).

I am delighted to report that SMHS will receive the College Board 2004 Inspiration Award for its steadfast commitment to fostering student success in one of America's most socioeconomically challenged communities. To meet each student's personal needs, the staff has been deeply involved in developing a variety of innovative methods to reach students and improve learning and success in a diverse and dynamic setting. A distinguished panel of Inspiration Award judges selected Santa Maria High School based on the school's success in increasing the number of student's preparation for college.

While many SMHS students are children of migrant farm workers who never had the opportunity to graduate from high school, a ``can-do'' attitude permeates the school. Santa Maria's 3,650 students learn in a facility designed for 1,800. Despite the portable classroom trailers used to accommodate the overflow, students and teachers go about their business of learning and teaching with great spirit and determination.

Mr. Speaker, historically this school had its share of struggles, including poor achievement and gang activity. The transformation of SMHS began a decade ago. SMHS embarked on an action plan that included career exploration initiatives, the creation of a college center, and partnerships with businesses and community leaders.

Additionally, Mr. Speaker, I have a personal connection to this school. One of my legislative aides, a proud SMHS graduate, serves in my Washington office and helps with the important issues of the 23rd Congressional District.

In closing, I want to affirm my support for SMHS, and ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the school on its receipt of the College Board 2004 Inspiration Award. This Monday will be a very proud day in the beautiful mosaic we call Santa Maria.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Alex Madonna of San Luis Obispo, California, in my district. Alex died on April 22, leaving a hole in the heart of his wife of 55 years, Phyllis, and in those of his large and devoted family. He will truly be missed by the people of San Luis Obispo County, and throughout the Nation.

Alex Madonna was a second generation American whose grandparents emigrated from Switzerland. A self-made man who was guided by a strong work ethic, Alex made his mark building and paving highways throughout the state and in numerous building projects. During World War II, Alex used his construction skills as a soldier in the Army Corps of Engineers. A champion of the agricultural community, Alex was also known as ``the host from the coast'' at the Madonna Inn, a landmark in San Luis Obispo.

In addition to his numerous business accomplishments, Alex Madonna was also a philanthropist of legendary proportions. Alex Madonna's generosity to the people and the organizations of San Luis Obispo is part of history. Nearly everyone in town has a story about a donation that Alex and Phyllis have made to our community.

San Luis Obispo will be wearing pink on Thursday, the day of Alex Madonna's funeral. The church will be packed with people wanting to say goodbye to a man whose life can be summed up in these words: determination, hard work and a great heart.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Rape and sexual assault affects women, children, and men of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds. I commend the work of local organizations to end this type of violence.

The importance of these issues is illustrated by statistics that indicate that there were 10,176 forcible rapes reported in 2002; and that the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that over 70 percent of rapes are never reported to police; and that one in three women, one in four girls, one in six boys and one in eleven men will be victims of sexual violence at least once in their lifetimes.

While one person, organization, agency or community cannot eliminate sexual assault on their own, we must work together to educate our entire society about what can be done to prevent sexual assault, as well as to support survivors and their significant others, and increase support for agencies providing these services.

Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center has led the way in Santa Barbara in addressing sexual assault by providing 24-hour hotline services to survivors and their significant others, responding to emergency calls, offering support and comfort to those impacted by sexual assault during medical exams, criminal proceedings, and empowering those impacted by sexual assault to chart their own course for healing.

Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center has set an important example of how forging collaborative relationships between service agencies and organizations improves the quality of service for those most profoundly and directly impacted by sexual violence.

Ending sexual assault in Santa Barbara must include active public and private efforts in collaboration with Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, including dialogue about what sexual violence is, how to prevent it and how to help survivors connect with crucial counseling and support services.

As a nurse, I understand firsthand the importance of education as it pertains to healthcare and to the prevention and elimination of sexual assault. I commend the efforts of the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center as they work to educate our community and provide crucial services to victims and their family members and significant others.

I want to express my strong support for all programs aimed at the elimination of sexual violence and hereby proclaim April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura & San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc. on their 40th anniversary. Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura & San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc. promotes family planning and healthy, responsible reproductive and sexual behavior through the provision of high-quality, comprehensive educational, counseling, medical and referral services.

Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura & San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc. promotes public understanding, acceptance and support for reproductive choice and family planning services. They provide these important services to everyone who needs them, regardless of their ability to pay.

Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura & San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc. promotes public understanding of global problems that stem from population pressures and encourages support of programs working toward solutions to these problems. More than 52,000 reproductive health care visits are provided annually to more than 20,000 low-income women, men and teens. Planned Parenthood should be commended for their outreach to underserved populations and for their provision of care in an unbiased and accepting environment.

The advocacy efforts on behalf of clients that Planned Parenthood provides, ensures that women and families continue to have access to the full array of reproductive health care services. I celebrate Planned Parenthood's forty years of dedicated service to this community.

Professional and peer educators provide sexuality education to promote healthy sexual attitudes and responsible sexual behavior to more than 66,000 teens, young adults and parents annually. As a nurse I understand firsthand the importance of proper health education. I commend Planned Parenthood for providing such a critical service.

In closing, I want to affirm my support for Planned Parenthood, as we join in commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura & San Luis Obispo Counties, Inc. in order to focus public attention on the importance of promoting family planning and responsible choices so that each person may make an educated choice about the future.

Mr. Chairman, I rise against the President's budget and the Republican budget because of their lack of attention to the need of the uninsured with no health care.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, the Republican budget does ignore critical environmental and public health needs. For example, the budget for the Environmental Protection Agency would reduce actual spending by hundreds of millions of dollars from the fiscal year 2004 enacted level.

For one thing, this means less money will be available for ensuring safe drinking water. EPA has documented a huge unmet need for improvements to our Nation's water infrastructure. As our population grows, our existing water infrastructure will reach the end of its lifespan, and each year we fall further behind. The response to these documented huge unmet needs is to cut funding by $822 million.

The Republican budget also fails to reinstate the expired Superfund tax levied on corporations. As a result, the polluter-pays principle is abandoned and the corporate polluters will not be held accountable for their actions, leaving taxpayers to foot the entire bill for the cleanup of many hazardous waste sites. It sounds like a tax levy to me.

The Republican budget also leaves thousands of communities on the hook to clean up leaking underground storage tanks. Never mind that the leaking underground storage tank program, the LUST fund, is paid for at the pump by all of us. It has $2.4 billion in it, yet this budget asks for only $73 million to clean up leaking tanks, even though there are 136,000 confirmed releases where leaking tanks and MTBE are contaminating the ground water and drinking supplies. It is a pathetic response.

Finally, the budget calls for fewer brownfields grants than authorized by the new law signed 2 years ago. Contamination is hampering redevelopment efforts in thousands of our communities. And while States have begun addressing the brownfields problem, the Republican budget fails to provide Federal assistance to jump-start these efforts.

We can no longer shortchange the American people when it comes to protecting our health and environment. So the Democratic budget fully funds the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, restores funding for cleanup of leaking tanks and brownfields, and we make polluters pay for cleaning up toxic sites, not the taxpayer.

Mr. Chairman, good environmental policy is also good for the economy. The Democratic budget recognizes that the public has a right to clean air, safe drinking water, and a well-preserved environment. So I urge a ``no'' vote on the Republican budget and a ``yes'' vote on the Democratic budget.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time.

Mr. Chairman, the budget before us does not reflect the values of this country, particularly in the area of health care. More than 40 million Americans are uninsured, according to Kaiser. Children, including unborn children, and pregnant mothers are particularly hard hit by this crisis.

But instead of trying to do something to help hard-working people, instead of acting to shore up what little health care low-income, working Americans have, this budget wastes resources and cuts important funding.

We can all agree that when budget deficits are soaring, we cannot afford to throw money down the drain on inefficient proposals, but this President's proposal to offer $70 billion in tax credits to working poor people is a waste of taxpayer dollars. According to experts, it is going to help only 5 percent of the uninsured.

We could spend this money more efficiently to help far more of the uninsured. Instead of squandering the taxpayers' money on an inefficient tax credit, we should direct Federal resources to expanding already existing public programs that have proven effective.

The Republican budget, however, cuts $2.2 billion from just such a program: Medicaid. Medicaid currently provides health care to 52 million Americans, including 39 million low-income children and their parents. This is nearly one in four children in this country. It is a critical source of acute and long-term care for 13 million elderly and disabled. Without Medicaid, the ranks of the uninsured would be almost double what they are today.

Now, with the economy on life support and the ranks of the uninsured growing, sustaining Medicaid makes even more sense. Last year we provided, in a bipartisan fashion, an extra $10 billion to States facing fiscal crises to preserve Medicaid coverage. And today, States are still in financial crisis. The National Conference of State Legislatures projects that States are going to face a $35 billion shortfall as they face 2005. Many have already made severe cuts in Medicaid, and many others are preparing to do so.

But instead of acting to shore up Medicaid and protect health care for a quarter of our Nation's children, this budget cuts billions from those efforts. These cuts are opposed by the bipartisan National Governors Association, the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, Nurses Association, Cancer Society and many other groups and organizations. In fact, AARP's letter to Congress says, ``AARP has serious concerns about proposals to reduce Federal Medicaid funding. Arbitrary reductions in Medicaid would be particularly harmful at this time, as those who rely on this program are already losing access to care just as States continue to wrestle with budget shortfalls and adjust to the loss of temporary assistance provided last year.''

Twenty-nine of our colleagues from the other side of the aisle wrote to the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Nussle) on March 9 asking that these cuts be removed, but they were not. We cannot afford to cut Medicaid now. Such cuts would hurt low-income children, parents, pregnant women, the elderly, and disabled.

What do we stand for in this place? The budget of the Democratic Party is superior by comparison. Instead of cutting $2 billion for Medicaid, our budget would provide $8 billion over 10 years to expand Medicaid and to fund the bipartisan Family Opportunity Act, allowing families with disabled children to buy into Medicaid to get critical health coverage.

I urge our colleagues to show their support for health care for hardworking Americans. Vote against this resolution and support the Democratic alternative.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this resolution. Our troops should not be a pawn in a political power play. This resolution is not a simple statement of support for the incredibly valiant work of our men and women in Iraq. It is a cynical, political tool to further the agenda of the Bush Administration during this election year.

This resolution was pushed through the House of Representatives without input from a single Democrat. I wanted to vote for a resolution that truly recognizes the sacrifice of our troops and the importance of living up to our commitments to them, but the Republican leadership would not allow a vote on any other measure but their own. I refuse to bow to the politization of the grave matter of our young people at war, and for this reason I voted against the resolution.

Let me be clear: our troops deserve our qualified support as they serve our Nation in such dangerous circumstances. But that support must be more than empty words, it must be in promises kept.

I would have voted today for a resolution that reiterated our commitment to providing our troops with the body armor and armored vehicles they need to keep them safe, to immediately address the intelligence deficiencies that continue to put our troops in further danger, and to insist on a clearly articulated strategy for post-war occupation and exit of Iraq.

This alternative resolution I supported included provisions to eliminate the disparities in pay between our active duty military and the National Guard and reservists, and provide the health care and benefits our wounded veterans need when they come home. But the Republican majority never allowed for a vote on this fair-minded alternative.

Last week I sat in the Budget Committee and watched in shock as the Republican members of the Committee voted on party lines to reject a ``Support Our Troops'' amendment that would have raised funding levels for the military by $2.5 billion. This money would have been spent on family separation pay, imminent danger pay, education funding for military school children, and TRICARE military health coverage for reservists, and military housing programs. How can we look our troops in the eye and tell them Congress rejected actual funding that would help them and their families through this difficult time, but instead passed a relatively meaningless resolution of our support? This is unconscionable.

I also strongly object to the clause in today's resolution claiming that the ``world is safer'' as a result of the Iraq war. Mr. Speaker, I disagree. Iraq is still in chaos. American soldiers, international diplomats, and Iraqi civilians are being killed every day. And the Administration is still a long way from pacifying Iraq or setting up a stable government. The Administration made claims that Iraq was a base of International terrorism and that turned out to be false.

Our troops deserve better than more empty words from Congress. On the one-year anniversary of the start to this misguided war, they deserve to be supported with sound policy, real dollars, and the commitment to bring them home safely.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 519, a resolution honoring the victims of the December 22, 2003, San Simeon earthquake and paying tribute to the law enforcement, emergency personnel, and many local leaders who provided assistance to citizens throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.

I thank my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) for introducing this resolution and for bringing it to the floor of the House today. It has been a privilege for me to work with him to help get the central coast back on its feet again.

Mr. Speaker, earthquakes impact all segments of the communities they strike: Individuals, businesses, and public services such as police, fire, hospitals, and schools. In the days following this earthquake I was very moved by the devastation in San Luis Obispo County and in northern Santa Barbara County. The earthquake registered 6.5 on the Richter Scale and was felt from San Francisco all the way to Los Angeles. I know what it was like to feel it strongly in my fourth

floor congressional office building as I was meeting with constituents at that very hour.

Even though the earthquake lasted only seconds, it left behind destruction that will take months, if not years, to repair and rebuild. The greatest tragedy, of course, is that time will not undue the loss of life of two people caused by this earthquake. Two women perished when a clock tower collapsed in Paso Robles. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the friends and families of these victims.

More than 50 people were injured as a result of the earthquake. There was extensive damage to residential properties, to historical and public buildings, and to public utility structures. I have received numerous calls and letters from constituents who have suffered major losses to their businesses.

Total costs and damages to the counties of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara are expected to exceed $300 million with reports of more damage coming in daily.

Mr. Speaker, residents and local authorities are continuing to rebuild their lives after this earthquake. I was pleased the President heeded calls from Governor Schwarzenegger, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), and me and declared San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties Federal disaster areas as a result of the December 22 earthquake. Federal funding and loan assistance is essential to help businesses and individuals rebuild their lives and get their lives back on track following this, such a devastating earthquake.

However, I remain disappointed that the Governor's request that Santa Barbara County's Federal disaster area declaration does not include individual assistance programs. It only limits the support from the Federal Government to the businesses involved.

In northern Santa Barbara County, especially in the cities of Santa Maria and Guadalupe, homeowners are still suffering from the impact of this earthquake and its after shocks. Updated damage assessments have revealed that northern Santa Barbara County residents suffered much more loss than was originally estimated.

My office will continue to work with all businesses and all families affected by the earthquake to ensure that they have access to loans and other assistance that could help them recover as quickly as possible. Work has already begun to make sure that the hundreds of Federal historic properties are preserved and retrofitted to provide safe and accessible work in public spaces.

This is a critical component of creating communities where our families and businesses are safe, healthy, and that the economy is secure. State and Federal agencies, including the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, FEMA and the Small Business Administration all have been working closely with local officials to give them all the support that they need. And I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to them as well as to the first responders, to the rescue workers and to all of the volunteers, so many of them, everyone who took great risk to themselves to search the wreckage for their fellow citizens. They did an extraordinary job.

I also want to commend the city, the county, and State workers and utility crews who worked around the clock to restore power, water, and other important services to our communities. Critical functions such as emergency centers, fire stations, police stations and hospitals were functioning right after the earthquake.

We do not want to think about what would happen in such an event, but when it does, we are all heartened by the way that people pull together and work together from every level, particularly the volunteers who leave whatever they were doing aside and step right up to the plate. They cannot do it without the assistance of local, State, and Federal support.

The San Simeon earthquake was a shocking reminder to people who live just about anywhere in California that we are prone to earthquakes and should do whatever we can to prepare. Preparing for an earthquake can be as simple as making an earthquake preparedness kit with first aid supplies, extra food and water, and clothing. I encourage all Californians to take this step. This may be a lifesaver in the next quake.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, people on the Central Coast are returning to their lives as they once knew them before the earthquake. The earthquake may have shaken our foundations, but it, once again, proves the strength of our communities and our unshakable resolve to help each other out during times of tragedy. I urge immediate adoption of this resolution to pay tribute to the lives we lost that day and to honor all of those who stepped in, stepped up to the plate, to help their neighbors to get through such a difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I recently traveled to Israel and the West Bank on a trip sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was one of the busiest, most exciting, and thought-provoking weeks of my life, and it added immeasurably to my understanding of the complexities and challenges of Israeli and Palestinian life.

During this trip, I had the good fortune to spend a great deal of time with Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan, the Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem. I was not only blessed by Bishop Younan's extraordinary hospitality, but benefited so much from his intimate knowledge of the region, the issues, and the key players on both sides.

Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, Bishop Younan came to Capitol Hill for a discussion with several Members and staffers. It was indeed a compelling conversation. Since not all of my colleagues were able to meet the Bishop personally, I would like to publish in the Congressional Record a copy of his remarks. I look forward to continuing to work with all of my colleagues on the critical imperative to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an end.

Dear Friends: Good afternoon. It is an honor and a

privilege for me to be here. I am going to talk about peace

building and reconciliation in the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict. I will do so from a Palestinian Christian

perspective.

I am a Palestinian and a Christian, and I happen to be a

Lutheran. My home is in Jerusalem. We Palestinian Christians

have lived in the Holy Land since the very beginning of

Christianity.

Today we Christians are not as many as we used to be, due

to emigration. But nevertheless we Christians are an integral

segment of the Palestinian people. My family became refugees

in the 1948 war. I still carry a United Nations-issued

refugee card. I wonder if I had grown up in the difficult

circumstances of a refugee camp in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus

or Ramallah and if the Lutheran Church had not embraced me

and my family in Jerusalem, if I ever would have had the

opportunity to serve the church as a pastor or a bishop.

Sometimes, I am asked what is the role of the Church in the

midst of such an unjust and destructive situation? I believe

the Church is called to be prophetic. That means the Church

is to stand for justice, condemning every kind of injustice,

spiral violence or oppression whoever the perpetrator may be.

But at the same time, the Palestinian Church has a vision for

justice and peace. This prophetic role emanates from Prophet

Micah who taught us: ``God has told you, O mortal, what is

good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do

justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your

God.'' (Micah 6:8)

I wish to mention three particular circumstances of

injustice:

(1) The Separation Wall being built by Israel.

The Separation Wall is intended to separate lsraelis from

Palestinians and is said to be a ``security wall'' for

Israelis. I would submit to you that this wall is bound to

create more hatred, more anger and more outrage because of

the enormous losses and suffering it is creating among the

Palestinian people. In my own Lutheran synod we are finding

our people, pastors and churches being torn apart, separated

by the Wall. The members of the Lutheran Church of the

Redeemer in the Old City of Jerusalem and other Christians

will find half of their congregations on one side and half

on the other if the wall is built through a northern area

of Jerusalem as is proposed. In Beit Sahour, 110

Palestinian Christian families are threatened to lose

their houses because they happen to be near the separation

wall that will be built. The Catholic bishops from the

U.S.A. and Europe issued a statement on the 16th of

January 2004 after their visit to Jerusalem by saying:

``We have seen the devastating effect of the wall

currently being built through the land and homes of

Palestinian communities. This appears to be a permanent

structure dividing families, isolating them from their

farmland and their livelihoods, and cutting off religious

institutions.'' His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, has said

that ``the Holy Land does not need walls, but bridges.''

We long in the Holy Land for bridges rather than walls!

The separation wall diminishes the hope held by

Palestinians and Israelis that a negotiated solution

resulting in two states, side by side, living in peace, is

possible. The wall undermines the viability of a two state

solution.

(2) A rapidly declining Palestinian economy.

The World Bank notes that 70 percent of Palestinians living

under the military occupation are unemployed. And 65 percent

of the population is living under the poverty line of $2.00

USD per day. Another statistic recently released shows that

the average per capita income of Palestinians is under

$1500.00, while the average per capita income of Israelis is

more than $18,000.00, again according to the World Bank. As

you can imagine, this impoverishment has created major health

and nutrition crises, as well as shattering the dignity of

people and severely damaging the family unit and the whole

society. The poverty has a devastating impact on our daily

lives, but also undermines our hope for the future and

reconciliation.

(3) Increasing isolation of Palestinian people in their

towns and cities.

Most of our Palestinian cities and villages have become

under siege. People are forced to remain within their town,

hemmed in by checkpoints, roadblocks, tanks, armaments and

Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers and now, increasingly,

by the Separation Wall. Recently we have begun hearing that

any foreign visitors or workers in Israel must apply for a

permit to enter the West Bank, something that has been done

in regard to the Gaza Strip for sometime. Such permits, even

if issued, will severely limit the people who come into the

Palestinian towns and villages to help people and churches. I

would

like again to quote the report of the Catholic bishops: ``We

have had an experience of the frustration and humiliation

undergone everyday by Palestinians at checkpoints, which

impede them from providing for their families, reaching

hospital, getting to work, attending their studies and

visiting their relatives.''

I am here carrying in my body the pains and suffering of my

Palestinian people. But I am here with an olive branch in my

hand, saying, ``Enough for hatred, enough for occupation,

enough for spiral violence, enough for revenge and counter-

revenge; enough for stigmatization, demonization and

dehumanization of the other. I say, enough for war! It is

time for truth, justice and peace for all the people of

our land.''

Our prophetic task is to address the root cause of the

Middle East problem: The occupation has to end. It is a sin

against God and against humanity because it is depriving

people of their rights and their dignity. Occupation is as

destructive to the occupier, as it is to the occupied. As the

Heads of Churches in Jerusalem stated in March 2002: ``We

believe that the Israeli security is dependent on the

Palestinian freedom and justice. For this reason, we join our

voices with every Israeli and Palestinian seeking for a just

peace. We ask everyone to take the appropriate measures to

stop further massacres or tragedies for our two peoples.''

We want security for the Israelis, and freedom and justice

for the Palestinians. But the security of Israel is dependent

on the freedom of the Palestinians, and the justice of the

Palestinians is dependent on the security of Israel. Once we

recognize the symbiotic relationship between the two peoples,

a just peace and reconciliation will become reality.

The prophetic voice of the Palestinian Church that seeks a

just peace is a voice that believes in the future. We support

a two state solution which means having the state of Israel

and the Palestinian state within the 67 borders living side

by side in peace, justice, equality and reconciliation with a

shared Jerusalem. Here I would like to affirm the statement

made by President George W. Bush on June 24, 2002, calling

for a two-state solution with people living side by side. I

also admire the president's call for a viable, contiguous

Palestinian state. It is also our call that a just solution

will be found to the problems of the Israeli settlements in

the West Bank and Gaza, and the right of return for

Palestinian refugees in accordance with the rule of law and

international legitimacy.

No forms of peaceful settlement of the conflict will ever

be realized unless the grassroots will be reconciled with one

another. In this task the three monotheistic religions are

called to be the forerunners--preparing the way for

reconciliation. At the moment both nations are polarized with

both political and religious extremists from the three

religions forcing the two peoples apart from each other. But

those extremists must never kidnap the Middle East nor kidnap

justice, peace and reconciliation. I believe that religion

should be an instrument of peace and broker for justice.

Religion is to call Palestinians and Israelis--Jews,

Christians and Muslims--not to see God only in ourselves and

our own religion, but also in the other's, in the people who

are different from us. When we learn to see God in the other,

then we can accept the humanity of the other. Once we accept

the humanity of the other, then we accept the otherness of

the other, and then mutually recognize each other's human,

civil, religious, national and political rights. Only then

the Holy Land will become the promised land of milk and honey

for both Palestinians and Israelis.

The Palestinian Church also has a vision for the

Palestinian society. The church leaders are also calling for

justice within our society based on respect of human and

religious rights. We envision a modern democratic just civil

society. This is the reason that we have been vocal in our

joint ecumenical work to call for equality, freedom of

religion, opinion and expression for every human being. But

the Palestinian Church does not only talk, but walks the talk

and reflects that either in the immerging basic constitution,

or practices it in our educational, health and social

institutions. If we take the Evangelical Lutheran Church as

an example, we serve the needy regardless of gender,

religion, confessional or political affiliation. Our schools

raise up a new generation that is capable of building a

Palestinian democratic modern civil society. We are

teaching 3000 children in 5 schools. 37 percent of our

students are Muslims. It is our aim to teach coexistence

among Jews, Christians and Muslims, and we offer peace

education and non-violent ways of dealing with the

conflict. As it is written in our school in Bethlehem,

``Violence is the tool of the incompetent.'' We also serve

in hospitals. Our Augusta Victoria Hospital has been

serving the Palestinian refugees for the last 55 years.

Statistics show that 22,000 patients were treated in the

last year. However, we are facing a problem of the

employer's tax with the ministry of finance of the state

of Israel. The Lutheran World Federation hopes that a

solution will be found and that the agreement of tax

exemption will continue for the sake of the services we

render. Although we Christians are less than 2 percent of

the total population, we serve 20 to 25 percent of the

Palestinian people. And we urge you to see the significant

role that the Christian Church is playing to create hope

in a situation that often seems hopeless and to build a

future with justice, peace and reconciliation in our

country.

When God gave freedom and power to the United States of

America through the struggles of many women and men such as

Washington, Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and others, He

did not give you liberation to keep it in the United States,

but to help smaller nations, who are living in fear and

injustice, to enjoy what God allowed you to enjoy. Our

concern is the future of the Palestinian and Israeli

children; they are entitled to live their lives in security,

justice, freedom, respect for human rights and in peace as

American children do.

As Representative Lois Capps made plans to visit us, I told

her, ``Come and see for yourself--see the whole story on the

ground. Then judge for yourself.'' This is what I want to

tell each of you today: ``Come and see! You are very welcome.

See and hear the whole story--the fears and hopes of both

sides--and then make up your mind for yourself.''

As I come to address you, I am not asking you to be pro-

Palestinian nor to be pro-Israeli. I am asking you to be pro-

humanity, pro-truth, pro-peace and pro-reconciliation.

Because it is only then you help both peoples to find a

dignified solution.

It is time to commit ourselves to move from statements to

action and to change our warrior swords into peaceful

ploughshares. We all can say, as a graffiti said in Ramallah:

``Better the pains of peace, than the agonies of war and

occupation.''

Let us sing with King David: ``Justice and peace must kiss

each other'' (Psalm 85: 10).

May the peace of the Lord fill our hearts and direct our

ways.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to two special citizens, George and Vie Obern.

George and Vie Obern have dedicated themselves to improving conditions for bicyclists, hikers and equestrians throughout Santa Barbara County. George and Vie Obern's work led to the successful development of local trail and pathway projects, including the Maria Ygnacia Creek Bikepath, the Coastal Route Bikepath, the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail and many others.

During the 1970s, George and Vie Obern assumed a leadership role in the development of many bikepaths and trails, working to bring consensus among local homeowners, special districts, Caltrans, the Southern Pacific Railroad and county government regarding the need to build six miles of paved bikepath in the midst of an urbanized area.

The Coastal Route and Maria Ygnacia Creek bikepaths are the primary recreational facilities for the Goleta Valley and are two of the best urban pathways in the State. On January 20th, 2004, the Santa Barbara County Supervisors designated the Coastal Bike Route in Goleta Valley as the ``Obern Trail'' in recognition of the hard work and dedication that George and Vie Obern exhibited in their work to develop the trails. It is my pleasure and honor to recognize the Oberns at this time for their work in our community. The generosity and dedication of people like George and Vie Obern are what make our community special, and I am happy to salute them.