Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today, I join my colleagues in support of H.R. 399 to amend the Public Health Service Act to promote organ donation. I want to thank Congressman Bilirakis for his commitment to this cause.

The advances in technology have increased the chances of survival for many suffering from life-threatening illnesses. But technology alone is not enough. In many cases, survival depends on some form of transplant. Sadly, the need far exceeds the number of donors. H.R. 399 is a big step in addressing this serious demand.

Educating the public about the need for donors and the ways one can become a donor is crucial. Many believe that donation only comes at the end of a life. But each year thousands get a new change at life through the generosity and courage of living donors. For the families facing the loss of a loved one, donation is a legacy of life and an example of the best of humanity in the face of tragedy.

In promoting awareness of the need for donors, H.R. 399 offers hope to thousands waiting for another chance at life. I strongly support H.R. 399 and urge its passage.

Madam Speaker, today, I join my colleagues in support of H.R. 441 authorizing a U.S. plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva. I want to thank Congressman Sherrod Brown for his continued commitment to this cause.

The Constitution of the World Health Organization states, ``the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.'' Taiwan's participation in the organization advances this principle.

Taiwan has made many positive contributions that benefit our country and help the international community attain the health goals set by the World Health Organization. Advancing Taiwan's participation in the WHO would provide the people of Taiwan more opportunities to participate in international health initiatives.

Taiwan's willingness to come to the aid of the people of El Salvador in the wake of the devastating earthquake in January 2001 is indicative of their commitment to global health. In the days following the earthquake, the Taiwanese government sent 2 rescue teams that included emergency, medical and engineering specialists to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts. In addition, the Taiwanese government donated $200,000 in relief aid to the Salvadoran government.

The WHO Constitution also states, ``the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest co-operation of individuals and States.'' In advancing the participation of Taiwan in the WHO, we are increasing global cooperation to address the pressing health concerns of our time. I strongly commend H.R. 441 to my colleagues and urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I am a new member of the Committee on Armed Services. I would like to recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), our chairman, and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), our ranking member.

On September 11, 2001, I was acting Governor of Guam. I will remember that day forever. Even though the terrorist attacks occurred thousands of miles away, the people of Guam heard the call to service in defense of our Nation. The 44th Aerial Port Squadron of Guam mobilized to the Middle East and the 368th Military Police Company of Guam has been deployed to Okinawa and mainland Japan. Our first responders, the National Guard, the Reserves and the active duty military are defending this Nation against those that attack innocent civilians.

Our troops are forgoing their families and, in some cases, their livelihoods to combat this threat. So I want to thank them very much for carrying the burden of separation and living with the fear of loss of their loved ones in service of our great Nation. This is a war that cannot be won by force of arms alone, but by the unity and strength of purpose of our Nation. That strength of purpose shines bright in our servicemen and women and they will deliver victory. They do us all proud. I commend them and thank them for their ongoing successful mission defending the homeland and on the front lines of freedom throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I introduced H.R. 672 to rename the Guam South Elementary/Middle School as the Commander William C. McCool Elementary/ Middle School in memory of the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia on its final mission.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), the 26 bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation, as well as the leadership of the Committee on Armed Services for their assistance in bringing this legislation to the floor to coincide with the memorial service for Commander McCool being held this week at the U.S. Naval Academy.

With this act of Congress, I hope that Commander McCool's bravery and academic excellence will be permanently affixed in the hearts and minds of the children of Guam. Commander McCool lived on Guam while his father served as a Navy pilot, and he attended Dededo Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School. He was an exceptional student and a talented long distance runner.

He studied hard and earned the opportunity to attend the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated second in his class in 1983. He went on to receive his Masters of Science in computer science at the University of Maryland in 1985. After completing several deployments with Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons 129 and 133, Commander McCool was accepted into the Naval Postgraduate School/Test Pilot School, TPS, in 1989.

After graduating from TPS in 1992, Commander McCool managed a wide range of projects, often coordinating studies and tests of aviation vessels with the United States Navy. His distinguished record of service led to his selection in NASA's astronaut program in April of 1996.

Commander McCool pursued his dream of space flight with vigor and passion. He lived his dream, and we on Guam are amazed that someone we knew, who was part of our island community, was the pilot of a space shuttle. Teachers on Guam point to his remarkable life to inspire school children to dare to dream big things, to believe in themselves, and to reach for the stars. Today, we are reminded of his dream. We are inspired by his strength of character, and we are called to do our part to keep his dream alive.

Guam South is part of the Department of Defense Domestic Dependence Elementary and Secondary School System. Commander McCool would be proud to be associated with it. The school was established in 1997 and now has 750 students. The elementary school is 550 students strong, with blue and white as its colors and the Jaguar as its mascot. The middle school is 200 students strong, with the Guam South Stingrays as their mascot. Guam South is ably run by Principal William Hall and 75 outstanding teachers.

The clients of the school are primarily Navy families, just like Commander McCool's. Willie McCool was a dedicated husband and father. He leaves behind his lovely wife, Lani, and their three sons, Sean, 22; Christopher, 20; and Cameron, 15. He is survived by his parents, Barry and Audrey McCool, as well as Lani's parents, Atilana and Albert Vellejos, who live in Dededo, Guam. They join the families of Rick Husband, David Brown, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, and Laurel Clark in bearing the burden and the glory of this Nation's space aspirations.

So for all of them and for the future participants of our space program studying on Guam, I commend this legislation to my colleagues and urge its swift passage.

I would like to end my remarks by calling for a moment of silence to remember the crew of Space Shuttle Columbia on Mission STS-107.

As we say good-bye to Willie McCool, I would like to point out that here he is standing before the shuttle just before leaving with our island flag. Pues adios, Willie; in guaiya hao. In our Chamorro language this means good-bye, Willie; we love you.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his very, very wonderful description of my island home.

I am pleased to join my colleagues this evening in this most important dialogue. I want to thank our colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), for his leadership on these issues, and in particular for his sponsorship of House Resolution 56, which seeks to increase our awareness and further public understanding of the internment of American citizens during World War II.

The internment of the Japanese Americans, German Americans, and Italian Americans was a grave injustice and a violation of their civil rights. There are lessons to be learned from this experience, and these lessons cannot be learned without discussing and understanding the circumstances surrounding the enactment of executive order 9066.

We must be cognizant of the fragile nature of our civil rights, which have been won on the battlefield and in the halls of Congress. We must always be mindful of the threats to our freedom and security, and likewise we must be mindful of how our own perceptions of our fellow Americans and our own prejudices affect our very freedom.

These are not academic issues in a history book. These are experiences that must be understood in the context of the current debate on homeland security. It is now more important than ever because of the many issues that have arisen concerning security in the aftermath of September 11.

As we reflect on these events of World War II, we are appalled at our actions toward fellow citizens. We must be mindful that our actions today will be subjected to the same hindsight. As we wage the war on terrorism and face the possibility of war with Iraq, the need for awareness and education is especially important. We must ensure that we have an understanding of who among us is the threat, not based on race, color or religion, but based on facts that will withstand the scrutiny of history. As we fight for our freedom and security, let us not cast aside our own humanity.

Mr. Speaker, as difficult as it is, we must come to terms with our national

mistakes, just as we celebrate our national achievements. We must acknowledge our misgivings in the past if we are to strengthen our ability to avoid mistakes in the future.

As President Ford said in 1976 when he formally rescinded executive order 9066, learning from our mistakes is not pleasant, but we must do so if we want to avoid repeating them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for this opportunity to be here tonight to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 26, honoring the contributions of Catholic schools to the academic and moral education of children on Guam and throughout our nation. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Mr. Vitter for continuing the important role played by Catholic Schools here in the 108th congress.

The tradition of Roman Catholicism on Guam dates back to the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The island eventually became an important stop along the Spanish Galleon Trade Route.

In 1668, Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores and his missionaries brought Christianity to the people of Guam. They established a mission in village of Hagatna which later became the site of the first Catholic Church and is now the seat of the Archdiocese of Guam.

From these seeds, the Catholic faith on Guam has flourished and with it, faith-based institutions such as the Catholic School system have likewise thrived. Today, in one of the clearest manifestations of this tradition, nearly a quarter of Guamanian school children attend Catholic schools throughout the Island.

In the modem era, Bishop Apollinaris Baumgartner established the foundations of Guam's Catholic Schools. Guam's first Chamorro Bishop, Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores, made Catholic education a priority and instilled a tremendous pride in the academic and moral education provided by the Catholic schools. His successor, Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron has continued the tradition of excellence that has been the standard of the Catholic Schools in Guam.

The contribution of the Catholic school system to the people of Guam is reflected in our local leaders in the clergy, government and private-sector who are alumni of the Catholic schools. I am confident the influence of the Catholic schools will produce Guam's leaders of tomorrow.

I would now like to recognize and commend the Catholic schools on Guam for their commitment to instilling the principles of academic knowledge and sound moral values in the daily lives of our children. Those offering a secondary curriculum include: the Notre Dame High School in Talofofo, Father Duenas Memorial School in Tai, and Academy of Our Lady of Guam in Hagatna. Additionally, those offering an elementary and middle school education include: Bishop Baumgartener Memorial School in Sinajana, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Agat, St. Anthony School in Tamuning, Saint Francis School in Yona, San Vicente School in Barrigada, and Santa Barbara School in Dededo. Finally, those offering a nursery school education include: the Dominican Child Care Development Center in Sinajana, Infant of Prague in Tai, Maria Artero in Hagatna, and Mercy Heights in Tamuning.

I would also like to recognize the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of Mercy, Dominican Sisters, the religious orders of Capuchins, Franciscans, Jesuits and Marists for their service in educating the children of Guam. I would also like to commend the Archdiocese of Hagatna under the leadership of Archbishop Apuron for its guidance in administrating the Catholic Schools on Guam.

Finally, I want commend all the students, parents, teachers and administrators of Catholic schools in Guam and across the nation for their contributions to our nation and our world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 5-year- old girl from Guam. Her name is Justice Taitague, and she passed away Sunday evening.

Justice suffered from leukemia. Her best chance for life was a marrow transplant. Through the efforts of Dr. Thomas Shieh, president of the Guam Medical Society, and the Hawaiian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and the National Marrow Donor program, the first-ever marrow drive on Guam was held. This ``Drive for Justice'' registered 3,400 donors in 3 days.

Together with the people of Guam, I extend my deepest sympathy to the family of Justice Taitague. Our hearts and our prayers are with her parents, Lynn and Anthony.

National Donor Day is this Friday, Valentine's Day. There is still a critical need for donors from the Asian, Pacific Islander, and other minority communities. Give the gift of life. Join the registry. Because of Justice, many others will now have life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues and our Nation in expressing our profound sorrow on the occasion of the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy. The people of Guam join their fellow Americans today in mourning for the Columbia crew.

Guam has a unique tie to one of the crew members, Lt. Commander William McCool, the pilot on the Space Shuttle Columbia. Lt. Commander McCool lived on Guam and attended Dededo Middle School and John F. Kennedy High School. He later married Lani Vallejos of Dededo, Guam, whom he met on the island. We are so proud to have had a member of our island community in the space program. America indeed lost a hero, and Guam lost a son.

Commander McCool was very proud of his ties to our island. He carried the Guam flag on this tragic mission, and I show Members a picture as he stands before the shuttle with our flag.

Willie McCool was a dedicated husband and father. He leaves behind his wife, Lani, and their three sons, Sean, Christopher and Cameron. Lani's parents, Atilana and Albert Vallejos, from Dededo, Guam, proudly attended the launch 16 days prior to the tragedy.

Commander McCool is fondly remembered by those whose lives he touched as a student while on Guam. He was an exceptional student and a very talented athlete. While at Dededo Middle School, young Willie McCool wrote a poem that was published on the front page of his school newspaper that revealed his love of Guam and his early ambition to be an astronaut. He was probably about 12 years old, and this is the poem:

``I came to an island in the middle of the sea. It was so nice that I jumped for glee. There are palm trees, coconuts and bananas, too. Plus birds and fish, so unbelievable but true. It was so nice that no one can complain. But he who does must be insane. This is such a nice and beautiful place, you'd think it was heaven--or outer space.''

Willie pursued his dream with vigor and passion. He lived his dream, and we on Guam are amazed that someone we knew from our island community was the pilot of a space shuttle.

Teachers on Guam point to his remarkable life to inspire school children to dare to dream big things, to believe in themselves, and to reach for the stars. Although we are saddened by this tragedy, we take solace in knowing that Willie McCool will be forever remembered by our Nation and by the people of Guam as an inspiration to our children and as a hero for all.

``Pues adios, Willie, in guiya hao.'' In our Chamorro language, that means, good-bye, Willie, we love you.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Guam eagerly anticipate the State of the Union report which President Bush will deliver tonight. While the President will speak in broad terms about the Nation, I take this opportunity to let the Nation know about the situation on my home island of Guam, which has been recently devastated by Super Typhoon Pongsona.

Super Typhoon Pongsona struck Guam on December 8, 2002, with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour and wind gusts exceeding 200 miles per hour. This severe typhoon battered Guam for 8 long hours; and in its aftermath, Guam's power, water, and wastewater systems were seriously damaged. In addition, Guam had just begun to fully recover from another storm, Typhoon Chata'an, which struck in July 2002, barely 6 months before Typhoon Pongsona.

Our island looked like a war zone. Hotels had their windows blown out and over 120 concrete power poles snapped due to the force of Pongsona. Aluminum typhoon shutters were ripped off the windows; and air conditioners were blown off roof tops and windows, creating holes for rain to destroy the interior of our homes.

Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Station, and Apra Harbor, were hit hard, as well as our own civilian airport, closing both airports and delaying relief flights. Four fuel storage tanks at the Port of Guam caught fire and burned for days, jeopardizing nearby storage tanks filled with aviation fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel. Two tanks were destroyed completely, while two others have been damaged.

Many people on Guam who have lived through other typhoons over the years have remarked that Pongsona was the worst typhoon they had ever experienced in their lives. I was there to witness this.

President Bush declared Guam a major disaster area following Super Typhoon Pongsona, and the FEMA emergency management agency, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Catholic Social Services, and many other volunteers mobilized for the relief and recovery effort. We on Guam are sincerely grateful for all these efforts and for the incredible response of the Guam National Guard, the Government of Guam employees, and the reserve and active duty military units on Guam. There is nothing more humbling to a community than to see the outpouring of assistance to us in our time of desperate need. There is nothing more heroic than to see Guardsmen, government employees, and volunteers leave their own ravaged homes behind and respond to the call of duty.

Seven weeks later, as I speak today, 20 percent of our island is still without power. Power outages plague our community every day. The water system is still not at full capacity, and the government is still coping with the enormous challenges ahead. Governor Felix Camacho and Lieutenant Governor Kaleo Moylan took office on January 6, 2003, facing the daunting task of completing the recovery. The 27th Guam legislature, under the leadership of Speaker Ben Pangelinan also assumed office with these great challenges awaiting them. Our people pray for our leaders to succeed, because not since the liberation of Guam from its World War II occupation of our island have we faced such difficult times.

We are facing 20 percent unemployment, a bottoming out of our tourist industry, and an expensive recovery that may last the rest of this year. We need the Federal Government to extend whatever help is available, not just to clean up after the typhoon but to help us restore our economy and rebuild our basic infrastructure. We need hazard mitigation assistance to make Guam less vulnerable to the next super typhoon, and we need the prayers and the support of the American people for their fellow American citizens who live on Guam.

We are a community that prides ourselves on our self-reliance and our resilience after any hardship. We have great optimism and great faith in our future. We need a hand right now, and we ask that President Bush and the Congress take just a minute as we reflect on the blessing and opportunities of our great country to remember that some Americans are facing great hardships tonight. Please remember Guam.