Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, let me draw your attention to a headline that appeared in the Associated Press today, and the headline reads ``Cuba Begins Trials of Dissidents. Cuba pressed forward with its harshest crackdown on dissidents in years, holding the first trials Thursday for dissidents rounded up across the Island and reportedly seeking life sentences for at least 10 of them.''

My colleagues, we are at this moment attempting to liberate Iraq from a dictator, Saddam Hussein. Our men and women are in harm's way. Regrettably, in this very Chamber, we have had our own colleagues, our own colleagues advocating open trade and opportunity with Fidel Castro.

Mr. Speaker, I am referring to the very person who is arresting and charging and sentencing dissidents in Cuba to life sentencing. At least 78 dissidents have been arrested since March 18. If you dare to speak out against the government, and I say that loosely because it is not a government, it is a dictatorship, of Fidel Castro, you are arrested. My colleagues from south Florida will tell Members at length what is considered a chargeable crime, and they will tell some of the things that this dictator is charging his citizens with.

Let me read what Elsa Pollan said about her husband, Hector Fernando Maseda. She says, ``I feel so defenseless. Where can I find someone to defend my husband?''

Her husband is going to be on trial, and no one will stand up for him. Why are our men and women in Iraq? To free and liberate people. And yet the very Members who voted to send our men and women into harm's way in Iraq, some of those people here on the floor gleefully say the embargo has not worked, 42 years later. Let us just trade with Cuba because if we embolden this dictator, he may give up and we will have freedom for people.

I have never heard such nonsense in my life. I hope those Members who advocate free trade with Cuba will look at today's headlines. If they feel comfortable doing business with a person who will incarcerate people for simply speaking their free will and their free mind, then have at it. I want no part of it.

If Members can look Elsa Pollan in the eyes and say her husband should be locked up for life because he spoke out against Fidel Castro, join with the happy campers in wanting to do free trade with Cuba. I challenge those Members who believe in free trade with Cuba, would they today, based on the political reality, advocate free trade with Saddam Hussein? Would they stand up in this well and say let us do business with Saddam Hussein because if he gets a little economic commerce, he will become a nicer person?

It is different because they keep saying if we do grain sales and medicine and food, we do opportunity, travel, somehow we are going to loosen the embargo and loosen Fidel Castro's grip on his people. Obviously, Fidel Castro has a different opinion on what loosening the grip on his people means. There are 78 people, confirmed defendants, and sentences sought for each. Several Cuban exile groups have distributed slightly longer lists. We are not sure. We hear 78 by the Associated Press. These are probably people who we will never hear from again because they will probably be dead at the hands of Fidel Castro's henchmen.

Mr. Speaker, tonight I ask my colleagues to carefully look at the headlines, think about our men and women in harm's way, and think if they really want to pursue a policy of appeasement with a man who is in fact locking up his own citizens as we speak. The parallels between Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro are absolutely identical. One has a beard, one is south of Florida by 90 miles, the other is in the Middle East. But if the citizens dare speak out against either, they are dead or imprisoned for life. If they advocate health care or opportunity, they are arrested. Please do not fall for the trap; trade will not work. The embargo must stand. Fidel must go, and Cubans on that beautiful island south of Florida should have a chance for democracy and free elections.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 95, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 1104, which will help strengthen the AMBER Alert provision being considered today.

First let me thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the committee, for his efforts to move this important package through the House today. Provisions like the ``two strikes and you're out'' for repeat child sex offenders, penalties for international sex tourism, the doubling of funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and, of course, the AMBER Alert Act all make this legislation another nail in the coffin for those who prey on the most innocent of our society, and that is our children.

Last summer we were all shocked and horrified by the high-profile abduction cases of children from all over our country. Every time there was a new report of a missing child, one could almost feel the collective shudder of parents from the east coast to the west. The only comfort we had was the successful recovery of several children as a result of the AMBER Alert system.

AMBER, which stands for America's Missing Broadcast Emergency Response plan, is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases. Just like with severe weather alerts, broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System to air a description of the missing child and suspected abductor.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the support of the chairman of the committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson), the cochair of the Congressional Caucus for Missing and Exploited Children.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I will submit my comments for the Record.

I rise to strongly support the Carter amendment. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson) and I both were authors in 1998 for the Volunteers for Children Act. It is working very successfully in Florida. The FDLA has told us it is one of the most aggressive tools that they have to protect our children. I strongly support the gentleman's inquiry to Justice. I hope they will yield the important results that this is an enormously helpful program. So I support the gentleman's efforts.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my friend from Texas's amendment.

In 1993, Congress passed a critical safeguard for children--the National Child Protection Act, commonly known as the Oprah Winfrey Act. The law gave groups such as schools, day care facilities and youth volunteer organizations access to FBI fingerprinting checks to help ensure that they weren't inadvertently hiring convicted child molesters to tend their young charges.

But there was a hitch. Under the law, these national fingerprint- based checks are only available if states put into place laws approved by the U.S. Attorney General specifically allowing access to them. As a result, while nearly all states had laws providing background checks for various people, such as school personnel or day care workers, only about six had laws specifically giving nonprofit youth-serving organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs access to do national fingerprint checks on would-be volunteers.

In 1998, I along with Congressman Lampson and Senator Biden introduced the Volunteers for Children Act which would allow youth- serving nonprofit organizations to request national fingerprint background checks in the absence of state laws providing such access. This bill, which has since been enacted into law, has only been followed by a few states.

The amendment my friend from Texas offers today will require the Department of Justice to conduct a study on the implementation of the Volunteers for Children Act by the states and to provide recommendations to Congress on how to improve state compliance.

In encourage all of my colleagues to vote for the amendment and I look forward to working with Chairman Sensenbrenner and Chairman Coble to once and for all fix this very important law.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I want to enter my comments into the Record and commend the gentleman for this amendment. It is very, very important work.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my friend from Texas's amendment. For the past several years, as co-chairs of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, we have worked diligently to provide the resources to law enforcement necessary to protect our children and this amendment is further proof of Mr. Lampson's commitment and service to that goal.

Nearly a decade ago, Congress authorized the U.S. Secret Service to participate in a multi-agency task force with the purpose of providing resources, expertise and other assistance to local law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in cases involving missing and exploited children.

This began a strong partnership between the Secret Service and NCMEC, and resulted in the Secret Service providing critical forensic support--including polygraph examinations, handwriting examinations, fingerprint research and identification, age progressions/regressions and audio and video enhancements--to NCMEC and local law enforcement in numerous missing children cases.

However, there is a clear need to provide explicit statutory jurisdiction to the Secret Service to continue this forensic and investigative support upon request from local law enforcement or NCMEC.

This amendment will do just that and I encourage all of my colleagues today to join with me in voting for this important measure.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my friend from Puerto Rico's amendment.

Code Adam, one of the country's largest child-safety programs, was created and promoted by the Wal-Mart retail stores and named in memory of 6-year-old Adam Walsh whose abduction from a Florida shopping mall and murder in 1981 brought the horror of child abduction to national attention.

When a customer reports a missing child to a store employee, a ``Code Adam'' alert is announced over the public-address system. A brief description of the child is obtained and provided to all designated employees who immediately stop their normal work to search for the child, and monitor all exits to help prevent the child from leaving the store.

If the child is not found within 10 minutes of initiating a store- wide search, or if the child is seen accompanied by someone other than a parent or guardian, store personnel contact the local police department and request assistance.

Since the Code Adam program began in 1994, it has been a powerful preventive tool against child abductions and lost children in more than 36,000 stores across the nation.

Despite its success, however, the only jurisdiction that has adopted Code Adam for government buildings is Puerto Rico.

This amendment will direct each federal building (including here on Capitol Hill) to establish a Code Adam program and procedures for locating a child who is missing in a federal building.

As co-chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this very important amendment.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to talk about a very disturbing issue to all Americans--child pornography. As co-chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, I have been working for years with my colleagues, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Customs Service, to eliminate child pornography from the Internet.

Child pornography was a worldwide industry that was all but eradicated in the 1980's. Unfortunately it has resurfaced with a vengeance thanks to computer technology and the Internet--thus requiring those who fight this crime to come up with new ways and seek new allies in our war to save our children. I am pleased to report that Visa U.S.A. (Visa), one of the world's largest credit card companies, has recently begun a program to try to stave off this ever-rising tide of child smut.

Visa's program is designed to put a stranglehold on this growing illegal industry by going after the one thing that keeps it going-- money. The way Visa's program works and what it does is pretty amazing, so I'd like to share it with you.

Using sophisticated technical and forensic software tools, they identify sites that advertise that they accept Visa for payment. In fact, Visa's system monitors up to one million Web pages every day. Merchants dealing in child pornography are then reported back to Visa. Tests are conducted to determine who the merchant is and who owns the website and to trace the transaction trail. What this means is that child pornographers will no longer be able to hide by moving from site to site, because they will be found if they post Visa as their payment method. Visa acceptance privileges are terminated and finally--and I like this part the best--Visa and law enforcement officials throughout the world work together to either establish or support criminal investigations.

The results of Visa's monitoring system represent an invaluable intelligence contribution to the FBI's Innocent Images Program, a multi-agency investigative initiative to combat the proliferation of child pornography and exploitation over the Internet. I can tell you that the Innocent Images Program has been highly successful in identifying and investigating the people involved in this predatory crime. And when the FBI gets this level of cooperation from industry, the program becomes even more efficient and effective.

Such cooperation is encouraging and provides a fine example to our friends in private industry of how they can play a role in partnership with government and law enforcement agencies. While we here in Congress must continue to work for legislation that will take away avenues for the merchants who traffic in this abhorrent trade, we must actively seek out new partnerships with the private sector to find additional ways to drive child pornography from the Internet and to protect the interests of children worldwide.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) for bringing this very important bill, H.R. 1307, to the floor, the Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act. I am pleased to have played a part in the Committee on Ways and Means and delighted it is here on the floor today.

Our forces will soon be engaging the enemy. We pray for their safety and also for a quick and decisive victory. We have about a quarter of a million of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines poised for combat in the Middle East. In addition, thousands upon thousands of our military personnel are patrolling our skies, protecting key domestic sites, and fighting the war on terror both here at home and abroad. Our military families, active duty, the Reserves, and the National Guard are feeling increased pressure from frequent and longer deployments. This legislation brings tax relief and fairness to those who are protecting our freedoms.

I would like to focus quickly, if I may, on the Reserve component. One of the most important provisions of this bill would provide a $1,500 above-the-line deduction for their nonreimbursable overnight travel expenses. Let me underscore these travel expenses are not just for casual jaunts. These are for them to do their training required of them by this government so that they will be ready in fact to provide the backup needed for our active duty troops. Many give up time from their families, certainly leaving their loved ones, to be ready to combat the evil that may occur in this country or in fact abroad.

For too long our Reservists have incurred significant out-of-pocket costs associated with traveling to and from their Reserve stations. Our men and women in uniform should not be financially punished for serving their country, and thankfully this legislation fixes that problem. Our men and women in uniform deserve nothing less, and again I reiterate our prayers today go out to all families and particularly those who are in harm's way as they lead freedom in Iraq and certainly lead us away from terror in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, as the son of a marine who served during World War II in the First Division at Guadalcanal, and a brother who served in the United States Army, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 27, a resolution introduced by Chairman Hunter, commending the members of the United States Armed Services.

We are all aware that we are well into the second year of operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. In addition, the United States military is deploying hundreds of thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf region. Finally, we are forward deploying additional units in the western Pacific to deter North Korean aggression. From protecting the homeland, winning the war on terrorism, to making the world safe from madmen like Saddam Hussein, the men and women of the United States Armed Services are serving this Nation well. We can all be very proud of their efforts and their sacrifice and that of their families.

I would like to also recognize the often overlooked role of the National Guard and components of the military. Tens of thousands of reservists and guardsmen from Florida are in Afghanistan and in the Middle East. I am continually impressed by these dedicated men and women who gladly go into harm's way to protect the Nation. Let us hope America recognizes our true heroes; not rock stars, not sports athletes, but the men and women who don the uniform of this great Nation who protect freedom everywhere, wherever they are called.

I want to thank Chairman Hunter, and of course the ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), for their outstanding leadership in military efforts and affairs. We are indeed proud in this House to have such capable and able people who understand what it is like to fight for this Nation; to fight in battle, to fight for freedom.

So, Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hunter for giving me this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks and profound gratitude to our service personnel, and especially to the mothers, daughters, sons, and husbands who willingly let them go to do the hardest job imaginable, to leave family and friends and loved ones, to travel overseas to defend the honor of this great land we call home.

Mr. Speaker, it is with saddened heart that I rise today to express my deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of today's bombing in Haifa, Israel. Every time a candle of hope and light is put out by one of these criminals, we as leaders must stand up and say, no more, you will not succeed in terrorizing us. We, as a moral people, will not tolerate the victimization of innocent lives.

Less than 2 years ago, our veil of protection from terrorism was lifted when we experienced the worst attack ever in U.S. history. Since then we have been further linked not only to Israel but with every other nation that has ever been subject to this crime against humanity.

Despite the intention of these terrorists, we have not cowered in the corner or run from the fight. Instead, it has strengthened our global resolve to stop these acts once and for all, no matter where the criminals lie, including Iraq.

The President's position on Iraq is clear and direct, with the moral and legal authority behind him. For years Iraq has sponsored terrorism both directly and indirectly, and it is time the spotlight must shine on this issue; and it must come to an end.

With our efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from power, the Middle East may have a chance to achieve something that they have not had for centuries, stability and peace.

Whether our fight is alone or with others from around the world, the United States will ensure the safety of its people both here and abroad.

Again, Mr. Speaker, my heart goes out to the victims and their families of today's attack in Israel. The only consolation that I can give them is that they are not alone in their time of grief or in their fight for survival. We, the people of the United States, have stood and will continue to stand with our friend Israel.

God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 54, a bill expressing the sense of the Congress that we should establish an annual National Visiting Nurse Association Week.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, the visiting nurse associations are nonprofit home health agencies that, for over 120 years, have been united in their mission to provide cost-effective and compassionate home and community-based health care to individuals, regardless of the individuals' condition or ability to pay for services. There are more than 500 visiting nurse associations, which employ more than 90,000 clinicians, provide health care to more than 4,000,000 people each year--with 95,000 visits in Florida alone--and provide a critical safety net in communities by developing a network of community support services that enable individuals to live independently at home.

In my home state, the Visiting Nurse Association of Florida serves 13 counties with a complete array of home health services. With headquarters in Stuart since 1976, VNA last year provided more than $346,000 in charitable care to the most vulnerable in our communities.

The establishment of an annual National Visiting Nurse Association Week would increase public awareness of the charity-based missions of visiting nurse associations and of their ability to meet the needs of chronically ill and disabled individuals who prefer to live at home rather than in nursing homes, and would spotlight preventive health clinics, adult day care programs, and other customized wellness programs that meet local community needs. I encourage all of my colleagues to join me today in support of this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to help recognize February as American Heart Month.

As Co-Chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition I am well aware of the seriousness that cardiovascular disease plays in the lives of approximately 62 million Americans today. The statistics are staggering:

One million Americans die from some form of cardiovascular disease each year--one American every 33 seconds.

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, topping cancer (549,000 deaths), Alzheimer's Disease (44,536) and HIV/AIDS (14,802).

Women in particular are greatly affected, with one in five having some form of cardiovascular disease.

Heart disease and stroke are expected to cost the U.S. over $350 billion in 2003.

We should not be without hope, however, since cardiovascular diseases can be treated aggressively with a variety of procedures. Various treatment options include medicines for high blood pressure--a leading risk factor of heart disease and stroke, medicines that lower cholesterol, clot-buster medicines that can save the lives of heart attack patients and medicines that can prevent repeat heart attacks.

These means of combating heart disease are not cheap. This is why I have co-sponsored legislation in the past that will add more benefits to Medicare recipients, covering procedures such as cholesterol screening and medical nutrition therapy. I am looking forward to re- introducing the Medicare Wellness Act in the 108th Congress.

Even with the improved access to medical procedures and medicines, the American people still need to be educated on the issue of

cardiovascular disease and its prevention. The U.S. Surgeon General considers over 61 percent of the American public overweight. We must continue to stress the need for including a healthy diet and regular exercise into our daily living. Education will lead to increased prevention.

Healthcare will be an important issue facing Congress this year. We must continue to provide funding for preventative education programs in addition to funding for research to stop the number one killer of Americans this year--cardiovascular disease.

I will continue to work as Co-Chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition in order to increase the awareness of strokes and heart disease among the Members of Congress and the Administration.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 41) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourns to meet at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 14, 2003, unless it sooner has received a message or messages from the Senate transmitting both its adoption of the conference report to accompany House Joint Resolution 2 and its adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 41, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday, February 26, 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order for the Speaker to appoint two Members of the House, one upon the recommendation of the minority leader,

to represent the House of Representatives at appropriate ceremonies for the observance of George Washington's birthday to be held on Friday, February 21, 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I would like the opportunity to recognize the career of a leading personality in Palm Beach County.

For 25 years, the Treasure Coast of south Florida has been graced by the reassuring voice of WPTV News Channel 5 anchorman Jim Sackett. Mr. Sackett has distinguished himself over the years by providing outstanding coverage of some of south Florida and the Nation's leading stories. From Hurricane Andrew to the 2000 presidential election, from the Lake Worth, Florida, school shooting to the horrific events of 9- 11, Jim Sackett's presence on West Palm Beach's NBC affiliate station gave south Floridians a place of trust to turn to during these difficult times.

His life and work, however, have not centered solely on reporting the tragic events. Mr. Sackett is known throughout south Florida as a journalist of tremendous character and a committed member of the community. He has a weekly segment called ``Thursday's Child,'' which profiles hard-to-place adoptable children, and so far has benefited hundreds of young children. He is recognized for his continued efforts the last couple of decades. The Friends of Abused Children presented Mr. Sackett with their Child Advocate of the Year award.

Due to circumstances in his family, Mr. Jim Sackett is also a long- time supporter of the leukemia and lymphoma society and has been a passionate fund-raiser and advocate for the society. He has also served for 3 years as co-chairman of the American Heart Association's heart walk, yet another cause to which Mr. Sackett devotes his time and energy.

Mr. Sackett has been a fixture of the West Palm Beach area since 1978, both on and off air. He is a great news broadcaster, but an even greater citizen. He dedicates himself to the cause of pursuing journalistic excellence.

I want to take a moment to commend my good friend and Channel 5 news anchor Jim Sackett. I commend him for his service to south Florida. I congratulate him on 25 phenomenal years at WPTV News Channel 5, and I hope against hope that these 25 years are really just the beginning. Best wishes on his anniversary. Keep going.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the House resolution honoring the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia and expressing our condolences to the families of those heroes on STS-107. I also rise in support of our national space program, to which the Columbia crew dedicated their lives.

Shuttle flight seems like almost a routine event. Another space shuttle leaves Cape Canaveral to conduct experiments, launch satellites, or link up with the International Space Station. Sometimes, a shuttle launch isn't even deemed newsworthy. As a result, many had begun to forget the tremendous contributions to science and peace that result from the shuttle program. Many also had forgotten that these missions were fraught with danger. But every shuttle launch is dangerous, not because of a lack of skill or dedication in NASA, but because of the nature of the mission--taking fragile people and machines through the atmosphere and into the unforgiving environment of space.

The world received a tragic reminder of the danger of space travel when we lost the Columbia on Saturday morning. It was a mission that reflected the best values of the space program. The crew of STS-107 included the first Israeli astronaut, Payload specialist Ilan Ramon, and Indian-born Mission Specialist Kaplana Chawla. The other crew members were Commander Rick D. Husband, Pilot William C. McCool, Mission Specialist David M. Brown, Mission Specialist Michael P. Anderson, and Mission Specialist Laura B. Clark. My sympathies go out to the families of these heroes and also to the people of Israel and India.

Columbia was the first Shuttle flown in April 1981. In its 28th and final mission, Columbia conducted important experiments to benefit life sciences and microgravity research.

NASA has now appointed both internal and external boards to investigate the accident. The House Science Committee will also initiate an investigation as it did after the loss of the Challenger in 1986. Of course, it is too early to determine the cause of the accident. However, I urge that the investigators be given all the resources necessary to find that cause and be given the authority to made specific recommendations to avoid similar tragedies in the future. These changes must be completed as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary delays that could set back the progress and security that comes from our manned space flight program. For the crew of Columbia and their families, I cannot reiterate enough the profound grief we all share. My sympathy and prayers are with them all.