Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I must object to the manner in which the House is taking up this bill, and cannot support the motion to suspend the normal rules that otherwise would apply to its consideration.

The bill would authorize an exchange of land between the Federal Government and an Indian tribe. The purpose of the exchange is to provide the tribe with land appropriate for building much-needed new schools. The land that would go to the tribe is now part of a national park, while the land that the government would receive is a park inholding.

The Resources Committee's hearing on the measure left me with no doubt about the tribe's need for those new schools--and of course that means that a suitable site is necessary.

But the hearing also made clear that the specific details of this bill, and the exchange it would mandate, are controversial and that the legislation is opposed strongly by a variety of people, both in North Carolina and here in Washington, DC.

Therefore, I think the House should consider the bill under procedures that would allow for more extensive debate and for the possibility of amendments--rather than through a motion to suspend the rules, which severely limits debate and does not allow for any amendments to be offered. Motions to suspend the rules should be used only for less controversial measures.

Accordingly, I will vote against the motion in this instance, and urge the leadership of the House to allow the House to consider H.R. 1409 under normal procedures.

Mr. Speaker, because of a famiIy medical emergency that required me to remain in Colorado last week, I was unable to participate in a number of recorded votes. Had I been present for those votes, I would have voted as follows:

H.R. 2989, Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations: Rollcall No. 481, Hefley amendment--I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall No. 482, Sessions amendment--I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall No. 483, Flake amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 484, Delahunt amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 485, Sanders amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 486, Hastings of Florida amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 487, Van Hollen amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 488, Davis of Florida amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 489--passage of the bill--I would have voted ``yes.''

H.R. 2765, District of Columbia Appropriations: Rolrcall No. 490-- Davis of Virginia amendment (2nd vote)--I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall No. 491--passage of the bill--I would have voted ``no.''

H. Res. 359: welcoming His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and recognizing his commitment to non-violence, human rights, freedom, and democracy: Rollcall No. 492--passage of the resolution--I would have voted ``yes.''

Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1308: Rollcall No. 493--motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1308--I would have voted ``yes.''

Motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 2555, Department of Homeland Security appropriations: Rollcall No. 494--on the motion to instruct--I would have voted ``yes.''

H.R. 2622, Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act: Rollcall No. 495, Sanders amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 496, Kanjorski amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 497, Frank amendment--I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall No. 498, Ney amendment--I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall No. 499, passage of H.R. 2622--I would have voted ``yes.''

Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1588, Defense Authorization Bill: Rollcall No. 500, motion to instruct conferees--I would have voted ``yes.''

Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1308, Tax Legislation: Rollcall No. 501, motion to instruct conferees--I would have voted ``yes.''

Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 1, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefits: Rollcall No. 502, motion to instruct conferees--I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the important public service accomplishments and leadership of the man who was Denver's mayor from 1991 until 2003, the Honorable Wellington E. Webb.

As many of our colleagues already know, Wellington Webb not only served the people of Denver and the State of Colorado with great distinction, he is also recognized as a leader of national stature. As Denver's first African-American mayor, Wellington Webb's leadership stirred hope to minorities across the nation, and gave proof and promise to the late Dr. Martin Luther King's plea for a time when people might be ``judged, not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character.''

Wellington Webb began public service in the Colorado General Assembly and in the cabinet of Governor Richard Lamm, where he served with distinction. He was a regional administrator for the Carter Administration and a senior campaign official in President Carter's re- election campaign. I hesitate to draw out the long list of his various public offices and awards because such a list does little to convey the depth of his record, or the weight of his contributions to the City and County of Denver, to the State of Colorado and to the United States of America. Suffice it to say that he and his wife, Wilma, were both drawn to public service from an early age and together, they have amassed an amazing amount of personal experience in local, state and federal public service.

Collectively and as individuals, Wellington and Wilma Webb have contributed a great deal to enhance the discourse that has shaped the last thirty years of politics in Colorado. They are both respected leaders, and as the Chair of the National Conference of Mayors, Wellington was particularly forceful in bringing needed attention to the issues that face America's urban centers. Although he has retired from the politics of city hall in Denver, Wellington has not retired from public service, and I believe the Bush Administration and Congress would do well to seek his advice on the myriad of issues that urban America faces in the aftermath of 9/11.

It has been said that the most effective political leaders are those who know how to combine the talents of listening well, inspiring followers and earning the respect, if not fear, of their adversaries. By these measures, Wellington Webb is an extraordinarily effective leader. Even those who were not supporters of Wellington Webb--and that number shrank to fewer and fewer as time went on and his record grew, would readily admit that he is a man who earns respect.

While I have had only a few opportunities to interact with Wellington Webb in my capacity as a Member of Congress, I learned from every one of our conversations. I admire the courage and perseverance he has shown on so many issues, talking bluntly but with wisdom on many topics, and with a sense of humor that cuts through the nonsense that so often characterizes political debate in our time. My sense is that Wellington Webb never suffered fools, but was not unkind either. I imagine he is uncomfortable with the tributes and accolades that are coming his way in the aftermath of his three terms as mayor, but I hope he will understand that these are important milestones that can inspire a whole new generation of young leaders.

I ask my colleagues in the Congress to not only join me in honoring the extraordinary public service of Wellington E. Webb, but also to join me in expressing the hope that he may find other ways to continue to serve our country.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Freedom to Establish State High Air Quality (FrESH AIR Quality)'' Act. I'm pleased that my colleague from Connecticut, Representative Chris Shays, is joining me as an original cosponsor of the bill.

This bill is designed to preserve the ability of States, Indian tribes, municipalities, and air

pollution control agencies to protect the public health and the environment. Specifically, it would give them discretion as to whether or not to implement the EPA's August 27, 2003 new source review revisions.

There is no question that our Nation's environmental laws have improved the health, safety and environmental quality of communities across the country. These laws have served us well. Of course, there is always room for improvement, and I am committed to working collaboratively to make sure our environmental laws not only work effectively to bring about environmental and health and safety improvements, but also allow our economy to prosper.

Environmental protection and economic prosperity are not mutually exclusive--in fact, they go hand-in-hand.

However, I'm concerned that the EPA's August revisions tip the balance, and do so in a way that puts the quality of our air at unacceptable risk.

The Clean Air Act allowed for routine maintenance of old, dirty electrical plants and other facilities, while requiring that more extensive changes in these plants would require installation of modern anti-pollution technology. This compromise was intended to allow a smooth transition, not to persist forever. The so-called new source review regulations were designed to draw a line between routine maintenance and the kind of changes that would require the installation of this newer anti-pollution technology.

Some revisions to these regulations might be appropriate. However, the revisions finalized in August, in my opinion, are out of balance. They would allow continued emission of airborne contaminants for many years after such pollution should have become history.

Millions of Americans, including the elderly and young children who are most vulnerable to air pollution, live close to the nearly 17,000 industrial facilities that would be shielded by this radical change in policy. But there would be no incentive for the owners of these facilities to make the investment needed to reduce or prevent continued emission of harmful airborne contaminants.

This is an abdication of the Federal Government's responsibility. But this new policy goes even further. It requires all States to adopt these new regulations in total.

In other words, the new rules would take away the States' legal ability under the Clean Air Act to develop programs that are more protective of health, safety and the environment than required by Federal regulations. This flies in the face of the Clean Air Act and of the principle of State flexibility. Instead of a regulatory ``floor'' which ensures some minimum level of protection for public health and the environment, these new regulations would create a floor, a ceiling and walls that would hem in every State, every Indian tribe, and every air pollution control agency.

My bill would tear down that structure. It would allow State, tribal, and local officials to decide whether to adopt these new EPA regulations as a ``floor,'' or instead to maintain their current clean air programs--and it reestablishes the principle that these entities can go further to establish more stringent requirements to protect the health and safety of their citizens. They have this option right now under the Clean Air Act, and they should continue to have that flexibility, without fear of Federal punishment or discouragement. It would be their choice.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that we must continue to make progress in improving our air quality, and we should continue to do so through partnerships between the Federal agencies, the States and Indian tribes. The new EPA rules would undermine those partnerships. My bill would preserve them and allow the Federal Government's partners to do all that they can to protect the public and the environment.

For the benefit of my colleagues, I am attaching a section-by-section digest of the bill.

The Freedom to Establish State High Air Quality Act (FrESH AIR Quality

Act) Section-by-Section

Section 1. Short Title

The bill is cited as the Freedom to Establish State High

Air Quality (FrESH AIR Quality) Act.

Section 2. Findings and Purpose

The bill includes findings related to the August 27 new

source review revisions, and states the bill's purpose: ``The

purpose of this Act is to preserve the ability of States,

Indian tribes, municipalities, and air pollution control

agencies to protect the public health and the environment by

affording them discretion as to whether or not to implement

the new source review revisions finalized by the EPA on

August 27, 2003.''

Section 3. Preservation of State and Tribal Authority

The bill includes the following prohibitions:

(1) No State, Indian tribe, municipality, or air pollution

control agency is required to implement or have implemented

EPA's new source review revisions.

(2) No revision of a Federal implementation plan pursuant

to the new revisions can take effect until the affected

State, Indian tribe, municipality, or air pollution control

agency notifies the EPA that it agrees to this revision.

(3) If a State, Indian tribe, municipality, or air

pollution control agency does not implement the August 27 new

source revisions or does not consent to revision of a Federal

implementation plan pursuant to the new revisions, it is not

subject to sanctions, to the revocation of an approved State

implementation plan under the Clean Air Act, or to the

imposition of a new or revised Federal implementation plan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the distinguished service of Mr. Jim Williams, KYSL-FM radio newscaster of Frisco, CO.

Mr. Williams arrived in Summit County in March of 2000 and has since proved to be the voice of Summit County news. Mr. Williams has provided Summit County residents with not only daily newscasts and sportscasts, but has been a major supporter of community events. Williams got his start in broadcast journalism in 1979 in Wray. He has since moved from station to station and state to state.

This past spring, Mr. Williams was honored by the Colorado Broadcasters Association (CBA) with a first and second place in the best newscast category and was named CBA's medium-market broadcast citizen of the year for 2002.

The dedication, enthusiasm and activism with which Mr. Williams has pursued his work deserves our most sincere thanks. Thus, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Mr. Jim Williams for his service and many contributions to his community. He is much appreciated.

Sadly for the Summit County community, Mr. Williams will give his last live broadcast on September 10, 2003 and then head to Illinois to co-host a radio talk show.

For the benefit of our colleagues, I am attaching a copy of a recent story about Mr. Williams that appeared in the Summit Daily News.

[From the Summit Daily News, Sept. 3, 2003]

Jim Williams To Leave KYSL

(By Jane Stebbins)

Frisco.--Jim Williams, the rare committed radio newscaster

to work in the community, is leaving KYSL-FM for a new job in

Illinois as co-host of a radio talk show.

In addition to the news, Williams broadcasted Summit High

School football games and gave detailed, if not breathless,

reports of other Tiger sports, perhaps most memorably the

recent state tournament girls volleyball teams.

His last live newscast--he said it will be a difficult

one--will be at 9 a.m. September 10.

``It's one of the challenges left, one of the reasons it's

so exciting,'' he said of the talk show gig. ``It's something

new, something different.''

Williams got his start in broadcast journalism in 1979 in

Wray, where he reported farm news, obituaries, hospital

admissions and releases, maintained the transmitter, cleaned

the toilets and sold ads, he said.

He then moved from station to station and state to state:

Morris, Minn., Ogallala, Neb., Sioux Falls, S.D.,

Springfield, Ill., Myrtle Beach, and Columbia, S.C., Denver,

Aspen, Vail, Avon and Frisco.

He landed in Summit County in March 2000 and has written

and voiced daily newscasts and sportscasts, provided play-by-

play broadcasts of high school games--a feature that was

deleted this summer from KYSL's programming--and represented

the station as an emcee at numerous community events.

Now, he will co-host an afternoon talk show with Beth

Whisman on Citadel Communications' WJBC in a market that has

the potential for more than 110,000 listeners.

``It'll be a little bit of everything,'' Williams said of

the focus of the show. ``They had a guy there who was really,

really political, using the radio as his bully pulpit--you

don't want that. The idea when people are going home is not

to irritate them. It won't be light talk, but it'll be

lighter than that.''

He looks forward to discussing politics, entertainment and

local politics. And in his new job, unlike in the news world

where reporters try to be unbiased, Williams will be allowed

to hold opinions.

``The thing that'll get me to cringe is when people will

try to nail me down on social issues,'' he said. ``That's

when I'll be sweating and backpedalling. I need to get off

the news fence and develop an opinion.''

While here, Williams has reported on at least one major

story each year. His first year, he was on the sidelines when

Carlos Ebert-Santos was tackled during Summit High School's

homecoming football game. The aspiring pro-football player

had broken his neck.

``Carlos was on a roll that night,'' Williams recalled.

``He would have gone for 200, 300 yards offense that night.

To see him go down and not get up was chilling. It was one of

the moments I was speechless. I didn't know what to say to

people. I didn't want to alarm them.

``To see him come back and walk was heartwarming,'' he said

of Ebert-Santos' recovery. ``It was a terrible story that had

about as good an ending as it could have.''

Equally as chilling was the Sharon Garrison murder story

and husband Chuck Garrison's murder trial in 2002.

The big story in recent weeks has been basketball star Kobe

Bryant's sexual assault charge in Eagle.

In between, Williams has been the emcee for the rubber duck

race in Breckenridge--``Anything for the Summit Foundation,''

Williams said--Frisco's Barbecue Challenge, Fourth of July,

Music on Main Street and Concerts in the Park, among many

other events.

Williams said he will miss Summit County community events,

his co-workers and people in the community--but most of all

the high school kids, he said, wiping away a tear.

``I hate moving more than anything, but it's the nature of

this business,'' he said. ``This job has been pretty close to

ideal. This community has been awesome; it's the best place

I've been. But this challenge excites me. It's not an

opportunity that comes along every day.''

Normally an easy talker, Williams is stumped as to what

he'll say that last time on Summit County's airwaves.

``I might try to be silly like Dennis Miller and say,

``That's the news, and I'm out of here,''' he said. ``I think

it'll be something more from the heart. These people have

really gotten in my heart. If I could have this joy again (in

another community), I'd be blessed.''

He'll be back, he said, albeit as a tourist.

``Hopefully, I'll still know enough people to get a lift

ticket or two,'' he said.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Raymond Chu of Boulder. Mr. Chu died in Colorado on May 24th of this year at Rocky Mountain National Park at the age of 78. Throughout his life, he demonstrated his dedication to the earth, all people, and animals.

Raymond Chu was born Oct. 10, 1924 in Shanghai, China. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Antioch College in Ohio. A few years later, in 1959, he married Janet Pattee in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Mr. Chu proudly served as a B-52 pilot in the Chinese National Air Force and graduated from the United States Air Force Academy.

During his life, Raymond Chu made countless contributions to our Colorado community. Those who had the good fortune to work with him at the National Center for Atmospheric Research will not soon forget his long and distinguished career. Nor will he be forgotten by the people who benefited from the many respiratory appliances that he created and patented. Raymond was known for his translations from Chinese script to English for his fellow high school graduates, and he was a noted speaker on the subject of the China-Burma theater of World War II.

We will remember Mr. Chu as an environmentalist, an inventor, and most importantly, a loving father and husband. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Raymond Chu and the outstanding contributions of his life.

Mr. Speaker, because of a family medical emergency, I was unable to be present for this week's votes on H.R. 2989. Had I been present, I would have voted for its passage.

I did have a number of concerns about the bill, and about the process under which it has been considered. In particular, I was very disappointed that the Republican leadership refused to allow the House to consider an amendment to suspend the cost-of-living increase for Members of Congress. I thought the House should have the chance to vote on that question, especially now when the unemployment rate is so high and the federal budget deficit is so large.

Overall, however, I think the bill's good provisions outweigh its flaws.

The bill includes substantial funding for a number of transportation projects in Colorado, including ongoing work to upgrade highways in the Denver metropolitan area and other parts of our state.

I strongly support these provisions, which will help Colorado address some of its most pressing transportation needs and will also help our state's economy not only by a shortterm stimulus of jobs and purchases of supplies but also by infrastructure improvements that will yield big dividends in the years ahead. I commend Chairman Istook, Ranking Member Olver, and the other members of the appropriations committee for including these items in the bill.

Another reason I support the bill is because it also provides for other forms of transportation such as rail and buses. Highways are important, but highways alone do not constitute a sound or balanced transportation system, in Colorado or anywhere else. That is why I favor continued support for Amtrak's service to our state and other parts of the Nation and why I also support having a portion of federal transportation funding go for such ``enhancements'' as pedestrian, bike, and trail facilities.

In addition, the bill provides essential funding for other Transportation Department purposes as well as for the Treasury Department, the Executive Office of the President, and other important parts of the federal government.

Among other things, it includes funds for continued implementation of the Help America Vote Act. I strongly supported enactment of that measure, and am glad that the bill includes provisions that will allow the General Services Administration to distribute grants under that Act if the new Federal Election Assistance Commission--which is supposed to perform that function--is not in operation by the start of the next fiscal year.

The bill also includes funds for the Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Trust Fund and for the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. These are the accounts associated with the Morris K. Udall Foundation, and I am sure our colleagues understand why I have a particular

interest in them and why I want to extend my thanks to the Members of the Appropriations Committee for their support for these programs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Frances M. ``Kelley'' Green, a citizen of Colorado, who dedicated her life to preserving and protecting Colorado's and the nation's environment and human rights. As a dedicated attorney, philanthropist and teacher, Kelley committed her life to social causes that improved the conditions of others and the greater community.

A native of Georgia, Kelley graduated from Wellesley College and received her law degree from George Washington University Law School. Following law school, she clerked for U.S. District Judge Frank M. Johnson, a key jurist in civil rights cases in the '50s and '60s. As a child of the '60s, Kelley's passions became the focal point for her life of public service, and her vision propelled forward two environmental organizations that will shape the lives of Colorado's citizens for decades to come.

Following law school and her judicial clerkship, Green practiced law at Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering in Washington, D.C. In 1976, she was tapped to serve as a member of President Carter's transition team and was appointed deputy assistant attorney general for the Carter Administration from 1977-1979.

Colorado was lucky to gain Kelley as a permanent resident in 1982, when she moved to Boulder to work for the National Wildlife Foundation at the University of Colorado. In 1989, while running her own private practice, Green founded the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, an environmental law and advocacy organization, dedicated to developing solutions tailored to the unique environment of the interior American West. The group strives to consider the economic, environmental, and cultural implications of all its actions and now has more than 20 employees.

In 1999, Kelley's passion for the long term sustainability of the Rocky Mountain West inspired her to create Earth Walk, an environmental science-learning program. Geared to low-income inner city children, Earth Walk's goal is to increase 9 to 12 year olds awareness of the world around them and inspire them to become environmentalists. With after school programs in Northeast Denver and a summer camp in Utah, Earth Walk is achieving its mission.

Her personal philanthropy was demonstrated through the Green Fund, a private foundation supporting environmental projects, programs serving women and children and efforts to educate women in Afghanistan. She was also a distinguished board member of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama.

Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West will miss Frances Kelley Green, an outstanding woman who inspired us all to be advocates for environmental justice, to be passionate about our lives and the world we live in, and to act with wisdom and compassion about the future of our fragile environment.

For the information of our colleagues, here is a copy of a news article on Kelly's passing:

[From the Denver Post, Sept. 9, 2003]

Boulder Lawyer a True Friend of the Environment

(By Claire Martin)

She was baptized Frances M. Green but was destined to be

Kelley Green, an environmental lawyer and advocate and a

philanthropist who made sure that her passion for the

environment endured beyond her lifetime.

Kelley Green, 57, died of uterine cancer Aug. 25 in

Boulder.

Green was 44 and a lawyer with a private practice in

Boulder when, in 1989, she founded the Boulder-based Land and

Water Fund, now known as Western Resource Advocates.

``As a lawyer, she handled these environmental cases, and

there was a real absence then of competent environmental

lawyers who were available to grassroots environmental

organizations--not only in Colorado but throughout the

interior West,'' said Bruce Driver, Western Resource

Advocates' executive director.

Over the next 10 years, the organization became both a

resource for budget-challenged environmental groups and an

influential advocate of campaigns to protect natural

environments in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada

and Idaho.

``She was tenacious, very smart, and street-smart,'' Driver

said. ``She was the kind of person who could sidle into a

room and not say much for a while. But you could tell she'd

been listening, because she'd come out and say something that

kind of wrapped everything up in five sentences. She was

very, very intelligent.''

Green graduated from Wellesley College and earned her law

degree in 1972 from George Washington University Law School,

where she was notes editor of the law review.

After graduating, she worked as a clerk for U.S. District

Judge Frank M. Johnson, who made key decisions in civil-

rights cases of the 1950s and '60s. She became a passionate

advocate of civil rights and served on the board of the

Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala.

She also was a member of the 1976 transition team for

President Carter and served as a deputy associate attorney

general in 1977-79.

She never married. She threw her energy into the work she

saw as vocation and avocation. If she joined an organization

as a volunteer, not much time passed before she was helping

run things.

Green first came to the Satyana Institute, a nonprofit

training and service organization in Boulder then known as

Shavano, to volunteer twice a week to file, handle the

accounting and other clerking tasks. She went on to become

the first chairwoman of the organization's board of

directors.

Green invested her own money, along with her time, in the

causes she adopted. In 1997 she founded Denver-based Earth

Walk, an environmental education program offered to urban

fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students in classrooms and

wilderness camps. After she died, friends and associates

learned that she had also created The Green Fund, a private

philanthropic foundation that she used to anonymously donate

to environmental projects, women and children's

organizations, and to the education of women in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the distinguished service of Mr. Tom Baker, the Town Manager of Basalt, CO. Mr. Baker is the recipient of the University of Colorado's Leo. C. Riethmayer award for the ``outstanding public administrator of 2003''.

Mr. Baker has proven his dedication to the Roaring Fork Valley since 1983, having held a variety of local government positions during his residency. In particular his tenure as Town Manager has provided him with the authority to restructure Basalt's local government process by downplaying the role of elected officials in the town's decisionmaking processes, which has successfully promoted increased citizen involvement.

Specifically, Mr. Baker has created citizen committees, in which ten percent of Basalt's residents participate, to ensure broad constituent involvement in the decisions of the town government. The utilization of these committees has enabled the town to avoid failures that are often associated with uninformed policy decisions. The dedication, vision, and selflessness with which Mr. Baker has pursued his work deserves our most sincere thanks. Thus, I ask that my colleagues join with me in thanking Tom Baker for his service and many contributions to his community. He is much appreciated.

For further information on our colleague, I am attaching a copy of a recent story about Mr. Baker that appeared in The Aspen Times newspaper on July 25, 2003.

Baker Named ``Outstanding'' Town Manager

(By Scott Condon)

Basalt Town Manager Tom Baker has received a top honor in

Colorado as the ``outstanding public administrator of 2003.''

The Colorado Chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha and the Graduate

School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado,

Denver, selected Baker as the winner of the Leo C. Riethmayer

award. It is given annually in Riethmayer's memory as the

founding father of public affairs studies at CU.

While Baker was honored to receive the recognition, he was

characteristically humble about his role in earning it.

``To be singled out for recognition is almost

uncomfortable,'' he said. ``The whole community is really

being acknowledged.''

Baker was a finalist for the award last year, when his

nomination was coordinated by Basalt Town Councilwoman Jacque

Whitsitt. The selection committee contacted Basalt Mayor

Rick Stevens this year and urged him to re-nominate Baker

because he was such a strong candidate.

Baker has drawn accolades for helping create a

``horizontal, informal'' type of governing in Basalt that

downplays the role of the elected officials as decisionmakers

and promotes citizen involvement.

Town officials estimated 10 percent of Basalt residents,

roughly 220 people, are working directly with the town

government on one of many citizen committees. There are

currently 14 citizen committees working on issues ranging

from the water rate structure, to how property along the

Roaring Fork and Fryingpan rivers should be developed.

The idea of drawing so much community participation is to

empower individuals in the decisionmaking process, Baker

said. It is meant to avoid the ``us versus them'' trap

politics often falls into when a handful of elected officials

make decisions in a vacuum.

Baker was hired as the town manager in late 1998, and from

the start he nurtured the idea of the town building ``social

capital.'' Instead of just reviewing land-use applications,

the Town Council and town staff work to strengthen civic

organizations and causes, both permanent and ad hoc.

Baker received his Bachelor of Science degree in City and

Regional Planning from the Illinois Institute of Technology,

and his Master of Public Administration from CU Denver.

He has been a resident of the Roaring Fork Valley since

1983 and has held a variety of local government positions,

including Aspen Assistant City Manager, Executive Director of

the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority, and Assistant

Planning Director for Aspen and Pitkin County. He received

the Leadership Aspen Alumni Award in 2001 and serves on The

Aspen Institute's Community Forum Board. He is an

accomplished facilitator and serves as an advisor to the

Institute of Social Ecology and Public Policy at Monterey,

California.

The official presentation and celebration of the Riethmayer Award will take place on Tuesday, August 12, in Basalt. This event usually happens on the Front Range, but this year the Pi Alpha Alpha Colorado chapter board members will come to Basalt to honor Baker in his hometown.

Mr. Speaker I rise today to commemorate the 112th Anniversary of the Oxford Hotel in Denver, Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, 1891 was a tremendous year. Fueled by the Silver Rush, it was a time of great promise for the fledgling State of Colorado, and in September of that year, the Oxford Hotel opened its doors for the first time. With its beautiful artwork and antique furniture, the Oxford offered its patrons class and luxury in the heart of the American Frontier. It provided its patrons with world-class dining facilities. The Oxford also was one of the first hotels in the West to have an elevator.

Located in the historic Lower Downtown district of Denver, the Oxford is only a walk away from the city's most cherished landmarks: The Denver Mint, the State Capital, Larimer Square, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, just to name a few. It's history and location helped build the Oxford's reputation as a cultural beacon in Colorado. This was reinforced in the 1960's and 70's when the hotel became renowned for as a jazz center.

For years I have had the privilege of knowing the owners of the Oxford Hotel: Walter and Christie Eisenberg and Dana Crawford. And I must commend them for their fabulous preservation of the Oxford as a piece of Colorado history and for maintaining its reputation as one of the West's best hotels.

The Oxford has seen a city, a state, and indeed a whole region grow around it in its 112 years. Even though the country around the Oxford has changed dramatically, the hotel has not. This wonderful hotel remains a unique visiting experience for its patrons. It still provides world-class services to all who stay there. And it is, and shall be, one of Colorado's most cherished landmarks for as long as it stands.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me and show support for the Oxford Hotel and its 112 years of greatness.

Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing a bill to provide the basis for reforming the way the federal government discharges its responsibilities regarding the assets and funds it holds in trust for federally recognized Indian tribes and individual Indians.

The bill is also sponsored by Representative Rahall, the Ranking Democratic Member of the Resources Committee, and is identical to a measure being introduced in the Senate by Senators McCain, Daschle, and Johnson. It is based on a bill (S. 175) they introduced earlier, with revisions that reflect comments and suggestions from a number of tribes and others who have interest and expertise in this subject, including representatives of the Great Plains tribes, the Native American Rights Fund, the National Congress of American Indians, and the InterTribal Monitoring Association.

We are introducing the bill today in the interests of contributing specific legislative proposals for consideration as part of what we hope and expect will be a bipartisan effort to develop legislation to resolve many of the problems in this important part of the duties of the Interior Department.

As we all know, Mr. Speaker, the Interior Department's management of Indian trust funds is the subject of deserved criticism and

ongoing controversy. Last week, during debate on the Interior appropriations bill, the House was told that Chairman Pombo has indicated his commitment to having the Resources Committee work on resolving problems associated with that management--a commitment we welcome. Our bill is intended to be part of that effort.

Our bill includes two major changes to the 1994 American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act, the underlying law governing Indian trust funds management.

First, it elevates the importance of Indian trust management and other Indian affairs within the Interior Department by establishing the position of Deputy Secretary for Indian Affairs, to oversee the Bureau of Indian Affairs and all aspects of the management of Indian trusts.

There would no longer be an Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. The current Office of Special Trustee for American Indians would be abolished, with the duties of the Special Trustee being transferred to the new Deputy Secretary, who would be in charge of a new Office of Trust Reform Implementation and Oversight. In addition, there would be clear legislative affirmation of the fiduciary standards to be applied to the management of Indian trust funds and assets.

Second, the bill strengthens provisions for Indian tribes to participate in the management of trust funds and assets, based on successful self-determination policies. Toward that end, the bill would authorize a Tribe to use authority under existing law to manage trust funds and assets, without terminating the trust responsibilities of the Interior Department.

To further assess the way the Interior Department performs its fiduciary and management responsibilities with respect to Indian Tribes and individual Indian beneficiaries, the bill would establish a special 12-member Commission, with four members appointed by the President, two each appointed by the Majority and Minority leaders of the Senate, two each appointed by the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. The bill specifies that a majority of members must be representatives of federally-recognized Indian tribes (at least one of whom must be the beneficiary of an individual Indian trust fund account). The Commission will choose one of its members to chair its proceedings.

The bill requires the Commission to review and assess Federal laws and policies relating to the management of Indian trust funds and to provide Congress a report about their conclusions and recommendations within three years after the Commission's first meeting.

Finally, the bill includes specific and detailed provisions to make clear that its enactment will not limit any of the findings, remedies, jurisdiction, authority, or discretion of the courts in the Cobell v. Norton litigation and that no funds appropriated to carry out an historical accounting of the individual Indian trust funds are to be used except as may be provided in an order of the court in that case entered after the date of the bill's enactment.

Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that the time has come for Congress to directly address the problems associated with this subject. The bill we are introducing today is not intended to either whitewash or redress past wrongs, and it will not forestall the courts from resolving matters properly before them. Instead, it is intended to take an important first step toward a better future for the Indian tribes and individuals in whose behalf the government is duty-bound to act.

For the benefit of our colleagues, here is a section-by-section outline of the bill:

Outline of ``American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act

Amendments Act''

SECTION 1: Short Title--provides a short title for the

bill.

SECTION 2: Definitions--amends section 2 of the American

Indian Trust Fund Management Act of 1994 to provide

definitions of the terms ``audit,'' ``tribal government,''

``trust asset,'' ``trust funds,'' and ``trustee.''

SECTION 3: Responsibilities of Secretary--amends section

102 of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act

of 1994 so as to clearly specify the responsibilities of the

Secretary of the Interior with respect to accounting for

Indian trust fund balances and with respect to other aspects

of carrying out the trust responsibility of the United

States.

SECTION 4: Affirmation of Standards--amends Title I of the

American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 by

adding a Congressional affirmation of the standards for

proper discharge of the trust responsibility of the United

States.

SECTION 5: Indian Participation in Trust Fund Activities--

amends the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act

of 1994 to explicitly authorize an Indian tribe to use

authority provided under the Indian Self-Determination and

Education Assistance Act to manage trust funds and trust

assets without terminating the trust responsibility of the

Secretary of the Interior or the trust status of the funds

and assets involved.

SECTION 6: Deputy Secretary for Indian Affairs--amends the

American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 to

establish the position of Deputy Secretary of the Interior

for Indian Affairs, to specify the duties of the Deputy

Secretary, and (effective upon appointment of the Deputy

Secretary) to abolish the Office of Special Trustee for

American Indians and transfer its functions to the Deputy

Secretary.

SECTION 7: Commission for Review of Indian Trust Fund

Management Responsibilities--establishes a Commission (with

four Members appointed by the President, two each appointed

by the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate, and two

each by the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the House of

Representatives) to assess the federal government's fiduciary

and management responsibilities with respect to Indian

tribes; specifies a majority of Commission members must be

representatives of federally-recognized tribes (and at least

one must be an individual beneficiary of an Indian trust

account); requires the Commission to report its conclusions

and recommendations to Congress and the Departments of

Interior and Treasury within 32 months after Commission's

first meeting.

SECTION 8: Regulations--directs Interior, in consultation

with interested Tribes, to issue regulations to implement the

bill.

SECTION 9: Effect of Act--States that nothing in the bill

will limit the findings, remedies, jurisdiction, authority,

or discretion of the courts in the Cobell v. Norton

litigation; provides that no funds appropriated for an

historical accounting of individual Indian trust funds shall

be used except as provided in an order of the court in that

case entered after the enactment of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 2908, American Manufacturing Works Act of 2003.

This bill will assist American manufacturing in four significant ways. It will establish an Undersecretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Technology heading the Manufacturing and Technology Administration; it will create a manufacturing research and implementation program; it will provide full funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program; and it will promote and fund education programs for manufacturing technicians.

Manufacturing is the primary source of productivity growth in our country. This sector remains critical to the nation's future prosperity and security. Yet U.S.-based manufacturers are facing a crisis today--a crisis marked by a steep decline in business investment, a sluggish global economy, and increased competition from low wage countries.

The American manufacturing sector has been hard hit by these forces, but neither this Congress nor the Administration has risen to meet this challenge in any direct way. The manufacturing sector has experienced 32 consecutive months of job losses, totaling 2.3 million jobs--fully 90 percent of the total jobs lost during this period. Although recent manufacturing statistics are mildly positive, the current manufacturing recovery is the weakest on record. Our manufacturing base remains fragile.

I think the federal government needs to take action now to respond to this crisis and to sustain our manufacturing base.

This is essential because despite significant job losses, manufacturing still employs 16.5 million people. Manufacturing contributes roughly 17% of GDP and provides 71% of our exports. Manufacturing funds 67% of our nation's total R&D investment. In addition, manufacturing companies are major customers for information and communications technology.

But if our manufacturing base continues to decline, the effect will be devastating not only in terms of individual job losses, but also in terms of the ripple effects that will be felt throughout our economy.

In short, we can't afford to stand idly by and watch our manufacturing base disappear.

The bill I am introducing today isn't based on trade policy or philosophical theory. It's based on the practical recommendations of manufacturing experts, industry associations, and labor unions-- recommendations that can be acted on now to produce results in a very short time.

First, this bill creates a point of interaction for manufacturers in the Department of Commerce. Rather than creating a whole new bureaucracy, this bill restructures the Department of Commerce's Technology Administration to emphasize manufacturing as well as technology issues. This bill creates a Manufacturing and Technology Administration, headed by the Undersecretary of Manufacturing and Technology. An Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing will aid the Undersecretary for Manufacturing and Technology to develop a federal manufacturing agenda.

This legislation also creates a Manufacturing Advisory Board to provide guidance to the Undersecretary and to the National Institute of Standards and Technology regarding the manufacturing community's needs. The Manufacturing Advisory Board will be comprised of industry and industry association representatives, federal agencies with manufacturing initiatives, manufacturing experts, and labor representatives. This group will provide an array of views from the complete spectrum of our manufacturing base.

The bill also authorizes a significant research and implementation program for manufacturing. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is authorized to develop a program along the lines of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that will focus on manufacturing technologies. In addition, NIST's Advanced Technology Program is authorized to develop a focused program on manufacturing technologies.

The bill also authorizes funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. This successful program leverages federal, state and private investment to assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the nation in meeting their increasing challenges.

One of the most critical elements of our manufacturing base is to have a technically trained workforce. To help develop this workforce, the bill leverages the National Science Foundation's (NSF) successful Advanced Technological Education Program to include preparation of students for manufacturing jobs. In addition, the bill authorizes funding for the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council to develop performance standards to certify job skills for manufacturing workers.

Mr. Speaker, the time is past for more studies on the challenges facing our manufacturing base. That has already been done, and recommendations have been made. This bill offers some concrete actions to help ensure the future health of our manufacturing base. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, today, I regretfully rise in opposition to this bill.

I am satisfied with some parts of the bill. The Appropriations Committee has sensibly held off on making all funding decisions for programs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) until the Columbia Accident Investigation Board completes its report. The Committee will use the report of the board, along with NASA's response to the board's findings, as the basis for final action on NASA funding. I will be watching closely to see what the Committee provides. NASA funding has been relatively flat over the years, so I hope that final funding levels for NASA will exceed the 1 percent increase over fiscal year 2003 levels that is so far provided in this bill. I am pleased that the National Space Grant College and Fellowship program is funded at $25.3 million, a level over the President's request and an increase from last year's levels.

Nonetheless, I am not at all satisfied with the funding this bill provides our Nation's veterans.

The freedom we enjoy in the United States has not just been given to us. Men and women have made great sacrifices, some with their lives, to protect our way of life. For making these sacrifices they have been promised some benefits in return.

One of those benefits is adequate healthcare. Unfortunately, this bill falls far

short of what America's veterans were promised.

The Joint Explanatory Statement from the House and Senate managers on the fiscal year 2004 Budget Resolution states the ``Conference Agreement provides for discretionary budget authority of $29.96 billion for fiscal year 2004, an increase of $3.4 billion, or 12.9 percent-- nearly all of which is expected to be for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical programs.'' But this bill only provides an increase of $1.4 billion, which will not provide adequate funding for services these veterans deserve.

According to the VA, as of June 13, there were 134,287 veterans on waiting lists to receive treatment and over 51,000 of these veterans had been waiting for at least 6 months to just get an appointment. This is the result of the lack of resources the VA has today because of past underfunding.

American men and women are serving on the front lines in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world. When they are no longer serving under active duty for their country they should not be pushed aside and forgotten. Unfortunately, that is what the bill does.

Mr. Chairman, the serious effects this bill will have on my district and on the nation are explained in news stories from several Colorado newspapers, which I am including for the interest of my colleagues.

[From the Rocky Mountain News, July 23, 2003]

Colorado Science Jobs on the Line

(By M.E. Sprengelmeyer)

Washington.--Congress is considering deep cuts in federal

research funds that would cause an estimated 190 Colorado

scientists to lose their jobs.

About $14 million in cuts to the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration projects in Colorado, and

additional cuts to the National Institute of Standards and

Technology, were contained in an appropriations bill being

considered by the House of Representatives late Tuesday.

If approved as expected, they still must be considered by

the U.S. Senate.

``Obviously, it has me gravely concerned,'' said Susan

Avery, director of the University of Colorado Cooperative

Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences. ``These

are cuts that could be very detrimental to our research

programs.''

The cuts are contained in a $38.6 billion appropriations

package for the Commerce, Justice and State departments and

the federal judiciary.

The bill would cut $3 million from the Space Environment

Center in Boulder and $6.7 million from climate and global

change programs. Meanwhile, the bill would eliminate a $4.5

million line item meant to cover rent on NOAA facilities in

Boulder, meaning those expenses would have to come out of

other programs, such as research funds.

NIST would lose about 300 jobs nationwide, including about

60 in Boulder, said Representative Mark Udall, a Boulder

Democrat, who tried unsuccessfully to reserve the cuts on the

House floor.

``It is one thing to make government leaner. It is another

thing to cut jobs year in and year out at facilities all over

the country,'' Udall said in a release.

Avery said the cuts would affect research at both the

University of Colorado and Colorado State University,

including climate modeling programs and research into weather

phenomenon such as El Nino and La Nina.

``Unless the bill is greatly improved in a House-Senate

conference committee, it will continue a pattern of bleeding

these agencies dry,'' Udall said.

If approved by the House, the bill would move to the

Senate, where state researchers hope the cuts will be

reversed by Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, an Ignacio

Republican and a member of the Appropriations Committee.

``Senator Campbell has a lot in his hands right now because

he could do it,'' Avery said. ``He could make it happen. A

lot rides on him.''

Camden Hubbard, a spokeswoman for Campbell, said his office

is researching the issue.

``He needs to look into it and see exactly what is being

cut and make a decision accordingly,'' Hubbard said. ``I have

to tell you, money is really tight this year . . . he will

see what he can do.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank and honor the brave men and women of the Idaho Springs Volunteer Fire Department. This group of individuals has performed their dangerous tasks since 1878 when citizens collectively put out a large fire that threatened the very existence of Idaho Springs.

Born from the ashes of that fire, the Volunteer Fire Department has strived to protect and serve their community for 125 years. Today, their heroic duties include everything from fighting town and wildland fires, responding to Emergency Medical Service calls, and containing hazardous material spills, to even the skillful acts of highway, backcountry, and swift water rescues.

Mr. Speaker, in order to properly recognize the hard work and sacrifices of these men and women, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Idaho Springs Volunteer Fire Department. I am proud of their efforts and wish them continued success.