Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time, and I thank the chairman of the committee as well as the gentlewoman from California, the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for House Concurrent Resolution 83, a resolution honoring those who were deliberately and systematically killed by the Khmer Rouge regime. I want to pay my solemn respects to those who lost their lives and to the survivors and their loved ones, so many of whom reside in my district and in Massachusetts and who carry the scars to this day.

The Cambodian genocide was one of the darkest chapters in human history. In April of 1975, Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge in a brutal insurgency against the Cambodian government in an effort to wipe out traditional Khmer culture and society. Over the next 4 years, the Khmer Rouge orchestrated the calculated destruction of the Cambodian people through forced labor, public torture, and death marches.

Following the overthrow of Khmer Rouge in 1979, hundreds of thousands of Cambodians fled the country on foot to refugee camps. I met and hired one of those who worked in my Lowell district office. Sarah Kuon would tell me of her earliest memories as a child walking along a railroad track with

rocks and bare feet for miles and miles, trying to get to a refugee camp.

Many of these refugees eventually resettled in the United States; and I am proud to represent a large and active Cambodian community in and around the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, my hometown.

Cambodian Americans have made invaluable contributions to our communities through their spirit, leadership, and strength. I am proud that the City of Lowell elected the first Cambodian-American anywhere in the United States to public elective office. Rity Uong was elected to the Lowell City Council in 1979 in an at-large election. Just 2 weeks ago, he was reelected to his third term on the city council.

This resolution represents a small but important step in honoring the victims, their survivors, and their descendants by making public and vivid the hidden details of the Cambodian genocide. This resolution should remind the world not only of the horrors perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge but of the horrors of genocide in Europe, Africa, and around the world.

I am honored to add my voice to those of my colleagues today in remembering the victims of the Cambodian genocide, and I will continue to pursue justice for its victims. We will never forget what happened or turn our backs on the truth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Department of Defense authorization conference report. But before I address the issues raised by this bill, I want to thank the staff for their hard work on this bill. I especially appreciate the efforts of Bill Natter of the Committee staff and Bill McCann from my personal staff. I also want to extend a special thank you to Faye Virostek, who has worked in my office as a Brookings Fellows for almost a year. Faye is tremendously talented and dedicated. She has contributed greatly to my work on the Armed Services Committee and to my office, and I wish her the best as she prepares to return to her permanent executive branch job.

I did not sign the conference report because I object to the exclusion of the minority members of the Conference Committee from deliberations over several important issues. In some cases, we were able to work constructively to reach reasonable compromise, but in others the majority was unwilling to work with us in an attempt to produce a consensus position. I do not believe that our Nation's interests or this institution are well-served by this process.

For example, the conference report mirrors the House report language to rewrite the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, two critical environmental laws.

In addition, the resolution on concurrent receipt of disability and retirement benefits fails to resolve the unfairness and hardship faced by many veterans. I believe the debate needs to be continued on this very important issue, and I was disappointed that the majority chose to adopt a half-measure rather than solving the problem in its entirety.

I also am dismayed that efforts to clarify the Berry amendment failed. This is not a failure of the conference process, but it is a serious blow to the textile industry in Massachusetts and across the country.

Having said that, I believe the conference report is on the whole a solid proposal. At a time when members of our Nation's military are being asked to make tremendous personal sacrifices, this bill represents a step in the right direction.

I recognize the importance of providing a truly bipartisan authorization package in order to maintain the world's most capable military. To this end, the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, where I serve as ranking member, authorized increased spending on DARPA, chemical and biological defense, and special operations. I applaud Subcommittee Chairman Saxton for his leadership and work on these issues, and I also want to thank Ranking Member Skelton for all of his efforts.

While this bill generally represents a sound approach to most of the issues before the Committee, I am disappointed that its flaws were not corrected. In the coming months, I hope that we will be able to move forward and address the shortcomings in this conference report.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, October 27, 2003 I attended a Mass of Christian Burial for John M. Corcoran of Massachusetts. The Mass, held at St. Elizabeth's Church in Milton, Massachusetts celebrated the life of a very special person. I offer my condolences to John's two sons, John and Thomas; his sisters, Mary, Theresa, Claire, Bernadette and Frances, and his two brothers, Joe and Leo. I would also ask unanimous consent to enter into the Congressional Record the Boston Globes's obituary, that was so eloquently written by Tom Long.

John Corcoran, Developer of Real Estate, Good Will; at 80

John M. Corcoran grew up in a triple-decker at the end of

the driveway to St. Margaret's Hospital in Dorchester, and he

never forgot where he came from. After earning millions as a

real estate developer, he contributed time and money in the

creation of St. Mary's Women and Infant Center, a

multiservice agency for Dorchester residents that was born in

1993 after St. Margaret's closed.

``He knew what it was like to live in poverty, and knew

what a difference it could make when you had support around

you,'' Judy Beckler, president of the Women and Infant

Center, said yesterday, of Mr. Corcoran, 80, who died

Wednesday at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Beckler said she couldn't give a figure for how much money

Mr. Corcoran donated to the center. ``It's not something he

would approve of,'' she said. ``He hoped, in time, people

would understand that his time and commitment were more

important than any money he donated.''

But the total was at least $500,000, according to a story

published in the Globe in 1995.

The center now includes a homeless shelter, has 20 beds for

pregnant teenagers and is home to nine nonprofit groups that

offer a number of services from child care to computer

training.

``He wanted us to become a vital institution in

Dorchester,'' said Beckler. ``He had a commitment and a

vision, and really believed that folks could make a

difference in other people's lives.''

As a member of the center's board of trustees, Mr. Corcoran

was always willing to ask the hard questions. ``He once told

me, `I learned long ago not to practice trustee etiquette,'

'' said Beckler.

One of eight children of an Irish-immigrant factory worker,

Mr. Corcoran sometimes hawked newspapers as a young man to

help his family make ends meet. He shoveled coal at St.

Margaret's. And he spent a childhood summer with relatives in

Ireland.

He attended Boston English High School. When the United

States entered World War II, he answered the call and became

a paratrooper.

In the months before the D-Day invasion of France, his

family lost contact with him for three months. Every night,

the sound of rosary beads rattled through the two-bedroom

apartment in Dorchester as his siblings prayed for his safe

return.

Finally his mother received a letter. ``Mom, I smelled

something today that I haven't smelled since I was 7,'' he

wrote, ``the sweet smell of turf burning on a fire.''

To his family's relief, Mr. Corcoran was alive and well and

training in Ireland.

Mr. Corcoran parachuted into France in the early hours of

the D-Day invasion.

``I once asked him what D-Day was like,'' his brother Joe

of Milton said yesterday. ``He said: `It was the most

exhilarating and most exciting time of my life;

unfortunately, some people got killed, and others got hurt.'

''

Mr. Corcoran was among the injured. He was awarded a Bronze

Star as well as a Purple Heart.

After the war, Mr. Corcoran attended Boston College. He

completed his bachelor's degree in three years, even though

he was working 40 hours a week shoveling coal at St.

Margaret's.

He then began John M. Corcoran & Co., a real estate

development firm, which he operated with his brothers Leo and

Joe, who later left to start his own firm, Corcoran Jennison

Companies.

``We were a lot more confident than our parents were,'' Mr.

Corcoran told The World of Hibernia magazine. ``We knew we

were at least as smart as anyone else--if not smarter. And

you also knew you were an American, and you had that right.''

John M. Corcoran & Co. has built or managed more than

15,000 apartment units and a million square feet of suburban

properties including Quincy Commons and Weymouth Commons

apartment complexes.

Mr. Corcoran contributed to many charities, among them the

Christian Jewish Center at Boston College, where he was a

trustee.

He had 50 nieces and nephews, and he loved to ski. Every

year, he brought his extended family on a ski trip to New

Hampshire. For many years, he rented the entire Bartlett

Hotel for his family, and children would be running through

its hallways for a week.

Each year, Mr. Corcoran took a trip to the Alta Ski Area in

Utah. ``He was looking forward to going this year,'' said

Joe. ``When you reach 80 years old, you get to ski for free.

It wasn't the money, but it was a status thing with him.''

In addition to his brothers, both of whom are Milton

residents, he leaves two sons, John and Thomas, also of

Milton; five sisters, Mary of Dorchester, Theresa of Quincy,

and Claire Carten, Bernadette Richards, and Frances Richer,

all of Milton; and five grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be said Monday at 10 a.m. in St.

Elizabeth's Church in Milton. Burial will be in Milton

Cemetery.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life of a wonderful woman--Mildred ``Millie'' O'Neill. After a long and illustrious life, she passed away in her sleep last night after 89 years.

Like so many congressional spouses, Millie committed her life to public service alongside her loving husband, Tip. While her husband was the Speaker of the House, she worked to advance a number of important causes and took leadership roles in major philanthropic groups. Her favorite charities and projects included the March of Dimes, the Congressional Wives Club, and the effort to restore historic Ford's Theater.

She will be missed by everyone who knew her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to United States Army, Private First Class, Evan O'Neill, who died on Monday, September 29, 2003, in service to his country.

Nineteen-year-old Evan O'Neill was a resident of Haverhill, Massachusetts, in my Fifth Congressional District. Evan graduated in 2002 from the Whittier Vocational Technical High School, where he studied auto mechanics.

Evan was a member of the 10th Mountain Division, based out of Fort Drum, and was in his third month of deployment in Afghanistan.

Evan O'Neill comes from a military family that is proud of their son's service to the United States. Evan's father, Michael, a lieutenant with the Andover, Massachusetts Fire Department, was a Vietnam veteran wounded twice, receiving two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star for his service. Michael O'Neill was as proud as any of the parents of our servicemen and women when he pinned his silver Airborne wings on his son at Fort Benning, Georgia, after Evan successfully completed his fifth and final jump. Evan had wanted to follow in his father's footsteps by someday becoming a paratrooper. His parents were fortunate enough to have had a satellite telephone conversation with their son, just hours before his untimely death.

Evan suffered multiple gunshot wounds during a firefight with suspected Taliban militia, near a coalition base at Shkin, just a few miles from the Pakistan border, an area that still continues to see violent conflicts. Two of O'Neill's comrades were also wounded in the attack.

Evan's death is a grim reminder to us all that while our brave troops continue their battle to rebuild a peaceful Iraq, war is still being waged thousands of miles away, in Afghanistan, where our country's war against terrorism began 2 years ago. More than 11,000 coalition troops remain deployed in the hunt for Taliban members, as well as remnants of al-Qaeda.

I visited Afghanistan last year, and I know that our troops who continue to serve there remain committed to stabilizing that nation and ridding that country of the Taliban rebels, the likes of who executed the attack on our country on September 11th, 2001. Evan had told his family that he wanted not only to serve his country in our military, but also to honor the losses paid by the firefighters and police officers who died in the attack on our nation.

Evan, like many other soldiers who have answered their nation's call to service, paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom and liberty.

Evan O'Neill was a loving son, brother, and fiance, and his commitment to his Nation and his family is one for which he will be forever remembered. His family knows that Evan's dedication to his service was of great value to him.

Both Michael and his wife, Barbara, believe their son died a hero. They are correct. U.S. Army PFC Evan O'Neill served his family, his hometown, and his country, proudly and faithfully.

I compliment my colleague the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Hoeffel) for his leadership and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt) and the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie). We were at a House Armed Services Committee meeting tonight and the press was not there, either. We were looking to mark up House Resolution 364, which is a resolution of inquiry that I know that the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt) is familiar with, introduced and cosponsored by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Wexler) and many of us cosponsored that, including myself, that would ask the President to send to the House of Representatives a report prepared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that has been widely reported in the press entitled Operation Iraqi Freedom, Strategic Lessons Learned. These are documents about the reconstruction and security of postwar Iraq. This report was compiled by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with interviews from senior U.S. military officials, including Army General Tommy Franks, that outlines the deficiency in the Bush administration's postwar planning for Iraq.

According to a Washington Times article that appeared a few weeks ago, this report includes a scathing analysis of the Bush administration's lack of planning for postwar Iraq. No matter which side people were on at the resolution that was voted on a year ago, all of us, I think, said that the challenge was not necessarily in the military mission in Iraq that all of us as members of the Committee on Armed Services knew could be completed because we had prepared for it for 10 years, the question was whether or not we were prepared for the postwar Iraq. I think

the evidence is overwhelmingly, in fact even the Bush administration has acknowledged that the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq is turning out to be a disaster.

Nobody can seriously doubt that the world is a better place without Saddam Hussein in power. But I think the evidence is clear that if we are not careful, and if we do not ask questions, if we do not have inquiries, we risk turning Iraq into a breeding ground for terrorism. According to the Washington Times report, prepared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this is a comprehensive analysis of the Bush administration's postwar strategy. Everyone on this floor today knows that this administration botched the planning for how to deal with postwar Iraq.

The only question we face now is, how can we fix it before more damage is done? There is good reason to think that this report, if made public, would help us to do that, because it looks at the planning for the war and its aftermath through interviews with senior military officials. The report is in final form. According to the Washington Times, it was stamped that it is a final draft. I cannot understand why we would not get a copy, why the Committee on Armed Services would not get a copy, before we decide how to handle the Bush administration's request for yet another $87 billion to secure and rebuild Iraq. With everything we know now about the absence of intelligence on weapons of mass destruction and the failure to plan for a significant resistance, I do not think the Bush administration is in any position now to ask us to trust them to give us the information that we need. All of us on the Committee on Armed Services have a responsibility to the Republic, to the Constitution, to get to the bottom of the Bush administration's planning on Iraq and what went wrong.

As the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) would attest to, more than 6 months have gone by since the Joint Chiefs of Staff initiated this report. Three months have gone by since the draft was handed over to the Department of Defense stamped final draft. And it has been 1 month since the Washington Times has reported this. I do not see any reason why the Pentagon should not be able to give the Congress of the United States this report. We need it now, before we make any decisions about another $87 billion as we are cutting back, this administration, cutting back on health care for Americans, cutting back on veterans' services, $1.8 billion to make sure that we meet our commitment to veterans across this country, cutting back on Head Start and other programs. We ought to know what this report says before we move further.

I was disappointed at what the Committee on Armed Services did tonight because we reported that bill out with an ought-not-to-pass the bill. I do not know why the American people do not have a right to know what is in this report that the Joint Chiefs of Staff have put together. But instead there is more stonewalling, we do not want to tell the truth, we do not want to let it out, we want to keep it secret. If there is anything that all of us Members of Congress have come to understand it is we have a responsibility to make sure that this administration hides behind the truth no longer.

Madam Speaker, there was an amendment by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) tonight before the Committee on Armed Services, and I know the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) can attest to this, where all we are asking is how have they spent the $80 billion we have already sent to them. Where has this money gone? There is a controversy around the country because some leaders in this body and the other body have said the money went for this or the money went for that. Tell us what has happened to the money. They will not tell us. They do not want to tell us. The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) was there for that debate on that amendment. They do not want to justify the $80 billion they have already spent. They want to pass another $87 billion before they even justify where the first $80 billion went.

Madam Speaker, we have a simultaneous war on Afghanistan and Iraq, and I will be brief, but I had to call a family today in my district. Evan O'Neill, a 19 year old, great kid, was killed in Afghanistan, and I had to talk to his father, Mike. His mother, Barbara is a nurse. His father is a firefighter in Andover, Massachusetts. A Vietnam war veteran, he was injured himself.

I think this has nothing to do with partisan politics, but we have to think about the uprising in Afghanistan of the Taliban and al Qaeda, and consider the fact that while we have the Taliban on the run and while we have certainly put a dent into al Qaeda, there are many in this chamber who have asked the question whether or not we could conduct 2 simultaneous wars. And I just want to take a moment to reflect on Evan O'Neill and his heroic fight for our country in tracking down the Taliban in al Qaeda. He gave the ultimate sacrifice today: his life.

The point I want to make is, and my colleagues recognize this, what we are talking about on this floor is serious business. It is about life and death, and the decisions that we make and this administration make about war and peace is about dollars, it is about investment, but it is also about human life. And I, for one Member of Congress, am tired of having to talk to families who have lost loved ones.

On September 11 I had 31 of them from my district. We have to think about these issues. One of the reasons why inquiry is important, discussion is important is because this is serious business, and it is about life and death. And we owe constituents the responsibility of having an honest, intelligent, nonpartisan discussion about the issues that affect our country.

Mr. Speaker, this November marks 10 years since our Nation imposed the discriminatory law known as ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' on the lesbian, gay and bisexual patriots of our Nation. During the past decade, almost 10,000 men and women have been fired from our armed forces simply because of their sexual orientation.

Many of those men and women have sought the assistance and advocacy of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the Nation's only legal aid and advocacy organization for those harmed by the military's gay ban. In August, SLDN's Executive Director, C. Dixon Osburn, commemorated 10 years of service to the organization he founded and the brave Americans it serves. Mr. Osburn co-founded the organization in 1993 with former Army Captain Michelle Benecke.

Under Mr. Osburn's leadership, SLDN has provided legal services to 5,000 service members and obtained 35 changes in military policy and practice related to ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass.'' Also under his leadership, SLDN's policy efforts have included obtaining new Pentagon and Service policies on anti-gay harassment, an Executive Order on hate crimes in the military and an Executive Order providing, for the first time, a limited psychotherapist privilege in the armed forces.

Due in large part to Mr. Osburn's work, The Boston Globe has said ``[SLDN] knows far more than the Pentagon about what reality is like in the military and helps individuals caught in the mess.'' Deb Price of The Detroit News also commended their work, noting that: ``SLDN has repeatedly forced the Pentagon not just to take notice, but to change.'' And The Nation reports, ``It's amazing how much this small legal-aid group has accomplished already.''

Mr. Osburn received the 1994 GAYLAW Distinguished National Service Award, and the 1998 Kevin Larkin Award for Public Service from the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association. In 1998, Mr. Osburn was named by The Advocate magazine as one of the Top 10 National Gay Leaders. In 2000, under Mr. Osburn's leadership, SLDN received ``Organization of the Year'' awards from both the District of Columbia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the International Lesbian & Gay Museum of History. I am honored today to recognize his decade of leadership at the helm of SLDN and his unparalleled advocacy for our men and women in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 31 people from my district who died in the September 11 attacks. Captain John Ogonowski was the pilot of American Flight 11. John was a Vietnam veteran and a member of the American Legion and the Dracut Grange. He was a pilot, and he also was a fourth-generation farmer. I'd like to express my appreciation that the 2002 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report was renamed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farmer-to-Farmer Program after Captain John Ogonowski. John left a wife, Peggy, and three daughters, whom I have come to know and admire over the last two years for their courage and determination in the face of devastating loss. Their strength and commitment to John's legacy will ensure that his memory never dies.

As Captain Ogonowski was one of the first victims, David Bernard of Chelmsford was the last. Dave was struck with falling debris as he walked into the World Trade Center. He was one of the first people rushed to New York hospitals and fought for his life for over 3 months, until December of 2001. He is survived by his wife Nancy; his sons, David and Mark; and his daughter, Jill. If you have a chance to see it, the IRS--where David worked--has a beautiful stone memorial on Constitution Avenue, just a few blocks from here.

Patrick Quigley often took American Flight 11 to California. Concerned once the news that American Flight 11 had hit the World Trade Center, his wife Patti, called his office. She was relieved when they said they were sure he was fine, that he had decided to take United Flight 175 instead. Patrick was on United Flight 175, and at the time, Patti Quigley was seven months pregnant. His daughter Leah will celebrate her 2nd birthday in a few months. Patti, who is a tremendous source of strength for her friends and family, has joined with other widows from September 11th to start a non-profit agency called Beyond the 11th. Next year, we will all know much more about her work, as she begins to work with victims of terrorism and the war in Afghanistan.

I want to tell you all about Larissa Gay, a young woman from Tewksbury, who lost her dad, Peter, a senior trouble shooter for Raytheon. Larissa maintains an A+ average at the Sacred Heart School in Lowell. Larissa ran the 7 mile Falmouth Road Race in honor of her father. What an incredible way to show strength and tackle adversity.

There's a story behind every victim of the September 11 attacks. In the last 2 years, I have had the privilege to get to know many of the families left behind. I'd like to now pay tribute and honor all of them, with a reading of each of their names.

Trudi Alagero, an Andover native; David Bernard of Chelmsford; Geoffrey Cloud of Sudbury; Andrew Curry Green of Chelmsford; Alexander Filipov of Concord; Peter Gay of Tewksbury; Peter Goodrich of Sudbury; Douglas Gowell of Methuen; The Hanson Family--Peter, Susan & Christine Hanson, age 3, of Groton; Peter Hashem of Tewksbury; James Hayden of Westford; Cora Holland of Sudbury; Brian Kinney of Lowell; Susan MacKay of Westford; Louis Mariani, formerly of Dracut; Christopher Morrison of Andover; Mildred ``Milly'' Naiman of Andover; Captain John Ogonowski of Dracut, Pilot of American Flight 11; Betty Ong of Andover, Flight Attendant of American Airlines Flight 11; Jane Orth of Haverhill; Abner Morales Pabon of Lawrence; Marie Pappalardo of Methuen; Patrick Quigley of Wellesley, a Methuen native; Philip Rosenzweig of Acton; Jessica Sachs of Billerica; Jane Simpkin of Wayland; Madeline ``Amy'' Sweeney of Acton, Flight Attendant of American Airlines Flight 11; Leonard Taylor, an Andover native; Kenneth Waldie of Methuen.

As Americans we can't help but remember. But unlike the families who have experienced this loss first hand, we grieve for a moment, not for a lifetime. These families have suffered the ultimate loss, and we owe them our most heartfelt sympathies and support.

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

I rise to oppose the amendment, and I agree with much of the substance of this amendment; but I am concerned about the provisions with regard to newspapers.

Mr. Chairman, there used to be a time in every major city in America where we had three, four, five vibrant newspapers. Today, what we are seeing is fewer and fewer newspapers across the country. We are seeing circulation of newspapers going down and the economic viability of newspapers reduced dramatically because of the inability of newspapers to compete economically.

I know something about this because my father worked at the local newspaper in my hometown for 43 years. He was not the publisher. He was not the editor. He was not even a reporter. He punched a clock as compositor for 43 years, and that local newspaper meant a lot to our community.

I believe that the provisions regarding cross-ownership for newspapers would do serious harm to the financial viability of local newspapers with disastrous consequences for journalism. In a world where 24-hour cable news and Internet have made news sources for information widely available, we still depend, and our democracy depends, upon newspapers to provide high-quality, in-depth coverage of local news events; but with the emergence of so many alternative sources of news and entertainment, newspapers are struggling to retain advertisers who want to reach a high-quality, fragmented audience of consumers.

Newspapers are getting hit from both directions because they are losing circulation, viewers, and advertisers to broadcasters and major news media. The FCC's decision to relax the cross-ownership rules with regard to newspapers was based on extensive evidence showing that when newspapers are allowed to participate in local broadcasting, consumers benefit.

Daily newspapers almost always have the most extensive and sophisticated news-gathering apparatus in their circulation area. So this should not be surprising. Newspapers have been used in classrooms across America to discuss local issues. So when co-owned broadcast stations are able to draw on the depth and breadth of newspaper expertise, the stations can produce better local news programming; and when newspapers make their pitch to advertisers, they can say that they reach consumers across their circulation area through radio or, in some instances, TV ads as well as print.

The FCC did not have to guess what would happen with the quality of local news under lax cross-ownership rules with regard to newspapers. Several local newspaper/broadcast combinations have been in operation since the 1970s under the grandfather rules. This experience shows that broadcast stations, co-owned with daily newspapers, are offering better local news and more of it.

Studies by both media owners and independent entities agree on these benefits. For example, a 5-year study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism at Columbia University, found that co-owned stations were more likely to do stories focused on important community issues and were more likely to provide a wide mix of opinion. Other studies show that existing newspaper/broadcast combinations do not coordinate the editorial views they express on important public issues.

The health of daily newspapers across this country is absolutely critical to the functioning of our democracy because newspapers offer by far the most extensive and consistent coverage of local political issues and public policy issues. That is why I believe the FCC's decision to allow more newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership is good public policy.

While I agree with many of the provisions in this particular amendment and also the gentleman from Wisconsin's (Mr. Obey) amendment, the relaxation of a cross-ownership ban for newspapers will serve the public interest by fostering better newspapers and information; and I base that on my experience in dealing with local newspapers in my own district and my own family's involvement in 43 years.

I might also add, since there have been other issues such as overtime, when my father worked as an hourly employee for 43 years punching a time clock every day, whether or not we took a vacation that summer was determined by his ability to earn overtime at that newspaper. Fortunately, he was able to make the overtime payments because of the ability of that newspaper to provide a quality of life for the employees.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to United States Marine Captain Seth Michaud, who died on Sunday, June 22, 2003, in service to his country.

Seth Michaud was a resident of Hudson, Massachusetts, in my Congressional District. In 1994, he graduated from Hudson High School, where he excelled in both academics and sports. I supported Seth's application to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD., and was proud when he was accepted, announcing the news at a town meeting that included his family, friends, and neighbors. Seth graduated from the Pensacola Naval Flight School in 1999, and was certified as a helicopter pilot in December, 2000.

At the time of his death, Capt. Michaud was a helicopter commander, killed when a B-52 dropped nine M117 general purpose bombs during a practice mission. Seth was watching the routine training exercise from atop a ridge on the Gondoria Range in northeastern Africa, off the coast of Djibouti. He was standing outside his CH-53E helicopter when the bomb exploded. Eight other service personnel were also injured. Seth Michaud had been assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461, based at New River Marine Corps in North Carolina.

Capt. Michaud and about 50 other personnel from Combined Joint Task Force--Horn of Africa were participating in training exercises that involved the coordination of aerial bombardment missions. This exercise was the fourth of its kind since the task force's arrival in December. The task force's mission is to lead the U.S. war on terrorism, by intercepting or disrupting terrorist operatives in that region of the world. Seth, like many other soldiers who have answered their nation's call to service, paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom and liberty.

Seth is survived by his loving wife Karen Marie, and their 18-month- old son, Ian. He also leaves his parents, Francis and Karen of Hudson, a brother, Ethan, and a sister, Samantha, as well as several other relatives and friends.

Seth Michaud was a United States Marine, a loving father, husband, son, and brother, and his commitment to his Nation and his family is one for which he will be forever remembered. His family knows that Seth's dedication to his service was of great value to him. They remember him for his photographic memory, his passion for flying, and his love for his family.

Capt. Seth Michaud served his family, his hometown, and his country, proudly and faithfully.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to recognize the outstanding service to our Nation by Lieutenant Colonel Malcom A. Shorter, who will be retiring from the Army on September 30, 2003 after a distinguished career that has spanned over 22 years of dedicated service. Malcom Shorter distinguished himself as a leader who epitomized the modern American professional soldier.

Malcom Shorter's illustrious career as an Infantry Officer embodied all of the Army's values of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

Throughout his career Lieutenant Colonel Shorter demonstrated his outstanding tactical and operational expertise in numerous command and staff positions both overseas and in the continental United States. Continually serving in positions of ever-increasing responsibility, highlights of his career include serving as an Infantry Company Commander twice, and as a Brookings Congressional Fellow for the United States Army in my office during the 1st session of the 106th Congress. Malcom also served as the Chief of Plans and Operations for the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Benning, Georgia and was responsible for the development of worldwide contingencies and the training of a combined arms combat maneuver brigade focused on South West Asia.

Malcom's talent for solving complex management problems complemented his proven operational skill. While serving as my Military Legislative Assistant, he provided sound policy guidance and operational expertise on the Department of Defense Budget, Military Readiness and Veterans Affairs issues. Malcom's prudent opinions and sound judgment were invaluable in my making good decisions on issues that affect our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Veterans.

As evidence of the quality of Lieutenant Colonel Shorter's leadership, management, and interpersonal skills, he was specially selected to serve as the Deputy Chief of the Army's Congressional Liaison Office in the United States House of Representatives. He was responsible for maintaining liaison with 435 Members of Congress, their personal staffs, and twenty permanent or select legislative committees. During that period, Malcom personally escorted more than 200 Members of Congress on fact-finding missions to over 75 foreign countries. His dedication, candor and professionalism while serving in that capacity earned him the reputation as the best source on Capitol Hill to resolve issues pertaining to the Army.

Accordingly, I invite my colleagues to join in offering our heartfelt congratulations to Lieutenant Colonel Malcom A. Shorter on a career of selfless service marked by his resolute dedication and unwavering integrity. He represents the very best that our great Nation has to offer. We wish Malcom, his wife Joan, and his daughters, Alex and Tori, continued success and happiness in all of their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the silver anniversary of the Lowell National Historical Park.

Twenty-five years ago, President Jimmy Carter signed into law former Congressman Paul Tsongas' legislation to establish the Lowell Park. At the time, Lowell was a struggling community with an uncertain future. Nevertheless, Tsongas knew that as the cradle of America's Industrial Revolution, Lowell was a dynamo waiting to be harnessed.

Today, the Lowell Park receives nearly three-quarters of a million visitors a year and its revitalized and reused mills are home to high technology companies, a state university, and housing for all income levels.

The Lowell Park has told the story of our Nation's industrial history using world class museum exhibits and innovative programs and events such as canal boat tours; a recreated weave room and interactive exhibits at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum; the Mill Girls and Immigrants exhibit; the annual Lowell Folk Festival, the largest free folk festival in the nation, now in its 17th year; and numerous other heritage-based special events.

Furthermore, as a pioneer in the National Park System (NPS), Lowell has been a model for telling America's industrial history across the Nation, in such places as Dayton, OH, where stories are being told about the history of aviation; in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan about copper mining; in the Monongehela Valley of Pennsylvania about the steel industry; and in Scranton, PA, about railroading.

At the local level, the Lowell Park's contribution to the area's economic development has been immeasurable, and nationally, it is a treasure of America's rich industrial heritage.

The Lowell Park staff has been highly innovative, winning state and national recognition and awards. Here are just a few examples of their achievements:

Partnering with the University of Massachusetts Graduate School of Education, the Lowell Park boasts one of the most successful educational programs in the Park Service, with over 65,000 participating school children per year. The National Parks Foundation and the NPS have awarded their Partnership Award to this innovative heritage education program.

Working closely with the city, the park has guided the rehabilitation of nearly 350 historic buildings in the park's Preservation District, improving the downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. These efforts have been repeatedly recognized, most recently with a National Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a statewide award for ``Visionary Leadership in Community Preservation.''

Most of the five and a half miles of canals--a National Engineering Landmark--are now accessible to the public via walkways and interpretive signage. The Park's Canalway Program has won a national ``Excellence on the Waterfront Award'' from the Waterfront Center in Washington, DC.

Its community programming through the Mogan Cultural Center reaches out to underserved populations and over three dozen ethnic communities, earlier generations of whom worked in textile mills.

The community has built upon the presence of the Lowell National Historical Park by attracting museums, sports facilities, an arts community and major festivals to the Preservation District, making Lowell truly a ``Destination City.'' The National Trust for Historic Preservation designated Lowell one of its first ``Dozen Distinctive Destinations'' in 2000.

New projects are underway in three major mill complexes--Lawrence, Boott and Dutton Yarn--that are generating 400 new market rate apartments and condominiums because Lowell is now a place to which people want to move. Over a dozen other historic buildings in the national park's Preservation District are also in the process of rehabilitation at this time, signaling that the marketplace has responded to the Federal investment.

Congratulations to the Lowell National Historical Park for reaching this auspicious milestone. Its 25th anniversary is as much a celebration of Lowell's rebirth, as it is a stark reminder of the inherent value of preserving our history for future generations.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), for yielding the time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak on the Department of Defense authorization bill, and let me first of all say that I am concerned the technical corrections amendment aims to rewrite the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, two critical environmental laws.

The House Committee on Armed Services marked this bill up in a session that lasted over 24 hours. We debated issue after issue, and we raised serious concerns about the Department's efforts to effectively eliminate the Civil Service system and to gut important environmental protections. While the debate certainly was contentious, it was an open debate.

Today we are faced with a much different scenario. Amendments to restore Civil Service protections and protect the environment were not made in order. A rewrite of major environmental laws was included in the manager's amendment. I did not get an opportunity to speak on the rule, but I believe strongly that the rule that was passed by this House makes a mockery of the deliberative process.

As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, I believe the committee's work, the legislative product before us, is on the whole a solid proposal. At a time when our Nation's military is being called upon to make greater than normal sacrifices, this bill in my estimation represents a step in the right direction, for I have seen firsthand an example of this personal sacrifice in traveling around the world to Afghanistan and other places.

I recognize the importance of providing a truly bipartisan authorization package in order to maintain a second-to-none military. Towards this end, the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities authorized increased spending on DARPA, chemical and biological defense measures, and at the Special Operations Command. I applaud the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton) for his leadership for the ultimate approval of these issues.

That said, I would like to address a few less-than-impressive measures contained in the portion of the bill that pertains to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities. For starters, this bill reduces funding for information technology or IT programs by as much as $2 billion to fund in some cases initiatives perhaps more suited for the conflict of yesterday rather than those of tomorrow.

I am particularly concerned about the nature of the proposed cut to the Navy-Marine Corps Internet. In my mind, the depth and breadth of the IT cuts represents a stunning recommendation, given that our military's complete transition into the information age is well under way.

Mr. Chairman, I sincerely hope that as this legislation moves forward that much work can be done in the conference committee, because, as of today, I believe this bill is a flawed bill, and I hope that we are open to operating, as we move further, in working with the conference committee to correct these flaws.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Tauscher-Markey amendment.

As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capability, I know that the threat of weapons of mass destruction is real. In Iraq this country's military demonstrated that it can get the job done effectively against heavily defended bunkers and other targets without the use of nuclear weapons. As we negotiate and persuade other nations around the world not to develop nuclear weapons, our credibility is damaged and undermined when we pursue new types of these weapons for our own arsenals. We should improve our conventional capability to defend hard and buried targets around the world as opposed to traveling down this dangerous path towards increased dependence on nuclear weapons. It does not make sense.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jack Connors, Jr., founding partner, Chairman and CEO, and all of the employees at Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc. on 35 years of excellence in the advertising and communications business.

Thirty-five years ago today, May 13, 1968, Jack Connors and his three partners, Jay Hill, Alan Holliday and Steve Cosmopulos, officially opened Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc. for business. With 1,500 square feet of office space on the top floor of 143 Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay, the business had no clients and no billings, and in the early going, the four partners used an outside pay phone to make calls to prospects.

Today, Hill Holliday is a nationally recognized advertising agency that produces internationally-acclaimed creative work, and is widely recognized as one of Boston's most successful businesses. Hill Holliday's list of clients includes some of the biggest and most well- known brands in the world including Anheuser-Busch, John Hancock Financial Services, FleetBoston Financial, Dunkin' Donuts, CVS Pharmacy, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Verizon Wireless, and The Boston Globe.

While leading Hill Holliday from a one-room shop to a national force is impressive, Jack's commitment to serving his community is what makes him and Hill Holliday extraordinary. Jack has used the talent and resources of Hill Holliday to make a difference in the Greater Boston community through pro bono work for dozens of non-profit and charitable organizations. Under Jack's direction, Hill Holliday donated more than $1 million in cash and $4.5 million in in-kind services to various community-based organizations last year.

Over the past 2 years, our nation has become far too familiar with the unethical and corrupt dealings of some in the business world. Today, I rise to congratulate Jack Connors and Hill Holliday on 35 years of success and for setting a positive example that future generations of American businessmen and women should follow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a Elizabeth Neuffer, a Boston Globe journalist who died in a car accident today while covering the conflict in Iraq.

Elizabeth was a well-respected journalist with the Globe, New England's largest daily newspaper. During the 1980s, she won a reputation for courageous reporting for her work on war crimes in the Balkans. She went on to report from Rwanda after the genocide; from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq during the first Gulf War; and from the Soviet Union during the transition from Gorbachev to Yeltsin.

Her most recent assignment was the United Nations, and after covering the war in Afghanistan, she underwent training for reporters to be imbedded in Iraq and was helping to cover the ongoing conflict with her colleagues at the Globe. She was passionate about covering the reconstruction effort, and at the time of her death she was working on a story about efforts to remove the influence of the Ba'ath Party.

Her unique perspective as a reporter covering the realities of genocide helped her transfer an abstract debate about war crimes prosecution into a book, ``The Key to My Neighbor's House: Seeking Justice in Bosnia and Rwanda.''

Among her many awards while serving as the Globe's European bureau chief were the Courage in Journalism Award, as well as the Edward R. Murrow Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Elizabeth once said, ``The truth may be hazardous to those who tell it, but truth is not dangerous, disinformation is. As I saw in Bosnia and Rwanda, it is propaganda that fans the flames of hatred.''

Elizabeth will be missed not only by her family, friends, and those who loved her, but by those of us who had the privilege to work with her in the world of politics and journalism.