Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the twenty years of service that Ward 6 Alderman, John M. ``Jack'' Connolly, has selflessly given to the city of Somerville, Massachusetts.

Alderman Connolly was born and raised in Somerville and has become a pillar of the community and a champion of the people. Dedicated and hardworking, he has always had the best interests of Somerville at heart.

As a true public servant, Alderman Connolly has been a consistent supporter of affordable housing and was instrumental in bringing subway service to Somerville's Davis Square, which aided in revitalizing the city in the 1980s.

As a member of the Somerville community, Alderman Connolly is better known as ``Jack.'' In addition to his position on the Board of Alderman, he has been a referee for youth soccer and basketball leagues and is also active in the local chapter of the Kiwanis Club. It should not be a surprise that the proceeds from a celebration of his service to the city are being donated to benefit a free performance series for Somerville's children.

Alderman Connolly is currently the Chair of the Board of Aldermen's Licenses & Permits Committee, and he has served twice as the Board's President and Vice President.

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I recognize and honor Alderman Jack Connolly's efforts and achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the AmeriCorps program and in support of an increase in funding for this important initiative. AmeriCorps engages our citizens in service to meet the nation's critical needs in the areas of education, public safety and environmental protection. AmeriCorps enlists 50,000 people nationwide, 1,400 of whom serve in Massachusetts. As you know, the program faces a serious financial crisis and without additional funding, 20,000 new service member positions will be cut and hundreds of programs will be at risk.

The other body has already added additional funding in its version of the Supplemental Appropriations bill. The House needs to act today to preserve this successful program. Without the full $100 million in additional funding, the service programs as well as the volunteers and communities that rely on them will be devastated. Teach for America and Habitat for Humanity will see a dramatic decrease in participants and the infrastructure of many programs in my district including, Just a Start, City Year and Youth Build, do not have the resources to sustain any cut to their budget. These important programs respond to the needs of communities and my district relies heavily on these AmeriCorps services. AmeriCorps members tutor children, serve as mentors for teens, renovate low-income housing, immunize children against preventable diseases, and restore parks. They work with community leaders and provide services to Head Start children, high school students and senior citizens. With a loss of funding, communities will no longer be able to provide these essential services.

While I remain concerned with the recent accounting errors and mismanagement by the Corporation for National and Community Service's executives, I do not believe we should punish thousands of volunteers for the mistakes made by the Corporation's leadership. These destructive cuts come at a time when our nation is depending on AmeriCorps service members to meet critical education, safety, homeland security and health needs. My district counts on AmeriCorps volunteers and we should be proud of their service. Let's fully fund AmeriCorps.

Mr. Chairman, I rise tonight in opposition to H.R. 2210, the School Readiness Act of 2003. Head Start has provided a strong foundation for millions of children over the past 38 years. The program was created in 1965 to help young children become more academically prepared for school and to encourage healthy families. Head Start, which currently assists over 900,000 children, is the only major federal effort to provide comprehensive social and educational services. Head Start targets the nation's poorest children, those living in families at or below the federal poverty level as well as children with disabilities and special needs. It emphasizes not only children's cognitive development but also their social, emotional, and physical development and encourages strong parent involvement.

H.R. 2210 reauthorizes the Head Start program through Fiscal Year 2008. While the measure seeks to improve the school readiness by increasing the focus on academic performance, the bill's authorization provides only 2.9 percent more than the FY03 appropriation, just barely enough to cover inflation. I have other serious concerns with this reauthorization legislation. In particular, H.R. 2210 changes current law to permit religious organizations who run Head Start programs to discriminate in hiring employees based on religious affiliation. The bill also establishes a demonstration program that permits eight states to integrate their own preschool programs with the federal Head Start programs. This is the first step in a concerted effort by the Majority to block grant Head Start and take oversight away from the federal government. I believe block granting will weaken performance standards and ultimately could lead to a dismantling of the entire program.

As a strong supporter of Head Start, I believe we should be focusing on ways to build upon the success of the program by strengthening school readiness, improving program quality and accountability, and expanding access to more eligible children. For that reason, I support the substitute offered by Representative Miller. The substitute strengthens Head Start's focus on preliteracy, language and pre-math skills while improving teacher quality by requiring 50 percent of Head Start teachers to have bachelor's degrees by 2008 and prohibiting new hires without associate's degrees after 2005. The Miller proposal creates salary and scholarship funds to ensure Head Start teachers are able to remain with Head Start for several years. Most importantly, it expands access to all pre-school students, expands access to Early Head Start and increases the flexibility of Head Start programs to meet community local needs.

During a time where there is a lot of talk about ``Leaving No Child Behind'', let's truly stand up for the children who need our help the most. The research is clear--children who participate in Head Start arrive at school better prepared than low-income children who do not participate in the program. This high quality program must be preserved--it works and it works well. It is illogical to cut funding or weaken this proven program. I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 2210 and for the Miller substitute to ensure that vital, comprehensive services remain available to all Head Start participants.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize August 10-16 as National Health Center Week and in support of H. Res. 240, which seeks to raise awareness of health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers. This year's theme ``Leading the Way to Accessible & Affordable Health Care'' recognizes the contributions of health centers in promoting health and preventive care in the nation's medically underserved communities.

As a co-chair of the community health center caucus and a cosponsor of the legislation, I know firsthand the important contributions health centers make. Health centers tailor their services to fit the special needs and priorities of their communities. Their approach is to help people confront critical health problems while lowering the cost of services through primary care and prevention. They are vital resources to patients who do not have adequate access to medical doctors, dentists, mental health providers and other health providers and they help make health care affordable to everyone, with or without health insurance.

In 2001, nearly 1,000 health centers served more than 13 million children and adults in 3,500 communities across the country, including 400 school-based sites. Community health centers are making an enormous impact in my Congressional district. They have significantly increased the use of preventive health services such as Pap smears, mammograms, and glaucoma screenings among the populations they serve. Health center employees have also worked to increase the number and proportion of immunized children, and have made significant strides in preventing anemia and lead poisoning. Furthermore, health centers contribute to the health and well-being of their communities by reducing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, keeping children healthy and in school, and helping adults remain productive and on the job.

National studies indicate that every dollar invested in community health centers provides an average savings of three dollars to the overall health care system. At a time when the number of uninsured Americans continues to increase and federal and state governments are facing budget shortfalls, community health centers continue to provide essential services at reasonable cost to millions of Americans.

I urge my colleagues to support community health centers and vote yes on H. Res. 240.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), ranking member; the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce); and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for bringing this matter to the floor on this issue and for their great leadership on this issue and many other issues relative to the issues around the world, particularly with regard to the continent of Africa.

I want the people at home listening to understand what we are talking about. The word ``slavery'' just kind of rolls off the tongue, and in many ways I think people sometimes think we are talking in a figurative manner. We are talking about literal slavery, old-fashioned slavery where the government of one country either directly sanctions or indirectly allows one group of people to enslave another, to put them up on an auction block and sell them as I would sell a bicycle. It is not figurative. It is not some hyperbole. It is actual real textbook slavery that I think most Americans, if we ask them, would think has been gone from the face of this Earth since the middle of last century. It is not gone and this is a government, a country, not just a few renegades. This is not a criminal activity that uses women for sex slaves and uses children for forced labor; this is not that. This is an actual government who allows this to continue and in many cases participates in it indirectly. That is what we are talking about here.

What we are asking for is the United Nations to stand up. Just yesterday we took two votes on the United Nations. I pride myself on being a supporter of the United Nations, and I consider myself an internationalist. I think this country and the world is better off if we can talk to each other. I think the United Nations plays a valuable role. Yet the United Nations itself, a committee of the United Nations, said slavery is okay. I cannot be more offended than by that vote. I think it should be noted that the Chair of that commission is the country of Libya. An amazing coincidence. An amazing coincidence.

This administration, the Bush administration, has done a good job on this, and I do not agree with them on many things. On this issue they have stood up tall and been right, and I appreciate that and I congratulate them for that. This resolution and my message on this resolution is to the United Nations. If they want people like me to continue to support them, I do not think it is a very high bar to say to them that they need to stand up against slavery. How is that a high bar? I cannot imagine an any lower bar. Yet they have not. Honestly from a United Nations perspective, I cannot think of another vote that they have taken that has more offended me particularly in modern times.

This resolution is simple, and again I congratulate and thank the leaders of the Committee on International Relations for bringing this forward. This is really a message to the U.N. to get back on their game, stand up, stand up for the easiest issue in the world. If they do not, they jeopardize support from people like me and I think they undermine their credibility on every other issue around the world; and I find that to be absolutely the opposite of what the United Nations, what the United States stands for and our support for the United Nations.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman and Ranking Democrat for their leadership in bringing this bill to the House Floor.

I would like to express my appreciation for the continued funding of the Joint Diabetes Project in Army RDT&E, Medical Advanced Technology. This project, a collaborative effort of DOD, VA and Joslin Diabetes Center, is bringing advanced, state of the art diabetes detection, care and prevention to large portions of the DOD and VA patient populations. The Joslin Vision Network, enhanced by the Comprehensive Diabetes Management Program, has been proven to reduce costs while providing improved care.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to join my good friend Congressman Jack Quinn in introducing important legislation to help address an issue in our Nation that is only starting to receive national attention--grandparents raising their grandchildren.

According to recent data from the Census Bureau, the number of intergenerational families increased more than fifty percent between 1990 and 1998. It is estimated that more than 2.5 million grandparents across America are raising their grandchildren. Many of these children have parents who have passed away, are in prison, or are suffering from drug or alcohol addictions, while some have been taken out of abusive homes.

These intergenerational families or ``Grandfamilies'' live in rural areas, inner cities and suburbs. They come from all races and ethnicities, and live in every State in the Nation. Many of these grandparents survive on fixed incomes--social security, a small pension--and face not only the rising cost of prescription drugs, but also the cost of diapers, baby formula, toys, and school clothes.

Unfortunately, our Nation's housing policy has not kept up with the unique needs of these families. There are very few housing developments specifically designed for intergenerational families. The Grandfamilies House in Boston, Massachusetts in my Congressional District offers apartments with special features for both grandparents and children, including childproof kitchen cabinets and handicapped-accessible bathrooms. There are also activities for seniors and children, an outdoor playground and an on-site computer lab.

I am introducing the LEGACY Act in response to the growing number of communities throughout the Nation that have been working to build on the model of the Grandfamilies House in Boston. The title of the legislation was inspired by an Academy Award nominated documentary film chronicling the life of a grandmother raising her grandchildren and their struggle to move out of a Chicago housing project.

The legislation creates demonstration programs through both the Section 8 Housing Certificate Fund and the Section 202 Elderly Housing program. These demonstration projects will enable housing developers and advocacy groups additional flexibility in securing financing for this housing and providing ongoing services to intergenerational families.

In addition, the LEGACY Act clarifies that grandparents raising their grandchildren are eligible for family unification assistance, allows access to fair housing funds for education and outreach efforts about the legal issues surrounding many of these families. It also directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide specialized training for their employees focused on grandparent- and other relative-headed families. Many grandparents do not have access to the services they and their grandchildren need. These training and outreach efforts will help raise the awareness of the unique issues these families face each day.

While this bill is a small step in recognizing the tremendous contributions of these grandparents, it is my hope that it will help bring this issue greater recognition. Affordable housing is only one of the many challenges these courageous grandparents face as they raise the next generation of Americans. Please join me in supporting these families by supporting the LEGACY Act.

Mr. Speaker, today we have the opportunity to provide our seniors with a real prescription drug benefit, but instead of giving seniors the plan they deserve, we are taking steps to dismantle a program that older Americans have known and trusted for 38 years.

The Republican plan before us today fails to offer the types of guarantees that our seniors need and deserve. There is no defined benefit and no standard premium. So when my seniors ask now much their premiums will be or how much their drugs will cost, I cannot answer them. This is unacceptable.

This bill allows private insurance companies to decide premiums, prescription drug coverage benefits and even where coverage will be offered. This proposal threatens to dismantle Medicare and replace it with private health insurance coverage for all seniors. This is precisely the problem many seniors face--they cannot afford private insurance, and depend on Medicare.

This bill also provides additional funding for rural hospitals, but not urban teaching hospitals. This is a serious oversight. Urban teaching hospitals are facing incredible budget shortfalls. They play a critical role in training tomorrow's physicians, and their needs must also be addressed. If the Federal Government is going to offer additional funding to some hospitals, it must offer additional funding to urban teaching hospitals.

The Federal Government has a responsibility to ensure that Americans who contribute to the Medicare program during their working years will have access to dependable, equitable, and affordable health coverage. The Democratic substitute does just that--it lowers drug prices, guarantees coverage and enables seniors to get their medicines at the pharmacy of their choice. The Rangel/Dingell substitute addresses my concerns more effectively and I will strongly support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to echo all the comments that have been made, but I want to make it clear. I want everyone to know what this gentleman has done.

To me, this gentleman is clearly a hero. We have used the word, but understand what he did. Here is a gentleman who came from China, established a very successful, very comfortable life here in America: a wife and two children living in one of our best and most beautiful suburbs of Boston; well-respected in the community, well thought of, well loved. Very easy for him to live out the rest of his life in that comfort without any real concerns. He could speak any way he wanted to speak, feel any way he wanted to feel, do any work he wanted to do. But what did he do? He took himself voluntarily from that comfort on his own to go back to China to fight for democracy.

If anyone here thinks they have the courage to do that, you are a better person than I am. I do not know that I would have the courage to do that. I wish I would, and maybe if faced with that someday, I hope I might be able to live up to those incredible standards. But I am not so sure. I am not so sure.

This is a true modern hero, fighting for what we all talk about all day long. We are here, with all of our differences, with all of our agreements and disagreements, fighting for a better democracy. That is what we are all here for. He is fighting for a simple democracy. We cannot abandon him. The fact that this resolution is on the floor obviously shows the U.S. Congress stands with Dr. Yang, stands with the principles that I think he epitomizes.

China, as a great country, has chosen to hold him without charges. There have been no charges. There is no lawyer assigned to him. No judge has heard this case. No jury has heard this case. No administrator has heard this case. His family has not been allowed to visit him. I went on an official delegation to China in January, and I was not allowed to visit him. No American official has been allowed to visit him. No doctor of the family, no representative of the family has been allowed to visit him. How can a great country ask us to treat them as a great country when they act in such a manner?

Any crime he might have committed has already been paid back to China in the 14 months he has been held in the manner he has been held. This man should be released immediately and returned to the bosom of his family and to a welcoming and, hopefully, grateful Nation of the American people because of what he has done for us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay, a friend and colleague who is celebrating 25 years of American citizenship. Hers is a story of the American Dream achieved. Dorothy Kelly Gay, born in Ireland, immigrated to the United States in 1968 to pursue a career in nursing. Today she serves as Mayor of my hometown Somerville, Massachusetts.

Like so many others who left their homeland for the shores of this great Nation, Mayor Kelly Gay has never forgotten why America is a land of opportunity. Her accomplishments are a reflection of her commitment to making life's struggles a bit easier for others. As a professional nurse she fought vigorously on behalf of her patients for better healthcare services and received awards from the Massachusetts Nurses Association. This passion for helping others expanded to elective office when Mayor Kelly Gay served on the Somerville School Committee from 1986-1993. She served as an elected member of the Governor's Council from 1992-1998 and was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1998. In 1999 she made history when she was elected Somerville's first female Mayor.

Mr. Speaker, Mayor Kelly Gay has received numerous awards and achieved much during her years of public service. However, I think her personal story speaks volumes. During her 25 years of citizenship Mayor Kelly Gay has given back to this country in dedication what she received in opportunity. She is an asset to the City of Somerville and the residents she serves. I congratulate Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay as she celebrates 25 years of American citizenship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my colleagues of the despicable attack on a key democratic figure in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, by Than Shwe and his brutal military regime.

A few days ago, the political arm of Than Shwe's regime, the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), launched an attack against Aung San Suu Kyi's motorcade as she was traveling to give a speech about freedom in Burma. After stopping the motorcade and wielding machetes and sticks, USDA members beat on the doors of the motorcade and attempted to steal cameras and other items.

This is only one of many recent occasions in which the USDA has harassed and intimidated Aung San Suu Kyi, her political opposition group called the National League for Democracy (NLD), and their supporters. In order to interfere with her efforts to speak about democratization in Burma, the regime has threatened her supporters with water hoses on fire trucks and blared loud music so that others cannot hear her speeches. Authorities have repeatedly deterred and prevented her supporters from attending her speeches by threatening them with arrest, and have turned back several busloads full of people.

I find it appalling that Than Shwe's soldiers would threaten one of the world's great freedom fighters with blunt weapons. Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD are the legitimately elected leaders of their country-they won 82 percent of the seats in parliament in an internationally recognized election, even though the regime refuses to recognize the results. As an elected Representative of the citizens of Massachusetts, I simply cannot stand by while men like Than Shwe so grossly violate the very principles upon which this House was built.

Than Shwe continues to terrorize the population of Burma. He and his regime have forced much of the population into modern-day slave labor, locked up about 1,400 political prisoners including students, monks, nuns, and 18 members of parliament, and recruited an astounding 70,000 child soldiers--far more than any other country in the world. Perhaps most disturbing, our own State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Rights, and Labor conducted an impressive investigation into rapes in Burma that confirmed the regime is using rape as a weapon of war. As we learned from Bosnia, using rape as a weapon is a war crime, and Than Shwe and his cronies should be brought to justice.

Most importantly, Burma's regime has proven that its words cannot be taken seriously. It has denied the use of rape as a weapon, stated that is has no child soldiers, and refuses to acknowledge the detention and torture of political prisoners. For this reason, it should not be surprising that Than Shwe has ignored the promise he made over a year ago to enter into a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, facilitated by the United Nations, aimed at a transition to freedom and democracy. Instead, he has flaunted the good-faith efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, and by extension, the entire United Nations General Assembly.

I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning these recent attacks and urge the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Rights, and Labor to register our condemnation of the regime at the highest levels.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Sage Family of Boston, Massachusetts as they celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Bisuteki Japanese Steakhouse in Cambridge, MA.

For 30 years, the Sage family has offered diners a complete restaurant and entertainment experience at Bisuteki. Specially trained tepanyaki chefs prepare delightful four-course dinners right at the table, displaying showmanship and flair while flipping, chopping and serving freshly cooked, wholesome meals.

The continued success of the Bisuteki Japanese Steakhouse is testament to the Sage family's ability to provide guests with a truly memorable experience. After 30 years, patrons continue to flock to the restaurant located inside the Radisson Hotel.

Under the watchful eye of Head Chefs Vanhdy Vanlathanith and Hai Nguyen, who have overseen Bisuteki's tepanyaki grills for more than 20 years, the restaurant prepares flavorful, heaping portions of grilled filet and shrimp, as well as top quality sushi right on the historic Charles River.

I congratulate the Sage family and wish them many more years of success with the Bisuteki Japanese Steakhouse.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to recognize Army Lieutenant Colonel James P. Garrison for his outstanding service to our Nation as a member of the Army House Liaison Division. Lieutenant Colonel Garrison will be leaving his position in the House Liaison Division on June 3, 2003, for an assignment as the Commander of the 121st Signal Battalion, 1st Infantry Division in Kitzingen, Germany. His illustrious career as a Signal Officer embodies all of the Army's values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. During his tenure on Capitol Hill, Lieutenant Colonel Garrison has distinguished himself as a friend, trusted resource, and an officer who epitomizes the modern American professional soldier.

Lieutenant Colonel Garrison has demonstrated his outstanding tactical and operational expertise in numerous command and staff positions overseas and in the continental United States. Continually serving in positions of ever-increasing responsibility, the highlights of his career include serving as a Battalion Signal Officer with the 6-27th Field Artillery (MLRS) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; a Company Commander with the 17th Signal Battalion; Presidential Communications Officer for President William J. Clinton; and a battalion and brigade operations officer for the 7th Signal Brigade. As evidence of the quality of Lieutenant Colonel Garrison's leadership, management, and inter-personal skills, he was specially selected to serve as a Congressional Fellow for the United States Army, serving on the personal staff of former Arkansas Senator Tim Hutchinson, prior to joining Army's House Liaison Division.

Upon leaving Capitol Hill, Lieutenant Colonel Garrison will return to Germany for his fourth European tour, where he will continue to serve our nation by leading some 600 ``Big Red One'' soldiers. Accordingly, I invite my colleagues to join in offering a heartfelt thanks to Lieutenant Colonel James Garrison for his selfless service. He represents the very best that our great Nation has to offer and we wish Lieutenant Colonel Garrison and his wife, Sarita, continued success and happiness in all of their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the sixth annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. As we all know, HIV/AIDS is the deadliest epidemic in medical history. Twenty million people globally have died and another 40 million are infected. Significant advances have been made in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, however the number of lives lost is a clear indication that much more must be done. The development of an effective vaccine to prevent HIV remains science's greatest hope in halting the epidemic.

The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) is a network of clinical sites in the United States and abroad dedicated to the development of an HIV vaccine through testing and evaluating candidate vaccines in clinical trials. The network includes 18 sites in the United States and 11 international sites, including those in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean. Two of the domestic sites are located in my congressional district. Fenway Community Health Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital are members of the Harvard HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, under direction of the National Institutes of Health.

As we commemorate the Sixth Annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, we honor the thousands of volunteers who have literally rolled up their sleeves to receive an experimental vaccine designed to prevent this disease. Without clinical trials of HIV vaccines and the support of these volunteers, community leaders, researchers and educators, HIV will continue to devastate communities throughout the United States and the world. Communities in my district and around the nation will hold a variety of activities today to raise awareness about preventive HIV vaccine trials, why a vaccine is the best hope for stopping the spread of HIV, and how ordinary people can be a part of the international effort to stem the pandemic. I urge my colleagues to participate in these events and learn more about the work being done to find a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Nurses Week and honor the essential work that America's nurses do every day. It is important to raise public awareness of the value of nursing and to help educate the public about the vital roles nurses play in meeting the health care needs of the American people. Nurses constitute the nation's largest group of heath care professionals. They serve in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, managed care facilities and community health centers, and their work is invaluable.

Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people are choosing nursing as a career. In recognition of National Nurses Week, I am pleased to join my friend and colleague Congressman Ernie Fletcher in introducing important legislation that helps address the nursing shortage by encouraging students to enter the profession. According to the General Accounting Office, between 1993 and 1996 enrollments at two-year associate nursing degree programs dropped 11 percent, while enrollments at three-year diploma programs dropped more than 40 percent. Between 1995 and 1998, enrollments at four-year bachelors programs dropped 19 percent. Even so, the demand for qualified nurses is increasing, and it will only grow as the baby boomers retire. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than one million new nurses will be needed by the year 2010.

This crisis threatens to compromise the quality of healthcare in this country. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that there is a ``strong and consistent relationship'' between nurse staffing and patient health. The GAO reports that between 2000 and 2030, the group of Americans who are 65 years of age and older will double. At the same time, the number of women between 25 and 54--the group that traditionally comprises most of the nursing workforce--is expected to remain the same. Mr. Speaker, today, more than ever before, we need nurses to care for our seniors. Unless we create incentives and opportunities for men and women to choose nursing as a career, this country will face a crisis in the next ten years.

To help address this problem, Congressman Ernie Fletcher and I are introducing the bipartisan Nurse Education Promotion Act. Our bill addresses the nursing shortage in a number of important ways. First, it establishes a competitive grant program for associate degree nursing schools to be used for nursing

student recruitment, student scholarships, and the hiring of faculty.

Second, the bill establishes a competitive grant program for professional nurses associations, so that they may create and administer continuing education programs in cooperation with area hospitals and higher education institutions.

The nurses associations would coordinate class work at a central location for which nurses could receive college credit towards a BSN or equivalent degree and/or training in an understaffed and critical nursing specialty. The clinical portion of the continuing education could be done at any of the participating hospitals.

While we support other legislation to alleviate the nursing shortage, we believe that by focusing on the two-year schools our bill gets nurses into the field more quickly. By providing money for continuing education, we hope to ensure that nurses are able to meet the changing and increasingly complex demands of our healthcare system. As we celebrate National Nurses Week, we hope our colleagues will join us in our efforts to alleviate the nursing shortage and head off a major healthcare crisis that is just on the horizon.