Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Katherine Hallberg from Woodland Hills School District. Katherine is the top winner of the 2003 14th Congressional District High School Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery.

Katherine's acrylic painting entitled ``Technicolor Portrait'' was chosen from an outstanding collection of entries. Katherine is a young woman of considerable talent and is sure to have many successes in her future. The judges were very impressed by her use of light and shadow.

I look forward to seeing Katherine's artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol building along with the artwork of the other competition winners from across the country. I am pleased to be associated with Katherine's artistic talents.

Congratulations Katherine. I wish you all the best of luck in the future.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bill.

Mr. Chairman, creating a national energy policy is a challenging but vital process. This country needs a comprehensive policy that reflects our diverse energy portfolio and this bill achives that on many fronts.

I am pleased that this bill makes some real strides toward increasing utilization of some alternative energy technologies also. Language I worked on to create an advanced building efficiency testbed is included which will allow a university consortium to develop innovations in building technologies that will improve the efficiency of the energy systems in residential and commercial buildings while also reducing pollution.

During committee consideration, I offered with Lee Terry an amendment that will create an Advanced Power System Technology Incentive program. This will encourage further utilization of distributed power systems such as stationary fuel cells, turbines, and hybrid power systems. It will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil while also providing assured power to critical infrastructure facilities in a clean, environmentally friendly manner.

These are just a couple of the innovations included in the bill before us. Now I do have real concern with regard to language in the bill that would be detrimental to the pension plans of thousands of our mineworkers, and also with the fact that the tax provisions did not include important incentives for clean coal technology. My understanding is that these problems are being addressed and rectified

however which is extremely important to me and thousands of others.

The bill also contains an electricity title which, while not perfect, will allow the restructuring of our electricity industry to continue. Critics try to make blanket assertions that the restructuring path doesn't benefit the consumer, or won't produce any savings. But in my home State of Pennsylvania, we have found quite the contrary.

Pennsylvania has been a pioneer in retail electric competition and it has worked well. In a recent report from Penn Future, a noted public interest group in my home State, they concluded ``electricity is generally becoming a bargain'', and they gave competition and restructuring much of the credit.

The chairman of our Public Utility Commission, Glen Thomas, said in a recent interview that since restructuring in Pennsylvania:

Consumers pay less for electricity.

New generating facilities are being built to meet growing demand.

The reliability of the grid has been strengthened.

And consumers have more options to buy environmentally friendly ``green'' power generated by renewable resources like hydroelectric and wind facilities.

We need to continue these advances and expand the benefits throughout the entire country. I believe that the bill before us today will help those efforts and I urge Members to support it.

Mr. Chairman, I would respectfully add my voice to those opposing this amendment. While I can agree that we all want to reduce our imports of foreign oil, I have not been convinced that raising CAFE standards would actually accomplish this.

As I understand it, our import share of oil consumption was 35 percent in 1974. Since then our new fuel car economy has roughly doubled, but our oil import share has risen, nonetheless, to about 50 percent. For this reason, I am not convinced that the amendment, if adopted, would achieve what I believe is one of its primary goals.

Additionally, at this time, our economy is struggling. Unemployment is rising, new job growth is stagnating, and there is increasing concern throughout my district and the country about the direction our economy is headed. Yet this amendment could have a devastating impact on the automobile industry which is critical to our economy.

Even in my home State of Pennsylvania, which is not normally thought of as a State closely tied to the automotive industry, a total of 220,800 jobs are dependent on the industry.

Conference Report (H. Rept. 108-71)

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the

two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the concurrent

resolution (H. Con. Res. 95), establishing the congressional

budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2004

and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal

years 2003 and 2005 through 2013, having met, after full and

free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to

their respective Houses as follows:

That the House recede from its disagreement to the

amendment of the Senate and agree to the same with an

amendment as follows:

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the Senate

amendment, insert the following:

Mr. Chairman, 39,700 of these people are directly employed by the industry.

Mr. Chairman, this is a bad amendment. Let us defeat it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor one of America's greatest allies and inspiration for our freedom, liberty, and most importantly, our democratic system of government--Greece.

Today marks the 182nd anniversary of Greek independence. Greek- Americans in my district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and throughout the United States will celebrate this milestone and continue their rich tradition of philanthropy, civic duty, and education. Indeed, there are more than 3 million Greek-Americans in our country providing America with professors, engineers, scientists, artists, athletes, and politicians. Greek culture and heritage touch nearly every aspect of American life.

Greek Independence Day marks the revival of democracy in the place that gave birth to its principles, and many of the political, artistic and social innovations of Greece were the source of some of America's greatest treasures, including the rugged individualism described in Homer's poetry or the political philosophies of Aristotle.

In these days of war and terrorism, Greece remains a steadfast and stable ally of the United States in a region of the world that is marked by turbulence and violence. Following the attacks on America on September 11th, Greece was one of the very first countries to express solidarity with the United States. Since this time, Greece has made outstanding contributions to the global war against terrorism, including military support for Operation Enduring Freedom, humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, and participation in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

My Speaker, Greek-Americans should be proud of their rich and long heritage of service to their fellow humans, both domestically and abroad. I strongly applaud Greek-American commitment to family, community, and America, and hope all Americans join with Greece and her sons and daughters to celebrate 182 years of freedom, democracy, and friendship.

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family commitment on Thursday, March 13, I was not present for rollcall votes 63 and 64. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall number 63 and ``no'' on rollcall number 64.

Mr. Speaker, I represent Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and in the great State of Pennsylvania, doctors are paying way, way too much for malpractice insurance. It is a crisis, and they need some immediate relief. Unfortunately, the bill we have before us today will do nothing to give any doctor in my State any immediate relief. It will not do a single thing to reduce frivolous lawsuits. There is nothing in this bill that will reduce frivolous lawsuits.

So, Mr. Speaker, what should we do to address this situation? In Pennsylvania, we have just recently last year passed three laws that I believe are going a long way to address the problem. Number one, Pennsylvania has prohibited venue shopping for oversympathetic jury pools. We have established tough sanctions against lawyers who filed frivolous suits. We have reformed joint and several liability provisions to ensure all liable parties are truly responsible for their fair share of the judgment. We have established strict new standards for expert witnesses. We have allowed courts to reduce verdict amounts if the award will adversely impact access to health care. We have imposed a 7-year statute of limitations on filing of claims, and we have required insurers to offer patients safety discounts to medical facilities with good track records.

These are the types of reforms that will help deal with the situation. Putting a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages disproportionately hurts poor people. These damage awards, they are not the cause of the problem. Two-thirds of patients who file claims receive nothing. Only 7 percent of these cases go to court. Let us not cap damages on people who can least afford it. Let us let States like Pennsylvania enact meaningful reforms like we have already done.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for his kindness and consideration.

Please don't think it's funny

When you want the ones you miss.

There are lots and lots of people

Who sometimes feel like this.

Mr. Speaker, I borrowed that opening verse from one of the original songs written by Fred McFeely Rogers during his long and legendary career. He wrote over 200 such songs to help explain complex, confusing, and often frightening issues to children in a gentle, noncondescending, and reassuring manner. That is what Mr. Rogers did best, make generations of children in this Nation and beyond feel special, important, and most of all, loved.

Mr. Rogers always started his shows by changing into his familiar cardigan and comfy tennis shoes to give children a sense of comfort and consistency. As I don this cardigan, I know there are lots and lots of people in this Chamber and the world who will forever miss the neighborly comfort, love, and wisdom Mr. Rogers gave while wearing a sweater like this one on the show. It is in his honor that I have introduced House Resolution 111, and I sincerely hope all my colleagues join with me in celebrating the legacy of Fred Rogers.

Fred was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, about a half hour east of Pittsburgh, and lived nearly his entire life in the city I am proud to represent, Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh will always be Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. It was in Pittsburgh in 1954 that Mr. Rogers began his lifelong involvement with children's television, coproducing a 7-year run of ``The Children's Corner,'' which at the time was broadcast on the Nation's first community-sponsored educational television station, WQED in Pittsburgh. In addition to his duties as producer, Mr. Rogers also performed musical numbers for the show and manipulated the puppets. Such famous puppets as Daniel Striped Tiger, King Friday XIII, and Henrietta Pussycat from his show went on to live in what is perhaps the most famous neighborhood in the world, ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.''

From his early and humble start in February of 1968, Mr. Rogers and all of his neighbors have the distinction of being the longest-running program ever on PBS, with nearly 900 episodes and 33 seasons to their credit. Although not comfortable in the spotlight, Mr. Rogers nevertheless has received much well-deserved recognition for his efforts, including the distinction as being one of ``TV Guide's'' 50 greatest TV stars of all time, four Emmys, and induction to the Television Hall of Fame. His messages of self-worth, respect, and understanding have long served as a calm refuge and important contrast in a world of children's television filled with frenetically paced and often violent cartoons.

My friends, we have had more than our share of destruction, violence, and fear in these uncertain times. World events play out very differently in the eyes of a child, and in our rush to give voice to our own personal opinions on the happenings of the day, sometimes we overlook the importance of taking the time to explain issues to our children in a calm and easy manner and thus help ease the trepidations of a child growing up in today's world.

Fred Rogers realized the importance of taking the time to communicate with children, a fact that was at the very heart of his goals and beliefs. Although he was an ordained Presbyterian minister, he never preached to his audience. But then again, he never had to. His message of unconditional love, peace, self-respect, and respect for one's neighbor is universal. He once said, ``When you are helping children feel safe, you are helping them use their energies for moving forward, toward a more hopeful future for themselves and for our society.''

Mr. Rogers helped children confront difficult real-world issues such as divorce, disease, and adoption by listening to them and engaging them on these topics, by talking to them in a manner that respected a child's developing intellect. I truly hope that the important messages that Mr. Rogers shared with us and our children continue on for the next generation of future Congressmen and- women, and I am confident that his legacy will continue, as I have heard that PBS is encouraging all local PBS stations to continue running the rebroadcasts of ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.'' His legacy will also continue in the works of the nonprofit organization founded by Mr. Rogers, Family Communications, Incorporated of Pittsburgh.

In the words of Mr. Bill Isler, president of Family Communications,

Mr. Rogers was a composer, minister, author, puppeteer,

brother, husband, father, grandfather and a friend to every

child in the entire human family. Those of us who worked with

Fred Rogers share both the privilege and responsibility of

continuing his work so that no child anywhere grows up

without being told, ``You are special.''

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to leave you with something Mr. Rogers once said in regards to helping children understand and cope with terrible news events on television. He said:

When I was a boy and would see scary things on the news, my

mother would say to me, `Look for the helpers. You always

find people who are helping.' To this day, that is where I

focus my attention, to the many caring people in this world.

Our world lost one of the greatest and most caring helpers when Mr. Rogers was called home, but his teachings and messages have instilled in us the responsibility, duty, and ability to carry on his legacy by being one of the helpers that our children look for and need.

Thank you, Mr. Rogers. We will always miss your special, caring way of helping and comforting us all. You will always be, for the children.