Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as cofounder of the House Labor and Working Families Caucus, I come to the floor today to address a serious injustice, United Airlines' plan to further cut the retirees benefits of 1,000 United retirees and their families. This is in spite of an agreement established between the airline and the employees when United entered bankruptcy.

Two thousand five hundred flight attendants chose to retire early in order to preserve their retiree health benefits and agreed to sacrifice up to 30 percent of their well-earned pension. These loyal employees did so as part of a $1 billion concessionary contract to help their struggling employer. Now United is reneging on that deal.

This is underhanded, and this is wrong.

I urge our distinguished Speaker of the House, who has a large number of these retirees in his district, and all my colleagues to demonstrate a commitment to our retirees and join in asking the CEO of United Airlines to do the honorable thing and keep his promise to these workers.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today in total disbelief. The Washington Post reported this morning that President Bush's top economic adviser, Gregory Mankiw, said that outsourcing U.S. service jobs overseas is actually good for the Nation's economy. This is absolutely outrageous. Sending jobs overseas is good?

Just tell that to the 23,000 Mainers who lost their manufacturing jobs in the last 8 years. Tell that to the 2.2 million Americans who lost their jobs since President Bush took office. These people have seen their hard-earned jobs shipped overseas due to unfair trade agreements and terrible management of our economy. They are the ones who suffer.

I spent 30 years working in a paper mill. It went bankrupt last year. Maybe this administration should take a look at what is happening in places like my hometown, places that need these jobs all across America, before saying that shipping jobs overseas is a good idea.

It might give them a dose of reality that real Americans face every day.

Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I will not object.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 100, the Servicemen Civil Relief Act. I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and their staff for their work with the other body to finalize this legislation.

H.R. 100 restates, modernizes and improves the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act, recognizing the importance of women in military service. The title is changed to Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act.

With our Nation at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, our Nation's service- members are in need of an updated law. This bill will allow for strengthening and expediting the national defense and otherwise exercising the military obligations without undue concern as to the impact of their military service on their civil obligations.

I am pleased this legislation includes recognition of the Federal protection recently extended to members of the National Guard called up for a national purpose under Title 32 of the United States Code.

When our men and women are protecting and serving the Nation, they should be entitled to the protection of the Nation's laws. H.R. 100 provides other legal and administrative protection for our men and women in uniform. It would increase rental eviction

protection from $1,200 to $2,400 which will help those serving in high- rent areas of the country.

It would also allow for termination of real property leases in certain situations providing professional liability protections, health insurance, and guaranteed residencies for military purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I know that servicemembers from my State of Maine will appreciate the benefits provided by this bill. I fully support H.R. 100 and urge my colleagues to pass this measure.

I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 100.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2297, as amended, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. I would like to thank the chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for their leadership on the full committee and their successful negotiations with the Senate. I also would like to personally thank my good friend, the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), for his leadership and bipartisan spirit shown in considering these bills assigned to our subcommittee. It definitely has been a pleasure working with Chairman Brown and his staff.

The Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 includes provisions drawn from many bills introduced by Members of both sides of the aisle. Our Nation's servicemembers and veterans have earned and their families deserve all the benefits provided under H.R. 2297 and, indeed, they certainly deserve much, much more.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a sponsor and cosponsor of many of these measures that have been incorporated in H.R. 2297, including provisions aimed to make the home loan benefit for members of the Guard and Reserves permanent, to improve veterans education benefits, enhance self-employment opportunities, and expand employment counseling and job search assistance for servicemembers returning to civilian life after separating from military installations overseas.

H.R. 2297 provides for more equitable and rational treatment for surviving spouses and Filipino World War II veterans, of which I also fully support. It allows former prisoners of war to qualify for certain presumption of service connection and adds sclerosis of the liver to the diseases considered presumptively disabling for POWs. The Gold Star wives will benefit from our efforts to allow them to remarry after age 57 without losing the dependency and indemnity compensation, educational, and home loan benefits that they currently receive. This measure is long overdue and represents substantial progress.

I also support provisions brought forth by the other body which will increase education benefits for the spouses, surviving spouses, and dependent children for totally and permanently disabled and deceased servicemembers.

Mr. Speaker, the provisions in this package will benefit servicemembers and veterans from my State of Maine as well as their families. It will help others all around the country as well. I fully support H.R. 2297, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2297, as amended, the Veterans Benefits Package of 2003.

I would like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Lane Evans for their leadership on the full committee and their successful negotiations with the Senate.

I would also like to personally thank Chairman Brown and his staff for the cooperative manner shown in introducing and considering bills assigned to our subcommittee. It has been a pleasure working with him and his staff.

As is the custom of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, a large number of bills considered by the Subcommittee on Benefits have been included in the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003.

I am pleased that H.R. 2294 which I introduced to extend the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education is included as section 307 of H.R. 2297, as amended. The Veterans Advisory Committee provides useful information to the Congress and should be continued.

I am also pleased that H.R. 3239 which I introduced to extend the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans is included as section 703 of H.R. 2297, as amended. This committee brings to the attention of the Congress specific issues of concern to African- American, Native America, Hispanic American, and Asian-Pacific Island American veterans. I know that the Native American veterans of Maine, as well as all minority veterans, will continue to benefit from the counsel and advice provided by this committee.

I am original cosponsor of H.R. 761 introduced by our ranking Democratic member of the full committee, Lane Evans, to permit seriously disabled servicemembers to apply for grants to adapt their homes before being discharged from military service. This provision included as section 401 will enable seriously disabled servicemembers to begin the process of obtaining suitable housing while on active duty.

I joined our Ranking Democratic Member Lane Evans in introducing H.R. 1257 to make the home loan program of the Department of Veterans Affairs for members of the Select Reserve a permanent program. This provision is included as section 403 of H.R. 2297, as amended. That bill also provided for an equalization of the fees paid by reservists and active duty veterans. Although the fees were not equalized in the final bill, I note that the rates have been reduced to a nominal amount of 0.25 percent above that charged to active duty servicemembers and veterans. As we know, reservists are an integral part of this Nation's total force. Making their home loan benefits permanent and reducing the fees they must pay acknowledges their service in a tangible way.

I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 1460 introduced by Mr. Renzi to provide additional opportunities for service-disabled veterans to contract with the Federal Government. Unfortunately, the record of contracts awarded to service-disabled veterans by Federal agencies is dismal and getting worse. Provisions from H.R. 1460 are included in section 308 of H.R. 2297, as amended. I hope that Federal agencies will take seriously their responsibility to contract with small businesses owned or controlled by service-disabled veterans. Under the provision, the committees expect that the Small Business Administration will accept the determinations of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with respect to the definition of service-connection.

I joined my good friend and neighbor Mr. Bradley in introducing H.R. 2164 to provide an extension in the period of eligibility for educational benefits provided to certain children of disabled and deceased veterans, when those children are called to full time duty in the National Guard. This provision is included in section 303 of H.R. 2297, as amended.

I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2285 introduced by Mr. Simpson to require the Secretary of Labor to provide staffing at overseas locations to servicemembers who are separating from active duty. This provision is included as section 309 of H.R. 2297, as amended. It is unfortunate that the Secretary of Labor has not followed the lead of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in making these services available at overseas locations. This bill will require the Secretary of Labor to do so.

I joined our chairman on the full committee, Chris Smith, our ranking Democratic member on the full committee. Lane Evans and our subcommittee chairman, Henry Brown, in introducing H.R. 2297 which provided the basis for this larger bill. I appreciate the efforts made by the chairman of the full committee as well as Chairman Brown to operate in a bipartisan manner.

Although H.R. 3392, introduced by our Democratic Ranking Member Lane Evans and myself to improve the adjudication of claims for benefits was not considered by the House committee during this session, I note that provisions similar to that bill are included as section 701 of H.R. 2297, as amended.

I am also a cosponsor of many other bills included in H.R. 2297, as amended. As a freshman Member of Congress, I am proud to have been able to introduce and cosponsor legislation which will improve the lives of our Nation's veterans.

The House Committee on Veterans Affairs has a reputation of serving veterans in a bipartisan manner. This bill reflects that spirit of cooperation.

Our Nation's servicemembers and veterans have earned--and their families deserve--all the benefits provided under H.R. 2297, as amended.

Indeed, they deserve so much more.

Mr. Speaker, the provisions in this package will benefit servicemembers and veterans from my State of Maine as well as their families. It will help others around the country as well.

I fully support H.R. 2297, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), who has fought for veterans for a number of years.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland), who has fought for veterans issues for a number of years.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to once again thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for all their work, as well as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown). I think our servicemen, our veterans in this country, can be very proud of the way the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has handled itself this year in a bipartisan manner, looking out for veterans in this country for all the work that they do as well.

I would also like to thank staff on both the Republican and Democratic side for working together in a bipartisan way. The only way we are ever going to move forward and get veterans issues addressed in Congress is by working together in a bipartisan manner. I wish actually some other committees here in Congress would look at the way the Committee on Veterans' Affairs operates and act as bipartisanly.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a proud original cosponsor of this resolution, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 288, honoring Seeds of Peace for its promotion of understanding, reconciliation, acceptance, coexistence, and peace among youth from the Middle East and other regions of conflict.

Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has brought children from war torn areas to the Seeds of Peace International Camp in my district in Maine.

It is a source of great pride to have such a noble mission based in my state.

That mission is to sow the seeds of peace in children who have grown up in the horrors of war.

Seeds of Peace helps teenagers from the war torn regions of the Middle East, the Balkans, Cyprus, and South Asia, learn to respect and understand those they would call their enemy.

In so many of these conflicts building trust between the youth of the opposing sides is the only hope for ending the cycle of violence.

The work performed by Seeds of Peace goes to the heart of our war on terrorism, and it goes to the heart of our goal to bring peace and prosperity to the world because it goes to the hearts of children to show them that violence is not the answer.

I thank my good friend and fellow representative from Maine for introducing this legislation and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot speak for former Members of Congress because I am a freshman this year, but had I been a Member of Congress in the past, I definitely would be fighting strongly for the repeal of concurrent receipt.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the motion to recommit to provide full concurrent receipt for disabled military veterans. For years, the lack of concurrent receipt, or as some have called it the disabled veterans tax, has taken benefits from the pockets of deserving military retirees. It is an embarrassment that Congress has gone this long without taking care of that disabled veterans tax. I am glad that some veterans will get relief under this bill. But all veterans deserve relief. This is a matter of keeping sacred promises.

The so-called compromise today is leaving a lot of veterans behind, including 2,038 veterans in Maine who would get benefits if we enacted full concurrent receipt for all.

I urge my colleagues to vote for the motion to recommit to provide a full benefit to all veterans. If that fails, I definitely will support the final bill to give relief to at least some of our deserving veterans, including 1,219 in Maine who will now get concurrent receipt under this bill. That is a good step forward.

But I will not give up and I will keep working until all veterans get full concurrent receipt and we eliminate the unfair disabled veterans tax on these veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 280, which recognizes the 100th anniversary of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association.

As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit, and Pipelines, I believe it is important that we understand and appreciate the efforts of the Association to improve our Nation's quality of life, and the impact that their products make on our nation's infrastructure and economy.

The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association is the largest mining trade association in the world.

Its members work tirelessly to provide our Nation with a strong and durable infrastructure. The association encourages and helps aggregate producers to meet and improve upon environmental, health, and safety standards.

We should not forget the importance of aggregates in our daily life: approximately 400 tons of aggregate is used on one home; it makes up 80% of concrete and 94% of asphalt.

We should not forget the importance of aggregates to our economy: every $1 billion in additional investment in highways creates 47,500 additional jobs.

As we build new homes for American families, new roads and bridges to carry us across this great land, and new schools and hospitals to provide our towns with the best services available, we should remember that the National Stone, Sand & Gravel association and its members provide the foundation for our Nation's infrastructure.

For this, I am honored to join with my colleagues to show my appreciation for this great organization.

Mr. Speaker, the week of October 20-25 has been designated as World Population Awareness Week with the theme of ``Water: Our Most Precious Natural Resource.'' Over the next 20 years the world's population of 6.3 billion is projected to increase to nearly 9 billion before leveling off.

As currently, these 6.3 billion people are dependent on 1 percent of all the water on earth. A recent study revealed that 58 areas of the United States--from Florida and Georgia to western Texas to northern California and southern Oregon, as well as most of heartland U.S.A.-- are water stressed. Acting on the global consensus that water scarcity must be a top development priority, the Population Institute has decided to dedicate the 19th World Population Awareness Week to the issue of water and I applaud their efforts.

More than 80 nations, 165 organizations, 127 mayors, and 22 governors, including Governor John Baldacci of Maine, have proclaimed the week of October 20-25 as World Population Awareness Week with the theme ``Water: Our Most Precious Natural Resource.'' I call that proclamation to my colleagues' attention in hopes of promoting the importance of an adequate and safe water supply for future generations.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1516, the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, as amended, by the Senate. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), for their leadership on the committee. I also want to extend a personal thanks to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits for his work in helping craft this legislation.

H.R. 1516 provided for the authorization and establishment of six new national cemeteries in accordance with the VA's most current burial needs assessment report.

The Senate amended this bill to include a sixth national cemetery to be located in Sarasota County, Florida.

Adding this sixth national cemetery is necessary so that we may provide much-needed burial services to an area of the country with a high and increasing veterans population.

I know how important burial in a veterans cemetery is to our national veterans. Many brave men and women who put on a uniform to protect us during World War II and the Korean War pass from us every day. The veterans of this Nation deserve nothing less than an honored and dignified final resting place.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1516 is a good bill, an important bill; and I urge all Members to support its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Hoeffel), a gentleman who has fought so diligently to make sure that the southeastern Pennsylvania cemetery was included in the bill.

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

In closing, I would like to urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I also want to once again thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the committee, for his working extremely hard with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member, to make sure that we pass bipartisan legislation because veterans are from both political parties, and I think they deserve the very best, and I appreciate the excellent leadership from both the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member.

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

Mr. Speaker, I just signed a discharge petition to extend unemployment benefits for dislocated workers across our Nation, and I am here to urge my colleagues to do the same. Let me just share some of the numbers from the State of Maine. For the past 3 years, Maine has lost 22 percent of its manufacturing jobs, 15,500 jobs in total, the highest in the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, where is relief for these workers and their families? Too many Mainers are approaching today, tomorrow and the coming days without a job, without health care coverage, without adequate food and medicine, and without the ability to make ends meet. We cannot turn our backs on these workers and their families. We must extend unemployment insurance for the people who have exhausted their benefits. Our most important job is to help those who cannot find a job.

Mr. Speaker, 10 days after terrorist attacks on September 11, the President told this body, ``We will come together to improve air safety and take new measures to prevent hijacking.''

Yet, 2 years later, our first line of defense in the air has been not yet upgraded. The flight attendants who were the first victims of the tragic accidents on that day and who are still called upon to defend passengers lives have not been given the new defensive training that they need.

Working together in committee, Members of both parties drafted legislation to address this shortfall and mandate proper defense training for aircrews. Four hundred eighteen Members of the House agreed.

Unfortunately, through the FAA reauthorization bill, House leadership has now removed the strong mandate and replaced it with a statement that TSA ``may'' provide training. This undermines our bipartisan work, it undermines the expectation clearly stated by the President, and it undermines the Nation's safety.

I urge my colleagues to work with me to change the language back. There should be no uncertainty, no delay. Mandated training for aircrews is the will of this Congress and the will of our constituents.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2297, the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003. I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), ranking member, for their leadership on the full committee on this important measure.

I would also like to thank personally the gentleman from South Carolina (Chairman Brown) for his leadership and professionalism on our subcommittee as well as staff on both sides of the aisle who have worked so hard during this session.

The Veterans Benefits Package of 2003 includes provisions drawn from many bills considered by the Subcommittee on Benefits this year. I am especially pleased that this legislation includes bills introduced by Members of both sides of the aisle.

Our Nation's service members and veterans have earned, and their family deserve, all the benefits provided under H.R. 2297. Indeed, they deserve so much more as well. I am pleased that this package takes a strong step in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor many of the measures that were incorporated in H.R. 2297, including provisions aimed to equalize home loan benefits for members of the Guard and Reserve, improve veterans' education benefits, enhance self-employment opportunities, and expand employment counseling and job search assistance for service members returning to civilian life after separating from military installations overseas.

H.R. 2297 provides for more equitable and rational treatment of surviving spouses and Filipino World War II veterans, which I fully support. It allows former prisoners of war to qualify for certain presumptions of service-connection and adds cirrhosis of the liver to the disease considered presumptively disabling for POWs. It also allows the Gold Star Wives to remarry after age 55 without losing the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits which they currently receive.

This measure is long overdue.

Mr. Speaker, the provisions in this package will benefit the service members and veterans from my State of Maine and all around the country. It will also help others. I fully support H.R. 2297 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), ranking member of the full committee, a gentleman who has fought for veterans issues as long as he has been in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the newly formed Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the motion to instruct conferees.

It is time to stop the all-out assault on workers in Maine and throughout our Nation who rely on overtime to make ends meet. It is time to abandon the proposal to block overtime pay for 8 million workers nationwide, and it is time that this Congress and this President listen to the hardworking American people.

I rise today on behalf of the families across our Nation and in my State of Maine whose overtime pay accounts for 25 percent of their entire income. What message could this be sending them? Mr. Speaker, after working 30 years in a paper mill, I know what message it sends to the working people of this country. It tells them that their work is of less and less value and that this Congress does not care that they are falling further and further behind.

I urge my colleagues to listen to the people who work hard, who built this country, made this country what it is today.

I thank the gentleman from New Mexico for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 159. I agree that recognition is due to the city of Emporia, Kansas and the Kansans who helped make Veterans' Day a national holiday honoring those who have served our Nation.

I believe as Members of Congress, we have a special obligation to honor those who have served by demonstrating our support for veterans every day we serve in these halls.

We do that not only by Concurrent Resolutions such as H. Con. Res. 159, but by also passing legislation, which provides the benefits and services our Nation's veterans have earned.

I would hope that before the next Veterans Day is celebrated, we would pass legislation removing the Disabled Veterans Tax from the burden born by our service-disabled military retirees.

I would hope that before the next Veterans Day is celebrated, we would pass legislation assuring veterans adequate funding to provide them with health care in a timely manner.

Today, we honor those who contributed to making Veterans Day a national holiday with our words.

Let us also honor them by our actions.

I urge all Members to support passage of H. Con. Res. 159. I urge all Members to support legislation which honors our Nation's disabled veterans by their deeds.