Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 414, it gives me great pleasure to support this important resolution today.

On Monday we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, which found that, ``in the field of education, the doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place,'' thus guaranteeing every American student a seat in the classroom. Truly a landmark decision, Brown did not end in the classroom. It helped pave the way for the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act, built upon the educational progress made in Brown by ensuring every student will not only have access, but will also receive a quality education. While progress has been made since the Brown decision, a huge gap still remains when it comes to ensuring all children actually learn. Significant academic achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and their more affluent peers still exist in key subjects such as reading and math. In effect, we have allowed a two-tiered educational system--one with low expectations for poor or minority students and high expectations for others.

Nationally, the achievement gap between African-American and Caucasian fourth-graders in reading is 28 percentage points. The achievement gap between Hispanic and Caucasian fourth-graders is 29 percentage points. We have allowed ourselves to believe that some children are simply beyond our reach, and, as a result, this Nation has suffered.

Not unlike Brown, No Child Left Behind is rooted in the belief that all students--regardless of race, background, income, geography, or disability--can learn, and must be given the chance to do so.

No Child Left Behind has its skeptics, and change is never easy. Despite complaints, all parties involved are answering to the requirements of No Child Left Behind. States, school districts, teachers, parents and without doubt the students are meeting the rigors of the law. This response shows that we all are dedicated and believe in the goals of the law.

We are already seeing positive results. According to a 2004 study by the Council of Great City Schools, the achievement gap is narrowing in both reading and math between African-American and Caucasian and Hispanic and Caucasian students in our Nation's inner-city schools--and they attribute the positive change in part to No Child Left Behind.

I am honored to be a cosponsor of this resolution, encourage us all to celebrate the anniversary of Brown, and reflect on how far we have come in ensuring educational access. We must also recognize that the job is not done; we must see to it that all children are learning. No Child Left Behind is a step in this direction and we must stay the course.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a brave young marine who died Tuesday, April 6, 2004, due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. United States Marine Lance Corporal Anthony P. Roberts was a proud marine who gave his life, along with a dozen of his fellow soldiers, helping the Second Battalion of the Fourth Marine Regiment secure the Iraqi city of Ramadi.

At only 18 years of age, Anthony was an inspirational young Delawarean who graduated from Middletown High School in June of 2003, where he had been a cadet first lieutenant in the Air Force Junior ROTC program. Only a short time after successfully completing boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, Anthony dutifully accepted service in Iraq, where he was an honorable defender of liberty at the epicenter of the war on terror.

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of attending Anthony's funeral, where I learned that during his short life, Anthony was a patriotic American who enjoyed music and spending time with friends and family. Like his father, a military veteran who died several years ago, Anthony made the choice to serve his country. In making this choice, Anthony bravely defended the rights and lives of others. The youngest of three children, Anthony will be deeply missed by his mother and two sisters, his friends, teachers, and fellow soldiers.

Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere privilege to honor the life of a proud marine and heroic representative of the state of Delaware. Lance Corporal Anthony Roberts deserves our gratitude and respect.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the achievements of Mr. Albert R. Morris, President of A.R. Morris Jewelers in Wilmington, DE. On behalf of the citizens of the First State, I would like to pay tribute to this outstanding individual, and extend to him our congratulations on being chosen as the 2004 recipient of the Small Business Council of America's Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Mr. Speaker, for over 40 years, A.R. Morris Jewelers has set the standard for business and civic leadership in Delaware. The Morris family's steadfast commitment to dependability, integrity, quality, and trust has cemented A.R. Morris' position at the pinnacle of small business in Delaware, and as this award indicates, throughout the nation. Based on an unwavering commitment to his community, Mr. Morris has proven that businesses can succeed, while still maintaining an individual relationship with their customers. Now, in A.R. Morris' second generation of family ownership, they continue to provide value and excellence in their craft.

It is with great pleasure that I offer the most heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Morris upon receipt of this award. His tireless diligence and dedication to work and family should serve as an example for all small businesses. Mr. Speaker, I commend Albert R. Morris for his exceptional leadership and I ask that we recognize the substantial contributions his family and business have made to the state of Delaware.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 598 offered by my colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Hayes. House Resolution 598 recognizes the valuable contributions of the administrators, teachers and staff who educate children of military families.

There are approximately 650,000 school-aged children of members of the Armed Forces enrolled in public schools across the United States. Another 100,500 military children are served in Department of Defense Education Activity schools in the U.S. and overseas.

While all children deserve a quality education in a stable learning environment, children of military families often face unique and stressful situations, especially in times of conflict when their parents can be deployed for long periods of time and often with short notice.

Schools serving military installations understand the importance of providing a normal learning environment and regular routine for children whose parents serve in the military. They can provide students with a sense of safety and reassurance and, a place for them to thrive academically.

Military impacted schools can also offer increased counseling for military children due to the deployment of family members, and teachers and counselors working in such schools are trained to work with military children and their classmates when there is a service-related incident or death.

I'd like to particularly recognize the Caesar Rodney School District in my home State of Delaware, which serves the families of Dover Air Force Base. The Caesar Rodney School District serves nearly 7,000 students and has a long history of academic excellence and service to its community. I would like to thank them for their commitment to serving the needs of our military children.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 598 is simple. It recognizes and commends the valuable contributions of the teachers, administrators, and staff of military impacted schools and the Department of Defense Education Activity Schools.

This resolution is also timely as this is National Teacher Appreciation Week. We not only would like to recognize the hard work and accomplishments of our military impacted schools personnel, but all elementary and secondary teachers across the country.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 600. This resolution recognizes National Charter Schools Week and honors charter schools and those involved for providing a quality education to children from thousands of families across the United States. The fifth annual National Charter Schools Week is May 3 through May 7, and it is during this week that we make it a point to acknowledge and celebrate charter schools.

With the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act, Congress built on the existing opportunities for families and students that charter schools allowed and increased both access and funding for these institutions. Charter schools are public schools that give families additional freedom. These public schools have flexibility and independence from certain regulations, but submit to the same or higher accountability requirements regarding student achievement.

Beginning in 1991 with one school, charter schools have grown in prevalence in nearly every State in our nation. Currently, there are almost 2,700 schools serving nearly 3,000 students. In my home State of Delaware, we first passed a charter school law in 1995. We now have 13 charter schools, serving over 5,000 students. Delaware charter schools serve students at both the elementary and secondary levels, and stimulate change and improvement in public schools at all levels.

In communities of all types throughout Delaware and our nation, charter schools teach students using a variety of methods and techniques, often succeeding in situations that might appear to some to be less than ideal. For example, the East Side Charter School, located in the East Lake village of Wilmington, Delaware enrolls a student population in which 88 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, yet produces academic results that exceed those of the other public schools in Delaware.

Charter schools have enjoyed a considerable amount of bipartisan support from every level, including the Administration, Congress, State governors and legislatures, local communities, parents, and teachers. During National Charter School Week, it is important to demonstrate this support by honoring and commending charter schools, and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators through this resolution and other programs, ceremonies, and activities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 578, which recognizes and supports the goals of Financial Literacy Month.

Now more than ever, we live in a world that has become increasingly complicated when it comes to personal financial matters. A generation ago, a basic knowledge of balancing a checkbook and maintaining a savings account was adequate. However, in today's complex world many Americans are faced with difficult decisions such as determining what type of loan they need; whether to invest in stocks or bonds; how to best manage credit; and how soon to start planning for family education needs and their retirement. There are approximately 40,000 different credit products available, an intimidating thought for the most educated consumer.

Unfortunately, large numbers of consumers never learn the basics of maintaining their personal finances and may struggle unnecessarily with choices leading to financial freedom. Instead, many live paycheck to paycheck and acquire substantial debt.

Today, our nation's youth are bombarded with a multitude of financial options at an increasingly young age. Yet many are ill-equipped to make informed decisions about financial matters. According to a 2001 Teenage Research Unlimited survey, teenagers spend rather than save 98 percent of their money, a total of $172 billion in 2002. One out of every three teenagers has credit cards and even more have an ATM card.

Various public and private organizations have developed programs to promote public knowledge of basic finances. Many of these organizations are working with elementary and secondary students to provide them with a strong education in money management and provide teacher training on how to integrate basic financial education principles into curricula.

For example, in my home state of Delaware, MBNA opened the Financial Advisory Service (FAS) over ten years ago, which offers professional advice to MBNA people and their immediate family members. FAS, under the leadership of Tom Dibble, set out to offer professional personal money management education for all MBNA people. Since the service was established, MBNA has extended the service into the community and into the local school systems through the facilitation of basic credit and money management curriculum to all grade levels in elementary, high schools, and colleges throughout the country. FAS has educated nearly 1,500 students in Delaware 14,000 students throughout the country since 1995. Their extensively educated advisors teach, not only credit information, but, especially in the case of students, spend a great deal of time on financial basics like balancing a checkbook and budgeting.

This fall I held a hearing in my Subcommittee entitled, ``Financial Literacy Education: What Do Students Need to Know to Plan For the Future?'' I was particularly interested in learning what schools, government, and industry were doing to help educate youth about not only the intricacies of being financially sound, but also the very basics. I was pleased to learn that there is engagement across the spectrum. I am happy to support today's resolution--to recognize those that are already active, and to encourage more to become active.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today in honor of two very distinguished Delawareans and former members of the Delaware House of Representatives, the Honorable Jane Perkins Maroney and the Honorable Ada Leigh Soles. As legislators, their contributions to our State have touched the lives of many and have helped to improve our community. On behalf of the citizens of the First State, I would like to pay tribute to these outstanding individuals and extend to them our congratulations on being chosen as the joint recipients of the League of Women Voters of New Castle County Carrie Chapman Catt Award.

Jane Perkins has been recognized for her many years of dedicated service to Delaware politics. In 1998, she was the recipient of our State's highest award, the Order of the First State. Following her time in elected office, Jane continued her tireless advocacy for fellow Delawareans through her work with local and national organizations. Her current focus, as program director of Creative Grandparenting, Inc., involves developing and leading workshops for people who are facing difficult transitions in their lives. Jane's devotion to promoting child and family health initiatives deserves this recognition and our gratitude.

Ada Leigh Soles's work on behalf of her fellow Delawareans has also played an important role in making our State a better place to live and raise a family. During her career, she has been honored for her leadership by numerous academic and community organizations. Ada Leigh has received the New Castle County Civic League's Good Government Award and the University of Delaware's Medal of Distinction, along with numerous local and national awards recognizing her tireless efforts on behalf of libraries. As a testament to her distinguished tenure and the esteem in which she was held by her colleagues, Ada Leigh Soles was often regarded as the ``conscience'' of the Delaware State House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, it has been my sincere privilege to have served as Governor of Delaware while both Jane Maroney and Ada Leigh Soles were members of the Delaware House of Representatives. I wish to thank these two outstanding individuals for their friendship, commitment, and constant dedication to the citizens of Delaware. Their service to our State will have a permanent place in Delaware history. They deserve our thanks and praise.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2241) to reauthorize certain school lunch and child nutrition programs through June 30, 2004.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2241.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise to support bipartisan legislation that extends certain child nutrition provisions, that are set to expire at the end of this month, through June 30, 2004. This extension is vital to ensure that low-income children have access to safe and nutritious food in school, after school, and during the summer months.

The National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, WIC, the Child and Adult Care Food, After School Snack, and Summer Food Service Programs, together make up a network of Federal child nutrition programs that are a critical part of our Nation's effort to ensure that needy children in America do not go hungry.

One week ago, the House passed H.R. 3873, the Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act, with overwhelming bipartisan support. H.R. 3873 significantly improves Federal child nutrition programs by increasing program access for eligible children, enhancing program integrity, and emphasizing the importance of nutrition education, balanced diets, and physical activity to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity.

I urge the other body to pass companion legislation to reauthorize child nutrition programs soon so that children and their families can take advantage of these and other improvements to current law contained in H.R. 3873.

The extensions included in today's legislation are a temporary measure to assure the continuation of current law until final legislation is signed into law. S. 2241 will assure us that millions of needy children will not lose access to meals and snacks that are needed for their healthy growth and development and academic success in school.

Millions of children, including many whose mothers and fathers serve in America's armed services, rely on these programs each day. Without this legislation, many children who reside with their parents in privatized military housing would lose the benefit of free- or reduced- price school meals. In Delaware, approximately 250 children will benefit from this extension and up to 100,000 children nationwide. Taking these subsidies from children when many of their mothers and fathers are fighting for our Nation's security at home and abroad would have a devastating effect on these families.

This legislation would also continue the availability of healthy meals and snacks to low-income children enrolled in for-profit child care centers. Additionally, this legislation would allow schools, churches, and community organizations to operate summer food service program sites and, in 14 States, continue special pilot programs to reduce paperwork and thereby increase the number of disadvantaged children who receive free meals and snacks during the summer months.

Madam Speaker, there are just a few reasons why S. 2241 should be approved today with unanimous support. The child nutrition provisions that would be extended through this legislation benefit America's most vulnerable children. It is our duty as lawmakers to ensure that these at-risk children and their families can continue to receive the benefits for which they have been deemed eligible until the Congress can complete its work on legislation reauthorizing both the Child Nutrition Act and Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. I conclude by asking that my fellow colleagues to please join me in support of S. 2241.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, this is all pretty simple. We are passing this Senate bill to extend these programs from the end of March, which is tomorrow, until June 30. Hopefully, in that time the other body will take up the full reauthorization of these various nutrition programs.

I think the gentlewoman from California stated it correctly in terms of the benefit of those programs. It is my hope, frankly, that they use our bill as the base bill for what they are going to do. I think we are pretty much in unanimous consent in this House that what is in there makes a lot of sense. That is the reason we need to pass this today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2231.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Kasey Milliski upon her nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. Ms. Milliski is a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Ronald McDonald House provides a ``home- away-from-home'' for families of children being treated at nearby hospitals, and she has dedicated herself to helping many Delaware families in need.

Ms. Milliski's passion for volunteer work was born out of her own personal hardhships. In turn, she continues to reach out to sick children and their families with kindness and compassion. Ms. Milliski's simple approach to helping others is genuine and has a profound impact on many.

Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Ms. Milliski upon her nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. She is truly worthy of this honor.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Jim Ellison upon his nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. For over 25 years, Mr. Ellison has aided Delawareans who are confronting personal crises. As a volunteer for CONTACT, Delaware's crisis line, Mr. Ellison has logged a state record of 8,553 hours, many of which he accumulated during the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift.

Mr. Ellison's lifetime of service has had no limit. Prior to becoming a volunteer, he worked 29 years as a revenue officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Ellison also served in the Army Air Corps and from January 1944 until August 1945, Mr. Ellison cleaned machine guns for B- 24 bombers.

Jim Ellison's tireless dedication to the well-being of others should serve as an inspiration to us all. He is a most worthy candidate for the Jefferson Award and a truly outstanding Delawarean and American.

Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Mr. Ellison upon his nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. May we all learn from, and exemplify, his selflessness.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Jeffrey Busch upon his selection as the Jefferson Award winner in Delaware. Mr. Busch is the founder and chairman of Safe Blood for Africa, an organization dedicated to stemming the tide of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. With true innovative spirit, he has brought a business approach to the logistical problems of getting safe blood to this region. Mr. Busch is not only a commendable American citizen, he is an exemplary citizen of the world.

With the utmost humility, Mr. Busch ensures safe blood for transfusions in 20 sub-Saharan African nations. His organization also protects Africans from the spread of such diseases as hepatitis B and C and syphilis. One would never know to speak to Mr. Busch that he has likely spared thousands of Africans from the dangers of HIV and AIDS.

Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Jeffrey Busch upon his selection as the Jefferson Award winner in Delaware. His selflessness serves as an example to us all. Furthermore, it has been my sincere privilege to know Mr. Busch personally, and I am very proud to that he is a Delawarean.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Joanne Glauser upon her nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. Mrs. Glauser is the co-founder of the Delaware chapter of Shoes That Fit and truly exemplifies the American spirit. After reading an article about children who were too poor to have clothes that fit properly, Joanne decided to take action. Five years later, she was named ``top volunteer in the nation'' by the executive director of Shoes That Fit.

In only the last 4 years, Mrs. Glauser's chapter has provided over 35,000 items to needy children in Delaware. Her selflessness and dedication have touched the lives of thousands who may otherwise have gone without.

Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Mrs. Glauser upon her nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. May she continue to serve as an example to us all.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Meghan Pasricha upon her nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. Ms. Pasricha is founder of the successful Anti-Tobacco Action Club at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware. As a 10th grader, Meghan started her organization with 12 members and a goal: raising teenage awareness of tobacco-related health hazards.

Her hard work has paid off and today Meghan is the State chairwoman of the Kick Butts Generation, an anti-tobacco organization with over 4,000 local members. Ms. Pasricha's dedication to educating people about the dangers of tobacco is limitless. She recently gave a presentation at the World Conference on Tobacco in Heis, Finland, and has reached out to groups of children in places as far away as Mhau, India.

Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Ms. Pasricha upon her nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. Her determination and drive to educate and empower others serves as an example to us all. She is truly worthy of this honor.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3786) to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to produce currency, postage stamps, and other security documents at the request of foreign governments on a reimbursable basis.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my strong support for H.R. 3786, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Security Printing Act of 2004, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King). The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to print, under certain conditions, currency and security documents for foreign governments if it is consistent with our foreign policy objectives.

Mr. Speaker, while the United States Mint is allowed in law to produce coins for other countries, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, or BEP, as we know it, is not. This prohibition has prevented the BEP from responding to a number of requests or opportunities to help smaller countries strengthen their economies by producing currency or security documents such as stamps or deeds or passports that are difficult

to counterfeit. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, if the opportunity is there to impede counterfeiting of this sort and the BEP is prevented by law from taking it, we are all the losers.

The bill is essentially in the same language as that which has passed the House by both voice and recorded vote in the past several Congresses after being introduced at the request of both this and the prior administration, Mr. Speaker.

Because of the current prohibition in law, we have turned away currency-printing requests from friends such as Kuwait after the first Gulf War and Mexico a couple of years ago when they were redesigning their currency, and we were unable to bid on reprinting the currency of Iraq to remove the image of Saddam after last year's war.

Mr. Speaker, many countries lack the resources to produce secure currency or secure passports. Nothing in this legislation prevents a country from choosing a U.S.-based private sector printer; but the history of this sort of printing is that while a private sector printer is bound to be less expensive, the business is not price-sensitive. Typically, when countries turn to a printer outside their own borders, it is to another government printer: the bank of Australia, the Bank of England, or the European Central Bank printers. In my view, the United States Treasury should be on that list as well.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation specifies that the BEP could not bid on any printing contract for another government unless it could do the work without interrupting the printing and delivery of U.S. currency and security documents, and unless the Secretary of State certified that the work would be consistent with U.S. foreign policy.

Additionally, the BEP must be reimbursed by the client country, so that the work does not cost the U.S. taxpayer and it is not just another form of foreign aid. All costs, including administrative costs, will be passed to the foreign governments and no rogue state or unfriendly nation will receive the benefit of our knowledge and expertise.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this long overdue legislation and permit BEP to print currency, postage, and other security documents for foreign governments.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2993, the ``District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act,'' introduced February 10 by the gentleman from New York, Mr. King.

This legislation will enhance the popular 50-State Quarter program I am proud to have authored, with the addition of a one-year program that will include designs reminiscent of the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on the reverse of our circulating quarters in the year following the end of the State quarter program in 2008. With passage of this legislation, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories will rightly be included in the historical depictions on the quarter. I support these inclusions for both the historical importance and financial benefit for the United States Treasury.

Mr. Speaker, the State quarter program--which reached the halfway mark at the end of December--has dramatically increased general knowledge of the historical contributions of our fifty States. I believe the legislation under consideration today would do the same for the District and the territories. These areas have some of the highest enlistment rates in our armed forces--their commitment continues through today's conflicts and includes the tragic sacrifice of the lives of among others Lance Cpl. Gregory E. MacDonald of the District of Columbia, and Army Pvt. Jonathan I. Falaniko, of Pago Pago, American Samoa.

As well, Mr. Speaker, the District and the territories have made many historical, cultural and athletic contributions to our Nation, and this bill we consider today is a great opportunity to recognize them, in artwork on the reverse of the quarters.

The one-year program provides more than intangible benefits to the United States. It provides an economic boon to our Nation's Treasury. The success of the State quarter program has been overwhelming. The quarters have become one of the most popular collector's items in the United States and abroad. As of December, the halfway point of the program, Federal revenues had grown by over four billion dollars, representing coins that have been taken out of circulation by collectors. As a result, it is estimated that if the popularity of quarters produced under this legislation follow similar trends, as much as one billion dollars worth of the quarters may be taken out of circulation.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the gentleman from New York, Mr. King, for introducing this bill, and the gentlewomen from the District of Columbia, Ms. Norton, for her tireless campaign towards its passage. I also commend many others who have urged passage over the past, including the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Bachus, who sponsored a previous version of the legislation, and the gentlewomen from California, Ms. Waters. Of course, I would also like to thank the ranking member of the Subcommittee, the gentlewomen from New York, Mrs. Maloney and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the full committee, Mr. Oxley and Mr. Frank, for their assistance in making this legislation possible.

Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of H.R. 2993 to recognize the invaluable contributions of the District and the territories.

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

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

I am very pleased that this bill at least addresses in some very small part some of the concerns which the gentleman from Massachusetts holds, and I understand all that. But I think he is correct about this bill. I do not think there is any argument that what we are doing is essentially positive for the environment and for a government agency which can provide these services.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.