Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to join with my fellow graduates of the Ohio State University from across the country in honoring Dan Heinlen, who is retiring from his post as head of the Ohio State University Alumni Association.

Dan's outstanding work on behalf of the university and its students, staff and alumni has earned him the unofficial title of Ohio State's number one advocate. As President and CEO of the alumni association for the past 30 years, he has seen the organization grow from 50 thousand members and a budget of less than $1 million to one that now represents almost 125,000 alumni worldwide with a budget of more than $6 million.

A 1960 Ohio State graduate, Dan has served in a wide variety of positions under six university presidents. He is currently Secretary of the alumni association's Board of Directors, the Alumni Advisory Council and the Ohio State Student Loan Foundation, Inc. He is an ex officio member of the Ohio State University Foundation Board, its nominating committee, the University Trustees' Government Affairs and Outreach and Engagement Committees, sits on the Academy for Distinguished Teaching Executive Council and chaired the 2002 Ohio Presidents' Inter-University Council Alumni Advocacy Planning Taskforce.

Dan is a pioneer and one of the most respected leaders in the field of alumni work, and is a frequent consultant to alumni associations across the country. He has also long been active in community and civic affairs.

As Dan and his wife Gelene prepare for an exciting new phase of their lives, I know everyone connected with Ohio State will welcome his continued advice and support.

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to recognize Dale K. Ouzts for a legacy of distinguished service to The Ohio State University and the people of Ohio. Dale is retiring after 24 years at Ohio State, including 23 as General Manager of the WOSU Stations and Director of The Ohio State University Telecommunication Center. His hard work, enthusiasm, and leadership have contributed immensely to the quality of life in Central Ohio.

Dale's accomplishments place him high atop the list of Who's Who in public broadcasting. Notable undertakings during his long career include the Chairmanship of the Board of Directors of National Public Radio, a position as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of KPTS-TV in Wichita, Kansas, a lecturer at the Beijing Broadcasting Institute in Beijing, China, and a consultant for the U.S. Information Agency to help Romanian broadcasters transition to Capitalism.

Perhaps more impressive than Dale's lengthy resume of achievements is the impact his hard work and service have had in our

community. As the general manager of the WOSU stations, Dale was responsible for the addition of more than four new stations and the expansion of the listening area. He is also the founding member and first Board President of the Ohio Public Broadcasting Alliance and Public Radio in Mid-America. Dale is a board member and past president of the Ohio Educational Television Stations and Ohio Public Radio. He has helped to educate tomorrow's leaders as a professor of Communications and Journalism at The Ohio State University. Finally, Dale is a co-founder and past Chairman of Kids Voting Ohio, a past president of the Dublin/Worthington Rotary Club, and a member of the Columbus Zoo Board.

Dale's work has been honored at the highest levels of the industry. His commendations include National Public Radio's highest award for distinguished service, the Edward Elson Award. His contributions to broadcasting have also been recognized by Public Radio in Mid-America, the National Black Programming Consortium, the International Dictionary of Distinguished Leadership, and the Ohio Educational Broadcasting Association.

Mr. Speaker, Dale Ouzts has set a standard for professional achievement and community involvement that few can match. I'm proud to join his family, friends and others in our community in thanking him for his many years of exemplary service.

Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure to speak to this amendment as well as to the legislation at hand. I am opposing the amendment. The amendment obviously would eliminate the uniform standards established by the FCRA in the future in 9 years.

Congress did something very good in 1996, and it did so voluntarily. There was not anything about to expire with FCRA in 1996, and Congress established a national uniform standard for FCRA in 1996 that recognized, quite competently, that this was an experiment, an experiment that should last and be tested over a 7-year period. That 7- year period is coming to an end on January 1 of 2004.

Over 100 witnesses through eight hearings loudly, clearly told our committee, Democrats and Republicans, that what we have had over the last 7 years and what Congress did in 1996 was quite successful. It has been successful for our economy, but, most importantly, successful for American consumers.

We are now, as American consumers, leaders of the world as far as credit goes, mortgage credit, consumer credit. And FCRA and the exemptions, the eight exemptions did that.

What we do not want to do is do this again in 9 years because what we have seen in the last 7 years and what was done in 1996 was done correctly.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, the committee rejected this amendment. We heard from, as I said, over 100 witnesses. Three of those witnesses included the Federal Trade Commission chairman, Chairman Greenspan, and Treasury Secretary Snow. They, too, believe this is the right way to go and support this legislation in its current form.

Now, there has been discussion on the floor today about what has been happening on the left coast and what has been happening in their legislature and what has been happening with their Governor who is in the process of being recalled. Well, this legislation is a great piece of legislation. I am afraid that because of their action, this Congress will be dealing with issues because of the California legislature in years to come.

This legislation today and what has happened in the last month out West demonstrate why this piece of legislation in its current form without the current amendment being offered is the right way to go.

The arguments that Congress will not address or will not be able to address, the problems or potential problems in the future without this amendment are unfortunately baseless because Congress can address issues pertaining to FCRA or issues pertaining to identity theft in 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, or 5 years.

Members of the House, the amendment is supported by some because they hope that the national uniform provisions will expire.

The national standard is good for consumers. It is good for America. This is a good bill drafted by the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus). I support the bill. I urge my Members of the House and the Republican and Democrat side to reject the amendment from my learned colleague.

I thank the Members of the House for supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to help recognize the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs Academy and the alumnae of the Academy.

Central Ohio takes pride in its history and appreciates the tremendous contribution to our community and nation by the Dominican Sisters of St. Mary of the Springs Academy through the education and development of our young people. Over a hundred and seventy years have passed since you began the effort to educate Ohio's youth, regardless of creed.

Your success in providing an outstanding academic foundation is personified in your illustrious alumna, Anne O'Hare McCormick. Her contributions to journalism testify to the quality scholarship demanded by the Dominican Sisters.

May this bicentennial plaque honoring the Academy's faculty and alumnae, living and deceased, and their outstanding fellow alumna Ms. McCormick stand as a reminder to all those who see it that our nation has always cherished the pursuit of educational excellence.

Congratulations on the installation of the historical marker.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation, the Multiemployer Pension Security Act of 2003, which will strengthen and protect the defined pension benefits of thousands of workers.

Of the nearly 44 million working men and women who participate in defined benefit pension plans almost ten million people, approximately 25 percent of all those who have defined benefit pensions, participate in multiemployer plans. These plans are managed under a wholly different structure than single-employer plans. Although recent policy debate has focused primarily on single-employer plans, in introducing this legislation today, I intend to broaden the pension debate to include the very important issues facing multiemployer plans.

Multiemployer pension reform legislation is necessary and overdue. The bold, structural reforms of the Multiemployer Pension Security Act will provide the millions of active and retired workers who participate in these plans with the long-term security of knowing their promised benefits will be funded and safeguarded.

People have spoken of the ``perfect storm'' that has ravaged funding levels in single-employer pension plans. Stock market losses, a sluggish economy and record-low interest rates have combined to create serious under-funding problems. Those events have impacted multiemployer plans also, but the issues for multiemployer plans are much broader than just a dip in the Dow. There are fundamental weaknesses in the system and structure under which these plans operate. For example, one key difference between single-employer plans and multiemployer plans is that there is no minimum funding level required in multi's. While a weakening single-employer plan will trigger remedial action, the same threshold is not present for multiemployer plans. Losses can continue until there is simply no more money and no more time, and benefits cannot be paid. The Multiemployer Pension Security Act of 2003 will correct this deficiency in current law.

The lack of adequate, minimum funding standards is just one of the many weaknesses of the multiemployer pension plan system which this legislation will correct. Not only do multiemployer plans lack the regulatory ``stop-loss'' measures of single employer plans, participants do not currently have the assurance of insurance. When a multiemployer pension plan fails, or when a company participant in a multiemployer plans goes bankrupt, there is no Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to rely on because multiemployer plans do not fall under the same PBGC structure. This legislation will address that and give men and women of multiemployer plans the same governmental oversight provided to participants of single-employer plans.

I am introducing the Multiemployer Pension Security Act because we, as a nation, must address these issues now to prevent further deterioration of these plans and to assure that promised pensions are available to existing retirees and to current participants when they retire. We cannot focus only on single-employer plans; we are also responsible to the almost ten million men and women in multiemployer pension plans. I urge my colleagues to review this legislation and join with me to urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, up until yesterday, when golf fans spoke of ``Ben,'' they probably meant Ben Hogan, one of the game's legends. But today another ``Ben'' stands atop the world of golf--Ben Curtis, the 2003 champion of the British Open.

Ben is a 26-year-old rookie on the PGA Tour who learned the game at the Mill Creek Golf Club, built by his late grandfather northwest of Columbus in Ostrander, Ohio, which his family still operates. Obviously, he learned well.

Ben, who has yet to win on the PGA tour, entered the British Open, in his words, ``just trying to play the best I could.'' His best turned out to be good enough to beat some of golf's best, including Davis Love III, Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods. His one-under-par, 283-stroke total for the four-day tournament made him the first player since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 U.S. Open to win a major championship on his first try.

I had the opportunity to become acquainted with Ben's grandparents, Bill and Myrtie Black. Bill, who died this past February, taught Ben the game. Ben's father is the golf course superintendent at Mill Creek. Family and friends were on hand at the clubhouse yesterday to watch Ben play on television. His victory was one that anyone from small town America, or who grew up with parents that instilled values and work ethic, can appreciate.

An impossible dream? For Ben Curtis, obviously not. Instead, his improbable British Open victory was a dream come true. I join with Ben's family and friends and the entire golfing world in saluting his outstanding accomplishment. It definitely will not be his last.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1474) to facilitate check truncation by authorizing substitute checks, to foster innovation in the check collection system without mandating receipt of checks in electronic form, and to improve the overall efficiency of the Nation's payments system, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and request a conference with the Senate thereon.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 288, The Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act, I was detained in the U.S. Capitol and unable to cast my vote. Had I been able, I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 8, The Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 522, legislation to reform the Federal deposit insurance system. As a member of the Committee on Financial Services, I am pleased to see the House take up this legislation today, and provide my colleague, the gentleman from Alabama, kudos for bringing this measure to the floor and to the debate today.

One of the provisions of H.R. 522 is it increases deposit insurance coverage from $100,000 to $130,000 per account. The hike in coverage limits is most appropriate, as the current ceiling was set in 1980; and inflation has eroded the real value of that coverage by more than 50 percent. Increased coverage limits will be especially helpful to community banks in bringing, and just as importantly keeping, deposits in their institutions that can be used in local economies and local communities.

In addition, the bill would provide $260,000 in coverage for certain retirement products, certain IRAs, certain 401(k)s, a key step in an ongoing effort here in the Capitol to encourage consumers to build their savings. This provision in particular is relevant to our seniors, who benefit by being able to be more savers as they move toward retirement savings and retirement age to the security of the insured deposit system.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly support this provision and urge all of my colleagues to support it, as well, and vote in favor not only of this important piece of legislation, but also against the amendment that will be offered later to move this provision from $130,000 back to $100,000.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Greater Columbus Arts Council's Children of the Future Program.

Children of the Future, a nationally recognized AmeriCorps after- school program, provides constructive, positive alternatives to delinquency in the higher-risk neighborhoods of Columbus, Ohio. It has effectively reduced crime by creating physical and social safe havens for approximately 3,500 Columbus children.

On January 24, 2003, Children of the Future was honored by the Americans for the Arts and the United States Conference of Mayors with the ``2003 Award for Excellence in Arts Programs for Youth.'' This prestigious, national award recognizes the emphasis this arts-based program has placed on the development of life-long skills including: critical thinking, constructive communication and conflict resolution.

I congratulate the Greater Columbus Arts Council's Children of the Future Program for its many accomplishments and outstanding service. This program is truly an asset to the people of Central Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 10) congratulating the Ohio State University football team for winning the 2002 NCAA Division I-A collegiate football national championship.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 10.

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

As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, it is a privilege to manage this resolution today on behalf of the committee and for my neighbor and colleague from Columbus, Ohio (Ms. Pryce), a graduate of the Ohio State University, on the new reigning NCAA national champions of college football, congratulating the Ohio State University on a great season and a great title game.

The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), a huge Buckeye fan, represents the main campus of the Ohio State University and could not be with us today because of leadership obligations.

I, as the other Member of Congress from Columbus, Ohio, have a privilege to manage this resolution today honoring our great football team and a tremendous season, a true story of David versus Goliath, with 13 seniors and many young players on a team in an incredible season, unprecedented season, 14 and 0.

Ohio State brought home its fifth national championship, Mr. Speaker, a classic season and a classic final game for the ages.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the chairman of the Committee on Financial Services, and a Ohio State University Law School graduate.

(Mr. OXLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, the chairman of the Committee on Financial Services mentioned that he represents three of the four branch campuses. I happen to represent the fourth, in Newark, Ohio. So I believe we have the State covered, Mr. Chairman.

The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) mentioned that Coach Jim Tressel has truly reinvigorated the football program at Ohio State and the fans around the State of Ohio, but also his belief in college football and what it means to the student athlete, the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship, school spirit and heart; and he was recognized this week as coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association, a truly well-deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Springfield, Ohio (Mr. Hobson), who is a distinguished law school graduate from Ohio State University.

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

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

As my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), mentioned, he also represents Franklin County. We also have the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), who represents Franklin County, and as I said represents the main campus of Ohio State University, but could not be with us on the floor today because of leadership duties. But again, on behalf of the entire Ohio delegation, we want to again congratulate Ohio State University and all of the Buckeye nation for a fantastic season and a well-deserved honor.

As a native of Columbus and an Ohio State graduate and a 4-year member of the Ohio State Marching Band, I want to also congratulate the rest of the folks at Ohio State; not just the team, but the band, the cheerleaders, the entire athletic department, the student athletes who represent other sports, and the students as well of Ohio State University for such a fine honor, as well as to again salute Coach Tressel and the entire organization not only in winning the championship but doing it with class.

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

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