Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.

The resolution we are talking about today is supposed to express the sense of Congress that we are committed to meeting the needs of small businesses. But, frankly, as we fiddle away, we ignore that small businesses need action now. We have been speaking of the most glaring example, where Congress and the administration have been long on promises and very short on action. A comprehensive health care reform for small business needs to be a priority.

The number one challenge facing our Nation's businesses today is inability to access affordable health care. The problem has deepened in the past 5 years, an increase in cost of over 60 percent over the past 5 years. While it seems that everybody recognizes there is a problem, there has been no major reforms in the last 5 years. Since 2001, the President has repeatedly talked about bringing down health care costs for small businesses, but he has done little in the way of making any real changes.

In the meantime, we have passed a bankruptcy bill, four tax cuts, a Medicare bill, a class-action bill; but the number one problem facing small businesses continues to see no action. Meaningful support means a comprehensive approach to health care reform for small business and not merely an unworkable gesture. Bringing down health care costs for small business and the self-employed is and should be a top priority. Unfortunately, Congress and the President have failed to do so. That means health care costs are going to continue to skyrocket.

We need to end the back and forth. We need comprehensive health care reform and to start taking steps forward to implement a solution that is workable and actually helps small business owners.

As the economic engines of this great Nation, small businesses deserve to be confident in their ability to provide health care for themselves, their families, and their employees. I urge a ``no'' vote on this resolution.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment would strike section 2005 of H.R. 6. This section of the bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to suspend collection of royalty fees from oil and gas companies operating in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The authors say this provision is needed to ``encourage'' oil and gas companies to explore for and produce oil and gas at water depths greater than 400 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

Let there be no misunderstanding. This royalty relief is a subsidy to oil and gas companies. It is unnecessary and is nothing more than corporate welfare for the oil and gas industry. Subsidies will not increase production of domestic oil and gas. The Energy Information Administration and Interior Secretary Norton have both asserted that subsidies would do little to enhance domestic production of oil and gas.

Even the President, a former oilman, recognizes that royalty relief is not a good idea. Just yesterday he said, ``With oil at more than $50 a barrel, by the way, energy companies do not need taxpayer funded incentives to explore for oil and gas.''

Mr. Chairman, the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico have seen consistent and striking growth in oil and gas exploration for 10 straight years. Deepwater projects have increased by 51 percent since 2002. Clearly no one needs an incentive to explore for oil and gas in one of the most vital areas in the world. Therefore, there was no rational justification for this section. It is just more special treatment for oil and gas at the expense of everybody else.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), the ranking member of the Committee on Resources.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

(Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind).

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

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

H.R. 6 guarantees an additional financial windfall, courtesy of the taxpayers, for oil and gas companies already reaping and sowing profits, record profits, and provides absolutely no guarantee of relief for the high price that consumers are paying for their gas and oil.

I urge Members to reject this approach and, instead, support my amendment which brings some semblance of fiscal responsibility to H.R. 6.

I find it ironic that the provision this amendment attempts to strike would stop the collection of royalties, yet throughout H.R. 6, the $2.5 billion in subsidies that the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) pointed out, $2 billion of which go to the ultra-deep provision, is so strongly supported by the majority leader. I think it is time for the Members of Congress to say in terms of subsidies and handouts to rich, profitable companies, When is enough enough? I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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

I want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for his comments and his leadership on this very important issue to native peoples in my district.

The Colorado River Indian Reservation Boundary Correction Act, H.R. 794, will correct a long-standing injustice. In the early part of the 20th century, nearly 16,000 acres of land known as the La Paz lands were stripped from the Colorado River Indian Tribes' reservation by executive order in response to heavy lobbying from a private mining company that wanted to mine for silver on the land. The Tribes were never provided with an opportunity to challenge the decision, nor were they ever compensated for the loss of their land.

Subsequent reviews by the Department of Interior concluded the lands were inappropriately removed from the reservation and should be returned to the Tribes. Senator Barry Goldwater recognized this fact when he introduced similar legislation to restore those lands years ago. He stated during the hearing before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that his grandfather, who had settled in the Ehrenberg area, had long recognized that the La Paz lands were Indian lands.

Madam Speaker, the lands that will be returned to the Tribes under this legislation were part of their reservation for almost 40 years prior to the 1915 executive order. This is not an expansion of the Tribes' reservation. It is a restoration of the original reservation based on accepted Department of Interior surveys.

H.R. 794 will return 15,375 acres of land to the Tribes. These lands hold cultural and spiritual value for the Tribes, as well as potential for economic development.

During the almost 90 years that the land has been under the jurisdiction of

the Bureau of Land Management, certain activities have taken place there. The legislation ensures that existing uses may continue. The Tribes have agreed to honor existing mining claims, right of way, utility corridors, hunting, and public access.

In addition, several provisions have been added related to water rights and prohibition of gaming on the lands. While I feel that these restrictions may impose upon tribal sovereignty, the Tribe itself has indicated its willingness to accept these provisions in order to achieve passage of the legislation, and I defer to them on that matter.

Madam Speaker, this bill honors our agreements and our commitments to the Native peoples of my district by returning what rightfully belongs to them. I am pleased to be joined by my colleagues from Arizona and California on both sides of the aisle in promoting this long-overdue legislation, and I particularly want to thank the leadership within the Committee on Resources for making this bill a priority for passage again in this Congress. It is my joy to see this important piece of legislation move to the House floor and come one step closer to resolution. The Colorado River Indian people have been waiting 90 years for return of their lands, and it is my hope that they will not wait much longer.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the gentleman from Virginia's (Mr. Scott) amendment to H.R. 27.

Twenty-three years ago, the Workforce Investment Act was first enacted. It established a commonsense clause prohibiting job discrimination on the basis of religion. WIA then was originally designed to provide funding for secular social services. Clearly, it did not intend to permit government-funded job training programs to engage in religious discrimination when making an employment decision, which is exactly what this bill purports to do.

H.R. 27 would allow faith-based organizations to discriminate not just on the basis of a person's religious affiliation, but also on how closely they follow the tenets of that religion. This would include religious beliefs on medical treatments; procedures; marriage; pregnancy; gender; and, yes, even race.

Under this bill, if a woman providing workforce rehabilitation services in a faith-based organization was found to be using birth control, she could be fired, demoted, or not promoted. Or if a faith- based organization frowned upon women working outside the home, they could deny a woman a job just because of her gender or even deny it to her husband for allowing such a breach.

It is simply unAmerican to set the clock back on the safeguards provided to protected classes, including religion, sex, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. H.R. 27 would remove these important protections, allowing faith-based organizations to discriminate on the basis of religion, even regarding the secular social services they provide.

This bill contains the first ever major rollback of civil rights protections that were established over 40 years ago, and many of us, including myself, have profited from those protections and from those rights granted to us 40 years ago. This is an unconscionable change of Federal law, and I cannot support a bill with such provisions.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Scott amendment and voting ``no'' on the final passage of this bill that endorses a Federal rollback of decades-old civil rights and privacy protections.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Dr. Mary Belle McCorkle, a fine Tucsonan who has set a remarkable example for us all. This weekend, Mary Belle will receive an award that is much deserved; she will be named the 2004 Woman of the Year by the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (2004).

Over the years, Mary Belle has made a significant commitment to education in our community. Her hard work has provided us all with benefits of immeasurable worth. In her early years with the Tucson Unified School District, Mary Belle served as Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Principal of both Borton Primary Magnet School and Erickson Elementary School and as a classroom and helping teacher. Her next move led her to become the Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Curriculum and Instruction in the Sunnyside Unified School District in Tucson, from which she retired in 1993.

Mary Belle then went on to serve on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board for three terms, from 1993 through 2004. She was President of the Board four times and Clerk of the Board twice. In addition to these numerous important jobs, Mary Belle finds the time to mentor administrative interns and teach classes at the University of Phoenix. She has served as an educational consultant for five Arizona school districts, and currently is an Arizona Department of Education Solutions Team Leader. Indeed, Mary Belle has given her talents toward many causes and she has put forth her full effort into each and every one.

A few of Mary Belle's many accomplishments during her tenure on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board stand out in my mind. In an effort to improve student achievement, Mary Belle led the charge to create an all-day kindergarten program and also to add counselors for elementary schools as she had done while at Sunnyside. Furthermore, she mediated a severe labor dispute which could have resulted in a work action.

Among other awards and recognitions Mary Belle has received in the past are the Ray Davies Lifetime Achievement Award from the Educational Enrichment Foundation (2004), the Frances Miller Community Action Award by the Southern Arizona Association for Education of Young Children (2003), the LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) Presidential Citation (2003), the Friend of the

Pan Asian Community designation by the Pan Asian Community Alliance (2001), the Dynamic Duo Award by Compass Health (2002), the All-Arizona School Board Award by the Arizona School Boards Association, the Outstanding Educator Award by the University of Arizona Alumni Council of the College of Education, and a Woman on the Move Award by the YWCA.

Undeniably, Dr. Mary Belle McCorkle has had an extensive and successful career. Moreover. she has achieved her professional goals while raising a loving family, whom she also has taught to value and commit to education. She is married to Richard McCorkle, a retired Director of Purchasing for TUSD. They have two daughters: one is principal of Dietz Elementary School in TUSD, and the other is a school psychologist at Desert View High School in Sunnyside Unified School District. Four grandchildren and one great grandchild have or will attend TUSD schools.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 418. I am deeply concerned about several aspects of this proposed legislation. This legislation, if passed, would be a terrible setback with regards to three critical areas: defending the people of the United States from terrorism, due process for immigrants, and environmental protection. The bill would undo security provisions that were passed just last year under the Intelligence Reform Act.

Families of September 11th victims stated the impact of this legislation will not make us safer from terrorism. Instead, it would prevent people from fleeing persecution, from obtaining relief, making our highways more dangerous and undermine our security.

Section 102 of this bill would eliminate Homeland Security and border patrol's responsibility to inform and involve communities in proposed construction projects along the entire U.S. border and the requirement to consider less harmful alternatives to proposed actions.

This would allow Homeland Security to operate in secrecy in critically important areas such as Cabeza Prieta and Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and Organ Pipe National Monument that are all in my district. Many of our most precious wildlife depend upon protected public lands along U.S. borderlands for migration corridors between countries.

In addition, this section would waive laws requiring consultations with Native nations regarding activities on tribal lands, grave sites or archaeological and sacred sites.

Finally, in a rush to deport anyone, H.R. 418 would deny due process for immigrants and asylum seekers. This is un-American. It is against what we stand for, and it is against what we are asking the world to replicate in democracy across this Earth.

Mr. Speaker, Social Security is a program that is both financially sound and essential to the lives of our seniors. Social Security provides the core retirement benefits for over 30 million retirees, and nearly half of the elderly would live below the poverty line without it.

According to the Board of Trustees, of which four out of six were appointed by President Bush, Social Security is as healthy today as it has ever been. Their 2004 report says that the program can pay all benefits through 2042. After that, even without any changes, they could continue to pay benefits.

The administration is ignoring these facts, deceiving the public, and creating force, hoping to force privatization of Social Security. This deceitful approach that this administration has chosen to wage war on its working Americans is typical of them. They create fear, and then they offer their only solution, one that suits their political goals, not the goals of the people, to whatever crisis they have conjured.

To the people of this country, I say, do not give in to fear. Trust a program with a surplus over a President that created a huge deficit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Clarence Boykins, a fine Tucsonan who has been invaluable to my community. Clarence is retiring from his many years of service and he will be missed sorely.

Clarence is a man with a resume and record of achievement so long, that I find it difficult to pick a jumping point from which to begin to describe the impact he has had on Arizona. Perhaps I should begin by noting that Clarence has been listed as one of the ``Most Influential African American Men in Arizona''. Indeed, Clarence deserves this recognition. But I would argue that his work has so deeply affected the lives of each and every one of us that a more appropriate descriptor would simply be one of the ``Most Influential individuals in Arizona''. His presence, his ideas and his actions have enabled diversity to flourish and, thus, he has enriched our worlds, expanded our viewpoints, and taught us to keep our eyes, minds and hearts open.

For over thirty years now, Clarence has dedicated himself to the betterment of the Arizona community, and in effect, the betterment of humanity as a whole. One role that he has played sticks out in my mind: the role of integrator. In the long and diverse list of jobs, titles and honors that Clarence has held, the common thread that runs through all of them is that he has used each position to promote the benefits of multiculturalism. We cannot thank him enough for all that he has done to improve access to education. His work to desegregate schools was not only necessary, but it was a crucial step in building and strengthening multicultural relations within our community. Surely, a community as diverse as Tucson cannot stand divided. Clarence not only recognized this, but he had the good sense, and the strong drive needed, to take action.

In reflecting on Clarence's commitment to multiculturalism. I am reminded of the work he did as the Campaign Coordinator for the re- establishment of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in Arizona. The importance of celebrating this Holiday cannot be underestimated. It is a tribute to a man whose ideals spoke to equality, fairness and tolerance values that are essential to the very fabric of America. Clarence recognized the symbolic impact this Holiday has on our nation and, with true passion, he organized the successful passage, by vote of the citizens of the State of Arizona, of a ballot measure to re-instate the Holiday. We thank him for this.

And, true to form, Clarence's devotion to multiculturalism has extended far beyond efforts to promote equality amongst his own ethnicity. I am proud and very grateful to have worked with Clarence over the years to establish a Holiday in honor of Cesar Chavez. His efforts have been vital to this effort and his support has been unwavering. Again, we thank you, Clarence.

With Clarence's retirement come some big shoes to fill. 1 am confident, however, that the example he has set throughout his entire career has inspired many others to emulate his ideas, morals and values and that his good efforts will be carried on.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my entire constituency in District 7 and all of Southern Arizona I would like to congratulate Mrs. Dorothy Finley on her receipt of the 2003 Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award. Though this award is a crowning achievement presented to a person who demonstrates exceptional patriotism and humanitarian concern for members of the U.S. armed forces or their families, this honor exemplifies only the tip of the iceberg when looking at Mrs. Finley's contribution to our community and State.

Even before becoming President/CEO of Finley Distributing, a wholesale distributor for Miller Brewing Company, Mrs. Finley was working to build and develop our community one individual at a time by serving as both a teacher and principal in the Tucson Unified School District for over 30 years. The stories of Mrs. Finley's kind and generous acts range from privately making donations for worthy projects to driving students to after school activities when parents were not available. Mrs. Finley embodied, during her time in education, the ideal friend, teacher, principal, and mentor.

Today as a leader in our Tucson business community and as a focal point in Arizona industry and politics, Mrs. Finley is still making her mark by serving on countless non-profit boards advocating for a variety of causes ranging from children to seniors. She represents business and other groups on local and statewide commissions and still finds time to work tirelessly for Davis-Monthan Air Force base and other mainstays of our Tucson economy. She accomplishes all of this while running a major business in Tucson and staying close with her large and wonderful family.

As the Congressman from District 7, which represents much of Southern Arizona I am proud to congratulate Mrs. Dorothy Finley on her 2003 Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Award and I look forward to working with her on building community for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, I stand before you today to recognize Hank Atha, a man who is credited by his colleagues as doing more for workforce development than any other person in southern Arizona. Mr. Atha is retiring from public service after a distinguished career spanning over 30 years.

Mr. Atha has lived and worked in Tucson since 1948. He is a creative local executive and one of the most experienced workforce development professionals in the country. He served on numerous state and local economic and workforce development organizations and on both the National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors professional boards. Mr. Atha promoted legislation at federal, state and local levels. He has international experience and has successfully worked with multi-cultural staff and diverse cultural and economic communities.

Mr. Speaker, in 1984, Mr. Atha organized the Pima County Community Services Department in Tucson, Arizona by combining autonomous federal programs into one department. Over the years he guided the expansion of programming into new areas such as affordable housing, youth education, emergency assistance, homeless services, welfare reform and incumbent worker training.

During his twenty years at the helm of Pima County Community Services, the department doubled in size. He accomplished this by aggressively pursuing state and local funding, federal grants and private support. These efforts resulted in a $36 million annual budget with 30 separate funding streams for his department.

He pursued the department's mission by supporting the work of local non-profit organizations with as many as 250 grants and services contracts awarded each year. His leadership style welcomed input and encouraged individual initiative. Over the years, many graduate students, adult trainees and motivated young people began their careers in public policy or human-service fields through internships with Community Services.

Mr. Speaker, under Mr. Atha's leadership, Pima County Community Services established one of the nation's first One-Stop Career Centers in order to provide consolidated employment and training services for the City and County. This model, which brought multiple agencies together to provide coordinated services, also proved effective in addressing the basic needs of families in crisis. Mr. Atha oversaw the establishment of the Emergency Services Network in 1986. Subsequent efforts fostered collaboration and innovation in the areas of homeless services, youth programs, and high-tech training. His commitment to closing the wage gap through better job opportunities led to a joint effort with Pima Community College and the City of Tucson to found the Southern Arizona Institute for Advanced Technology.

In the early nineties, Mr. Atha led an all-out response to restore cuts in federal summer youth funds, creating one of the largest summer youth programs, for a city of our size, in the nation. As part of that effort, he promoted legislation that created Arizona's first state- funded summer youth program. He also founded Pledge-A-Job, an annual business outreach campaign to encourage businesses to hire young people seeking career experience during summer breaks. In 2000, he won a Youth Opportunity grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, bringing nearly $28 million to Pima County as well as creating an integrated system for providing services to young people.

Mr. Speaker, Hank Atha supported many programs that brought untrained homemakers and home health aides to Pima County's Home Health Division, as well as many participants in other community programs, into the Certified Nursing Assistant career track.

One of the activities Mr. Atha worked on recently was to bring together various institutions such as Pima College, University of Arizona, and local hospitals to identify, sponsor and support individuals wishing to enter nursing education programs.

Mr. Speaker, prior to Hank's twenty years with Pima County Government, he volunteered in the Peace Corps from 1966-1968. Following those years of service, he again volunteered his services, this time as a Peace Corps trainer from 1968-69.

Hank Atha received his undergraduate degree from Pomona College, with a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology; graduate studies in Physiology at Washington State University, and received his master's degree in public administration from the University of Arizona.

Mr. Atha taught classes in data analysis, decision-making and program evaluation, as an adjunct professor at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. He also taught one semester as adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, School of Public Administration. He is a Founding Member and Chairman of the local American Society for Public Administration Chapter.

Mr. Speaker, Hank Atha improved the quality of life for many citizens in Tucson, Arizona by investing in people and community-based organizations to strengthen the entire community's capacity to serve those in need, and I ask that the House commend him on his commitment to his community and his country.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), and the chairman of the Committee on Resources, my esteemed colleague, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for her support on the Committee on Resources for assuring that we would have an opportunity to consider this legislation today.

This important piece of legislation, S. 437, H.R. 885, will begin the process of settling major issues related to water in Arizona today. While I agree this legislation is not perfect, it does provide the opportunity to resolve Indian water rights claims in Arizona and secure water for their future use.

But the benefits of this legislation are not restricted to Indian tribes. The bill will also provide certainty for municipal governments such as the City of Tucson and my district, which will now have assurances as to water supply.

Under this legislation nearly half of the benefits provided by the Central Arizona Project will be available to support economic development within Indian reservations. Two tribes within my district, the Gila River Indian Community and the Tohono o'Odham, are among the beneficiaries of this enhanced opportunity.

In Indian Country today, one of the most difficult hurdles to tribes utilizing their water rights is the high cost of water project development. While the Federal government over the years has helped facilitate and pay for non-Indian water projects, Indian tribes have been left without such assistance. This legislation, however, provides a reliable funding source which will help pay the operation, maintenance and replacement costs associated with each acre foot of water.

Funding will also be available to underwrite the cost of two tribal water settlements provided by this legislation, approved by this legislation. In addition, a new source of funding will be available to underwrite the costs of new Indian water rights settlements. By making the CAP water and unappropriated funding available, this legislation makes it much more likely that all the remaining Indian water right disputes in Arizona can and will be resolved in the near future.

Finally, the sponsors and the Resources staff members have worked hard to include language in this bill to protect other tribes' future settlements, in particular, White Mountain Apache and San Carlos Apache Tribes. Title IV of this bill provides funding for these tribes and others to work on their own settlements and also makes it clear that the San Carlos Apache Tribe will not be prejudiced in settling their water claims. In addition, the Secretary of Interior is required to report to us annually on efforts to settle the Apache claims that were not settled by the partial San Carlos water settlement in 1992.

I hope all of my colleagues will support this legislation and the innovative effort it represents to resolve some of the most difficult and pressing water management issues in Arizona.

Mr. Speaker, community health centers (CHCs) are at the forefront of the noble endeavor to provide quality health care to our nation's most underserved communities. Nearly 900 CHCs throughout the country treat more than 12 million patients who are typically low- income, uninsured, and disproportionately affected by chronic diseases such as diabetes. Ninety percent of patients live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and nearly half (5 million) lack health insurance. CHC patients are predominantly women, who require gynecologic and obstetric care, as well as pediatric care for their children. CHC patients are also ethnically and linguistically diverse-- with nearly one-third whose native tongue is not English.

Not only are many CHCs the sole source of health care in the underserved communities where they operate, but they are also the sole providers of other crucial services such as dental care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, and assistance to domestic violence victims. In my state, Arizona, CHCs service about 350,000 people in 85 neighborhoods--from densely populated urban centers to far-flung rural towns and tribal communities deep in desert locales, miles away from the nearest community. Last year, nearly 1.5 million visits were made to Arizona's CHCs.

Clearly, health centers save our health care system an untold amount of money by treating patients who, due to lack of access and finances, would otherwise end up in the emergency room needing intensive and expensive treatment. Yet, CHCs struggle to generate adequate revenues to maintain their operations. They do not pocket any of the savings they bring to the system, which are instead transferred by hospitals and private physicians. And while the latter can absorb losses from treating uninsured patients due to their high percentage of privately insured patients, CHCs receive the majority of their reimbursement from Medicaid, which accounts for 36% of all their revenues. Federal grants make up the second largest source of funding, at 22%. By contrast, only six percent of CHC revenues come from reimbursements of private insurers.

This year, the House allotted $1.84 billion to the federal CHC direct grant program in the FY 2005 Labor, HHS and Education appropriations bill. Although this is a welcome increase from the federal government's funding of $1.57 billion for FY 2004, I am disappointed that the Health Community Access Program was eliminated. Without Medicaid, however,

CHCs would collapse. Many are already suffering from inadequate or irregular Medicaid funding, as states slash their budget expenditures and seek cost-saving Medicaid waivers that, for instance, allow them to cap the number of enrollees. To empower CHCs to function at their full potential, we must ensure that the Medicaid program is secure and well- funded. The federal government has a moral obligation to support the life-saving work of community health centers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 805, a bill that supports efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth in high- risk situations.

Studies suggest that somewhere between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth live on the streets of America, with one in seven youth running away at least once before their eighteenth birthday. 43 percent of runaway youth reports being abused by their caretaker, and over a quarter have been sexually assaulted. They face disproportionately high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and teen pregnancy. Tragically, two-thirds of these youth have attempted suicide. To survive on the street, many youth turn to illegal activities such as drugs, theft, prostitution, and pornography.

Runaways are not throwaways. Passing this important bipartisan resolution is an important step towards Congress' full recognition of this problem as a national crisis. Our children are this Nation's greatest resource, and none should be considered expendable. I urge my colleagues to not just support this resolution, but to also continue our strong support of Runaway and Homeless Youth (Basic Center) Grant Program, The Transitional Living Program (TLP), and The Sexual Abuse Prevention (Street Outreach) Program.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the important contributions made by Our Town Family Center in Tucson, Arizona. Volunteers at this facility assist in outreach efforts to runaway youth, missing children, and homeless street youth in case management, advocacy, phone intake, and administrative support, and help the mobile outreach team cruise the streets to make contact with street youth in need of food, clothing, shelter, and medical information.

It is the responsibility of Congress to support these valuable community contributions to America's most troubled youth. This resolution rightfully recognizes the problem that this country faces, and the important role that community action plays in working towards real solutions. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan statement of support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong objection to this so-called ``marriage protection'' amendment. Furthermore, I am appalled that we are spending three and a half hours debating this issue when Americans are struggling to cope with much more serious issues, with little or no help from this body.

The sponsors of this bill claim that there is a dire need to amend the Constitution in order to protect and promote the notion of healthy, stable families. I support the notion of ``healthy families'' but I could suggest a number of methods we could use to reach this goal that do not include discriminating against an entire class of American citizens.

We could provide healthcare to the over 40 million uninsured Americans.

We could work to offer a real prescription drug benefit for seniors so they do not need to choose between food and medicine.

We could offer real solutions to create economic opportunity for all.

We could provide the funding necessary to allow all children to go to school in a safe and healthy environment.

We could strengthen programs that combat domestic violence.

We could renew the assault weapons ban.

We do not need to prevent two people who love each other from being legally recognized as such.

These are serious issues that too many Americans struggle with every day. These are serious problems that Congress could address if we had the time and dedication to the real issues. Instead, we stand on the floor today playing party politics on a stage that has being held hostage by the Republican House leadership's election year politics to consider an initiative that the Senate has already overwhelmingly rejected.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this unnecessarily divisive election year proposal.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the cosponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) for bringing forth this very important measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall).

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