Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Wharton Fire Department, in Wharton, Morris County, New Jersey, a patriotic community I am proud to represent! On June 5, 2004 the good citizens of Wharton celebrated the Fire Company's Centennial Anniversary with special festivities and a parade.

For one hundred years, the Wharton Fire Department has been protecting and serving the residents of their community. Established by the collective efforts of the property owners in the Borough of Wharton, the ordinance ``to

provide for, establish and regulate a fire department in the Borough of Wharton'' was declared law by Mayor Harry J. Williams on February 15, 1904. The ordinance designated a Chief, First Assistant Chief and Second Assistant Chief. It also called for the formation of three companies: the Active Hose Company with twenty members, the Independent Hook and Ladder Company with forty members, and the Board of Fire Wardens composed of twenty members. A list of names were read and approved on April 4, 1904. Charles Hance was the first Chief of the Wharton Fire Department, Robert Oram was approved as the first Assistant Chief and John McKenna was approved as the Second Assistant Chief.

To get started, the Wharton Fire Department borrowed two two-wheeled, hand drawn hose carriages from first Assistant Chief Robert Oram. Soon after, the Fire Department ordered a hose cart and a hand drawn hook and ladder truck. Several other hose carts and horse-drawn ladder trucks were purchased until the first gasoline-motorized piece of equipment, an ``REO'' fire truck, was purchased and put into use in 1916.

The first means of alerting the firemen to an emergency was by striking large locomotive rims located in several sections of town. Then, in December 1904, an 8-inch steam whistle was installed at the Hurd Mine. After the mine was closed, the whistle was transferred to the furnace and then to the Gunther Silk Mill, This trusty steam whistle was used until 1918 when a manually controlled electric siren was installed in a cupola atop the Borough Hall. In 1929, the first of 19 fire alarm boxes were installed on street corners across the Borough. In the 1950's, additional electronic sirens were installed as the population of the town increased: Today, every Saturday at noon, the fire alarm system is tested by the four sirens still in use. But the Department is dispatched, by home radio receivers and personal pagers.

To commemorate the Wharton Fire Department's 100th Anniversary, the Borough hosted fire companies from all over New Jersey and the surrounding area on June 5, 2004. The Wharton Fire Department has always been known for its marching ability and its drill team, and first marched in August of 1907 in nearby Hackettstown. The Department won its first prize in 1908 and today over 200 trophies adorn the walls of their firehouse.

The Wharton Fire Department has grown over the years to meet the changing demands of the town and to incorporate the newest firefighting and lifesaving technologies. From its charter members to its current roster, the membership of the Wharton Fire Department has over the last century dedicated itself to the safety and welfare of Wharton's good citizens. Wharton's firefighters, dedicated public servants, past and present, are to be commended for a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the volunteers of the Wharton Fire Department on the celebration of 100 years of a rich history in the protection of one of New Jersey's finest municipalities.

Mr. Speaker, 70 years ago this month, Congress approved the National Housing Act that created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and President Roosevelt signed into law on June 28, 1934.

The value of FHA can not be overstated. For decades it has insured mortgage loans to help over 33 million families own their own home. The FHA has continuously been a critical resource in helping make home ownership available and more affordable. In fact most recent data shows, the nation's homeownership rate soared to an all time high of 68.1 percent. I have long been a supporter of the FHA program and believe that it is critical for unlocking the door to homeownership for so many Americans.

Mr. Speaker, my Congressional district has the unique distinction of being home to the first FHA Insured Mortgage approved for a house in the United States.

Let me take you back to the 1930's. Our country was in the midst of the Great Depression. It is estimated that in 1933 there were 1,000 foreclosures per week! In my home state of New Jersey homeownership rates were declining. In fact, between 1930 and 1940 they fell 9 percent. A loaf of bread cost about nine cents and a dozen eggs went for 27 cents. In Morris County, the average rental paid $55 a month for a large house.

Mr. Speaker, It was during this economic climate that President Roosevelt signed the National Housing Act into law with the intention of broadening home ownership, protecting lending institutions and stimulating the economy.

James A. Moffett was appointed the first FHA Administrator and it is under his leadership that on December 18, 1934, the Newkirk family received the first FHA Mortgage for the completion of construction of their house at 30 Hopper Avenue in Pompton Plains, Morris County, New Jersey.

Pompton Plains is located in the Eastern part of Morris County and is part of Pequannock Township. At that time, Pequannock was 7 square miles of land, had 2,104 residents and was comprised mostly of farmland and apple orchards. Today Pequannock Township is home to approximately 14,000 residents.

Mr. Newkirk purchased the land at 30 Hopper Avenue and built a home for his wife, son and himself. It is estimated that the land and house cost just under $10,000. The FHA loan, at $4,800 covered approximately 50 percent of the cost of the house.

Since the house was built, it has changed hands three times and is now owned by Trevor and Catherine Smallwood who purchased it on July 3, 2003 for $470,000.

Today this house still stands at 30 Hopper Avenue. While 70 years have passed the house looks much the same, a structure rich in history, standing for the dream of homeownership, a dream that we continue to work to ensure every American can achieve

Mr. Chairman, I ask you to join me in recognizing and celebrating this truly historic house and all that it stands for.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Basking Ridge Fire Company No. 1, of Bernards Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, a vibrant community I am proud to represent! On June 26, 2004 the good citizens of Basking Ridge are celebrating the Fire Company's Centennial Anniversary with special festivities and a parade.

For one hundred years, the Basking Ridge Fire Company No. 1 has been protecting and serving the residents of their community. The initial impetus to start a volunteer fire company in 1904 came from a spectacular barn fire and the opening of a new school. The Wickenhaver barn burned while residents watched, helpless to do anything to quench the flames. Four horses lost their lives and the influential people in town took notice of how ill prepared they were to deal with fire. The new school had just opened on Maple Avenue, and that also increased the importance of having the ability to deal with fire. Charles Wickenhaver's descendants still serve as active volunteers with the Fire Company.

A committee to establish a volunteer fire company was assigned and met on June 17, 1904. They established the general goals and objectives of the organization and determined what was necessary to get started. The following week, on June 24, 1904, they chartered the Basking Ridge Hose Company. Early actions included establishing committees to research buying or making firefighting equipment

such as wagons, ladders, and lanterns. Each member paid dues to fund the organization. They also elected the first officers of the company; Chief Walter Allen, Treasurer Charles M. Allen, Secretary Raymond A. Henry, Warders Harry W. Bennett and Frank S. Happe.

Membership requirements were simple and reflected the physical challenges of firefighting and the social mores of the times. Members needed to be men between the ages of 18 and 45, in good health, and to live within one and a half miles of the village green. Members were called to action by the ringing of the church bell in the Presbyterian Church and had to live close enough to hear the bell and respond quickly.

The first piece of apparatus for the new Hose Company was a hand pulled hose cart and 500 feet of hose donated by the Basking Ridge Improvement Society. The Fire Company proudly displays this hose cart at special events and gatherings. Soon after, the Company approved the purchase of fabric fire buckets for 5 cents each and the construction of several ladders and a cart upon which to carry the ladders and buckets. Lumber and materials for the construction of the ladders and cart were donated by M.F. Ellis, Robert C. Bishop, and David Y. Moore.

In 1906, the Basking Ridge Hose Company incorporated under the laws of New Jersey as a volunteer Fire Company, renaming itself the Basking Ridge Fire Company No. 1, Inc. Men and horses pulled the equipment to fire scenes until the first motorized fire apparatus was purchased in 1911. Basking Ridge's first fire truck was a Moline Motor Car, a 40 horsepower contraption that carried six men. The first Fire House was built by resident volunteers at the corner of Henry and South Maple in 1905 at a total cost of $600. It was replaced by a brick structure in 1915.

The Basking Ridge Fire Company No. 1 has grown over the years to meet the changing demands of the town and to incorporate the newest firefighting and lifesaving technologies. In 1985 the company moved into a new headquarters at 30 Washington Avenue. The Company operates three fire engines (purchased in 1986/97, 1992 & 2003 respectively) a heavy rescue truck (acquired in 1997), and increased from one to two ambulances in 1988. The entire roster numbers over fifty people although only approximately 35 are active firefighters/EMTs. The Company remains all-volunteer and responds to over 900 requests for help, fire and first aid, a year as well as serving at numerous civic events.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the volunteers of the Basking Ridge Fire Company No. 1 on the celebration of 100 years of a rich history in the protection of one of New Jersey's finest municipalities.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4614, the Fiscal Year 2005 Energy and Water Appropriation's bill.

First, let me thank the distinguished Chairman of this Committee, Dave Hobson, for this work in crafting this legislation. He and ranking member Pete Visclosky have drafted an excellent bill that focuses on our national priorities.

Mr. Chairman, our country continues to benefit from advances in science, technology and engineering. We've discovered the potential for fusion energy, advanced renewable energy, and improved energy efficiency. Through cutting research and the development of these programs at the U.S. Department of Energy, we are rapidly advancing our scientific knowledge.

Mr. Chairman, I have long supported funding for renewable energy sources. The Committee's investment of $343 million in renewable energy resources will be integral to creating alternative energy solutions for our nation. The Department of Energy is pursuing other new technologies to meet future energy and environmental needs. These technologies will change how we use and produce energy. The DOE, with this Committee's support, is pursuing a path towards making affordable, safe zero emission fuel cell vehicles.

I am pleased that year after year this Committee continues to recognize the incredible potential of fusion energy by providing a $12 million dollar increase in funding for a total of $276 million in funding for the program--which will advance the vital work of the domestic fusion community to prosper at sites such as New Jersey's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

The Committee also continues to address electricity reliability, of special importance to the East Coast with last summer's blackout. We've included funds for transmission reliability, research and development.

Since 1775 when the Continental Congress authorized the first Chief Engineer--whose first task it was to build fortifications near Boston at Bunker Hill--the Army Corps of Engineers has grown to be the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency.

The Army Corps keeps our waterways open for business, prevents our communities from flooding and our beaches from eroding.

In New Jersey alone, the Army Corps budget helps keep the 127 miles of New Jersey coastline open to visitors from across the country. Serving as one of New Jersey's greatest attractions, our beaches generate over 30 billion dollars for our state's economy each year, while providing over 800,000 people with jobs.

One of the most important Army Corps projects is the Port of New York and New Jersey Harbor Deepening. For the second year in a row, President Bush's budget message recognized the dredging of this port as a national priority and called for it to be one of five national navigational projects.

It goes without saying that projects like the Port drive our national economy it is a national secret asset. As the largest port in the northeast and a leading job center for the New Jersey/New York Metropolitan area, we must continue to focus our efforts on deepening its major navigation channels so that the port is able to meet the 21st Century needs of our economy.

The importance of the Army Corps budget is not limited to just navigational projects. In an effort to protect New Jerseyans, their homes, and their businesses from the destruction and devastation of flooding, this bill also provides the framework and the funding to purchase wetlands for natural storage areas, and to work with the local governments in across northern New Jersey to develop long-term solutions to re-occurring floods. In New Jersey this means that projects like the Jackson Brook Flood Control project in my own district and the dredging of the Hudson Raritan Estuary Lower Passaic River Restoration, among several other critical local projects have the funding to remain on track.

Mr. Chairman, for all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Energy and Water bill. I want to commend Chairman Hobson and the ranking member, Mr. Visclosky, for producing a bill that should enjoy the support of every single member of this chamber. I am impressed by the way in which Chairman Hobson and Mr. Visclosky worked together to produce the Energy and Water bill and you both should be congratulated for the bi-partisan way in which you wrote this bill.

This bill is certainly a good bill for my home state of Idaho--and I want to thank the committee for that. But more importantly, this is a good bill for the nation as a whole. It addresses national and international needs by improving our nation's water infrastructure, expanding our efforts to produce more energy for a growing economy, and protecting nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists.

I fully support the Subcommittee's efforts to demand some accountability from the DOE and the Russians regarding our efforts to help secure nuclear materials in the former Soviet Union.

Spending money in Russia and the former Soviet Union to locate, identify and secure nuclear materials is clearly in our own national interest as well as the interests of the rest of the world. However, as I have repeatedly pointed out to Russian officials, I cannot explain to my constituents why we spend American taxpayers' money to secure nuclear materials in Russia while at the same time Russia is planning to cooperate with Iran in their

efforts to develop nuclear energy. In light of recent IAEA statements regarding the lack of openness regarding Iran's nuclear program--Russia must reexamine its position vis-a-vis Iran.

I also strongly support the Subcommittee's continued efforts to limit activities associated with the development of a Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator. Our nation clearly has many priorities regarding the management of our nuclear stockpile without adding new nuclear weapons to the list.

Finally, this bill fully funds the Federal government's responsibility to cleanup nuclear sites across the nation--including in my home state of Idaho. The bill rejects the DOE's attempt to wall off hundreds of millions of dollars in cleanup funding and provides sufficient direction to ensure the DOE keeps its commitments to States like Idaho and Washington.

Mr. Chairman, I will enthusiastically vote in favor of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution for the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people on June 30. June 30 will be the start of a new Iraq. Life for the people of Iraq will be a world away from the cruelty and tyranny of the regime that once ruled them for decades. A new sovereign, interim Iraqi government-- representing the diversity of Iraq--will assume power, provincial governments will be put in place, courts will be overseen by Iraqi justices, political parties will be formed and preparations for national elections will be made.

After June 30, the U.S., under the leadership of Ambassador John Negroponte, will provide support to the new Iraqi Interim Government as it assumes control of managing day-to-day operations, preparations for new elections, and rebuilding the country's infrastructure and economy.

Leading up to June 30, infrastructure improvements--led by coalition forces--and the shift to self-government have already completely transformed the face of Iraq. Schools,

medical clinics and hospitals have been reopened. An army and more effective police force have been rebuilt. A fair judicial system has been constituted. And an interim constitution has been signed--laying the foundation for democratic elections.

The ability to transfer authority to a new sovereign Iraq only 14 months after liberation efforts began is a major step forward for freedom. We should be proud of our young servicemen and women and civilian contractors in Iraq for their work in liberating 25 million Iraqis from the grip of Saddam Hussein's regime and rebuilding a country that was in disrepair for nearly two decades. America appreciates their sacrifice and commitment to the security of our Nation. Those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom and defend America will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, July 1, 2004 will be the dawn of a new day for the men, women and children of Iraq. This day will not mean an end to terrorist violence, but it will be a radical departure from the decades of governmental and personal abuse that existed under Saddam's ruthless regime.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Chairman, I also rise in support of the Young amendment, but recognize, like others before me, that the underlying bill violates the separation of powers devised by the Framers of the Constitution, and our system of shared power that we know from our history books as checks and balances, and that even the Young amendment cannot salvage the Budget Enforcement Act from its fatal flaws.

Mr. Chairman, we are a Nation at war fighting a global war on terror. We are a country with a growing, yet evolving economy and changing national priorities. This Congress, this Appropriations Committee, this Budget Committee, needs the flexibility to address priorities on an annual basis. We need the ability to deal with the challenges and opportunities as they arise on a State-by-State, district-by-district, month-by-month, year-to-year basis. This Budget Enforcement Act makes it almost impossible to do it.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

First and foremost, New Jerseyans would like to thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Chairman Rogers) for his tireless work crafting this bill. In an environment of overwhelming national security needs, he has achieved, I think, a very fair and balanced bill which will give the agencies now under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security the resources they need to keep our communities and Nation safer.

However, Mr. Chairman, this evening I rise in support of the gentleman from New York's (Mr. Sweeney) amendment to this bill. New Yorkers and New Jerseyans are joined at the hip in this regard. My constituents in New Jersey and those in the New York Metropolitan Area know better than most how vulnerable an open and a free society can be. We have put a very human face on the homeland security issue. Seven hundred New Jerseyans went into Lower Manhattan on that morning never to return home, and thousands of New Yorkers did as well.

The Sweeney amendment seeks to increase the High Density Urban Area Security Initiative from the $1 billion to $1.5 billion. By seeking increased funding of the Urban Area Security Initiative, we recognize, with the passage of this amendment, the unique threat faced by our most densely populated areas with significant critical infrastructure, with national significance.

Each year 212 million vehicles traverse our tunnels, bridges, and ferries. Our three regional airports are some of the busiest in the country. Nearly 60 percent of all containerized cargo handled by North Atlantic ports goes through the Port of New York and New Jersey, and a vast majority of cargo flows through our docks. Our rail tunnels under the Hudson serve our entire East Coast in the Nation, but particularly East Coast rail system, passenger and freight. They are urban security risks that are a critical mass and deserve extra protections. Our area both in New York and New Jersey has some of the largest oil refineries in the Nation and provides for oil for the East Coast and other parts of the country.

This amendment correctly recognizes that we must refocus our efforts on protecting our most vulnerable and likely targets, which are largely urban. The first responder teams who have faced the enormous task of securing these large population centers and their surrounding areas need our support and these extra resources this amendment can provide.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Junior Matrons of Morristown, New Jersey in my Congressional District who this year are celebrating their 45th Anniversary.

In 1959, the Junior Matrons of Morristown began with a group of twelve young African-American women who pooled their time and resources to found a working group to address one of the critical issues facing African-American youth--low numbers of high school graduates going on to pursue post-secondary education.

Their motto became ``service through scholarship,'' and the group began working to increase opportunities for black youth to attend college. A lack of cultural and historical precedent among African- Americans, the difficulty in financing college education and the limited track record of admissions of black high school graduates to major colleges and universities, were just a few of the obstacles confronting young African-Americans who may have wanted to attend college at the time. When the twelve young black women of the Junior Matrons of Morristown got together, they decided they would take direct action to change this scenario.

In a bold move, they decided to host an annual cotillion that would serve at least three purposes: (1) it would help raise the consciousness of the African-American community about education as a vehicle for pursuing economic, political and social advancement; (2) it would recognize and reward those who remained committed to achieving their first major educational milestone and (3) through personal, corporate, agency and organizations contributions, it would generate substantive funds needed to encourage and enable high school students to translate the dream of a college education into a reality.

The passion and energy behind the founding of the Junior Matrons has continued unabated for these last 45 years, and is a credit to the collective vision of these twelve charter members: The late Sue Graddick, Harriet Britt, the late Frances Younginer, my dear friend Dr. Felicia B. Jamison, Emma L. Martin, Nancy Yett, Muriel Hiller, Nadine Alston, the late Emanualine Smith, Natalie Holmes, the late Marie Davis, the late Natalie Thurmond Lattimore and Cecelia Dowdy.

Over the years the Junior Matrons have been honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Urban League, among many others. As a testimony of the enduring idealism of these inspired women, the Junior Matrons of Morristown have provided financial assistance to over 3,000 high school students, and has dispensed over $2 million over its lifetime. The beneficial and residual impact of this assistance cannot be over-estimated. Although a few of the original group are no longer with us, new leaders have taken on the mantle and are endowed with the same zeal and vision.

Mr. Speaker, I am quite certain that the Junior Matrons will continue in the years ahead to promote the cause of quality education and help provide opportunities for our young people to pursue college degrees and productive, fulfilling careers. I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Junior Matrons of Morristown as they celebrate 45 dedicated years of serving our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember the life and legacy of Ronald Reagan.

This past weekend, it was fitting, and in some ways almost proper, that we paid tribute to the brave young soldiers of D-Day and simultaneously remembered the life and service of President Ronald Reagan. Like those soldiers who sacrificed on Normandy Beach, Reagan inspired a country at a critical time in our nation's history through his optimism and advocacy for the ideals of democracy, freedom and love of liberty.

He helped end the ``Cold War,'' confronted the curse of communism, rebuilt American self-confidence and our Armed Forces, and above all, made America a standard bearer for freedom and justice.

Many of our children are not old enough to remember the dangers that stood before us at the height of the Cold War or how President Reagan's resolve helped end it.

Still, over the next few days, maybe even weeks, and certainly in the history books to be written, they will learn, as will our children's children, about who Reagan was and what he did for America.

Like so many of us, I continue to read with interest about the life and times of our former President. One recent newspaper column touched me and I would like to share just a few lines of that with my colleagues.

The columnist wrote: ``What an era his was. What a life he lived. He changed history for the better and was modest about it. He didn't bray about his accomplishments but saw them as the work of the American people.''

Mr. Speaker, this is the sign of a leader. We are a grateful nation for his good humor and inspiration.

Thank you Mr. President--for your service; for your optimism; and for your belief and commitment to doing what is right for America.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Reagan family during this time of mourning.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I come to the floor to recognize the great success of strong local school systems working with dedicated parents and teachers in raising young men and women. I rise today to congratulate and honor 28 outstanding high school artists from the 11th Congressional District of New Jersey. Each of these talented students participated in the Annual Congressional Arts competition, ``An Artistic Discovery.'' Their works are exceptional!

Mr. Speaker, I would like to list each of them, their high school, and their contest entries for the official Record.

We had 28 students participate. That is a tremendous response and I would very much like to build on that for next year's competition.

This year, Mr. Speaker, the winner of ``An Artistic Discovery'' was Elaina Filauro from Morris Knolls High School for the work entitled ``Birthday Baby.'' Second place went to Lina Chung from Millburn High School for ``Me.'' Third place and the Viewer's Choice Award was given to Mark Tumiski from Ridge High School for the work titled ``Interface.''

Honorable mentions were awarded to Sophia Casas of Ridge High School for ``One Love,'' Jeffrey Hanft of Ridge High School for ``From the Window,'' Patrick Marvin of Mount Olive High School for ``The Fade,'' Eileen Choi of Millburn High School for ``Still Life,'' Chih Chun Mei of Livingston High School for ``My Life,'' and Miguel Cruz of Roxbury High School for ``Patriotic Still Life.''

Excellent art work was also submitted by Boonton High School's Cydny Pina ``Self Portrait,'' Sarah Castronovo ``Clashing,'' Jonathan Tindall for ``Self Portrait,'' Nataliya Yermolenko for ``Self Portrait;'' Livingston High School's Nadar Lipkin for ``Last Minute Study,'' Paul Imperio for his untitled work, Dave Krause for his untitled work, Joey Sbarro for ``Transcendence;'' Roxbury High School's Ryan Jouas for ``Self Portrait #1;'' Morris Knolls High School's Kassandra Condit for `` Rock Ridge,'' Allyson Harvey for ``Mindful Solitude,'' Erin Gotthelf for ``Looking In a Box;'' Millburn High School's Sarah Maurer for ``Oska,'' Sarah Burford for Two-Faced;'' Montville High School's Elizabeth Lagerstrom for ``Reflection and Shadow,'' Julia Hermanowski for ``Colors of Self-Reflection,'' Jenny Kong for ``Apple Picking,'' Yena Lee for ``Art Museum;'' and Ridge High School's Alice Yan for ``Through the Looking Glass.''

Each year the winner of the competition's art work hangs in a special corridor here at the U.S. Capitol with other winners from across the country. Every time a vote is called, I get a chance to walk through that corridor and am reminded of the vast talents of our young men and women.

Indeed, all of these young artists are winners, and we should be proud of their achievements so early in life.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating these talented young people from New Jersey's 11th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Association of Retarded Citizens of Morris County, New Jersey in my Congressional District. The ARC is celebrating fifty years of providing excellence in community service.

In July of 1953, several families in Morris County formed a unit of the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children. They soon began to fill the void and developed their own services; the Play Center was established as well as the Teen Club. Several years later, the first scouting program serving boys with mental retardation was added. The groups advocated with local school districts, and, out of those efforts, special classes were started for those people with retardation who were considered educable or trainable. By the close of its first decade, it recognized the critical importance of getting services to people with developmental delays at the youngest possible age, the unit established a nursery school for children with special needs.

In the 1960s the families of the Morris Unit continued to make strides to change the world for people with mental retardation. A second nursery school was opened and in 1969 a site was dedicated as Camp Sundial in Chester.

Federal legislation, which provided increased funding and mandated more stringent standards for institutions, was enacted, and more significantly, the appropriateness of institutional care ``per se'' began to be questioned. Advocates came together to create a service to fill this need. They raised the funds necessary to open the first Adult Activities Program, a forerunner of their Adult Training and Rehabilitation Centers. By the end of the 1970s, the Morris County Recreation Consortium was created, and the Early Childhood Enrichment programs developed, both of which would later evolve into programs that would represent a new era in community-based services.

In October 1982, they dedicated their first Adult Training Center, located in Flanders. In the 1980's and 1990's the ARC/Morris County Chapter continued to expand and diversify its programs and services and also developed many group homes that allowed for greater independent living. This organization went from a small parent support group, to a movement that changed millions of lives for the better, and along the way, countless other lives and communities have benefited and will continue to well into the future.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues in the House of Representatives join with me in congratulating the Association of Retarded Citizens of Morris County, and all of the Association's outstanding staff, employees and volunteers, upon celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, Somerset County, New Jersey in my Congressional District. The Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills is celebrating one hundred years of providing excellence in community health care.

Despite its humble beginnings, the Association's history is a proud one. The Visiting Nurse Association began as the vision of Miss Lillian Nichols, a parish nurse connected to St. Bernards Episcopal Church who attended to the ailing and meager in 1903. In 1904, a group was fashioned and be accountable for her assistance to the people of Somerset Hills consisting of the towns of Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Chester Borough, Gladstone, and Mendham Borough, to name a few. And so began the Visiting Nurse Association, one of the original 100 groups in the United States. Soon, as more and more of her thankful patients availed themselves of its services, it became clear that the Association was desperately needed in this fast-growing area in Northern New Jersey.

The founding committee was incorporated in 1906 as the Visiting Nurse Association and transferred into a habitat built by the friends of the Association on Olcott Avenue in Bernardsville. In 1910 the VNA started educational programs on sanitation and preventative health procedures that carry on in the present day. In 1933 the Great Depression forced the VNA to increase its efforts at social work. They provided milk, cod liver oil and coal to reduce poverty and malnutrition, and 708 patients visited that year, an increase of six-fold in one year!

By 1937 the new VNA Constitution and by-laws increased the number of Board of Trustees members to 40. In 1970 the `Year of Vaccination for the VNA' nurses attempted to eliminate Rubella, or German measles, through the vaccination of 4,435 children. Soon after, diabetes screening by the VNA started. And in 1984, the treatment of the incurably sick at home, was started by the VNA and their Hospice Program flourished. Five years later, the Somerset Hills Adult Day Care Center opened, a VNA affiliate that offers a social day care program to the elderly and disabled.

Today, with the same careful attention and dedicated service Lillian Nichols provided a century ago, the nurses of the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills are helping to heal the sick, the injured, the elderly and the needy of Somerset County.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues in the House of Representatives join with me in congratulating the Visiting Nurse Association of Somerset Hills, and all of the association's outstanding staff, employees and volunteers, upon celebrating its 100th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 4275, which will permanently create a low 10-percent rate to reduce the tax burden on 73 million working Americans.

The fact of the matter is if Congress does not act this year, taxpayers will feel the burden of a significant tax increase.

The creation of the 10-percent tax bracket in 2001 has boosted the take-home pay for more than 733,000 working New Jerseyans. This legislation puts a halt to expiration of the 10-percent tax bracket and more importantly prevents 24 million low-income workers from being pushed into a higher tax bracket, and ultimately being forced to pay more in taxes.

In 2001, tax relief legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush created a new tax bracket at a low 10-percent rate. Because of this significant tax relief, the $14,000 of taxable income for couples and $7,000 for singles tax filers is taxed as 10 percent instead of 15 percent.

Without enactment of this legislation, in 2005, the 10-percent bracket will shrink by $2,000 for couples and $1,000 for singles and will ultimately disappear in 2011.

That is why I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4275 and to continue building on our ongoing efforts to provide tax relief for all hard working Americans.

Mr. Speaker, this week nearly 15.4 million seniors across the Nation are eligible to apply for a Medicare-approved prescription drug discount card. This is good news for older Americans, especially for those in my home State of New Jersey.

With the new discount card, over 300,000 more seniors in my State alone will be able to receive immediate medicine assistance. Most of the beneficiaries will save an average of between 10 and 25 percent off the retail price of their prescription drugs while low-income seniors will receive an additional $600 of Federal credit towards the purchase of their medicines.

With the passage of this new Medicare law last November, we ensured that New Jersey and other States were not penalized, especially for having a preexisting drug assistance program that, quite frankly, is one of the most comprehensive and generous in the country. As a result of our efforts, not only will seniors save on their prescription medicines as promised, but our State of New Jersey will save an estimated $4 billion over the next 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 4227, which extends through 2005 the higher alternative minimum tax exemption amounts enacted in the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This important piece of legislation will prevent a tax increase on middle class families next year.

The fact of the matter is if Congress does not act this year, taxpayers will feel the burden of a significant tax increase.

The alternative minimum tax hits the residents of northern New Jersey the hardest, especially those who are considered middle-class, because it doesn't allow for a deduction of our State's outrageously high property taxes. In 2001 and 2003, Congress took steps to present middle-class families from falling deeper into the AMT trap. The legislation the House has before it today continues in that tradition, ensuring that working families throughout northern New Jersey and the country are not hit with a tax increase in 2005.

Created more than 30 years ago, this out of date tax was meant to prevent high-income taxpayers from using multiple-tax deductions and write-offs to avoid paying income taxes. In 1993, President Clinton increased the AMT and did not index it for inflation. As a result, more and more middle-income taxpayers are now forced to pay the AMT.

As you know, H.R. 4227 extends through 2005 the higher AMT exemption amounts enacted last year ($58,950 for joint filers and $40,900 for single taxpayers) and adjusts these amounts for inflation to protect their value.

Without enactment of this legislation, the current exemption amounts will automatically fall in 2005 to $45,000 for married couples and to $33,750 for single taxpayers. As a result, the Joint Committee on Taxation reports 11 million taxpayers would be hit with an average tax increase of $1,520.

I would hardly say by today's standards, a family making $45,000 is considered ``rich.''

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that H.R. 4227 is a short term fix to a long term problem which must be addressed. I understand the Committee on Ways and Means is exploring ways to correct this inequity in a more permanent way and I look forward to voting on that legislation.

But for now, I urge my colleagues to build on our ongoing efforts to provide tax relief for all hard working Americans. Let's pass H.R. 4227 today.