Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, due to a family emergency, I was unable to vote on Monday, June 14, 2003. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 354. I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 355. I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 356. I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 357. I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 358. I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 359.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for putting this before our body.

I grew up hearing about anti-Semitism from my grandparents and my parents, things that I could not believe could have ever happened; but the anti-Semitism acts that they spoke of seemed like historic oddities to me, something from a distant time and a distant place. I never dreamed, never dreamed that anti-Semitism could ever rear its ugly head again during my lifetime or the lifetime of my children.

Especially after World War II, I thought Europe and the rest of the world had learned a very important and valuable lesson. I ran for Congress so that I could speak out against issues that I thought were horrific; and anti-Semitism, and its continued existence on this planet, is certainly something that I wish to speak out against. I am glad that we are condemning anti-Semitism in no uncertain terms and putting the United States Congress on record and speaking out forcefully against this horrible scourge and plague.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this very important resolution, and I associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman), the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman), and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay).

Mr. Speaker, I oppose the Republican prescription drug plan. I represent the fastest growing Congressional District in the United States. I represent the fastest growing senior citizen population in the United States. When I came to Congress, I thought I would modernize Medicare, improve Medicare, strengthen Medicare. I never dreamed that I would participate in the destruction of Medicare. This legislation before us this week destroys the Medicare system.

I oppose this plan. It does not offer a guaranteed prescription drug benefit for seniors. It ends traditional Medicare that seniors in my district and throughout the United States rely on. Under this Republican proposal, there is no guarantee that private insurance companies will offer prescription drug coverage. While Republicans estimate that the cost of the premium would be $35, the fact is we do not know how much the premium is going to be. Private insurance companies can devise their own plan and raise premiums whenever they want to meet their bottom line rather than meet the needs of our senior citizens.

The Republican plan does not guarantee that seniors will receive any help

with rising drug costs. The plan creates a donut hole in the coverage. Seniors who have more than $2,000 in prescription drug expenses are responsible for all of their drug costs until they reach $5,000 in medical costs. And they still have to pay the premium. Forty-seven percent of seniors in the United States fall into this gap.

The plan does not guarantee that private insurance companies will remain in the market for more than 12 months. Seniors could be forced to change insurance plans with different doctor panels every year. Seniors know and trust their doctors. Many seniors have received care from the same doctors for years. Placing this burden on our seniors is unconscionable.

The Republican plan does not modernize Medicare. It does not improve Medicare. It does not strengthen Medicare. It dismantles benefits and puts seniors into HMOs and PPOs. In 2010, Medicare will compete with private health care plans. This will result in higher premiums for hospitals and physician benefits. Seniors, particularly women, will bear the burden of these increased costs. Instead of dismantling traditional Medicare, we should strengthen the program to provide the best care for our seniors.

We should be adding a prescription Medicaid benefit to Medicare, and I also support adding a provision to increase Medicare provider reimbursements. Thousands of doctors are leaving Medicare because Medicare reimbursements do not cover nearly enough of the patient's health care costs, leaving the doctors to make up the remainder of the costs. Increasing reimbursements allows physicians to continue treating Medicare patients while confronting rising health care costs.

It makes absolutely no sense to me that we have a Medicare system that allows people to see the doctor of their choice, and when the doctor provides a prescription medication, a senior cannot afford that press medication. How outrageous is that in our Nation?

I also support provisions to simplify the Medicare paperwork process. Today, doctors are spending far too much time filling out forms; not enough time treating their patients. Many doctors say if we could cut through this red tape, they could devote more time to caring for their patients. And what is best for the patient is why we are here tonight.

Las Vegas has one of the fastest growing populations of seniors in the Nation. I owe it to the seniors in my district to support a meaningful prescription drug benefit; a benefit that is available to all seniors who need it, a benefit that does not have significant coverage gaps, and a benefit that allows seniors, and not insurance companies, to choose their doctors and not force seniors to leave the Medicare system that they know and they trust in order to receive desperately-needed prescription medication.

I ask all of my colleagues to join me in opposing the Republican plan, supporting the Democratic plan that is easier, fairer, and that our seniors approve and agree with.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2254, a bill to name a Boulder City, Nevada Post Office for Mr. Bruce Woodbury in honor of Mr. Woodbury's public service to both his hometown of Boulder City and the entire Las Vegas Valley.

Bruce is a native of Las Vegas, growing up in the Valley and graduating from Las Vegas High School. He ventured away from Nevada to attend the University of Utah and Stanford School of Law, but returned to his home state to begin his family and career. He is a father and grandfather and has dedicated more than two decades of his career to public service.

Bruce has served as a member of the Clark County Commission since 1981. For the last 17 years, he has served on the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada during a time when Clark County continues to be among the fastest growing counties in the country. Bruce has been instrumental in planning for this tremendous growth, including advocating for the construction of the Las Vegas Beltway and working for two decades to secure funding for the monorail that will soon carry millions of passengers each year.

Bruce has dedicated himself to many community organizations, providing leadership for the Children's Museum, the Nevada Special Olympics, the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and the American Red Cross to name a few.

Bruce Woodbury's talents, vision, integrity, and energy have made a lasting, positive impact on the Las Vegas Valley and its residents. I am proud to call him a friend and I am equally delighted to support legislation to name the Bruce Woodbury Post Office in Boulder City, Nevada.

Mr. Chairman, I was under the impression that I had voted on rollcall vote No. 270. In reviewing the record, my vote did not register. If the vote had registered, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 270.

Mr. Chairman, I feel somewhat like a skunk at the church picnic, but I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote against this senseless and useless piece of legislation.

I know something about gaming and gaming law. I was a gaming attorney for many years before I came to the United States Congress, and I represent Las Vegas. This bill, in spite of what its sponsors say, will not stop illegal Internet gaming, and, if passed, it will have serious unintended consequences.

This legislation, let me reiterate, will not stop Internet gaming. It exists today. There are over 1,600 gaming Web sites offshore already. Americans are playing online now. But instead of playing on well- regulated sites, they are placing wages on the existing 1,600 offshore unregulated sites which have no requirement to verify the identity, the age, the background, or the location of the person placing the wager.

In most cases, there is no regulation of offshore sites. A child can place a wager on these offshore sites, a compulsive gambler can place a wager on these sites, and there is no guarantee that players will receive their winnings from these offshore sites.

My good friend, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), speaks of mob influence and speaks of protecting children from gambling. There is not one thing in this legislation that will remedy any of the problems that he speaks of.

Let us not be foolish enough to believe that this bill will stop people from gambling online. Despite efforts by every credit card company in the United States to prohibit the use of their financial instruments for Internet gaming, the General Accounting Office predicts that the offshore Internet gaming industry will continue to grow to a $4.2 billion industry in 2003 with a growth rate of 20 percent per year. Passing this bill will do nothing to impede that growth. Online gaming is here to stay.

If these unregulated and unscrupulous offshore sites continue to flourish, the integrity of the legal gaming industry is also at risk. Instead of prohibiting online gaming, we should be closely examining online wagering to see if it can and should be regulated and taxed as a legal business. No one knows the answer to this, but it might turn out that it may be the only effective way to stop illegal online wagering

and the problems it creates. H.R. 2143 would cut off this option, and we should not pass it.

For those people that are so worried about funding of terrorists, let us have our so-called Saudi allies and our moderate Arab allies, let them stop the money they are flowing into the terrorists, and not kid ourselves to think that stopping online Internet gaming is going to do the trick for us.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, it has become very apparent to me after listening to this debate that the supporters of this bill not only oppose the Internet gaming, they are opposed to any form of gaming whatsoever. They speak of gaming and they speak of addiction and crime and drugs and suicide.

Well, I grew up in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has 1.5 million residents; 37 million visitors come to our community every year to enjoy our entertainment, and our wholesome family entertainment, I might add.

I grew up in Las Vegas. I represent the good people of Las Vegas who depend on the gaming industry for their livelihood. My father was a waiter when I was growing up. He worked in one of these casinos that you disparage so handily.

Let me state what Las Vegas means to me. On a waiter's salary my father was able to put a roof over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and two daughters through college and law school. That is not so bad on a waiter's salary. And the reason he was able to do it was because of the strong economy that the gaming industry created.

Las Vegas to me is churches and synagogues and families and Saturday soccer and proms at this time of year and graduations and hopes and dreams and aspirations to millions of people that come to Las Vegas and the 1.5 million people that live there.

And, quite candidly, the people in this Chamber ought to be ashamed of disparaging a community like Las Vegas that I daresay lays shame to all of your own. So please be careful when you speak of my community and the major industry that takes care of the people that live there and provides good educations, good economy, good living conditions, and a quality of life that is the envy of the rest of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 70th birthday of my dear friend, Irwin Kishner. Irwin is a premier captain of both industry and philanthropy in my hometown of Las Vegas, beginning his career there more than 4 decades ago.

Like me, Irwin is a native New Yorker, but his family's journey to Las Vegas took him on a less direct route to Florida first as a young teen. Graduating from the University of Florida in 1954, followed by the University of Miami School of Law in 1958, Las Vegas beckoned and Irwin relocated there in 1960. Ever since, he has been a leader in the Las Vegas community, intricately involved in the professional, civic and cultural aspects of not only Las Vegas, but Nevada as a whole.

Joining the Junior Chamber of Commerce upon his arrival in Las Vegas, Irwin was soon selected by the State of Nevada as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America. He served with distinction on the Las Vegas Chamber Board of Directors for 13 years, chairing committees and as Vice President of the Chamber. In 1999, his efforts on behalf of the Chamber were recognized when he was awarded the Greater Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Award for Tourism.

Long before receiving that award, however, Irwin had been--and still is--at the forefront of the hotel/motel industry in Nevada, expanding an industry that provides so many jobs. In 1962, only two years after arriving in Las Vegas, Irwin opened the Somerset House Motel--a three story ``high rise'' with an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Also in 1962, he joined the Rocky Mountain Hotel and Motel Association, which later evolved into the Utah-Nevada Hotel and Motel Association.

Irwin's forward thinking role with this Association enabled him to become one of the founding members of the Nevada Hotel and Motel Association (NH&MA), passionately developing the NH&MA through a variety of roles including Committee Chairman, Vice President and Member of the Board of Directors. Within the framework of NH&MA, Irwin has been a tireless champion for the Americans With Disabilities Act, working actively to ensure compliance of this Act by smaller properties. Irwin's many awards with the NH&MA include being named ``Hotelier of the Year'' and NH&MA's first Lifetime Service Award. Governor Kenny Guinn of Nevada has recently appointed Irwin to serve on the Governor's Commission on Tourism.

Irwin's accomplishments in this industry have not been limited to Las Vegas and Nevada. He has been very active in the American Hotel and Motel Association (AH&MA) over the years, serving on its Board of Directors representing Nevada since 1993. Also since the mid-1990s, he has been a member of the National Tourism and Travel Committee and was a founding member of the National Gaming Task Force. Irwin was also the Nevada Representative to the White House Conference on Tourism. He has represented both the AH&MA and the NH&MA in drafting a national tourism strategy for the 21th Century. Recognizing Irwin's outstanding contributions to the advancement of the lodging industry, the AH&MA presented Irwin with their prestigious Lawson A. Odde Award in 1997 and the Most Valuable Volunteer Award in 1999.

Irwin's commitment to his community does not stop at the industry and professional level. Through his time and generosity, he has provided community leadership and service to many civic and philanthropic groups throughout the city and the state. Irwin was a founding member of several organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of Clark County and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Center for the Performing Arts. The United Way of Southern Nevada utilized his services on their Board of Directors and Board of Trustees and he held many positions with the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Irwin has chaired a variety of committees for Child Haven and Opportunity Village over the years, and has worked as a volunteer administrator for the Clark County Juvenile Court Services, a Charter Member on the Board of Directors of Secret Witness and on the Board of Directors of the Southern Nevada Drug Abuse Council.

Irwin is a man of tremendous talent and energy! He is dedicated to his family. He has two lovely daughters, Joanna and Sharon, both of whom have followed in their father's footsteps as attorneys, and four grandchildren who adore him. I thank Irwin for all he has been to Las Vegas, Nevada, our country, his family and to me personally, and wish him the happiest of birthdays and many, many more in the best of health.

Mr. Speaker, United States Marine Corps First Lieutenant Frederick Pokorney was killed in action in Iraq on March 23, 2003. On that day, Nevada lost a true American patriot, a proud Marine, and a loving husband and father.

Fred was born in California and raised himself from an early age, until he moved to Tonopah, Nevada, to live with Wade and Susie Lieseke, whom he regarded as his parents.

Fred's first love was his family, with his favorite time being spent with his ``best little helper,'' his daughter. His second love was the Marines and this great Nation.

When I spoke to Fred's wife, Chelle, she said that he embodied what it is to be a Marine: honor, courage, commitment.

Lieutenant Pokorney's daughter Taylor expressed her loss in these words: ``My daddy, my hero, I will take care of mommy for you as you asked. We will be best friends. I will take her to Sea World for my birthday like you planned. I love you. I need you. I miss you.''

The hearts of all Nevadans and all Americans go out to his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Shelly, and their 3-year-old daughter, Taylor.

Mr. Speaker, United States Marine Corps First Lieutenant Frederick Pokorney was killed in action in Iraq on March 23, 2003. On that day, Nevada lost a true American patriot, proud Marine, and loving husband and father. The hearts of all Nevadans and all Americans go out to his family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are for his wife, Carolyn Rochelle, and three year old daughter, Taylor Rochelle Pokorney.

Fred's first love was his family with his favorite time being spent with his ``best little helper'', Taylor. His second love was the Marines.

Fred was born in California and raised himself from an early age until he moved to Tonopah, Nevada to live with Wade and Susie Lieseke, whom he regarded as his parents. An excellent athlete, he was a standout football and basketball player at Tonopah High School.

Fred enlisted in the Marines in February of 1993 and received his second Rifle Expert Award in 1994, the Navy Achievement Medal for Professional Achievement from September 1995 to November 1995, and a Letter of Commendation for efforts above and beyond the call of duty in 1997. Fred completed Officers Candidates School in 1999 and was promoted to a command field artillery officer in March of 2001 after he had earned a degree in Political Science and History from Oregon State University.

Fred met Carolyn, ``Chelle'' as Fred called her, while stationed in Bremerton, Washington at Bangor Submarine base. They were married on March 29, 1996. Fred was a proud father, a proud husband, and a proud Marine. He always gave one hundred and ten percent, especially in building a life for his family. Fred and Chelle recently celebrated their 7th anniversary via a phone call from his Marine encampment overseas on March 4, wishing Chelle a happy early anniversary and telling Taylor he loved her. It was his last call home.

Fred, a man of large stature and friendly nature, believed in doing things the right way the first time. He spent his last days in the field trying to help and improve the conditions for his troops as they faced difficult combat assignments.

On March 28, 2003, 500 of Fred's friends, teachers, neighbors and loved ones from the small town of Tonopah mourned their loss during a ceremony at Tonopah High School. Fred was remembered by Tonopah as a star athlete, intelligent student, a brave Marine, and a person of great energy and the highest character.

``Chelle'' has expressed her loss in these words ``Fred not only was my husband, but my

gentle giant, my best friend. He wanted to give me and Taylor the best of everything. He embodied what it is to be a Marine--honor, courage, commitment. We shared a love that helped us through the trials and tribulations of life and marriage to me and the Marines. I find comfort in knowing that the last eight years were the best years of our lives, especially the past three years since the birth of our daughter Taylor. I will dread the nights, knowing that we will never share our bed together again. He will no longer hold me, comfort me and make me feel safe.''

And, Lieutenant Pokorney's daughter, Taylor, expressed her loss in these words. ``My Daddy, my hero. I will take care of Mommy for you as you asked. We will be best friends. I will take her to Sea World for my birthday like we planned. I love you! I need you! I miss you!''

Mr. Speaker, on February 1, 2003, a terrible tragedy took the lives of seven brave astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia. The second in command was Commander William McCool, son of Las Vegans Audrey and Barent McCool, and all of Southern Nevada mourns the loss of their son.

Audrey, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), and Barent, a retired Marine and Navy pilot and UNLV graduate student, inspired their son to become a pilot. William, called Willie by family and friends, built model airplanes as a boy and followed in his father's footsteps to become a naval aviator. As a student at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas, Commander McCool aspired to be a pilot and he demonstrated his abilities and inherent gift when he graduated second in his class of 1,100 students from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983. Commander McCool continued his education, earning a master's

degree in computer science from the University of Maryland in 1985 and a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1992.

Commander McCool described his path to aviation as a series of doors of opportunity opening to him, first the door to the Naval Academy and then another to naval aviation. Then in 1996, NASA accepted Commander McCool for astronaut shuttle training, and he, his wife, Lani, and their three sons moved to Houston.

Commander McCool's experience as a test pilot, and his reputation as one of the Navy's elite aviators, led to his opportunity to fly on the Columbia. Commander McCool dedicated himself to space exploration and to the progress of mankind. He brought his extraordinary gift to students in the classroom through a NASA Program that sent astronauts to speak with students. Commander McCool had a unique ability to reach the students and cherished this opportunity. Because of these opportunities to speak with students, he dreamed of retiring from NASA and becoming a high school science teacher.

Commander McCool would be pleased to know that children name him as a personal inspiration. Children all over the country say that Commander McCool has inspired them to go after their dreams, to not give up, and to achieve. He taught them that you do not have to be extremely wealthy or a genius to reach one's dreams. Commander McCool was a regular person and believed regular people who set goals and work hard can produce great things.

Space travel and exploration excited Commander McCool and he believed that the experiments on board the Columbia would improve people's lives on earth. Commander McCool and his crew mates were concerned about the environment and the well-being of people on this earth. The crew hoped, through their flight, to set an example for others as to the importance of working in harmony for the betterment of the planet, its environment and all humanity. While aboard Columbia, Commander McCool said ``I've had the opportunity to be on the flight deck, to look outside and really soak up the sunrises and sunsets, the moonrises and moonsets, the views of the Himalayas, Australia, all the continents.'' Commander McCool will be remembered for articulating to all of us his awe of the majesty and mystery of space, his dedication to advancing our knowledge, and his love for his family. As Audrey said of her son, ``He did not die in vain.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Maura Lyle Lasater of Las Vegas, NV, Nevada's 2003 Cherry Blossom Princess and dear friend of mine.

I have known Maura since she was a youngster. I have watched her grow from an energetic toddler, through her competitive ice skating and horseback riding years as a young girl, high school at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, college at the University of Puget Sound graduating with a Communications degree, all the way to the intelligent, poised and personable young woman with a great sense of humor she is today. Maura was an active and valuable participant in her mother's two successful Las Vegas mayoral races and also her run at the Nevada governorship.

Maura is now a trusted and valuable member of my staff. Her first day at work was September 11, 2001. Reporting to work at 9 a.m. that morning, new to this city and without a network of friends, within less than 45 minutes America and the world changed and Maura's own personal world became even more unsettled. My staff, rallying together in the face of their own unknown terror, embraced ``the new girl'' and kept her with them as they sought and found a safe place to wait out the day's events. In the chaotic days following 9/11--including the anthrax scare--Maura established herself as a tireless, reliable and dedicated public servant, despite her short time on the Hill.

Much has transpired since that day and Maura now is an experienced and knowledgeable Hill veteran, much loved and respected by her colleagues. She has her own network of friends and has continued her volunteer efforts on behalf of candidates and causes. Maura is an excellent representative of her home State of Nevada in the Cherry Blossom Festival.

The story of the Cherry Blossoms has been told many times--the Japanese Government, working with then First Lady Helen Taft, donated 2000 cherry blossom trees. When they arrived, they were found to be diseased and unfortunately had to be destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease to our own agricultural products. The Japanese Government was gracious enough to provide another donation--this time 3000 gorgeous cherry blossom trees. These were planted not only in the Tidal Basin, but all throughout Washington, DC. There are now less than 200 of the original trees remaining, and efforts are underway through new research and cuttings to regrow these trees so there will always be descendants of Japan's gracious gift to America. Maura and the other Cherry Blossom Princesses are an integral part of this time-honored tradition fostering continued good will of our two countries and the beauty the trees provide.

Maura spent a whirlwind week of customs and ceremonies as Nevada's representative to the Cherry Blossom Festival. I was filled with pride when I escorted her in the introduction ceremony at the Congressional Reception, attended by the Ambassador of Japan and Mrs. Ryozo Kato. Las Vegans and all Nevadans can be proud to have Maura Lasater as their representative. I look forward to Maura's continued success in life and wish her all the best as she pursues her dreams and goals.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule and this bill. It is beyond comprehension that this Chamber is considering an energy policy that would increase our dependence on oil and nuclear power. This is 20th century thinking, totally out of sync with 21st century realities.

Let me remind my colleagues, there is no safe method to get rid of deadly nuclear waste. Yet the administration is pushing a massive and costly expansion of nuclear reactors, 50 more of them scattered throughout cities across this country. They will generate tens of thousands of tons of additional deadly nuclear waste.

The shame of this policy, the shame of it is that there are responsible and clean alternatives to nuclear power. We should be investing in these clean, renewable energy alternatives, wind, solar, geothermal, not in nuclear energy. For the safety and security of our kids and future generations, I urge us not to pass this very foolish piece of legislation.

My State of Nevada has made a wise decision to require that alternative energy sources provide a substantial amount of the power that Nevadans use. This is a forward-thinking policy that should be the model for the Nation so we can reduce our need for fossil fuels and nuclear power.

The bill we are considering today is not balanced, and it clearly does not create a plan for America's energy viability or our future energy independence. I urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, as a Democrat who voted for the 2001 Bush tax cut, I am here tonight to say that I would never support a vote for this Republican budget proposal. The Republican budget completely abandons the goal of a balanced budget. It embraces deficits and debt. It slashes critical programs for our working families, and it is fiscally irresponsible. The Republican budget would mean a cut of hundreds of millions of dollars from Nevada's hospitals and health care providers due to cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. Nevada already has a health care crisis. We cannot afford these cuts in medical care for our elderly and our poor.

The Republican budget eliminates after-school programs for over 2,900 children in Nevada. Southern Nevada has one of the highest dropout rates in the country. Abandoning these kids who are struggling to stay in school would be a disaster. The Republican budget cuts almost 8 percent from highway funding. In Nevada, the fastest-growing State in the country, this translates into a $16 million cut and represents a loss of more than 760 construction jobs for Nevada.

At a time that our Nation is going to war, the Republican budget cuts $28 million from the veterans budget. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Spratt proposal and not the Republican budget debacle.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege today to introduce to my House colleagues our guest chaplain, Reverend Willie Davis from the Second Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pastor Davis has served the Second Baptist Church of Las Vegas since 1978.

Under Reverend Davis's leadership, the membership at Second Baptist Church has more than doubled and the church has improved and expanded services offered to the community. Given the unique work schedules of the residents of Las Vegas, Second Baptist was the first African American congregation to begin an early morning worship service, as well as a live broadcast. It has expanded its facilities to incorporate a new sanctuary with seating for 2,000 people, new classrooms, a small chapel, a pastor's study, and administrative offices. From a tent in the desert, Second Baptist has bloomed into the miracle on Madison Avenue.

The glory of Second Baptist's transformation is reflected in the church's awards-winning choir which will be performing at noon today in HC-8 of the Capitol building, as well as other locations.

It gives me great pride and pleasure that they are here, and it is very fitting that as long as Reverend Davis is here in our Nation's Capitol, along with the choir from Second Baptist, that he give the morning prayer.