Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and to remember a courageous young lady from my home state of New Jersey, Ms. Melissa Anne Centrella, the only child of Claire and August Centrella. It is with great sadness that I inform you that Melissa passed away two years ago on June 4th, 2002; she was only 25 years old.

As a child, Melissa was like every young girl--she was cheerful, she loved her parents, and she greatly enjoyed dancing. However, at an early age, Melissa was diagnosed with a rare illness called Dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological disorder characterized by powerful and painful involuntary muscle spasms that cause a twisting of the body, repetitive muscle movements, and sustained postural deformities. Melissa lived with the constant pain of Dystonia for 18 years. As the years passed, Melissa's life became increasingly constrained. She was eventually confined to a wheelchair and then bedridden until she passed away from complications of this disorder.

Melissa endured many medical procedures to assess and attempt to treat her Dystonia. She suffered through a series of spinal taps, intrathecal pump implantations, and preparations for deep brain stimulation surgery. On several occasions, Melissa was overdosed with medication, leading to seizures and once, to a three-day coma. Through all the pain, she accepted her suffering with dignity and, according to her family and friends, never once complained.

Melissa believed she was put on earth for a reason, that God had a plan for her. That reason was to be a part of the mission to find a cure for Dystonia so that no one else would have to experience the torture that she did in her short life. Many in her position would have given up, but not Melissa. She was relentless in pushing her mother, Claire, to establish the New Jersey Chapter of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF). Whenever Claire became depressed or overcome with distress, Melissa would gently prod her along and remind her of their shared family mission. I would like to salute Claire Centrella and her family for making such strides against Dystonia in Melissa's memory. Today, the Chapter holds many events to raise funds for Dystonia research and to promote awareness of the disorder.

Sadly, Melissa's body lost its battle with Dystonia; however, her soul continues on in her mother and with the New Jersey DMRF Chapter, whose goal is to improve the quality of life for people with Dystonia. Melissa Centrella will never be forgotten and her legacy, to find a cure for Dystonia, will be carried forth through the hard work and determination of her family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the administration's proposed restructuring of the Section 8 Housing Program, particularly in regard to the block grant funding proposal, which is especially important to low-income men and women in my home state of New Jersey.

The Section 8 Housing Program currently assists two million individuals including elderly citizens, persons with disabilities, and low-income working families to meet their housing needs. The proposed Section 8 restructuring will leave states and local public housing authorities starved of the necessary financial resources they need to keep up with the demand for housing. Local housing authorities will be forced to either substantially raise rent or cut the number of vouchers distributed, severely hampering the program's effectiveness in helping Americans afford a safe and secure place to live.

Nationally, the Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that proposed changes to the Section 8 Housing Program will lead to the elimination of 600,000 vouchers by 2009, which equals thirty percent of all vouchers now in use. In 2005 alone an estimated 250,000 families could lose their housing assistance, including 7,181 families in New Jersey. For example, in Fiscal Year 2005, the Jersey City Housing Authority, located in my district, will face an expected $3,117,611 in funding reductions resulting in an estimated cut of 351 currently assisted families. The Housing Authority of Bergen County, also located within my district, expects a funding cut of $4,056,468, resulting in 434 families currently receiving assistance to lose their vouchers.

While losses such as these could be devastating to many families, several of my colleagues have argued the proposed restructuring is necessary in part to counteract escalating costs of the Section 8 Housing Program. Indeed, the cost of the Section 8 voucher program has increased, but these increases have been reasonable, legislatively driven, and impermanent. Over half of the growth in cost has resulted from Congressional decisions to increase the number of families the Section 8 Housing Program assists, often as a result of ending other federal public housing initiatives. Another 37 percent of the growth has resulted from an increasing gap between housing costs and the earnings of low-income families. In addition, the program has expanded because of efforts to improve its efficiency; the share of authorized vouchers rose from 90.5 to 96 percent between 2001 and 2003. Cutting the funding would, therefore, punish the program for more effectively achieving its objectives. Furthermore, the actual Section 8 Housing Program costs have risen at a low annual rate of only four percent, and the Congressional Budget Office expects future growth to slow markedly due to the cooling of the housing market, with an expected small 1.8 percent growth in fiscal year 2005.

Studies have shown that a large percentage of low-income families and individuals spend more than half of their income on housing, severely inhibiting their ability to meet other basic needs. Affordable housing is the foundation of economic self sufficiency, the loss of which is a barrier to employment that affects children, families, and entire communities. Cutting housing funding and reducing opportunities for American families to live in safe housing, will directly correlate with escalating costs in federal spending for welfare, crime, health, and homelessness in the coming years.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that we guarantee the Section 8 Housing Program an adequate level of funding by rejecting the administration's proposal. I hope that my colleagues will join me in taking preemptive action against escalating financial and social costs in the future by providing stable housing for our working poor today.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding me time. I thank our chairman, the

gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), and I thank our ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for moving this bill so expeditiously through the House. And I thank our fellow Senators from the other body for their cosponsoring of my legislation in that body as well.

I rise in support of H.R. 3939, a bill to rename the main post office in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, the town I live in, within my district, as the Mary Ann Collura Post Office.

It has been a year since we lost Mary Ann, who served on the Fair Lawn Police Force for 18 years. She was the first female police officer in Fair Lawn history. She was killed in the line of duty on April 17, 2003.

Mary Ann was backing up another police officer from the district of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), Steven Farrell, who was in the course of arresting three men charged with robbery following a car chase that ended outside a church in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

It was at that point that Officer Farrell was wounded and Officer Collura was fatally wounded.

Throughout her life, as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) so eloquently said, Mary Ann embodied what is best about the people in our communities in New Jersey, and perhaps in all of America. She was kind, she was generous, she was courageous, she was a pioneer, and she was a person who truly cared about her community. She was the kind of a police officer who all the kids in the school system knew they could go to if they had a problem, especially a problem that they felt uncomfortable talking to their teachers or their parents about. She was a pioneer. She grew up always wanting to be a police officer, and when she got sworn in, it was the happiest, most proud day of her life. There was no obstacle that would stand in her way. She was going to protect the people of Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

She had this special desire, among many other things, innovations of hers, to protect kids during Halloween. So she spearheaded the effort to give each child in Fair Lawn, New Jersey a glow stick so that while they were walking through the streets trick-or-treating, they could be seen by people driving their cars and perhaps their parents following somewhat behind since, of course, it is very embarrassing, as my children say, to be walking with your own children, or have your own parents walking with you. That led, as a matter of fact, to my reintroducing a bill to move daylight savings time one week later after Halloween so that kids could trick-or-treat in an extra hour of daylight.

But it was Mary Ann's love for her community and love for those children that put forth that particular effort and made her a mentor, a mentor to young police officers, men and women, who saw her as a true leader.

She loved motorcycles, and the day after her memorial service, 2,500 police officers, and others, 2,500 motorcyclists rode through Fair Lawn, New Jersey in honor of Mary Ann Collura. It was a sight to behold.

To commemorate the life of Mary Ann Collura and her outstanding service to the people of the community of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, I introduced legislation to rename the Fair Lawn Post Office the Mary Ann Collura Post Office at Fair Lawn, New Jersey, so that when future generations who never had the privilege of knowing her or never read the stories about her, when a child walks into the post office in the future with their mom or their dad, they would say, Mommy or Daddy, why is this plaque here? Who was Mary Ann Collura? And then the story of Mary Ann Collura, her bravery, her great service to the people of Fair Lawn would be retold from generation to generation and onward ever forward, because she truly was a great role model, not just for young women, but for everyone.

As we come together to celebrate National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day this Thursday, we remember that in life and death, Mary Ann Collura and so many other fallen officers remind us of a difference that one person can make in making this world a safer and better place. We know that Mary Ann is looking down upon us from heaven, and that while Fair Lawn and the people of Fair Lawn may have lost one of their bravest protectors, they have gained and the world has gained another angel.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this piece of legislation, and I know that the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) joins with me and will have some remarks as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 605 to recognize the importance of generating awareness about autism, increasing research efforts into this terrible disorder, and improving support for those who suffer from autism and those who help care for the autistic. My 13 year old nephew Jack has autism, so I am part of an extended family working to raise a child with this disability. My family's ongoing experience has impressed upon me how critical it is for us, as a society, to give those with autism and their families the support they need to fight this devastating disease, and to commit the resources necessary to determine the cause of autism and to develop a cure for the millions of afflicted individuals.

Autism is not rare. Autism effects approximately 1 in every 166 children in the United States, making it one of the most common childhood medical disorders. In many cases, those with autism will never marry, they will never live independently, and more than half of them will never learn to speak. Families affected by autism are forced to bear an extraordinary burden. Parents, siblings and friends have to learn to try to communicate with and care for a child who may be incapable of either verbal or nonverbal communication or who may exhibit erratic behavior. The fact that autism is so common is proof that autism research is deserving of our nation's wholehearted support.

Funding for autism research at the National Institutes of Health has been increased from approximately $93 million in Fiscal Year 2003 to $96 million in Fiscal Year 2004, but we know that is not enough. Scientists continue to disagree on the cause or causes for the dramatic increase in the number of autism cases diagnosed in the United States. Only with increased research will we be able to understand autism, find better treatments and effective prevention methods, and hopefully, someday soon, develop a cure for this terrible disease.

I am pleased to be here today as a cosponsor of H. Res. 605. I applaud Representative Tierney for authoring this Resolution and working to bring attention and resources to an all too common, but devastating disorder. At its peak, there were 20,000 cases of polio each year. Today, less than 10 Americans contract polio annually. By working together and by never giving up, I know we can make autism just as rare. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay tribute to Wilson and Margaret Kaplen, known as Bill and Maggie to their family and friends, for their dedication to community service and philanthropy. The Kaplens are life-long New Jersey residents, currently living in Tenafly. I have had the privilege of knowing the Kaplen family for many years.

In acknowledgment of Bill and Maggie's many contributions and devotion to the community, the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center will recognize Bill and Maggie Kaplen at the Medical Center's annual black tie gala on May 8, 2004 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The Kaplens will be the first recipients of the Touchstone Award from the Medical Center, an award that has now been established in their honor.

In 1963, Bill established the Kaplen Foundation, and with the assistance of Maggie and their children, the Kaplens have given their time, hard work, and resources to endeavors including healthcare initiatives, civic projects, education and youth programs, social services, the arts, and Jewish organizations. The Kaplens have been given numerous awards for their charitable endeavors, including the Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League and the Chaver Award from the Jewish Community Center of the Palisades (JCC) in Tenafly. Bergen County residents have honored the Kaplen family name at the Kaplen Family Field of Dreams in Teaneck and the Michael F. Kaplen Red Cross Service Center, named in loving memory of their son, Michael.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Bill and Maggie Kaplen for their commitment to making our community a better place for all people. The Kaplens represent the best of the human spirit and serve as a true source of inspiration to us all. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring Wilson and Margaret Kaplen for their contributions to our community, and in wishing them continued success and happiness in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Greek Independence Day and to thank our colleagues, Mr. Bilirakis and Mrs. Maloney, who have once again shown great leadership in their efforts to organize this special order for Greek Independence Day.

I would like to honor not only this important day in Greek history, but the strong and unique relationship that exists today between the United States and Greece. The evolution of modern democracy has its roots in ancient Athens, and as such, it is only fitting that we, as representatives of one of the world's great democracies, pay tribute to the Greeks and their historical contribution to democratic governance on this 183rd anniversary of their independence.

Since the people of Greece declared their independence on March 25, 1821, our two nations have enjoyed close relations, and generations of Greek immigrants have helped to strengthen and enrich the relations between our two countries. As the Congressional Representative for thousands of Greek Americans, I salute their motherland's eight-year struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire. Our countries' shared histories of fighting for our freedom and sovereignty creates a common bond between the United States and Greece.

Today, the United States' relationship with Greece continues to grow stronger. Greece has been a devoted supporter of the U.S. in every major international conflict of this century and plays an important role in both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Greece has been one of our most loyal allies throughout our war against terrorism and has assisted the Coalition in both Iraq and Afghanistan by providing a military presence on land, sea and in the air. In turn, the United States has worked to attain a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Cyprus, the island nation that was brutally invaded by Turkey thirty years ago. I was saddened to see the UN-sponsored negotiations break down recently, so soon before Cyprus's impending accession to the EU on May 1st, but I will continue my efforts to see this important matter through to its successful resolution.

On this celebratory day of freedom and independence, I also want to heartily congratulate the Greek nation on the honor of hosting the Olympic Games in Athens this summer. I cannot think of a more meaningful place to celebrate the spirit of extraordinary achievement than in Athens, nearly 2,780 years after the first Olympics were held in ancient Greece. I look forward to sharing in the pride and celebration of the Olympic Games as they take place this summer and I look forward to continuing to work with leaders from the Greek community as we persist in our fight for a free and united Cyprus.

Mr Speaker, today I introduced the Halloween Safety Act of 2004, legislation to change the date on which daylight saving time ends each year in the interest of the safety of our children. This is a companion bill to S. 1803, introduced by Senator Michael Enzi of Wyoming.

As we all know, the holiday of Halloween falls on October 31st, typically just a few days after the switch from daylight saving time to standard time. As a result of turning our clocks back, many young children go out to trick-or-treat around their neighborhoods or towns when darkness has already fallen by five or six o'clock in the evening. Parents are faced with the decision of whether or not to allow their children to go trick-or-treating in the dark, which creates a safety hazard for children running from house to house, and for motorists who must contend with children darting out into the streets.

Valerie Vainieri Huttle, the Chairwoman of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and David L. Ganz, who is both a Bergen County Freeholder and the Mayor of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, have raised this issue at the county government level and have asked that I act on a federal level to address this problem. The Halloween Safety Act of 2004 extends daylight saving time each year until the first Sunday in November, instead of the last Sunday in October, thereby ensuring that Halloween falls during daylight saving time each year.

I am proud to acknowledge that this safety problem has already been partly addressed in Bergen County, New Jersey. Fair Lawn's beloved police officer, the late Mary Ann Collura, implemented a special ``glow stick'' program so that young children would be adequately lit and visible as they walk the streets trick-or-treating. Since her untimely death in the line of duty last April, the glow stick program has gone countywide in Bergen County, thanks to the initiative of County Executive Dennis McNerney and his staff, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

By modestly changing the date that daylight saving time ends and that standard time begins, children in Bergen County and across the country would be safer and would have extended hours of daylight in which to participate in this holiday. I commend Freeholders Huttle and Ganz for sponsoring a resolution adopted by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders urging the change of daylight saving time, and I thank them for their commitment to the safety of the children of New Jersey and our Nation. I urge prompt consideration of the Halloween Safety Act of 2004.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to introduce a bill, at the suggestion of a high school student in my district, and with the support of the entire New Jersey House delegation, authorizing the renaming of the main post office in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, as the Mary Ann Collura Post Office.

After dutifully serving eighteen years as an outstanding officer and a role model in her community, Officer Collura was fatally shot on April 17, 2003, in the line of duty. Throughout her life, Mary Ann Collura embodied what is best in our communities--she was courageous, kind, and concerned about the world and people around her. Renaming the main post office in Fair Lawn after Mary Ann will help ensure that her legacy lives on.

The fact that a Fair Lawn High School student came up with the idea of renaming the post office speaks volumes about how much Officer Collura meant to the people of Fair Lawn. Officer Collura fought hard for what was right and worked tirelessly each day, risking her life, to make sure the residents of Fair Lawn and their families were safe. The post office redesignation is just one way in which we can honor her life in the Borough she loved.

By renaming the post office in Fair Lawn after Officer Mary Ann Collura, we are ensuring that she will always have a presence in our community. Officer Collura was a beloved and trusted member of the Fair Lawn community, which is why renaming the main post office is fitting.

Mr. Speaker, heart disease is the leading cause of death for all Americans. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 500,000 women die of cardiovascular disease each year. For women, heart disease is responsible for more deaths than the next seven causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. And shockingly, only 8 percent of women think that heart disease is a major personal concern.

These statistics are a sign that the message is not getting out. I rise today, in the middle of American Heart Month, to call attention to heart health and to encourage women to learn about the signs and causes of cardiovascular disease.

This past Friday, February 6, 2004, the American Heart Association sponsored ``Go Red for Women'' day. This initiative, encouraging individuals to wear red to increase awareness of heart disease, is an important step in making sure women take back control of their personal health. Both men and women must educate themselves on the warning signs of heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest. Women in particular must know the risk factors that they can control, including diabetes, high blood pressure, tobacco use, cholesterol, physical inactivity, and obesity because one in ten American women aged 45 to 64 and one in four American women aged 64 or older has some form of heart disease.

Not only can well informed women and mothers improve their own health, but as the family gatekeeper, mothers can also help put children on the path to a lifetime of good heart health. We know childhood obesity and diabetes are pandemic in our society, but there are things we can do to stop the growing trend of children exhibiting heart disease risk-factors at such an early age. We all must work to ensure that our families are eating healthy, well-balanced meals and we must make sure that our families are getting enough physical activity. These simple but important efforts will mean a great deal to the future health of our family members and our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I know you will join me in encouraging all Americans to contact the American Heart Association either through their Website or over the phone to find out the information that can save their lives. I hope my colleagues in the House will join me in this fight against heart disease, our Nation's leading killer.

Mr. Speaker, according to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime. I rise today in support of H.R. 1385, the Breast Cancer Research Postal Stamp because I believe that number is unacceptable.

Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer among women in the United States with incidents on the rise. In my home State of New Jersey over 6,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer last year and tragically, approximately 1,500 women died from this terrible disease. I support and cosponsored H.R. 1385 because it is about changing those statistics, it is about hope.

In December of 2003, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp expired, and today we have an opportunity and a responsibility to renew it. Approximately 500 million copies of this special Breast Cancer Research Stamp have been sold, raising about $40 million for the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. These are programs that help more women get screened, help more breast cancer cases to be detected and detected early, and help more women get the treatment that allows them to survive.

There is another very positive aspect of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp--it raises awareness. Each time the stamp passes hands as a letter goes from sender to recipient, another person becomes aware; another man grows concerned and reminds his wife to get a mammogram, another woman schedules a check-up with her doctor, and another mother teaches her daughter about breast self exams.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because ``breast cancer needs to be stamped out!'' I strongly hope that my colleagues will stand with me and reauthorize the Breast Cancer Research Stamp.

Mr. Speaker, 62 years ago yesterday, our nation was suddenly attacked by the Imperial Japanese Naval Forces and drawn into World War II. This unprovoked act of war killed 2,338 military personnel and civilians, and wounded 1,178. The attacks sank or heavily damaged 21 ships and destroyed or damaged 323 aircraft. December 7, 1941 is a date which continues to live in infamy.

Mr. Speaker, the brave servicemen and women who served that day are responsible for our presence here today. Sadly, on September 11, 2001, this nation tragically experienced another Pearl Harbor whereupon our nation again sacrificed innocent Americans who woke up that morning, entirely unaware that they would never see their loved ones again. During that most difficult time we drew strength and courage from those who served this great nation before and from the leaders who led this great nation through our darkest hours.

On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed the nation and declared, ``no matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.'' These are words that ring true today. On a day when many Americans feared for our nation, FDR's words of confidence, determination, and purpose did indeed carry this nation to absolute victory. Those same words will carry this nation to absolute victory once again as our brave men and women of the armed services are stationed in and around Iraq and Afghanistan fighting to preserve our freedom, security and democracy. Like those who served before, we are forever grateful for their courageous and heroic acts and we will never forget their sacrifices.

On the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we must remember the difficult times our brave servicemen and women went through to defend our nation, and we mourn the deaths of the military personnel and civilians who died that day. Mr. Speaker, today we must ensure that our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren learn about the lives of our veterans, including those of the Greatest Generation who served in World War II. Our commitment to our veterans must remain strong because they are a symbol of the greatness of our country.

President Kennedy once said that you can judge a nation not just by the people--the men and women--that it produces, but also by the people that a nation remembers. Today, Mr. Speaker, we remember true heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1964, the Highlands Conservation Act, introduced by my colleague, Mr. Rodney Frelinghuysen.

I am very pleased to be an original cosponsor of the Highlands Conservation Act, which is an important step forward in our ongoing effort to save New Jersey's precious open space and enhance the quality of life for residents. New Jersey is the most densely populated State in the Nation, which is why it is so important that we think ahead and recognize the importance of preserving our remaining acres of open space. By protecting the 2 million acres of the Highlands, which extend through our neighboring states as well, we are creating an environmental legacy for future generations, safeguarding our area's drinking water, and ensuring that our children and our children's children have places to explore and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors.

The Highlands Conservation Act is a testament to the foresight of the bill's author, Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, who recognizes the importance of saving New Jersey's open space. I have seen Congressman Frelinghuysen's commitment to the preservation of undeveloped acres firsthand as a colleague of his on the House Appropriations Committee. He worked in a bipartisan fashion to garner support for his measure. Congressman Frelinghuysen's leadership to protect the Highlands will truly help New Jersey live up to its namesake as the Garden State.

Getting Congress to authorize $100 million for the preservation of the Highlands would be a victory for our quality of life and the environment, but also a victory for New Jersey's taxpayers who will be spared from having to pay for the full cost of these preservation efforts. I am pleased that I was able to help get this bill onto the floor today and I look forward to working with Congressman Frelinghuysen on the Appropriations Committee to preserve New Jersey's open space.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my sorrow and rage over the Saturday bombings of the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues and the Thursday bombings of the British Consulate and HSBC Bank in Istanbul, Turkey. Tragically, 51 innocent victims of the War on Terror have died in Turkey this week and over 750 were wounded. These victims died or were wounded simply because they gathered to pray on a Saturday morning in honor of Shabbat, the Jewish day of reflection and rest, or were going about their normal daily lives in Istanbul.

Turkish officials have identified the bombers of the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues as Turkish militants, with possible connections to al Qaeda, who loaded bombs, each with about 500 pounds of ammonium sulfate, nitrate, and fuel oil, into trucks they pulled in front of the synagogues and detonated nearly simultaneously. Among those who died were 6 Jews and 17 Muslims--each buried near the remains of the 22 victims killed in a 1986 bombing at Neve Shalom. Initial reports indicate that truck bombs were also used in the terrorist attacks against the British Consulate and London based HSBC Holdings, which killed at least 27 and wounded over 450 people.

Madam Speaker, approximately 30,000 Jews live in Turkey--a 99.8% Muslim nation. For years Jews have lived peacefully and freely and have in fact thrived in a predominately Muslim nation. Much of this is due to Turkey's historically good treatment of its Jewish residents--dating back to the early influx of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition and later to Turkey's refusal to deport and exterminate its Jewish population during the Holocaust despite its longstanding relationship with Germany. Today, a benevolent relationship has grown between the Turkish and Israeli governments who share close ties and hold joint military exercises.

The attacks in Turkey this week aim to undermine the relationship between Turkey, the U.S., and Britain, and highlight the growing resurgence of al Qaeda and its worldwide network. The attacks in Turkey follow the suspected hand of al Qaeda in incidents in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Morocco. The attacks on Thursday also highlight the fact that Turkey is a secular Muslim country that leans West through its business dealings, culture, and government affairs. The terrorists are determined to undermine the links between Turkey and the Western world.

Madam Speaker, as fighting has flared up in Iraq and al Qaeda has again regrouped and gained strength, and as President Bush returns from his trip to England while Israel and the Palestinian Authority tentatively reach out to each other in hopes of a cease fire and peace, now is not the time to turn our backs on the War on Terror. Now is the time to stand together with our friends and allies around the world as we all mourn those who died in Turkey this past week and those we have lost to terror attacks in the past, while jointly taking a stand to continue to fight for our survival in our war of self-defense against these madmen. We must work to ensure that all our allies help us root out terror at its source by sharing intelligence, auditing finances and doing whatever else is necessary in the hopes that like the Jews and Muslims have done for years in Turkey: we can all live together in peace.

Mr. Speaker, for seven years, I have been pushing and voting for a voluntary prescription drug benefit under Medicare. Such a plan would give seniors access to the quality, affordable, life-saving medicines they need. Unfortunately, the final Medicare bill--written in secret by the very same Republicans who eight years ago shut down the federal government as part of their strategy to force Medicare to wither on the vine--does exactly the opposite of what it is supposed to do. Instead of providing seniors with a voluntary, guaranteed drug benefit, the bill provides no drug coverage until 2006, and then forces millions of seniors to pay more for drugs if they don't give up their doctor and join an HMO--HMOs that can raise premiums at will and will throw out seniors who get too sick. The bill is nothing less than an outrageous giveaway of taxpayer funds to the health insurance industry.

A $12 billion slush fund in the bill will be doled out to insurance companies that offer privatized Medicare services and employers are given a $70 million windfall to maintain their retiree drug plans. These subsidies create a huge bias in favor of private plans. That's not competition, it's corporate welfare, and it's wrong.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that when the drug benefit begins in 2006, the average senior will spend $3,155 annually on prescription drugs. Under the Republican bill, because it so loaded up with giveaways to the private insurance industry, a senior with an income over $13,500 will pay $2,075 out of the first $3,155 in total drug costs--66 percent or two-thirds of the total--including the $35 monthly premium and the $250 annual deductible. And on top of these costs, 52,000 New Jersey seniors will face additional increases in their Part B premiums.

Also, instead of a voluntary benefit under Medicare, seniors will lose their doctors and be forced out of the system they know and trust. Worse still, 220,000 New Jersey seniors enrolled in PAAD and Senior Gold will have their health jeopardized and their choice of medicines limited by restrictive drug formularies imposed on the State by managed care plans. These seniors will face disruption in their coverage and will likely get less help than they currently receive. And it's a bad bill for doctors, whose reimbursement rates will be set not by the federal government, but by HMOs out to make a profit.

It is an especially bad deal for New Jersey seniors. As a result of the Republican bill, 94,000 New Jersey retirees will lose their drug coverage, 2-3 million nationwide. Over 150,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in New Jersey will pay more for drugs and 186,000 New Jersey seniors will be forced to leave traditional fee-for-service and accept vouchers to enroll in private plans starting in 2008.

The Republicans controlling the House of Representatives today dislike Medicare so much that they are literally willing to subsidize private health insurance companies to compete with Medicare, paying those companies $82 billion to create new private bureaucracies to handle prescription drugs for seniors and to even go so far as to build in a profit for them. We tried this experiment once already, giving private plans subsidies to offer Medicare services in the form of Medicare+Choice. But despite these subsidies, private Medicare+Choice plans felt they could not make enough of a profit, so they cut benefits and dropped hundreds of thousands of policyholders. Not only will this bill ultimately destroy Medicare and force seniors and their doctors into dealing with private HMOs, but the $82 billion could have been invested into the existing Medicare infrastructure, covering all seniors with a voluntary prescription drug program and reducing the premiums and co-pays for our nation's seniors.

Most galling the bill expressly prohibits the federal government from negotiating prices with the drug industry. The government already permits such negotiation in prices by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense--if this is good enough for veterans and those serving on active duty in the armed forces, why not for seniors? This is a $139 billion gift to drug companies in windfall profits. If Republicans were serious about reducing costs, their bill would not block the Secretary of Health and Human Services from using Medicare's enormous purchasing power to bring drug prices down.

AARP, which claims to speak for seniors, but is in fact a big insurance company with over $200 million in commissions on health and life insurance policies and prescription drug plans, has hastily endorsed the bill. Like hundreds of rank and file AARP members in my district who have called my office to disavow the national group's decision, I am outraged that AARP renounced the anti-privatization principles it claimed were central to its support. For this reason, I have resigned my AARP membership.

As many have said, this bill is a Trojan Horse: a radical dismantling of Medicare masquerading as a prescription drug bill. We must not forget that only a handful of Republicans voted for Medicare when Democrats created the program nearly 40 years ago. And at every turn since 1965, the Republican Party has worked to weaken a popular and successful health care system that allows seniors and their personal doctors to manage their own care.

We must not now adopt a privatization scheme that will harm seniors and risk Medicare's future. Instead, Congress ought to add a simple, straightforward and voluntary drug benefit to Medicare, save the $82 billion in subsidies to private insurance companies and private plans, and apply that money to lessen seniors Medicare drug premiums and co- pays. And then we should engage in a real bipartisan discussion about the future of Medicare--out in the open and not in a secret congressional backroom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2130, a bill to redesignate the United States Postal Service facility at 650 Kinderkamack Road in River Edge, NJ, as the New Bridge Landing Post Office.

As a life-long resident of New Jersey, a history buff, and the Congressman who formerly represented the Borough of River Edge for my first 6 years in Congress, I am delighted to be a cosponsor of legislation that will highlight the unique, strategic role that New Jersey, and specifically River Edge, played in the birth of our Nation and the Continental Army's success in the Revolutionary War. Renaming the River Edge postal facility--located just two blocks away from Historic New Bridge Landing--will help ensure that future generations will have a window into New Jersey's colonial life that was home to more Revolutionary War engagements than any other of the 13 original colonies.

New Bridge Landing has played a pivotal role in the development of River Edge since Native Americans first inhabited the area. During the Revolutionary War, GEN George Washington retreated from historic Fort Lee across New Bridge Landing, leading the unprecedented march of a ragtag band of volunteer soldiers and a committed people in pursuit of the timeless ideals of liberty, freedom, and equality that our Nation enjoys today. Its proximity to the Hackensack River later made it a hub for industrial development; it was used as both a tidal mill and bustling shipping point for iron.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and gratitude for those revolutionary fighters that I ask all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2130, so that future generations of New Jerseyans will remember what those heroic patriots accomplished at New Bridge Landing so long ago.