Rob Andrews

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy), who had a career in State government in insurance regulation and, frankly, I think knows more about this subject than any other Member of the House.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 seconds. Mr. Speaker, we certainly take up the challenge to present a better idea, which the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) and I will be doing in a few minutes under the alternative. We understand that the American Academy of Actuaries, a group with no vested interest in this debate, has concluded that 1 million people will be added to the roles of the uninsured by this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), another voice who joins the coalition of AFL-CIO, 66 chambers of commerce and the National Governors Association, a gentleman who has brought great honor to this House during his Presidential campaign.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. My friend from Maryland, whom I respect very much, when they talk about the number of people who would gain insurance with AHPs, the Congressional Budget Office drew the conclusion that the vast majority of members of AHPs would not be newly-insured people. They would be people shifted from existing plans into the AHPs. I think the better authority is that one million people, net, one million more people would be uninsured as a result of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds. My friend said that the opposition is evidence of distrust of the private sector. It is odd, because 66 local chambers of commerce have mounted an objection to the bill and the Republican Governors Association. I guess they share our distrust for the private sector. Mr. Speaker, I am submitting a list of over 1,050 organizations that oppose this bill for the Record. Organizations and Public Officials Opposed to Federal AHP Legislation, April 23, 2004 Over 1,050 Organizations Have Expressed Opposition: state officials National Groups National Governors Association Republican Governors Association Democratic Governors Association Attorneys General Representing 41 States National Association of Insurance Commissioners National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors National Conference of Insurance Legislators National Conference of State Legislatures chambers of commerce Albuquerque (NM) Chamber Arapahoe Chamber of Commerce (Nebraska) Ashland Chamber of Commerce (Nebraska) Black Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City Blanding Chamber of Commerce (Utah) Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce (Nebraska) Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce (Idaho) Boston Chamber Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce (Nebraska) Buffalo-Niagara Partnership (New York) Carey Area Chamber of Commerce (Ohio) Cherry Creek Chamber (Colorado) Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Council of Smaller Enterprises/Greater Cleveland Growth Association (COSE) Denver Metro Detroit Draper Chamber of Commerce (Utah) Duchesne Chamber of Commerce (Utah) Evans Chamber of Commerce (Colorado) Florence, Colorado Grand Raids Area Chamber of Commerce Greater Akron Chamber (Ohio) Greater Cincinnati Chamber Greater Columbus Chamber (Ohio) Greater Des Moines Partnership (Iowa) Greater Indianapolis Chamber (Indiana) Greater Louisville, Inc. (Louisville, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce) Greater Manchester, New Hampshire Greater North Dakota Association Greater Seattle Chamber Heber Valley Economic Development (Utah) Herington Chamber of Commerce (Kansas) Hiawatha Chamber of Commerce (Kansas) Holton Area Chamber of Commerce (Kansas) Lake City Chamber of Commerce (Colorado) Lansing Regional Chamber (Michigan) Lehi Chamber of Commerce (Utah) Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce Metro Jackson, Mississippi Michigan Chamber of Commerce Midvale Chamber of Commerce (Utah) New Hampshire Business and Industry Association North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce North Park Chamber (Colorado) Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Northern Ohio Chamber of Commerce Oklahoma City Oklahoma State Oregon Association of Industries (Oregon State Chamber of Commerce) Palisade Chamber (Colorado) Paola Chamber of Commerce (Kansas) Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce (Ohio) Salem Economic Development (Utah) Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce (New York) Spanish Fork Area Chamber of Commerce (Utah) Springfield Chamber of Commerce (Colorado) Springville Area Chamber of Commerce (Utah) Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce Tulsa, Oklahoma Washington State (Association of Washington Business) West Jordan Chamber (Utah) Woodson County Chamber of Commerce (Kansas) Worland Chamber of Commerce (Wyoming) Youngstown-Warren Chamber (Ohio) farm bureaus: Alabama Farmers Association (ALFA) Mississippi Farm Bureau Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation--Tennessee Rural Health Virginia Farm Bureau small business associations Alaska Coalition of Small Business Arizona Small Business Association 4D Industries (Oregon) Indiana Association of Community and Economic Development Indiana Manufacturers' Association Fargo-Moorhead Homebuilders' Association Ohio/Kentucky Concrete Pavement Association National Small Business Association (Represents over 150,000 small businesses nationwide) New England Council New Hampshire Business Council New Hampshire High Tech Council Oregon Business Alliance Professional Musicians Of Arizona Rhode Island Small Business Association SMC Business Councils (Pennsylvania) Santaquin Economic Development Agency (Utah) Small Business Association of Michigan Utah Small Business Development Center--Utah Valley State College labor unions AFL-CIO--American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations With additional letters from: Alabama AFL-CIO, Alaska AFL- CIO, Arkansas AFL-CIO, Arizona AFL-CIO, California AFL-CIO, Indiana AFL-CIO, Kansas AFL-CIO, Louisiana AFL-CIO, Maine AFL-CIO, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Missouri AFL-CIO, Montana State AFL-CIO, Nebraska AFL-CIO, Nevada State AFL-CIO, New Mexico Federation of Labor, North Carolina State AFL-CIO, Northern Nevada Central Labor Council, Nevada State AFL-CIO, District 2, Ohio AFL-CIO, Oregon AFL-CIO, Rhode Island AFL-CIO, Southern Nevada Central Labor Council, Nevada State AFL-CIO, District 3, Tennessee Labor Council, Utah State AFL-CIO, Virginia AFL-CIO, Washington State Labor Council Alabama Education Retirees Association Alabama Retired State Employees Association Alabama Teacher's Union (AEA) American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) With additional letters from: Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas Council 72 (Local 1715--Chapter 3371), Louisiana AFSCME Council 17, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio AFSCME United, AFSCME Local 4, AFSCME Council 8, Ohio Local 11 OCSEA, AFSCME Local 11, Rhode Island Council 94, Utah Local 1004, Virginia Local 27 American Federation of Teachers (AFT) With additional letters from: Albuquerque, New Mexico Federation of Teachers, Arkansas Federation of Teachers, Colorado Federation of Teachers, Kansas Southwest and Mountain States Region for the AFT, Louisiana Federation of Teachers, Oregon Federation of Teachers, Rapides (Louisiana), Utah American Federation of Teachers Atlanta Labor Council Boilermaker's Lodge 101 (Colorado) Cement Masons Local 577 (Colorado) Central Georgia Federation of Trades and Labor Council Colorado Federation of Public Employees International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) With additional letters from: Cleveland, Ohio Local 1377, Dayton, Ohio Local 82, Kansas Local 304, Milan, Ohio Local 1194, Oak Harbor, Ohio Local 1432, Ohio Local 2331, Oregon International Union, United Auto Workers (UAW) With additional letters from: Indiana UAW--Region 3 (Indiana and Kentucky), Kansas Local 31 International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Kansas Association of Public Employees Kansas Postal Workers Union Labor Federation of Central Kansas Laborers' International Union--Local 149--Aurora, Illinois Maine Teacher's Union/Maine Educational Association Middle Georgia Central Labor Council Missouri Steelworkers Union Montana Progressive Labor Caucus National Education Association--Rhode Island Nebraska State Education Association Ocean State Action (AFT--Rhode Island) Ohio AFSCME Retiree Chapter 1184 Ohio Association of Public School Employees Oregon Federation of Nurses Paper Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) Providence (Rhode Island) Central Federation of Labor Service Employees International Union (SEIU) With additional letters from: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Local 1985, Kansas, Missouri, Local 2000, New Hampshire, Local 1984, Ohio, District 1199, Oregon, Local 503, Rhode Island, Washington Shipbuilders and Boilermakers International Union--Virginia Chapter Teamsters Union--Maine Teamsters' 190--Montana Teamsters Local 407--Ohio United Food and Commercial Workers Union--Nebraska (Local 22) United Food and Commercial Workers Union--Washington United Teachers of Wichita, Kansas United Transportation Union--Louisiana consumer/advocacy groups National Groups Alliance for Children and Families American Agricultural Movement, Inc. American Association of Pastoral Counselors American Association of People with Disabilities American Association of University Women--Oregon Chapter American Cancer Society American Congress of Community Supports and Employment Services American Corn Growers Association American Diabetes Association With additional letters from: Alabama Chapter, Arkansas Chapter, Central Ohio Chapter, Cleveland Ohio Chapter, Colorado Chapter, Indiana Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, Maine Chapter, Minnesota Chapter, Montana Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, Nevada Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, North Carolina Chapter, Northeast Ohio Chapter, Oregon Chapter, Utah Chapter, Seattle, Washington Chapter, Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky Chapter, Washington Chapter American Family Foundation American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance Americans for a Balanced Budget Anxiety Disorders Association of America Association for the Advancement of Psychology Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law Center on Disability and Health Child Welfare League of America Children & Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With additional letters from: Ohio Chapter Children's Defense Fund--With additional letters from: Ohio Chapter Coalition Against Insurance Fraud Consumer Federation of America Consumers Union Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance With additional letters from: Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance of Ohio, Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance of Columbus, Ohio, Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance of Dayton, Ohio, Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance of Medina, Ohio Families USA Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health Federation of Southern Cooperatives Friends Committee on National Legislation International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)--With additional letters from: Arkansas Chapter Maternal and Child Health Coalition for Healthy Families National Alliance for the Mentally Ill With additional letters from: Arkansas Chapter, Colorado Chapter, Georgia Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, Maine Chapter, Montana Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, North Carolina Chapter. Ohio Chapter: Allen, Auglaize & Hardin Counties, Adams County, Butler County, Clark County, Clermont County, Cleveland Metro, Fairfield County, Franklin County, Licking County, Logan & Champaign County, Richland County, Ross/Pickaway Counties, Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties, Stark County, Warren County. Oregon Chapter, Rhode Island Chapter, St. Louis Chapter, Utah Chapter, Washington Chapter National Association for Children's Behavioral Health National Association for Rural Mental Health National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) North Carolina Chapter National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders National Association of Farmer Elected Committees National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems National Coalition for the Homeless National Council of La Raza National Farmers Organization National Foundation for Depressive Illness National Mental Health Association With additional letters from: California Chapter, Colorado Chapter, Franklin County (Ohio), Georgia Chapter, Greater St. Louis Chapter (Missouri), Illinois Chapter, Indiana Chapter, Knox County (Ohio), Licking County (Ohio), Louisiana Chapter, Lucas County (Ohio), Miami County (Ohio), Minnesota Chapter, Montana Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, North Carolina, Oregon Chapter (Mental Health Association of Oregon--MHAO), Ottawa County (Ohio), Stillwater-Sweetgrass Counties (Montana), Summit County (Ohio), Union County (Ohio), Utah Chapter, Wyoming Chapter National Partnership for Women & Families National Patient Advocate Foundation Planned Parenthood Federation of America Research Institute for Independent Living Soybean Producers of America Suicide Prevention Action Network Tourette Syndrome Association United Cerebral Palsy Association USAction Women Involved in Farm Economics Local Groups 9 to 5 National Working Women's Association (Colorado) AIDS Alliance Service (North Carolina) AIDS Prevention ACTION Network (California) AIDS Project Rhode Island AIDS Response Seacoast--New Hampshire AIDS Survival Project (Georgia) ARC of Alabama ARC of Colorado ARC of Indiana ARC of Norfolk, Nebraska ARC of Ohio ARC of Oregon ARC of Utah Access Utah Network Adoption Options (Colorado) Advocacy Coalition of Seniors and People with Disabilities (Oregon) Alabama Council on Substance Abuse Alabama Watch Alaskans for Tax Reform Alliance Against Family Violence (Kansas) Allies With Families (Utah) American Agricultural Movement of Arkansas, Inc. American Association of University Women--Oregon Chapter American Lung Association--Alaska Chapter American Lung Association--Colorado Chapter Arkansas Interfaith Conference Arizona Association of Community Mental Health Centers Assistive Technology Through Action in Indiana (ATTAIN) Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (California) Bethpage Omaha (Nebraska) Best Buddies International--Indiana Chapter Big Brother and Big Sister--Illinois Bosom Buddies of Georgia, Inc. Brain Injury Association of Colorado Brain Injury Association of Utah Buckeye Art Therapy Association of Ohio California Coalition for Mental Health California Pan-Ethnic Health Network Campaign for Better Health Care (Illinois) Campaign for Health Security (Oregon) Cancer World (Oregon) Catholic Charities of Colorado Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs Catholic Charities of Omaha, Nebraska Catholic Charities Pueblo (Colorado) Catholic Community Services of Utah Catholic Conference of Kentucky Center for Policy Analysis (California) Central Ohio Diabetes Association Centro Legal (Minnesota Minority Support Group) Child Connect (Nebraska) Children's Defense Fund--Ohio Chapter Children's Diabetes Foundation--Denver Chapter Children's First of Oregon Citizen Action of Arizona Citizen Action of Illinois Citizen Action of New York Citizen Action Network of Iowa Coalition for Accountable Government (Utah) Coalition for Independence (Kansas) Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers Colorado Classified School Employees Association Colorado Forum on Community Colorado Developmental Disabilities Planning Council Colorado Programs for Children with Disabilities Colorado Progress Coalition Colorado Women's Agenda Columbus Ohio Chapter of N.O.W. Community Action Directors of Oregon Community Connection (Utah) Community Connections (Nebraska) Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana Community Humanitarian Resource Center (Nebraska) Community Pharmacists of Indiana Community Support Services (Oregon) Concerned Christian Americans--Illinois Congress of California Seniors Connecticut Citizen Action Group Damien Center--Indiana Day At A Time Club (Colorado) Denver, Adams and Arapahoe County (CO) CARES Diocese of Salt Lake City (Utah) Durango Ltd. (Illinois) Eagle Forum (Illinois) East Liverpool (Ohio) Breast Cancer Support Group Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon El Comite--Colorado Electric League (Missouri) EMPOWER Colorado Families First (Georgia) Family Planning Association of Maine Family Planning Association of Northeast Ohio Family Ties Adoption Center of Colorado Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health--Colorado Future Coalition (Ohio) Gathering Place (Nebraska) Georgia Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (GARAL) Georgia Rural--Urban Summit Georgia Watch Georgians for Healthcare Good Faith Fund (Arkansas) Granite State Independent Living Foundation (New Hampshire) Gray Panthers California Gray Panthers of Oregon Gray Panthers of Rhode Island Health Action New Mexico Health Care for All (Massachusetts) Health Law Advocates (Massachusetts) Healthy Kids Learn Better (Oregon) Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies (Montana) Helena Indian Alliance--Montana Hispanic Community Center (Nebraska) Hispanic Contractors Association (Colorado) Human Services Coalition of Oregon Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging Indiana Central Association of Diabetes Educators (ICADE) Indiana Coalition on Housing and Homeless Issues Indiana Pharmacy Alliance Individual and Family Counseling--Illinois Insure the Uninsured Project (California) Interfaith Service Bureau (California) Iowa Christian Coalition Jewish Community Relations Council--Indiana Kansas Alcohol & Drug Services Providers Association Kansas Association of Middle School Administrators Kansas United School Administrators Kentuckians for Health Care Reform Kentucky Minority Farmers Association Latin American Research and Service Agency (Colorado) Louisiana Maternal and Children's Health Coalition Maine Consumers for Affordable Healthcare Maine Women's Lobby Maine Women's Policy Center Mental Health Consumer Advocates of Rhode Island MESA (Moving to End Sexual Assault) Administrative Office (Colorado) Minnesota AIDS Project 10 Minnesota Lawsuit Abuse Watch (M-LAW) Minnesota State Council on Disability Montana Children's Initiative Montana Coalition for Competitive Choices Montana Council for Families Montana March of Dimes Montana NARAL Montana Peoples Action Montana Senior Citizens Association Montana's Child Project Multiple Sclerosis Society of Indiana Mutual Ground--Illinois National Barter and Commodity Association (Formerly the Colorado Citizens for an Alternative Tax System) National Kidney Foundation of Georgia Navajo County Arizona Special Public Health District Nebraska Arthritis Foundation Nebraska Tax Research Council Nebraskans for Equal Taxation Neighborhood Activists Inter-Linked Empowerment Movement (NAILEM)--Arizona Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans Nevada Cancer Institute Nevada Diabetes Assocaition for Children and Adults Nevadans for Affordable Health Care New Mexico Voices for Children (formerly--New Mexico Advocates for Children and Families) New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women New Hampshire Developmental Disabilities Commission New Hampshire for Health Care Noble/ARC of Central Indiana Noble/ARC of Greater Indianapolis North Carolina Committee to Defend Healthcare Ohio AIDS Coalition Ohio Advocates for Mental Health Ohio Association of Mental Retardation Ohio Citizen Advocates for Chemical Dependency, Prevention and Treatment Ohioans for Diabetes Control Oregon Alliance of Retired Americans Oregon Association of Retired Persons (AARP Chapter) Oregon Council of Senior Citizens Oregon Disabilities Commission Oregon Health Action Campaign Oregon Heart and Lung Association Oregon Law Center Oregon Special Concerns Ministry Oregonians for Health Security Paola Foster Grandparent Program (Kansas) People First of Nebraska People Living Through Cancer--New Mexico Planned Parenthood of Alaska Planned Parenthood of Georgia Planned Parenthood of Greater Indiana Planned Parenthood of Mid/East Tennessee Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Precita Park Democratic Club (California) Protectmontanakids.org Pulaski County Democratic Women (Arkansas) Pulaski County Young Democrats (Arkansas) Quality Care for Children (Georgia) Redemptorist Social Services Center (Missouri) Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Rhode Island Kids Count Rhode Island Poverty Institute Rhode Island Public Health Association Safe Kids--Safe Communities--Montana Self-Determination Resources (Oregon) Small Business Lobby (Virginia) Special Concerns Ministry (Oregon) Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (Utah) Support Oregon Services Alliance Tennessee Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services United Cerebral Palsy Association--Colorado United Cerebral Palsy Association--Nebraska United Cerebral Palsy Association--Utah United Seniors of Oregon Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio University Village Association (Illinois) Utah Association of Counties Utah Center for Persons With Disabilities Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault Utah Hispanic Advisory Council Utah State University Victim Assistance Team of Grand County Colorado Virginia Coalition of Police and Deputy Sheriffs Washington Citizen Action Wisconsin Citizen Action Wisdom of Wellness Foundation (Georgia) WISE Foundation (Tennessee) Women's Association of Northshore Democrats--Louisiana Women's Policy Group (Georgia) Women's Rights Organization (Oregon) Working for Equality and Economic Liberation (WEEL)--Montana Physician Groups National Groups American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry American Academy of Neurology American Academy of Pediatrics With additional letters from: Alabama Chapter, Illinois Chapter, Indiana Chapter, Iowa Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, Minnesota Chapter, Montana Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, Ohio Chapter, Oregon Chapter, Rhode Island Chapter, Tennessee Chapter, Utah Chapter American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons American Psychiatric Association With additional letters from: Colorado Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, Ohio Chapter, Tennessee Chapter, Utah Chapter National Alliance of Medical Researchers and Teaching Physicians National Hispanic Medical Association Pediatrix Medical Group The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Local Groups Alabama Academy of Family Physicians Alabama Medical Association American Academy of Physicians--Nebraska Chapter American College of Cardiology--Alabama Chapter American College of Emergency Physicians--Alabama Chapter American College of Surgeons--Rhode Island Chapter Arkansas Medical Society Bellevue Pediatric Center (Nebraska) Bennett Breast Cancer Center (Maine) Colorado Medical Society Family Medicine Specialists of St. George (Utah) Internal Medicine and Pediatric Medicine (Utah) Missouri State Medical Association Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians Nebraska Academy of Physicians Nebraska Medical Association New Hampshire Health Care Association New Mexico Medical Society Rhode Island Medical Association Rhode Island Neurological Society Rose Breast Center (Colorado) Utah Optometric Physicians Utah Valley Pediatrics Virginia Medical Society Washington Healthcare Forum Provider Groups National Groups American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy American Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation American Association on Mental Retardation American Chiropractic Association With additional letters from: Alabama Chapter, Arkansas Chapter, Indiana Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Kentucky Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, Maine Chapter, Minnesota Chapter, Montana Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, North Carolina Chapter, Oregon Chapter, Rhode Island Chapter, Tennessee Chapter, Washington Chapter American College of Nurse-Midwives American Counseling Association American Group Psychotherapy Association American Mental Health Counselors Association American Nurses Association With additional letters from: Alabama Chapter, Arkansas Chapter, California Chapter, Colorado Chapter, Illinois Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Maine Chapter, Minnesota Chapter, Montana Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, Nevada Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, Ohio Chapter, Oregon Chapter, Rhode Island Chapter, Tennessee Chapter, Utah Chapter, Virginia Chapter, Wyoming Chapter American Optometric Association With additional letters from: Alabama Chapter, Arizona Chapter, Arkansas Chapter, Indiana Chapter, Iowa Chapter, Kentucky Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, Montana Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, Nevada Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, Tennessee Chapter, Utah Chapter, Virginia Chapter, Wyoming Chapter American Podiatric Medical Association American Psychiatric Nurses Association American Psychological Association With additional letters from: Arkansas Chapter, Colorado Chapter, Illinois Chapter, Indiana Chapter, Iowa Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Kentucky Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, Minnesota Chapter, Montana Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, Nevada Chapter, North Carolina Chapter, Ohio Chapter, Oregon Chapter, Rhode Island Chapter, Tennessee Chapter, Utah Chapter, Wyoming Chapter American Psychotherapy Association American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Inc. Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare Association of Women's Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses Clinical Social Work Federation Employee Assistance Professionals Association Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences National Association of County Behavioral Health Directors National Association of School Psychologists National Association of Social Workers With additional letters from: Alabama Chapter, Arkansas Chapter, Iowa Chapter, Kansas Chapter, Louisiana Chapter, Maine Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, New Hampshire Chapter, New Mexico Chapter, North Carolina Chapter, Ohio Chapter, Rhode Island Chapter, Utah Chapter National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare Local Groups AAC Association (Nebraska) Access Utah Network Act Now Counseling (Utah) Action Counseling (Colorado) Acupuncture Association of Colorado Acupuncture Association of Utah Acupuncture Association of Washington Addiction and Behavioral Health Center (Nebraska) Advance Women's Health Care (Utah) Advantage Eye Care (Utah) AIM Institute (Nebraska) Affiliates in Psychology (Nebraska) Alabama Association of Home Health Agencies Alabama Association of State & Provincial Psychology Boards Alabama Council for Community Mental Health Boards Alabama Family Practitioners Rural Health Alaska Ophthalmological Society Alegent Health Psychiatric (Nebraska) Alternative Health Center (Utah) Alternative Pathways (Colorado) Alzheimer's Association of Oregon and Greater Idaho Alzheimer's Association of Utah American Society of Addictive Medicine--Kansas Chapter American Society of Addictive Medicine--Utah Chapter Andrus Vision Center (Utah) Arden Courts (Illinois) Arkansas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Arkansas Chiropractic Legislative Council Arkansas Independent Living Council Arkansas Mental Health Counselors Association Aspen Therapy (Utah) Association of Community Service Agencies (California) Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs Association of School Based Health Centers (Oregon) Asthma and Allergy Clinic (Utah) Autism Coalition of Indiana Autism Society of Arkansas Autism Society of Nebraska Autism Society of Ohio Avenues to New Horizons (Nebraska) Avera St. Anthony's Hospital (Nebraska) A.W.A.R.E. Inc. (Mental Health Provider--Montana) Bear River Medical Arts (Utah) Bear River Mental Health Services (Utah) Beaver Valley Hospital (Utah) Behavioral Health Specialists (Nebraska) Bergan Mercy Child Development Center (Nebraska) Berner Eye Clinic (Utah) Black River Mental Health Services (Utah) Blue Valley Mental Health Center (Nebraska) Boulder County Partners (Colorado) Boulder Valley Women's Health Center (Colorado) Broadway Counseling Services (Colorado) Bungalow Care Center (Utah) California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies California Society for Clinical Social Work Care Oregon Cedar Springs Behavioral Health (Colorado) Centennial Mental Health Center (Colorado) Center for Counseling and Consultation (Kansas) Center for Human Development (Kansas) Center for Independent Living (Kansas) Center for Psychological Services (Nebraska) Central District Health Center (Nebraska) Central Iowa Psychological Services Central Kansas Psychological Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Ohio) Chiropractic and Spinal Rehabilitation (Colorado) City of Geneva Mental Health Board (Illinois) Clarian Health (Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital, Riley's Children's Hospital) (Indiana) Collidge Mental Health Center (Nebraska) Colorado Association of Surgical Technicians Colorado Dental Association Colorado Health and Hospital Association Colorado Osteopathic Society Colorado Podiatric Medical Society Community Adolescent Counseling (Colorado) Community Access Services (Oregon) Community Counseling Center of Fox Valley (Illinois) Community Nursing Services (Utah) Community Pharmacists of Indiana Community Providers Association of Oregon Conway Regional Health Systems (Arkansas) Council of Volunteers and Organizations for Hoosiers with Disabilities (Indiana) Council on Substance Abuse (Alabama) Counseling Associates (Utah) Counseling Center for the Rockies (Colorado) Coventry Group (Kansas) Crawford County Health Department (Kansas) Danville Services Corporation (Utah) Delta Resource Independent Living Center (Arkansas) Denver Naturopathic Clinic--Colorado DPF Counseling Services (Kansas) Dignity Health & Home Care (Utah) Direct Benefits (Minnesota) Elgin Mental Health Facility (Illinois) Family Counseling Service of Aurora, Illinois Family Life Center (Kansas) Family Medicine Specialists of St. George (Utah) Fetzer OB-GYN (Illinois) First Call For Help (Nebraska) First Plan in Two Harbors (Minnesota) Fore Chiropractic Clinic (Kansas) Four Corners Community Behavioral Health (Utah) Four County Mental Health Center (Kansas) Franklin County Memorial Hospital (Nebraska) Full Circle Alternative Center (Colorado) Gabriel Chiropractic Office (Colorado) Geneva Mental Health (Illinois) Gordon Memorial Hospital (Nebraska) Greenwood Health Center (Utah) Gynecology, Obstetrics & Infertility (Colorado) Healthy Mothers--Healthy Babies (Montana) Heartland Counseling and Consulting (Nebraska) Higgins Center for Natural Health (Colorado) Highland Family Eye Care (Utah) Highland Ridge Hospital (Utah) Holladay Family and Child Guidance Clinic (Utah) Home Health Services and Staffing Association of New Jersey Hutchinson Psychological & Family Services (Kansas) Idaho Hospital Association Independent Living Resource Center (New Mexico) Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities Indiana Pharmacy Alliance Institute for Alcohol Awareness (Fort Collins, Colorado) Institute for Alcohol Awareness (Greeley, Colorado) Intermountain Health Care (Utah) Intermountain Health Care Diabetes Education (Utah) Iowa Breast Cancer Education-Action (IBCE) Iowa Dental Association Iowa Podiatric Medical Society Jane Phillips Nowata Health Center (Oklahoma) Johnson County Hospital (Nebraska) Josephine County Mental Health (Oregon) Kane County Hospital (Utah) KANZA--Mental Health and Guidance Center (Kansas) Kelly Roybal-Sanchez Pediatric Clinic (Colorado) Kentucky Dental Association Kentucky Mental Health Coalition Lane Independent Living Alliance (Oregon) Larimer Center for Mental Health (Colorado) Legislative Coalition of Virginia Nurses Leo Pocha Clinic (Montana) Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Oregon LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon Lincoln/Lancaster County Human Services Federation (Nebraska) Longmont Psychiatric Associates (Colorado) Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists Louisiana Association of Ambulatory Healthcare Louisiana Association for the Advancement of Psychology Louisiana Healthcare Commission Louisiana Mental Health Consortium LTC Resolutions (Indiana) Maine Association of Mental Health Services Maine Association of Substance Abuse Programs Maine Nurse Practitioners Association Medical Weight Management (California) Melham Medical Center (Nebraska) Mental Health and Guidance Center (Kansas) Mental Health Associates (Kansas) Mental Health Care Associates (Nebraska) Mental Health Corporation (Colorado) Mental Health Liaison Group Mesability (Colorado) Metro Chiropractic (Nebraska) Midwest Parkinson's Awareness of Northeast Ohio Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs Minnesota Council of Health Plans Missouri Ambulance Association Montana Academy of Ophthalmology Montana Academy of Otolaryngology Montana Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers Montana Association of Independent Disability Services Montana Council of Community Mental Health Centers Montana Podiatric Medical Association Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association Nebraska Dental Association Nebraska Health Care Association Nebraska Methodist Hospital Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island Nemaha County Breast Cancer Support Group (Nebraska) Nevada Dental Hygienists Association New Hampshire Mental Health Coalition New Hampshire Mental Health Counselors Association New Hampshire Pastoral Psychotherapists Association New Mexico Podiatric Medical Association New West Health Services (Montana) Niobrara Valley Hospital (Nebraska) Norfolk Psychological Service (Nebraska) Northstar Mental Health Services (Nebraska) Northwest Alzheimer's Association (Nebraska) Norton Health Care (Kentucky) Nurse Practitioners of Oregon Ogallala Counseling Center (Nebraska) Ohio Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare Association Ohio Association of Women's Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses Ohio Clinical Social Work Society Ohio Counseling Association Ohio Council of Behavioral Healthcare Providers Ohio Dietetic Association Old Mill Counseling (Nebraska) Omni Behavioral Health (Nebraska) One Source (Nevada) Oregon Advocates for the Mentally Ill Oregon Association of Physicians' Assistants Oregon Centers for Mental Health and Addiction Oregon Dental Association Oregon Health Sciences University Oregon Optometric Physicians Association Oregon State Denturists' Association Oriental Medical Association of New Mexico Palmer Chiropractic College (Iowa) Park City Family Health and Urgent Care Center (Utah) Parkview Medical Center Department of Pathology (Colorado) Pediatric Pathways (Colorado) Phelps Memorial Health Center (Nebraska) Phoenix Rising Center (Utah) Polk County Mental Health (Oregon) Professional Christian Counseling Services (Nebraska) Providence Medical Center (Nebraska) Pueblo Women's Center--Obstetrics and Gynecology (Colorado) Rainbow Center (Nebraska) Region VI Behavioral Healthcare (Nebraska) Rhode Island Association of Health Centers Rhode Island Autism Project Rhode Island Council of Community Mental Health Organizations Rhode Island Dental Society Richard H. Young Hospital (Nebraska) River Park Psychology Services (Kansas) Riverton Eye Care (Utah) Rock County Hospital (Nebraska) Rural Counties Program, Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center (Colorado) Rural Health Management (Utah) Rural Hospital Coalition (Louisiana) Saint Francis Memorial Hospital (Nebraska) Sanpete Valley Hospital (Utah) Saunders County (Nebraska) Health Services Serenity Place (Nebraska) Shopko Eyecare Center Southwest Kansas Independent Living Resources Center Southwest Utah Community Health Center Spa Area Independent Living Services (Arkansas) St. Mary's Health Network--Oregon Stoney Ridge Day Treatment Center (Nebraska) Sundance Women's Healthcare (Utah) Sweetgrass-Stillwater Mental Health Association (Montana) Swope Parkway Health Center (Missouri) Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology The Home Team of Kansas The Psychology Clinic (Louisiana) Three Rivers Independent Living (Kansas) Topeka Independent Living Resource Center (Kansas) Town Center Chiropractic (Montana) Tri-County Hospital (Nebraska) Tri-County Mental Health Services--Maine Tulane University Health Sciences Center (Louisiana) United Healthcare--Alabama Utah Society of Pathologists Valley Community Clinic (California) Valley Counseling Services (Ohio) Valley County Hospital (Nebraska) Valley View Medical Center (Utah) Van WYK Family Chiropractic Center (Colorado) Virginia Academy of School Psychologists Virginia Association of Community Services Boards Virginia Association of Free Clinics Virginia Association of Hospices Vision Health Center (Utah) Wasatch Canyon Mental Health (Utah) Washington Massage Therapy Association West Holt Memorial Hospital (Nebraska) Wills Chiropractic Clinic (Nebraska) Willowbrook Mental Health Center (Nebraska) Wiseman Chiropractic Wellness Center (Nebraska) Workman Chiropractic Clinic (Nebraska) Wyoming Counseling Association health insurance trade associations Alabama Associated Life Insurance Companies America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) With additional letters from: Alabama Association of Health Plans, California Association of Health Plans, Georgia Association of Health Plans, Indiana Association of Health Plans, Kansas Association of Health Plans, Kentucky Association of Health Plans, Nebraska Association of Health Plans, Nevada Association of Health Plans, New Jersey Association of Health Plans, North Carolina Association of Health Plans, Ohio Association of Health Plans, Virginia Association of Health Plans, Association of Washington Healthcare Plans, American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association, American Republic Insurance Company (Iowa) Association of Health Insurance Advisors/National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors With additional letters from: Indiana Chapter, Maine Chapter, Nebraska Chapter, Ohio Chapter, Utah Chapter Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Delta Dental Plans Association With additional letters from: Delta Dental Plan of Arkansas, Delta Dental Plan of Indiana, Delta Dental Plan of Iowa, Delta Dental Plan of Kentucky, Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota, Delta Dental Plan of New Mexico, Delta Dental Plan of North Carolina, Delta Dental Plan of Virginia Christiana Care Health Plans Cimarron Healthcare (New Mexico) Federation of Iowa Insurers Health Net (Oregon) Louisiana Pest Control Insurance Company (LIPCA) Lovelace Health Systems (New Mexico) Magellan Health Services National Association of Health Underwriters With additional letters from: Alabama Chapter, Arkansas Chapter, Central Arkansas Chapter, Georgia Chapter, Indiana Chapter, Maine Chapter, Minnesota Chapter, Nevada Chapter, New Hampshire, New Mexico Chapter, North Carolina Chapter, Ohio Chapter, Oregon Chapter, Rhode Island Chapter, Virginia Chapter Nebraska Association of Professional Insurance Agents Nevada Hometown Health NevadaCare PacifiCare of Nevada Principal Financial Group--with additional letters from: Iowa Office Sierra Health Services (Nevada) Tufts Health Plan Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt). (Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the senior Member and the dean of the House of Representatives, my very dear friend. (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), one of our Members who has extensive experience as a State legislator in achievement in this area.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. My friend, the chairman, went through a series of numbers about this bill a few minutes ago, and I would respectfully suggest that he got some numbers wrong. I think the most important numbers about this bill are 1 million, zero, and 50. There will be an addition of 1 million people to the roll of the uninsured should this bill become law, and here is why. The chairman argues that the provisions of this bill would limit the ability of association health plans to choose only the youngest and the most healthy would be affected. I think the evidence is strongly to the contrary. I think there are loopholes in this law that are wide enough to drive an ambulance through that would allow association health plans to refuse to insure, or raise the premiums to insure people who are older or more infirm. Mercer & Associates, a respected, nonpartisan study group on health care is the source of this number. They believe that when we add up the number of people who will gain health insurance as a result of AHPs and we subtract from that that number of people who will lose health insurance because of rising premiums in plans that are more traditional, that we will add 1 million people to the ranks of the uninsured. The second number is zero. That is the number of consumer protections that the law will guarantee if this bill became law. Legislators across this country, Republican and Democrat, have fought for the right of women to have guaranteed mammograms and OB-GYN care, the right of people dealing with the difficulties of substance abuse or mental health problems to have guaranteed coverage, the right of couples who wish to have children to have infertility coverage, the rights for diabetic care, for mental health care. These are rights that people have fought for and won in State legislatures across the country. Every single one of those protections is repealed should this bill become law. There will be zero consumer protections guaranteed to our constituents should this happen. The final number that we should take into consideration is 50 because that is the number of State Attorneys General who oppose this bill. That is the number of insurance commissioners, Republican and Democrat, who oppose this bill. The National Governors Association, Republicans, Democrats and Independents across the country oppose this bill. Mr. Speaker, it is customary on the floor of the House for us to have our partisan differences, that happens; but do not listen to the partisan differences here. Listen to the experts of both parties who spent their careers out in the several States regulating health care. Republican Governors and Democratic Governors, Republican Attorneys General and Democratic Attorneys General, Republican insurance commissioners and Democratic insurance commissioners oppose this bill because it opens the door for the possibility of fraud and loss in these plans. There is a better way; and later this afternoon my friend, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), and I will be offering a plan which truly will reduce premiums for small businesses, which truly will expand health care opportunities for the uninsured and will do so without risking or jeopardizing the important protections that people presently enjoy under the law. I would urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, to support our substitute. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the Democratic leader of our committee.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Friedreich's Ataxia Awareness Day, which is recognized each year on the third Saturday in May. Friedreich's ataxia is a life-shortening neurological disorder that is usually diagnosed in childhood. It causes muscle weakness and loss of coordination in the arms and legs; impairment of vision, hearing and speech; scoliosis, diabetes; and a life-threatening heart condition. Most patients need a wheelchair full-time by their twenties. Life expectancy is reduced to early adulthood. There is currently no effective treatment or cure for Friedreich's ataxia. Although there is no effective treatment or cure available, Friedreich's ataxia patients and families have more and more reason for real hope. An extraordinary explosion of research insights has followed the identification of the Friedreich's ataxia gene in 1996. Since that discovery, research scientists have learned a great deal about the disorder. We now know what defects in the gene cause the disease, what protein the gene is supposed to produce, what that protein is supposed to accomplish, and why a shortage of the protein results in the cell death that leads to the disease symptoms. Investigators are increasingly optimistic that they are drawing closer to understanding more fully the causes of Friedreich's ataxia and to developing effective treatments. In fact, they have recently declared that, ``in Friedreich's ataxia, we have entered the treatment era.'' At the National Institutes of Health and around the world, clinical trials for Friedreich's ataxia are being conducted on drugs that hold real promise. Growing cooperation among organizations supporting the research and the multidisciplinary efforts of thousands of scientists and health care professionals provide powerful evidence of the increasing hope and determination to conquer Friedreich's ataxia. There is also a growing conviction that treatments can and will be developed for this disease and that the resulting insights will be broadly applicable across a wide range of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's. On the third Saturday of May, events will be held across our country to increase public awareness of Friedreich's ataxia and to raise funds to support the research that promises treatments for this disease. I applaud the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) for its contributions to these efforts and ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing May 15, 2004, as Friedreich's Ataxia Awareness Day to show our concern for all those families affected by this disorder and to express our support and encouragement for their efforts to achieve treatments and a cure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my continued support for the Republic of Cyprus, and to urge the Administration and the international community to continue working towards an agreeable solution to the division of the island. While it is certainly disappointing that the UN brokered negotiations on reunification were not successful, it is important that the responsibility for this lack of success not be placed squarely on one party. It was determined by the Greek-Cypriot community that the final version of the Annan plan was not an acceptable solution to the division of the island, and they therefore chose to reject the plan through the democratic process. The Greek-Cypriots have made it clear that while they did have objections to the plan that was presented through the referendum, they are still very much in favor of reunification. Given the expressed willingness of both sides to work towards an agreeable solution to the division of the island, it would be a mistake for the international community to abandon these efforts. The final version of the Annan plan, which was brought before both Cypriot communities for a referendum, was not in the best interest of the Greek-Cypriot citizenry. The plan placed severe restrictions on the number of Greek-Cypriot refugees that would be permitted to return to the North, restricted property rights for the Greek-Cypriots in the North, and would have required that the Greek-Cypriots essentially compensate themselves for the properties they lost as a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974. While the plan did significantly reduce the number of Turkish troops on the island, it did not provide for full demilitarization. In essence, this plan did more to solidify the status quo on the island than it did to unify the two communities. As Cyprus prepares to officially enter the European Union next month, I urge my colleagues to voice their support for full, meaningful membership within the EU for our Cypriot allies, as well as continued efforts towards an equitable reunification of the island.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the somber occasion of the 89th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and to call upon the Administration to finally recognize this horrible crime for what it truly was, systematic and deliberate murder. The Armenian Genocide began on April 24, 1915, and within eight years one and a half million Armenians were tortured and killed. Tortures that the Armenians were forced to endure included forced labor, rape, kidnapping, and death marches under the guise of ``temporary relocation.'' A grave injustice was intentionally committed by the Ottoman Empire during these years, and it is imperative that we now stand up and demand that this injustice be officially recognized by Turkey, the United States, and the World. The senseless crime of genocide is one of the most reprehensible acts that can be committed by man. To attempt eradication of an entire population based on a misguided prejudice is absolutely vile, and the United States should do everything in its power to try and prevent such atrocities from happening in the future. Only by explicitly defining genocide and ensuring that all cases of genocide throughout history are appropriately identified can we effectively deter this crime. Particularly at this time of heightened vigilance around the world, it is absolutely imperative that America take a strong stance against the most troubling of all terrorist acts, mass killings. We can not forget Adolph Hitler's haunting remark to his military staff prior to launching the Holocaust: ``who, after all, remembers the annihilation of the Armenians.'' Let us stand up as a country and let the world know that we do remember.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Dennis W. Hammond who was captured by the Viet Cong on February 8, 1968 and died in a Prisoner of War camp in March, 1970. Staff Sergeant Hammond was one of several American POWs who were held at a camp in Quang Nam Province numbered ST18. He attempted escape with the other POWs in the spring of 1968 and was shot in the leg by Montagnards in a nearby village. After 36 long years, the Department of Defense has positively identified Staff Sergeant Hammond's remains and will lay him to rest with full military honors in Bremond, Texas on May 22, 2004. Staff Sergeant Hammond's story was brought to my attention by a patriotic and thoughtful newspaper reporter for the Gloucester County Times named Jim Six. Mr. Six has collected more than 400 dog tags from Vietnam and has spent over ten years trying to return these identification tags to their rightful owner or next of kin. As part of this statement, I am submitting three columns published by Jim Six to be included as part of the Record. [From the Gloucester County Times, Feb. 4, 2004] Marine's Lengthy Journey Nears End (By Jim Six) They found him! After 36 years, U.S. Marine Sgt. Dennis Wayne Hammond is on his way home from Vietnam. You may remember a story I wrote back in 2001. I have more than 400 dog tags that I gave a friend a hundred bucks to buy from a street vender in Vietnam in 1993. The dog tags may or may not have belonged to American servicemen. The jury is still out on that. But one of the dog tags matched a real person. Denny Hammond was captured by the Viet Cong on Feb. 8, 1968, almost exactly 36 years ago. He was shot trying to escape and never quite recovered. By March 1970, the once- strapping Marine weighed about 89 pounds. He died, some say, while reciting the military oath of allegiance. Previous efforts by the U.S. government to find Denny's body had been unsuccessful. In 1995, a former POW who had helped bury Denny was able to lead searchers to the grave, but it was empty. On Jan. 20, 2001, in Mexia, Texas, I handed Carlene Tackitt a dog tag bearing the name of her brother, Denny Hammond. Carlene's mother, Opal, had died in 1981, out of her mind with grief for the son who had been captured in the jungles of Vietnam. Before Carlene's dad died, he said it was probably the not knowing that had killed Opal, the not knowing where her boy was. My visit to Mexia was brief, just long enough to be the recipient of Carlene's Texas hospitality and to hand her a donated jewelry box containing that old dog tag. She clasped that little piece of metal tightly, not wanting to let go of something that might have been her brother's. ``Keep that next to me . . . I ain't never giving that up,'' Carlene said back then. ``You don't know how much we appreciate this. You have no idea.'' The story about the dog tag and the man it might have belonged to was probably one of the most important things I have written. Denny Hammond, for some reason, became part of my life. I have a POW bracelet with his name on it. His high school graduation picture is somewhere on my desk at home. I have an ancient arrowhead Denny's nephew gave me. I think about Denny Hammond a lot. Last week, Carlene Tackitt was notified by the government that her brother's remains had been located and were now in Hawaii. I got the news Sunday in an e-mail from Carlene's daughter-in-law. ``We wanted you to know this because you had played a part in finding a piece of him and thought you might want to know how his story ends finally . . . his family has gotten the peace we need.'' When I got the news, I cried, then wanted to smoke a cigar, drink some champagne, dance, sing. I hope to talk to Carlene soon. Dennis Wayne Hammond's long journey is almost at an end. He will be buried in Texas, next to his mother and father, sometime in March. Boy, I'd like to be there for that.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I consume, and I know that there are elements of the union movement who support this bill. I understand that, but I want to reiterate, the Teamsters, the IBEW, the building trades, the bricklayers, the boilermakers, the roofers, the asbestos workers, the carpenters, the iron workers, the operating engineers, the laborers, the sheet metal workers, the plasterers and cement masons, the plumbers and the pipefitters, the elevator trades and the painters all oppose this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I also want to echo the comments of the chairman regarding the staff on both sides, here in the House and the other body. Staff put in innumerable hours, did very high-quality work on both sides, and we are very grateful to each of these ladies and gentlemen. I have listened to the arguments from the other side, and I certainly respect their intent, but I want to clarify the record. We have heard that the bill that is in front of us really does help the multi-employer plans, the small business plans who need help, and that it only excludes those who do not. I again state that The Segal Company, which is widely recognized as an objective and authoritative source in this field, has concluded that over the course of the next 5 years 20 percent of the multi-employer plans will experience grave trouble. As I understand their analysis of this bill, this bill will help fewer than 4 percent of those plans. So a lot of plans in distress are going to have further distress. Another argument we hear is that not that many people are really left out. My friend from Ohio talked about the relatively tiny percentage of small businesses affected by this. But it is important that we understand that these businesses employ nine and a half million people. Now, not all those nine and a half million people are in plans that are in distress, but a significant portion of them are. So it is nine and a half million workers who are affected and, I believe, left out of this important consideration. We hear that this is only a temporary fix and we will come back and fix it later in 2 years. I hope that is true, and I have no doubt that is the intention of the majority. But we sometimes do not move very quickly in these areas. If someone is in trouble, and again I think the record shows about a fifth of these plans are in trouble, telling them they have to tread water for another 2 years until the life preserver comes is a rather unhelpful answer. We have heard that no one in the House brought up multi-employer relief the first time this came through. That is true. The bill was brought up under a unanimous consent agreement in which no amendments were permitted, by agreement of both sides. Frankly, our side entered that agreement because we wanted the bill to move quickly and because I think we made a rather reasonable forecast, based upon our experience, that Democratic amendments that alter decisions by the majority are very often not considered under the rules passed by this House. So the idea we could have come to the floor and offered an amendment that would have included the multi plans is rather at variance with the record.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I do want to begin by thanking the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) who very ably and fairly chaired this conference and for all the participants and staff who worked very hard in the conference and did yeomen's work on both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle. As the chair of the Committee on Ways and Means said a minute ago, this bill solves a problem. I think he is correct, that there is a problem. I think he is correct that it solves the problem for some people who suffer that problem, but I would respectfully say he is most decidedly incorrect when he says it solves the entire problem. The problem here is that people running pension plans, defined benefit plans, have suffered an unusual series of economic circumstances, declining stock prices, very low interest rates, which have given them great fiscal distress in their plans. Under the existing law, it is necessary for the employers who pay into those plans to make huge increases in their contributions in the very near future. This translates, in my view, into lost jobs, slower growth, and significant economic problems for many industries. Commendably, this conference tried to address that problem and has, in fact, done so for many of our employers, but the conference report fails miserably to help a number of employers who need this help, and those are the employers in what is called the multi-employer plans. Now multi-employer plan is a very antiseptic term. Who are we talking about? We are talking about air conditioning contracting companies. We are talking about people who build houses. We are talking about people that do plumbing repairs and heating repairs, that do sheet metal contracting. We are talking about 60,000 small businesses across this country affected by this change. Now, the experts in the field have told us that about one in five of those small businesses is going to experience a significant problem in their pension plan within the next 5 years. Twenty percent of these air conditioning repair companies and plumbing companies and home builders are going to experience a problem in the next 5 years. So about 20 percent of these small businesses and their employees need help right now. This bill helps about 3 or 4 percent of these small businesses in the country. Think about this. The experts tell us that 20 percent of these small businesses and their employees need help. This bill steps forward and helps 3 or 4 percent. Now one might be inclined, Mr. Speaker, to think that this is a technical oversight or it is a problem that cannot be fixed because of some fiscal or budgetary reason. Nothing could be further from the truth. This bill represents a deliberate choice to exclude thousands of small businesses and their employees from the relief that they need to continue creating jobs, and I believe that deliberate choice is made because these plans are all affiliated with organized labor. That is what this is about. There are a bunch of people that fell off the boat and they are drowning and need a life preserver and we are standing on the deck of the rescue ship throwing out life preservers so people can survive. And that is commendable. But we will not throw the life preservers for union plans and union workers. That is wrong. There is no substantive basis for that judgment. There is no fair basis for that judgment. And it is wrong. We will have an opportunity to fix this injustice in the motion to recommit to conference that I will be offering. Under the rules of the House, there will be no debate on that motion, so I want to bring it up now. What the motion will permit us to do is to reconvene the conference with the instructions that the small businesses adversely affected by this bill will have the chance to be included. We will go back to the bargaining table and say, as the experts have told us, that the 20 percent of small businesses who are drowning out there in the sea will also get thrown a life preserver. To make a judgment based on dollars is reasonable. To make a judgment based upon technical disagreement is reasonable. But to make a judgment based upon ideological opposition to a certain segment of the American business community, those who employ unionized workers and against a segment of American workers, those who happen to exercise their right to collectively bargain, is wrong. That is why the motion that I will submit is supported by, and final passage is opposed by, the Teamsters, the IBEW, the building and construction trades of the AFL/CIO, the bricklayers, the boilermakers, the roofers, the asbestos workers, the carpenters, the iron workers, the operating engineers, the laborers, the sheet metal workers, the plasterers, the plumbers and pipe fitters, the elevator trades and the painters. The small businesses that employ these Americans should not be excluded from this bill, irrespective of who they support in the election, irrespective of how they view things politically. It is wrong to throw a life preserver only to the favored few. I would urge my colleagues to support the motion to recommit that will be offered and oppose final passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I would just point out that the argument from the other side, we keep hearing the bill is not everything, that we cannot do everything all at once. It seems like the things that we never quite get around to are the ones that most benefit the working people of the country. We never quite get around to extending unemployment benefits. We never quite get around to consideration of raising the minimum wage. We never quite get around to including pension relief for employees of small businesses, 60,000 small businesses across the country. We never quite get around to debating legislation that would help the 45 million people without health insurance in the country. We never quite get around to that. We always do get around to helping very powerful players in our economy and our political system who, in fact, deserve help in this circumstance. I do not dispute that; but I hope one of these days, Mr. Speaker, we get around to helping the rest. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch).

Mr. ANDREWS. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate that. I also appreciate the fact that the record of this House is that Democratic amendments to bills very often do not get fairly considered. Finally, we are told the President will not go any further than what is in this bill. Well, I certainly respect the Office of the Presidency and the man who holds it now, but we are a coequal branch of government. Our job here is not to limit our expression of what we think the right answer is to what the people at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue think. We have both the right and the responsibility to stand up and be counted for what we think. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I again would like to express my appreciation to the majority for the fair and evenhanded way in which the conference was handled. I dispute its result and disagree with its result. I do look forward to our cooperation over the next number of years in addressing the long-term problems. I would urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the motion to recommit because I do not believe, as the distinguished chairman just said, it kills the chance for relief. I think it improves relief. I think this is a legislative body that is capable of producing a better product. I think that indisputably we have a situation here in which a number of small businesses who contribute to multi-employer pension plans are going to not receive the relief that they need in order to continue to generate and create jobs. One of the ritualistic things that we say around here is that everyone loves small business, that they create three-quarters of the jobs created in the private sector in America, and we regularly have contests between each other to see who can be most in love with small business. The issue in front of us is 60,000 small businesses who pay into multi-employer pension plans. The record reflects that the best judgment of objective analysts concludes that 20 percent of the plans are at risk of being in financial jeopardy in the next 5 years. The bill in front of us helps only a tiny fraction of that group that is going to be in such trouble. It subjects thousands of those employers to difficult situations where they are going to have to steeply increase their contributions to their pension plans and thereby jeopardize their ability to keep handing out paychecks, which is so very, very important. I would urge my colleagues to join the very broad and strong coalition of working men and women in supporting the motion to recommit and opposing final passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), who is really one of our leading voices on pension reform in this country.

Mr. ANDREWS. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy), who is a leading voice on pension issues.

Mr. ANDREWS. I am, in its present form.