Howard Berman

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barr).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell). (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof). (Mr. HULSHOF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, it gives me special pleasure to yield 1\1/ 2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Scarborough).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, could we be advised of the time allotted to both sides?

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) I rise today in strong opposition to the Hyde amendment. It has been almost a month since Littleton and the Republican House has once again fumbled an issue important to the health and safety of America. They bring a bill to the floor today which has had no scrutiny from the Judiciary Committee, much less the whole House and will move amendments which will move us from a debate on gun control in order to engage in a book burning! The House Republican Leadership has been doing the bidding of the gun lobby since the shots were fired in Littleton. The other body had no problem in engaging this topic head-on and voting on serious legislation. In fact, most Americans are dead serious about keeping their children safe. But not here, my colleagues. Here in the Republican House, they are concerned with the gun lobby. The gun lobby needs time to stall; the Republican Leadership gives them time to stall. The gun lobby needs a little misdirection and scapegoating, no problem. The Republican Leadership is happy to accommodate. Today, the gentleman from Illinois will move an amendment that is a new twist on the NRA mantra, ``guns don't kill people . . . George Orwell does. Guns don't kill people . . . Steven Speilberg does.'' ``Guns don't kill people . . . Verdi and Puccini do.'' As a parent, I am just as concerned about exposing my children to media violence, but tearing up the Constitution is not the way to do it. I share Chairman Hyde's motives to protect children but let's have a serious discussion on the safety of our children and not a replay of Fahrenheit 451 which, by the way, would be banned under this amendment. In the end, my colleagues, this House will produce a messy bill, which will have great difficulty clearing the Senate or the President's signature. And this is exactly what the gun lobby and the Republican House wants. Meanwhile, more children will suffer. I urge my colleagues to reject the Hyde amendment.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the ranking member of the Committee on Judiciary for yielding me this time. My colleagues do not have to be intellectual to be on that subcommittee. Three points I would like to make in a very short time. This is very uncharacteristic of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), chairman of the committee. He asserts as a matter of belief, but without any case evidence to support it, that he can graft in what I view as a somewhat clumsy and inartful way, the obscenity logic onto the depiction of violence. This has been tried before; and every single time it has been tried, the courts have knocked it down. They said, the Nassau County Board of Supervisors, this is in the second circuit, Eclipse Entertainment versus Gluota, the Nassau County Board of Supervisors simply adapted the Miller obscenity standard to minors into violence. However, this was not a sufficient measure to shield the law from successful constitutional challenge, because the standards that apply to obscenity are different than those that apply to violence. Obscenity is not protected speech. This is, case after case. Time does not give me the time to make this argument. Secondly, Ginsberg, yes, Ginsberg allowed a differentiated standard on obsenity to minors. This seeks to track that by doing a different standard on the depiction of violence to minors. But in Ginsberg, there was an exception from any criminal prosecution where there was parental participation or consent. This measure has absolutely no such exception. The parent can be in the video store, in the theater, with the minor, and be quite willing to have the child, the minor see this. The vendor who sells it, ironically, we do not go after the studio, the author, the distributor, we go after the vendor, the poor guy at the video store, at Blockbusters. There is no exception whatsoever here for parental consent, and there is no standard that is contained in Ginsberg for utterly without social redeeming value.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 15 seconds. The gentleman from Arkansas makes a very good point. Ironically, when we look at the definition of ``depiction of violence,'' the one thing it does not include is murder, mass murder, or bombing. None of those are included. It all gets into sort of bizarre and weird acts of mutilation and flagellation, but nothing about spraying a hundred people with assault weapons. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Ms. McCarthy). (Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, I would simply like to point out to the gentleman, as I have told him several times, that I am from North Hollywood, not from Hollywood; and secondly, that I thought last fall in the Committee on the Judiciary I was in Hollywood. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman). (Mr. WAXMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Beverly Garland, who is being honored as 1999 NoHo Citizen of the Year at the 7th Annual NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival. Through the years Ms. Garland has played an invaluable role in helping NoHo emerge as a thriving center of music, dance and theater in what had been a declining section of North Hollywood. As a successful businesswoman and actress, Ms. Garland is the perfect representative for NoHo. The Festival could not have made a more appropriate choice for its citizen of the year. Much of the world knows Beverly Garland for her role as Fred MacMurray's wife in the long-running television series ``My Three Sons,'' and as Kate Jackson's mother in ``The Scarecrow and Mrs. King.'' That was then. Today she continues to lead a very busy life as a television actress. Her recent movies for TV include ``Finding the Way Home'' with George C. Scott and ``The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid,'' with Donna Mills. She has also appeared as a guest star on ``Friends,'' ``Ellen'' and ``Diagnosis Murder,'' and recently became ``engaged'' to Grandpa Charles on the popular weekly series ``7th Heaven. With more than 200 television and film roles to her credit, it comes as no surprise that Ms. Garland has received a star in her name on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. Those of us who live in the east San Fernando Valley also know Ms. Garland for her business skills and civic involvement. She and her family own and operate Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn on Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood, a 258-room hotel that recently teamed with Holiday Inn Worldwide. The hotel is not only popular with visitors to the area, but is a central location for community meetings, chamber of commerce events and other important local activities. Ms. Garland has not at all been hesitant to use her skills as a public speaker to promote the area. She holds the position of Honorary Mayor of North Hollywood and lends her presence at many public functions. She has also served on the California Tourism Corporation Board of Directors and is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Bureau. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Beverly Garland, whose devotion to her community, commitment to the arts and dedication to her craft are an inspiration to us all. She has contributed greatly to the rise of NoHo and its emergence as one of the ``hot spots'' of Los Angeles.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my friends, Elaine and David Gill, who are being honored this year by The Brandeis-Bardin Institute. The Brandeis-Bardin Institute opened in 1947; Elaine and David began their involvement in the mid-1950s, when they were students at UCLA. More than 40 years later, the Gills remain devoted to Brandeis-Bardin. They have done much during that time to help Brandeis- Bardin in its quest to build a strong Jewish community for the present and the future. The Gills' ties to Brandeis-Bardin are social, professional, and familial. In 1959, the year before they were married, Elaine and David worked at the Institute as head counselors. Elaine has subsequently served as a member of the Board, chair of the Women of Brandeis-Bardin, and co-chair of the Brandeis-Bardin Associates. David is currently a member of the Board and the Executive Committee. The Gill children have in this case emulated their parents. Elaine and David have four sons; two of them, Michael and Larry, married women they met at Brandeis-Bardin's Camp Alonim. During a 23-year span, at least one and sometimes all four of Elaine and David's sons (the others are Daniel and Lawrence) were involved as campers or camp directors at Alonim. In addition, Larry currently serves on the Board of Directors. I don't know of any husband/wife team more active in promoting Jewish causes and Judaism than the Gills. David has for many years served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Jewish Federation and is active in United Jewish Fund. He also served as Los Angeles Chair of the United Jewish Appeal's Young Leadership Cabinet. Elaine was chair of the Young Women's Division of the Federation, a member of the Board of Jewish Family Services, and is now a museum docent at Skirball Cultural Center. Elaine and David have together led many missions to Israel. Both of them are active at Valley Beth Shalom, where they served as pararabbinic counselors and assisted in creating its Havurah program. Elaine is currently Vice President of Religion at Valley Beth Shalom. This extraordinary partnership also includes a passion for music. Elaine and David have each been vocal accompanists for musical performances at Brandeis-Bardin. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Elaine and David Gill, whose selflessness and devotion to our community is inspiring. I am proud to be their friend.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Thelma Barrios, who this year is receiving the 3rd annual Chief Dominick J. Rivetti Award from the San Fernando Police Advisory Council. Thelma is editor and publisher of the San Fernando Sun, a weekly publication that serves San Fernando and the surrounding area. In an age of media conglomerates, and 24-hour news channels, the Sun is an excellent reminder of the value of a good community newspaper. Thelma works hard to make sure that local politics, community news and interesting activities involving Northeast Valley residents receive extensive coverage in the pages of her newspaper. Over the years I have found the Sun a pleasure to read. Thelma's accomplishments are all the more remarkable considering the trajectory of her career. She started working at the Sun nearly 40 years ago as a bill collector, answering an ad that asked ``for a man to do collections.'' That minor detail didn't deter Thelma, who went in and applied for the job anyway. The owner of the Sun, L.A. Copeland, offered Thelma the job, telling her that results were more important than whether he hired a man or a woman. Thelma flourished at the paper. She went from bill collector, to telephone operator, to member of the classified advertising department and, finally, editor and publisher. It was a perfect match. Thelma works tremendously hard putting out the Sun each week. At the same time, she is never too busy to take another press release or listen to another story idea. Though it's hard to believe, Thelma is not a San Fernando native. Along with her family, she came to California from Ohio in the early 1940s. Not long after the move, she met her future husband, Joseph Barrios, when the two of them worked together at a movie theater near downtown Los Angeles. Thelma and her husband, who passed away a few years ago, made the move to San Fernando soon after the end of World War II. The Barrios family has strong ties to the city; Joe was a member of the San Fernando Police Force for 32 years. Thelma has won two separate national journalism contests sponsored by the University of Missouri, and is the recipient of several awards from the Valley Press Club. The Dominick J. Rivetti Award, named in honor of my dear friend and the Chief of Police in San Fernando, recognizes Thelma's extraordinary contributions to the city. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Thelma Barrios, whose dedication to her craft and devotion to her community inspire us all.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to may dear friend, Frankye Schneider, who this year is being honored by the 40th Assembly District of the Democratic party. For more than two decades, Frankye held the position of senior deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Ed Edelman. Frankye has always considered it an honor to work in politics. She cherished the opportunity to use the resources and power of government to help individual citizens. Frankye was the perfect model of a professional and compassionate staff person. She was never too busy to listen to the concerns of another resident, and to speak out on behalf of a homeowners' association, chamber of commerce or non-profit agency. Although districts in Los Angeles County contain more people than many states, it somehow seemed as if everyone was on a first-name basis with Frankye. It would be impossible in such a short space to mention each and every contribution Frankye made to our community during the time she worked for Supervisor Edelman. The list of people and organizations that benefitted from her efforts is truly myriad. Frankye had an extremely wide range of interests, including the arts, the environment, education, mental health and juvenile justice. She is a lifetime member of the PTA, immediate past president of the San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center, and a former Board Member of New Directions for Youth and the United Way. After she left the staff of Supervisor Edelman, Frankye worked for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Frankye has a deep and abiding interest in the fortunes of the Democratic Party. She was a founding member and the first chair of the Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley, and she has represented the 40th Assembly District at California Democratic party conventions for many years. Frankye also did extensive volunteer work for George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign and Tom Bradley's 1973 campaign for mayor of Los Angeles. Frankye doesn't know the meaning of the word ``retirement.'' She continues to stay active in the community and with a variety of organizations. She also spends as much time as she can with her three children and four grandchildren. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Frankye Schneider, who has devoted much of her life to bettering the lives of others. Her dedication and selflessness inspire us all.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to John Chiang, a dear friend who this year is the recipient of the Legislator of the Year Award from the San Fernando Valley Democratic Party. While I am naturally delighted that John has been selected to receive this prestigious award, I can't say I'm surprised. John is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful and generous people I have ever had the pleasure to know. His wide circle of friends and admirers can attest to his easygoing charm and strong feelings of empathy. The explanation for John's success in politics is simple; he works very hard, and he is true to himself. People who meet John invariably want to become part of his team. John's award from the San Fernando Valley Democratic Party is even more impressive when you consider that he was first elected to office only six months ago. In 1997, he was named Acting Member of the California State Board of Equalization. He replaced Brad Sherman, who was elected to Congress. John immersed himself in the difficult and politically unpopular job of administering tax policy in California. It says a lot about John that his popularity has actually increased as he has served in this particular post. In 1998, John ran for election to a four-year term on the Board. He won handily in a difficult primary, and then followed that with a smashing victory in the general election. John is now widely regarded as someone with a very bright future in politics. John is a dedicated public servant, who has become involved with many distinguished organizations and causes. He is a Board Member of Los Angeles Nonprofit Planning Council, an Advisory Council Member of Big Sisters of Los Angeles, and a volunteer attorney for the Los Angeles County Bar Association Hospice AIDS Project. John's many awards for community service include the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Community Service Award and the State Bar of California Board of Governors Pro Bono Service Award. In the past few months, I have been tremendously impressed by the strength of John, his brothers Robert and Roger, and his mother, Judy, in coping with the loss of their beloved sister and daughter, Joyce. Joyce served as an intern in my San Fernando Valley office, and was a member of my Washington staff from 1992-95. I know how much John and the rest of the Chiang family miss Joyce, who was a very special young woman. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting John Chiang, whose selflessness and compassion inspire us all. I am proud to be his friend.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute my dear friend, Al Mann, who is being honored this year at a gala event hosted by the San Fernando Economic Alliance. Al is, to put it succinctly, one of the most extraordinary men I know. The story of his life and business ventures is one that epitomizes not only the spirit of a true entrepreneur, but a true humanitarian. Al is a veritable one-man industry in the field of medical devices. His numerous and highly successful companies have included Siemens- Pacesetter, Inc., which manufactures cardiac pacemakers; Advanced Bionics Corporation, which is developing cochlear stimulation systems to restore hearing for the profoundly deaf; and MiniMed Inc., which develops, manufactures, and markets drug delivery devices including microinfusion pumps for treatment for various medical conditions. Literally millions of people around the world lead lives that have been immeasurably improved by one of Al's products. He never, however, rests on his laurels. He is always thinking ahead, striving for another breakthrough in the ever-changing field of medical devices, combining his amazing creativity with his keen business acumen. Al is very much at home in a field filled with brilliant entrepreneurs. Al's business career spans more than four decades. Long before anyone coined the term ``high-tech'', Al was involved with companies that fit that definition. In 1956, he started Spectrolab, an electro-optical and aerospace systems company, and four years later he launched Heliotek, a semiconductor and electro-optical components manufacturer. In 1972, he started Siemens-Pacesetter, which was his first foray into the medical device industry. In addition to the aforementioned companies, Al is Chairman of Second Sight LLC, which is in the process of developing a visual prosthesis for the blind. Al is the quintessential civic-minded businessman, whose efforts to strengthen the biomedical industry in Southern California have received widespread praise. A few years ago Al made an extraordinarily generous donation from his personal funds to both USC and UCLA for the establishment of a Biomedical Engineering Institute at each of those universities. The institutes are part of the Al Mann Foundation, which was founded in 1986, and is devoted to the development of advanced medical devices in a variety of fields. In yet another compartment of his remarkable life, Al has built three large projects under federal program supplying rent subsidized housing for the poor. His developments, in Granada Hills, Tustin and Huntington Beach, are model examples of low income housing. He has also developed tracts of ultra-expensive lots and built custom homes worth millions. Al Mann is a true Renaissance Man. He is an engineer, an accomplished musician and a learned religious scholar conversant in art, music, literature, philosophy and almost any other topic. He is a tenacious and perfectionist workaholic, who pursues his business and humanitarian quests with boundless energy. I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Al Mann. The dedication, integrity, hard work and commitment that he brings to every endeavor and his impressive record of service to mankind embody the ideals of excellence. I am very proud to be his friend.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast a vote on final passage of H.R. 1664 due to a family emergency. However, had I been present I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I was unable to cast a vote on the Coburn amendment to H.R. 1664 due to a family emergency. However, had I been present I would have voted ``no.'' announcement by the chairman pro tempore

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I was unable to cast a vote on the Obey amendment to H.R. 1664 due to a family emergency. However, had I been present I would have voted ``aye.''