Marion Berry

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend, business associate, mentor, and father-in-law, Mr. Robert Mitchell Lowe. Mr. Bob, as he was known in his home town of Gillett, AR, was born, raised, and lived the life of a gentleman by any and all definitions. He was a superb father and incomparable grandfather, caring and adoring husband. He defined southern gentleman. He taught by example, he loved unselfishly, and he was never envious of others. He loved his family unconditionally, just because they were his. His great joy in life was doing for his family, especially his grandchildren. He established a place in Gillett, AR that will be known to his family forever as ``home.'' A safe haven, where you are always welcome, loved, cared for and safe. I took care of Mr. Bob's business for almost thirty-five years, and made some monumental mistakes, but he never once criticized me or offered a critical word. His great love for his church, farm, friends and neighbors is what makes rural America the great place it is. He was never boastful, proud, rude, or self-seeking. He was not easily angered, kept no record of wrongs, always protected, trusted, hoped, and persevered. He was happiest on festive occasions, with holiday meals and a lap full of adoring grandchildren. He ended all his visits with his grandchildren with ``grand daddy loves you'' and none ever doubted that he did. If as some say, that your children are a true measure of a man, then Mr. Bob was very successful. His daughters Carolyn and Martha and grandchildren Ann, Rebecca, Mitchell and Catherine would make any man proud, and are a true legacy. The world is a better place for his having lived. All who knew him are enriched by his kind ways and charm. I was privileged to have been associated with Mr. Bob.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a wonderful couple, The Powells. Richard and Irma Powell are classic examples of the ``Greatest Generation''. They work hard, play by the rules, and achieve success doing so. They defined responsibility, honesty, thrift, and fair dealings. Their devotion to their family and church is extraordinary. Both Richard and Irma Powell were born, raised and spent their entire lives in Stanley Point, Arkansas. They raised a large family of children that carry on the values that make the Powells so special. After the loss of Richard some years ago it took years for Sunday to be the same with his absence from the front row. His occasional impromptu statements to the congregation were profound and memorable. There was never any doubt of his sincerity of commitment. Mr. Powell was a great student of nature and human nature. The integrity and dedication of the Powells is a living example to all that knew them, especially to institutions like marriage. They were married for 59 years before Mr. Powell passed on. They accept their lot philosophically, and epitomize the vision Thomas Jefferson had in mind when he helped found this great nation. Our community is a better place because of their presence, and they are a bless to us all.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and recognize Fletcher and Sybil Sullards on the occasion of the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. Fletcher and Sybil are mother and father to Karen who they love dearly. The Sullards have actually parented many many children in their years as educators in the public schools in Arkansas. They are ``public servants'' in the true spirit of the words. I think of the Biblical meaning of servanthood when I look at the work of Fletcher and Sybil with the young people they served and the communities across this great state that they became involved. Fletcher and Sybil came to the community I live in, Gillett, in the late 1950's. They were there only a few short years before moving on to serve larger schools and eventually made their home in Searcy, Arkansas. Their time in my community has been an example of the lasting impact for good that teachers make on children and also in setting standards of excellence for the schools they serve. Of the many strengths of this unique couple I think first of their gift of laughter. As teachers, they dealt with a serious subject-- educating children--but it was fun for them. You knew they loved what they were doing because they were and always will be happy people. In my opinion their greatest strength is in their dedication to children as individuals. This makes them truly outstanding. As educators, they knew their students, they liked their students, thus they could challenge, encourage and even reprimand their students. If it takes a village to raise a child, the Sullards are the ingredient every village needs as does every child. I wish continued happiness for this wonderful couple. My state, my community and my family are better for Fletcher and Sybil Sullards.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished couple in my community. Lester and Lois Whiting lived, worked, and raised their family in the Tichnor community and resided there all their days. They were both descendants of pioneer families in south Arkansas County. They were the kind of people that always cared about their neighbors and community, were always ready to do their part for the common good. The Whitings were the kind of people that only wanted a fair chance. They took care of their own business and achieved success in doing this. They brought honor and distinction to their family and community with their quiet service and support. They are of the ``Greatest Generation'' that worked hard, played by the rules, and made this country what it is today. If as some say, your children are the true measure of your success, then the Whitings are indeed successful. I have been privileged to have lived among wonderful people like the Whitings all of my life. The world is a better place because they lived. I have been blessed to have had such friends.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great Arkansan and great American. He is my wonderful brother Russell (Rusty) Berry. Rusty was the last of four children born to Eleanor and Lloyd Berry in the Bayou Meto community of Arkansas County, Arkansas. They would be filled with pride to see him today, successful and responsible. Since he was ten years younger than his siblings the opportunity to be spoiled was great. He managed to overcome the influence of his siblings to become an accomplished attorney and stepfather. The loss of both parents before he finished high school presented a situation that could have been quite negative, but because of strong character passed on to him from our wonderful parents, he managed to successfully negotiate the treacherous waters of the seventies. As a country lawyer he continues to serve all the people with great skill and not just the ones that can pay. He is a credit to his profession, community, and family. He is one of the Berry Brothers. This means that he is always there when needed and never questions the need. It also means he has shared many pleasurable days in the field or woods with these same brothers. He is admired and loved by his nieces and nephews along with his step children. Uncle Rusty being around always brings excitement and anticipation for the children. He is a part of a vanishing group that came from the Bayou Meto-One Horse Store community where being neighbors and helping each other was a way of life. The world is a better place for his having been here, and we are all richer because he is part of our family. I am proud to call him my brother, and think of him with great love and affection.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Morella is a Member I have great respect for because of her bipartisanship. I appreciate the efforts made in the H.R. 209, the Technology Transfer Commercialization Act of 1999, to ensure members of the public benefit from inventions created by the federal government. However, I am concerned that this bill could lead to consumers having to pay more for prescription drugs as a result of there not being adequate notification or time to raise public objections concerning the government granting a company the exclusive right to manufacture a prescription drug developed by federal researchers. I look forward to working with members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to ensure that any legislation eventually enacted works to the benefit of the public and businesses, alike.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Davidson, affectionally known as ``Bull'' in Stuttgart, Arkansas on Saturday, May 2. Everyone who follows Arkansas State University football is familiar with this personable and talented man but I'd like to take this opportunity to enlighten my colleagues about this gentleman who will always be regarded as one of the greatest coaches ASU has ever had. Bill was originally from Manila, AR but had lived for many years in Jonesboro, AR, home of Arkansas State University. His involvement with ASU began in 1953 when he was a center-linebacker on the football team and continued when named the offensive coordinator in 1963 for then head coach Bennie Ellender. In addition to being the offensive coordinator, Bill also served as the offensive line coach. He was one of the primary reasons ASU when undefeated in 1970 and were named National Champs for their division. When Coach Ellender left for Tulane University in 1971, Coach Davidson was placed at the helm. The first few years of Bill's tenure were somewhat lean, but the 1973 team finished 8-3 and portended future success. This success was realized in 1975 with an undefeated season and 16 players from that team signing pro contracts. It is considered by many ASU fans as the greatest ASU football team in the school's history. Unfortunately for ASU, in 1979 Bill gave up the head coaching reins primarily due to a severe problem back which had plagued him for some time. He then became an associate athletic director until his retirement in 1990. Bill was twice named Southland Conference Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Arkansas State University Hall of Honor in 1984. I know there are college head coaches that have had more on field success than Coach Davidson, though his 51-31-1 record during his tenure is very respectable, however, I doubt any would surpass his ability to motivate and inspire his players. This was achieved in a number of ways and that is the mark of a great football coach, not just being proficient with X's and O's but discerning the team's personality and adapting their style of coaching to it. It would also be difficult to find a coach who was more beloved by his players. Often ending a tough practice with all the players gathered around him, Bill would tell a joke or two and send everyone to the showers with a smile on their faces. His stories about other players he played with or coached were also in great demand and guaranteed to break-up any listener. It was this wit and humor that enabled Coach Davidson to be a very effective recruiter of top high school football players throughout the country. The people of Northeast Arkansas and ASU in particular will miss ``Bull'' Davidson but his legacy will be the young men in whom he instilled many of life's valuable lessons: physical and mental toughness, perseverance, dedication, and perhaps the most important of all, not making excuses for any failure that might befall them. Bill is survived by his wife Donna and his daughter Sharon to whom I send my most sincere condolences.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support our troops and to express my complete disgust at the process forced on the House of Representatives by the Republican majority. Today I am faced with a choice. I want to do two things: support our men and women who are in harm's way in Kosovo, and protect the money in the Social Security Trust Fund. Unfortunately, the Republicans have decided that Social Security is not particularly important, and they used the Trust Fund to more than double what the Department of Defense needs to fully fund the military operations in Kosovo. Republicans are willing to rob the Trust Fund to increase the defense budget out of year 2003. I have to ask: how is building a depot in Germany two or three years from now an emergency? We have an appropriations process. We have budget agreements. It was just three weeks ago that we passed the Republican budget plan that set caps on military spending. The budget sets limit on agriculture spending, education spending, and every other kind of federal spending. Today we are seeing the Republicans bypassing their own budget constraints and undermining the whole process. Six weeks ago we passed the much needed supplemental spending bill that had money in it to help our farmers get loans they desperately need to begin planting. The situation facing farmers is truly an emergency, and yet the House Republicans decided that the agriculture funding had to be off-set with spending cuts. Six whole weeks have gone by since then and nothing has happpened--no money for farmers, no meetings to get the legislation ready for the President's signature, no apparent concern for American farmers. It is shameful that the Republicans would let our hard-working farmers twist in the wind while we have these petty fights. But now we see these same Republicans stealing from the Trust Fund to spend on pork projects that the Department of Defense has not asked for. Let me say again, it is a hard choice the Republican majority is forcing on me today. So, while I have no reluctance in supporting our troops, I am only reluctantly voting for this supplemental spending bill.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Madam Speaker, I would like to speak this evening about the Prescription Drug Fairness Act for Seniors. This legislation will help the problem that our Nation's seniors have had to deal with for years, and that is the outrageous prices of prescription drugs in this country. The district that I represent has the highest number of senior citizens that live only on Social Security of any district in the country. When I hold meetings in the First Congressional District of Arkansas, I hear about two issues, and that is the agriculture crisis and the high cost of prescription drugs, especially for seniors. I also get letters from Arkansas seniors who tell me every day that they cannot afford to pay for all their needs; specifically, all their medicine and all their food. I also get letters from Arkansas seniors who tell me that their drug bills are massive. Seniors are not following their doctors' orders. Some of them have been given prescriptions which they cannot afford to fill. Others have filled prescriptions which they cannot afford to take as directed. Because they cannot pay the rent, pay the electrical bills, buy food and take very expensive prescription drugs, they either stop taking them or they take less than is prescribed by their doctor. They are doing things that in the long run are harmful to their health. I find it amazing that we tell our seniors that they can live longer if they take this pill or that pill but then if they cannot afford the medication that keeps them alive we do not do anything about it. The Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act of 1999 is a chance for us to do something about it. It is a chance to step forward and show our seniors that we care about their well-being. Madam Speaker, this legislation allows seniors, Medicare beneficiaries, to purchase prescription drugs at reduced prices. It allows pharmacies to purchase prescription drugs at the best price available to the Federal Government. It is estimated to reduce prescription drug prices for seniors by over 40 percent. The average American under 65 takes only four prescriptions a year. The average senior citizen over 65 takes an average of 14 prescriptions a year. Our seniors suffer from more than one chronic condition: hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, glaucoma, circulatory problems, and many others. Medicare beneficiaries spend over $700 per year on average for prescription drugs and many seniors spend much more than that, some as much as $700 a month. Are the pharmaceutical companies hurting for profits? Certainly not. They are the most profitable businesses in existence. Last year they had a net profit of $24.5 billion, or 17 percent of their revenues. Certainly we have no objection to the drug companies being profitable, and hope they continue doing so. Here is a letter that a senior in my district sent to me about this very problem. She said, ``I want to thank you for introducing a bill to investigate the extreme cost of prescription drugs. As I attempt to control blood pressure, cholesterol, treat a thyroid deficiency, and restless leg syndrome, it costs me over $100 a month. I have had to cut out my arthritis medicine that costs $125 a month that the doctor prescribed, and I have had to return to aspirin, which my doctor insists I should not take with these other medications. ``Please do what you can to get the cost of prescriptions back down to a reasonable level. I have had numerous people tell me that they cannot afford the medicines that are prescribed for them.'' Madam Speaker, sadly enough, this letter is not something that should surprise anyone here, because I am sure that if we talk to most of the constituents in Members' districts, they will tell us they have received similar letters and they have talked to many seniors that have the same problem. What do we do? Do we continue to stand by and allow our seniors to be taken advantage of, robbed, by the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies? Fortunately, we have a bill that has 108 cosponsors that will help those seniors who find themselves choosing between food and medicine. I call on all my colleagues to stand up for our seniors and sign on to this bill. It is a good bill. It is a step in the right direction. It does the right thing as it concerns the senior citizens of this country.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the special order time of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the steelworkers in Northeast Arkansas and all over this country are frustrated, and they are the most productive steelworkers in the world. They have lost faith in their government's promise to uphold its basic trade laws. The steel import figures for March show that imports are once again on the rise. Imports for March are 25 percent higher than the imports in February. Imports from Japan rose 36 percent; from Brazil, 54 percent; from Korea, 11 percent; from Indonesia, 339 percent. Compared to July of 1997, before the crisis began, Japan's imports are up 22 percent; Brazil's are up 25 percent; Korea, 77 percent; Indonesia, 889 percent. Clearly, the steel crisis is not over. Although they continue to assure us that they are negotiating and consulting with these nations, we continue to see higher rates of steel entering this Nation. The President warned Japan Monday to reduce its steel shipments to the United States on a consistent basis or the government will act to block them. The President also said during a news conference that the U.S. would act to keep Japanese steel out of U.S. markets if those imports continued to exceed the levels existing before the Asian economic crisis. How long does this crisis have to go on? Something must be done. We must take action now. Arkansas steelworkers have lost faith in their government because we have failed them by failing to enforce our own trade laws. The administration continues to sit on this problem without offering a substantive and timely remedy. Steelworkers need solid, immediate plans to end the flow of underpriced steel that is flooding our market. We cannot simply solve the world's financial crisis on the backs of the steelworkers of the United States. The time for action is now, as I have already said, strong and decisive action. For the sake of American steelworkers and their families, we must end this import crisis.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, how many times do we have to come to the floor asking for help on behalf of the American farmer? How many more farmers have to go bankrupt before we pass the emergency supplemental? When is the Speaker going to stop holding America's farmers hostage and stop playing politics? This could have been done months ago. The time to act is now. It is the right thing to do. America's farmers deserve to be treated better than this. Let us pass the emergency supplemental.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina, not only for her remarks but for her great leadership as the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Government Operations of the Committee on Agriculture. I now yield to the distinguished gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the great State of Texas. I now yield to our distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton).

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman from North Dakota knows, I am a farmer myself. There is not a more frustrating time than in the springtime when you cannot get in the field. To be in a position where you have the weather to plant but you cannot plant because you have not got a production loan is the most frustrating situation that a farmer can be in. I think that for us to allow them to twist in the wind, not be responsive, not fulfill the obligation that this body has to react and take care of the business of the country is highly irresponsible. As it was just mentioned by our colleague, the gentleman from Texas, it is no wonder that the American people question how responsible the Congress is, because we do things like this.

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman once again and thank him for his leadership and the great wisdom he brings to this body and the always thoughtful suggestions and effort that he makes. I would like now to read a statement from our colleague, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Minge). He says: ``I rise today to highlight the long delay in passing the emergency supplemental funding for the Farm Service Agency lending programs and FSA staffing budget. ``This is truly an emergency in every sense of the word. Tracy Beckman, FSA Director in the State of Minnesota, has told me that he will be forced to lay off FSA employees because of the delay in passing the emergency supplemental. The demand for loans and other FSA services is skyrocketing because of the commercial banks' concern about declining farm incomes. Many producers are having a difficult time securing private sector operating loans. FSA has to step in to fill the gap with guaranteed and direct loans to producers. Demands for loans this year is up 75 percent from a year ago, the Secretary of Agriculture tells me. ``Minnesota FSA will approve more loan applications by the end of the fiscal year than they have funding. If this supplemental is not approved, they will be unable to deliver the funds to the farmers because their accounts can have run dry. Planting season has arrived, and those farmers without operating loans are going to be left high and dry. ``Mr. Speaker, now is the time to approve these truly emergency funds. We must not delay action on this matter because of disputes between Congress and the White House on other matters. The supplemental bill threatens to be bogged down with millions of nonemergency spending, and I worry that this may sink the ship. ``The President requested $6 billion to fund the air campaign against Yugoslavia. Some on the other side of the aisle want to pass as much as $20 billion. The Senate majority leader suggested $10 or $11 billion. I do not understand how funds the administration has not even requested could be remotely considered emergency spending. We must remember these are Social Security funds that we are spending. If we are going to continue to claim to be fiscally responsible, we must be honest with ourselves about what is emergency funding and what is desirable funding. Whatever happened to not opening the Social Security lock box unless it is an absolute emergency? ``I propose that we develop and pass in the shortest possible time frame a freestanding emergency agriculture spending bill to provide critical guaranteed and direct operating loans that our farmers need to get into the field and the FSA staff to deliver these programs. These are truly emergency funding needs. We must move forward with a clean bill for agriculture now, and not hold hostage these funds for America's farmers in a raid on the Social Security Trust Fund to benefit nonemergency defense spending.'' That is the statement from our distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. David Minge), and I know that he has great concern for America's farmers and for the future of American agriculture. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would just once again make the plea to the Speaker to let this legislation move forward and treat America's farmers fairly. America's farmers are very resilient. They have great capacity for hard work to overcome obstacles and to achieve greatness. There has never been a producer of anything in this world that is as successful as the American farmer. They have done such an outstanding job that we take them for granted. They are the golden goose of America's economy and we should be very careful how we take care of it. In conclusion, I would also want to thank Secretary Dan Glickman at the Department of Agriculture for the great job he has done in every possible way to deal with this emergency situation and, at the same time, make available as many funds as he can to serve this program. I think it is a shameful thing that we have allowed partisan politics to bring us to this point, and I urge the Speaker to allow this legislation to move forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman). Military and Diplomatic Options With Regard to Yugoslavia

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, it is springtime in America. Normally that means that there is great optimism, great excitement, particularly among our agriculture community. Our farmers know that now is the time to put the seed in the ground and prepare for the fall's harvest, to prepare to feed this country and a good portion of the rest of the world. But, regrettably, it is a sad time in the farm community this year. Prices are low. We just had terrible disasters last year. We had a bad crop. The agriculture income is down some 28 percent. As I traveled the First Congressional District that I am privileged to represent over the last few weeks to see the distress, the discouragement, the despair that exists in our agriculture community today, it is a terrible thing. I rise today to once again ask the Speaker to move our agriculture emergency supplemental appropriations bill and provide the emergency loan money that this House and the Senate have both approved. It is absolutely unbelievable that the Speaker and the Republican leadership would hold America's farmers hostage as they are doing now. It is shameful. Our farmers are good, honest, hardworking people. They had a farm bill forced upon them in 1996 that they knew was going to be a disaster, and it has been. The administration, as my distinguished colleague from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) just mentioned, made a great step forward yesterday by lifting sanctions on some of our markets, and that is going to be very helpful. But you do not get but one chance a year to make a crop, and if our farmers are not provided loans and those loans are not provided almost immediately, within the next few weeks, they will not get a chance to make a crop this year. Many of them have already missed that opportunity. You cannot wait until the middle of the summer to plant a crop. It will be too late. You have to plant it in April and May. It is time for our farmers to put the seed in the ground. It is time for our Speaker and the Republican leadership to let this emergency supplemental bill be conferenced and give our farmers an even break. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture, a great friend of America's farmers and a great leader for America and for agriculture, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm).

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Dakota, and yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm).

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from North Dakota, and I appreciate the comments he just made. Certainly all of us that represent major agriculture-producing areas are mystified by the actions of the Speaker and the Republican leaders on this matter, and hopefully very soon this will be resolved. It is so irresponsible for us to leave America's farmers twisting in the wind while we play partisan politics.

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from the distinguished Member from the State of Michigan.

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Indiana for his comments in support of America's farmers and his leadership in this area.

Mr. BERRY. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I am thankful that today, by an overwhelming majority of 422 to 1, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1554, the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1999, which I supported. This legislation ensures that many of my constituents will continue to receive television network programing. The bill extends for five years compulsory licenses, which require superstations and distant broadcast stations to allow their signal to be retransmitted by satellite carriers. In order to promote competition, the bill sets specific prices at which the intellectual property owners, or broadcasters, will be paid for having their signal rebroadcasted. It is ironic that even as we vote to allow compulsory licensing today, we are interfering in another country's attempt to address a public health crisis through giving consumers access to international markets and through the use of compulsory licensing. It is estimated 3.2 million South Africans are HIV positive, including 45 percent of its military. One in five South African pregnant women test positive for HIV. Access to affordable medicine is also a critical issue for the elderly and others suffering from chronic diseases and medical conditions. Prescription drugs are not currently an option for many patients in South Africa, where the drugs often cost more than they do in the United States. The 1997 per capita income in South Africa was estimated to be only $6,200 annually. To address the problem, President Mandela and the South African Government enacted a law in 1997 to reform the country's prescription drug marketplace. The law amends the South African Medicines Act to allow prescription drugs to be purchased in the international marketplace where prices are lower. It would also allow compulsory licensing in some cases. Regulations implementing the law have not been implemented while the law is being constitutionally challenged in South African courts by drug makers in their country. However, the pharmaceutical industry has persuaded the United States government to work to have the South African law repealed. In February, the United States Department of State released a report titled, U.S. Government Efforts to Negotiate the Repeal, Termination or Withdrawal of Article 15(c) of the South African Medicines and Related Substances Act of 1965. While special interest groups have tried to convince members of Congress and the administration that implementation of the South African Medicines Act would cause violations of international intellectual property rights agreements, I have seen no evidence that such violations are likely to occur. Compulsory licensing is not an assault on intellectual property rights. Instead, it is part of the copyright and patent systems which enable the interest of the public to be served. Compulsory licensing is permitted under Article 31 of the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In fact, French law authorizes compulsory licensing when medicines are ``only available to the public in insufficient quantity or quality or at abnormally high prices.'' Today, the House of Representatives wisely exercised its power to continue the use of compulsory licensing in the broadcast industry to allow consumers to have access to broadcast signals, that in many instances they would otherwise be unable to receive. Certainly, the United States government should recognize the need of a government to allow its citizens to have access to needed medicine in order to address a public health crisis and should not interfere with the situation in South Africa.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Mississippi Valley National Historical Park Act of 1999. This legislation will establish a Historical Park on the former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas. The former Eaker Air Force Base, which is located just outside of Blytheville in the Mississippi Valley region, is the site of 14 archaeological sites associated with Native Americans. The central and lower Mississippi Valley region contained the highest population levels and the most complex Native American societies north of Mexico before the arrival of European peoples in the 16th century. It has also hosted Spanish, French, English, and ultimately American societies at different times in the last 450 years. Because of its value in illustrating and interpreting the heritage of the United States, these sites have been recognized by the National Park Service in numerous ways, such as designation as being placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and as a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Archaeological sites such as these benefit, educate, and inspire present and future generations of Americans, but no unified heritage park for the central Mississippi Valley region exists within the National Park Service. This legislation will protect the archaeological sites located on the former Eaker Air Force Base, and preserve, maintain, and interpret the natural, seismic, cultural, and recreational heritage of the central Mississippi Valley region.

Mr. BERRY

Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) for the opportunity to participate in this effort. Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of an occasion that actually happened to me. I had been from a farm to town to get some supplies, and I was on my way back. One of my neighbors was out in his field, and he was walking back toward the road. He waved me down. Out in the country, when someone waves at you, well, you generally stop and at least say hello. I was concerned that he might need a ride someplace or need to see me about something. So I stopped. He walked over to my truck, and he said, ``I just wanted to check.'' He said, ``Do I look like an idiot?'' I said ``Well, sir, you are not. You are a distinguished-looking fellow and certainly do not look strange in any way.'' He said, ``Well, I just wanted to check.'' He said, ``It seems like everybody that comes down this road today wants to take advantage of me.'' That is kind of the way I view this budget. The Congress this week passed perhaps the most irresponsible budget resolution this country has ever seen. The Republican leadership's budget does nothing to solve our Nation's most pressing need, the solvency of the Medicare trust fund. The Republican leadership's budget does nothing to pay down our national debt. Instead, it devotes any future surpluses that are estimated, and they are projected at close to $800 billion and this is money we do not have, to a tax cut without making any corresponding spending cuts. I am in favor of cutting taxes, particularly for small business owners. But to ignore this country's $5.3 trillion national debt, to ignore this country's future Medicare needs is just plain wrong. To make these assumptions that we are going to have this great wealth to spend out here and be irresponsible about it, like we were back in the 1980s, and to run the risk of incurring yet more debt and to not at the very least have a protection mechanism in there where these tax cuts do not take place where this money does not exist is irresponsible. The American people expect us to come up with a realistic fiscal plan for this country. Let us shelve this unworkable, unrealistic budget resolution and get to work on real budget. Again I am reminded of a story that actually happened. For 30 years, I ate breakfast in the same cafe every morning before I went to my farm with the same group of people. One of the fellows I usually ate with, and he is no longer with us, but he would come back in that cafe late in the afternoon, and he would have taken his ballpoint pen, and he would have figured on his pants leg, in the fall of the year, his combine would make the first round around the field, and he would estimate how much his yield was going to be and how much he was going to get for it. He would figure up right there on his pants leg how much money he was going to have. Sometimes he would go to town and spend quite a bit of that. Then the harvest would not turn out quite as good as he expected, and the price maybe would deteriorate, and he would end up in trouble. The next morning, when he would come back to the cafe, he would have washed those pants, and his money would have all disappeared. I am afraid, if we take this budget with all these projected surpluses that we do not really have, it will happen to this country like it happened to my friend. We will wash our pants, and all the money will be gone. So I urge this body to be more conscious of what a workable and realistic budget resolution should be and to do our best to work toward that goal.