Henry Bonilla

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Everett).

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. The gentleman is correct. The naming of this program did cause confusion, but it is clear that this is a continuation of the program that the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittee has funded for the past 3 years. The Tri-State Initiative conducts important commodity research in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia; and I would be happy to work with the gentleman to restore funding for this program in conference.

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Earlier, Mr. Chairman, I recognized the fine work that the subcommittee staff has done. I would now like to single out a young man in my office, Walt Smith, a fine young man from Hillsboro, Texas, that is known to all agriculture interests and groups around the country, who worked side by side with the subcommittee staff to put this bill together. We wanted to acknowledge the good work that he does as well. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham), the distinguished vice chairman of the subcommittee.

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am very proud to present the agriculture appropriation bill to the full House tonight. It is a bill that we are proud of. It is a product of a bipartisan effort that we have had on our subcommittee and our full committee. The subcommittee that produces this bill has a history of working in a bipartisan way and always trying to include the input of every member of the subcommittee on an annual basis. This is a subcommittee that had to entertain over 2,100 individual requests for items to be included in this bill, and we did the best we could. This year, we had an unusual constraint, and that is a tighter budget, a more fiscally responsible budget that has forced us to appropriately present a bill that is $67 million less than it was last year. And I might point out that the bill we did last year was below the previous year as well. So fiscal conservatives should be proud of this product as well, and those who support agriculture issues in this country should be proud. Agriculture research, Food and Drug Administration, there are so many parts to this bill that affect so many people in this country. This bill, of course, also funds the Food Stamp program, the Women, Infants and Children program, we fund Food Safety, and the list goes on and on. We have a very good subcommittee, and I mention them on a regular basis, but I would like to take the opportunity tonight to mention some of the people behind the scenes that do the grunt work day in and day out, oftentimes when Members of Congress are back in their congressional districts meeting with constituents and spending time with family. They are the ones back here going through every line item and looking for every opportunity to make this bill a good bill, which is what we are presenting here this evening. Martha Foley, of the minority staff, is someone we work with in good faith, and she does a great job for us every day; Maureen Holohan, Leslie Barrack, and Joanne Perdue of the majority staff. We also had two detailees helping us this year, Tom O'Brien and Mike Gregoire. And then, of course, I would like to single out the clerk, Martin Delgado, who is clerking for the first time for this subcommittee and doing an outstanding job. Mr. Chairman, the Subcommittee began work on this bill with the submission of the President's Budget on February 2nd. We had ten public hearings beginning on February 25th, and we completed our hearings on March 25th. The transcripts of these hearings, the Administration's official statements, the detailed budget requests, several thousand questions for the record, and the statements of Members and the public are contained in eight hearing volumes that are all printed. The Subcommittee and Full Committee marked up the bill on June 14th and June 23rd, respectively. I can confirm to you that the interest in this bill is completely bipartisan. However, I would point out that my own support for a member's needs independent on that member's support of the Committee in general, and of this bill in particular. Mr. Chairman, you may hear a lot of talk today about funding items that are not in this bill, or accounts that may be a little short, but I can assure you and the members of this body that given the allocation we had, that this is a fair, and fiscally-responsible bill. This bill has increases over fiscal year 2004 in some cases, or over the budget request in others, for programs that have always enjoyed strong bipartisan support. Those increases include: Agricultural Research Service, $69 million above the request; Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, $92 million above last year, but $20 million below the request; Food Safety and Inspection Service, $45 million above last year; Farm Service Agency, $25 million above last year; Natural Resources Conservation Service, $34 million below last year, but $84 million above the request; Rural Community Advancement Program, $86 million below last year, but $125 million above the request; For the Women, Infants, and Children program the bill is $295 million above last year, and $120 million above the request; Food and Drug Administration, $84 million over last year, and $32 million below the request. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, we refer to this bill as the agriculture bill, but it goes farther than assisting basic agriculture. It also supports rural and economic development, human nutrition, agricultural exports, land conservation, as well as food, drug, and medical safety. This bill will deliver benefits to every one of your constituents every day, no matter what kind of district you represent. I would say to all Members that they can support this bill and tell all of their constituents that they voted to improve their lives while maintaining fiscal responsibility. The bill is a bipartisan product with a lot of hard work and input from both sides of the aisle. I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young), and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), who serve as the distinguished chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations. I would also like to thank all my subcommittee colleagues: the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh); the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston); the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt); the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham); the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson); the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goode); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood); the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro); the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey); the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr); and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd). I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee, for all her good work on this bill this year and the years in the past. Mr. Chairman, I am submitting for the Record at this point tabular material relating to the bill. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.003 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.004 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.005 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.006 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.007 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.008 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH12JY04.009 Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BONILLA. The gentleman from Iowa has been a champion of the renewable energy program, and I think all of his constituents back home clearly understand that. I agree with the gentleman from Iowa, and I have appreciated his input on this subject as we have been putting this bill together. As we have discussed, this year has been a difficult one in terms of funding decisions we have had to make.

Mr. BONILLA. If the gentleman will yield further, the gentleman has my assurances that I will work with him and do everything I can to increase the renewable energy program funding level in conference. Again, I congratulate the gentleman for his stout work on this issue day in and day out.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill (H.R. 4766) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes, and that I may include tabular and other extraneous material.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask to enter the following tribute recognizing President and Mrs. Reagan's involvement in the war on drugs into the Congressional Record. A Tribute: President & Mrs. Ronald Reagan's Leadership in the War on Drugs We, representing countless parents. community volunteers, civic leaders, business leaders, physicians, teachers, church leaders, policy makers, law enforcement officers, media representatives, and youth from across America, want to express our deepest gratitude to President and Mrs. Reagan for their extraordinary leadership in the battle against drugs and for saving the lives of so many children through drug prevention. Together they encouraged and supported a nationwide effort to reduce the demand for drugs by increasing Americans' knowledge and changing the attitudes and behavior. They inspired us with hope, knowledge, and conviction. The result was a dramatic turn around in illicit drug use in America, and thus lives were saved, health care costs were reduced, crime was reduced, and innovative strategies and scientific research were developed to enhance drug abuse treatment, prevent AIDS, and other drug-related social problems. Our nation and the world owe them a tremendous debt. We recommit ourselves to continuing in this noble fight to protect our children from the nightmare of drugs and to carry forward the message of prevention with hope and optimism. Milestones of the Reagan legacy include: Raising the drinking age throughout the country from 18 to 21. The workplace drug prevention program including federal drug testing and standards. Nancy Reagan's Just Say No campaign that ratified and promoted the Parents' Movement. These programs brought about a dramatic fall in illegal drug abuse throughout the nation after two decades of rising levels with the peak coming in 1978 and the bottom in 1991. President Reagan's leadership was a key in this element in this historic progress. Robert L. DuPont MD, First Director of National Institute on Drug Abuse, President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., Maryland. Joyce Nalepka, Drug Free Kids: America's Challenge, former President of Nancy Reagan's National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth, Silver Springs, Maryland. Edward Jacobs, MD, FAAP, Everett Clinic, Everett, Washington, Theresa Costello, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Daniel Bent, Fair Mediation, Honolulu, Hawaii. Sue Rusche, National Families in Action, Atlanta, Georgia. Eric Voth, M.D. FACP, Chairman, Institute on Global Drug Policy, Topeka, Kansas. Michelle Voth, Kansas Family Partnership, Topeka, Kansas. David Evans, Esq., Drug Free Schools Coalition, Flemington, New Jersey. Calvina Fay, Executive Director, Drug Free America Foundation, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida. Peggy Sapp, National Family Partnership, Miami, Florida. Steven Steiner, DAMMAD, Tioga Center, New York. Steven Steiner, Barton, New York. Rebecca Hobson, Richton, Mississippi. Brenda Truelove, Gainesville, Georgia. Karen Dewease, Petal, Mississippi. Julie Steiner, Barton, New York. Mikki Howard, Austin, Indiana. Martha McWhirter, Lawrence, Mississippi. Susie Dugan, PRIDE Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska. Judy Dinerstein, Naperville, Illinois. Betty Sembler, Chairman, S.O.S.--Save Our Society From Drugs, St. Petersburg, Florida. Grainne Kenny, International President, EURAD (Europe Against Drugs). John English, Springfield, Oregon. Susan Baum, Loyalhanna, Pennsylvania. Frank Richardson, Binghamton, New York. Patsy Parker, Moss Point, Mississippi. Sharon L. Smith, President--MOMSTELL, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Connie Moulton, Committees of Correspondence, Danvers, Massachusetts. Robert Peterson, Esq., Vice President of International Affairs, PRIDE Youth Programs, Fremont, Michigan. Jay DeWispleare, Executive Director, PRIDE Youth Programs, Fremont, Michigan. Lea Cox, Concerned Citizens for Drug Prevention, Norwell, Massachusetts. Jack Gilligan, Global Drug Prevention Network, Peoria, Illinois. Malcolm K. Beyer, Jr., Student Drug-Testing Coalition, Jupiter, Florida. Peter Stoker, Director, National Drug Prevention Alliance, Great Britain. Carla Lowe, Legal Foundation Against Drugs, Sacramento, California. Jim Kester, Austin, Texas. Beverly Barron, Former Executive Director of Texans War on Drugs, Odessa, Texas. Peggy Goble, Great Meadows, New Jersey. Karin Kyles, New Canaan, Connecticut. DeForest Rathbone, Chairman, National Institute of Citizen Anti-drug Policy, Great Falls, Virginia. Mr. & Mrs. Robert Dey (DEA Retired), Georgetown, Texas. Ginger Katz, President of the Courage to Speak Foundation, Connecticut. State Representative Toni Boucher, Assistant Minority Leader District 143, Connecticut. Geraldine Silverman, New Jersey Federation for Drug Free Communities, Short Hills, New Jersey. Wevley William Shea, Anchorage, Alaska. Beverly J. Kinard, President, Christian Drug Education Center, Canon City, Colorado. Judy Kreamer, Educating Voices, Inc., Naperville, Illinois. Becky Vance, Executive Director, Drug Free Business Houston--A division of the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Houston, Texas. Cathey Brown, Rainbow Days, Inc., Dallas, Texas. Lynda Adams, Alaskans For Drug Free Youth, Ketchikan, Alaska. June M. Milam, Former CEO DREAM, Inc., Madison, Mississippi. Joyce Tobias, Parents' Association to Neutralize Drug & Alcohol Abuse (PANDAA), Annandale, Virginia. Judy Cushing, President/C.E.O., Oregon Partnership, Portland, Oregon. Judy Arendsee, Rancho Sante Fe, California. Stephanie Hayes, Former Board Chairman, Texans War on Drugs, Alpine, Texas.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of President Ronald Wilson Reagan. As we mourn this great loss we reflect on the many ways our country is stronger, freer and more prosperous as a result of President Reagan's fearless leadership. A firm believer in lower taxes, sound fiscal policies and reduced regulation, President Reagan launched the boldest economic plan since Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. As a result of his leadership and tenacity, the federal tax code was greatly simplified and taxes were reduced, ushering in the restoration of prosperity. He encouraged people to have confidence in their nation and trust that things really were getting better--a sentiment that economic and social indicators would eventually confirm. In fact, President Reagan's reforms led to the longest period of peacetime growth in U.S. history. President Reagan's leadership also sparked a nation, movement against drugs which resulted in dramatic declines in illicit drug use in America and around the world. President Reagan was committed to reversing the permissive attitudes of the 1960s and 1970s that illegal drug use was glamorous, harmless and victimless. President Reagan inspired and convinced the nation that the drug problem was not hopeless and could be solved. As a result of his leadership, the nation spoke with one voice in denouncing drug sue. Largely due to his efforts, illicit drug use was cut in half and crime, drug related hospital admissions and highway deaths declines. President Reagan restored America's sense of optimism and patriotism. A true believer in the American Dream, he proclaimed America as a place where ``everyone can raise as high and as far as his ability will take him,'' and referred to his own humble beginnings as proof. He taught all Americans and newly liberated people across the globe that hard work and faith in God could result in prosperity and a better outlook for tomorrow. President Reagan will perhaps be most remembered for his efforts to stomp out communism world wide and end the Cold War. President Reagan simply refused to accept Communism's claim to moral superiority. From the beginning of his presidency, Reagan realized that America could not afford passiveness or weakness in the face of Soviet defiance and escalating nuclear threats. President Reagan recognized that peace could only be achieved through strength and diligently worked to restore faith in our military and a sense of American pride in the efforts of our servicemen and women. Efforts to restore our military superiority were coupled with a willingness to dialogue and a sincere desire to negotiate an end to the nuclear arms race. President Reagan was able to negotiate a treaty with the Soviet Union to launch the process of real arms reduction. His efforts eventually led to the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the fall of communism and the end of the Cold War. President Reagan's leadership ushered in a new era of freedom and democracy, not only in the Soviet Union, but throughout the world. President Reagan planted democracy in regions of the world that have never tasted the joys of freedom. He swept up a downtrodden America with little response to or respect for leadership and reenergized their faith in freedom, the Presidency, and our military. President Reagan's vision and convictions brought ALL Americans together, raised our morale and once again made us the proudest citizens in the world. He will be remembered not only in the minds of Americans, but in our hearts as well. Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the March 2, 2004, decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in the case of USTA v. FCC. This decision represents the third consecutive time that many of the FCC's rules for the unbundling of network elements have been judicially reversed. This includes an opinion by the Supreme Court in 1999 in the case of AT&T v. Iowa Utilities Bd. The FCC's attempts to enact unbundling rules continue to be struck down because they fail to apply the Telecommunications Act of 1996's limiting standard. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 required the FCC to establish unbundling rules pursuant to standards that the Congress legislated. The FCC after 8 years has still to carry out its statutory responsibilities. It is my hope that the FCC will revise its rules forthwith, and with due attention to the limiting standard required by law.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, as the Chairman of the appropriations committee that funds the Food and Drug Administration, I feel that I must register my concerns. We have seen user fees for human drugs, animal drugs, and now medical devices. That is fine--companies are paying for a service, and they have been able to invest in FDA to gain efficiency. Mr concern arises over requirements in the user fee legislation for certain levels of appropriations for those programs--usually referred to as ``triggers''. Medical devices is the most extreme example. The authorizing legislation requires tremendous increases in appropriated funding. I would like to submit for the Record a letter that Chairman Young and I sent to Chairman Tauzin last October outlining these concerns. October 21, 2003. Hon. W.J. (Billy) Tauzin, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Tauzin: We are writing to you as our partners in maintaining the viability of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We have a very collegial and positive working relationship with your Committee in its role as authorizers for FDA activities, and we appreciate your diligence in providing critical oversight. However, we write to you today with concerns we have as appropriators with the responsibility for setting annual appropriations levels for the FDA. We see a trend occurring within the authorizing legislation for user fee programs. Prescription drug user fees were first authorized in 1992. That legislation included a ``trigger'' which required that appropriations for FDA as a whole and for drug review, in particular, meet certain levels in each of the years that the user fees were in effect. The two reauthorizations of those user fees retained the appropriations requirements; in fact, in the last reauthorization in 2002, additional triggers were added. Also in 2002, medical devices user fees were enacted. Again, requirements for FDA appropriations were integral to the user fee legislation. In the case of the medical device legislation, the requirement for appropriated funding of the medical device program included substantial and sustained increases in budget authority. The authorization language stipulates that if the cumulative appropriations trigger is not met, the user fee program will cease at the end of fiscal year 2005. This requirement was included without consultation with the Committee on Appropriations. Most recently, the House and Senate have passed similar legislation allowing for the collection of animal drug user fees. Again, both the House and Senate versions of the bill contain requirements for certain levels of FDA appropriations. According to some published reports, your Committee had received assurance from the leadership that funding levels for animal drug reviews would be increased in fiscal year 2004. Again, the Committee on Appropriations was not consulted in these negotiations. In effect, these triggers in user fee legislation earmark FDA funds for human drugs, medical devices, and animal drugs. The Committee on Appropriations has always supported FDA as a whole and has resisted efforts to add budget authority to one program area at the expense of another. If we let user fee triggers drive our decisions, the FDA programs to suffer would be those not covered by fees--blood, vaccines, counter- terrorism activities, food safety, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prevention. We firmly believe that a strong FDA must balance the needs of all its mission areas to best benefit public health. We have serious concerns about the prevalence and scope of appropriations requirements embedded in user fee authorizing legislation for FDA, and about the lack of consultation with our Committee in legislating such requirements. A larger problem is the fact that your Committee's jurisdiction over the Agriculture Appropriations Bill is limited to the FDA. It is our Committee's task to establish fair allocations of resources among competing interests under the jurisdiction of all authorizing committees. Legislating triggers for individual programs serves to thwart our efforts at fairness by favoring a limited number of programs at the expense of others in our bill--including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), agriculture research, and conservation activities. These programs are critically important to many members and their constituents. As always, we are available to discuss the issue with you, and would be glad to do so. We share your dedication to improve the effectiveness and viability of FDA's programs that are crucial to our nation's well being. Sincerely, C.W. Bill Young, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations. Henry Bonilla, Chairman, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask to enter the editorial ``Aiming High: Academy Still Soars Above Rivals in Terms of Academics and Research Work,'' which appeared in the Colorado Springs Gazette on October 30, 2003, into the Congressional Record. Aiming High: Academy Still Soars Above Rivals in Terms of Academics and Research Work Wednesday in this space we dabbled in the negative, wrestling with some of the continuing fallout from the Air Force Academy sex scandal. Today we accentuate the positive, mindful, as we all should be, that the occasionally disheartening headlines we see concerning the academy hardly present a fair and balanced reflection of what remains one of the nation's premier military and academic institutions. What brings this to mind is a document that landed on our desk this week, the school's ``Annual research Report,'' which will be distributed to the four-star and invited three- star generals attending next week's Corona Conference at the academy. While not something the academy is attempting to spoon-feed the media in an effort to polish its reputation,the report catalogs some truly impressive accomplishments out at the academy--in part a result of the leadership shown by the dean of faculty since 1998, Brig. Gen. David A. Wagie. Wagie, as readers may be aware, last month was singled out for special criticism by the Fowler Commission, a congressionally appointed panel responsible for the latest regurgitation of the academy sex scandal. Its report suggested that Wagie hadn't been held accountable for problems that occurred during his tenure. And that's led to speculation that Wagie could be the next Air Force official invited to fall on his sword to assuage Washington witch hunters. But by at least one critical measure of performance--the school's academics--the general seems to have been doing an outstanding job. The school's academic environment in recent years consistently has been ranked among the nation's best by the Princeton review. In 2000, the academy earned the review's top ranking for providing the best overall academic experience for undergraduates; and it tied for third in that category in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Last year the school also took top honors in terms of professor accessibility, the study habits of students and the excellence of its library. FAA's undergraduate engineering program was ranked fourth best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in 2000, 2001 and 2002; and sixth in the nation in 2003. We read a lot these days about cadet surveys, mostly revolving around the school's sexual climate or reform efforts. But in another survey, the National survey of Student Engagement, fourth-class and first-class cadets in 2002 ranked the school highly in terms of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interactions and a supportive campus environment. During his tenure, Wagie has brought the academy into its own as a top-flight research university. Funding for research has quintupled since 1997, from $2.6 million to $123 million this year, collaborative research work with private companies, universities and federal agencies has increased, and five new research centers have been added, engaging the talents of 887 faculty or staff and 230 students. And the research has real world relevance for the Air Force and the nation. One team of academy researchers solved a battery problem plaguing the unmanned serial vehicles playing such an important role in the war on terror, doubling the air-crafts's range and greatly reducing battery costs. And they did it in less than two months. The school also in the past year provided high performance computing supporting addressing stability problems that have plagued the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft program, and helped enhance the capabilities of C-130 ``Commando Solo'' aircraft, which handle psychological operations and civil affairs broadcast missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. In spite of being buffeted by occasionally ugly news, it's clear that on at least one important front--academics--Wagie and the academy continue to soar high above most other U.S. institutions of higher learning.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, it is with heavy heart I submit the following statement. Chairman Joe Skeen, our former colleague form the State of New Mexico, passed away on Sunday evening due to complications from Parkinson's disease. Chairman Joseph ``Joe'' Richard Skeen was born in Roswell, Chaves County, NM, June 30, 1927, and graduated from O'Dea High School in Seattle, WA, in 1944. He went on to receive a B.S. from Texas A&M University in 1950. After fulfilling a commitment to the United States Navy and spending time in the United States Air Force Reserve, Joe turned his sights to public service and the causes of the rural residents of the State of New Mexico. Joe served his State as a member of the New Mexico State Senate, chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, and as a delegate to both the New Mexico and National Republican conventions numerous times from 1962 to 1970. In 1980 Joe was elected to the 97th Congress as a write-in candidate, only the third in history. Chairman Skeen served longer than any other New Mexican in the House of Representatives, from 1981 to 2000. He was also the first New Mexican to serve on the House Appropriations Committee, and served with distinction as the chairman of both the Agriculture and Interior Subcommittees. A great family, a fine State, and a grateful Nation all lost a wonderful champion, colleague and friend on Sunday. Joe will be missed often and I hope that we who continue in his place, may carry on the tradition of caring and service, which Chairman Skeen truly exemplified.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference agreement; and as we consider this bill, I would like to take a minute to recognize one of the star players behind the scenes. Lots of folks out there watch us on television and in committee hearings and markups and think that the Members of the House are the ones that actually do all the work, cross all the T's, dot all the I's, and check all the legalese, and we do check all that; but the people that do the work day in and day out are the great staff members of the committees and subcommittees. I am losing a key member of this team, the clerk for my agriculture appropriations subcommittee, and his name is Hank Moore. As many of my colleagues know, Hank has announced he will not be with us next year as we work our way through this process. He has decided after 30 years of working here for the Federal Government that he would like to spend more time with his family and is retiring. Mr. Speaker, most Americans probably do not realize, as I did not when I first arrived in the House of Representatives, that this bill is 1,200 pages long. There are countless paragraphs, clauses, commas, sections, outlays, all kinds of terms that are put in this bill; and it has to be done right year in and year out. And while many of us are dealing with the substance of big issues as we develop these bills each year, good members of the staff, like Hank Moore, are there on weekends, late at night making sure that all of the language is exactly right every step of the way. As I have worked with Hank, and I frequently use football terms on occasion, but I want him to know that I have always been very grateful that every time I turned around, the ball was there. Every time. It made my job a lot easier, and it made the job of a lot of folks that preceded me in the Committee on Appropriations a lot easier. I want to wish him well, and his family, and let him know that we will miss him. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring before the House today the conference report on H.R. 2673, providing appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, the Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies for fiscal year 2004, and for other purposes. I want to acknowledge the good work of the gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, my ranking member, who has contributed greatly to this process. It has been a pleasure working with her and all the members of the subcommittee on both sides of the aisle. I believe we have produced a good bipartisan conference agreement that does a lot to advance important nutrition, research, and rural development programs and still meets our conference allocations on discretionary and mandatory spending. My goal this year has been to produce a bipartisan bill, and I believe we have done a good job in reaching that goal. This conference agreement does have significant increases over fiscal year 2003 for programs that have always enjoyed strong bipartisan support. Those increases include: Agricultural Research Service, $54 million for Salaries and Expenses; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, $2 million; Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, $33 million; Food Safety and Inspection Service, $30 million; Farm Service Agency, $18 million; Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund, $482 million; Reimbursement for net realized losses of the Commodity Credit Corporation, $990 million; Natural Resources Conservation Service, $12 million; Rural Cooperative Development Grants, $15 million; Renewable Energy Program, $23 million; Broadband Telecommunications Loan Authorization, $522 million; Domestic Food Programs, $5.4 billion, including Child Nutrition Programs, $837 million and Food Stamp Program, $3.6 billion in program expenses as well as $1.0 billion in reserve to respond to economic conditions; Foreign Assistance and Related Programs, including P.L. 480, $45 million--excluding last year's supplemental appropriation; and Food and Drug Administration, $12 million. Mr. Speaker, we all refer to this bill as an agriculture bill, but it does far more than assist basic agriculture. It also supports human nutrition, the environment, and food, drug, and medical safety. This is a bill that will deliver benefits to every one of our citizens every day. I would say to all Members that they can support this conference agreement and tell all of their constituents that they voted to improve their lives while maintaining fiscal responsibility. The conference agreement is a bipartisan product with a lot of hard work and input from both sides of the aisle. I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida, Chairman Young, and the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Obey, who serve as the distinguished chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations. I would also like to thank all my subcommittee colleagues: the gentleman from New York, Mr. Walsh; the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Kingston; the gentleman from Washington, Mr. Nethercutt; the gentleman from Iowa, Mr. Latham; gentlewoman from Missouri, Mrs. Emerson; the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Goode; the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. LaHood; the gentlewoman from Connecticut, Ms. DeLauro; the gentleman from New York, Mr. Hinchey; the gentleman from California, Mr. Farr; and the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Boyd. In particular, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur; the distinguished ranking member of the subcommittee, for all her good work on this bill this year and the years in the past. Mr. Speaker, we have tried our best to put together a good, solid bill that works for all America. Much of it is compromise, to be sure, but I believe it is a good compromise and good policy. In closing, I would like to thank the subcommittee staff for all their hard work: Hank Moore, the subcommittee clerk; Martin Delgado; Maureen Holohan; Joanne Perdue; Martha Foley of the staff of the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Obey; and Walt Smith, from my personal office. Without their good work, we would not have a bill here today. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this conference agreement. Mr. Speaker, we have worked hard to bring a good conference agreement to the House. We have made prudent recommendations for the use of the budgetary allocation available to us, and we have done yeoman work in keeping the bill free of contentious issues that have caused concern in prior years. I think we have a very good conference agreement. In closing, I would certainly hope that all Members would support this agreement. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record detailed information regarding the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies included in this omnibus legislation. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH08DE03.046 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH08DE03.047 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH08DE03.048 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH08DE03.049 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH08DE03.050 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH08DE03.051 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH08DE03.052

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Maj. Gen. George Ruhlen. Maj. Gen. Ruhlen loved this country and lived a life of service protecting the freedoms we hold dear. Maj. Gen. Ruhlen was a graduate of the United States Military Academy and completed regular courses at the Field Artillery School, the Army War College and the National War College. He was a great patriot and served this country well, commanding the Third Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 9th Armored Division during World War II. His battalion participated in the defense of Luxembourg, Bastogne, and the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River at Remagen. Maj. Gen. Ruhlen's actions in the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge were of extreme significance, helping to hasten the end of the war in Europe. This historic capture allowed over 25,000 American soldiers, tanks, artillery and trucks to cross the bridge safely. In addition, Maj. Gen. Ruhlen served with honor in overseas postings in Japan, Taiwan and Pakistan. He went on to serve as Commander of the 1st Armored Division, Deputy Commanding General, Fourth U.S. Army and Commanding General, Fort Sam Houston. Maj. Gen. Ruhlen received the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action during the Battle of the Bulge. He was also the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit and the Belgian, French and Luxembourg Croix de Guerre. His leadership and valor were an inspiration to those who knew him. He was truly a great American.

Mr. BONILLA

Mr. BONILLA. Madam Speaker, at this time we reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. BONILLA. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BONILLA. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BONILLA. Madam Speaker, I would suggest at this moment to the gentleman from Wisconsin if he has additional speakers to go ahead and proceed.

Mr. BONILLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2673) making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.